Consumer Reports rates Tesla Model S ‘Best Overall Car’

by Jake Richardson

Consumer Reports has selected the Tesla Model S as their ‘Best Overall Car’

Their choice is significant, because Consumer Reports reviews are based on scientific tests and they are the largest independent testing entity for consumer products in the world. They specifically try to protect consumers interests and emphasize safety.

Winning such an award is no trivial matter and is a strong counterpoint to the press that documented a very small number of car fires (3) involving the Model S after some of the vehicles were driven over road debris that punctured their battery casings.

EV Central. EV Sales. Consumer Reports has selected the Tesla Model S as their choice for ‘Best Overall Car’. Nothing more needs to be said — that’s everything!

If Consumer Reports is very impressed by the Model S, it means the vehicle is worthy of admiration. Here is a portion of what they said about the all-electric sedan:

The Tesla is brimming with innovation.

Its massive, easy-to-use 17-inch touch screen controls most functions. And with its totally keyless operation, full Internet access, and ultra-quiet, zero-emission driving experience, the Tesla is a glimpse into a future where cars and computers coexist in seamless harmony.

Its 225-mile driving range and 5-hour charges, using Tesla’s special connector, also make it the easiest, most practical, albeit pricey, electric car to live with. Price as tested: $89,650. (Consumer Reports)

It’s sort of amusing that they noted the price because considering how innovative the Model S is and that it is produced by a small, new company one might argue that it is actually reasonably priced. Sure, the first temptation is to compare it with gas-powered sedans like the Accords and Camrys that are so common. The Model S is a brand-new design, however, and all-electric. Obviously, its a niche vehicle, so comparing it with $30,000 gas-powered sedans that have been produced for many years is not fair.

Yes, its disappointing that most of us can’t afford one, but it should be pointed out that the success of the Model S is paving the way for a smaller, more affordable Tesla all-electric car that should be in production within the next several years. In a sense, the buyers of the Model S are helping Tesla expand their future production so people with less money can also eventually get their own Tesla. Those of us that can’t afford a $90,000 car just have to wait longer for the more affordable model.

Tesla’s first production vehicle was the Roadster and that cost about $120,000 it when was first made available to the public, so Tesla is moving in the direction of affordability and will continue to do that until it starts selling its smaller, commuter EV.

This article, Best Overall Car Win for Tesla Model S from Consumer Reports, is syndicated from Clean Technica and is posted here with permission.

About the Author

Jake Richardson Hello, I have been writing online for some time, and enjoy the outdoors. If you like, you can follow me on Google Plus

VW e-Golf Priced at €34,900 and now available in Germany [Video]

by Zachary Shahan

EV Central. EV Sales. The VW Golf is the most-sold European car in history, and now there’s an electric version of it – the VW e-Golf.

The VW Golf is the most-sold European car in history, and now there’s an electric version of it.

The VW e-Golf, unveiled at the LA Auto Show in November, has just been made commercially available in Germany. The starting price is €34,900 (~$47,800). That comes with an 8-year / 160,000-kilometer (99,419-mile) battery warranty. That’s almost exactly the same price as the BMW i3.

Assuming Volkswagen is serious about selling this car, it could do well, but I’d be surprised to see its sales compare to sales of the BMW i3 or the much-lower-priced Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, or German-market-leading Smart Electric Drive.

I’d assume the VW e-Up!, launched just at the end of 2013, will also do better. It has been doing quite well, is widely available (across Europe), and it comes in at a much lower price of €26,900. Mike Millikin of Green Car Congress has some info on how these two electric Volkswagens compare, and how they compare to the world-market-leading Nissan Leaf:

The e-Golf features low power consumption of 12.7 kWh/100 km (the frugal e-up! offers power consumption of 11.7 kWh/100 km). As a comparison, the Nissan LEAF consumes 15 kWh/100 km (in accordance with UN/ECE Regulation 101).

I still slightly prefer the Nissan Leaf over the VW e-Up!, but have yet to drive the VW e-Golf. Looking forward to that. Here are more details on the e-Golf for now:

The e-Golf’s electric motor delivers 85 kW / 115 PS and from a standing start develops maximum torque of 270 N·m (199 lb-ft). The high-performance 12,000-rpm motor and the single-speed EQ270 transmission form a compact unit: the EQ270 also incorporates an integrated differential and an electro-mechanical parking brake. The motor and transmission was developed in-house and is made at Volkswagen’s components plant in Kassel, Germany.

The e-Golf reaches a speed of 60 km/h within 4.2 seconds and 100 km/h after 10.4 seconds.

The Golf A7 was developed from the outset to be a battery electric vehicle. As the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture that underpins the new Golf A7 is so flexible, Volkswagen was able to integrate the lithium-ion battery in a space-saving frame in the vehicle floor, under the front and rear seats and in the center tunnel. Like the electric motor and the transmission, the battery was also developed in-house at Volkswagen and is made at the company’s facility in Braunschweig, Germany.

The liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery accounts for 701 pounds (318 kg) of the e-Golf model’s 3,090-pound (1,402 kg) curb weight. It comprises 264 individual prismatic cells, which are integrated into 27 modules (each with six or twelve cells). Collectively, the cells have a nominal rating of 323 volts, with an overall capacity of 24.2 kWh.

Depending on the nature of the route, driving style and load, the range is between 130 and 190 kilometers. More specifically, Volkswagen says, under the NEDC cycle, the range is 190 km. Practical range according to Volkswagen is the 130-190 km spread; and in winter operation, the range is expected to be 80-120 km.

Volkswagen seems to have gotten serious about electric vehicles after Martin Winterkorn took over as CEO in 2007. Nonetheless, it has taken the German auto giant a while to get into the game. Jumping into the market just within the past 6 months, it now has two high-volume cars available at competitive process and with unique features. Statements from some board members also makes it seem that the company is serious about an electric vehicle transition. Notably, in less than one month the company will be highlighting its new electric mobility options via public events that even include music concerts.

Under the slogan “electrified“, Volkswagen will be launching a series of e-mobility weeks in March on the site of Berlin’s former Tempelhof Airport. Volkswagen will offer a comprehensive overview of Volkswagen capabilities in the field of electrically powered motoring. From 14-16 March, members of the public can avail themselves of the numerous facilities on offer, such as test driving vehicles. The e-mobility weeks will be rounded off with public concerts in the evening.

Whether by force (European requirements) or choice, it’s nice to see Volkswagen finally jumping into this. Let us know if you happen to have had any experience with the VW e-Golf yet!

This article, VW e-Golf Now Available In Germany — Price = €34,900, is syndicated from EV Obsession and is posted here with permission.

About the Author

Zachary Shahan is the director of CleanTechnica, the most popular cleantech-focused website in the world, and Planetsave, a world-leading green and science news site. He has been covering green news of various sorts since 2008, and he has been especially focused on solar energy, electric vehicles, and wind energy for the past four years or so. Aside from his work on CleanTechnica and Planetsave, he’s the Network Manager for their parent organization – Important Media – and he’s the Owner/Founder of Solar Love, EV Obsession, and Bikocity. To connect with Zach on some of your favorite social networks, go to ZacharyShahan.com and click on the relevant buttons.

Rimac ‘Concept One’ supercar production set for 2015

Originally published on Gas2 by Christopher DeMorro

EV Central. EV Sales. Rimac One concept car. The $1 million dollar Concept_One uses four separate electric motors, one at each wheel, to deliver a mind-blowing 1,088 horsepower.

The Rimac Concept_One electric hypercar boasts Bugatti Veyron-rivaling horsepower with a price tag to match, and it could go on sale by the end of 2015. Is the world ready for this electric hypercar?

The Concept_One may have an awfully uninspired name, but it’s one of my favorite electric vehicles for one simple reason; speed. Where other automakers have focused on range, luxury, and alleviating customer fears, the Rimac Concept_One is a pure supercar that just happens to be electric.

Oh, and it was designed by a 24-year old wunderkin named Mate Rimac, a Croatian-native with some serious talent (and apparently deep pockets).

Rimac also claims to own the “world’s quickest” electric car, a converted BMW that goes from 0 to 60 MPH in 3.3 seconds, with a top speed of 174 MPH. Sounds crazy fast, but compared to the Rimac Concept_One, it might as well be a Toyota Prius. Just look what happens when a Ferrari tries to take on the Concept_One.

That’s because the $1 million dollar Concept_One uses four separate electric motors, one at each wheel, to deliver a mind-blowing 1,088 horsepower.

That’s enough power to make the 0 to 60 MPH sprint in just 2.8 seconds, less time than it took you to read this sentence. Rimac claims a top speed of 190 MPH, and a 373 mile driving range from the 91 kWh battery pack, which is even larger than the battery in the top-trim Tesla Model S. A system called All Wheel Torque Vectoring also helps give the Rimac exceptional handling compared to more primitive combustion-powered hypercars. Having a motor on every wheel is a unique advantage that no combustion car can match.

As much as I loved the Concept_One from the get-go (which desperately needs a new name) it was always one of those cars I never expected to make it past the concept phase. But interest in this electric hypercar is enough that the company is considering a limited run of 88 vehicles, with production beginning by the end of 2015. This is in addition to Rimac’s plans for producing and selling a limited volume of electric motors to other automakers.

While Rimac still has a long road ahead of them, they’ve given the electric car community a genuine supercar to cheer or. Technically speaking, the Bugatti is 0.4 seconds quicker to 60 MPH, and has a higher top speed. The Concept_One is a valiant first effort though, and an indicator of just how far electric vehicles have come in short order.

Think about it like this; it’s taken over a century of innovation to build a car like the Bugatti Veyron, but the Rimac took less than a decade.

More importantly, those of us on the lower end of the income bracket haven’t been forgotten vis-à-vis an electric bicycle with Rimac roots.

Give the Croatian superkid another ten years, and we might just have ourselves a worthy successor to Elon Musk. First though, let’s get those first production Rimacs on the road.

EV Central. EV Sales. Rimac One concept car.

EV Central. EV Sales. Rimac One concept car.

EV Central. EV Sales. Rimac One concept car.

EV Central. EV Sales. Rimac One concept car.

EV Central. EV Sales. Rimac One concept car.

This article, Rimac Concept One Production To Begin In 2015, is syndicated from Clean Technica and is posted here with permission.

About the Author

Christopher DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMI’s. When he isn’t wrenching or writing, he’s running, because he’s one of those crazy people who gets enjoyment from running insane distances.