The Formula E Championship is getting closer – the first race is scheduled for September 13 in Beijing. Organizers threw an electrifying launch party in London last week – 500 guests mingled with the motorsports elite, and watched a video of Formula E racers laying some rubber on Westminster Bridge. Also this week, the cars… Read more »
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed legislation that allows Tesla to sell cars directly to consumers in the state, but limits the company to no more than five retail stores. The state Senate passed the bill last week, and the governor is expected to sign it into law. The bill is seen as a… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board has approved a funding plan for fiscal year 2014-15 that includes several new and renewed incentives for advanced vehicle technologies. The $222 million pot of money includes $200 million from ARB’s cap-and-trade program. The agency is required by law to invest a portion of proceeds in disadvantaged communities. “Action taken… Read more »
Don’t try this at home, folks. A stolen Tesla Model S was broken in half and incinerated in a multi-car crash following a 100-mph police chase through West Hollywood. Three other vehicles were also destroyed, and six people went to local hospitals, some in critical condition. The Model S was cut in two pieces by… Read more »
Transmission specialist Oerlikon Graziano presented several transmission systems designed for hybrid and electric vehicles at last month’s VDI Wissenforum in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The electric products on display included the 2SED, a dual-speed seamless-shifting transaxle that can be coupled with a transversal electric motor, for front or rear full electric axle; and the 4SED, a new… Read more »
Image above courtesy of WSDOT/Flickr Nissan and NRG eVgo have pioneered a multi-network consortium to make topping up the bestselling EV a considerable re-LEAF. When Nissan last graced the Charged cover (March/April 2013 issue), the company was picking itself up and dusting itself off. Its LEAF had taken a shellacking in the press after the… Read more »
Most of us are used to thinking of EVs as green and clean. In fact, here in the US, even gas-burning SUVs that get one or two more miles per gallon than the previous year’s model are advertised as environmentally benign, complete with images of trees, butterflies and smiling children. It seems that the French,… Read more »
BYD’s sales of “new energy” vehicles jumped tenfold between January and April compared with the same period a year earlier, according to China Business News. An unnamed BYD spokesman said that sales growth would have been even faster if it were not constrained by insufficient production of batteries. BYD recently projected its net profit for… Read more »
The US auto industry had another stellar month in June, as sales rose at the fastest pace since 2006. At 11,893 units, plug-in sales saw a slight drop compared to May (12,053), but a healthy increase over last June (8,292). The Nissan LEAF held onto its lead with monthly sales of 2,347 units, although that… Read more »
Tesla’s planned mass-market EV, which represents the culmination of Elon Musk’s grand plan to bring electric vehicles into the mainstream, is still shrouded in mystery. We’ve been told that it will be about 20 percent smaller than the Model S, that it will be priced around $35,000, that it is expected to go on sale… Read more »
