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 »
Mitsui Fudosan and NEC plan to install 125 public charging stations at Tokyo Midtown, a high-rise development that includes offices, shopping, housing and hotels, beginning in December. This will be the largest number of EV chargers within a single facility in Japan. Mitsui Fudosan will install NEC’s new wall-mounted AC chargers at 80% of Tokyo… Read more »
A new electric car-sharing service will go into operation in the French city of Grenoble in October for a three-year trial period. Ha:Mo, a cooperative effort of Toyota, utility EDF, and local car-sharing operator Citélib, will feature 70 Toyota i-ROAD and COMS ultra-compact EVs and about 30 charging stations. The idea is to allow commuters… Read more »
Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) is partnering with Greenkraft to develop a Class-4 truck that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) and incorporates a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The project will fit EDI’s multi-mode PHEV powertrain (EDI-Drive) to Greenkraft’s CNG-powered, 14,500-pound, Class-4 medium-duty truck, which is equipped with a 6.0 L GM engine. The new beast is… Read more »
California-based Motiv Power Systems has raised $7.3 million in growth capital from investors led by Colorado’s Magness Investment Group. The funding comes as the second Motiv-equipped all-electric school bus is delivered to Kings Canyon Unified School District. Motiv’s electric Powertrain Control System (ePCS) is designed to electrify any truck or bus chassis with a variety… Read more »
Nissan LEAF owners can now purchase a replacement battery pack. The price is $5,499 (with the return of the original battery pack, which is required and valued at $1,000), plus tax and the dealer’s fee for installation, which is estimated to take about 3 hours. For 2011 and 2012 LEAF models, a $225 installation kit is also… Read more »
