BMW has been taking its share of criticism in the EV press lately, because of its lack of new plug-in models, and because it seems to the biggest loser from Tesla’s gains in the luxury sedan segment. But don’t count the Bavarians out just yet. The i3 is as popular as ever, especially in Europe… Read more »
Mea culpa. Fooled again. Audi must have dropped several million bucks at a recent extravaganza in San Francisco, all for the launch of the e-tron, the brand’s first pure electric model, and it convinced this correspondent that this time, the company was serious about selling an EV in volume. Then came the news that Audi… Read more »
Tesla supporters are hoping that a settlement between Elon Musk and the SEC will bring an end to what one commenter called Tesla’s Summer of Needless Drama. Earlier this week, the stock market regulatory agency accused the impulsive Iron Man of misleading investors with his market-moving tweet about a plan to take Tesla private, and… Read more »
This week, the US DOT and EPA held three days of hearings to gather public comments on the Trump administration’s proposal to reverse existing federal fuel efficiency and emissions standards. At the hearings in Fresno, Dearborn, and Pittsburgh, hundreds of people, including physicians and health advocates, former EPA officials and technology entrepreneurs, environmental advocates and… Read more »
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has formally accused Elon Musk of misleading investors when he tweeted that he had funding lined up to take Tesla private at $420 a share. The SEC intends not only to impose a fine, but also seeks to bar Musk from serving as officer or director of a public… Read more »
Does anybody remember Better Place? It seems quite a few people do, especially in Israel. Shai Agassi is one of many brilliant businessmen to come from the country that many know as Silicon Wadi or the Start-Up Nation, but according to Brian Blum, the author of the new book Totaled, “Agassi was, and remains one… Read more »
Porsche has been ahead of the curve on fast charging, developing its own 800-volt charging system, while also participating in cross-brand infrastructure projects including Electrify America and Ionity. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to deploy a network of 500 charging stations in North America in time for the launch of its Taycan EV… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will hold a hearing this week to consider increasing the state’s plug-in vehicle purchase incentive from the current $2,500 to $4,500, in order to compensate for the phase-out of federal subsidies on Tesla and GM vehicles. The $7,500 federal EV tax credit is designed to sunset for each individual… Read more »
Cummins (NYSE: CMI) unveiled the PowerDrive, a suite of plug-in hybrid powertrain solutions spanning light, medium and heavy-duty applications, at the recent IAA Commercial Vehicle Show. The Cummins PowerDrive offers both parallel and series capabilities. It replaces the conventional transmission and switches in real time between two hybrid and two pure electric modes, optimizing the… Read more »
One of China’s top producers of lithium has agreed to supply a fifth of its lithium hydroxide production to Tesla’s battery suppliers. The agreement with Jiangxi-based Ganfeng Lithium runs from 2018 to 2020, and could be extended by three years. EV-makers have been scrambling to secure supplies of lithium for the past couple of years…. Read more »
