Tesla is expanding its international R&D operations with a small office in Athens, Greece to develop new electric motor technologies. According to Greek Reporter, Tesla Greece has been officially registered, and expects to recruit up to 50 R&D staff over the next few months. Why Greece? For one thing, three of Tesla’s top electric motor… Read more »
California’s Rialto Unified School District, which operates a fleet of 68 school buses serving 29 schools, has ordered two Synapse 72 electric school buses from GreenPower Motor Company, for delivery by the summer of 2018. GreenPower offers a range of electric buses with low-floor or high-floor bodies. GreenPower’s e-bus is based on a clean-sheet design,… Read more »
EVs are taking to the skies. Startups Eviation and Zunum are working on electrified passenger aircraft. Electric truck maker Workhorse recently spun off a subsidiary that makes a personal octocopter. The latest plane play to hit the headlines is Lilium, which was founded in 2015, and raised $90 million in funding in September. Lilium’s aim… Read more »
The BMW Group has signed a letter of intent with the Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor to form a new joint venture to produce electric MINI vehicles in China. In the next step, the companies will agree on the details of a possible JV and clarify aspects such as the choice of production location. Meanwhile,… Read more »
The Municipal Transport Company of Madrid (EMT) has unveiled the first 15 electric buses to be added to its fleet. The 12-meter Irizar buses will serve three central lines in the Spanish capital. Each bus has a capacity of 76 passengers and a range of over 124 miles. Irizar has also provided 15 chargers for… Read more »
Scientists at Toyota have developed a new heat-resistant magnet that uses “significantly less” neodymium, a rare earth element commonly used in magnets for electric motors. Neodymium is critical for maintaining magnetization at high temperatures. The amount of neodymium in Toyota’s magnets has been reduced by up to 50 percent, partially replaced with lower-priced rare earths… Read more »
The US federal fuel tax has not been increased in 25 years, and has thus lost nearly 40% of its value in inflation-adjusted terms. The trust fund that pays for highway maintenance is expected to run a $138-billion deficit by 2027 unless it can find new sources of revenue. The US Chamber of Commerce has… Read more »
The Japanese government is considering a change to regulations that prevent many smaller gas stations from adding EV charging stations. Japan’s fire safety law regulates where gas stations can install electrical receptacles. Currently, charging stations must be at least 10 meters away from a fuel pump. For small gas stations, this may preclude the possibility… Read more »
By Peter Banwell, Senior Manager, EPA The ENERGY STAR label is one of the most widely known consumer symbols in the country – more than 90% of American households recognize it. ENERGY STAR-certified products helped consumers save $23 billion in energy costs just in 2015, contributing to cumulative energy cost savings of $246 billion since… Read more »
Human nature would seem to be the same, East or West, and China’s rush to dole out generous EV subsidies has inspired a wave of fraud and abuse, some of it highly creative. A whimsical plan for a traffic-straddling electric tram fell apart amid a scandal that resulted in 32 arrests. In another case, companies… Read more »
