All in blue, this German miss made her debut this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The CrossBlue concept is a midsize crossover SUV that Volkswagen developed for the North American market. Under the hood, she’s a plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine, two electric motors and an all-wheel-drive system. … Read more »
Based on the internal-combustion Trumpchi GS5 SUV which was introduced in March of 2012, the new concept was jointly developed by GAC and California-based AC Propulsion.
Tesla hasn’t said whether or when US customers will be able to buy adapters for CHAdeMO and the new SAE Combo US standard.
Nissan has begun to ramp up production of the LEAF at its manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, and has also announced a number of upgrades for the 2013 model. The electric hatchbacks roll down the line alongside legacy vehicles, but instead of gas tanks and internal combustion engines, workers install lithium-ion battery packs made at… Read more »
Drayson Racing Technologies announced at this week’s Low Carbon Racing Conference that its team intends to race in the inaugural season of the Formula E Championship in 2014. The FIA-sanctioned event will feature cars racing on the streets of 10 of “the world’s greatest cities,” powered exclusively by renewable electric energy. Drayson plans to field… Read more »
Automakers are devoting a lot of effort to making cars lighter these days, and the quest is especially critical for builders of electric vehicles, as less weight can translate into more range…or lower cost. A German research institute called FKA has done a new study, at the behest of a pair of aluminum trade groups,… Read more »
The good news just keeps rolling in for Tesla. This week a Massachusetts Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit that the Massachusetts Automobile Dealers Association had filed against the company, based upon the auto dealers’ lack of standing and failure to state a claim. Tesla plans to build its own network of stores, rather than… Read more »
Reasons for the slowdown include the adoption of more energy-efficient appliances, light bulbs and motors, as well as the decline of heavy manufacturing – electricity used for manufacturing fell 18% between 1998 and 2010.
Even as the mainstream press continues to insist that no one is buying plug-in vehicles, December set a new monthly sales record, as the three market leaders continue to battle for the top spot, and a couple of new entrants posted impressive early results. The Chevrolet Volt rebounded from a weak November to sell 2,633… Read more »
"All or virtually all of the vehicles [destroyed] were subject to a safety recall requiring the replacement of cooling fans before they could be distributed lawfully to retail dealerships."
