We’re a long way from having a million EVs on the road, but we’re getting there. According to a new report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), there were about 70,000 EVs and 104,000 PHEVs on US roads in 2013 (out of a total of 226 million registered vehicles). Total US plug-in sales represent… Read more »
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ACCIONA fields first electric car to compete in the Dakar Rally
A race team sponsored by the Spanish renewable energy firm ACCIONA will be the first to enter a pure EV in the Dakar Rally, which begins the 4th of January in Buenos Aires. Drivers Albert Bosch and Agustín Payá will drive a custom-built EV in the 9,000-kilometer rally raid. The Dakar Rally was first run… Read more »
IATA publishes guidelines for safe transport of lithium batteries
Like any energy storage medium, lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous if mishandled, so it’s necessary to establish guidelines for their safe transport and storage. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published a guide for the safe handling of lithium batteries on aircraft. The IATA estimates that each year, over a billion lithium batteries are… Read more »
Your EV may not be so green – but then again, it may.
Here we go again. A mainstream news source distills (some would say “distorts”) a complex scientific study into a sensational headline, and the online echo chamber spins the story into a narrative that’s almost the opposite of what the study actually found. The study, Life Cycle Air Quality Impacts of Conventional and Alternative Light-Duty Transportation… Read more »
Efacec supplies 60 QC45 fast chargers for Benelux highway locations
The Portuguese firm Efacec Electric Mobility will supply 60 of its model QC45 quick chargers to be deployed at highway rest areas in the Netherlands and Belgium. The new chargers will be installed by EcoCare Milieutechniek and operated by Allego. Efacec’s QC45 is a multi-standard charger (CHAdeMO, CCS/Combo, AC Level 2) that features a color… Read more »
How to calculate the cost of your EV conversion
More and more gearheads are converting their favorite cars (and boats) to electric drive. However, it can be tough to estimate how much a particular project will cost. The final bill may be anywhere from $6,000 for a basic city car to $125,000 for a state-of-the-art Tesla-killer. It all depends on the type of vehicle,… Read more »
Tesla Model X to be the first EV with towing capability
When Tesla’s category-killing electric SUV finally goes on sale, it will be available with an optional trailer hitch, the company revealed this week. A letter to Model X reservation holders posted on the Tesla Motors Club forum (via Green Car Reports) reads, in part: We’ll be spending much of 2015 building and testing production-intent prototypes before delivering… Read more »
Danish charging network adds 100 ABB multi-standard DC fast chargers
Danish electomobility operator CLEVER plans to expand its charging network in Denmark and neighboring countries with 100 ABB Terra 53 multi-standard DC fast charging stations. The new chargers will be installed through partners, including Öresundskraft in Sweden. The network will continue expanding into other countries with support from the European TEN-T funding program. SEE ALSO: BC… Read more »
Peugeot Sport sees plug-in hybrids as the future of sports cars
PSA’s Peugeot Sport division plans to focus future efforts on plug-in hybrid technology, in an effort to maintain performance but reduce running costs in future hot hatchbacks and sports cars. “I think hybrid will play an important role in the future of our sportier models,” Managing Director Carlos Tavares told Auto Express. “Hybrid technology helps… Read more »
Are multispeed transmissions the future of EVs?
One of the many ways in which current EVs differ from legacy vehicles is that they don’t shift gears. While modern ICE vehicles sport 8- and 9-speed automatics, 7-speed manuals and continuously variable transmissions, which help to improve fuel efficiency, most EVs get by with a simple single-speed gearbox. Conventional wisdom is that, because electric… Read more »