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Akerson calls for GM tech to stymie Tesla

Electric vehicle maker Tesla has had some good days lately as sales of the Model S have exceeded expectations as much as the company's profits, thanks in no small part to innovative thinking that has resulted in mass sales of ZEV credits to other manufacturers, free charging stations, 90-second battery swaps and manufacturer-owned dealerships. All of this has the attention of General Motors, who views Tesla as a disruptive force to the auto industry and as a threat to the 104-year-old automaker.
Case in point: GM recognizes that Tesla must be doing something right if it can sell more of its $69,900 Model S sedans than the $39,145 Volt. So what is GM doing about it? Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson assigned a small team to study Tesla so the company won't be caught off guard in the future. In an interview with Bloomberg, Steve Girsky, GM vice chairman, said, "History is littered with big companies that ignored innovation that was coming their way because you didn't know where you could be disrupted."
GM was one of those big companies at one point, and it hasn't quite broken that mold. It has struggled to move on from the old, inefficient practices of its past, leading Akerson to chide employees at a recent conference in Houston because so many in-house patents had failed to be commercialized and implemented in GM designs. This, of course, resulted in a huge research-and-development budget that was wasteful. But Akerson knows that GM must rely on innovation and a tight focus on technologies that customers want if it is to be profitable and survive in the long term.

Tesla patents Supercharger that can handle herd of EVs

Tesla Motors is quietly getting ready for an electric-vehicle charging station that could be considered smarter than the drivers using it. The California-based automaker has applied for a number of patents (details here) in which its super-quick Superchargers would be programmable to better manage what Tesla hopes will be a mass influx of thirsty Model S (and Model X and, potentially, Model E) EVs. This company thinks big. Among other things, the patents detail a charging station that has multiple charging ports and that can manage multiple charging stages. It can also do things like redirect power to either whichever car arrives first or, by measuring the batteries' respective states of charge, who needs it the most. Heck, there's even a provision where the system can redirect power according to the drivers' intended departure time, i.e. whomever says they're sticking around the longest gets last charge. If the station could also get drivers to be truthful about such things, that'd be a real accomplishment. Tesla has already had a lot of success with its Supercharger network, which is now expansive enough to exclusively power a cross-country drive. Earlier this month, a couple of Model S vehicles went from Los Angeles to New York City using nothing but Superchargers and pulled off the trip in 76.5 hours (the blog posts are here). We're guessing those EVs may have broken the speed limit here or there, but don't quote us. Featured Gallery Tesla Supercharger News Source: Google via Green Car Reports Green Tesla Technology Emerging Technologies Electric charging station patent supercharger

Elon Musk talks Tesla Model S updates, AWD version, Model X deliveries

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk does things differently than the heads of other car manufacturers. Case in point, he just made a quick European tour with stops in the Netherlands, Germany and Norway where he, along with CTO JB Straubel, held lengthy question and answer sessions with Tesla owners, reservation holders and other interested parties. Now, we recognize that the California company has a significantly smaller customer base than traditional automakers, making these sorts of events more logistically easy (see also: Fisker). Still, the effort is a refreshing change from scripted press conferences, and allows Tesloids to voice their concerns and criticisms to the exact person with whom the buck stops. It's also good for Tesla, in that it gives new ideas for future improvements a chance to reach the ears of those best placed to implement them. We out here in the wider world like these sessions because they give us a bit of extra insight into the firm's progress and future plans. So what are some of the things we can expect from the electric automaker in the coming months and years? Version 6.0 software is a few weeks away and includes real-time traffic information as well as increased suspension functionality, like lowering and heightening on command. Supercharger production is maxed out and installs are happening at a rate of around five per week. Superchargers will soon pump power at an impressive 135 kW rate, but will plateau there. An AWD Model S will be coming, perhaps around same time as the Model X. Bigger battery pack options may arrive as soon as next year. The new giga-factory for batteries could bring costs down by at least 30 percent, ideally 40 percent and will produce about 30 gigawatt-hours worth per year. After ramp up, volume production of Model X is expected to begin around April 2015. To improve comfort, there will be a seat modification available in the near term, and a different seat option available in a year (or so). Battery swapping between Los Angeles and San Francisco should be online in a few months. The company has analyzed energy usage in production process and claims energy payback happens in less than 10,000 miles. May release white paper on this soon. For lots more tips and tidbits (home energy-storage unit, anyone?) scroll down to watch video of the Netherlands exchange. The Norwegian event – held in a theater because of the crowds – can be viewed at this link. This content is hosted by a third party.