Tesla Archives - Darryn Van Hout

The Ferrari Electric Car Is The Most Powerful Plug-In Hybrid EV

Darryn Van Hout — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 23:33:14 +0000

Ferrari is my favourite car manufacture and has been for most of my life. To me, nothing beats the iconic Ferrari red with mustard interior that shells the beast on wheels within. So, what’s your favourite car in the whole world? Is it Bugatti’s La Voiture Noire, the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster or the classic Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita?

Ferrari vs. Tesla

Of course, there are many rolling machines on the market that are truly mind-boggling art pieces; but lifestyle critiques aside, I have my favourite—the plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle SF90 Stradale!

Being a solar energy pioneer, one might ask the question –

Why is Ferrari better than Tesla?

You can watch a Tesla Model 3 beating a Ferrari 458 in a 1/8-mile drag race online however this to me isn’t the be all or end all. There is no question over the fact that Tesla’s Peak Power Increase update which increased its output by more than 5%. The Model 3’s who received the update saw top speed increases close to 10 km/h.

On the other hand, Ferrari’s 458 is both an appealing and faster car. It has a naturally aspirated V8 engine which is known to be the best sounding V8 engine ever produced. Launched back in 2009 the 458 has been given amazing reviews by fans across the world.

Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale

The Ferrari manufactured SF90 Stradale is simply more than transportation. The swagger, convenience and efficiency that comes with it beat its practicality and flamboyance.

Taking a ride in this new slick speedster encapsulates the comfort, versatility and performance expertise featured in just a few of the dynamic range of cars on our roads.

Powered by a 4.0 litre turbocharged V8 that systematically produces a 769 horsepower, alongside three electric motors for an extra 217 horsepower, the Ferrari-manufactured car is one of the most robust street-licit, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Is Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale ready for racing
Behind the wheel of Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale
Ferrari’s Three Electric Car Motors

“The SF90 Stradale is supremely the first Ferrari of its kind featuring a Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PEHV) architecture that enables the internal combustion engine to integrate three electric motors, with two of the electric motors being independent and positioned on the front axle, and the third at the car’s rear between the engine and the gear box,” according to the car’s webpage.

Three Electric Car Motors

This top speed racing car features a 4.0 litre turbocharged V8 that produces a 769 horsepower. As if that’s not all, the vehicle receives an extra 217 horsepower delivered by all the three electric motors.

In essence, the car can move from point zero to 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds and hit a high speed of 211 mph. But hey, before you get all electrified, you must keep in mind that the car’s all-electric range is a mere 16 miles.
The SF90 is a classic feat of engineering. For the beginners, the hybrid system features an additional 595 pounds.

To compensate for this shortcoming, Ferrari has integrated carbon fiber with next gen innovations that cut the weight. For example, the company tailored the hybrid system to work in reverse, hence enabling Ferrari to do away with the reverse gear connected to the eight-speed gear box.

The car manufacturer has also emphasised that it has incorporated a smart cooling system in the machine to help manage the flow. “Meticulous consideration was made on the engine bay’s design that encompasses both the ordinary systems of internal combustion engine which generate temperatures of about 900°C, and the electronic components which are extremely temperature-sensitive,” the car’s website reads in part.

In addition, the vehicle’s dual clutch transmission system has been designed to work with the all-wheel-drive (AWD) systems, and is the first ever Ferrari sports car to have an AWD. Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale comes in four different drive modes namely Qualify, Performance, Hybrid and eDrive.

eDrive is engaged in cruises that use less combustion while the Hybrid works to substitute power draws between the V8 and electric motors. The Performance drive mode makes use of the V8 to power the electric motors while Qualify derives optimal power from it all at a go.

Ferrari’s 9 decades of Racing

The name SF90 is significant as it applauds Ferrari’s 90th anniversary of impressive racing while it also underscores the company’s solid link that still exists between the company’s tracks and road cars.

The price tag for the Ferrari SF90 Stradale is yet to be announced though deliveries are expected to roll out starting early next year.

Read my review on BMW’s Hybrid Electric Vehicle vs. the Tesla.

The post The Ferrari Electric Car Is The Most Powerful Plug-In Hybrid EV appeared first on Darryn Van Hout.

Tesla Powerwall To Hit Australian Shores Before Christmas

Darryn Van Hout — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 00:48:50 +0000

It looks like Christmas has come early for Australian solar customers following Tesla’s announcement that its Powerwall battery storage system will be available in Australia before Christmas this year. Tesla Powerwall price This past week, the electric vehicle giant announced a number of Australian solar installers that will be distributing the Powerwall. These companies include energy retail giant Origin Energy as well as Simply Energy, Natural Solar, and CSR Solar, to name a few.

Australia is one of two countries outside of the US to be supplied with the revolutionary Powerwall systems, with Tesla’s interest due to Australia’s high per capita penetration of rooftop solar technology (highest in the world).

Natural Solar managing director Chris Williams said a partnership with Tesla has been developing for some time. Williams added that Tesla’s interest in the Sydney-based company is thanks to Natural Solar’s business model, which specifically caters to storage, and the Powerwall in particular.

Williams said Natural Solar will be offering a full solution of 20 x 250 watt solar panels, an inverter, and Powerwall installed for about $15,000. Adding a Powerwall to an existing solar installation would cost about $9,500. A Powerwall and inverter without installation would cost about $1000 to $1200 less.

On the incredible hype surrounding solar storage technology and the release of the Tesla Powerwall, Williams said that he sees this as an opportunity “to educate the public on this ground-breaking technology.”

Australia A Key Market For Tesla Expansion

After being named by Tesla Energy as one of the first key markets, the future of solar power storage is looking bright for the Australian renewable energy industry.

The Powerwall systems will be available to Australian buyers in two sizes — a 7kWh system designed for residential use and connected to a solar system, and a 10 kWh system for long-term backup purposes.

The systems have been predicted to cost around US$3000 for the 7kWh system and US$3500 for the 10kWh. Origin Energy has snagged the golden ticket as official supplier of the Tesla Powerwall systems.

The company’s Head of Energy Markets, Frank Calabria, described the collaboration as a move to “provide households with greater control over their energy use than ever before.”

When Elon Musk announced Tesla’s production of lithium-ion Powerwall systems in April of this year, reservations for the systems went through the roof. Tesla has reported taking nearly US$1 billion in reservations for the batteries since the announcement of the technology. If all current Powerwall reservations are to convert to sales, Tesla will make history with its battery range becoming one of the most popular product launches in American history.

Surprisingly, Tesla is not the first company to develop sophisticated battery storage technology. Tesla’s technology is also open source, meaning anyone is able to replicate it. Many are asking why then is Tesla still taking its time with releasing its systems to the market?

One would assume that, with replicable technology, competitors would have taken advantage of Tesla’s open source software by now. Companies like Juicebox, Sunverge, Greencharge Networks, AES Corp, and Stem, to name a few, are established as well as emerging Tesla competitors and have been producing similar storage technologies alongside the electric car giant. So, considering these large competitors, the question remains: why does everyone want a Tesla battery system and not any other brand?

The Tesla Powerwall can store energy both from the grid and from renewable energy sources like solar. It’s compact, rechargeable, and ideal for small-scale use in homes and businesses — however, so too are Juicebox, Sunverge, Greencharge Networks, and Stem systems. The answer comes down to both price and reputation. Although there are many models that match the performance and capacity of the Tesla Powerwall, what has customers hanging out for the Tesla battery system appears to be similar to the Apple effect of market dominance.

The battery storage market is a complex one, with elements of cycle lifespan and capacity equally as important a consideration as price. As an initial indication, however, price is useful starting point for many buyers. While a number of these competitors are yet to release concrete price points for their storage systems, it can already be seen that Tesla is at an advantage in terms of price per kWh of storage.

Solar Storage System Prices Per kWh

Tesla: US $350 per kWh
Juicebox: US $1,151 per kWh
AES Corp: US $1,000 per kWh

Customers are not just choosing Tesla Energy as their preferred battery manufacturer, they are happily waiting for the company, which is notoriously unreliable with its timeframes, to release its batteries despite similar technologies being already available on the market. Apple is often described as a monopolistic competitor in the technology market, and it can be seen that Tesla’s position in the energy storage industry is following the same path.

Elon Musk has maintained an even more competitive advantage by commissioning a US$5 billion, 10-million-square-foot “Gigafactory” in Reno, Nevada, that hopes to keep costs considerably lower than competitors. Despite the issue of price, consumers appear to be hanging out for Tesla’s Powerall release regardless of what is already on offer, though.

The Future of Energy Storage

No matter what company is dominating sales, one thing is certain — the global energy storage industry is booming. This comes down to three dynamics working together:

The price of energy storage technology is plummeting
Cheaper storage is on the verge of massively expanding the market
A growing market and increased competition further drives down the cost of energy storage

With governments the world over pushing for increased renewable energy capacity in an attempt to limit carbon emissions, the time has never been better for energy storage solutions. According to research from research firm IHS CERA, the global energy-storage industry, which was valued at just US$200 million in 2012 is predicted to grow to US$19 billion by 2017.

Another US study saw energy storage grow 40% to US$128 million in the last year alone, with energy storage installations expected to triple in 2015. Interestingly, even more progressive technologies are already emerging that could threaten the innovative lithium-ion battery, making the future of battery storage and energy production technology uncertain for companies with large investments, like Tesla.

This article was written for and originally posted on CleanTechnica on the 18th December 2015 by Darryn Van Hout.

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