With new technology come new and unforeseen problems. Apparently, some Volt drivers, lulled into absent-mindedness by the plug-in hybrid’s silent running, forget to shut the car off. This drains the battery, causing the gasoline engine to turn on and possibly leading to dangerous carbon monoxide buildup. General Motors is recalling about 64,000 Volts from the… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "US Hybrid"
EDI launches PHEV Class 3 utility truck
Efficient Drivetrains Inc (EDI), a drivetrain manufacturer with offices in Silicon Valley and China, has launched a Class 3 utility truck with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that it says can reduce emissions and fuel use by up to 80 percent. The new vehicle, which is built on a popular Detroit OEM commercial fleet truck, is… Read more »
Sources say Samsung to provide battery packs for BMW X5
Industry sources expect Samsung SDI to provide battery packs for BMW’s upcoming X5 Plug-in Hybrid SUV, according to Korean news agency Yonhap. In July 2014, BMW and Samsung agreed to expand their supply relationship. The Korean company’s battery cells power the BMW i3 and i8, and market research firm IHS expects Samsung to increase shipments… Read more »
Audi unveils Q7 PHEV, R8 EV at Geneva Auto Salon
After years of preparation, Audi brought its first plug-in vehicle, the A3 e-tron, to market in Europe late last year. This week in Geneva, the company unveiled two new plug-in models: the Q7 e-tron quattro diesel plug-in hybrid, and an electric version of the R8 super-sports car. The upgraded Q7 family is based on the… Read more »
A plethora of plug-ins at the Geneva Auto Salon
Plug-in cars seem to have arrived in Europe. At this week’s Geneva Auto Salon, charging posts were to be seen at just about every major automaker’s booth, as EVs and PHEVs were peacefully coexhibited with legacy gas and diesel models. The corded cars were generally not prominently featured, but neither were they hidden away in… Read more »
TM4 introduces auxiliary power supply for EV accessories with CAN-based interface
TM4, a subsidiary of public utility Hydro-Québec, is active in the development of EV motors and power systems. Its latest product is the CO150-HVF, an auxiliary power supply for commercial vehicle applications. Based on the same platform as the company’s CO150 traction inverters, the CO150-HVF offers a CAN-based interface that allows dynamic control of frequency… Read more »
New study: Chinese more receptive to EVs than Americans
A new study by a team from Carnegie Mellon University, Ford and Drexel University suggests that Chinese consumers are more receptive to adopting battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) than their American counterparts. The study, “Will subsidies drive electric vehicle adoption? Measuring consumer preferences in the US and China,” was published in the journal Transportation Research Part A…. Read more »
Nickel-metal hydride: the battery tech of the future?
Conventional wisdom has it that lithium-ion batteries are the state of the art, and that nickel-metal hydride chemistry, which is used in most conventional hybrids (some of the newer Prius models now use Li-ion), is pretty much obsolete. However, scientists at BASF believe that NiMH technology still has much to offer. According to MIT Technology Review, the… Read more »
New study: Stickers showing total cost of ownership influence buyers to choose electrified vehicles
The EPA’s fuel economy labels on new cars are likely ineffective in pointing out the total savings of hybrid and plug-in cars over legacy vehicles, according to a new study by two University of Kansas professors. The research team conducted a 2013 online survey of 3,200 respondents in 32 US cities, and published their findings… Read more »
Sources claim that Porsche 717 EV will feature 4WD and a 300-mile range
Porsche is definitely working on a pure electric sport sedan, and details of the company’s plans are beginning to trickle out. In January, unnamed sources told the German magazine auto motor und sport that Porsche had dropped plans for gas and diesel versions of its Pajun (Panamera Junior) sedan, and that it would go on… Read more »