In May, Consumer Reports got everyone’s attention when it awarded the Tesla Model S a road-test score of 99 on a 100-point scale, making it the highest-rated car its team had tested in the last five years. Now that Consumer’s Union has owned a Model S for a full year, and driven it some 11,380… Read more »
As EVs proliferate, the challenges of integrating them with the electrical grid will grow in importance. While an increase in peak demand is a concern, pessimists’ predictions that an influx of EVs will “overwhelm the grid” are vastly overblown. In fact, with some intelligent planning, EV batteries could be a valuable resource that improves the… Read more »
We often hear automotive engineers talk about the need for a better understanding of the components of an EV. Some have said that there is an inherent inefficiency in many systems because the parts – like the battery cells, motors and inverters – have historically been developed independently of each other and then integrated together…. Read more »
Hitachi has begun a demonstration of the Japan-US Island Grid Project on Maui. This joint American/Japanese project, which will operate from December 2013 through March 2015, will demonstrate smart grid technologies that enable the efficient use of renewable energy, using EVs as an energy storage medium to respond to the rapidly changing demands in the… Read more »
The Antelope Valley (California) Transit Authority (AVTA) is purchasing two 40-foot BYD electric buses as well as a wireless inductive charging system. The buses, which were funded through a $1.9-million grant supported by Proposition A local return funds, will begin testing on local routes for a 12-month period to determine their performance in the high… Read more »
Transport for London (TfL) has selected IER, a subsidiary of the France-based Bolloré Group, take over the management of Source London, the capital’s EV charging network. IER will be responsible for all back office functions, working from its UK offices, and plans to work with new and existing Source London partners to expand the network… Read more »
Welcome to the new world of the hyperconnected automobile, in which problems with a vehicle – or even with the wiring in a driver’s garage – can be fixed remotely, before most of us are even aware there’s a problem. As reported by Green Car Reports, Tesla has released a software update to deal with… Read more »
Norway has quickly become the world’s EV trendsetter. In April, the LEAF was the second-best selling model in the country, and had sold over 4,500 units. In September, Tesla’s Model S became the top-selling car. In fact, EVs have long been popular in the Scandinavian country – the current total of 15,000 EVs also includes… Read more »
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Tesla has opened a store in downtown Beijing and launched a Chinese-language web site, but it seems that trouble lurks under the bridge to the Middle Kingdom. Local trademark trolls have already registered the name “Tesla,” as well as other related terms and internet domain names. According to Want China Times, Tesla has offered to… Read more »
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) has unveiled a draft package of proposals to streamline energy-related tax incentives. The package would repeal a number of current tax incentives, including those for plug-in vehicles. “It is time to bring our energy tax policy into the 21st century,” Senator Baucus said. “Our current set of energy… Read more »
