All posts by PetarPetkov

Which Model 3 rendering will be closest

We are about two months away from the unveiling of the Model 3, Tesla’s upcoming mass market car, and we can hardly wait. In the meantime, we can only make educated guesses on what the car will look like, but renderings from amateur designers can also help us imagine it.

We gathered some of our favorite renderings and sketches below to try to figure out which ones could end up looking similar to the final product.

Tesla is developing a new platform and battery architecture for the Model 3 and plans to release the Model Y on the same platform. While the Model 3 is expected to be a small sedan, the Y is believed to be a crossover, perhaps with ‘Falcon Wing’ doors like the Model X. It’s not clear if the Model 3 and Model Y will be unveiled at the same time.

But as far as the design goes, it’s anyone’s best guess at this point. Tesla CEO Elon Musk first said that it will “not look like any other car”, but he also said that Tesla might be more conservative with the design.

Let’s get started:

McHoffa’s Model 3

Based on Musk’s  comment the Model 3 will be about 20% smaller than the Model S, a popular theory is that the Model 3 will also look like a shorter Model S. McHoffa on TMC published this design which represents the theory. He also added covers for the rear wheels on the second picture because, as Electrek reported, Tesla is considering some extreme aerodynamic details to bring the CD down to 0.20.

Stumpf Studio’s Model 3

Designer James Stumpf shared what he envisions the Model 3 could look like. It might look a little too much like a crossover to be a sedan Model 3, and in my opinion, it’s too much of a “weirdmobile” for Tesla.

But Stumpf gets points for using three horizontal lines instead of vertical ones to make the “3” in “Model 3”.

JODRY’s Model 3

This rendering from illustrator/writer Julien Jodry (@JJODRY) is one of my favorite. It’s similar to Easy Charge’s sketches you will see below. I think a similar design with the Model X’s front end and suicide doors would make for an amazing looking Model 3.

Theophilus Chin’s Model 3 hatchback

We don’t have any indication that neither the Model 3 or Model Y could be a hatchback, but after thewagon version of the Model S getting so much praise, I thought I would slip-in this design by Theophilus Chin. What do you think?

Easy Charge’s Model 3 sketches

Charging station maker Easy Charge took the opportunity to sketch the Model 3 while showing its charger design. Like I said, it is reminiscent of Jodry’s design seen above, which is probably my favorite. I hope the real thing will look similar, but maybe with more aerodynamic details.

roow110’s Model 3

We have a smaller Model S by McHoffa and now a small Model S/X fusion to make a Model 3 byroow110 on TMC. If Tesla was to stick with its design line, roow’s render would be a safe bet for the Model 3, but I’m not so sure based on Musk’s comments.

Let us know which one you think will resemble the final product:

Which of these renderings will look the most similar to the Tesla Model 3?

Bonus:

Model (compact) by Unknown Designer

The original post was written by electrek.co

Faraday Future: We’re Going To Move A Lot Faster Than Tesla

Faraday Future’s electric concept car, the FFZERO1

In a tightly packed tent on a rainy Las Vegas night, Faraday Future made its first unveiling to the world. The new electric vehicle startup is still a “couple years” away from launching its first production vehicle, but it’s not afraid of setting up some lofty expectations.

“Tesla and Elon Musk have created something we should all applaud them for,” said Nick Sampson, a senior vice president at Faraday and a former Tesla engineer, onstage at the launch event. “But Tesla was founded in 2003. Five years later, they produced the limited production Roadster, based on the Lotus platform. Seven years after founding, they began work on their first volume production factory and had 600 employees. And then after 9 years, they delivered their first mass market production vehicle. Tesla Motor moved at breakneck speed compared to the rest of the auto industry.”

“But let me tell you about where we are today,” Sampson continued. “Faraday Future was founded just 18 months ago. In that short year and a half, we already have a staggering 750 employees globally, breaking ground on a 3 million square foot factory in just a few weeks, and we will deliver our first production vehicle in only a couple years time. All of this in 18 months now, I’d call that very fast.”

What makes the company so fast? Sampson explained it’s partially due to its approach to engineering cars with what it calls “Variable Platform Architecture,” or VPA. Sampson explained the fancy term is a modular approach to engineering all the future Faraday vehicles. In a short video, the company explained that its battery is designed on a “string” that allows the company to add or remove batteries based on the layout of the engine, powertrain, wheels or any other internal part. The details of this approach still aren’t entirely clear, but the company promises it’s going to let the company move a lot faster than Tesla ever did.

“With VPA, we can dramatically compress our time to market and reduce our costs,” Sampson boasted.

But not only does Faraday do fancy things like VPA, it’s also got a lot of money from China. Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, founder and CEO of LeTV, is behind a $1 billion factory in Nevada for building Faraday vehicles. At the Monday night event, Faraday talked a bit more about its relationship with LeTV, sometimes referred to the “Netflix NFLX -3.15% of China” but has been moving into other products like phones. “While Faraday and LeTV are two separate companies, we’re working together on various elements of vehicle development,” Sampson said.

Also for show at the Monday event was the ridiculous concept car, the FFZERO1, an autonomous car with a 1,000-horsepower engine. Unfortunately, there were no live demos of the car.

In the company’s closing remarks, it of course had to bring up Apple and the iPhone. “Apple didn’t just redefine the phone, it transformed the way we communicate, organize and enjoy our lives,” Sampson said. “That is what we at Faraday are looking to do. We’re looking to the future, seeking opportunities and working to bring them to life to help redefine the world of mobility.”

This article was written by forbes.com

A look at the Model X’s towing range at full capacity

A look at the Model X’s towing range at full capacity

We get our first good look at the Model X’s range while towing at near full capacity courtesy of Signature Model X owner Max Kennedy. Max is one of the 208 Model X owners who had the chance to take delivery of the all-electric SUV before the end of the year, and he decided to start an interestingYoutube channel documenting his experience with the vehicle, especially with its towing capacity.

Kennedy is towing a 4,850 lb boat, which is just a little less than the Model X’s full capacity with 20″ wheels – 5,000 lb.

In his latest video (see below), Max shows that after a full charge, he gets on the road while towing his 4,850 lb boat at 55 mph (89 km/h) and gets 74 miles (119 km) of projected range.

After 5 miles at 60 mph (96 km/h), his consumption graph showed 886 Wh/mile on average. The projected range dropped to 62 miles (100 km) while the rated range showed 180 miles (290 km).

It looks like the Model X’s range drops to about a third of its rated-range if it’s towing at full capacity. Such a big hit shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the added weight and worst aerodynamics while towing.

Max compared his Model X towing performance to his Lincoln Navigator and said that he prefers the Model X. He highlighted the X’s impressive acceleration while towing:

“It’s like it’s not even there… but it is!”

You can watch the video in full here:

This post is written by http://electrek.co/

Space X изстрелва сателит на “Булсатком” през 2016

LS1300
LS1300

Сателитният оператор “Булсатком” има солиден напредък в проекта да изстреля свой собствен спътник, съобщиха от компанията. Ако събитията се развият по план, първият български телекомуникационен сателит ще е в орбита през 2016 г. Компанията се е договорила със Space Systems/Loral (SSL) за производството на съоръжението, наречено BulgariaSat-1. Цялата дейност по разработване, доставка и изстрелване на спътника се финансират с кредитна линия от американската външнотърговска банка Ex-Im Bank. Стойността на заема по данни от сайта на финансовата институция е 150 млн. долара.

Така “Булсатком” прави още една крачка в амбициите си да развие не един, а два мащабни и скъпи проекта – изграждане на наземна мобилна мрежа плюс изстрелване на спътник. Компанията получи лиценз да предоставя мобилни услуги от четвърто поколение, а преди няколко седмици осигури и външно финансиране от 85 млн. евро, като основната част от средствата са предвидени именно за мрежата за новия мобилен оператор. Сега, с линията от американската банка, се покрива и стойността на сателитния проект.

Комбинацията от мащабно разрастване в две полета и предприетите реални стъпки напоследък в тази посока е колкото шанс, толкова и риск за “Булсатком”. От една страна, мобилната мрежа и сателитът могат да го поставят на картата на телекомуникационния бизнес в региона като сериозен играч. От друга – ангажиментите по кредити с такъв размер няма как да не са тежест за оператора, който иначе има стабилен бизнес и лидерство в страната като пазарен дял (с над 30%) при платените тв платформи.

Трудният път към звездите

“Булсатком” е поръчала телекомуникационния сателит чрез своето дъщерно дружество “България Сат”, съобщиха от офиса на компанията в София. Моделът на съоръжението е LS1300, чийто експлоатационен живот е 15 и повече години. Идеята на тв доставчика е да използва част от капацитета му, за да предлага своята DTH услуга на българския пазар. Останалата, по-голяма, част ще бъде предлагана на други оператори на сателитна телевизия на едро на Балканите. В момента “Булсатком” ползва гръцкия спътник Hellas за цифровия си тв сигнал. Съоръжението беше на гръцката ОТЕ, която преди година и половина го продаде на ArabSat. Неговият живот обаче е на път да приключи.

Изстрелването на BulgariaSat-1, насрочено за 2016 г., се планира да стане с ракета-носител Falcon-9 на милиардера предприемач Елън Мъск. Неговата компания SpaceX предлага близо двойно по-ниски цени за извеждане на товари в околоземна орбита. За изстрелване на два сателита с една ракета-носител хонконгския оператор AsiaSat ще плати 52.2 млн. долара. Ако азиатската компания беше избрала конкурента на SpaceX – International Launch Services (ILS), цената щеше да е 107 млн. долара. С избора на Falcon-9 “Булсатком” явно свива разходите за целия проект, каквато беше и първоначалната идея на собствениците му.

От този избор, разбира се, следват и рискове. SpaceX за момента има извършени няколко успешни извеждания на сателити в орбита. Първият беше през 2013 г., а през настоящата година се състояха още два. Компанията изпълни и доставки на продоволствия за Международната космическа станция (ISS). Тя обаче имаше първоначални проблеми със сроковете и отложи не един или два старта, особено през 2014 г. Начинанието на Мъск тепърва има да доказва надеждността си в тази сфера.

Междусателитни войни

Раздвижване на сателитния проект на “Булсатком” се чака от близо две години. Компанията има геостанционарна орбита (координати), предоставена й от държавата. За да я оползотвори, тя преговаря за кредитна линия с американска банка от месеци. Явно сега всички изисквания за финансирането са изпълнени.

Изстрелването на собствен сателит от “Булсатком” не само би дало още по-добра позиция на оператора в конкурентната му борба да запази лидерството си на пазара за разпространение на дребно на тв сигнал. Събитието може буквално да промени небесната карта над Балканите. В околоземното пространство се води битка за орбитите и позициите на сателитите на различните компании. Пример за това е конфликтът между позицията, която държи “Булсатком”, и тази, която използва норвежката Telenor Sat с нейния спътник Thor 6. Именно заради тази чисто технологична несъвместимост Комисията за регулиране на съобщенията не даде разрешение на скандинавския телеком да излъчва сигнал към територията на България – това можеше да създаде смущения или да заглуши бъдещия български сателит. Заради това беше прекратен и договорът между Telenor Sat и “Нетера” за предоставяне на сателитна телевизия на едро. С извеждане на спътника си “Булсатком” ще влезе в директна конкуренция с големите сателитни оператори, работещи в региона, в това число и с Telekom Austria, която, ползвайки капацитет на чужд спътник, продава тв доставка на едро в региона.

Играта на едро

Големите амбиции за “Булсатком” означават и големи рискове. За да осъществи двата амбициозни проекта, “Булсатком” вече се оказва с големи дългове. За 4G мобилната мрежа тя вече има заем от 85 млн. евро. Отделно сега идва и финансирането за 150 млн. долара със срок за връщане осем години и половина. С други думи, общо “Булсатком” трябва да върне близо 200 млн. евро в рамките на около осем години, работейки на силно конкурентен пазар срещу оператори с много големи възможности. С други думи, “Булсатком” може да промени изоснови целия телеком пазар в България и в някаква степен дори в региона, но няма право на грешки оттук насетне.

На сайта на Space X изстрелването на сателита Bulgaria Sat е насрочено за 2014, но едва ли ще се случи преди 2016г.

Манифест на Space X
Манифест на Space X

Източник: capital.bg

Tesla unveils ‘the D’: A supercar with dual-motor with almost 700 hp that goes from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds

The new dual-motor electric supercar

A week after Elon Musk tweeted about the event the mysterious ‘D’ car was unveiled.

During an event at Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles, Mr Musk took to the stage to announce that the ‘D’ stands for ‘dual motor.’

The current Model S is a rear-wheel-drive car with one motor. The ‘D’ will have two motors – one powering the front wheels and one powering the rear wheels.

Mr Musk said unlike all-wheel-drive systems on gas-powered cars, which tend to be heavy and make the cars less efficient, Tesla’s system ‘improves the speed, acceleration and mileage by optimising which motor is used’.

Let`s release the titan
Let`s release the titan

The dual motor version of the P85 performance sedan will have a top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h), compared with the current 130 mph (209 km/h).

It will accelerate from 0 to 60mph (96km/h) in 3.2 seconds, akin to sports cars.

‘This car is nuts. It’s like taking off from a carrier deck,’ Musk said at the the airport, where the Mr Musk’s rocket firm SpaceX is based.

The dual-motor 'skateboard'
The dual-motor ‘skateboard’

After Musk left the stage, the audience was shown demonstrations of the car’s acceleration and safety features.

The all-wheel-drive system helps grip slippery roads, and analysts have said Tesla needed it to boost sales in the Northeast and Midwest, as well as Europe. 

The company sold 13,850 cars in the U.S. this year through September, down three per cent from a year ago, according to Autodata.

Tesla is also significantly upgrading its safety features.

Here is a video of the new P85D acceleration:

And here is the whole ‘D’ event:

SpaceX Unveils Dragon V2 Spaceship, a Manned Space Craft for 7 Astronauts

The New Space Taxi
The New Space Taxi

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind the private spaceflight company SpaceX, unveiled his firm’s latest innovation — the Dragon V2 manned spaceship —Thursday night (May 29) in a stylish debut for the 21st-century space taxi for astronauts.

SpaceX’s Dragon Version 2 crewed spacecraft has a sleek interior design, complete with a large tablet-like computer that swivels down in front of the capsule’s tan leather seats. The manned space capsule can ferrying up to seven astronauts to and from destinations like the International Space Station, Musk said during the reveal, which SpaceX webcast live online from its headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
“I think it’s really a big leap forward in technology,” Musk said. “It really takes things to the next level.”

“When we first created Dragon Version 1, we didn’t know how to create a spacecraft,” Musk said. “We’d never designed a spacecraft before … It’s a great spacecraft, and it was a great proof of concept. It showed us what it took to bring something back from orbit, which is a very difficult thing to do. Usually when something comes in from orbital velocity, it burns up in a big fireball. But going from Dragon Version 1, we wanted to take a big step in technology.”

SpaceX has been launching unmanned Dragon Version 1 capsules to the space station since 2012 using its Falcon 9 rockets. The company has flown three of 12 cargo missions to the station for NASA under a $1.6 billion deal. The Dragon V2 is SpaceX’s entry to fly NASA astronauts to the station as part of the U.S. space agency’s commercial crew program.

The new Dragon V2 is an updated version of the company’s robotic Dragon capsule — currently used to take cargo to the space station and bring materials back to Earth. At the moment, the Dragon is the only robotic cargo vessel that can bring supplies back to the planet from the station. (Another company, the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences, has a $1.9 billion contract to deliver station cargo, but its Cygnus vehicles are intentionally destroyed at mission’s end.)

The Interior of Dragon v2
The Interior of Dragon v2

SpaceX’s new spacecraft is designed to be reusable and it should be able to touchdown back on land with the accuracy of a helicopter, Musk added.

“That is how a 21st-century spaceship should land,” he said.

Unlike the unmanned version of the Dragon, which uses the station’s robotic arm to berth to the orbiting outpost, Version 2 will be able to autonomously dock to the space station. A pilot will also be able to park the spacecraft using manual controls if needed, Musk said.

Dragon V2 also is a demonstration in new technologies. SpaceX engineers have updated the capsule’s heat shield and the new spaceship is outfitted with SuperDraco thrusters that can be used to move the capsule and astronauts to a safe distance if something goes wrong during launch. The SuperDraco thrusters should also aid in landings, slowing the spacecraft down as it gets closer to the ground.

Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the intention of lowering the cost of spaceflight with affordable, reusable technologies. Dragon Version 2 can be rapidly reusable, according to Musk.

“You can just reload propellants and fly again,” Musk said. “This is extremely important for revolutionizing access to space because so long as we continue to throw away rockets and spacecraft, we will never have true access to space. It will always be incredibly expensive.”

Dragon v2 Flight Animation:

Here you can see the full unveiling  video:

source: space.com