Drayson Racing has announced that it has set a new World Electric Land Speed Record. With former UK Science Minister Lord Drayson behind the wheel, the Drayson B12 69/EV electric Le Mans Prototype made two blistering runs on a runway at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, England, reaching an average top speed of 204.185 mph. … Read more »
Newswire
The Ocean State gets 50 new charging stations
Rhode Island will install a network of up to 50 EV charging stations over the next three months, and will begin converting the state fleet to alternative fuel vehicles, thanks to a joint effort of the state and federal governments, charging station installer ChargePoint and electric utility National Grid. “Supporting electric vehicle transportation in Rhode… Read more »
Los Angeles to deploy BYD electric buses
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has approved a contract with China-based BYD Motors to purchase up to 25 all-electric buses as part of a $30 million pilot project. Metro currently has a fleet of 2,238 natural gas buses operating on 183 routes. The new BYDs will be the agency’s first electric buses…. Read more »
Sign the White House petition to allow direct Tesla sales in all 50 states
A White House petition asks the federal government to intervene in the ongoing war between Tesla Motors and trade associations representing auto dealers, by blocking states from requiring that cars be sold only by third-party dealers. The Obama administration promises to review and respond to any citizen petition that garners 100,000 signatures within a month. The petition… Read more »
Navigant Research releases Leaderboard Report on lithium-ion battery manufacturers
In a new report, Navigant Research profiles 11 Li-ion battery vendors that are active in the EV market, and rates them on 13 criteria, including systems integration, safety engineering, chemistry performance, geographic reach, manufacturing and product performance, pricing, and overall corporate financial health. According to Navigant, “Li-ion batteries have won the race to be the chemistry… Read more »
Nissan displays 300 km/h electrified race car prototype
Nissan has unveiled a prototype racer called the ZEOD RC (Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car) that it claims will be able to reach speeds of more than 300 km/h under electric power. The ZEOD RC will begin testing later this summer, and will take part in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans. According… Read more »
Airbus demonstrates A320 with electric taxiing system
At the recent Paris Air Show, European jetmaker Airbus demonstrated an A320 airliner equipped with electric motors for taxiing, a technology that the company said is “showing the way for the increasingly electric future of aviation.” The Electric Green Taxiing System (EGTS) was developed by EGTS International, a joint venture of Safran and Honeywell…. Read more »
New York State Assembly shelves anti-Tesla legislation
Earlier this month, the Texas legislature declined to take action on a pair of bills that would have favored Tesla Motors by carving out an exception to the state’s ban on direct retail auto sales. This week, the New York State Assembly made something of a mirror image move, ending its legislative session without advancing two bills… Read more »
Bosch, Yuasa and Mitsubishi to work together on next-generation batteries
The race to develop the next generation of batteries is in full swing. This week, three major automotive players decided to pool their efforts. Robert Bosch, GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi have agreed to set up a joint venture to work together on lithium-ion battery R&D. The headquarters of the new organization will be in Stuttgart,… Read more »
Plug-In 2013 conference & exposition opens registration
Registration is now open for the Plug-In 2013 Conference & Exposition, which will focus on real data, real-world reporting and a serious analysis of what’s next for the electric highway. Returning to its roots in California – the top plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market in the world – the sixth annual international conference, organized by the Electric… Read more »