As Tesla realized from the beginning, trying to sell EVs alongside legacy vehicles could be a losing proposition. Dealerships that also sell gas-burning cars have incentives to steer customers away from plug-ins and toward their proven sellers. For an automaker that actually wants to sell its electric models, it may make more sense to establish separate, EV-only dealerships… Read more »
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New Elon Musk biography reveals new details, sows controversy (book review)
Ashlee Vance, the author of Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, has had unprecedented access to his subject, spending many hours in face-to-face interviews with Musk. He has also spoken with many of Musk’s family members, friends and business associates, and has crafted a comprehensive biography that’s replete with details… Read more »
Maryland allows Tesla to sell direct
One more state turned Tesla-colored this week, as Maryland governor Larry Hogan signed a bill that will allow Tesla to expand its direct sales model to the Ocean State. Unlike dealer groups in other battleground states, the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association actually supported the bill, probably because automakers covered by the new law are limited… Read more »
Tesla to adapt to Chinese charging standards – as soon as they exist
Tesla has announced that it will fully support China’s charging standards, modifying its vehicles to ensure that they are compatible. This is surely a wise and necessary policy, as concerns about charging infrastructure are widely considered to be the main reason that EV sales in the world’s largest auto market have been slow to take… Read more »
EDI delivers extended-range EV drivetrains for some of the biggest vehicles on the road
Powerful plug-ins: Q&A with Efficient Drivetrains Inc. CEO Joerg Ferchau. In November 2014, US officials and electric utility executives stood in front of the White House to announce a new EV commitment from power companies. More than 70 investor-owned electric utilities have pledged to spend an estimated $50 million per year – $250 million over five… Read more »
LG Chem Power CEO: We’re the Li-ion leader for PEVs because of material science
Q&A with LG Chem Power’s CEO: Dr. Prabhakar Patil on how the company became a Li-ion battery front-runner, the economics of building batteries, and why it spends little energy on what comes after lithium. Among Tier 1 automotive suppliers of lithium-ion cells, LG Chem is off to a clear lead, based on the number of announced… Read more »
Smith partners with FDG to produce medium-duty electric trucks
Smith Electric Vehicles, a builder of medium-duty commercial EVs that was profiled in the January/February 2013 issue of Charged, plans to form a joint venture with strategic partner and investor FDG Electric Vehicles, an EV and battery manufacturer listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The new JV will offer a combined portfolio of EVs… Read more »
Lodging network teams with Tesla to deploy 170 destination charging stations
Tesla is on a mission to make electric road trips as convenient as possible. Complementing the worldwide network of 2,349 (and counting) Superchargers is the Destination Charging program, which partners with hotels and other travel destinations to deploy Level 2 chargers for overnight charging. The latest to join the program is Select Registry, an independent association… Read more »
FTC officials: States should allow consumers to choose how they buy cars
Federal Trade Commission officials have weighed in for a second time on the war between Tesla and the auto dealers. In an 11-page letter that is summarized in the Competition Matters blog, a trio of senior FTC staffers wrote that a recently-passed Michigan law, which strengthens the requirement that automakers sell only through third-party dealers,… Read more »
New PlugShare Data tool offers comprehensive EV infrastructure analytics
In the past five years, the amount of public PEV charging infrastructure in the US has skyrocketed to over 25,000 charging stations. In June 2010, that number was fewer than 1,000. That’s when the PlugShare team first began mapping EV chargers, allowing its app users to share tips and tricks about their favorite places to… Read more »