Samsung SDI has completed a new EV battery plant in the Gaoxin Industrial District in Xi’an, in the Shaanxi Province of China. The company claims the title of first global battery manufacturer to construct an EV battery plant in China. The Xi’an plant began production in September, and is delivering batteries to automakers including bus… Read more »
Several prominent firms in the EV charging industry have formed the Electric Vehicle Charging Association (EVCA), a non-profit trade association created to encourage continued innovation in the field, advocate for pro-EV policies, and serve as a resource for information and expertise. The founding members of EVCA are ABM, ChargePoint, Clean Fuel Connection, Envision Solar, EV… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released a draft technology assessment finding that battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are beginning to penetrate the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle markets. The new report notes that electric transit buses, shuttle buses and delivery vehicles are increasingly available from a variety of manufacturers, and some school buses are starting to… Read more »
Most Charged readers will certainly remember A123, the company that was founded in 2001 on the basis of promising battery technology developed at MIT; received a $249-million grant from the DOE and $100 million in tax breaks from the state of Michigan; raised $380 million in a 2009 IPO; made a bad bet on Fisker… Read more »
Following the Transatlantic Economic Council’s decision to promote EV and smart grid interoperability, the European Commission has inaugurated the European Interoperability Centre. Together with its partner facility, the US Smart Grid Interoperability Center, the new lab’s mission is to ensure that the next generation of EVs and smart grids are fully interoperable, based on harmonized… Read more »
Nissan and Ecotricity, the operator of the Electric Highway charging network, have called on the UK government to introduce official road signage for the UK’s growing number of EV charging points. The two companies are mounting a campaign to encourage the Department for Transport and Office for Low Emission Vehicles to take action to raise… Read more »
Elon Musk, speaking at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said that Tesla is in discussions with government officials in China about producing its vehicles locally, and hopes to make a specific announcement soon. Some media reported that Musk spoke of building the upcoming Model 3 in a Chinese factory within 2 years, but he later tweeted… Read more »
Aston Martin unveiled a fully electric concept of its Rapide S four-door sports sedan, developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, at a posh do in London where Prince William met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the event, Aston Martin and Chinese investment group ChinaEquity announced an agreement to explore the development of a… Read more »
New Zealand network operator ChargeNet has begun building the country’s first fast-charging network. The first Veefil fast charger, designed and manufactured by Australian company Tritium, is going operational this week at a supermarket in the town of Kaiwaka, between Auckland and Northland. Future units will be deployed in and around major cities such as Hamilton,… Read more »
Nissan recently invited a small group of journalists to its Advanced Technology Center in Atsugi, near Tokyo, ostensibly to show them the IDS concept vehicle now on display at the Tokyo Motor Show. However, Bertel Schmitt, an old Japan hand, soon surmised that the reporters were looking at “the future Nissan LEAF in drag,” and… Read more »
