Exclusive: Tesla's secret batteries aim to rework the math for electric cars and the grid

Reuters ^ | 07 08 2020 | Norihiko Shirouzu, Paul Lienert

[hal ogen]

Go to the gas station. Fill up in 10-15 minutes. Drive 300-400 miles. Repeat as needed. “Problem” solved .

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Go to the barn, fill a feed bag with oats in minutes; ride 30 to 40 miles. Repeat as needed. Why bother with new-fangled horseless carriages?

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

I can see that happening — an opportunity for small business too. There are so many possibilities, it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

[hal ogen]

Socalled “electric” vehicles have been around for 100 years. Such old technology...with a new coat of paint. ...and with massive subsidies and tax breaks.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Have you considered buying a ‘Morphie juice pack’ for your iPhone 6? It adds a bit of bulk; but, it would give you a lot more juice. They’re about $70 on Amazon. I think that’s cheaper than getting a new battery installed.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

I’m against the subsidies too — but, tech shouldn’t be political. Let the market decide.

[anton]

They will have to because Tesla is shite and their batteries are controlled by the Chi Coms.

[catnipman]

“Every month we get another miracle battery story.”

and it’s been that way for at least 30 years ... even before the internet ...

[Lockbox]

My friend Jim loves his 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric. It only has 87 miles of range, but Jim estimates that about 70% of his family’s annual vehicle miles are on the B-Class Electric. That’s why it was so disappointing when last year the motor started whining so severely that the car was nearly undrivable. To add insult to injury, the local Mercedes-Benz dealership quoted $18,000 to get it fixed by replacing the entire powertrain.

After scouring the internet, Jim discovered that a surprising number of the few thousand cars with early Tesla powertrains were experiencing similar problems. The three problematic models are first-gen Roadsters, Toyota RAV4 EVs, and Mercedes-Benz Electrics. Jim sent me these two links:

http://www.mybclasselectricdrive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=644

http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=251&start=510

I replied with the names of Bay Area EV-loving mechanics to get a second opinion. And he discovered in one of the forums that QC Charge in San Marcos, California (about 30 miles north of San Diego) does repairs on those three early EVs that all use nearly identical versions of Tesla’s powertrain.

This is an issue with industrial electric motors when used on a VFD, bearing pitting. There are solutions such as shaft grounding brushes and insulated bearings.

https://electrek.co/2020/06/12/when-an-out-of-warranty-ev-fails-who-you-gonna-call/