Irizar e-mobility, the newly formed electromobility division of Basque coach builder the Irizar Group, has won a contract with a French transit authority to provide 18 of its i2e 18-meter articulated electric buses, together with charging infrastructure. The Agglomeration of the Basque-Adour Coast in France plans to create two completely electric lines, featuring dedicated bus… Read more »
Many Tesla owners rave (in a good way) about the over-the-air software updates that the company uses to add new features or fix bugs. However, some were less pleased when Tesla used over-the-air capability to limit an existing feature called Launch Mode. Launch Mode is an electronic system that helps the driver to achieve maximum… Read more »
Researchers at Huawei’s Watt Laboratory have unveiled a graphene-assisted Li-ion battery that can withstand high temperatures and offers a long lifespan. According to the researchers, their new technology allows Li-ion batteries to function at temperatures up to 60˚ C (140˚ F), 10˚ C higher than the current upper limit. The lifespan of the graphene-assisted batteries… Read more »
Romania’s Social Democratic Party plans to extend the existing Rabla program of EV incentives to 2020, and increase the value of the purchase incentive to 10,000 euros for each EV. The Rabla program, which was launched last year, currently provides vouchers worth 1,100 euros for the purchase of a hybrid and up to 6,000… Read more »
It’s not unusual for government officials to drive EVs. Elected officials in Norway, Switzerland, the US and several other countries proudly drive on electrons. Even the USA’s Climate Change Denier-in-Chief reportedly owns a Model S. However, when the Environment Minister for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia bought a Tesla Model S as his official… Read more »
Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI), a provider of hybrid and electric drivetrain solutions, will be moving its Dixon, California vehicle engineering and support operations into a new 10,000-square-foot space in February. The expansion will support the manufacturing of up to 5,000 drivetrains annually, as well as large numbers of vehicle engineering and upfit projects. The company… Read more »
An electrical current is starting to buzz around the automotive world, as even EV skeptics such as Toyota and Chrysler start to explore more electrified options. Now Honda, one of the largest holdouts, has turned the potentiometer up a millivolt or so, announcing that a planned new Chinese plant “will be designed with a concept… Read more »
Lithium metal, which can store more energy than carbon, would seem to be an ideal anode material, except for one serious flaw: dendrites, tiny needle-like branching structures that can grow through the battery, eventually causing a short circuit. Now, a joint team of researchers from Caltech and Carnegie Mellon University has measured the strength of… Read more »
Employees of electronics giant Siemens at 100 of the company’s locations in Germany will be able to recharge their EVs free of charge in 2017, using the company’s existing network of charging stations. The charging stations are equipped with smart charging technology and Siemens software that integrates metering, billing and user identification. Employees and family… Read more »
Visedo, a Finnish manufacturer specializing in electric powertrains and components, has secured a financing package worth €20 million ($21 million) to support its international growth plans. Founded in 2009, Visedo specializes in electric powertrains and components for heavy-duty machinery, commercial vehicles and the marine industry. Its powertrains are suitable for hybrid and electric systems in… Read more »
