TESLA MODEL 3 ALREADY WHOOPING GASMOBILE A**

At the beginning of the month, Tesla noted that it had gotten Model 3 production up to 2,000 cars a week at the end of March. More recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told CBS that Tesla had produced 2,070 Model 3s in the week leading up to April 10.

If you assume Tesla stalls at approximately 2,000 cars a week for the whole month, that’s still over 8,000 Model 3 electric super-sedans produced in April.

If you assume Tesla makes its way up to 2,500/week in the second half of the month, that means over 9,000 Model 3s. If you get bullish and expect that Tesla will jump to 3,000/week in that time period, we’re talking perhaps 10,000 Tesla Model 3s in April.

Does that match Tesla’s target over the past 6 months for this time period? No — as we all know all too well. But as Kurt Lowder noted recently, you can’t really say Tesla’s late when it’s so far ahead of everyone else and is moving as fast as it can. To quote Ashanti and Ja Rule, “I’m not always there when you call, but I’m always on time.“

It’s somewhat interesting estimating Tesla Model 3 production/delivery numbers, but more interesting is putting those numbers into context. One of my favorite ways to do that is to compare to other cars in the Model 3’s segment. That means the Audi A4/A5, BMW 2 Series/3 Series/4 Series, Jaguar XE, Volvo S60, etc.

We can expect sales of these models to be fairly similar in April to what they were in March, but I’ll round all their numbers up to give them the benefit of the doubt. Just highlighting fairly popular models and their close siblings, here’s what I get:

Models	April Sales Estimate
Acura TLX	4,100
Audi A4 + A5	5,900
BMW 2/3/4 Series	9,400
BMW i3	1,000
Cadillac ATS	1,500
Infiniti Q50 + Q60	6,300
Jaguar XE	700
Lexus RC + IS	2,600
Mercedes C/CLA-Class	7,000
Tesla Model 3 (low est.)	8,000
Tesla Model 3 (high est.)	10,000

As you can see, the Tesla Model 3 is now more or less at the top of the table even if you add up the sales of somewhat similar models from each brand.

If you go a step further and expect that Tesla gets up to production of 5,000 Model 3s per week at some point in the coming quarter — and that US demand holds steady around that number — then the Model 3 will absolutely crush the competition in this class before the end of the year.

That said, as we’ve pointed out before, it may make more sense to pit the Model 3 against leaders in the non-luxury midsize car segment. The Toyota Camry sees approximately 35,000 sales a month, the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima 24,000 each, the Ford Fusion 16,000, the Chevy Malibu 15,000, the Hyundai Sonata 11,000, and the Kia Optima 8,000. The numbers those cars see cover everything from the near-term estimate for the Model 3 (8,000–10,000/month) to one of the most ambitious targets I’ve seen (40,000/month).

Unless you’re really super, über, extremadamente pessimistic, though, it looks like the Tesla Model 3 has already risen to the top of the small & midsize luxury car category and may soon be targeting the podium of the overall midsize car segment in the United States. Not too shabby for an “impossible” car that “will never actually get produced.”

VOLVO SET TO BEGIN SALES OF ITS ELECTRIC SEMI IN 2019

Forget waiting for your pre-order to be filled, because Volvo’s all electric commercial trucks are ready to go. To try to drive that marketing point home, the Swedish company announced that sales of its first all-electric truck- as well as deliveries to customers- will begin in 2019.

It’s pretty much understood that the automotive future is definitely electric, and that fact seems to be best understood by the makers of big trucks. It makes sense, since trucking companies are, perhaps, the entities that are the most sensitive to fluctuation in fuel price.
As such, big players like Cummins– as well as “wannabe” big players like Tesla- have been pushing hard to get in on the heavily subsidized racket market.

You can check out the company’s official press release, included in its entirety, below. Read it, then let us know how you think their electric trucks compare to Tesla’s in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Premiere for Volvo Trucks’ First All-electric Truck


Volvo Trucks now introduces its first all-electric truck for commercial use – the Volvo FL Electric for urban distribution and refuse operations, among other applications. Sales and series production of the new model will start in Europe next year. With this introduction Volvo Trucks takes the lead in solutions for electrified goods transport in cities.
“We’re immensely proud to present the first in a range of fully electrically-powered Volvo trucks ready for regular traffic. With this model we are making it possible for cities that aim for sustainable urban development to benefit from the advantages of electrified truck transports,” says Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Trucks.
With better air quality and less noise in the city, it is possible to plan for housing and infrastructure more freely than at present. An electric truck without any exhaust emissions can be used in indoor terminals and environmental zones. Their low noise level creates opportunities for doing more work at night, thus reducing the burden on the roads during the day.
There is considerable market interest in electric trucks. Many potential customers have questions about the opportunities generated by the new technology and how it can impact their operations.
“In order to make the transition secure and smooth, we will offer holistic solutions based on each customer’s individual needs regarding driving cycles, load capacity, uptime, range and other parameters. Such a solution may encompass everything from route analysis and battery optimisation to servicing and financing. Volvo Trucks works closely with several suppliers of charging equipment. The aim as always is to offer customers high uptime and productivity,” says Jonas Odermalm, head of product strategy at Volvo Trucks.
Backing the Volvo Trucks offer is the company’s accumulated expertise in electrified transport solutions. Sister company Volvo Buses has sold more than 4000 electrified buses since 2010. The technology used for propulsion and energy storage in the Volvo FL Electric has been thoroughly tried and tested from the outset and is supported by Volvo Trucks’ far-reaching network for sales, service and parts supply.
“From experience we know how important it is that cities, energy suppliers and vehicle manufacturers cooperate in order for large-scale electrification to become a reality. With attractive incentives, agreed standards and a long-term strategy for urban planning and expansion of the charging infrastructure, the process can go much faster,” explains Jonas Odermalm.
Volvo Trucks believes that it is essential to take a holistic view of electrification of the transport sector to handle the ongoing challenges in areas such as electricity generation and batteries.
“For instance, in order to ensure that raw materials for the batteries are extracted in a responsible way, the Volvo Group works with the Drive Sustainably network, which has a special function that monitors this issue. The Volvo Group is also involved in various projects where batteries from heavy electric vehicles get a second lease of life, reused for energy storage. All the questions about handling of batteries have not yet been solved, but we are working actively both within the Group and together with other actors to drive development and create the necessary solutions,” says Jonas Odermalm.
The first trucks in the FL Electric range are now entering regular operation with customers in Gothenburg, the home of Volvo Trucks.

Source | Images: Volvo Group.

AUDI DEBUTS 815 HP E-TRON ELECTRIC SUPERCAR

Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo

Sony’s Gran Turismo family of games has featured a number of carmakers’ concept cars as playable vehiclesover the years, but it’s rare for things to go the other way. That is, it’s rare for a car that was designed for the game to be made into a real car. It’s even rarer, still, for that real-life racer to have anywhere near the performance of its digital forebear. That’s what makes this 815 HP, race-ready Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo so very special.

Granted, the car looks an awful lot like the all-electric Audi R8 that was briefly offered, then cancelled in 2016 due to a lack of interested buyers. Enough so that it might make you wonder whether or not Audi might be having second thoughts about putting a go-fast EV in its future line-up, right?

Or, I dunno- maybe Audi just had a bunch of pre-production parts lying around and figured a car like this would make for good, cheap PR. If that’s the case, well- it worked!

You can check out a more comprehensive photo gallery over at the Verge, which has cleverly shuffled together pictures of the real car with pictures of the virtual car. See if you can tell the difference between the two in the photos I cherry-picked at the top of this post, then let us know what you think of this electric racer in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Source | More Photos: Audi, via the Verge.

Which Honda Clarity would you buy: electric, plug-in hybrid, or fuel cell?

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid drive, Napa Valley, Caifornia, Dec 2017

Honda has adopted an unusual strategy with its Clarity, creating a whole new model for its green car, separate from its mainstream midsized sedan, the Accord. 

While the Accord is available as a conventional hybrid, the Clarity sedan will encompass three models: a battery electric with 89-mile range, a 48-mile plug-in hybrid, and a fuel-cell vehicle (following on the original Clarity FCX).

Beyond the powertrains, all three are essentially identical–give or take a little bit of trunk space and a few digitally rendered gauges.

All three seat five, in an especially sleek—and slick—fastback sedan body style with vestigial aero spats over the rear wheels.

All three are now on the market, though the Clarity Fuel Cell is sold only in certain areas of California near hydrogen fueling stations, and the Clarity Electric only in California and Oregon. 

Honda says the plug-in hybrid will be the volume leader by far, especially since it's the only plug-in hybrid other than the Chevrolet Volt (and BMW i3 REx) that offers more than 40 miles of electric range.

The Clarity Electric's 89-mile range, however, looks dated compared with the Chevrolet Bolt at 238 miles, the 2018 Nissan Leaf at 151-miles, and the Tesla Model 3 at 310 miles, to cite a few examples. 

As with previous Honda fuel-cell cars, sales of the Clarity Fuel Cell will be concentrated around urban Orange County, California, where hydrogen filling stations are most prevalent.

The number of retail hydrogen stations in California continues to grow; as of a couple of weeks ago, it reached 33 sites.

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid drive, Napa Valley, Caifornia, Dec 2017

Although the range of choices for all three types of non-petroleum-burning cars also continues to expand, no other green car currently offers such a selection of powertrain options.

It seemed a good opportunity to us to get a direct comparison of what buyers are interested in, independent of factors such as the looks or type of car or who makes it.

Readers can compare head-to-head a short-range plug-in car with a gas range extender, a longer-range traditional electric, or what some consider the holy grail of green cars, a fuel-cell vehicle with more than 360-miles of electric range.

As always, please note that our Twitter polls are far from scientifically valid, due to small sample size and self-selection by those who choose to participate.

Chevrolet Bolt And Volt Sales Show Promise This March

After a strong showing in 2017, the 238-mile Chevrolet Bolt EV continues to impress into the new year, and the Volt wows us.

We can’t say we’re surprised that the Chevy Bolt fared much better this February after its weak sales figures in the first month of the year. January numbers – although down considerably from most months in 2017 – were still up a touch year over year. How goes it this March?

Historically, aside from a surprisingly weak February and March, Bolt sales increased every month in 2017 to culminate in a December that eclipsed the 3,000 mark by a notable margin (3,227). This February, the Chevrolet Bolt showed that it could succeed once again. But, can it maintain that momentum as its situation changes?

Now that the Tesla Model 3 has proven it can easily top our sales chart three months in a row and counting, the Prius Prime continues to shine, and the new second-gen 2018 Nissan LEAF is here in stronger numbers, the Chevrolet Bolt is no longer in the “safe” position it has enjoyed for many months. Nonetheless, as linked above, GM CEO Mary Barra has promised increased Bolt production. We’ll see how that pans out in the coming months.

March seems to suggest that the Bolt will continue to find a home near the top of our chart, though it might never match Model 3 numbers going forward, and will now see strong competition from the LEAF.

With all of that being said, GM moved 1,774 Bolts this March, up 81.5% from last year’s 978, and up 350 units from last month’s 1,424.

This marks the last month that GM will be reporting monthly sales. The automaker has decided to go against industry tradition and follow in the footsteps of Tesla, only providing quarterly reports.

GM’s next sales report won’t come until July. This is yet another automaker that will make monthly sales reporting increasingly difficult, and the expectation is that most other will eventually follow suit. GM’s U.S. vice president for sales operations, Kurt McNeil shared:

Thirty days is not enough time to separate real sales trends from short-term fluctuations in a very dynamic, highly competitive market. Reporting sales quarterly better aligns with our business, and the quality of information will make it easier to see how the business is performing.

In October, GM publicized its future electrification plans, which will include up to 20 electric vehicles. In the short term, GM will offer two new all-electric vehicles inside of the next eighteen months.

As we previously reported, the first will be a Bolt-based Buick crossover. We received exclusive information back in July from a source who attended a GM focus group. During the event, GM accidentally included the upcoming information in a presentation given by CEO Mary Barra (check out that photo below). Since then, the automaker has vowed to make profitable EVs by 2021.

Though Chevy Bolt sales have remained pretty solid, its stablemate, the Chevrolet Volt, has been telling a different story. The Bolt, along with a growing list of competing plug-ins, have stolen the Volt’s thunder as of late.

November welcomed the Honda Clarity PHEV – which has been priced strongly ($33,400 for a mid-size car with 47 miles of range) and is likely to become one of the Volt’s toughest rivals. In February, the Clarity PHEV sold a strong 881 copies, securing it a spot in the model recap section of our monthly scorecard. Perhaps it will fare even better this month.

In addition to the Clarity, the Hyundai IONIQ PHEV and Kia Niro PHEVexperienced huge sales growth in February. If the trend continues, these vehicles could net an impressive amount of success over the course of this year.

The Toyota Prius Prime has proven the Volt’s strongest contender, having placed narrowly ahead of GM’s PHEV for five straight months. Then, in December, the Prime surged ahead with a solid 2,420 copies sold, making it boss to the Volt for a full six months and remaining far ahead ever since.

With everything considered, it comes as quite a surprise that GM delivered a healthy 1,782 Volts in the month of March. While this is up significantly from January and February, it’s down 16.4% from last year’s 2,132 for the month. The most interesting part is that GM moved more Volts than Bolts for the month of March, albeit just a handful more.

As a whole, the news remains positive for GM in the EV segment. The automaker sold 3,556 plug-ins for March (excluding Cadillac CT6 plug-in deliveries, which will be in later).

Chevrolet Bolt

29 photos

Chevrolet Volt

15 photos

Source: The Detroit News