Tesla Motors Inc首席技術(shù)官暨共同創(chuàng)辦人JB Straubel表示，過去數(shù)十年來，電池技術(shù)一直以緩慢而穩(wěn)定的腳步向前邁進，而今天，全球汽車產(chǎn)業(yè)正在面臨全新的轉(zhuǎn)折點──朝電動車(EV)方向轉(zhuǎn)移，這將有助于減少今天我們對于石化燃料的依賴程度。 Straubel 在稍早前的DESIGN West展會上發(fā)表演說，他表示，批評者們經(jīng)常提出電池技術(shù)的改良腳步無法與摩爾定律相提并論的說法，但事實上，電池技術(shù)在過去數(shù)十年來一直在緩慢地進步，平均每年可達到7%~8%的能量密度改進。 Straubel 指出，電池技術(shù)的改良，正是使得電動車可提供200英里或更長行駛距離的關(guān)鍵。未來，隨著電池技術(shù)持續(xù)改善，電動車的可行駛距離也將提高，而且能提供更好的性能和降低成本?！霸陔姵仡I(lǐng)域，成本仍然是最重大的挑戰(zhàn)，”Straubel表示。 Tesla公司成立于2003年，旨在推動全球發(fā)展永續(xù)型運輸工具，Straubel說。他進一步指出，今天的交通工具幾乎全部仰賴石化燃料，在美國，有96%的交通運輸設(shè)備采用石油。 “但在接下來幾十年，我們不能再這樣做了，”Straubel說。 Straubel 指出，人們在開車兜風(fēng)時，可能都不會了解全球石油短缺問題已經(jīng)迫在眉睫，不過，電動車卻可以幫忙緩解此一問題。他表示，美國有一半的石油是用在每日20~50英里的通勤上。而Tesla和其它廠牌電動車的行駛距離都能滿足這些通勤要求。當(dāng)然，他也指出，以長途飛行來說，目前仍沒有技術(shù)能取代石油。 當(dāng)Tesla這家公司成立時，全球還沒有任何一家汽車公司積極推動電動車方案。當(dāng)時，許多自動來到我身邊，我們一起開發(fā)和銷售電動車，Straubel說。 而諷刺的是，當(dāng)Tesla成立時，創(chuàng)辦人經(jīng)常被問到的問題是：若電動車真是個好主意，那為何沒有其它公司感興趣呢？不過，情勢已經(jīng)改變了，今天有許多汽車制造商都推出電動車，Tesla經(jīng)常被問到的問題已經(jīng)變成：在這么多的電動車之中，你們要如何勝出？ Straubel表示，Tesla欣見各大汽車制造商加入電動車開發(fā)行列。石化燃料日益短缺的事實，是要求所有汽車制造商開始提供電動車的最主要動力，他說。 “如果我們在廣大的汽車市場中推出電動車，但卻沒有人跟進；如果整個產(chǎn)業(yè)一直駐足觀望，那就代表電動車確實是難以實現(xiàn)的理想，”Straubel說。 Straubel指出，Tesla已經(jīng)具備能為其它汽車制造商提供電動車零組件的能力，2011年，該公司便已經(jīng)向豐田汽車(Toyota Motor Corp.)提供豐田Rav4電動版車款用的電動車動力傳動系統(tǒng)，該車款預(yù)計今年稍晚推出。 本文下一頁：新款Tesla電動車上路 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載

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{pagination} 在此同時，Straubel表示，Tesla也持續(xù)發(fā)展用于該公司電動車的相關(guān)技術(shù)。 Tesla預(yù)計今年稍晚推出新的 Model S 車款，該車款將提供多種系列選項，售價可望低于50,000美元。 Model S 車款將提供多種型號，包括最基礎(chǔ)的車款在內(nèi)，這些車款將搭載不同的電池組，分別可提供不同的行駛距離，Straubel說。 “有些人并不需要開300英里那么遠，”Straubel說。“如果你距離公司只有50英里，你就不需要行駛距離那么長的車款?！? Model S 還代表著Tesla首度嘗試解決Straubel所說的“長途旅行問題”。雖然人們通常不會每天開300英里的車，但問題是，當(dāng)需要長途旅行時，電動車將如何滿足需求？ 為此，Model S提供了快速直接充電的特性，據(jù)Straubel表示，該車款能在30分鐘內(nèi)充飽一半的電。因此，需要長途駕駛的人可以在每150英里左右便充電30分鐘。 Straubel透露，Tesla已經(jīng)接獲10,000多輛的Model S訂單，預(yù)計2012年出貨。 明年Tesla還計劃推出首款純電動SUV車款── Model X，Straubel說。 Straubel表示，Tesla已開始著手開發(fā)第三代車款。該公司預(yù)計新車款售價約在30,000美元左右。 Tesla的第一代Roadster電動車便是敗在過高的價格上，但該公司一直努力開發(fā)技術(shù)并設(shè)法降低成本。Straubel表示，該公司預(yù)估，與傳統(tǒng)汽車相比，電動車可讓使用者每年節(jié)省2,000美元左右的燃料和維護成本。 “當(dāng)人們買車時，他們通常不會想到之后的燃料費用，”Straubel說。 編譯： Joy Teng 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 參考英文原文： World on cusp of EV tipping point, says Tesla CTO ，by Dylan McGrath

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{pagination} World on cusp of EV tipping point, says Tesla CTO Dylan McGrath SAN JOSE, Calif.—Slow, steady improvement in battery technology over the past several decades as brought the world to the cusp of a tipping point that will lead to greater adoption of electric vehicles (EV) that could help curb civilization's reliance on fossil fuels, according to JB Straubel, chief technology and co-founder of Tesla Motors Inc. Delivering a keynote address at the DESIGN West event here Wednesday (March 28), Straubel said that while critics often point out that there is no equivalent to Moore's Law in terms of battery technology improvement, battery technology has slowly improved over many decades, resulting in an average of 7 to 8 percent per year improvement in energy density. Straubel said battery technology has improved to the point that EVs can offer a driving range of 200 miles or more under normal driving conditions on a full charge. Batteries will continue to improve to offer higher ranges, better performance and potentially lower costs, he said. "Cost is still the most important challenge for batteries," Straubel said. Tesla was founded in 2003 with a mission to help drive the world toward sustainable transportation, Straubel said. He said that transportation is currently driven almost entirely by fossil fuels. In the U.S., he said, 96 percent of all transportation is drive by petroleum. "We cannot keep doing that for decades to come," Straubel said. "Certainly not centuries." Straubel said future generations are likely to wonder why so much of the world's finite supply of petroleum was squandered on relatively short car rides, which he said could relatively easily be replaced with using electric vehicles. In the U.S., he said, about half of petroleum use comes from people who commute 20 to 50 miles per day. While such commuting is easily within the range of EVs from Tesla and others, replacing the petroleum used for longer trips and especially for things like airplane flights is still far beyond current technology's capabilities, Straubel said. When Tesla got started, there were no active EV programs at any major car companies, Straubel said. Many have since come around and are developing and marketing EVs. Straubel said he finds it ironic that when Tesla was launched, the founders were often asked why if EVs were such a good idea no one else was building them, but that, now that other automakers are offering EVs, Tesla is often asked if it can succeed when so many are working on EVs. Straubel said Tesla applauds the fact that major automakers have come around. Making a real dent in fossil fuel consumption requires that all automakers offer EVs, he said. "If we'd launched out to sea and no one followed, if the whole industry sort of stood on the shor and watched, that would have been a really difficult place," Straubel said. Straubel noted that Tesla has been putting the capability it has developed for making EV components to use for other automakers, including a 2011 deal with Toyota Motor Corp. to supply EV power train systems for use in electric versions of Toyota's Rav4, expected to be available later this year. New Tesla EVs on the way Meanwhile, Straubel said, Tesla has continued to refine and improve its technology for use in its own vehicles and has begun development of a vehicle that it envisions will cost substantially less than the more than $100,000 price tag on its original Roadster EV. Later this year, Tesla expects to bring to market its Model S, which features multiple configurations, including a base model priced at less than $50,000. The various configurations of the Model S, which was designed and built from the ground up, include different battery packs that offer different driving ranges, Straubel said. "Some people don't need a 300 mile range," said Straubel. "If you commute to work 50 miles, you don't need that much range." Model S also includes Tesla's first attempt to address what Straubel called the "road trip question." While people generally don't drive 300 miles per day, he said, there has always been the question of how an EV can offer a greater range for those occasional long trips. Model S includes a direct current fast-charge capability that can re-charge the vehicle to about half of its maxim range in 30 minutes, Straubel said. Thus, drivers could conceivably drive very long distances, stopping every 150 miles or so for 30 minutes to re-charge, he said. Straubel said Tesla has already taken more than 10,000 reservations for Model S vehicles and is already sold out for 2012. Next year, Tesla plans to introduce its first electric SUV, the Model X, Straubel said. Straubel said Tesla has begun development of what it's currently referring to as its third-generation vehicle. The company envisions that this vehicle could be priced in the $30,000 range, Straubel said. Tesla, which is often knocked for the price tag on its original Roadster, continues to refine its technology and drive down the cost of the batteries, Straubel said. He also said the company estimates that customers can save as much as $2,000 per year in fuel and maintenance costs compared to traditional gas-powered vehicles. He acknowledged that the savings per year presents an interesting business model challenge considering that EVs have a higher up front sticker price. "People aren't used to paying for fuel costs up front, when they buy the car," Straubel said.