A Proterra Catalyst XR (extended range) electric bus drove 258 miles on a single charge in a recent test. The bus used in the test has 8 NMC Li-ion battery packs, with a total energy capacity of 257 kWh. The Catalyst XR can also be configured with 10 packs, which Proterra predicts will achieve 300… Read more »
Indianapolis is becoming something of an EV hotspot. The all-electric car sharing service BlueIndy opened for business this week. BlueIndy is owned by the Bolloré Group, a French conglomerate that operates car sharing services in several other cities, including the successful Autolib in Paris. The new car sharing service uses the Bluecar, a two-door hatchback… Read more »
Charging at home is a snap for those of us with garages, but for the 88 million Americans living in apartments, condos and other multi-unit dwellings, installing EV charging infrastructure can be a difficult and time-consuming process. And as more drivers go electric, an even bigger obstacle may crop up: each building complex has a… Read more »
At the upcoming International Motor Show in Frankfurt, BMW will have four new plug-in hybrid models on display. All are based on the company’s eDrive technology, initially developed for the i3 and i8. The modular structure of the eDrive system is designed to make it easier to add an electrified powertrain to different vehicle models…. Read more »
Saft America has received a $6.13-million award from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), in collaboration with the DOE, to develop stop-start battery technology. The 30-month contract, which includes a 50% cost-share by Saft, will focus on the development and delivery of lithium-ion 12-volt modules for stop-start battery applications. Saft has previously worked with… Read more »
Connecticut, one of 14 states that have adopted California’s clean-air standards, has set a goal of putting 300,000 zero-emission and hybrid vehicles on the state’s roads by 2025. To further that aim, it has established an incentive program with a new wrinkle: instead of having to apply for a rebate after buying a new vehicle,… Read more »
PlugShare, the maker of a popular charging station locator app, has teamed up with solar energy provider Sungevity to offer a free home charging station, including installation, with the purchase of a rooftop solar system. The Drive Solar program offers qualified customers in the San Francisco Bay Area a 7.2 kW GE WattStation, which can… Read more »
Unlike an ICE vehicle, which produces more than enough engine heat to warm the interior, an EV requires an additional electric heater, which gobbles power and limits range. In a worst-case scenario on a cold winter day, the car’s effective range could be cut in half. Several groups around the world are looking for a… Read more »
Responding to the consistent consumer clamor for more range, Nissan has equipped the 2016 LEAF with an optional 30 kWh battery pack that provides an EPA-estimated range of 107 miles – a 27% increase over the current 24 kWh pack. The LEAF comes in three trim levels, and the new battery is standard on the… Read more »
The UK government has announced that the current Plug-in Car Grant scheme, which offers rebates of up to £5,000 ($7,800) to EV buyers, will be extended until at least February 2016. The government previously said that the grant program would be reevaluated once 50,000 plug-in vehicles had been sold, a milestone that is now expected… Read more »
