Newswire

New fast charger network creates EV corridor in central England

The English city of Milton Keynes has launched a network of fast chargers, creating a corridor of charging points across the center of the country. The Milton Keynes Crosslink consists of 14 triplex rapid chargers, each capable of charging an EV in around 20 minutes, located in and around Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Buckingham and… Read more »

Legislative update: California, Georgia, Utah and federal EV incentives

California clean vehicle rebate funds run out, waiting list openedOn March 28, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced that it has run out of available FY 2013-14 funding for the Clean Vehicle rebate, and it has opened a $5 million rebate waiting list.   CARB estimates that it will need a total of $30 million… Read more »

Panasonic to take a step by step approach to investment in Tesla Gigafactory

Pour the Champagne back into the bottle for now – reports that Panasonic had committed to investing a bundle in Tesla’s Gigafactory turn out to have been premature. President Kazuhiro Tsuga told reporters in Tokyo this week that the company plans to move cautiously to reduce its risk. “Our approach is to make investments step… Read more »

NHTSA closes investigation of Model S fires, Tesla installs new shield for battery pack

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed a three-month investigation of the Model S fire incidents, as Tesla announced a design change to better shield the car’s battery pack from road debris. Shortly after the fires, Tesla made a software update that raised the ride height of the Model S to reduce the… Read more »

DOE offers funding for projects that increase deployment of alternative-fuel vehicles

The DOE intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0001097) entitled “Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Deployment Initiatives.” The estimated $4.5 million in funding will go to projects that increase the acceptance and deployment of alternative-fuel vehicles (including EVs). Areas of interest include: Vehicle demonstration and enhanced driver experience projects. The intent of this area… Read more »

Elon Musk: Model X is a harder design problem but worth the wait

At the Geneva Auto Salon a few weeks ago, we were surprised to see that, unlike the previous year, Tesla had no Model X on display. The booth bunnies had no explanation to offer, but in a recent interview with Bloomberg, Elon Musk shed a little light on that topic. While demand for the Model… Read more »

Walmart develops tractor-trailer with turbine-powered series hybrid powertrain

Walmart has developed a super-efficient tractor-trailer rig that features a turbine-powered range extending series hybrid powertrain. The prototype truck, which is on display at this week’s Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, is the result of collaboration between Walmart and many vendors, including Peterbilt, Roush Engineering, Great Dane Trailers, Parker Hannifin, and Capstone Turbine. The truck… Read more »

Smart Home charges Honda Fit EV with DC power from solar panels

Honda’s new Smart Home US, located on the West Village campus of the University of California, Davis, is a showcase for technologies that enable zero net energy living and transportation, including Honda’s home energy management system (HEMS), a hardware and software system that monitors and optimizes electrical generation and consumption. The Smart Home is capable… Read more »