Big Chariot On Fire -- April 18, 2022

EVs: link here. Scorecard. 

• graphite
• not for me
• EVs charging. 

Link here.  

**************************
Batteries 

Link here.  

Literally Impossible To Make This Stuff Up -- September 16, 2021

From ZeroHedge:

If you own a Chevy Bolt, you need to find a parking spot that's at least fifty feet away from the nearest car. Why? 

To reduce the chances of a fire from your car's spontaneous combustion spreading to other cars.

General Motors Co. urged some owners of Chevrolet Bolt electric cars to park and store the vehicles at least 50 feet away from other cars to reduce the risk that a spontaneous fire could spread.

The Detroit automaker has recalled all of the roughly 142,000 Bolts sold since 2016 because the battery can catch on fire. GM has taken a $1.8 billion charge so far for the cost of the recall and has been buying cars back from some disgruntled owners. The company expects to recoup much of the cost from battery supplier LG Corp.

The new advice is likely to rankle owners who are already limiting their use of the Bolt to avoid overheating the battery and risking a fire. The parking guidance — recommending a distance of 50 feet from other parked cars — is especially difficult for owners in urban areas.

Don't all folks park their brand new shiny cars fifty feet away from other cars to avoid that first scratch? 

I guess GM got tired of paying liability claims on Porsches and Mercedes vehicles that were sitting next to a Bolt.

I think it would be fun to buy a Bolt simply to park it near a Lamborghini. LOL.

Notes From All Over -- Part 1 -- August 27, 2021

Battery recall: Hoverboard battery packs sold at Walmart, Target, and Amazon recalled over fire hazard. How long have "we" been working on batteries, and they are still catching fire. Link at Fox Business. Razor issues a recall for 237,000 lithium-ion GLW battery packs.

Bitcoin: we're getting closer and closer to the tipping point. Link at Fox Business. Second largest US mortgage lender accepting Bitcoin. United Wholesale Mortgage  now accepting Bitcoin. 

Covid-19: it's now being reported that natural immunity is so much better than vaccine-immunity. This is coming out of the Israeli data. Natural immunity is 13x more effective than current vaccinations. Exactly what everyone suspected back in March, 2020, when the plan was simply to flatten the curve, until Governor Cuomo moved the uprights, saying that he would not allow one Covid-19 death under his watch.

Common Denominator? Chariots On Fire -- August 23, 2021

Re-posting. The grammar is a bit awkward because I was unsure exactly what the writer of the linked article was saying. I'll leave it as is, and let folks fact-check it if they want.

Chariots on fire. How did I miss this one? We all heard the news on the $1 billion Chevy Bolt recall, but it turns out Hyundai recently announced a hefty recall, one of the most, if not the most, expensive in the industry in history, link here, April 15, 2021.

As of March 2021, Hyundai Motors had already made 82,000 recalls of its sold vehicles. Even though it is a minor figure in the auto industry in terms of numbers, the per-vehicle cost basis makes the recall to be one of the most expensive in the industry.

Its rival, GM, had recalled seven million vehicles because of faulty airbags by its 2020 fourth quarter. But the value of the recalls cannot compare with the value that Hyundai will incur despite the high number of recalled vehicles.

The expensive fault that Hyundai experienced affected some of its electric cars. The company received 15 reports on battery fires. Even though no injuries or fatalities occurred because the fires happened when the vehicles were shut and empty, the company has to replace the entire battery system at a total cost of $900 million.

The said overall cost translates to $11,000 per car. The price stands as “astronomically high,” according to CNN business news. When compared with the $157 that GM spent on each recalled car, Hyundai will incur hefty costs.

Hyundai stated that it would approach LG to negotiate about sharing the costs because the fault was out of a misaligned cell of a battery. However, LG seems hesitant to agree to the collaboration.

So, now we know:

• for low-MPEG, it's costing in excess of $11,000 for a battery pack for these cheap cars
• what does that say about high-end EVs? Asking for a friend.

Two Wells Coming Off Confidential List; WTI Up Almost Five Percent -- August 23, 2021

Rigs on fire: Pemex, Gulf of Mexico, off Campeche, Mexico.

WTI: jumps almost 5%; up over $3/bbl; trading at $65.17.

Oil stocks: surging. 

Autos: Phil LeBeau -- huge apologist for auto industry; blows off the GM Chevy Bolt recall, saying in effect, "nothing to see  here," but does note GM stock is down 25% since early June, 2021. Phil said these were "old" battery design .... which raises the question ... GM was putting the "old" battery design into 2022 models. From social media:

This $1 billion on the Chevy Bolt is pretty wild. LG is legit as it comes when manufacturing batteries, but they they're still having problems that are causing cars to catch on fire. Chevy wants all production to be EV by 2035; I just don't see how people think this is realistic.

Bitcoin: $50K+. I've talked about my flip-flop on this recently.

Covid-19: delta has peaked. Despite.

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Back to the Bakken

Active rigs: updated data COB.

$65.17	8/23/2021	08/23/2020	08/23/2019	08/23/2018	08/23/2017
Active Rigs	24*	12	64	62	53

Two wells coming off confidential list:

Monday, August 23, 2021: 13 for the month, 24 for the quarter, 204 for the year:

• None.

Sunday, August 22, 2021: 13 for the month, 24 for the quarter, 204 for the year:

• 37988, conf, CLR, Harms Federal 18-33H, Antelope, producing, data not updated;

Saturday, August 21, 2021: 12 for the month, 23 for the quarter, 203 for the year:

• 36078, conf, Petro-Hunt, Hurinenko 144-98-11C-2-2H, Little Knife, no production data, 

RBN Energy: the ins and outs of natural gas storage, part 2.

The volume of natural gas in storage and the flow of gas into and out of it are among the most closely watched indicators in the U.S. gas market. That makes sense, given that these numbers provide important weekly insights into the supply-demand balance, gas price trends, the impact of LNG exports, and any number of other market drivers. However, what’s often ignored by those not involved in the day-to-day physical gas market are the mechanics and economics of storage itself. Who uses gas storage, and for what purposes? What are the value drivers for a storage facility? Why are there different types of gas storage contracts? How much does storage cost, and what do storage rates reflect? Today, we explore these and other questions.

In the decades leading up to the early 2000s, the U.S. gas market underwent a series of fundamental changes, each spurring the development of new storage capacity. First, starting in the 1910s, ’20s, and ‘30s, a number of depleted gas reservoirs were converted to storage facilities — initially in the Northeast, but then in other regions (yellow dots in Figure 1 map and yellow slice of pie chart to left). In the late 1940s and ’50s, another approach — “aquifer storage” — was introduced as an option for regions (primarily the Midwest) that needed gas storage capacity but lacked a sufficient number of depleted gas fields. Aquifer storage (red squares in map and red slice in pie chart to left) had an advantage over depleted-reservoir storage, namely that gas can typically be injected into and withdrawn from it more quickly. However, a disadvantage of aquifer storage is that it needs to be completely empty at the end of the heating season each year, or it can lose gas. The primary purpose of both types of storage facilities was — and is — to help balance seasonal swings in gas demand.

How Long Have "We" Been Working On Battery Technology? -- August 20, 2021

How many years have "we" been working on batteries?/

According to wiki, this dates back to 1748 when Benjamin Franklin described multiple Leyden jars by analogy to a battery of cannon. 

So, that was 1748.

Alessandro Volta, the voltaic pile, 1800.

Michael Faraday, 1834.

Fast forward to 2001,  when A123 Systems, LLC, a developer and manufacturer of lithium ion phosphate batteries, was founded.

Along with A123, Sony, Toyota, Apple and myriad others were working on a "better" battery. 

Lots of investments, lots of research, but in 2012, A123 filed for bankruptcy protection. 

Tesla was incorporated on July 1, 2013, and if one has not heard of Tesla, .... one must have been living under the Geico Rock.

Chevy Volt: December, 2010 - February, 2019.

Chevy Bolt, model years 2017 to the present (2022).

So, since 1748 .... then apparently at the beginning of the 21st century we got serious ... 

... and now we're still having fires in these batteries. 

Today, 4:30 p.m. CT or thereabouts, GM after the market closes, announces a full recall of its Chevy Bolt. This is the third recall for this model. After the first recall some months ago, the cars were returned "fixed" to their owners, but about a month ago, a second recall of about 63,000 cars, or something like that. While still under recall, the third recall which extended to all Chevy Bolts. 

GM says this recall will cost an addition $1 billion for 73,000 cars which works out to $14,000 / car. 

I guess we now know the price of the battery pack for the Chevy Bolt.

GM drops 2.5% in after-hours.

One would think that after twenty years of serious effort, engineers would have the "fire thing" sorted out.

Back to square one, as they say, or in this case, back to the stables:

GM Announces A Third EV Recall -- August 20, 2021

Buffett recently sold a bit of his GM. 

This is the third recall for GM on the Chevy Bolt.

Will cost an additional $1 billion on top of the previous $800 million.

Will involve 73,000 Bolts, 2019 through 2022.

Let's see:

$1 billion / 73,000 Bolts = $14,000 / Bolt. 

The recall will now cover all Bolts. Links everywhere. Here's one.

DETROIT – General Motors on Friday said it is expanding its recent recall of Chevrolet Bolt EVs to newer models of the electric car due to potential fire risks. The recall expansion is expected to cost the automaker an additional $1 billion, bringing the recall’s total to $1.8 billion to replace potentially defective battery modules in the vehicles. 

About 73,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada are being added to the recall from the 2019-2022 model years, including a recently launched larger version of the car called the Bolt EUV. 

The former recall involved about 69,000 of the cars globally, including nearly 51,000 in the U.S.

Again, an addition $1 billion / 73,000 additional vehicles ... let me check the calculator again...

$1,000,000,000 / 73,000 =  $14,000 / Bolt. 

And a reminder, until this is resolved, don't park your Bolt in hour garage.

Most Under-Reported Story Of The Day -- July 16, 2021

Updates

July 24, 2021: California experience. 

Original Post

Philadelphia's Proterra Fleet in complete shambles -- FreeBeacon. Link here. 

• the problem: the chassis can't support the battery weight; and,
• battery life was insufficient for the city's bus routes -- are you kidding me?
• the former -- could have been understandably missed, but the latter -- underestimating the energy required for these routes?
• $24 million worth of Proterra buses taken off the road
• two dozen+ buses unveiled in Philadelphia in 2016 -- now out of operation
• entire fleet removed
• the cost of Proterra's electric buses has gained attention in recent weeks. On a recent trip by Biden to La Crosse, Wis., it was revealed that two buses the city ordered from Proterra for $1.5 million in 2018 have still not been delivered. Over the past five days, Proterra’s stock price has fallen over 25 percent.
• not reported: how much water and how long it would take to put out a Philly bus fire? LOL. 
  

Chariots on fire: just a reminder. Link here. I had completely forgotten this link. Great readers. With great memories.

What I'm watching now:

• The Tall Men, 1955
• on TCM
• noted for its cinematography, set in Montana but filmed in Sierra de Órganos National Park, Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico; snow sequences in Sun Valley, ID
  
• Clark Gable and Jane Russell 
  

Chariots On Fire -- December 30, 2020

 

Notes From All Over -- Mid-Day Edition -- Chariots On Fire -- November 13, 2020

This was reported a few days ago. I can't recall if I posted it. I'm surprised that it took San Francisco this long.

Does anyone remember 1906?

San Francisco will ban natural gas hook-ups in new buildings starting next year (2021) -- excepting restaurants which will probably not be around any more any way after the next six-week Chinese flu lockdown. 

Reported everywhere but here's the Bloomberg article via Rigzone.

The fact that PG&E Corp supported the ban speaks volumes. 

I don't know whether propane will be banned in San Francisco. If not, entrepreneurial opportunities abound. 

*********************************
Chariots On Fire

GM is recalling nearly 69,000 Bolt EVs for fire risks. Link here. Couldn't they just update the software? That's what Elon Musk would do. Ah, yes, that's a fix:

GM said the vehicles pose a risk of fire when charged to full, or nearly full capacity. GM said it has developed software that will limit vehicle charging to 90% of full capacity to mitigate the risk while GM works to determine the appropriate final repair.

***********************************
Market Surge

This is nothing about the Covid-19 vaccine. This is all about the proposed $3-trillion Schumer-Pelosi stimulus.

**********************************
Miscellaneous

Reminder: AMLP. Link here. The Alerian MLP ETF distributes a single Form 1099 to its shareholders.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. 

Golden Gate Bridge: will be bailed out by Feinstein, Pelosi, et al. Is there any question on this one? Link here.

Refineries: Shell to shut down Louisiana refinery. Convent refinery. How fast? By the end of the month. Wow. Decision in line with Shell's plans to reduce the number of refineries it operates from 14 to 6 over the next four years. Think about that. 

Vision 2030: Prince Salman going against the grain -- his vision is to build more refineries. Lots of CAPEX and refined products may not be needed.

Notes From All Over -- Fire Sales And Chariots On Fire -- October 14, 2020

Literally on fire, and figuratively -- fire-sales!

First the fire sale:

Ford just announced it was cutting the price of its electric Mustang  because "it's the right thing to do." 

And now, Tesla, doing the same: look at these data points -- wow:

• Tesla's top selling model: the Model S
• sales have dropped by half since 2018 -- getting long in the tooth, as they say
• Tesla announced a price cut to the tune of $3,000 -- this is their flagship sedan!
• this is on top of a $5,000 price drop in May

My first thought, "Wow! What a great bargain. A $35,00 now $8,000 cheaper."

Whoa! Hold on. I did not know the Model S Long Range Plus starts at $71,990! Are you kidding me. Starts at $71,990! Wow, I completely missed that. 

*********************************
Chariots on Fire -- Again
It's A Pandemic

Three reports of fires that began under the rear seat while the cars were parked and unattended.

Under review: 78,000 Chevy Bolts made by GM from 2017 through 2020. Isn't this like the entire production -- 2017 through 2020?

Main Highway South Of Trenton, ND, To Be Closed For Several Days -- April 22, 2019 -- Earth Day? -- T+10, Part 2 -- Chariots On Fire

Road closure: you are on your own --

 "There will be no signed detours posted, and drivers will have to find an alternate route."

The main highway south of Trenton will be closed as of tomorrow morning and will remain closed several days. Routine maintenance on a BNSF railroad crossing south of Trenton -- the Marley railroad crossing -- will take a couple of days. Again,

"There will be no signed detours posted, and drivers will have to find an alternate route."

I think the only alternate is County Road 5 south of State Highway 2. Unless you are riding a horse.

**********************************

Shore Notes

Social security: it's hard to follow the numbers, but apparently by the time I'm in a nursing home, SSA will only be able to pay 80% of benefits. Okay. No link. I'm sure the story is easy to find almost anywhere. SSA puts out an annual report. Will you still love me when I'm 94?

When I'm Sixty-Four, Beatles
Earth Day: I must have missed it. Didn't see a thing. Normally it's a big deal, but apparently not this year -- didn't see the usual folks out picking up trash along the Texas highways. Still using plastic straws at McDonald's and Starbucks.

Chariots on fire. Wow, I haven't used "chariots on fire" in a long time, but apparently Tesla is investigating after a Model appears to catch on fire. Video on the net. No link. I'm sure it's easy to find the story. Model S parked in a covered garage. SpaceX had an anomaly over the weekend also; resulted in a fire with smoke seen from miles around. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here.

TSLA: down $10.51 (-3.85%) at the close; lost another ... drum roll .. twenty cents in after-hour trading.

Oil (over at oilprice):

• WTI: $65.77
• OPEC basket: $70.81
• Brent crude: $74.04
• Fitzsimmons says much of COP's oil is priced at Brent crude
• Texas Gulf Coast Light: $60.65
• South Texas Light:$55.50
• West Texas Light: not yet trading?
• Williston sweet (four days delay): $53
• Oklahoma sweet (19 hours delay): $61.75

Saudi Arabia, OPEC Announce Cut; Two Hotels In Williston To Close -- September 29, 2016

Minimal blogging through the weekend; traveling. 

Active rigs:

	9/29/2016	09/29/2015	09/29/2014	09/29/2013	09/29/2012
Active Rigs	34	69	186	184	190

RBN Energy: US DUCs.

At long last, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reported an “official” estimate of the U.S. drilled-and-uncompleted well (DUC) inventory as part of its monthly Drilling Productivity Report.  DUCs are a critical factor in forecasting production trends, as many of these wells are likely to be some of the first to come online as soon as prices move higher and thus have the potential to boost production quicker and easier than would otherwise be the case. However, the number of DUCs has been a difficult thing to measure, though not for lack of trying. There are, in fact, widely varying counts from many different sources circulating in the industry. Today, we begin a short series on these latest DUC counts and their potential implications.

Drilled-and-uncompleted wells, or DUCs, aren’t a new phenomenon. In fact, producers have always carried an inventory of DUCs. But in the environment of low prices and slashed capital budgets the market has been experiencing for the past 20 months or so, DUCs have taken on new relevance, not only as a tool for producers to manage their lease agreements and rig activity, but also as a control valve for production volumes, whether it is to defer supply to a future date or to quickly and economically turn on new production as prices rebound and/or as pipeline capacity is built. You can imagine, then, how without an accurate estimate of DUCs and the rate of actual completions, the current market is ripe for underestimating future production volumes that solely rely on existing and newly drilled wells.

Saudi Arabia's trillion dollar mistake. CNBC.  From WSJ.

Sources told Reuters that OPEC hammered out a deal on Wednesday to reduce the cartel's production to 32.5 million barrels per day from around 33.24 million, with output levels for each member to be determined in November.

*****************************

Hoboken Commuter Train Crash

Updates

October 1, 2016: I remember when this story first broke. Every update in the first 12 hours said that the engineer was cooperating with law enforcement. Now, we learn that as of today, investigators have still not talked with the engineer, and that asbestos concerns in the terminal has slowed down the investigation. The investigation is expected to last a full year. 

Original Post 

At least one dead; 70+ injured; in commuter train accident, Hoboken, NJ. Thank goodness it did not involve Bakken crude oil. I wonder if NY/NJ governors will ban commuter trains which have now killed more Americans than CBR carrying Bakken oil. Or any oil for that matter. All that technology being spent on "driverless cars" seems to be a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. Maybe they should be working on "driveless" technology for killer kommuter trains. Latest: the killer kommuter konductor had "health problems." (TV report, McDonald's, crawler, 12:16 p.m. Central Time.)

By the way, FWIW, another Tesla "on auto-pilot" crashes -- this one on German autobahn. 

************************

Bakken Economy

Two Williston Hotels Closing

The Dickinson Press:

The Missouri Flats Inn, once featured on a TV reality show “Hotel Impossible,” and the Marquis Plaza and Suites will be closing their doors this week.

In addition, it appears that man-camps in the Williston area, including the large one near Tioga, have closes. I can't say for sure, but I saw no vehicles parked at any man-camps in the Williston area (there may have some minor exceptions). The man-camp on the Alexander bypass appeared closed (hard to say) but "rooms" were advertised at $24.99/ night. My understanding is that man-camps in Williston were to be closed by September 1, 2016, but there was some question regarding compliance. In flux. Perhaps a local newspaper will provide updates.

It appear the El Rancho Motel is closed pending a sale (again, I do not know for sure). The co-located restaurant remains open.

For some notes and photos of the hotel boom in North Dakota at the height of the boom:

• photos of several hotels, motels in Williston

******************* 

The Market

Mid-day trading: Dow 30 down 162 points. Oil up the past two days on OPEC's announcement: up to $47.69 (which is no better than $40 for Saudi Arabia).

Norwegian Oil Production Highest In 5 Years; Consumer Prices Unchanged Month-Over-Month; Decline In Fuel Costs, Airlines, Etc., Offset Costs For Medical Care Which Showed Biggest Increase Since February; Chariots On Fire; 32 Active Rigs In North Dakota -- August 16, 2016

Active rigs:

	8/16/2016	08/16/2015	08/16/2014	08/16/2013	08/16/2012
Active Rigs	32	74	194	182	200

RBN Energy: Marcellus / Utica takeaway capacity to the southeast. The series continues.

Venezuela update. From Reuters / Rigzone:

Venezuela, which holds the world's largest crude reserves, is on track to suffer its steepest annual oil output drop in 14 years as it suffers the effects of an economic crisis and years of under investment and mismanagement, according to data seen by Reuters and interviews with company sources and workers.

The state-run oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), is struggling to stem a production decline that has accelerated this year as a result of payment delays to suppliers, lack of investment in equipment, and poor planning in the country's vast oil fields.

In the 12 months to June, Venezuela's crude output fell 9 percent to 2.36 million barrels per day (bpd), while the Organization of Petroleum Exploration Countries (OPEC) has boosted its output by 4 percent, according to the group's official figures.
Venezuela's oil minister and PDVSA president, Eulogio Del Pino, last month confirmed a 220,000-barrel-per-day production decline -- around 8 percent -- so far this year compared with 2015.

Norway. July oil production highest level in five years. Why? Because many fields are producing "above prognosis." Oil output was 10% above July, 2015, and about 18% higher than the previous month. Norway produces about 1.7 million bopd, up 300,000 bopd in the past couple of months.

**********************************

The Market

Closing: market down 53 points. NYSE --

• new highs: 86, Enerplus,
• new lows: 3 (somewhat surprised)

Mid-day trading: Market down 65 points. Chariots on fire: Tesla cooperating with French authorities investigating car fire. 

Opening. Some profit taking. Market down 40 points.

**********************************

Health Costs Surge In July
And 2017 ObamaCare Premiums Are Yet To Be Set

 
US consumer prices unchanged in July as fuel costs ease. In the small print -- which could have been in the headline -- costs for medical care showed biggest increase since February.

It was the first time in five months the consumer-price index failed to advance and followed a 0.2 percent gain in June, Labor Department figures showed Tuesday in Washington. Excluding food and energy, prices rose 0.1 percent, less than projected. 

Inflation continues to tread below the Fed’s goal as U.S. companies remain challenged by frugal consumers and competition from cheaper goods made overseas. With price pressures elusive, central bankers will be less willing to raise borrowing costs.

This has nothing to do with "frugal" consumers. They are tapped out with rent increases, medical expenses and healthcare premiums. And monthly telecom bills.

The biggest slump in hotel room rates in eight years and the largest drop in airline fares since July 2015, offset continued rent increases, which had been propping up core consumer prices. Medical care costs rose 0.5 percent, the biggest gain since February.

*************************

Aetna Pulling Out Of ObamaCare Has Legs

Now, over at USA Today: Aetna's exit deals blow to ObamaCare, patients.

The insurer blamed heavy losses for the move. In doing so, the company suggested that too many sick people are buying plans, not enough healthy people are paying premiums to make up for it and the government isn't making policy changes to fix it.

But the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that it has implemented new regulations to make the exchanges more appealing to insurers. For example, HHS says new rules make it more difficult for Americans to abuse the system by buying insurance when they need it and dropping it when they don't, which is illegal and extremely unprofitable for insurers.

"They did respond to some degree," but insurers are "not satisfied" with the moves, said Marianne Udow-Phillips, director of the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation at the University of Michigan, in an interview.

One more step toward "the public option" (i.e., the USNHS).

 *********************************

Racial Wealth Divide 

Yahoo!Finance is reporting:

The report finds that over the past 30 years, the average wealth of white families grew by 84%, which is 1.2 times faster than the average rate of growth for Latinos, and three times the rate of growth for blacks. By 2044, when America becomes a majority-minority country, the wealth gap between white families and black families will double.

By 2044, America will be a majority-minority country, meaning that whites will only make up 49.7% of the population. Current minorities like Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans and Asians will soon make up a majority of the American populace.

It will take black families around 228 years, and Latino families 84 years, the report estimates, to achieve the same average wealth white families have today.

What do the experts blame this on? The housing bubble.

I would add that burning down your own neighborhood doesn't exactly help.

I don't know about you, but "the housing bubble" wasn't the first thing I thought of when I saw the headline, racial wealth divide. And when you look at the graph, there is nothing to suggest that the "housing bubble" disproportionately affect non-whites.

Suggested solutions by the author or experts:

• reforming the tax code
• appointing a wealth tsar 

I'm thinking, maybe, reparations would work, also.

If you really want to see the "racial wealth divide" widen, ban fracking and watch what happens when Saudi Arabia / OPEC are back in the driver's seat.

Another incredibly superficial article based on a single graph, a single data point. 

I Can't Make This Stuff Up: Government Motors Pace Car At Daytona Catches Fire

Link here.

The pace car caught fire during a NASCAR race on Saturday night.

Just before the final segment of the season-opening Sprint Unlimited exhibition race, pace car driver Brett Bodine pulled his blue Chevrolet SS pace car down to the apron when he had smoke inside the vehicle.

"Tower, we're on fire," Bodine radioed.

Not even an EV or a hybrid. How many years have "we" been manufacturing automobiles now, and government motor cars are still spontaneously setting themselves on fire? Apparently this was a 2014 production model.

Chevrolet officially unveiled the production model 2014 Chevrolet SS at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday and onlookers couldn’t help but notice the similarities to the model’s Sprint Cup Series counterpart that will officially debut in tonight’s Sprint Unlimited NASCAR race. Best described as a four-door Corvette, the SS is a rebranded Holden VF Commodore SS V from Australia. The SS is Chevrolet’s latest effort to capture the American rear-wheel-drive sport sedan audience and the start of the 2013 NASCAR season presented an ideal opportunity to roll out the street model.

The car should be a hit on New Year's Eve and/or July 4th, especially where fireworks are prohibited.

From Drudge: Feds Open Tesla Battery Fire Probe

Detroit News is reporting:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday it is opening a formal investigation into 13,100 Tesla Motors Model S electric vehicles for battery fires — one month after it declined to do so.

“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is deeply committed to safeguarding the driving public. The agency has opened a formal investigation to determine if a safety defect exists in certain Tesla Model S vehicles. The agency’s investigation was prompted by recent incidents in Washington State and Tennessee that resulted in battery fires due to undercarriage strikes with roadway debris,” NHTSA said in a statement.

The auto safety agency in October said it would not open a formal investigation after a fire in Kent, Wash., occurred when debris struck the underside of a Model S sparking a battery fire. After a fire in Mexico and a fire earlier this month near Smyrna, Tenn., the agency said Tuesday it had decided to open a preliminary investigation.

Unsafe at any speed. 

Third Fire In Five Weeks -- The Tesla

This time the driver apparently "hit a tow hitch."

InsideEVs is reporting:

Having recently gone through two “fire incidents” after an accident in the past 5 weeks, a third fire Model S has caught fire under potentially a similar condition.

And while the first two fires happened after the Tesla plug-in sedan had taken some serious damage, this Model S looks to have suffered less damage before the occurrence – although we would stress patience in jumping to any conclusions before an official investigation report has been released.

Another great photo at the link. 

If hitting a tow hitch can cause a fire, one wonders if jumping a curb or similar event could cause a fire.

Chariots On Fire

Wow! I thought we were done with all these stories -- but, not so fast!

Now Tesla's are bursting into flames.

Yahoo!News is reporting:

Tape of a Tesla on fire is giving new meaning to the term "hot wheels." The video was shot on Tuesday after a Model S sedan went up in flames. The driver was traveling down a highway in Washington State when he hit some metal debris. Fortunately he pulled over and got out of the vehicle safely. Soon the luxury electric ride was a fireball.

As the video went wild on YouTube, Tesla's stock began tanking. It dropped more than 6% on Wednesday and moved lower again on Thursday.

In an e-mail sent to The New York Times, Tesla spokeswoman Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean wrote that the fire was caused by the “direct impact of a large metallic object to one of the 16 modules within the Model S battery pack.”

The e-mail went on to say, “Because each module within the battery pack is, by design, isolated by fire barriers to limit any potential damage, the fire in the battery pack was contained to a small section in the front of the vehicle.”

Sounds like everything was under control. Right? But the video appears to show anything but containment of the flames. Perhaps that's why investors began selling Tesla stock.

Fire containment:

Fire containment, according to Tesla spokesperson
Yes, indeed, it does appear that the fire was confined to one of 16 modules. Once the firemen put out the fire, the driver got back in and drove home. The remaining 15 modules had adequate power remaining. The driver will probably have his 6-y/o son replace the burned battery, Lego-like.

It should be noted that when a conventional automobile runs over a nail, a flat tire often ensues, but seldom a fire. At least in my experience.

Analysts have been predicting a pull-back in the price of Tesla shares. Analysts are getting better and better every day.

Flashback, someone noted:

"The Tesla Model S was deemed the safest automobile ever by the National Highway Traffic Safety Board, that's no exaggeration and I'm no spokesman; in the simulated collision tests the Model S charted the best outcome of any other car especially those with a combustion engine."

Demand Is So Great, GM Cuts The Price On The Volt; Already Losing $5,000/Car, What's Another $5,000; Range Extended From 35 Miles To 38 Miles Last Year Won't Be Duplicated -- I Can't Make This Stuff Up

The timing is very interesting. (By the way, the linked article at PlugInCars reads like a GM press release).

I posted this about a week ago (July 30, 2013);

BMW launches its first mass-production electric car, and it doesn't cost much more than the Volt.

... the auto maker's first mass-production electric car, saying his company would need to boost sales of plug-in and battery electric vehicles dramatically by 2025 to meet regulatory requirements.

The BMW i3 is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2014 where it is expected to be priced at $41,350 before federal tax and other incentives. An optional "range extender"—a small gasoline motor—will likely boost the price tag to $45,000.

Personally, I still don't see the market for these high-priced, short-range, automobiles. I think consumers are going to get incredible deals, especially in leasing when these automobiles all hit the market.  Apparently these BMWs will compete with the Tesla S, another hot-selling electric car, priced at $65,000. I honestly don't get it. Of course, I walk or ride a bike whenever I can.

Yup. Volt got spooked by BMW. PlugInCars is reporting (as noted above, it sounds like a GM press release; my comments in brackets):

General Motors has announced it will drop the price of the base model Chevrolet Volt by $5,000 when the 2014 model year goes on sale later this summer.

Now in its third year of production, the popular [LOL] range-extended [LOL] electric car will now start at just $34,995, including a mandatory $810 destination fee, placing it within reach of more Americans than ever before.

That’s before taking into account any federal or state incentives. For example, the combined $7,500 federal tax credit and $1,500 rebate for plug-in owners in California drops the effective price of a new 2014 Volt to $25,994. Those in Colorado will be able to drive off the dealer's lot with $6,000 in state and $7,500 in federal tax credits, reducing the effective price to a staggering $21,495 and making it effectively cheaper [and "cheaper" is the correct use of the word] than a base-model 2013 Chevrolet Malibu in that state.

Unlike the 2013 model year, which received a slightly larger battery pack, an increase in EPA-approved all-electric range from 35 miles to 38 miles, some trim upgrades and some new color options, changes for the 2014 model are minimal.

That last sentence is hard to parse: note how they hid the fact that the "extended range" was for last year, not this year. And that extended range was from 35 miles to 38 miles.

Let's see. I can go out and buy a 2013 Chevy Volt for $39,995, or I can wait for the BMWi "which is expected to be priced at $41,350 before federal tax and other incentives" -- which means less expensive than $41,000 and the VERY SAME PRICE FOR A CHEVY VOLT.

Chevy Volt. BMWi. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Not.

This is a no-brainer. German technology. US pricing. Gotta love it.

*********************

Back to the merits of the Chevy Volt. This line caught my attention:

Unlike the 2013 model year, which received a slightly larger battery pack, an increase in EPA-approved all-electric range from 35 miles to 38 miles, some trim upgrades and some new color options, changes for the 2014 model are minimal.  

If I read that correctly, last year's model increased the all-electric range from 35 miles to 38 miles, but for 2014, the range was not extended.

*********************

In the showroom:

Prospective buyer: wow, nice looking car? How far can you drive on a full charge?

Salesman: 38 miles.

Prospective buyer: 38 miles/gallon?

Salesman: No, a total of 38 miles per full electric charge.

Prospective buyer: Say what?

Salesman: Well, that is an increase from 35 miles the previous year?

Prospective buyer: you mean from 2013?

Salesman: no, the 2013 model increased its range from 35 to 38 miles from the year before. The model you are looking at stayed the same. No improvements. But the tax breaks are better. And, hey, we will send a technician out to your house and install $2,000 worth of charging equipment in your garage.

Prospective buyer: I don't have a garage; I live in a high rise. By the way, are they still catching on fire? You know, I would never want to put a Volt in my garage. If I had one.

*********************

By the way, the article said there were "minimal" changes between the 2013 and the 2014 model which tells me GM took all designers, engineers off developing this money-losing car and moved them elsewhere (or laid them off).

Chariots On Fire -- Now -- Parked Airliners; Will They Or Won't They -- Ground The Aircraft

Updates

July 13, 2013: UK agency says "no evidence" batteries related to Ethiopian Dreamliner fire

Later, 12:39 pm PDT: The original post was some hours ago. I have not read yet whether the FAA will ground the Dreamliner. It seems to me the company should take the lead on this, ground the aircraft, until this is sorted out. But I guess, as long as the chariots ignite while parked, there may be no need to ground them.

Original Post

The WSJ is reporting:

Boeing Co. shares are falling sharply Friday on word a 787 Dreamliner experienced a fire at London’s Heathrow Airport.

The stock had been up before taking a dive when word of the fire first hit. The reports say the plane was parked when the fire occurred. The causes of the fire weren’t immediately known.

WSJ is reporting no one was on board the 787, which was an Ethiopian Airlines plane, when the fire started. WSJ also is reporting that arrivals and departures at Heathrow have been suspended.

So much for that FAA-approved battery fix.

The New York Times:

Boeing said it was aware of the problem, but neither the airport nor Boeing provided any information about the cause of the fire.

The incident took place about seven weeks after the innovative 787 Dreamliners returned to the skies after being grounded for four months because of hazards with a new type of battery. One of the lithium-ion batteries caught fire on a 787 parked at a Boston Airport on Jan. 9, and another began smoking in midflight a week later, forcing the 787 to make an emergency landing in Japan.

Regulators lifted the grounding orders after Boeing came up with a plan to refit the first 50 to 60 of the new jets with more insulation between the battery cells and a new system for venting smoke or hazardous gases out of the planes. Boeing said that while the planes were grounded, it also had made changes in electrical panels that had failed on occasion since the planes were introduced into service in late 2011.

A bit of trivia and irony in the story.