Sales of the BMW i3 are approaching “a sustainable rate” of 12,000 i3s annually, Ludwig Willisch, CEO of BMW of North America, told Automotive News. This figure seems roughly in line with that of auto consultant Sandy Munro, who has estimated that the i3 could be profitable for the company at a global volume of… Read more »
When it comes to EV sales, the biggest party-poopers may not be shadowy oil industry conspirators, but auto dealers, who often lack information about their manufacturers’ electric models, and sometimes actively discourage buyers from considering them. Kia of Vancouver provided a blatant example of this recently, when a sales manager replied to a potential customer’s… Read more »
Modern automobiles are complex beasts, with numerous subsidiary systems that consume energy. In an EV, more energy consumption means reduced range, so it can be well worthwhile to study more efficient ways to power the various accessories. One of these accessory systems is assisted steering, which reduces the physical effort required for the driver to… Read more »
Contrary to popular belief, Level 2 charging does not necessarily require a custom-installed, hard-wired charging station. ClipperCreek offers a line of portable chargers that can be plugged into existing 240 V outlets. The company’s latest offering is the LCS-20P, a plug-in version of its popular LCS-20 hard-wired charger. “As the popularity of moveable charging stations… Read more »
Two of the world’s biggest industrial companies are preparing for a high-stakes court battle over an arcane battery chemistry, and the outcome could have important implications for next-gen EVs, according to Quartz. Chemical colossus BASF and the Argonne National Laboratory have filed a lawsuit against Belgian battery-maker Umicore, accusing it of selling a battery component to… Read more »
There are several interesting developments to report on the EV sales front this month – an overall increase, a lead change, and a sales surge in the most unexpected of quarters. Total plug-in sales for the month were 10,341, a healthy recovery from February’s slump, and a 7% increase over the March 2014 numbers. Interestingly,… Read more »
Tesla just has to be different. While every other major automaker regularly reports US monthly sales, Tesla has never done so. While this is frustrating for those who cover the EV scene, the company may have valid reasons for its reticence. For EVs, which sell in comparatively small numbers, monthly figures probably have more to… Read more »
Solid-state electrolytes’ potential advantages in energy density and safety compared with conventional liquid electrolytes have made them the hottest topic in the battery world. However, there are several challenges to be overcome, including the low mobility of lithium ions in solid electrolytes. Now, a team of Stanford researchers have used ceramic nanowire fillers to enhance… Read more »
Australian-based Tritium has signed an exclusive US contract with ChargePoint to install Tritium’s Veefil DC fast charging stations. The shapely Veefil has a power output of 50 kW, and is available with both SAE Combo and CHAdeMO connectors. The Veefil is designed not only to look cool, but to be light and compact. Its polycarbonate… Read more »
Islands make perfect EV habitats, and the state of Hawaii is rapidly getting charged. To encourage off-peak charging, the Hawaiian Electric Companies offer special time-of-use (TOU) electric rates. The new EV Bill Savings Estimators give residential customers an online tool to estimate how much money they can save by driving electric. With a recent electric… Read more »
