2022 Tesla Model S on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Renault Zoe driving video, BYD Buses in Campinas

A new video shows drivers how to get the most range out of the Renault Zoe. By managing one's driving style, as we all know, one can minimize energy consumption. The Zoe's Econometer and R-Link screen give feedback about the rate of consumption, which helps let the driver know that they should hold back in the throttle. The R-Link system shows the distribution of energy in real time. It also analyzes the driving route and gives feedback at the end of the session. The Zoe also has an Eco button that automatically limits consumption regardless of driving style. Pre-programming climate control can also help improve range. These are all features we're more or less familiar with, but see how they work in the Renault Zoe in the video above. Tesla has announced it will release its second quarter results on August 5. After the automaker releases its financial information on that day, it will hold a live question and answer conference call webcast to discuss those results and outlook at 5:30 Eastern. The second quarter ended June 30. Read more at MarketWatch. Campinas, Brazil will add 10 BYD electric buses to its fleet. It is the first city in Brazil to have a zero-emissions bus fleet. Campinas will be using BYD's 39-foot, four-door K9 battery electric bus, but the K11 articulated electric bus will also begin testing in the city soon. Campinas Mayor Jonas Donizete likes the electric buses because "they are very comfortable, almost noise-free, and great for the environment," and they will help reduce the city's air and noise pollution. BYD plans to open factories for electric buses and solar panels in Campinas over the next year, investing about $108.5 million from 2014 to 2017. Read more in the press release below. BYD to Deliver 10 Electric Buses to Campinas Public Transport Fleet 07/22/2015 (Campinas, Brazil): BYD do Brasil and Campinas City Administration announced this month, the addition of 10 battery-electric buses to the city's public transportation bus fleet. Campinas is a city in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and will be the first in the country to have a fleet of fully electric, zero emission buses operating in its streets. The model chosen to integrate the fleet in Campinas is the BYD K9, a 12-meter, 4-door, low-floor urban bus, with universal accessibility for passengers with limited mobility.

Recharge Wrap-up: utility sells discounted Powerwall, Nissan-Renault builds 340K EVs

Vermont electric utility Green Mountain Power is selling discounted Tesla Powerwalls to its customers in hopes of balancing the grid. The battery packs would be used not just to help customers store renewable energy for home solar systems or as backup power, but also to occasionally discharge power back to the grid when needed. In addition to this decentralized energy storage being useful to customers, it also benefits the utility by taking demand off energy generating infrastructure during periods of peak demand. The pilot project will put 500 Tesla Powerwalls in customers' homes. Learn more at Green Car Reports, or in the story from Vermont Public Radio. Together, Nissan and Renault have built 340,000 electric cars. The allied Japanese and French automakers hit 100,000 EVs in July 2013, 200,000 in November 2014, and a quarter million in June of 2015. The Nissan Leaf, which first went on sale at the end of 2010, makes up the bulk of the EVs the Renault-Nissan Alliance has sold. Renault delivered its 50,000th Zoe EV in April 2016. Leaf sales have declined in the US in recent months, due at least in part to the anticipation of the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3. Nissan, however, is expected to update the Leaf with a 200-mile driving range in the coming years. Read more at Green Car Reports. Students at the Bearys Institute of Technology (BIT) in Karnataka, India have built what they call the Hybrid Water Car. The car uses a system to electrolyze hydrogen from water and add it to the fuel for more efficient combustion. The system has been placed into a chopped up, lightweighted Maruti Omni. While the benefits of onboard hydrogen electrolyzers have been debated for some time, the BIT students don't plan to stop there, as their next project car will be fueled completely by hydrogen. Read more from Car and Bike. Facebook has hired Rich Heley away from Tesla. The former Tesla VP of Product Technology is making the move to the social media giant's new Building 8 research lab. Heley joined Tesla in November 2013 after working at Apple. Read more at Automotive News.

Tesla Model S prone to password hacking?

As more and more technology gets crammed into our automobiles, replacing once simple mechanical systems with electronics and other such wizardry, hackers and people much smarter than ourselves are finding more and more ways to exploit them. The latest such case comes from a man named Nitesh Dhanjani, who has reportedly managed to send wireless codes over the internet to the Tesla Model S that can unlock the car's doors.
According to an article from Reuters, the six-digit passcode required to gain entry into Tesla's electric sedan isn't the only flaw in the car's security Dhanjani - himself a Tesla Model S owner - has found. That said, the car's electronic key fob is still required to start and drive the vehicle, meaning thieves would only have the ability to steal things left inside the car and wouldn't actually be able to operate it or drive it away.
"It's a big issue where a $100,000 car should be relying on a six-character static password," said Dhanjani, who has shared his findings with Tesla.