Tesla community comes together for a special, once-in-a-lifetime ‘bucket list’ wish

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on January 12, 2019

It takes a special type of person to stare at adversity and see a bright future ahead. It also takes a special group of dedicated people to show that amidst all the conflicts and ugliness in the world, there is still a space for human kindness. This was recently demonstrated by the Tesla community in the Netherlands, when they came together to grant a special “bucket list” wish for an extraordinary guest.

Rob (last name not given), who resides in the city of Utrecht, Netherlands, heard the words that nobody ever wants to hear last December. Late in the month, Rob got news that he only had a couple of months left to live. One of his friends, Tesla enthusiast Ruben Jason Penders, had been asking him about a “bucket list” wish that he could help him with. Rob initially declined, but with enough prodding, he stated that he wanted to experience “this electric Tesla car.”

In a video about Rob’s tale that was later shared on YouTube, Ruben noted that his friend was aware he would not experience the electric car era himself. Nevertheless, Rob still wanted to “experience the future my kids and grandkids will live in.” On the final day of 2018, Ruben got to work, posting on the Tesla Motors Club forum and asking if any Tesla owners are willing to give his friend a short ride in their vehicle. In his post, Ruben even mentioned that a 10-15 minute ride in a Tesla would suffice.

The Tesla community decided to go above and beyond. Within a few hours, several owners had volunteered to give some of their time to grant Rob’s “bucket list” wish. Not long after that, a little get-together was organized, with several owners pledging to travel to the city of Utrecht to give Rob the full Tesla experience.

As could be seen in a video of the special get-together, Rob and his family were picked up by three electric cars from his home (two Teslas and a Jaguar I-PACE). This was but the start of Rob’s surprise, though, as he was soon welcomed by 20 more Teslas and their beaming owners. Rob was able to experience the whole Tesla ecosystem, from using the Supercharger Network to using Autopilot on the highway. At one point in the video, Rob showed what could only be described as a classic Tesla grin as he experienced firsthand what appeared to be a Model S P100D Ludicrous Mode launch. In yet another gesture from the Tesla community, Rob was able to drive a Model S as well.

Despite its noble mission, Tesla remains a polarizing company, especially in the United States. The company, particularly its CEO, Elon Musk, receive a notable amount of vitriol on an almost daily basis from critics, some of whom stand to receive monetary gains if Tesla were to fall. In social media platforms like Twitter alone, the clashes between the TSLA community, who supports the company, and the TSLAQ group, who are clamoring for the electric car maker to fall, happen daily. Yet, despite the noise from the company’s skeptics, there are tales like Rob’s, which could only be described as initiatives that are accomplished through the kindness of the human heart. 

This is not the first time that the Tesla community has done something like this, either.  Last year, Dr. Matthew Chan, a Tesla enthusiast diagnosed with cancer, was given the full VIP treatment after the community got together to arrange a meetup with Chief Designer Franz Von Holzhausen. During Dr. Chan’s tour, he was able to chat with the Tesla designer extensively, and his visit was even capped off by a meet-and-greet with Elon Musk himself. Not long before that, a story also emerged that involved the company bumping a terminally-ill man up the Model 3 reservation list, so that he could experience and enjoy the vehicle while he was still able.

Watch the Tesla community grant Rob’s “bucket list” wish in the video below.

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Tesla community comes together for a special, once-in-a-lifetime ‘bucket list’ wish

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The Tesla Model 3’s effect on the oil industry gets recognized by Wall St veteran

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on January 11, 2019

The past year was historic for the electric car industry. In 2018, the Tesla Model 3, a car aptly dubbed by Elon Musk as a “bet-the-company” project, proved its naysayers wrong by establishing itself as the United States’ best-selling luxury vehicle with sales of 145,846 units over the year. That’s far above the sales of the next car on the list — the Lexus RX, which sold 111,641 units in 2018.

Amidst the ongoing EV revolution is the potential of a notable shift in the mindset of car buyers. With options like the Model 3 on the market, people that are shopping for cars are no longer limited to vehicles that are equipped with internal combustion engines. Gone are the days when electric cars were short-range and unappealing. With the Model 3, Tesla was able to offer a vehicle that is reasonably priced (especially in the case of the Mid Range variant), attractive, and still loaded with advanced features.

This has not gone unnoticed by one of Wall Street’s noted oil analysts, Stephen Schork. In an appearance at Fox Business, Schork, who is a veteran in the world of commodity and derivatives trading, pointed that the emergence of electric cars could very well be affecting the oil industry.

“My overarching concern right now is the economic development. Tesla put 150,000 new Model 3s on the market. That’s 150,000 cars that don’t consume gasoline. And it’s not just Tesla. Porsche, Audi, and BMW are all coming out with all-electric vehicles in 2019. So the inelasticities of demand in this market are fundamentally changing,” he said.

In a way, it is quite refreshing to see someone like Schork, who is well-versed in the oil industry, admit that initiatives such as the Model 3 are doing their part in the transition to cleaner mobility. If any, the addition of electric vehicles from other automakers such as Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz all but support Elon Musk’s primary goal for Tesla — to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

In a way, Schork’s statements echo much of the insights of Mizuho Securities analyst Paul Sankey, who previously mentioned that the oil industry is feeling what could only be described as the “Tesla Effect.” While speaking to CNBC, Sankey stated that some of the challenges faced by the oil market have something to do with the public’s shifting perception towards oil itself. 

“Essentially, the big issue is the so-called ‘Tesla Effect,’ the general ‘End of the Oil Age’ theme that is a problem for these (oil) stocks. As the oil price goes up, especially to the levels we’re at now and potentially beyond, it’s almost as if the Tesla Effect could be exacerbated by the potential for higher oil prices to accelerate the end of the Oil Age. The Tesla Effect is the overall concept that (while) the 20th century was driven by oil, the 21st century will be driven by electricity. There’s a 30-year transition, and we’re somewhere probably 10 years into that transition. Ultimately, (the) terminal value of oil has been severely affected by the potential for us to change behavior,” Sankey said.

What is particularly interesting is that Tesla is nowhere near complete in its ramp of the Model 3. Tesla eventually plans to produce 10,000 of the vehicle per week, and as of the fourth quarter, the company was reportedly peaking at just around 1,000 Model 3 per day. Needless to say, Tesla’s Model 3 push might be impressive already, but it is still just getting started.

Watch Stephen Schork’s segment on Fox Business in the video below. 

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The Tesla Model 3’s effect on the oil industry gets recognized by Wall St veteran

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Tesla is designing an electric pump system that makes its drive units even better

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on January 11, 2019

Amidst Tesla’s continued efforts to usher in an era of mobility optimized for the convenience and safety of car owners, the electric car maker is exploring new ways to improve its vehicles’ systems. Recently published patent applications, for one, indicate that Tesla is working on better damage monitoring features, as well as safer seats that are capable of classifying a car’s occupants. Apart from these, Tesla is also looking into improving its vehicles’ electric pump system, which could ultimately result in better cooling and diagnostics.

The patent application, published on January 3, 2019 and titled “Electric Pump System and Method,” explores improvements that could be implemented on traditional pump systems used in automobiles. As noted by Tesla, traditional oil pumps, particularly those that are used for EV components such as the drive unit, do not have the capability to monitor oil condition. As a result, oil that is used to lubricate an electric car’s drive unit need to be changed on a regular basis (albeit very infrequently).

In the discussion section of its patent application, Tesla pointed out that traditional oil pumps are unable to accurately determine temperature, since temperature sensors are usually located outside of a conventional pump system. Apart from this, the electric car maker notes that conventional oil pumps are also large and unwieldy due to attachment mechanisms comprised of different parts. With these points for improvement in mind, Tesla has pointed out that there is a need for an “improved oil pump — in particular an electric pump system — designed to work in conjunction with an electric motor.”

(Photo: US Patent Office)

(Photo: US Patent Office)

Illustrations from Tesla’s recently published patent application for an electric pump system. (Photo: US Patent Office)

Tesla’s patent describes an electric pump system that “presents methods and structures that help overcome the difficulties of operating a cooling and lubrication system, in particular, managing the transfer of heat and assessment of fluid temperature in electric pump systems.” The Silicon Valley-based carmaker describes its electric pump system design as follows.

“There is provided an apparatus that includes an electronic control unit, a mechanical pump, and a motor having a first side and a second side, the motor including: a stator, a rotor including a hollow shaft, and a housing around the stator and rotor, wherein the electronic control unit is connected to the first side of the motor, wherein the mechanical pump is connected to the second side of the motor, wherein the hollow shaft defines a shaft inlet and a shaft outlet, wherein the mechanical pump defines a first fluid passageway from a first pump inlet to the shaft inlet, wherein the housing defines an internal motor cavity, wherein the shaft outlet is in fluid communication with the internal motor cavity, wherein the mechanical pump defines a second fluid passageway from a second pump inlet to a pump outlet, and wherein the motor housing and mechanical pump define a third fluid passageway from the internal motor cavity to the pump outlet via a third pump inlet.”

“In some embodiments the apparatus according to the above-described aspect of the present disclosure or any other aspects thereof, a number of optional operations and features may be employed. One optional feature is the electronic control unit further including a thermistor to measure a temperature of a fluid exiting the shaft outlet. Another optional feature is wherein the housing defines a bypass inlet in fluid communication with the internal motor cavity. Another optional feature is at least a portion of the second fluid passageway and the third fluid passageway is common. Another optional feature is the mechanical pump is a gerotor. Another optional feature is the electronic control unit includes a microcontroller controlling the mechanical pump. Another optional feature is the electronic control unit includes cooling ribs.”

(Photo: US Patent Office)

(Photo: US Patent Office)

Illustrations from Tesla’s recently published patent application for an electric pump system. (Photo: US Patent Office)

With such a design, the fluid temperature inside the electric pump system could be used to control and optimize the lubrication system of a vehicle, thereby improving the efficiency of an electric drive unit. Depending on the temperature of the oil in the system, the electric pump could react accordingly, even warning the vehicle’s computers that something is wrong. The readings from the electric pump system can be used to monitor the health of a vehicle’s drive unit as well. Tesla explains this process in the following discussion.

“The fluid temperature may be controlled to achieve certain lubrication properties. For example, hotter oil has lower viscosity which reduces drag and hydraulic power to pump the fluid, which can increase efficiency. If the oil becomes too hot, however, it will not provide sufficient cooling. The fluid temperature reading feature of the oil pump can monitor the general health and performance of the fluid in the electric drive unit system. For example, if the oil is too hot, the oil pump may alert the car computer that something is wrong, for oil that is too hot can damage or/and reduce the life of some components on the drive unit.”

“Stated another way, the temperature of fluid may be used to monitor the health and performance of the drive unit. The ECU may capture other information besides the temperature, such as pump speed, pump current composition, oil pressure, or other information. The information captured by the ECU may then be fed into a proprietary algorithm that monitors oil pump and overall drive unit health. The algorithm may provide an indication of service, such as when oil must be replaced or when the drive train needs to be serviced.”

What is particularly notable is that these improvements could result in enhancements to Tesla’s drive units, which are already among the best in the industry. The Model 3’s drive unit, for one, has been lauded by veteran teardown experts such as Sandy Munro as industry-leading. In a recent appearance at Autoline TV, for one, Munro noted that Tesla’s drive units are practically a class above its competitors.

Tesla’s constant efforts to improve its vehicles are highlighted by the patent applications from the company that have been published over the past months. Among these include an automatic tire inflation system that hints at off-road capabilities for the company’s vehicles, a system that allows Tesla to address panel gaps during vehicle assembly, a way to produce colored solar roof tiles, and even a model that utilizes electric cars as a way to improve vehicle positioning, to name a few.

The full text of Tesla’s recently published patent application could be read here.

Tesla is designing an electric pump system that makes its drive units even better

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