For the past several months, we EV newshounds have suspected that Ford had plans for a new generation of plug-ins up its sleeve. Now the #2 US automaker is beginning to reveal its answer to electric rivals GM, Nissan, VW et al. Ford announced plans to invest a record $4.5 billion in electric tech over… Read more »
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ChargePoint Places lets businesses offer special promotions to EV drivers
Network operator ChargePoint has launched a new program that aims to help businesses attract affluent EV owners. ChargePoint Places allows retail and hospitality companies that offer EV charging to create exclusive offers that ChargePoint then promotes to its members. EV drivers are a coveted market segment – according to ChargePoint, 85 percent have higher than… Read more »
Porsche going ahead with Mission E EV
Is that an electrically powered Porsche approaching in the distance? The German sports car maker has given the green light for a project called Mission E, with the aim of launching a new EV by the end of the decade. Porsche also announced a major program of expansion and upgrades at its Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen plant, which… Read more »
Torqeedo’s 20 hp equivalent electric outboard motor
Torqeedo has added a new model to its line of electric marine propulsion systems. The Cruise 10.0 is a 20-horsepower-equivalent, emission-free outboard that can plane light boats at speeds up to 28 mph and move 3-10 ton displacement hulls at up to 9 mph. The Cruise 10.0’s electronically commutated, brushless DC motor provides up to… Read more »
Navigant Research crowns LG Chem as the Li-ion leader
A recent Leaderboard Report from Navigant Research examines the strategy and execution of eight leading EV battery manufacturers. Navigant puts LG Chem in first place, followed closely by Panasonic and Samsung SDI. A rung below these “Leaders” are what Navigant calls “Contenders,” including AESC, BYD, Johnson Controls and A123. Navigant projects the global market for… Read more »
Tesla’s motor guru says simulations are key to avoiding exotic materials and expensive manufacturing methods
It comes as no surprise that Tesla, the EV trailblazer, spends a considerable amount of resources on internal R&D to develop better parts for EVs, and that its testing facilities and engineering talent are at the forefront of the industry. Charged recently chatted with Tesla’s Principal Motor Designer, Konstantinos Laskaris, to learn more about the… Read more »
BMW’s eRR electric sport motorcycle
BMW has said it plans to introduce a plug-in model in every one of its product segments, and that would seem to include two-wheeled vehicles as well. BMW Motorrad’s C evolution electric scooter uses the same battery modules as the BMW i3. Now BMW Motorrad is developing an electric “supersport” motorcycle, in collaboration with the… Read more »
Carlos Ghosn: Nissan will concentrate on mass market EVs
Much of the press coverage about EVs these days concerns European automakers’ putative plans to produce luxury sedans and SUVs to compete with Tesla. However, the world’s leader in EV sales has other ideas. Asked by a journalist at the recent Tokyo Motor Show if Renault-Nissan planned to build a large luxury EV to compete… Read more »
Tesla’s goal: drive units that never wear out
Consumer Reports’ recent finding that the Model S’s reliability is only mediocre was a black eye for Tesla, but Elon Musk says that, while early drive units had a range of problems, most of these have now been fixed. During a recent conference call, Musk assured stock analysts that the powertrains now rolling off the… Read more »
Researchers develop new silicon-sulfur-graphene electrode material
Researchers from the University of Waterloo and GM’s Global Research and Development Center have developed a new silicon-based anode material that they say could enable batteries with almost 10 times more energy density than today’s state of the art. In “Evidence of covalent synergy in silicon–sulfur–graphene yielding highly efficient and long-life lithium-ion batteries,” published in… Read more »