FEV is exhibiting a new transmission specially designed for plug-in hybrid powertrains at this week’s SAE World Congress in Detroit. According to FEV, engine downsizing for increased fuel efficiency has led to challenges for transmission developers, who must provide higher levels of capability in a smaller package. The company took a “clean sheet approach” to… Read more »
Chevrolet’s redesigned 2016 Volt will be offered in a lower-priced model with a smaller battery pack and a shorter electric range, supplier sources told Reuters. The standard 2016 Volt isn’t expected to be dramatically different from the current model, with a 380-mile total range and a $35,000 price tag. The “entry level” Volt will likely… Read more »
Nissan has partnered with the Berlin-based electrical infrastructure provider Omexom to deploy a network of 100 DC rapid chargers across Germany. Omexom will be the project manager for the network roll-out. Charger locations will include dealers, fleet customers and real estate developments. Similar announcements are common enough these days, as the Japanese automaker aggressively expands… Read more »
The yellow school bus is going green in Quebec. Local firm B3CG Interconnect, a manufacturer of harness assemblies and electromechanical components, has partnered with battery supplier EnerDel to develop and manufacture traction batteries for Canadian school bus producer Lion Bus, which recently won a project from the Quebec Ministry to develop an all-electric school bus…. Read more »
General Motors has announced that it will invest $449 million to upgrade manufacturing processes at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly and Brownstown Battery Assembly plants. “These investments will help the next-generation Chevrolet Volt build on its position as the leader in electrified propulsion,” said Gerald Johnson, GM North America Manufacturing Vice President. The Hamtramck facility (affectionately known… Read more »
Electrovaya Inc. has announced that the KF Hisarøy electric cable ferry has now been sailing between Mjånes and Hisarøy in Norway daily for six months, with flawless operation over the wintry seas. The KF Hisarøy, which is built to carry 49 passengers and 6 cars, operates approximately 10 round trips per day between the mainland… Read more »
French retailer Carrefour has been testing what it claims is the world’s largest all-electric truck under actual operating conditions for the past 18 months, to rave reviews. The 16-ton refrigerated delivery truck was developed by Renault Trucks, and is based on a Midlum vehicle chassis. It has a 103 kW electric motor and two lithium-ion… Read more »
The European Parliament has voted to make “acoustic vehicle alerting systems” mandatory for all new electric and hybrid cars starting in 2019 (the US has required similar systems since 2011). British MEPs and advocacy groups for the blind were among those lobbying for the new rule. “Quiet electric cars could become a common sight on… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has posted final modifications to its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Regulation for public comment. The ZEV rules require automakers to sell a certain number of zero-emission (battery-electric or fuel cell) vehicles in California. It also provides for automakers who don’t sell enough ZEVs to purchase excess credits from other… Read more »
60 Minutes aired an absorbing profile of Elon Musk last week, which included some good interviews and a fair amount of objective information about our favorite automaker. However, there was one segment that caused much laughter and head-shaking in the EV community. A video of a Model S on the road was accompanied by the… Read more »
