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Tesla has once again grabbed headlines with the release of its revamped Model Y in the United States, Canada, and Europe. This latest iteration of the best-selling electric vehicle (EV) debuted after its initial launch in China, marking a strategic move to bolster its global market share. Here’s what you need to know about this exciting development and its potential impact on the EV landscape.
The newly updated Model Y offers enhanced features aimed at delivering a superior driving experience. While specific details of the upgrades remain under wraps, Tesla’s commitment to continuous improvement suggests refinements in areas such as battery performance, range, and advanced driver-assistance technologies. These updates make the Model Y even more competitive in the crowded EV market.
The Model Y has been Tesla’s top-selling vehicle, known for its versatile design that combines functionality and performance. Its popularity stems from its appeal to a wide range of consumers, from families to tech enthusiasts. By introducing the revamped version to North American and European markets, Tesla is reaffirming its dominance in the EV sector while addressing region-specific demands for improved efficiency and cutting-edge technology.
Launching the updated Model Y across key global markets demonstrates Tesla’s focus on maintaining its leadership position. By aligning the release with market trends and customer expectations, Tesla is positioning the Model Y to further cement its status as a go-to choice for EV buyers. The timing is particularly noteworthy, given the increasing competition from automakers like Rivian, Ford, and Volkswagen, all of whom are ramping up their EV offerings.
Consumer reactions to the revamped Model Y are already generating buzz. In Europe, where stricter emissions regulations are accelerating the transition to EVs, the updated Model Y is expected to strengthen Tesla’s foothold. Similarly, North American markets are likely to embrace the upgrades, especially with growing incentives for EV adoption and expanding charging infrastructure.
As Tesla continues to innovate and expand its portfolio, the revamped Model Y serves as a reminder of the company’s relentless pursuit of excellence. With a competitive price point and enhanced features, the new Model Y is poised to attract both loyal Tesla fans and first-time EV buyers. As global demand for EVs continues to surge, Tesla’s strategic releases like this one will play a crucial role in shaping the future of sustainable transportation.
The revamped Model Y’s launch in the U.S., Canada, and Europe underscores Tesla’s dedication to pushing boundaries and redefining expectations in the EV market. Whether you’re an EV enthusiast or someone considering the switch to electric, the new Model Y promises to deliver an exceptional experience.
For more updates on Tesla and the latest in EV news, stay tuned!
Source: Reuters
Electrical connectors are a critical component of EV technology, serving as the vital link between various systems that enable efficient energy transfer and communication. EVs rely on complex electrical architectures to power motors, charge batteries and support onboard electronics, and reliable connectors ensure seamless system integration. Their role goes beyond functionality. Connectors influence vehicle cost, safety, energy efficiency and overall performance. With the push for compact designs, faster charging and lower costs, innovative connector solutions have become indispensable in overcoming challenges in modern EV development.
Charged recently chatted with Stäubli’s connector experts David Rababy and Michael Domzalski to learn more about cutting-edge connection technologies.
For over 130 years, Stäubli has been at the forefront of industrial solutions, spanning diverse sectors like robotics, textiles, and connectors.
A standout new innovation from Stäubli is the ZeroBolt solution. As the name suggests, it’s designed to minimize the need for bolted connections. This plug-in system is ideal for applications with limited design space, such as electric motors, batteries and inverters. By eliminating bolted joints, manufacturers can save time during assembly and improve maintenance efficiency, making disassembly significantly easier. The solution also enhances durability by reducing the risks of loosening due to vibration, offering a robust alternative for high-performance designs.
Stäubli’s modular connector CombiTac system empowers manufacturers with customizable options. Whether for electrical signals, pneumatics, or fiber optics, these connectors can be configured quickly using Stäubli’s online configurator. Designed for high mating cycles and robust industrial use, these systems excel in both prototyping and mass production.
Stäubli is also a leader in high-power connectors, like the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) that pushes the boundaries of EV charging technology, achieving faster, more efficient energy transfer for trucking, off-highway, and heavy-duty applications.
Additionally, Stäubli is exploring solutions to support the growing demand for lightweight and cost-effective materials, such as aluminum in busbars, which can reduce weight and expense in electric vehicles. Another area of innovation focuses on integrated cooling systems for onboard applications, addressing challenges like heat management and space optimization.
For more information about new connector technologies, visit: https://www.staubli.com/
German building façade cleaning firm Algenmax has converted its diesel vans to a customized VOLTSTATION CS30 mobile energy storage system from Miba Battery Systems.
The VOLTSTATION CS30 fulfills its requirements for efficiency, cost reduction and sustainability, Algenmax said. The battery storage system provides up to 10 hours of energy, creates more space in the van for additional equipment and optimizes the workflow thanks to bidirectional charging. Also, ongoing fuel costs are eliminated, maintenance costs are reduced and the equipment’s service life is extended.
Algenmax has so far converted more than 70% of its vans to the VOLTSTATION CS30, which will play a key role in the company’s planned expansion to Norway and the Netherlands in 2025.
The VOLTSTATION CS30 also has potential for use in the construction industry and for special vehicles such as transit buses and fire engines.
“It ensures a reliable energy supply, saves costs and can be flexibly integrated into various mobile applications,” said Stefan Gaigg, Managing Director of Miba Battery Systems. “The technology also helps to reduce noise emissions in urban construction projects, which is particularly beneficial in densely populated areas.”
Source: Miba Battery Systems
School transportation provider First Student operates a fleet of about 40,000 buses across North America. Some 400 of those are already electric, and the company is steadily rolling out more EV deployments.
The latest school district to get charged is El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools in Missouri, which just held an event to mark the deployment of 13 electric school buses, and plans to transition its entire fleet of regular education bus routes to electric. The new buses will replace 13 legacy diesel buses, and are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 700,000 pounds each year.
“The transition to electric school buses demonstrates our commitment to sustainable initiatives and support for innovative technologies,” said El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools Superintendent Brad Steward. “These electric school buses will benefit the well-being of our students and the community, setting a positive example for future generations.”
Funding from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program covered the cost of El Dorado Springs’ electric school buses and charging stations. First Student has secured enough funding from the program to deploy around 1,200 buses for school districts across the US.
Source: First Student
Adoption of electric vehicles is accelerating rapidly, posing challenges to aging distribution infrastructure. Fortunately, managed charging offers a compelling solution.
In this eBook, EnergyHub explores how growing residential EV load affects utility power distribution networks, and how utilities can use managed charging programs to both delight customers and defer or defray the cost of infrastructure upgrades. Key points include:
The bottom line? EV growth will require utilities to upgrade some grid infrastructure, but managed charging programs can enable them to do so more strategically and affordably. Download the eBook to learn more.
ChargePoint, a US-based provider of EV charging equipment, has introduced two solutions designed to help combat the problem of charger vandalism: a cut-resistant charging cable and a vandalism alarm software system called ChargePoint Protect.
The cable uses “novel cut-resistant materials,” which makes the cable “substantially more difficult for would-be vandals to cut while remaining flexible and easy for drivers to comfortably maneuver while in use,” the company said.
“We do not view ourselves as victims of vandalism, but rather responsible for solving it, not only for our customers but for the industry,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint. “We are sharing the technology to combat vandalism in the most aggressive way possible with the aim to eliminate charger reliability as a hindrance to EV adoption.”
The company plans to license the cable design selectively to other charging station makers.
ChargePoint Protect, an alarm system designed to increase charging station security, utilizes a charging station’s speakers, screens and lighting system. The alarm can detect charging station cable tampering in real time and will automatically engage the alarm system with the goal of deterring any theft, tampering or vandalism.
The company plans to make the alarm system software available to existing customers at no additional cost starting in January 2025. The system can be configured to send text or e-mail messages to designated individuals in the event that the alarm is triggered. ChargePoint also said it expects to make the cut-resistant cables available for license by the middle of 2025.
In December, General Motors and ChargePoint announced plans to roll out ultra-fast EV charging ports across the United States.
Source: ChargePoint
In the early 2010s, Tesla poked a couple of bricks out of the dealership wall that separates automakers from consumers in the US market. Could that wall come crashing down someday soon?
The dealership model, with its leisure-suited salespeople performing their high-ball, low-ball, “let me see what we can do” dance, has been an anachronism since consumers got used to buying things online. And by most accounts, dealerships are a major obstacle to EV adoption—most salespeople outside California remain uninformed about EVs, despite education programs instituted by Chargeway and others, and dealerships continue to actively lobby against pro-EV policies.
Now Scout Motors, a brand of the Volkswagen Group that builds rugged, off-road-capable electrified vehicles, has announced plans to sell its trucks directly to consumers when they launch in 2027, with transparent pricing, online orders and company-owned stores. Dealer groups are already organizing legal challenges.
Photos by John Voelcker
InsideEVs’ Mack Hogan writes that Volkswagen dealers are “furious” that Scout plans to cut them out of the picture, and claim that they’ve long wished VW would offer vehicles of this kind in the US market (presumably without the electric powertrains). “To just show these new vehicles that would have fit very nicely into VW’s portfolio, it’s like rubbing salt in the wound here,” National Auto Dealers Association CEO Mike Stanton told Automotive News.
California dealers are planning to sue, arguing that Scout is competing with VW’s own dealers, a mortal sin under state franchise laws. Scout contends that it’s a different company than VW. (Hmmm…could that be part of the reason legacy automakers are setting up new subsidiaries to sell their EVs?)
Scout execs believe they’ll be able to stave off the legal challenges. “We’re highly confident we’re going to prevail,” Cody Thacker, Scout Motors’ VP of Growth, told InsideEVs. “We think we have the right position here, and it’s never a bad spot to be advocating for consumer choice and consumer freedom in car buying.”
MORE: Scout Motors unveils EV Terra truck, Traveler SUV concepts, including Harvester range extender
The car dealer groups’ claims are “what you would expect from a lobbying entity,” Thacker added. “It’s what you would expect from a trade association. We don’t believe that there’s any validity to the claims.”
“To me there is no doubt that if we can offer a buying process that is transparent, that is seamless, that is fast and that is truly enjoyable, that’s what we’re doing,” Scout CEO Scott Keogh told InsideEVs. “I think these things should be decided by the American consumer and businesses should innovate and compete. I’ll let the market speak.”
The legal battles will probably be fought ought state by state over the course of years (as is the case with Tesla’s ongoing saga), and Mr. Hogan notes that Scout does not need to win in every state. Rivian and Tesla get around local prohibitions by simply doing the paperwork for a sale in one state, and delivering the vehicle in a another. Setting up service centers is a more complicated matter, but Mr. Thacker believes Scout will be able to handle it. “Within five years of our launch, we’ll have 100 rooftops across the United States and Canada,” said he. “All of these locations will over-index on service infrastructure.”
Source: InsideEVs
At the backbone of EV performance, battery technologies have earned the spotlight when it comes to accelerating the industry toward increased adoption of profitability. Faced with pressure to achieve range, safety and cost targets, engineers must address the challenges of battery modeling, manufacturing and vehicle integration while accounting for both mechanical performance and thermo-electrical effects.
By leveraging integrated, multidisciplinary engineering simulation, the optimal combination of safety, energy density, and battery life can be achieved through virtual product development of battery and battery management systems (BMS). Through simulation, engineers can collaborate, innovate and optimize processes to improve power density, charge/discharge cycling and operational life while meeting design requirements, industry standards, and safety regulations.
Learn how you can improve your battery development with expert insights on design, BMS, thermal management, and more in our e-book “Leveraging Electric Mobility: Battery and BMS”.
Molabo, a developer of 48 V electric drives, has introduced an expanded range of low-voltage drive systems for the marine industry.
The Ottobrunn, Germany-based company says its Aries i30 drive system will bring Molabo’s ISCAD technology to the market at a more accessible price point. It was originally announced as the Aries i25 but it was renamed after an upgrade in power to 29.9 kW.
Molabo also announced new partnerships that give boat builders access to two modular, fully integrated energy storage and charging systems featuring safe lithium iron phosphate technology.
For applications requiring maximum power density, Molabo offers a new compact and lightweight battery bank offering charging capacities from 24 kWh to 60 kWh, built using Mastervolt components. For customers prioritizing price performance, a new battery bank using Victron components offers a competitive cost per kWh. The energy storage system is available in easy-to-install banks from 30 kWh to 135 kWh, accommodating large vessels or those with extended range needs.
Both storage options are integrated into Molabo’s powertrain and energy management system, the company said, enabling boat builders to create tailored electric and hybrid solutions for sailing, planing and displacement vessels.
Earlier this month, Molabo introduced its new Intelligent Stator Cage Drive (ISCAD) motor technology for the off-highway, industrial and commercial vehicle markets.
Source: Molabo