Efficient Drivetrains Inc (EDI), a drivetrain manufacturer with offices in Silicon Valley and China, has launched a Class 3 utility truck with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that it says can reduce emissions and fuel use by up to 80 percent. The new vehicle, which is built on a popular Detroit OEM commercial fleet truck, is… Read more »
Nissan and Endesa have agreed to work together to develop a mass-market vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system. The two companies plan to introduce V2G services in the European market and to explore the use of second-life EV batteries for stationary applications. “Every Nissan electric vehicle battery contains a power storage capability that will prove useful in contributing… Read more »
Renault has extended the range of its Zoe electric hatchback by 14.6% to 149 miles (on the New European Driving Cycle) by using a lighter and more compact motor and an optimized electronic management system. The R240, designed by Renault, is a synchronous electric motor with rotor coil, with a power output of 65 kW and… Read more »
ChargePoint is the latest entrant into the crowded residential charging station market. The ChargePoint Home was announced in January, and later this year when it goes on sales, it will begin vying for a spot on garage walls up against multinational conglomerates and long-established EVSE companies like ABB, AeroVironment, Bosch, ClipperCreek, Eaton, GE, Leviton, Lite-On,… Read more »
Industry sources expect Samsung SDI to provide battery packs for BMW’s upcoming X5 Plug-in Hybrid SUV, according to Korean news agency Yonhap. In July 2014, BMW and Samsung agreed to expand their supply relationship. The Korean company’s battery cells power the BMW i3 and i8, and market research firm IHS expects Samsung to increase shipments… Read more »
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new zinc-polyiodide redox flow battery that could offer more than two times the energy density of existing designs. Flow batteries, which use ionized liquids stored in external tanks in place of traditional electrolytes, have garnered a lot of publicity lately, as the storage medium of… Read more »
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has launched a pilot vehicle-to-grid project under which it will bid a group of energy storage systems and EV fleets as one resource directly into the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) energy markets. Utilities use storage resources like this to address short-term imbalances in electricity supply caused by such… Read more »
After years of preparation, Audi brought its first plug-in vehicle, the A3 e-tron, to market in Europe late last year. This week in Geneva, the company unveiled two new plug-in models: the Q7 e-tron quattro diesel plug-in hybrid, and an electric version of the R8 super-sports car. The upgraded Q7 family is based on the… Read more »
There are plenty of legitimate excuses: winter is always the slow season for auto sales; a couple of key vehicles are in rundown mode as buyers wait for a new and improved model; and, although logic tells us they shouldn’t, ultralow gas prices may be taking a bite out of demand for plug-ins. Be all… Read more »
At this week’s Auto Salon in Geneva, the three Quant concept vehicles, built by Leichtenstein-based nanoFlowcell, were drawing a lot of admiring stares. One thing is undisputed: the new Quant F is a beautiful automobile, with huge gull-wing doors, a spaceship-style interior with a vast dashboard display, and lines that flow like the ionized liquids… Read more »
