Google and the IEEE have launched the Littlebox Challenge – an open competition to design and build an inverter with the highest power density (at least 3.05 kW/L to enter) in a package of less than 0.66 L in volume. For comparison: The Bosch INVCON 2.3 inverter used in the Fiat 500e has a volume… Read more »
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is working with 8 automakers and 15 electric utilities to develop an open platform that will integrate plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) with smart grid technologies. PEVs will be a critical part of the smart grid of the future, serving as a distributed energy resource to support grid reliability, stability… Read more »
Is there something incongruous about a hybrid Porsche? On the contrary – the world’s first hybrid was designed and built by Ferdinand Porsche himself in 1899. Porsche will introduce its third plug-in hybrid model when the new generation of the Cayenne goes on sale later this year. The premium SUV will be offered in five… Read more »
Electric utilities around the world are beginning to see the benefits of e-mobility, not least because it represents a growth market for a future in which consumers will be encouraged to use less electricity. A new white paper from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) notes that “93% of the energy consumed in transportation today comes… Read more »
The California Energy Commission has approved a $1.4-million grant to the consulting firm National Strategies (NSI) for an electric school bus demonstration program. Together with a previously awarded grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the total of $2.2 million will finance the development of six electric school buses that will be deployed… Read more »
There’s a battle brewing, and EV drivers are clearly going to be the winners, as BMW becomes the third automaker to regale its customers with free and convenient public fast charging. The ChargeNow DC Fast program, a cooperative effort with NRG eVgo, offers BMW i3 drivers in California unlimited no-cost 30-minute DC fast charging through… Read more »
BMW of North America has launched its own DC fast charger. A joint development between BMW and Bosch, the BMW i DC Fast Charger can charge an i3 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. It’s about half the size of most DC chargers (31x19x12 inches), weighs around 100 pounds, and can be mounted on a… Read more »
Nissan recently became the first EV-maker to announce a firm price for a replacement battery pack for its LEAF. That price – $5,500 plus installation cost – sounds like a bargain, considering that the high cost of batteries is one of the main factors that makes today’s EVs more expensive than legacy vehicles. A few… Read more »
Swiss power and automation group ABB has announced a partnership with Volvo Buses to co-develop and commercialize electric and hybrid buses with open standards-based DC fast charging systems. The partners will develop a standardized system that can charge electric and hybrid buses quickly through an automatic roof-top connection system at bus stops, or through cabled… Read more »
Nissan will add Los Angeles to its No Charge to Charge promotion, a program that offers two years of free public charging with the purchase or lease of a new LEAF. The program will launch at Nissan LEAF dealers in the Los Angeles market on August 15, and LEAF owners who purchased or leased their… Read more »
