For the second month in a row, total plug-in sales fell short of last year’s figures. Overall US sales were 10,365 in June, 10% lower than May, and 16% lower than June 2014. The good news is that worldwide sales have shattered last year’s numbers every month so far this year. After a slow start,… Read more »
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EVs take first and second places at Pikes Peak Hill Climb
Once again, EVs made history at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, as driver Rhys Millen became the first to win the grueling challenge in an electric racer, with a time of 9:07.222, a new record for EVs. Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima took second place in the Rimac E-Runner, with 9.32.401 (bad weather forced race officials… Read more »
Swiss and Finnish firms collaborate to build drivetrain for battery-electric ferry, city buses
Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanché (named for the inventor of the dry cell battery) and Finnish electric drivetrain specialist Visedo have partnered to deliver a powertrain for an electric ferryboat that will be built by Danish shipbuilder Søby Shipyard and put into service in June 2017 between the mainland and Ærø Island. The ferry will be… Read more »
Evolute Drives seeks investors to commercialize hybrid/EV transmissions
The UK firm Evolute Drives is seeking investors to help commercialize its MSYS multi-speed transmission system for hybrids and EVs. According to Evolute, its MSYS transmission allows a vehicle’s traction motor to be smaller and more efficient by running it in a more power-efficient regime. Single-speed drives require the motors to have a high speed… Read more »
Tesla resists changes to California ZEV mandate
California’s ZEV mandate, which will require 15 percent of cars sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2025, will soon be expanded to include medium-size OEMs such as Mitsubishi and Volvo, which naturally have some helpful ideas as to how the rules could be watered down. At a May hearing, automakers and… Read more »
Wildcat Discovery Technology creates new experiments to accelerate battery research
The pulse of the industry: Wildcat Discovery Technology is at the forefront of battery research, solving problems and accumulating insight. When Charged wants to catch up on the newest trends in cutting-edge battery technology, there are a few companies we turn to for insight. At the top of the list is a group whose high-speed… Read more »
May plug-in sales: Tesla, LEAF and Volt back in the top 3, overall sales mediocre
The traditional running order reasserted itself in May, as the Model S, LEAF and Volt slid back into the top three spots. While plug-in sales were up substantially over April, they failed to best the May 2014 numbers. The Tesla Model S grabbed the lead with 2,400 estimated US sales. Deliveries of the D are… Read more »
Saab joint venture plans Chinese EV factory
The saga of Saab recently entered a new chapter, as its parent company, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) made an alliance with two state-owned Chinese organizations. Motor Authority reported that the Tianjin Binhai Hi-tech Industrial Development Area (THT) and the Beijing State Research Information Technology Company (SRIT) will pay a total of $200 million for… Read more »
Elon Musk vs the LA Times: Yes, Tesla has benefited from government incentives. And?
The LA Times recently ran a “now it can be told” article highlighting the various government subsidies and incentives that benefit Tesla and Elon Musk’s other companies, SolarCity and SpaceX – a total of about $4.9 billion by the Times’ reckoning. Certainly Tesla, like many other energy companies and automakers, has benefited from a wide… Read more »
California: Smaller automakers can earn ZEV credits with PHEVs (UPDATED)
For several years now, the California Air Resources Board’s ZEV mandate has required the largest automakers to produce a certain number of zero-emission vehicles for sale in the state. Beginning in 2018, smaller OEMs will be subject to the rules, too. Unsurprisingly, these companies would rather skip it, and at a May hearing, Jaguar Land… Read more »