Updated 1/10/14 10:00am EST to include response from BMW. BMW’s new i3 is available with an optional feature that’s the first of its kind – a small range-extending gas engine. However, financial publication The Street reported this week that there’s a drawback to opting for the REx – it makes the car ineligible for California’s… Read more »
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Navigant names 10 trends in the EV market for 2014
A new white paper from Navigant Research forecasts global EV sales of over 346,000 units in 2014. Navigant sees expansion at the higher end of the market, as Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes, Saab, and Volvo introduce new plug-in models; and in the middle, with new offerings from Kia, Mahindra, Skoda, and Volkswagen. “Electric Vehicles: 10… Read more »
Stock strategist: Most investors don’t understand electric cars
“The car market is at the start of a major transition,” writes Chris Umiastowski in the Toronto Globe and Mail. “The electric-car market…faces an enormous growth curve that is not well understood by the general public.” Umiastowski’s main point is to explain why he’s bullish on the stock of Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA), but his article… Read more »
BMW’s new EVs get you to your destination ASAP – even if you have to take the train
BMW’s new i3 and i8 take vehicle connectivity to a new level with the ConnectedDrive feature, which BMW describes as a travelling companion that can play the role of “travel guide, entertainer or guardian angel.” Thanks to BMW partner INRIX, which is based in Washington State, ConnectedDrive incorporates real-time traffic conditions, and can even plan… Read more »
Evatran wireless EV charging system goes on sale with special promotional pricing
2014 will be the year that EVs go wireless. Evatran will begin deliveries of its PLUGLESS wireless charging system in February. In partnership with Bosch, which provides installation services, the company has announced special promotional pricing to the first 250 customers – $1,998 for the Volt-compatible system and $2,098 for the LEAF-compatible system, which represents… Read more »
Mitsubishi delays US launch of Outlander PHEV
US drivers will have to wait until 2015 to test-drive Mitsubishi’s Outlander plug-in hybrid, thanks to bottlenecks in battery production. The promising plug-in SUV went on sale in Japan last January, and has sold 8,100 units there, and 3,200 in Europe. The legacy gas version arrived in the US in July. Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko… Read more »
The most interesting part of the 2014 Cadillac ELR is the software
We often hear automotive engineers talk about the need for a better understanding of the components of an EV. Some have said that there is an inherent inefficiency in many systems because the parts – like the battery cells, motors and inverters – have historically been developed independently of each other and then integrated together…. Read more »
Honda joins V2G demo project
Honda has joined a demonstration project for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology aimed at providing energy storage to the electrical grid while providing a financial incentive to EV drivers. Partners in the ev2g project include: the University of Delaware; NRG Energy; BMW, which is providing 15 MINI Es; Milbank Manufacturing, which is providing charging stations based on… Read more »
Virgin and Venturi racing teams round out Formula E roster
Two high-profile groups have announced plans to field teams for Formula E, the all-electric racing series that will take place in 10 city centers around the world, beginning in Beijing in September 2014. The Virgin Racing and Venturi teams became the ninth and tenth to join, making the roster complete. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire… Read more »
November sales: LEAF edges into lead, Prius falls back
It’s a nail-biting battle for the lead in the plug-in sales race. The Nissan LEAF barely edged into the lead for November, selling 2,003 units – one more than in October. Sales of the world’s most popular pure EV have already more than doubled 2012’s figure. The 2014 LEAF is in production now and should… Read more »