Some 75 experts from China and the US recently convened to discuss their work on standardization programs related to EVs. The focus of the workshop was cooperation on standards, conformance, and training programs among industry and government players. The workshop was organized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the China Automotive Technology and… Read more »
ChargePoint has built an enormous electrical empire since installing its first public charging station in 2009. The company now boasts over 20,000 charging spots in North America, and between 70 and 80 percent of all new plug-in vehicle buyers sign up for an account. Now this champion of charging has set its sights on the… Read more »
Tesla’s game-changing Gigafactory in Northern Nevada is taking shape even faster than expected. The first building phase is nearly complete, the company told Nevada’s Legislative Commission in a quarterly report that it is required to provide under the terms of the $1.3-billion package of tax incentives it received from the state. The first phase is… Read more »
The question of the “long tailpipe” is a fraught one: does an EV deliver lower carbon emissions than a legacy vehicle if the electricity comes from dirty coal? The latest study to address the issue comes from Carnegie Mellon University, and it includes a couple of surprising new findings. “Regional Variability and Uncertainty of Electric Vehicle… Read more »
Now these are no golf carts! A fleet of six 26,000-pound, Class 5 armored vehicles will be converted to renewable natural gas PHEVs in an effort to comply with California air pollution standards. Efficient Drivetrains, Inc (EDI), a company that builds electrified drivetrains for some of the biggest vehicles on the road (and that was… Read more »
Auto parts giant Continental has developed a new electric powertrain especially for the Chinese market. The basic design for the new drive was created at Continental’s locations in Berlin and Nuremberg, and the specific customer applications were developed at Continental’s plant in China, where the system is produced in cooperation with Chinese suppliers. The new… Read more »
Evatran, the developer of the Plugless wireless Level 2 charging system, has received a strategic investment of $1.6 million from Zhejiang VIE, a Chinese Tier 1 auto parts supplier. The investment is the first phase of a partnership between the two companies to introduce wireless charging to China, potentially the world’s largest EV market. Evatran… Read more »
True to its namesake, the Chevy Bolt EV seems to be moving through the pipeline at an impressive speed, at least by auto-industry standards. The company recently revealed that it has built 55 pre-production Bolts, which are handily delivering the desired 200 miles of range. GM also announced that it will invest $245 million and… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board has approved a $373-million funding plan for fiscal year 2015-16 for investments in a wide range of vehicle technologies, from zero-emission heavy-duty trucks and buses to rebates for low- and zero-emission passenger vehicles. The budget for the annual Funding Plan for Low Carbon Transportation Investments and the Air Quality Improvement… Read more »
At the recent Power Electronics Society meeting in Korea, Andy Daga, the CEO of wireless charging system manufacturer Momentum Dynamics, said he believes that 25 kW wireless chargers will be the norm for all EVs within 5 years, with commercialization beginning in 2016. Most current passenger EVs charge at 3.3 or 6.6 kW, although a… Read more »
