Michigan is the latest state to try to put a spoke in Tesla’s wheel. Legislation that would prevent the company from directly selling its EVs has passed both of the state’s legislative chambers and has been sent to Republican Governor Rick Snyder. “Right now the governor’s office is evaluating the bill, and there has not… Read more »
Los Angeles County has deployed 82 Schneider Electric EVlink charging stations at 34 locations, including hospitals, sheriff stations and the Los Angeles Civic Center. During the first year of the pilot program, charging will be free for up to four hours. “There has been tremendous progress by car makers to socialize buying of electric vehicles,… Read more »
The nation’s network of auto dealers has not exactly embraced electromobility, as we explained in a recent feature article. The Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis has released a detailed study of the issue, which finds that buyers of plug-in vehicles (PEVs) tend to be far less satisfied with the dealer purchase experience than… Read more »
Although Volt sales haven’t been all they should be lately, GM is not discouraged – it is planning a range of new plug-in models, and some enticing details are beginning to trickle out. Cadillac’s new CEO, Johan de Nysschen, speaking with Reuters last week, confirmed that there will be a plug-in hybrid version of the… Read more »
EV charging stations are an amenity that can help businesses attract good-quality customers. However, site owners may find, especially with DC fast chargers, that power spikes can trigger expensive peak demand charges from their electric company. NRG eVgo has partnered with energy storage startup Green Charge Networks to add integrated battery storage to its growing… Read more »
Wrightspeed, the electric powertrain startup led by Tesla co-founder Ian Wright, has just landed its biggest fish to date: an order of 25 powertrains from giant fleet operator Federal Express. The company has tested Wrightspeed’s technology in two of its trucks and decided to take the next step. Financial details of the deal are confidential,… Read more »
The most recent edition of the EPA’s annual report Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends notes that alternative fuel vehicles (including EVs, PHEVs and CNG vehicles) are beginning to have a “measurable and meaningful impact” on the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of the country’s passenger car fleet. The EPA report,… Read more »
A growing number of drivers are plugging into British Columbia’s public EV charging stations. Powertech Labs, a subsidiary of local utility BC Hydro, tracks 350 of BC’s 550 public chargers, and reports that the number of charging sessions at those stations doubled between August 2013 and August 2014. “Over 40,000 charging sessions were reported in… Read more »
Tesla is developing a certified pre-owned vehicle program similar to those already offered by luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes. “With the Model S fleet now heading toward the first cars hitting three years old, we are looking at CPO and how best to structure.” VP of Communications Simon Sproule told Automotive News. In… Read more »
Hybrids, with or without plugs, are comparatively rare on European roads, but Automotive News believes that’s about to change, as EU limits on CO2 emissions become stricter, forcing Continental automakers to electrify. German and French automakers dominate the market in Europe, and diesels have long been their chosen solution, accounting for half of new-car sales… Read more »
