WIN with Ecobat Battery Technologies

Published: 24 May, 2023

Ecobat is giving XX lucky readers of Aftermarket the chance to win a CTEK battery charger and maintainer pack. This includes a MXS 5.0 connect-and-forget 12V charger, INDICATOR eyelet connector and a power bank.

Meanwhile, the company is also gearing up for its appearance at Automechanika Birmingham 2023. Visitors will find Ecobat on Stand G90, which will be divided into five areas; Automotive, leisure, mobility/motorcycle and chargers/invertors, with the final section focused on sister company Ecobat Solutions, which offers EV battery logistics, re-engineering and recycling.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question:

How many areas will Ecobat Battery Technologies’ Automechanika Birmingham stand include?
A) 4
B) 5
C) 66

Winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers when the competition closes on 26 June, and the winner will be notified by 28 June. By entering, you consent to your information being shared with a third party. The Editor’s decision is final. No cash alternative offered.

Win with Ring
Ring Automotive is offering one lucky reader the chance to win an RBAG750, its very first 12V and 24V graphical battery analyser.
Tesla tech: Recycled or original?
Tesla; The very name has become a byword for the EV future. What is behind it though, and what is it made up of? The core technology, battery and power management, was developed by a collection of brilliant U.S engineers, some of whom had connections with the GM EV1 programme. Indeed, the GM EV1 programme has a huge impact on the development of EVs. Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning and Ian Wright were the three original founders.

The original idea was a classic OEM model; A short run of high price models to generate enough profit to attract investment and sling-shot to a higher production volume model which requires more investment.

Lotus had the aluminium-intensive platform used in Elise, along with non-structural skin panels (low investment, easy to alter) and a steel rear subframe (relatively low investment, relatively easy to adapt). The marriage of Tesla technology to an adaption of Elise was a very wise move. The big investment, the core aluminium structure, was already paid for by Elise and the Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220 programme (more on which in a future article).

Arrival
The arrival of Elon Musk introduced banking to the company, and an ability to swim in the right circles. So, Musk decided to delay the Roadster programme by nine months while unique headlights were tooled, and Musk decided much of the strategy after 2010. Musk also famously sued to be recognised as a Tesla founder; Such vanity.
Model S used a lot of ‘off-the-peg’ systems and pulled in automotive engineers from primarily Europe, along with those from the USA. However, the software was always Tesla’s, and the electric system was also designed by Tesla. So, the company survived on a mix of tax cash, home-spun invention and imported expertise.

Formula
The same formula was used throughout Tesla’s existence right up to the present day. The irony is Musk loves to sling mud at the ‘legacy OEMs’, yet they support Tesla by purchasing carbon credits and the many Tesla engineers were developed by those OEMs too.
Tesla has become a 0.5 million unit per year car company with electronics/electric systems that always provoke interest. They are growing, but as the tax cash runs out and they finally pitch as a car company, which they were all along, there will be a reduction in the rate of growth as the organisation consolidates towards 0.75 million units per year. Lest we forget, all other OEMs are now doing what Tesla did plus their ‘legacy’ business.

However, Tesla does stand out as a major achievement. Many have tried to do what Tesla has done; A global player in the automotive business, and apart from buying an existing business, most have failed.
Automechanika launches UK Garage and Bodyshop Event for 2022
The organisers of Automechanika Birmingham have announced a two-day live event taking place next June; The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event. Taking place on 8-9 June 2022 at the NEC Birmingham, the event will provide the opportunity to get up close with suppliers, as well as access to three training hubs and three feature areas.
EV charging: Driver education needed
Legislating for the Installation EV charge-points on all new homes and other buildings is only half-a-step, EV battery warranty provider Altelium has warned, as drivers need to be taught how to charge them properly to avoid damaging the batteries too.
Charge-point legislation boost for EVs?
EVs may have received another boost, with the government set to make EV charge-points a legal requirement for new-build homes, as well as new supermarkets and business premises and any building undergoing major refurbishment.