Airports around the world are installing EVSE, and at least one has decided that Level 1 charging is the most logical choice. Portland International Airport (PDX) has installed 42 Level 1 PowerPost EV charging stations, manufactured by Telefonix (profiled in the February 2014 issue of Charged). PDX chose the PowerPost because of its integrated, retractable… Read more »
There are a number of synergies between space travel and electromobility (just ask Elon Musk). Both pursuits require energy storage devices with high energy density, stringent safety standards, and the ability to operate in high-vibration, extreme-temperature environments. Developing improved battery technology is a high priority at NASA, and the agency is making significant investments in… Read more »
Is this the beginning of the end for taxis, Uber, and driving as we know it? Or just another nifty feature for the Model S? Either way, Tesla has begun live beta testing of some new Autopilot features. The latest software update, Autopilot 7.0, has been sent out to a small group of Model S… Read more »
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a grant of $2.4 million to the South Coast Air Quality Management District to build and test seven hybrid fuel cell Class 8 trucks to transport cargo at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The goal of the project is to develop a vehicle architecture that… Read more »
The future of Saab lies in China. National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), which inherited the Saab brand in 2012, and has been laboring like a mythical Nordic hero to bring it back to life as an EV, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the giant Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corporation. Dongfeng will help NEVS… Read more »
SK Innovation, a unit of SK Group, is a small fish in a sea of Asian battery suppliers like Panasonic, Samsung and LG, but its automotive customer base is growing, and it is rapidly ramping up production. Since the Korean firm opened its battery plant in Seosan in 2012, it has been enlarging its production… Read more »
Rare earth elements, prized for their magnetic properties, are used in a wide range of modern technology, including advanced electric motors. Unfortunately, they are expensive, and some are available only from problematic parts of the world. To make it easier to recover and recycle rare earth minerals, the DOE’s Critical Materials Institute (CMI) has developed… Read more »
Sales of plug-in vehicles in China are quickly ramping up, spurred by generous government subsidies, which in turn are motivated by choking air pollution in the country’s major cities. Yonghe Huang, Director of Policy Research at the China Automotive Technology Center, highlighted the explosive growth in a recent presentation. In 2014, automakers in China produced… Read more »
In May, Audi said that it is developing “a sporty SUV with electric drive,” to be launched in 2018 (the company also plans to sell two plug-in SUV models in Asia in 2016). Now Audi has released teaser images of its e-tron quattro concept, which will be unveiled next month at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2015… Read more »
The new and improved 2016 LEAF, which may reach dealers in October, is expected to have substantially increased range, but that’s about all we know at this point – Nissan has yet to release any details. However, it may be that an Indiana Nissan dealer has just spilled the beans. Andy Mohr Avon Nissan ( via Green… Read more »
