13984 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

They may or may not wear well. But for the price, they might deliver what is promised. Just like Japanese cars in the 70s and 80s.

[Mike K.]

Great. Circle back to us in 30 years and we’ll see how Chinese cars have advanced.

[Victoria Watcher]

How have Japanese and Korean cars done?

[Mike K.]

It depends. The re-sale value of Korean cars is terrible. Some Japanese cars are pretty good!

Let’s circle back in 30 years and see how the Chinese have advanced their safety standards.

[Victoria Watcher]

All the cars have to meet the minimum safety standards, I'm not sure what anyone is fixated on that.  The Chinee Telsas on the road in Canada are the safeest cars - of any fuel type or brand - on Canadain roads today.

[Mike K.]

American Teslas built in China, you mean.

[Victoria Watcher]

American Teslas built in China, you mean.

 

Ah ha, now you are coming around!

 

You use an American phone built in China.

 

Canada's best-selling car (not pick-up truck) for many years is a Japanese car mostly built in North America.  Rav 4.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 March 2026 - 08:06 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Blackberry had a similar multi-country trajectory.

[Mike K.]

Ah ha, now you are coming around!

You use an American phone built in China.

Canada's best-selling car (not pick-up truck) for many years is a Japanese car mostly built in North America. Rav 4.

I’m not concerned about safety in a Chinese built tesla.

BC Transit is concerned about Canadian-made Chinese buses, though.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Canadian auto market officially opened to Chinese-made electric vehicles on March 1. But that doesn't mean you'll be able to drive a BYD or a Chery EV on Canadian streets anytime soon.

Chances are more familiar brands will hit Canada first, according to industry watchers.

"If it's a brand that is already imported to Canada, like a Polestar, a Volvo or a Tesla, then Chinese EVs are already coming," said Peter Frise, a professor of mechanical and automotive engineering at the University of Windsor.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...eline-9.7117780

[Victoria Watcher]

During the first week of March, Tesla sold more cars in Norway than all its competitors combined, achieving a market share of 53.4%. This was also Tesla's best March ever.

 

https://x.com/piloly...9136203/photo/2

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Canada’s Auto Production Plunge Has ‘Stark’ Implications, BMO Says

https://eletric-vehi...tions-bmo-says/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 12 March 2026 - 04:18 PM.

[Matt R.]

BC Bob is on the island, seems surprised to find free EV charging. I know of five charging stations on the island, all free except Fulford Hall requests a donation.

https://www.instagra...2RyOWFlYzd1Y3h0

[Victoria Watcher]

The popular electric SUV BYD Atto 3 is getting a massive upgrade with the new Blade Battery 2.0 and ultra-fast 1000kW flash charging technology! In this video, we break down how BYD’s next-generation Blade Battery 2.0 could transform EV charging with 10%–70% charge in about 5 minutes and up to 97% in around 9 minutes, bringing charging times closer to refueling a petrol car.

 

 

https://youtu.be/gMz...7PdgGR0kmw1gszK

[Victoria Watcher]

[Victoria Watcher]

The Actual Battery From The World’s First Production Solid-State EV Got Tested And It Charges To 80 Percent In 12 Minutes

 

 

 

Something potentially huge is brewing in Finland. Donut Lab says it created the world’s first production solid-state battery that will be housed in new electric Verge Motorcycles that hit the road this year. The battery gives the motorcycle 370 miles of range, can be charged in only five minutes, delivers 400 Wh/kg of density, is cheaper to make than lithium-ion batteries, can last for over 100,000 cycles with minimal degradation, and is made out of 100 percent green materials. All of these claims were initially made without any proof, but now Donut Lab is delivering the details through a weekly series. This week, a full battery pack has finally been charged in public. The Verge TS should become the world’s fastest-charging motorcycle at only 12 minutes to reach an 80 percent state of charge. Yet, more questions remain.

 

In January, Donut Lab, the EV technology company created by the guys who built Verge Motorcycles, shook the EV world when it announced that not only did it make a solid-state EV battery, but deliveries would start by the end of the quarter. Verge Motorcycles proudly proclaimed that its new generation Verge TS Pro was the “World’s first production vehicle with an all-solid-state battery.” But these announcements were immediately met with skepticism. Verge Motorcycles and Donut Lab published some highly polished videos, but no proof of anything. They didn’t even show a motorcycle in action with the Donut Battery.

 

 

https://www.theautop...-in-12-minutes/

 

 

 

 

The Mystery Behind Donut Lab's "Impossible" Battery

 

 

YouTube:  https://youtu.be/C8l...whUOuI20FTmO8M0

 

Undecided with Matt Ferrell

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 March 2026 - 05:44 AM.

[Mike K.]

CYbErTRuCk back in the international news again:

Cybertrucks have locked passengers inside and burned so hot they’ve disintegrated drivers’ bones. Victims’ families blame what they say is the faulty design of a truck Elon Musk calls ‘apocalypse-proof’

…

The blaze in Baytown, Texas, was one of five known Cybertruck fires that the Guardian has tracked – a significant amount, considering the vehicle has only sold 60,000 units and debuted just two years ago. These incidents involve four fatalities, including the deaths of three college students in California, and have been the subject of three wrongful death lawsuits against Tesla. In a comprehensive look at fire danger, particularly of Cybertrucks, the Guardian has obtained hundreds of pages of police, fire and autopsy reports and court filings and company manuals, as well as interviewed lawyers and safety experts. They – as well as the families suing Tesla – allege the Cybertruck’s design led to these worst-case scenarios where fires rapidly ignite, the vehicle’s electric door handles won’t unlock and passengers are trapped inside.

“He burned to death at 5,000°F – a fire so hot his bones experienced thermal fracture,” reads the complaint from Sheehan’s family. The lawsuit contends Sheehan could have survived the crash, if he had been able to open the doors and escape the blaze, which flared to temperatures hotter than most cremation ovens. “The crash forces themselves were survivable,” the lawyers wrote.

- The Guardian: https://stocks.apple...5Qxu_nMzHgwnKNw

[Victoria Watcher]

50x more people burn to death in ICE vehicles. Not sure what the temperature has to do with it.

[Victoria Watcher]

2 years old and only sold 60,000 units. Also known as the biggest launch of any new truck model ever. If you order the cheapest one today you have to wait to 2027 to get it.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 March 2026 - 07:33 AM.

[Mike K.]

Didn’t they promise production capacity of hundreds of thousands per year? Why is the wait so long?