Automakers and policymakers around the world are preparing for the transition to EVs. Toyota, Volvo, VW, BMW, Mercedes and other brands are setting ambitious sales goals and investing substantial sums. Norway, the Netherlands, France, the UK and China are talking about phasing out sales of legacy ICE vehicles. There’s just one key group of stakeholders… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Plug and Charge"
Japanese LEAF buyers earn points to help pay their utility bills
Buyers of the new LEAF in a region of western Japan are now earning points that they can use to help pay their utility bills, as part of a partnership between Nissan and Shikoku Electric Power. For the next three years, Shikoku customers who purchase a new LEAF will receive Yonden Points, which can be… Read more »
Workhorse to spin off SureFly personal helicopter business
Workhorse Group (NASDAQ:WKHS) has several electric irons in the fire, so to speak. It says it has pre-orders for over 5,000 units of its W-15 plug-in pickup truck (profiled in the May/June 2017 issue of Charged); it has an electric truck on the short list to be selected as the next delivery vehicle for the… Read more »
BMW Group invests 200 million euros in Battery Cell Competence Center
The BMW Group plans to consolidate its battery cell expertise at a new interdisciplinary competence center, which will open in early 2019. The company will invest a total of 200 million euros in the location over the next four years. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, BMW Board Member Klaus Fröhlich said, “We will be concentrating… Read more »
Kia introduces Niro PHEV at LA show
Kia’s 2018 Niro Plug-in Hybrid, which is expected to be in showrooms by the end of the year, was on display at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show. The crossover is Kia’s third plug-in model, joining the Optima PHEV and the Soul EV. The Niro PHEV pairs an all-aluminum 1.6-liter GDI (gasoline direct injection) four-cylinder… Read more »
Here’s what you need to know about EV charging station safety
Sponsored by ClipperCreek After deciding to buy a plug-in electric vehicle, often the next decision is to purchase a Level 2 charging station for faster charging at home. The technical name as defined in the National Electric Code for these products is EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), commonly called charging stations. Safety might not be the first consideration… Read more »
SAE J2954 Recommended Practice enables automated wireless charging to 11 kW
SAE International has published a new Recommended Practice (RP), SAE J2954, which provides the first worldwide specification for wireless power transfer (WPT) up to power levels of 11 kW (WPT 3). This follows the organization’s previous Technical Information Report J2954, which dealt with power levels up to 7.7 kW (WPT 2). The new RP also… Read more »
Workhorse electric truck could be the next USPS delivery vehicle
The US Postal Service is in the process of selecting a replacement for its aging fleet of delivery vans. Of the 215,000 mail trucks in operation, 140,000 are at least two decades old. The agency began real-world testing of prototypes at several locations around the country in October. USPS plans to replace up to 180,000… Read more »
GM to launch a new family of profitable EVs in 2021
Legacy automakers have been producing quality EVs for years, but have shown little interest in actually selling them. That attitude seems to be changing, at least at GM, which has been advertising its new Chevy Bolt in mainstream print media. Now GM says it plans to launch a new family of EVs in 2021 that… Read more »
BMW’s Chinese JV opens battery factory in Shenyang
The BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture has opened a new battery factory in Shenyang, China. The High-Voltage Battery Center will supply the nearby Dadong plant, which will produce the BMW 5 Series Plug-in Hybrid for the local market. BMW produces electrified vehicles at ten locations worldwide. The high-voltage batteries needed for these models come from… Read more »