Electric Car Range Cut Over 40 Percent by Cold Weather
Cold temperatures can sap electric car batteries, temporarily reducing their range by more than 40 percent when interior heaters are used, a new study by AAA found.
High temperatures can cut into battery range, but not nearly as much as the cold.
Many owners discovered the range limitations last week when much of the country was in the grips of a polar vortex. Owners of vehicles made by manufacturers including Tesla, the top-selling electric vehicle company in the U.S., complained on social media about reduced range and frozen door handles during the cold snap.
Read the article at Detroit Free Press.
10 New Cars Best at Retaining Their Value One Year After Purchase
Depreciation can be a blessing for used car shoppers and a nightmare for new car buyers.
Some cars can lose as much as half of their value in just three years, but other cars depreciate so slowly that it arguably makes more sense to buy them new rather than used.
The overall average one-year depreciation rate across the auto industry is 26.8 percent, but a study by car research site iSeeCars discovered the top 10 slowest-depreciating cars with a less than 15 percent loss of value in one year. The top vehicle is the Honda HR-V with a depreciation rate of 10.5 percent, about $2260.
Read the article at MSN.
Meet Tesla’s Worst Nightmare – Rivian Automotive
R.J. Scaringe, the 36-year-old CEO and founder of Rivian Automotive, a little-known electric-vehicle builder based in Plymouth, Michigan, has focused on environmentally friendly electric vehicles.
After nearly ten years of developing EV technology, its first two battery-powered autos were unveiled: the R1S, a seven-seat sport utility vehicle, and the R1T pickup truck.
Designed for people with active lifestyles, the vehicles exhibit a Range Rover aesthetic - rugged, capable and luxurious -and are packed with the latest high-tech amenities such as internet connectivity and a host of autonomous driver-safety features.
Read the article at Forbes.
The 2020 Ford F-Series Promises Great Power and Great Capacity
Ford has released the first details on the 2020 models of its heavy-duty pickup trucks, and is promising that they will have the most powerful engines and the highest payload and tow ratings in the F-series Super Duty history.
At the Chicago auto show later this week, it is expected that Ford will release details of the official power and torque output as well as the towing capacities. Both are expected to exceed the Super Duty's current 935 lb-ft of torque and 35,000-pound maximum towing capacity.
Read the article at Car and Driver.
Waymo’s First Self-Driving Taxi Service is a Reality
Since April 2017, Waymo's Early Riders, a 400-person club, have been testing the company’s autonomous vehicles for trips to work, school, and various errands in the Phoenix, Arizona suburb of Chandler.
Some of these people will now migrate to Waymo One, while others will stay in the Early Rider program. Those who move to Waymo One will continue to use the company’s self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans in much the same way they did while in the Early Rider program — except now they will be charged for the rides.
Read the article at The Verge.
