Tired of hearing about a certain California carmaker? Well, sorry. Tesla’s name is all over the press this week, from gushers about stock market success to sour-grapes hit pieces about ZEV credits to tantalizing hints of next-gen batteries and self-driving sedans. However, this is the most important news of all for a prospective Model S buyer: Consumer… Read more »
Those who follow the markets know that earnings reports – good or bad – tend to trigger big moves in a stock price only when they are surprises. No one knows this better than master showman Elon Musk, so in a way it was no surprise that the size of Tesla’s first-ever quarterly profit, announced… Read more »
Tritium, an Australian manufacturer of EV power electronic systems, has introduced what it calls “the world’s smallest footprint EV fast charger.” The Veefil is the first release in what the company says will be a new line of charging solutions. It has a power rating of 50 kW, and maximum output current of 125 amps…. Read more »
The LEAF made history in April by taking the number two spot in overall auto sales in Norway, second only to the immensely popular VW Golf. Nissan’s electric hatchback has been a smash since it went on sale in the Nordic country 18 months ago – it has sold over 4,500 units, making it #13… Read more »
Bosch Automotive Service Solutions (formerly SPX Service Solutions) has introduced what it claims is the first EV charging station with a price under $450, about half that of most current EV chargers. The Bosch Power Max is UL-certified, and is designed to work with all electric vehicles. Features include no-touch operation, a NEMA 3R enclosure for… Read more »
Tesla has announced a couple of small improvements to the financing program that it introduced in April. It is raising the Model S resale value guarantee to make it the highest of any premium sedan (excluding rare, low volume or limited edition vehicles). Buying a Model S through the Tesla financing offering now comes with… Read more »
The future of the battery swapping concept looks dim, which is bad news for the pioneering firm Better Place. In an interview with Danish news outlet Energi Watch, Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn seemed to say that Renault’s Fluence ZE will probably be the first and last production vehicle to offer battery swapping capability. “When you… Read more »
California’s system of Zero Emission Vehicle credits appears to be working precisely as intended, according to the Los Angeles Times. The state’s Air Resources Board has mandated that 15% of new-car sales in 2025 consist of ZEVs, but the system allows companies that aren’t selling enough clean cars to meet the mandate to purchase credits… Read more »
PARC, a Xerox company, has launched a project with the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to demonstrate a new Li-ion battery manufacturing process that could dramatically reduce battery costs and improve performance. The conventional manufacturing process requires that the two halves of a battery be made in two separate steps, and then combined in… Read more »
Chinese EV maker BYD has purchased a facility in Lancaster, California, to house its electric bus manufacturing operations. The plant was formerly operated by Rexhall Industries, a maker of RVs. Several Rexhall employees, including company CEO William Rex, will stay on as the plant makes the transition to BYD ownership. According to BYD, the manufacturing… Read more »