Author: EVAI

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• The future is autonomous in Musk’s view
• But Musk reiterated that we need to make EVs affordable for everyone

In the automaker’s third-quarter earnings call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk did an about face from the idea of a $25,000 electric vehicle that he had previously promoted.

Tesla will only build a $25,000 EV as a robotaxi designed for autonomous ride-sharing, Musk said in response to a question about when investors can expect a conventional EV from the automaker at that price point, according to a summary of the exchange from InsideEVs.

“Basically, having a regular $25,000 model is pointless. It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe,” Musk said, adding that “I think we have been very clear that the future is autonomous.”

Tesla Robotaxi Cybercab

Tesla revealed its vision of this future in the form of the autonomous Cybercab and Robovan concepts at an event earlier in October. The Cybercab, a two-seater that doesn’t have a steering wheel or any pedals, will launch “before 2027” and cost less than $30,000, Musk said at the event. But this all-in approach to autonomous driving is a relatively recent development.

Musk has discussed plans for a $25,000 Tesla since 2020, when he made the idea of a “compelling” entry-level EV the focus of Tesla’s Battery Day presentation. At the time, Musk said affordability would be enabled partly by the scaling up of large-format batteries and improved chemistries—including lithium iron phosphate (LFP)—and that the $25,000 EV would arrive by 2023.

Tesla has sent conflicting signals on the project since then. In 2021 a top Tesla executive in China said the affordable EV was under development there. Some time later Musk said the company wasn’t working on a $25,000 EV, and that the robotaxi project was more important.

$25,000 Tesla teased for 2023 – Battery Day

In January of this year, Tesla reportedly reportedly made a call to suppliers in preparation for an affordable model due to arrive in 2025. The report’s sources implied a total annual output for the model, codenamed Redwood, of more than 500,000 units.

In a presentation and Q&A for investors the following day, neither the company nor Musk described the $25,000 Tesla project. However Musk spoke to some of the rationale for such a model, noting that many of the bestselling internal-combustion vehicles globally cost less than the Model Y and Model 3 currently do. Another report in April said the project had been completely nixed which, combined with Musk’s comments in the Q3 investor call, would seem to be the end of the matter. But not quite.

During the same call, Musk also said that “we need to make EVs affordable for everyone, including making total cost of ownership per mile competitive with all forms of transportation,” adding that “Preparations remain underway for our offering of new vehicles—including more affordable models—which we will begin launching in the first half of 2025.”

• Costco is returning to EV charging, with a first location assuring reliability and a different approach
• Charging station was set up in seven weeks—shorter than a Tesla Supercharger station
• Electric Era uses battery storage, AI load management, claims 98%+ uptime per port
• Retailer has not announced any plans to get rid of its popular gas pumps

Costco is putting charging back into its offerings—with a DC fast-charging location at its new warehouse store in Ridgefield, Washington, and what sounds to be the start of a new focus on EV charging for the retail giant. 

The firm tasked with charging at this location, Electric Era, claims that it has been able to deploy this new fast-charging station in just seven weeks—from contract signature all the way to station launch. 

That’s warp speed, even by Tesla Supercharger standards. In California, for instance, where an accelerated buildout of public charging is needed, charging stations have sat for months waiting for last steps—and according to a recent report, utilities typically take 17 weeks after work on a charging station is completed to simply connect it to the grid. 

Electric Era, calls itself an “end-to-end EV charging solution partner.” It builds battery storage into its charging stations from the start, with software utilizing AI to help manage load and keep it under a particular peak—cutting the necessary transformer size by more than 60%. It boasts that this station will deliver 98%+ uptime per port. 

Costco Electric Era EV charging station

The partnership with Costco focuses on reliability, cost efficiency, and “unmatched access-to-market,” according to Electric Era, which allows an approach that’s “tailored to the needs of large retailers like Costco,” according to the company. It claims to have autonomous monitoring of its stations “via high-rate telemetry” and 24/7 on-call operators who can troubleshoot and dispatch. 

Electric Era says that its system offers customizable 32-inch full-screen displays for personalized messaging and promotions. 

Especially of note here is that this charging station is branded with Costco, not Electric Era. Green Car Reports has reached out to Costco to clarify the extent of the arrangement, but for now the closest thing to compare it to might be Walmart, which in 2023 signaled a parting of ways from Electrify America with an announcement that it would be shifting toward its own Walmart EV fast-charging network. 

For now, the charging company told GCR that it’s in “ongoing discussions with Costco to explore potential future locations.”

A Consumer Reports study from earlier this year found that big-box stores and fast-food chains aren’t providing enough EV chargers to support customers or the communities around them. 

EV charging station at Costco

Costco isn’t new to EV charging. It was one of the first big-box retailers—in the late 1990s—to install destination (L2) charging stations at many of its California locations. Most of those didn’t have J1772 connectors to plug easily into the Nissan Leaf and, with an adapter, the Tesla Model S, but Costco instead opted to pull the plug on its EV chargers in 2011 and 2012. 

The retailer has for a long time relied on its gas stations as a traffic-driver for its retail stores, and it currently operates gas stations at the majority of its warehouse stores, with most open 24 hours a day. And like shopping at the stores themselves, gassing up at Costco requires a membership. 

A top executive said just last year that it had no plans to retire those lucrative gas stations. But perhaps by keeping that and adding EV charging to the menu it can win even more retail hearts.

• Stellantis upgraded its wind tunnel to the tune of $29.5 million
• The upgrades focused on aero efficiency to help with EV range
• What used to take hours can now take minutes to change with the recent wind tunnel upgrades

Stellantis on Wednesday unveiled a $29.5 million upgrade of the wind tunnel at its main research and development facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, giving engineers an enhanced tool to further improve efficiency and EV range.

Upgrades to the wind tunnel, which has been in continuous operation since 2002, include provisions for specific measurements of airflow resistance around wheels and tires, Stellantis said, adding that wheels and tires can account for up to 10% of real-world aerodynamic drag.

Vehicles remain static, with belts suspended on cushions of air turning all four wheels. A fifth moving belt represents the effect of travel over a road surface. Compressed air drives the belts at speeds up to 140 mph, while the tunnel is capable of generating wind speeds of up to 160 mph, according to Stellantis. The automaker uses similar wind-tunnel technology at other facilities globally, but the Michigan facility can accommodate larger vehicles—including EVs based on the STLA Large and STLA Frame platforms.

Stellantis wind tunnel in Auburn Hills, Michigan

Increased automation also means that changes of wheelbase and track that can take up to two hours in conventional wind tunnels can now be done in minutes, according to Stellantis. This lets the wind tunnel continue to act as a vital complement to virtual simulations.

“This apparatus is a great addition to virtual tools, which may not account for factors such as tire deformation that can compromise aerodynamics,” Mark Champine, head of Stellantis’ North American engineering technical centers, said in a statement. “With this technology we can replicate such conditions and capture real-time data to explore solutions.”

The wind tunnel is part of an estimated $85 million commitment to facility upgrades specified in a 2019 Stellantis contract with the UAW. However, the automaker is also reportedly looking to sell its Arizona proving grounds.

Stellantis wind tunnel in Auburn Hills, Michigan

The need to maximize EV range without further growing battery-pack sizes has revived a century-old obsession with aerodynamics—one that Stellantis is familiar with. The Chrysler Airflow debuted in 1934 with wind-tunnel-tested styling that proved controversial at the time. The Airflow name was revived in 2022 for an electric SUV concept, although it’s still unclear whether that vehicle or a next-generation minivan will be the Chrysler brand’s first EV.

Also of aerodynamic note is the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona, based on the STLA Large platform and also being used to test solid-state batteries. The electric muscle car uses an innovative front airfoil to reconcile the blunt front end reminiscent of the classic 1968 Charger with modern aero requirements. The Daytona name, which denotes all-electric models, also references the Charger Daytona race car, which used a pointed nose cone and tall rear wing to minimize aerodynamic drag on NASCAR oval tracks.

Stellantis is targeting 50% U.S. EV sales and 100% European EV sales by 2030, with 75 models globally by that time.

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Stellantis has upgraded the wind tunnel located near its U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in its quest to boost range of electric vehicles by reducing drag. The automaker on Wednesday said it invested $29.5 million in the site to add moving ground plane technology, essentially a rolling surface. Each wheel gets its own belt that…

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• The NHTSA is looking at the safety of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system
• Four crashes have been documented while Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system was engaged, one was fatal
• Tesla CEO Elon Musk doubled down on self-driving cars with the Cybercab

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into the Tesla Full Self-Driving driver-assistance system following four documented crashes, including one fatal 2023 crash, reports Reuters.

The investigation, which is the first step before the NHTSA can demand a recall on safety grounds, covers 2016-2024 Tesla Model S and Model X electric cars with the optional system, as well as 2017-2024 Tesla Model 3, 2020-2024 Tesla Model Y, and 2023-2024 Tesla Cybertruck pickups—essentially every vehicle that could be optioned with Full Self-Driving.

The NHTSA said it opened the investigation after four crashes where the system was engaged during reduced-visibility conditions such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. This includes a November 2023 crash in which a pedestrian was killed in Rimrock, Arizona, after being struck by a 2021 Tesla Model Y, according to the agency. Another crash under investigation involved a reported injury.

Tesla Model 3 dashboard in Autopilot testing with IIHS [CREDIT: IIHS]

The investigation will include a review of Full Self-Driving’s ability to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” The NHTSA has also asked Tesla if any other similar crashes have occurred under reduced roadway visibility and whether the automaker has made any updates that may affect Full Self-Driving in such conditions, according to Reuters.

Despite its name, Tesla’s website acknowledges that Full Self-Driving still requires active driver supervision and does not make cars truly autonomous. There are no self-driving cars currently available for consumers to buy.

2024 Tesla Model Y. – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

In 2023, the NHTSA requested that Tesla issue a recall to restrict the behavior of Full Self-Driving, saying the system posed “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.” Later that year, Tesla disclosed that the U.S. Justice Department had issued subpoenas related to the Full Self-Driving and Autopilot systems. Tesla continues to offer Full Self-Driving as an $8,000 option, down from a high of $15,000 in 2022.

The investigation comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk doubles down on autonomous driving. Earlier this month, Musk staged a showy reveal of an autonomous $30,000 two-seat Cybercab he said would arrive before 2027, as well as a 20-seat autonomous shuttle concept dubbed Robovan.