VIA Motors has announced that John Weber, former CEO of motor manufacturer Remy, has been chosen as VIA’s new Chief Executive Officer. “John’s many years of experience as an auto industry manufacturer and his keen leadership skills make him a tremendous asset to VIA Motors as we ramp up production and work more closely with… Read more »
A perfect score ought to be good enough for any car – that’s the message from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has issued new marketing guidelines that explicitly prohibit automakers from promoting safety scores higher than 5 stars. The updated guidelines also say that NHTSA safety scores are always whole numbers. The… Read more »
This week, the ChargePoint network reached a milestone as driver number 50,000 joined up. Unsurprisingly, the 50,000th ChargePoint member resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. Less than an hour after signing up, the new user plugged in a Tesla Model S to a ChargePoint station at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael…. Read more »
The SAE task force working on a standard for Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) has reached agreement on two important factors. These will be incorporated into a Technical Information Report, which is scheduled to be complete in early 2014. The TIR will be followed by publication of the official SAE J2954 Standard. “A common frequency of… Read more »
Researchers from Stanford University and the DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have developed a battery electrode that heals itself, a very useful trick indeed. “Self-healing is very important for the survival and long lifetimes of animals and plants,” said Chao Wang, one of two principal authors of the paper, which appeared in the latest issue… Read more »
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technology for wireless power transmission that could bring the goal of dynamic wireless EV charging a step closer to reality. “We’ve made changes to both the receiver and the transmitter in order to make wireless energy transfer safer and more efficient,” says Dr. Srdjan Lukic,… Read more »
What’s the fastest accelerating EV in the world? The Spark Formula E racer? The Drayson B12? Nope – according to Guinness, it’s a converted BMW built by Croatian engineer Mate Rimac. If you feel the need to get to 60 mph in under three seconds, you can actually buy Rimac’s latest model, the Concept One,… Read more »
Field tests in Sweden have shown that Volvo’s plug-in hybrid buses reduce fuel consumption by 81% and total energy consumption (diesel plus electricity) by 61% compared to a comparable Euro 5 diesel bus. The silent, smooth ride is an added benefit. “Our performance results are even slightly better than we had anticipated. The plug-in hybrid… Read more »
Valence Technology has emerged from the Chapter 11 business reorganization process as a privately held company, and closed on a $20-million loan provided by its new owner, Berg & Berg Enterprises, LLC. Silicon Valley developer and VC investor Carl Berg helped found Valence and has served on its board of directors since 1991. Valence manufactures… Read more »
Upgrading from a legacy vehicle to an EV involves a few lifestyle changes. BMW’s 360º Electric is a portfolio of consumer-oriented products and services designed to smooth the transition and overcome some of the perceived barriers to going electric. BMW’s MINI E and ActiveE field trials have given it a wealth of data about EV… Read more »
