Saturday EV Watch

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TESLA Accused of False Advertising

TESLA has been accused of false advertising by the California Department of Motor Vehicles according to MarketWatch. In the report:

Two complaints filed July 28 show that the DMV is seeking changes in the way Tesla promotes its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features or risk getting its manufacturing license suspended or revoked

MY TAKE-This is all about truth in advertising. The claim made was not exactly inaccurate. TESLA vehicles can have autopilot and can be self-driving. But they may require a software update to do so. By possibly not being clear with the facts, they opened the door to this type of administrative action. You can read more from the folks at Business Insider.

POP-UP Charging Stations May Be Coming

The Daily Mail in the UK has a story about pop-up charging stations using solar power as a solution to the charging point shortage.

MY TAKE-The idea of pop-ups in retail has been around for a while, but taking a shipping container and putting it where the EV’s need charging is pure genius. Think festivals and large events that are somewhere for a few days like the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK or the Concours d'Elegance in Monterey later this month. These are drive in events, and people drive EV’s there as much as they bring their gasoline powered cars. By using a shipping container approach to bringing the charging where its needed and helps to keep more vehicles powered up.

Gas Prices Fall, So Do EV Sales

CNN is reporting that gas prices are starting to fall and that EV sales are too.

MY TAKE-Gas prices will always go up and down, but the rising tide of EV’s is here. Part of the problem on slower sales is it’s now August and a vacation month in many parts of the world, not only in the USA. The second issue is rising interest rates that make car loans more expensive. Lastly is the supply lines. Car sales are only recorded when the transaction is completed, not when the orders are placed. Right now the orders are still coming in. Delivery. Well that’s another story for a bit longer.

How To Make an EV Battery Last Longer

SlashGear tells us how to make an EV battery last longer. They offer some tips and tricks to keep the battery in good shape.

MY TAKE-Good battery hygiene is an essential part of keeping an EV running. Just like an oil change is for an internal combustion engine car. The biggest takeaway is to not fully charge the car’s battery, or it’s life is shorter than planned.

Short Takes

Wards Auto reports on a new battery diagnostics tool from Mahle….Bidirectional charging is on the growth pattern, reports GreenBiz…..