If you need convincing that Tesla does things differently from other automakers, take a look at the latest set of tweets from CEO Elon Musk: Ramping up the Autopilot software team at Tesla to achieve generalized full autonomy. If interested, contact autopilot@teslamotors.com. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2015 Should mention that I… Read more »
EVSE manufacturer Efacec Electric Mobility has licensed Qualcomm’s Halo wireless charging technology. Portugal-based Efacec (profiled in the May/June 2015 issue of Charged) has installed over 600 DC fast chargers around the world. It plans to commercialize Qualcomm’s Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) systems and provide them to the EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) industry. Qualcomm’s Halo… Read more »
Tesla’s large network of proprietary public charge points continues to rapidly expand. In addition to the high-power Superchargers placed along well-traveled highways, the company has been deploying destination chargers at locations where drivers would want to stay for several hours at a time: like hotels, ski resorts, and restaurants. According to data in PlugShare’s latest… Read more »
A charge is becoming easier to find – there are now around 19,000 public, networked EV charging ports in the US – however, to use all the available chargers, EV owners may need to have accounts with several networks, which means carrying multiple access cards and using different mobile apps to find stations. There’s a… Read more »
BMW has said it plans to introduce a plug-in model in every one of its product segments, and that would seem to include two-wheeled vehicles as well. BMW Motorrad’s C evolution electric scooter uses the same battery modules as the BMW i3. Now BMW Motorrad is developing an electric “supersport” motorcycle, in collaboration with the… Read more »
Charging solution provider EV Connect has launched what it calls “EV Charging-as-a-Service” (EV CaaS), which is designed to transform the installation of EVSE from a capital expenditure to an operating expense. The EV CaaS program starts at $99 per month per charge station port (not including installation). It includes GE’s WattStation and DuraStation EV charging… Read more »
Kandi Technologies (NASDAQ: KNDI), a Chinese firm that manufactures EVs and offers them for short-term hire using automated multilevel garages, has formed a strategic partnership with several companies in the automotive and internet fields to promote connected EVs. The partners include Geely Automobile, which already operates a joint venture with Kandi, Internet giant Alibaba, which… Read more »
If, as the media are firmly convinced, the German automakers’ EV strategies revolve around competing with Tesla, they will have to come up with an answer to the ascendant Supercharger network. The Europeans recently took a step in this direction with the formation of the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN). Audi, BMW, Daimler, Opel, Porsche and… Read more »
Much of the press coverage about EVs these days concerns European automakers’ putative plans to produce luxury sedans and SUVs to compete with Tesla. However, the world’s leader in EV sales has other ideas. Asked by a journalist at the recent Tokyo Motor Show if Renault-Nissan planned to build a large luxury EV to compete… Read more »
One of the goodies that many governments offer to encourage EV sales is access to special highway lanes. In California at least, it seems that such policies are very effective. A new study conducted by UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation, with funding from the California Air Resources Board, has found that state legislation that opened… Read more »
