Motor manufacturer UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has entered the South American market with a business relationship with EV integrator Creatti Labs SAS. The two companies plan to collaborate on an electric transit bus platform for the major bus operators in Colombia’s largest cities, Cali, Medellin and Bogota. UQM has shipped a PowerPhase HD250 motor/controller… Read more »
It’s common for a new car model to have problems – call them teething troubles, bugs, glitches, or more colorful epithets. Tesla’s Model X is not only a new model, but an entirely new type of vehicle, so it would be strange if some substantial snags didn’t come up. In fact, the company has already… Read more »
Nissan’s EV sales in the European fleet market rose for a fourth consecutive year in 2015, showing a 45% gain from the previous fiscal year. Nissan sold more than 7,500 LEAFs and e-NV200s to fleet operators and municipalities in Europe, commanding a 28% share of the pure electric fleet market. According to Nissan, the LEAF… Read more »
The DOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced its fiscal year 2015 project selections for the Low and No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Program (Low-No). Seven transit providers in five states will receive a share of $22.5 million for battery-electric and fuel cell transit buses and related facilities. FTA awarded the funds after a competitive review process… Read more »
Renault has partnered with charging network operator AZRA to market the Twizy, its low-speed 2-seater EV, in Canada. The Twizy will be available for lease at $99 Canadian ($78 US) per month, including the costs of registration and insurance. AZRA also plans to invest $40 million (Canadian) over the next 18 months to install 2,000… Read more »
Demand for lithium is on the rise, and the rush is on for new sources of the light white stuff. Researchers in Finland are developing new methods to extract lithium from natural brine that promise more efficiency and greater purity. Most lithium is produced from salt lake deposits. Brine is pumped up and concentrated by… Read more »
Charged and other EV boosters have long been critical of automakers for not doing more to advertise their plug-in vehicles. In Nissan’s case, this may be changing, as a direct result of Tesla’s attention-grabbing advance sales for its recently unveiled Model 3. As reported by Automotive News, Nissan has run print ads in the New… Read more »
Optodot Corporation has granted a license to LG Chem for batteries, cells, separators and electrolyte members comprising boehmite, an aluminum oxide hydroxide mineral. The license permits LG Chem to use boehmite separator films for lithium-ion batteries. “Boehmite ceramic coating layers offer a number of distinct benefits in lithium-ion batteries, including improved thermal stability to enhance… Read more »
Are they or aren’t they? After months of refusing to comment on whether Ford is working on a 200-mile EV to challenge competitors GM, Tesla and Nissan, Kevin Layden, Ford’s Director of Electrification Programs and Engineering, seemed to dash our hopes when he said that the 2017 Focus Electric’s 100-mile range should be plenty for… Read more »
The California Energy Commission has approved nearly $9 million in grants to four companies – Chargepoint, EV Connect, NRG EV Services and Recargo – for the installation of DC fast chargers along major state highways. The companies will install 61 DC fast chargers at 41 sites along major routes on Interstate 5, Highway 99 and… Read more »
