CleanTech Talk — EVs, Solar, Batteries, AI

We had an extra long session for Cleantech Talk #16. In this episode, we discussed...

... a big huge BYD energy storage project that is supposed to help Lancaster, California, become a net-zero-energy city. (Matthew found out about the 500 MW project on another podcast -- storage capacity is unknown at this point. We've got a story coming soon.)

... BYD's overall approach to electrifying transport.

... Bob Lutz making another wild claim.

... and Tesla's "Secret Master Plan."

Our latest episode of Cleantech Talk tackled the huge 5-year extension of the solar and wind energy tax credits, Tesla Model X deliveries, and Faraday Future.

Kyle Field, Matthew Klippenstein, and I (Zachary Shahan) talk about early Tesla Model S drive unit problems and the implications for future models and Tesla as a whole; Ford's big new $4.5 billion electric vehicle push, and a soon-to-be-unveiled plug-in hybrid electric SUV from Ford; and the cost advantage of solar power and wind power over coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear power, as well as the ability to integrate renewables into the grid.

Zachary Shahan, Kyle Field, and Matthew Klippenstein talk about the 1st annual CleanTechnica Car of the Year Award (nominees = Tesla Model S 70/70D, Tesla Model X, 2016 Nissan LEAF, 2016 Chevy Volt), Swatch EV batteries, and global warming / climate change warning labels on gas pumps in North Vancouver... and hopefully elsewhere. Enjoy!

In this week's second episode of Cleantech Talk, Chris DeMorro and I kick off the show by talking about an Edmunds study released on Earth Day that illogically bunched plug-in electric cars with conventional hybrids (and bashed them). I get a little worked up.

We also talk about why electric cars are great first cars for teenagers, and why they love them. We go from there to another fun one about a Bosch autopilot video that features a Tesla Model S. And we close with a discussion about some electric car early adopters (true early adopters) who have been driving electric for at least a decade. Thanks to our friends at Plug In America for that one.

Chris DeMorro and Zachary Shahan discuss the BMW i5 and whether or not it's a "Tesla Model S competitor;" relatively high Volvo XC90 sales; the introduction of the Cadillac CT6 and GM's overall electrification push; and a story about how Elon Musk almost sold Tesla to Google for $11 billion in 2013.

1. The first story we ranted about was the story of a Kia dealer in Vancouver who very blatantly pushed away a customer who was looking to buy a Kia Soul EV. The story is a really absurd one, but it's also a good demonstration for why Tesla doesn't trust dealers to sell electric cars.

2. That led us into a future in which we can simply skip the sketchy dealers and buy our cars online. Sure, galleries and test drives are still a must, but there's a lot of benefit to purchasing online. Aside from Tesla, one car company bringing us into that future is BMW. The news is that BMW is now selling its i3 on Amazon Japan.

3. Another interesting BMW i3 story we decided to discuss was based around recent information from BMW of North America. Basically, while many people think of the i3 and most other electric cars as city cars, the i3 is proving very popular with drivers outside of big cities in Texas, South Florida, etc. This actually matches really well with research I learned about at EVS27 which argued that people living in small cities would benefit from electric cars more than people living in big cities.

4. Then there was this story: 800 HP Zombie 222 Electric Mustang Goes 174 MPH At The Texas Mile. Yes, 800 HP. Yes, 174 MPH. Yes, the Zombie is back.

5. And a really, really fun one: Chris's test drive of the Tesla Model S P85D. You've got to listen for that one.

This week's Cleantech Talk podcast was an especially interesting one, imho. The first story Chris DeMorro and I discussed was a particularly fun one because it's about the CEO of Cadillac, Johan de Nysschen, and Johan dropped several comments on Chris's article in response to the article. The short story is that Johan said in 2009 (when he was heading up Audi) that anyone who bought a Chevy Volt was an idiot. Now, he's the CEO of Cadillac, and the company is reportedly pulling the plug on the Cadillac ELR. I think you get the idea. Johan, however, jumped onto the Gas2 article (on a Sunday, no less) to defend himself and Cadillac's electric interest and ambitions.

That led us into a discussion of the 2016 Chevy Malibu Hybrid, a car that is bigger than the Toyota Prius but has almost the same efficiency... and is largely based on the Chevy Volt drivetrain (despite not being a plug-in car).

Of course, we got around to some Tesla news, talking about the Model S 70D, Tesla's current lineup, and Tesla's super controversial website pricing approach.

Read more on CleanTechnica.com, GAS2.org, and/or EVObsession.com

Chris DeMorro of Gas2.org and Zachary Shahan of CleanTechnica.com and EVObsession.com interview Ian Wright (founder and CEO of Wrightspeed and founder of Tesla Motors) about Wrightspeed, Tesla, electric trucks, electric cars, and much more. Listen and enjoy!

This week's Cleantech Talk podcast is an "EV battery special." Chris DeMorro and Zachary Shahan talk about new research that highlights the fast-dropping price of electric vehicle batteries, the wide variation in the lifetimes of different lithium-ion battery cells, and Volkswagen's stake in solid-state battery startup QuantumScape. We started off the show chatting about new research highlighting a "hidden benefit" of EVs. Enjoy the show!