Newswire

NTSB issues safety recommendations for aircraft lithium-ion batteries

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has directed several recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), derived from the agency’s ongoing investigation of the January fire that occurred in a Boeing 787 lithium-ion battery. Investigators found that the battery involved in the Boston fire event showed evidence not just of an internal thermal runaway but… Read more »

How green is BMW’s carbon fiber?

BMW has placed big bets on carbon fiber – it’s a critical component of the i3 and the upcoming i8, and the company has hinted that it may use it in some of its legacy models as well. But is the miracle material really all that green? According to WardsAuto, (unspecified) critics say that carbon… Read more »

Eight states announce major EV incentives

As the Charge Ahead California Initiative advances in the state legislature, seven other states have announced their own packages of pro-EV incentives. The collective goal is to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. The eight-state coalition, consisting of California, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont, released an… Read more »

Charge Ahead California Initiative passes state Senate

The California Senate has passed the Charge Ahead California Initiative (SB 1275) by a bipartisan vote of 27-9. The bill increases the state’s already respectable consumer incentives with the goal of putting one million EVs on the road over the next decade, as well as making it easier for low- and moderate-income motorists to access… Read more »

Slim, snazzy Veefil fast charger wins design award

EV charging stations needn’t be just functional – some say they can be objects of beauty, and even masterpieces of design (did anyone ever feel that way about gas pumps?). Brisbane-based company Tritium has won the 2014 Good Design Australia Award in the Automotive and Transport category for its Veefil Electric Vehicle Fast Charger. The… Read more »

BC Hydro pushes for a timely fast charger rollout

BC Hydro is the electricity supplier for about 95 percent of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It’s government-owned and vertically integrated, meaning that the company owns and operates everything from production and transmission to distribution to customers. The company’s 30 hydroelectric facilities meet 78 percent of its electricity requirements, with the balance coming from… Read more »

Daimler switching battery suppliers again?

Does Daimler have a coherent electric-vehicle strategy? Its battery supply chain is literally all over the map, and this week’s announcement that the company may close a German battery plant that it was boasting about a month ago has the EV press puzzled. The first generation of Daimler’s smart fortwo electric drive, which is selling… Read more »

Panasonic expects to be the sole manufacturer in Tesla Gigafactory

Tesla’s Gigafactory will be a game-changer for the automotive industry, and as Tesla’s main battery supplier, Panasonic will be a key participant. As prospects for the massive battery plant have brightened and dimmed, not only the EV press but the major news outlets have been following the saga with keen interest. The latest news is… Read more »

Alcoa applies for DOE loan to expand aluminum plant

The DOE has proposed lending money to aluminum giant Alcoa to increase production at a Tennessee factory, the first loan to a supplier under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, which was created by Congress in 2007 but hasn’t approved a loan since 2011. Alcoa spokeswoman Lori Lecker told Automotive News the company has applied… Read more »

Pratt & Whitney exec: Electric aircraft would require technological miracles

A Pratt & Whitney executive has explained something that even the most fanatical e-vangelist can see: full-size commercial airliners are not likely to become EVs any time soon. In a question-and-answer session with reporters this week, Alan Epstein, P&W’s VP of Technology and Environment, said that the company has investigated electric aircraft and determined that… Read more »