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Recharge Wrap-up: onshore wind energy is cheapest, Tesla Model S teardown videos

Renault's sustainability mobility website is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The site focuses on electric and hybrid cars, cycling, public transport as well as policy and events regarding getting around in a clean, green way. It also features a monthly forum where scientists, bloggers, politicians and other experts weigh in on sustainable transport. Visit the website, or read more in the press release below. Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde wants to turn Beijing's smog into jewelry. Roosegaarde plans to capture particulate matter from a park using a giant air purifier, then turn it into gems. This would give the particular park the cleanest air in the city. The smog gems would them be set in rings and sold. Each ring would represent 1,000 cubic meters of clean air in Beijing. Read more at Treehugger. A study commissioned by the EU shows that onshore wind electricity is cheaper than natural gas, nuclear and coal power. The study takes into account climate change, human health and the like for a more complete total cost of energy production. The study found that the cost per megawatt-hour is about $133 for onshore wind, $235 for offshore wind, $168 for nuclear, $207 for gas, $274 for photovoltaic and between $205 and $295 for coal. European Wind Energy Association's deputy CEO Justin Wilkes says, "Not only does the Commission's report show the alarming cost of coal but it also presents onshore wind as both cheaper and more environmentally-friendly." Read more at Domestic Fuel. The US Department of Energy is offering $14 million in funding toward landscape design projects for cellulosic feedstock. The DOE wants landscape designs that incorporate the bioenergy resources into agricultural and forestry systems already in place. It targets high-impact, sustainable production with a goal of 1 billion gallons of biofuel a year. Applications are due January 12, with concept papers due November 11. Read more at Ethanol Producer. IHS Technology did a complete teardown of the Tesla Model S. In two videos, IHS Technology's Senior Director of Teardown services Andrew Rassweiler talks about the findings and features of some of the car's most interesting components. The videos offer materials, specifications and analysis for the media control unit, instrument cluster, battery and more. Get to know the Model S more intimately in the videos at IHS Technology.

Can we keep the gauge cluster around, please?

Let’s not follow TeslaÂ’s lead in the elimination of the gauge cluster. I might be too late, but IÂ’m going to say it anyway. The cute 2025 Volvo EX30 is to blame for this needing to be said. I genuinely like most things about the EX30 and its cost-oriented approach to a luxury EV. However, Volvo went and deleted the gauge cluster, and thatÂ’s just one cost-saving step too many. Of course, center-mounted instruments is nothing new, but Tesla popularized the idea of removing the cluster entirely years ago with its Model 3 and Model Y. I didnÂ’t like the idea when I first saw it, and my displeasure with driving around a car with no cluster was confirmed when I drove a Model 3 for the first time. There are numerous reasons, but it all boils down to the importance of having vital information in your direct line of sight. The transition to EVs allows for the elimination of certain monitoring gauges within a cluster, but basics like speed, gear position, headlight status, cruise control and range are all things I want directly in front of me. I donÂ’t want to glance down and to the right to see these things. You could make a valid safety argument for such an arrangement, but including all of that info just for the sake of convenience is enough. The only excuse I see for eliminating the cluster is if a comprehensive head-up display impervious to polarized sunglasses comes as standard equipment. ItÂ’d still be bothersome in a gasoline-powered car to lose all those gauges, but I could live with just a HUD in an electric car if it meant a lower cost to the buyer. That said, my favorite integrations are the smaller clusters installed in some EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Volkswagen ID.4. These little clusters are smaller and simpler than many of the massive instrument screens going into cars these days, but they include all the information you might want at a glance. Beyond the safety and convenience aspect, thereÂ’s a nostalgic angle to the gauge cluster. Just a short while ago, I trumpeted the return of retro designs in digital gauge clusters. You can quite literally do whatever youÂ’d like when youÂ’re working with a screen, which leaves the field of opportunities wide open. We wonÂ’t have the privilege of enjoying old-school (or revolutionary new-school) designs if OEMs start eliminating them entirely.

Tesla Model S successfully hacked by Zhejiang University team

The $10,000 prize for successfully hacking a Tesla Model S has been claimed. A team from Zhejiang University in China claimed victory at the Symposium on Security for Asia Network (SyScan360) event in Beijing by exploiting a "flow design flaw," whatever that means, to gain access to vital systems including the door locks, horn and window controls, while the vehicle was moving.
The group that was able to hack a Tesla reported its findings to the electric car automaker, so this security breach will hopefully be fixed in short order. The event was welcomed by Tesla, which said it "[supported] the idea of providing an environment in which responsible security researchers can help identify potential vulnerabilities."
Last year, potential security pitfalls of high-tech electric and hybrid cars came to light when the US Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (better known as DARPA) successfully hacked into hybrids from Ford and Toyota. Questions about the security of the Tesla Model S have been raised before. If you're wondering why all this might be such a big deal, we suggest you watch this.