Audi has announced pricing for the first electrified Audi to be sold in the US – the 2016 A3 Sportback e-tron. Audi’s new PHEV will be available in three trim levels: the entry-level Premium (sic) package starts at $37,900; Premium Plus goes for $42,000; and the top-end Prestige Model is $46,800. The A3 Sportback e-tron… Read more »
Does Tesla have a secret plan to disrupt yet another industry, maybe one that even Tesla doesn’t know about yet? Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas is convinced of it, and believes that the potential profits will cause the TSLA stock price to double. On a recent media conference call, Jonas asked Elon Musk about Uber’s… Read more »
Dense megacities should be excellent EV habitat – except for the pesky fact that most residents live in apartments, making it difficult or impossible to install their own charging stations. With a view to removing this roadblock, Tesla has partnered with some of New York’s well-known parking companies, as well as a few hotels, like… Read more »
The Volkswagen Group has nominated 44 of its suppliers to collaborate on a new strategic level under the Future Automotive Supply Tracks (FAST) initiative. One of the first batch of preferred suppliers is LG Electronics, which provides high-voltage batteries for the Group’s various plug-in vehicles. Volkswagen launched the FAST program in February with the aim… Read more »
US plug-in sales may be stuck in a traffic jam at the moment, but in Europe, they’re taking off like a Model S on a highway onramp. The latest report from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association shows that, for the first six months of 2015, 52,889 plug-in vehicles were sold in the EU, an increase… Read more »
Tesla has big plans – expensive plans. Tooling up for volume production of Model X, developing Model 3 for an unveiling next year, the Gigafactory, the new energy storage business, more charging infrastructure, the Snakebot charger, a new Roadster, the James Bond submarine/car, Hyperloop…good grief, this is going to require a pile of cash! To… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is one of the world’s most important promoters of electromobility. The agency’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires that 2.7 percent of new cars sold in the state this year be plug-in (or fuel cell) vehicles. That percentage is scheduled to increase every year, reaching 22 percent in 2025. The… Read more »
Skeleton Technologies’ new ultracapacitor-based 24 V Engine Start Module (SkelStart ESM) is designed to ensure trouble-free engine starting in any conditions. Batteries are a major headache in the trucking industry, particularly in cold climates. Long-haul drivers often leave engines idling for long periods to keep batteries charged. Starting failures occur when trucks are not used… Read more »
3M and LG Chem have formed a patent license agreement to allow the Korean battery-maker to use 3M’s formulation of nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries. NMC, valued for its balance of power, energy, thermal stability and low cost, has been the subject of some rivalry and at least one lawsuit…. Read more »
Hang Lung Properties, a major Hong Kong real estate developer, has announced a collaboration with Tesla to install destination chargers at six shopping malls in mainland China. In the first stage of the project, 19 chargers will be installed at Hang Lung-owned malls in Tianjin, Wuxi, Shanghai, Shenyang, Jinan and Dalian. Hang Lung and Tesla… Read more »
