Tesla too closely tied to its troubled CEO

Tesla's story has been such a soap opera that it's hard to know which twists and turns are worth heeding. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's pathos-laden interview published Friday by The New York Times might seem like just another distraction, but it's probably as important as anything to do with Tesla's manufacturing or sales.

After all, the most important factor in Tesla's success is not its electric drivetrains, sleek styling or stunning performance, but its uniquely inspiring CEO. Musk's ability to present himself as the architect of a gleaming science fiction future has made Tesla's cars and stock into symbols of triumphant techno-optimism, lending their owners a piece of Musk's heroic appeal. So when the world's most famous optimist admits that friends are concerned about him and that "the worst is yet to come," it's every bit as important as a missed production or financial goal.Tesla's greatest strength has been becoming a weakness for some time. A Rolling Stone profile last year provided the first undeniable glimpse of Musk's emotional instability, and tweets about drug use presaged the latest revelations that Musk's use of the sleep aid Ambien has worried Tesla's board of directors.

To those versed in the challenges of the auto industry, Musk's wild-eyed ambitions and bizarre pronouncements have always smacked of a disconnect from reality. So too has Tesla's utter dependence on its CEO.

Making cars is the ultimate team sport, and in general, industry leaders are more committed to their teams than their own images. Though widely seen as a futuristic figure, Musk is in many ways a throwback to the swashbuckling early days of the auto industry when forceful personalities led a handful of companies to lasting success, and many more to bankruptcy and the ash heap of history.

Musk stands out so sharply in the automotive landscape because he has stepped into an American cultural archetype that has been largely abandoned. The auto industry has become increasingly consolidated and risk-averse, and while the cult of Elon may seem modern and new, it brings with it profound risks of a bygone era.

This makes Tesla an automotive story like no other, but it also puts those of us who tell its story in the awkward position of having to find the all-too-vague line between the company and the man. As Musk's personal crisis takes center stage, drawing this line becomes even more difficult. Tesla's triumphs and tragedies hold a host of important lessons for an auto industry on the cusp of profound change. For all the teachable moments relating to design, manufacturing and public relations, the most important lesson is turning out to be that the power of an individual's appeal may be too delicate to stake the fate of a company worth tens of billions on.

If Tesla has become more celebrity melodrama than industrial case study, the blame belongs as much on Musk's enablers — from online fan forums to the media to Tesla's board of directors — as on Musk himself. The dream that one man could single-handedly accomplish the impossible was so powerful that millions of people unwittingly contributed to the pressures that have created this situation.

It may not be too late for Tesla to separate itself from its CEO's personal crisis, but the company will not beat its addiction to Musk's personal brand without paying some kind of price. Anyone who has seen a loved one struggle with addiction can tell you that co-dependent relationships are a contributing factor that can be as difficult to break as the addiction itself. The first step is recognizing that the situation is out of control and that it's better to make tough choices now than watch it spiral toward self-destruction.

The question that Tesla's board of directors may have ignored until too late is: Can the company survive without its talented but troubled leader?

The sooner the board answers that question, the sooner we can be free of the celebrity soap opera drama and get back to covering the business of making and selling cars. I, for one, am ready.

2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid Arrives in Dealerships

Sport Hybrid SUV. Three words calculated to appeal to an impressive Venn diagram of the American motoring public. Paired with a premium badge, 37% higher fuel efficiency, and not so premium hybrid upgrade cost, this seven passenger NSX cousin may be the large SUV hybrid to beat in 2019. And you can see one right now.

The 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid began arriving at Acura dealerships nationwide August 1st featuring four new exterior color options and new interior wood treatment. The 2019 MDX Sport Hybrid will open with a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $52,800 (excluding $995 destination and handling). This price reflects only a modest price premium of $1,500 over the conventionally powered MDX SH-AWD® with Technology Package despite offering standard adaptive dampers and an additional 31 horsepower while also receiving a nearly 37-percent higher city fuel economy rating.

Similar in design to the NSX supercar, the MDX Sport Hybrid’s powertrain features Acura’s signature three-motor Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) system, making it the brand’s most powerful and efficient production SUV. The MDX lineup continues to lead the industry as the best-selling three-row luxury SUV both of this year and of all-time.

Similar to the conventional MDX, the 2019 MDX Sport Hybrid features a number of enhancements, including driver and front-passenger 4-way power lumbar support (up from 2-way), authentic Desert Olive Ash wood highlights, high-contrast seat and door panel stitching, and matching wood center console trim for Advance Package models.

Technology and Advance grades include unique interior trim, exterior badging and stainless steel sport pedals. Technology Package models include seating for seven, while the range-topping Advance Package incorporates a 6-passenger interior configuration with second-row captain’s chairs and a large second-row center console in place of a three-occupant bench seat.

For 2019, the exterior color palette has been expanded to eight options, including new Gunmetal Metallic and three new premium colors: Majestic Black Pearl, Performance Red Pearl and Canyon Bronze Metallic.

2015 Toyota Mirai review

Toyota's production ready hydrogen-powered Mirai shows promise but will be a rare sight on our roads

What is it?: 

The Toyota Mirai is among the first hydrogen-fuelled electric cars to reach series production and be offered to customers as a regular private purchase – as opposed to a short-term lease deal, where customers are obliged to hand the car back, as has mostly been the case up to now. 

When UK deliveries begin next month, the distinctively styled saloon will be priced at £66,000, or some £32,605 more than the firm’s £33,395 Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

This appears steep, but the Mirai is among the most advanced road cars on sale right now. Prospective customers can also look forward to a £5000 government-backed subsidy as well as a comprehensive 24-hour, seven-day-a week concierge service and an extensive five-year/100,000-mile warranty that includes roadside assistance. 

Toyota is also offering the Mirai on a £750-per-month lease scheme over four years and 60,000 miles, which begins to make the Mirai an interesting proposition, especially for those seeking a city charge-buster who live near one of the UK’s nine hydrogen fuelling stations.

Don’t expect Prius levels of market penetration, though. With production limited to just 700 cars this year, Toyota says initial volumes will be restricted to just 12 in the UK, followed by a further 18 next year.

The starting point for the Mirai is the Prius Plus. The two cars share the same high-strength steel platform, MacPherson strut front and double wishbone rear suspension and 2780mm wheelbase.

With exaggerated exterior styling elements, including two large air ducts that dominate the front end, it certainly looks distinctive. It’s fairly big, too, at 4890mm long, 1815mm wide and 1535mm high. Without the need to package hot exhausts within the underbody, Toyota has provided the Mirai with a flat undertray. But with a drag co-efficient of just 0.29, its aerodynamic efficiency lags behind that of the competition.  

The Mirai uses a single electric motor delivering 152bhp and 208lb ft. It is essentially the same unit used in the Lexus 450h and is mounted transversely in the engine bay along with the power control electronics, where it provides drive to the front wheels via a fixed-ratio gearbox. 

The fuel cell stack, which uses a combination of oxygen captured from the air and hydrogen to create the electricity used to power the electric motor, is mounted underneath the front seats. Produced in-house at Toyota, it is claimed to possess a specific output of 2.0kW/kg – a 50% improvement in the electrical energy-producing efficiency of Toyota’s initial fuel cell stack revealed in 2008.

Key to the high efficiency is a patented 3D cell design which is claimed to clear waste water away from the surface of the electrode faster than previous cell designs achieved. As such, there is an improved flow of oxygen to the catalyst layer and an increased production of electricity.

The fuel cell stack, which is housed in a titanium case and weighs just 57kg, can operate in temperatures as low as -30deg C. It is also claimed to possess a similar lifespan as a conventional internal combustion engine. Toyota expects it to provide up to 300,000 miles of motoring before it requires overhauling.

Two separate carbonfibre and glassfibre tanks are used to store the hydrogen – one mounted under the front seat and the other behind the rear seats. Together they provide a combined capacity of 122.4 litres, which is enough to allow the Mirai to provide a claimed range of more than 400 miles. Refilling the tanks takes three to five minutes.

The relatively small 1.6kWh nickel-metal hydride battery used to store electrical energy recuperated on the run and produced by the fuel cell stack sits above the second hydrogen tank at the rear. 

What's it like?: 

The striking exterior styling carries over to the interior, which features a modern-looking dashboard with two TFT displays – one under the windscreen housing the speedo and power display functions, and another touchscreen device atop the centre console for infotainment. Elsewhere sits some less contemporary-looking switchgear sourced from various Toyota models.

The quality throughout the spacious cabin is similar to that of the outgoing third-generation Prius, with a variety of hard and soft-touch plastics as well as some less than dazzling graphics. It all feels solidly built, if a little cheap given the high price. With the fuel cell stack sited underneath the front seats, you sit rather high, although this affords good vision to each corner, making the Mirai easy to manoeuvre.

The long wheelbase provides plenty of room leg room in the rear seats, although it’s a strict four-seater, while boot space is limited to 361 litres by the battery and second hydrogen fuel tank behind the rear seat backs.

Given the complexity of the technology at play, the Mirai is extraordinarily straightforward to drive. As with the latest breed of electric cars, you press the start button, draw the stubby gear lever into drive and set off with a light nudge of the accelerator pedal.

Progress is ultra-smooth and, apart from a faint synthetically generated whine from the speakers under load, all but silent. Despite tipping the scales at 1850kg, step-off is quite brisk, making the Mirai well suited to stop/start city traffic. However, the performance quickly levels off, providing a claimed 0-62mph time of 9.6sec and top speed of just 111mph.

By sighting most of the heavy elements low down in its structure, the Mirai has greater agility and poise than you might expect.

The steering is rather devoid of feedback but is quite direct in response and the chassis possess sufficient damping control to provide progressive body movements when you thread the new saloon along more challenging roads. Unexpectedly, it also rides quite well. There’s good small bump absorption around town and it copes with larger surface irregulaties with greater authority than the Prius.  

Toyota considers fuel cell technology to be more suited to larger cars required to run longer distances rather than urban-based runabouts, which it says are better suited to existing plug-in hybrid technology.   

This is reflected in its on-road characteristics. With double-glazing on the side windows and a noise-reducing device that helps to cancel tyre roar, the Mirai isolates its occupants from wind and road noise well. Thanks to this excellent refinement and the elastic nature of its power delivery, the new four-seater is genuinely relaxing to operate.

What it lacks, though, is its own intrinsic character. Like most electrically propelled cars, the new Toyota proves a little too one-dimensional to really elicit any excitement on the part of the driver. It is highly competent, no doubt, but not the sort of car you are likely to be itching to drive simply for the sake of it. Still, with its only emission being water, the Mirai makes a bold environmental statement that many will be keen to pursue.

Should I buy one?: 

The Mirai is a breakthrough achievement – one that is sure to influence the way rival car makers set about mapping out their electric car future. It delivers all the environmentally friendly advantages of a battery-powered car without the need to plug into mains power for extended periods. That said, the hydrogen infrastructure in the UK is limited.

As with the original Prius, it is going to appeal to both early adopters and businesses seeking to provide themselves with an eco-friendly image. But with initial volumes severely limited, it is going to remain a rare showcase of Toyota’s fuel cell technology.

Toyota Mirai

Location Hamburg, Germany; On sale Now; Price £66,000; Engine Electric motor, hydrogen fuel cell; Power 152bhp; Torque 208lb ft; Kerb weight 1850kg; Gearbox Single-speed fix ratio; 0-62mph 9.6sec; Top speed 111mph; Economy 0.76kg hydrogen/62 miles (combined); CO2/tax band na

First Drive: The 2015 Ford Edge

Are you a well-educated married couple or at least a person in a committed relationship with two or fewer kids? No?

Sorry to bother you then.

If you said yes, then the 2015 Ford Edge is a vehicle that has been designed for you.

(Disclaimer: Ford wanted me to drive the Edge, so they flew me to Phoenix and put me up for the night in a hotel I will never be cool enough to stay in on my own.)

I was introduced to the new Ford Edge this last summer in Dearborn. I went there with a desire to drive a Fiesta ST, but Ford knew this and had me attend the new Edge seminars. I would sit through 1,000 new vehicle presentations if at the end there is track time with a Fiesta ST.

The new Edge looks great. That opinion does come from a guy whose fashion choices are viewed by most as just passable, so we’ll let you be the final judge on its looks. But it really does look good. The new lines are sharper and yet softer. It’s like hot chocolate and ice cream at the same time, but better.

The overall length of the vehicle is about 4 inches longer and the wheelbase is only slightly larger. Most of that new length can be found in the rear seat legroom and the cargo compartment. There are now over 40 inches of rear legroom. That is equivalent to many large sedans.

The base engine for the Edge is the 2.0L 4-Cylinder Ecoboost engine. The block is new, it has a twin scroll turbo, and other new bits and parts. This power plant makes 245 horsepower and is very adequate to roll down the Arizona highway allegedly at 80mph. It’s a great power number when you consider the Jeep Cherokee four cylinder option’s max power number is 184hp. The 2.0 Ecoboost is available with all wheel drive and is rated for up to 3,500 lbs. of towing. That’s a four cylinder engine that Ford says will do 20 mpg city/30 highway/ 24 combined* and will tow 3,500lbs.

The 2.7L V6 Ecoboost is available as an option and comes standard on the Sport. Making 315 horsepower, the power feels adequate. It isn’t throw you back in your seat aggressive, but it does not feel underpowered. The 18 city/27 highway/21 combined* isn’t shout it from the roof tops great, but they’re not bad either.

The Sport is adequate. The ride is a little rougher because of suspension upgrades and 21-inch wheels with low profile tires. The ride isn’t bad though, just rougher than the other SE, SEL, & Titanium trim levels.

There is also a natural aspirated 3.5L V6 that makes 285 hp and 250 ft lbs of torque…

The interior of the Edge is comfortable. The extra room in the back makes it less awkward when you demand to drive on adult date night. The other couple won’t be crammed into the backseat.

The panoramic sunroof was letting in ample amounts of sunlight and really opens up the inside. The plastics and most surfaces have been upgraded for a softer touch & feel. At this point, a pedantic auto writer/know-it-all had to point out that the door they had there wasn’t the base trim level. Because well-educated couples with two or fewer children are shopping for base models… I asked. They’re not. Only 10% of Edge sales are the base trim level. The plastics and surfaces did feel much better.

Between the Sport and Titanium that I drove in the desert, both are priced in the $40,000 range. The Titanium started around $37,000 and was optioned up to $43,000 and the Sport started at $40,000 and was optioned to $46,000. That’s more expensive than a lot of other vehicles in the category, but you get more safety and technology with the Edge.

It’s a lot of money, but from what I can tell, it’s totally worth it. I’m really looking forward to spending a week with a new Edge. Hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. ☺

*All mpg numbers are listed for Front Wheel Drive only.

• 

Texas To Offer $2,500 Tax Credit For Alt-Fuel Vehicles

Though Texas may not be a fan of Tesla’s direct sales model, the Lone Star state is ready to offer alternative-fuel vehicle buyers some extra cash. As soon as next week, buyers of CNG, propane, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles will be eligible for a $2,500 state tax credit. Combined with the $7,500 Federal tax credit, this could chop $10,000 off the cost of a new alt-fuel vehicle.

The credit only applies to vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 9,600 pounds or less, which is generous enough to apply to many commercial vehicles like the VIA X-Trux. The only other eligibility factor is that EVs must have a battery size of at least 4 kWh, a low barrier of entry that applies to pretty much every hybrid or EV out there, including the Chevy Volt. I wonder if this isn’t also an olive branch to Tesla Motors in a bid to bring the Tesla Gigafactory to Texas.

Actually, scratch that; the tax credit doesn’t apply to Tesla vehicles as they’re “illegal” to sell in Texas, requiring customers to jump though numerous hoops to get their EVs.

Alas, this tax credit is also limited-time offer, expiring in next August and with just enough funding to pay for 2,000 CNG/LPG and 2,000 electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. With 26 million people calling Texas home and more than 1.275 million new car sales in 2012 alone, this tax credit isn’t likely to make it to next year. It’s an interesting dichotomy going on in Texas, a state where green energy is big business, but dug-in interests seem are doing what they can to halt the march of progress.

If you’re a resident of Texas in the market for a cleaner car, you might want to get a jump on this offer while you can.

Source:  Charged

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel nets 28 MPG Rating

For years, Americans have longed for a powerful-but-fuel-efficient pickup truck using a small turbodiesel engine, and the Ram brand delivered. The 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will get a 28 MPG highway rating, making it the highest rating ever for any pickup truck in the U.S. right now. While we’re sure competitors will have something to say, for now, Ram is riding high.

The 3.0 liter EcoDiesel engine gots an official rating of 28 highway and 20 city, for a combined rating of 23 MPG, while still delivering 220 horsepower and over 400 ft-lbs of torque. This one-two punch of fuel economy and torque is sure to make the Ecodiesel engine popular with pickup buyers, especially since the price difference between the HEMI V8 and EcoDiesel engine is less than $2,000.

It’s just the latest salvo in a bid to win the fuel efficiency war, as Ford, Chrysler, and GM all pursue different means of achieving better MPG ratings. While Ford has dabbled with hybrids, the Blue Oval is betting big on a 2015 F-150 made mostly of aluminum. Meanwhile, GM is going down-market with smaller, diesel-powered versions of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon.

But for my money, Chrysler is on the right path with the 2014 Ram 1500 diesel.. Modern diesel motors are efficient, powerful, and fun in the right hands. Chrysler now has the two most fuel efficient pickups in America right now, just in time for the summer gas price surge. No wonder there’s talk of adding a third Chrysler truck factory.

Source: Gas2.0

BYD to Introduce Cars to US Showrooms in 2015

Following through on plans postponed in 2010, Chinese electric and conventional automaker BYD says it will launch four new models to U.S. showrooms by late next year.

Its plans follow other Chinese automakers with eyes on the U.S. market, and the company actually already has a U.S. presence with intent to begin production this March of electric buses at its Lancaster, Calif. factory.

BYD’s automotive efforts are focused largely on electric cars, and the company is backed by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. It has spent three years reorganizing, reducing its number of dealerships to cut losses, and develop its products.

In an interview in China with Automotive News, the company’s senior vice president in charge of the its U.S. business, Stella Li, said BYD has improved its financial strength and competitive advantages.

“BYD has become more fashionable and we have improved our design and safety,” said Li, “We don’t want to compete on price anymore, but on quality and innovation.”

Li said the likely premier model it will introduce to U.S. buyers is one it just launched at home, the Qin plug-in hybrid. It’s named after the dynasty of the Chinese emperor who unified the country, and starts at 189,800 yuan ($31,400) before government subsidies.

What it would sell for in the U.S. is not known, but performance is 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds, about equal to the 60-kwh Tesla Model S, and electric only range is said to be a Chevy Volt-beating 43.5 miles.

Previous plans postponed in 2010 were to sell its electric e6, which has been imported to other countries for consumers and taxi fleet duty, but what else it will launch in late-2015 was not shared.

Its efforts coincide with those of Geely, which reportedly plans in 2016 to launch cars developed along with Volvo, which its parent company owns.

Another company with possible aspirations for the U.S. market is China’s largest SUV maker, Great Wall Motor. It has said it does not have an official time-frame for this move, however.

Meanwhile Li said BYD is finding less resistance launching its electric k9 buses and e6 cars in markets other than Shanghai or Beijing.

Li told Automotive News BYD was politically blocked from qualifying for local incentives in these major Chinese cities as local authorities are protecting local manufacturers. BYD is a relative outsider from Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province.

“It’s disheartening as a Chinese to see how local interests are holding back the adoption of electric vehicles,” Li said. “It’s easier to sell our buses and cars to Sao Paulo, California or Israel than in Beijing and Shanghai. And those places have better air than China.”

Tempering the positive plans is the observation from Shanghai –based Han Weiqi, an analyst with CSC International Holdings Ltd.

Weiqi said BYD has a track record of announcing bigger plans than what it can deliver.

Whether that is true or not, industry watchers have been bracing for not if but when the Chinese automakers would make actual moves toward the U.S.

U.S. automakers wishing to do business in China must partner with a government-sponsored joint-venture partner, or face stiff tariffs.

The U.S. does not impose such restrictions on Chinese automakers, and it appears BYD intends to take the country up on its opportunities.

Its move follows inroads taken by other Asian imports in automotive history, most recently being Hyundai and Kia.

There were quality and teething issues, political and other concerns, but Hyundai and Kia are now in a relatively strong position, and growing.

It appears 2015 is the year BYD sets up shop, and we’ll see whether it can hit the ground running, or how much stumbling is involved.

Automotive News

PRI 2013: Ford Ecoboost 2.0 4 Cylinder Crate Engine

Ford Racing quietly began offering its advanced, 2.0 liter Ecoboost turbocharged 4 cylinder crate engine earlier this year, without much fanfare. All that changed at the 2013 PRI Show in Indianapolis, however, with Ford’s Ecoboost powered 2015 Mustang twirling away on a giant lazy Susan directly under the giant “Ford Racing” banner mere steps away from the small crate engine, displayed proudly with its (relatively hefty) $8,000 price tag.

This was the first PRI outing (that I’m aware of) for Ford’s turbo 4, and the buzz around it was genuinely positive, with plenty of guys who cut their teeth on DSMs and 2.2 L turbo Chryslers in the- ahem!- 1990s suddenly interested in Ford’s muscular pony. Maybe for the first time, even- all of which bodes well for Ford, who needs to keep the Mustang brand relevant to the Gen-X and Millenial generations of enthusiasts if it hopes to enjoy another few decades of success.

As for specs, Ford’s littlest Ecoboost (crate engine) packs a 252 HP punch served up with 270 LB-FT of torque at just 3000 rpm- not bad for a company that couldn’t get that out of a production 5.0 liter V8 just 20 short years ago. You can check out a few more pictures of Ford’s racy 4-banger, below, and check out Ford Racing’s official 2.0 L Ecoboost page here. Enjoy!

Source: Gas 2.

Obama: Use Oil & Gas Lease Dollars To Fund Gasoline-Free Cars

The sequester is now with us, and Congress has lower approval ratings than South American death squads, but President Obama is doggedly pursuing his green agenda nonetheless.

Today, he will announce a plan to divert $2 billion of Federal oil and gas lease revenues over the next decade from general revenues into an energy security trust fund.

Those moneys would fund research and development of both cleaner fuels and advanced vehicle technologies, with the goal of moving toward vehicular transportation that does not use fossil fuels.

According to reports in The New York Times, Scientific American, and other sources, President Obama will announce the plan during a speech today at Argonne National Laboratory, outside Chicago.

While he first floated the idea during his State of the Union address in January, the proposal will flesh out the details of the subjects to be funded.

Those include additional research on advanced battery chemistries and materials technologies, a broad array of biofuels initiatives, and broader studies on ways to improve the efficiency of all automobiles.

As the Times notes, while there is at least some bipartisan support for moving vehicles off hydrocarbons, the proposal is "likely to encounter strong resistance from Congressional Republicans, who will portray it as a tax on energy producers."

With Congressional gridlock and vicious partisan politics preventing any consensus on a long-term energy plan for the United States, Obama has pursued what he calls an "all-of-the-above stategy" of multiple smaller initiatives.

Those include Federal support and financial incentives for renewable energy, including wind and solar power; increased development of domestic oil and gas resources, potentially including both the controversial practice of geofracturing ("fracking") and the Keystone XL natural-gas pipeline; and longer-term research into non-hydrocarbon energy.

Argonne Lab, where the president will speak, was chosen in part because it has done research and testing on advanced vehicle technologies for decades, from alternative fuels to plug-in hybrids.

But the sequester, says its director, will not only force Argonne to cancel all new programs over the next year, it will more generally devastate U.S. scientific research for decades to come.

Barack Obama

Much of the basic research in core science since World War II has directly or indirectly been funded by the Federal government.

But that funding is contained within the minority of "discretionary" spend that will be heavily affected by the mandatory cuts contained in the sequester.

Meanwhile, a slow (although growing) ramp-up of plug-in electric car sales means Obama's goal of 1 million plug-ins on U.S. roads by the end of 2015 is unlikely to be met.

Should the U.S. continue to invest in research on cleaner vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and lowering the carbon impact of our current energy use?

Or is that a function that, as some have suggested, should be left entirely to the more-efficient private sector to fund?

Source: Green Car Reports