The UK government is one of the more proactive ones in Europe when it comes to electromobility – it is electrifying public transport, investing in charging infrastructure, and offering cash grants to EV buyers (and, in Scotland, interest-free loans). The UK Department for Transport has released a report detailing the results of its efforts so… Read more »
Tesla has launched an online configuration tool for existing reservation holders of the Model X Signature Series, revealing several previously unknown details of the ESUV, which is expected to begin deliveries in late September. The top-end Signature Series, which will be the first Model X version to be produced, includes a suite of special features,… Read more »
Even as automakers are developing ever-more-capable EVs, and network operators are steadily rolling out new charging infrastructure, the average consumer has little more interest in electrified vehicles than two years ago. That’s the inescapable conclusion of a recent Harris Poll, which was conducted this May and repeated the questions of a poll from two years… Read more »
Giant German automotive supplier Bosch has announced that it will acquire the Silicon Valley startup Seeo, a pioneer in solid-state battery technology. Seeo’s cell design combines a solid lithium metal anode with a conventional porous lithium iron phosphate cathode and Seeo’s proprietary DryLite solid polymer electrolyte. Seeo says its cells achieve specific energy of around… Read more »
Stock-market pundits are all over the map when it comes to Tesla. One recently predicted that the EV-builder’s stock price is poised to double, thanks mostly to a new Uber-like business that, so far, exists only in said pundit’s writings. Another insists TSLA is heading for a crash, claiming that the company loses money on… Read more »
It’s a fair question: Do EVs powered by grid electricity result in lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than legacy ICE vehicles? On average, yes they do, according to studies by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the University of Minnesota, and Carnegie Mellon University. However, regional differences in the energy mix mean that EVs are much… Read more »
To produce EVs, you need batteries. To build batteries, you need lithium. That’s why Tesla has signed a long-term contract with a pair of mining companies to supply lithium hydroxide from a site in northern Mexico. Bacanora Minerals Ltd and Rare Earth Minerals PLC are partners in a joint venture called the Sonora Lithium Project…. Read more »
On the anniversary of last year’s South Napa earthquake, California utility PG&E has donated a plug-in hybrid truck to the city of Napa for use in future disaster response operations. The truck, developed in California by Efficient Drivetrains, Inc (profiled in the March/April 2015 issue of Charged) in partnership with PG&E, has a 30-mile electric… Read more »
The UK firm Evolute Drives makes a multi-speed transmission system for hybrids and EVs that it says allows a vehicle’s traction motor to be smaller and more efficient by running it in a more power-efficient regime. The company will present test results for its 3-speed MSYS transmission at the upcoming CTI Symposium in Shanghai. In… Read more »
Scottish EV buyers can now finance their purchases with sweetheart loans, in addition to receiving the UK Government’s Plug-in Vehicle Grant of up to £5,000 for a new EV (£8,000 for a van). A new £2.5-million fund, financed by Transport Scotland, offers six-year, interest-free loans for the purchase price of a plug-in vehicle (up to… Read more »
