While many people are still amazed at the sight of a car plugged into an electrical outlet in the parking lot, the reality is that this is already an outdated concept. Isn't it just marvelous how technology continues to evolve, giving us so little time to get used to its new advances? The Israeli company Electreon Wireless has undoubtedly taken on the challenge of keeping things moving. Quite literally, in this case. Electric Vehicle Charging Electreon Wireless believes that so-called Wireless Electric Roads are our future. As the name already indicates, these roads can charge electric vehicles wirelessly while they drive on them. It sounds like a massive advance for the electrical car industry, which is still grappling with extended charging times and limited ranges. The Wireless Electric Roads platform shows us a bright future. Not only can electric cars be charged on the go, but this also means that they require much smaller batteries. Through this initiative, manufacturers can focus on all kinds of other ‘extras’ that have until now been considered too heavy, in the literal sense. Meanwhile, drivers get to choose between a dynamic, semi-dynamic, or static charging option, as the gas-powered, hybrid, and electric variants of the future. {youtube}                                                              ELECTREON Dynamic wireless charging Back in 2019, Electreon Wireless proved its case by fully charging a Renault Zoe while it was driving through a section of street in the Israeli coastal town of Beit Yanai. This section had coils embedded in it, allowing for smooth energy transmission. At 8.5 kW and with a 91% efficiency, it is a job well done. Recommended:  Electric Solar Car 2020 Never Needs Charging Electric Vehicle Charging:  Test Run In Sweden These guys certainly attracted attention. They are now planning to run another test in Sweden later this year. Those with a vested interest in the electric car industry would do well to carefully follow these initial tests, as cars-charged-by-the-road is a premise that could lead to the ascend of fully autonomous cars. After all, the range will never be an issue anymore, nor will the weight of the battery be. On the Swedish island of Gotland, many will, therefore, be interested to see if electric cars can indeed be charged by the 2.5-mile stretch of road harboring copper coils, testing it on an airport shuttle service for public use between the airport and the town center of eco-municipality Visby. Photo by Electreon. Charging batteries while driving. All Charged Up The charging roads would not just be excellent for autonomous vehicles, including shuttles and public transport. It might also be a game-changer for trucks and the transportation industry, as electric trucks would no longer require super heavy batteries or mandatory downtime for charging. Recommended:  Charging Your Electric Car, Smartphone Or Laptop In Minutes A great prospect. Now the wait begins for Sweden’s trial run. If this test does indeed go as well as planned, we might see a lot more of this very soon. Cover photo by Zhang Kaiyv Before you go! Recommended:  Solar Electric Cars Are The Future: Bridgestone, Australia Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about electric cars or to charge techniques? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage.'

There are too many car lovers out there to stop climate change. Wait. What? If that logic does not appear sound, you might want to think again while I repeat it - too many car lovers mean that there is no way of ever calling a halt to climate change. Electric Cars Are Not Appealing Enough The thing is, even if most of us give in to the societal pressure and the very beneficial tax cuts and government subsidies to get ourselves an electric vehicle in our driveway, there are still too many gas-guzzling four-wheelers out there. Case in point: people who only just recently bought a car will not be purchasing another one for at least the next five years.   Or, another case in point that is even more prominent: people who enjoy old cars and who provide shelter to some of the worst polluters - in their garages. They will not be looking at giving up their oldtimer Jaguar or BMW, that they regularly drive around town on warm summer days. These cars are more than just a hobby. They have almost become a part of their identity, one that they are indeed not willing to give up. Recommended:  Electric Cars: Green Or A New Kind Of Liability? EV Europe: Conversion As A Hot New Field For all of those people - so basically for anyone who is still driving a non-electric vehicle - there’s good news. What if we were to tell you that you can keep your trusty old’ car while going electric? That you can convert your gas-powered vehicle to an electricity-powered one? All thanks to EV Europe, amongst others. EV Europe is committed to working towards a fully EV future. As two leading companies in the EV movement merged, Heijnsdijk Electric Cars and EV Custom, they started to work towards making this dream a reality. Each company provided its unique benefits and advantages. Heijnsdijk Electric Cars, for instance, knew how to deliver, develop and certify EV components and lithium battery systems. EV Custom, on the other hand, had a background in full-service overhaul concepts. After the respective owners, Vincent Heijnsdijk and Peter-Jan Schouten got together, they decided to join forces and merge, creating EV Europe. This company is now a market leader in the field of electric mobility and lithium battery systems, all in a one-stop-shop concept. EV Europe: Conversion Examples Over the past years, EV Europe has successfully converted hundreds of cars to fully electric vehicles. In addition to this premium service, they also launched a separate EV hypE kit that aims to make the conversion process even simpler while requiring limited materials and man-hours. These standard conversion kits are available for many car brands and types. With one of the most extensive supplies of both new and used EV parts in Europe, EV Europe also runs a successful webshop that allows for a quick and straightforward purchase of materials that can be put towards making your car an electric one. All of these have been extensively tested by EV Europe so that they can deliver adequate support.   The EV Future Of A Porsche 912 One example of such a conversion is of the Porsche 912, a classic car from 1969. The basis was a specially developed conversion kit that allows for the creation of a fully electric oldtimer using minimal materials and labor. This re-built car has a 90 kW engine and offers a super smooth drive, even better than the original.   Recommended:  Electric Car Conversion Kits: Electrified Class Convert Fossil History To An EV Future: VW Transporter A Dutch municipally came to EV Europe for the conversion of their fleet of VW Transporters, type T5, and T6. Once again, they developed an own standardized conversion kit that allowed for the replacement of the combustion engine for a 250 Nm AC e-motor. All of the CAN communication is powered by the e-car-box, which enables the dashboard to function as it always used to. The city is happy with its renewed VWs, using them regularly - also for hauling heavy loads. Recommended:  Electric Car Technology In The Retro Luka EV An EV Future: The VW T1 Staying in the VW family, EV Europe also worked on creating a 100% electric version of their prized VW T1 bus. The end result is a valid symbol of sustainability and circularity that is being used throughout the Netherlands for (public) transportation purposes. Dubbed the kombiSOL, it is not just powered by an electric battery, and it also boasts extra isolation using hemp - which is carbon negative - and has five flexible solar panels on its roof, meant to power the optional kitchenette and mobile office. A project that shows the true potential of electric conversion. Recommended:  Volkswagen Type 20 EV Microbus: A Hippie Classic Why Electric Vehicles Matter Electric vehicles are not just an excellent conversation starter or a fun gadget. Instead, they can play a vital role in reducing our carbon footprint in the world. And while you may think that you drive a car with a combustion engine will not have a real impact - it does. If all of us could transition to electric driving, there would be one less thing to worry about. Especially now that EV Europe is showing us how this can be achieved without purchasing a brand new car, there is no excuse for why you should not. Recommended:  Electric Cars Take Us To A Low Carbon Culture Before you go! Recommended:  Electric Solar Car 2020 Never Needs Charging Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about converting fossil fuel cars into electric cars? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage.'

As more and more people choose electric vehicles, it is clear that demand is booming as we speak. People are benefitting from various subsidies and grants from the government, meant to encourage the transition to greener cars, while companies are increasingly supporting EV’s as their preferred company cars and lease cars. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany Germany is one of those countries in which demand is flourishing. Last month, for instance, the number of newly registered electric cars rose a staggering 181,7%. Right now, there are some 17,000 of ‘em racing down the Deutsche Autobahn. It is hardly surprising that this growing demand is feeding a growth in supply as well, with more and more manufacturers entering the market.   Some of them will win big. Others might just find themselves drawing the short end of the stick. Time for a quick who’s-who, using the German Federal Motor Transport Authority’s numbers on purchased cars in Germany in the first half of 2020. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany: The Numbers 10. 1,560 cars sold: Mini Cooper SE Although the name would suggest a modest car, the price is far from it. In order to get your hands on your favourite Mini Cooper’s electric edition, you would have to whip out 31,700 euros - while you could get its gas-guzzling brother at about half that price. Despite that, you will enjoy a high purchase premium on the electric version. This one has been on a fierce catch-up race, as sales went through the roof in July - skyrocketing it in the top 10 and pushing the Porsche Taycan out of it. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Mini Cooper SE Recommended:  Mini Electric: Why Is It So Popular With Many? 9. 2,007 cars sold: Skoda Citigo e iV Funnily enough, this e-drive hailing from the Czech Republic is actually a discontinued model. Its very short delivery time seems to have made this detail irrelevant, though. Especially when considering the environmental bonus, it could be considered to be a steal. Just ignore the fact that Skoda has other electric cars that they would much rather push - the Citigo is a crowd favourite. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Skoda Citigo e iV 8. 3,079 cars sold: Smart Fortwo Small but grand, that should have been Smart’s motto. The range of small cars from Daimler has gone electric, while having been outsourced to China for its production. This means that costs are   lower and thus the retail price very feasible. In July alone, 1,209 cars of this type were sold in Germany. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Smart Fortwo 7. 3,339 cars sold: BMW i3 What would a top 10 car list from Germany be without their prized BMW? The manufacturer from Bayern has already announced that the i3 will be the last exclusively electric BMW. From now on, they hope to design new car models that can be fitted with any kind of drive. While the much-hyped i3 with its shiny carbon black exterior has never lived up to its potential, it is still selling steadily. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. BMW i3 Recommended:  BMW 2020: iHydrogen NEXT Eco Ready In 2022? 6. 3,686 cars sold: Hyundai Kona Electric Koreans and electric cars, a match made in heaven. The Kona is Hyundai’s poster child, with the magic combination of a low price and a low delivery time - which allows those who buy it to benefit from the lower VAT. The sales success of the Kona is only increasing, as July saw another 1,688 flying out of the factory. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Hyundai Kona Electric 5. 3,889 cars sold: Audi E-tron quattro Another much-hyped car is the Audi E-tron Quattro, an electric SUV that is already more successful than the Tesla X, its direct competitor. It can even compete with much cheaper cars, as proven by the fact that this car is by far the most expensive in the top 10, selling at close to 70,000 euros.   Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Audi E-tron Quattro Recommended:  Audi's Electric Tesla Killer Is Already Rolling Of The Production Line 4. 4,387 cars sold: Volkswagen e-up! Volkswagen, another one of those German masterpieces that have long graced the country’s streets and roads. Compact, yet powerful and relatively affordable, although it definitely falls on the high end of economy-sized electric cars. The major downside is the long lead time: if you order today, you will get the car in 11 months time. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Volswagen e-up 3. 4,521 cars sold: Tesla Model 3 The top 10 would not be complete without at least one Tesla, and the Model 3 sure lives up to this expectation. The middle-class model of this American car company is seeing some volatile, yet promising sales numbers. This volatility shows in the number of cars sold in July: where the other manufacturers faced the above-mentioned growth, Tesla only sold 154 cars. Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Tesla Model 3 2. 9,917 cars sold: Renault Zoe Now, for the second-most-popular car in Germany in 2020 thus far. The cute Francoise Zoe, made by Renault, has been an unwavering success in the German market in the last few years - and came extremely close to taking the top spot. Taking the purchase premium into account, this car would definitely be good for your wallet as well as for the environment.   Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. Renault Zoe Recommended:  Electric Car Surprise Renault e-Plein Air Open-Top 1. 9,953 cars sold: VW E-Golf The best electric car in Germany in 2020, according to the sales numbers, is the undisputed home favourite, the VW E-Golf. Funnily enough, the Golf also comes out on top for combustion engines. It only goes to show the popularity of this car. The sales numbers only picked up after Volkswagen started advertising the car with huge discounts, as they are phasing it out in anticipation of the ID3.   Best Electric Cars 2020 Germany. VW E-Golf Recommended:  Electric Car VW Century ID 3: 21st Century Beetle Recommended:  Electric Iconic I.D. Buzz From Volkswagen: US, Europe, China Recommended:  Volkswagen Type 20 EV Microbus: A Hippie Classic Electric Cars 2020 Germany: Some Losers Then some not quite so honourable mentions. Like the Mercedes EQC , that only sold 775 cars thus far - surprising, considering Germany is its home market. And, another sore loser, Tesla’s Model X (although its Model S isn’t faring much better, at respectively 358 and 427 cars sold). Something about Elon Musk’s strategy seems to be a mismatch with the German market. The home cars are definitely at an advantage. Before you go! Recommended:  Tesla Electric Cybertruck: Explorer’s Best Friend Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about electric cars? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage.'

The Tesla cars are true marvels of engineering, as they silently and effortlessly slide down our highways. Their optimal performance can, in many parts, be contributed to the sheer amount of sensors packed on board. Adding it all up, you will find that there is a staggering amount of cameras and radar + ultrasonic devices added on board. And Tesla has exclusive access to all of those. Robotaxis Are On The Way More became clear during Tesla’s event that focused on the progress made with their autopilot to get closer to 'full self-driving' cars. They claim that they are nearly there, way ahead of the industry timeline - with one million robotaxis expected to hit the road in the next year.   While the enthusiastic, futuristic messages conveyed by Musk and his underlings were dizzying and potentially groundbreaking, many present at the event seemed not to realize the impact of what had just been saying. The claims were bold and should perhaps concern all of us: Tesla will have autonomous vehicles soon, as, or so they admitted openly, the data is already there - feeding their unique computer-driven system. Recommended:  Electric And Autonomous Car The VW Vizzion Machine Learning At Its Bes: Tesla Data Since every Tesla out there does already have sensors feeding this system, it can learn at an incredible pace. Every mile driven in a Tesla, anywhere in the world, is used as a learning opportunity. The math is simple. Take the number of Teslas on the road and multiply it by the number of miles driven over the past few years. That staggering amount that keeps on growing as we speak is the pool of data that Tesla’s autonomous driving system is currently learning from. It is machine learning at its best. The readily available mountain of data in the textbook that this eager student is learning from, analyzing any situation, any location, any event. Only to prepare itself to take the right action at all times. The more data it consumes, the more accurate its results will be. So basically, the more information Tesla takes from existing cars, the better their self-driving prophecy will be. The growth is exponential, only accelerating with each additional car sold. This makes sense, in light of Musk’s claim that the car’s self-driving capabilities are increasing exponentially as well. And this seems entirely in line with his prediction that fully autonomous vehicles will be here before we know it. Most of the ingredients are there. The cars that are ready to be self-driven, that’s one. Then, secondly, there’s the in-house developed chips and sensors. Thirdly, they have access to a wealth of real-world data.   The only thing left is the software, that will tie it all together - matching the car with the chips and sensors and with the available data. The software will be able to realize what action is required, based on the input from chips and sensors, and use this intel to act accordingly and manipulate the car such that the best response is ultimately taken. Recommended:  Electric Autonomous Robo-Car For Urban Mobility An Excellent Business Model While it is now still a theoretical, it will soon enough become a reality - once Musk’s robotaxis start hitting the road, which could be as fast as later this year. A Tesla can be hauled just as easily as an Uber or Lyft, allowing you to sit back and relax as it whirrs you to wherever you need to be. The robotaxi concept is pretty great, too, in that it will make Tesla a whole lot of money.   The math is simple: a self-driving car will cost some $38K, while it can make up to $30K per year (for rides priced at half the cost of its competition, with half the miles traveled ‘empty’). As the car will be able to reach 1 million miles, this means that it will earn some $200K of income over its lifetime. If that does not sound like an excellent opportunity, I do not know what does. Even if you take this math with a grain of salt and allow for some safety margins, it is still a no brainer. If you invest $38K today, you will make $200K over the next five years—a pretty safe bet. Recommended:  Solar And Wave Energy To Power Autonomous Ship: The AutoNaut Revolutionizing The World So, if those robotaxis hit the market, it could have some significant consequences. People will want to invest in those taxis, that’s the first: it will make you money while you sleep, no problem there. These cars can taxi themselves around 24/7, automatically charging while driving. Downtime is limited to maintenance and cleaning only. Tesla makes money on the sale on the car and gets a share of each ride’s revenue.   {youtube} Elon Musk believes that Tesla is close to full self-driving. But how do other competitors such as Mobileye, Cruise, Zoox, Waymo, and Comma.ai compare to Tesla's technology and business proposition. Does Tesla have what it takes to be first to market with autonomous robotaxis? Meanwhile, as these robotaxis could be priced at half the price of what Lyft and Uber charge for their rides, they will soon push all competition out of the market. This only means that there is room for even more robotaxis, even more so if you consider the number of people who will no longer buy a car of their own but opt for the cheaper robotaxi instead. In this scenario, the roads of our future will be filled with Tesla’s self-driving robotaxis and not much else. They may continue to grow nearly exponentially, unless or until any crucial roadblocks are hit. For instance, the governments may call a halt to the introduction and use of driverless cars, or call for a boycott in response to industry conflicts. Or the power costs may become too high, as there may not be enough charging capacity. Or if Tesla is unable to keep up with demand.   These things may influence the way Tesla rolls out its robotaxis. Two things are for sure. One, it is not bad for the environment, as green cars flood the roads and push out the traditional gas guzzlers. And two, it is not bad for Elon Musk’s wallet either. Before you go! Recommended:  Electric Solar Car 2020 Never Needs Charging Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about self-driving cars? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage.'

Koen (26), Wout (23) and Stan (21) Seuren started to overhaul bicycle batteries during their education. During the lessons, they secretly took orders by phone, and after school, they fixed the batteries. Now KWS Seuren has 21 employees and high ambitions. Electric Bikes: Homemade Their first homemade electric bike weighed almost as much as a small Harley-Davidson and could only be turned on or off. So, when Wout Seuren (23) pressed the on-button, he had to control his invention with his arms outstretched. 'Within seconds you were at 60 kilometres per hour', he grins, in the brand-new workplace of him and his brothers: 1,100 square metres in Beugen in the province of Noord-Brabant, in use since February. Recommended:  Electric-Bike, The Indestructible Suru Scrambler: Canada Overhauled Battery Packs: Coronavirus The move came in handy; until then they worked with ten men on 60 square metres, in a large barn behind their parental home. We would never have been able to keep a meter and a half distance there,' says Stan (23), the youngest brother, 'but the corona crisis barely touched us here.' What started in 2017 as working in a barn is three years later a company with 21 employees and an annual turnover of more than a million euros. But as it turns out in Beugen, fortune favours the brave. Company Staff KWS Seuren Overhauled Batteries: Half The Original Price Wout stood out quite a bit with his bike. Driven by the two giant batteries in the panniers - he still had a paper route - he sped away through the meadows. Very soon, a family friend, Harry, knocked on the door with an electric bicycle which, according to the dealer, had been destroyed. The brothers pulled the batteries off, opened them up and bought new battery cells online. After a few months of playing, the result was two reconditioned batteries for half the original price. Besides, Harry could now cycle twice as far as before. Recommended:  Charging Your Electric Car And Devices In Minutes That is their raison d'être, says eldest brother Koen (26), and the reason why every week about two hundred e-bike owners have their batteries repaired at KWS Seuren. Bicycle mechanics often don't repair them themselves. A new battery is expensive, and a refurbished one can provide more power than the original; the battery cells are getting better, and new cells can easily be installed in old housing. Electric Biles Like Large AA Batteries Back to 2017: Harry happy, the Seuren brothers happy and the start of a company began. The next few months, the brothers visited bicycle mechanics all over the world. Gradually more bicycle mechanics followed, customers came via Marktplaats, and Wout created a site. In 2019 they hired their first employee. It's not rocket science, the brothers say. In short: a bicycle battery consists of three parts: the housing, connected battery cells (Koen: 'actually large AA batteries') and a battery management system (BMS) that maintains the voltages of individual cells. A good overhaul replaces all cells and if necessary, also the BMS, otherwise in the worst case, there is a risk of a short circuit or fire. Recommended:  Environmental Costs Of Lithium Battery Addiction Spot-welding of the cells is easy for Marlon, who came to KWS Seuren through an institution for people with a distance to the labour market. To ensure that the battery and BMS function in a balanced and safe way, requires an understanding of electrical engineering. Wilfred Dammers (65) is the most experienced autodidact in this field. There are a lot of teenagers on the shop floor. They are halfway through a technical vocational education; they test, program and repair. They are not business experts yet, the brothers, although Koen took a minor in entrepreneurship during his higher professional education. If something non-technical needs to be done, they usually google things together or look for someone through friends and acquaintances. Wout built the first site using a template, Koen arranged their accountant through the swimming club, employee Marek Geist (22) called South Korea until Samsung sent two delegates. Now KWS Seuren buys cells directly from Samsung, and as an official partner, they are currently talking to one of the largest bicycle specialists in Europe. They have not yet come up with a growth plan down to the last detail, but in general, they know it. Everything will be electric,' says Koen, 'so we will also be working on other types of batteries.’ That means more tinkering. That is why there is a KTM motocross bike without an engine in the corner of the workplace. The brothers are figuring out how to get it running electrically. They have purchased two Volkswagen Golf GTEs to see if an expansion of the battery capacity is possible. In one corner is their masterpiece: a green 1996 Peugeot 106. An early electric model once purchased by the French government for monitoring nuclear power stations until they were discarded because the nickel-cadmium battery turned out to be toxic, but now Stan rides it. Company: KWS Seuren Location: Beugen, The Netherlands Since: 2017 Annual turnover: more than one million euros Number of employees: 21 (14 fte) Before you go! Recommended:  Electric Bicycles And Cars Were One's Classic Models: Retro Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about Electric Bikes An their Batteries Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage.'