The UK government has announced £32 million ($49 million) in new funding for EV infrastructure, to support “the fast-growing popularity of plug-in vehicles.” The announcement noted that claims for government grants to plug-in buyers increased fourfold in 2014. The new pot of money, which will be invested between now and 2020, includes: £15 million to… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Plug and Charge"
The charging port-to-EV ratio: residential versus commercial
You may have noticed that just about every electrical supply equipment manufacturer thrust into the home charging business as the EV market developed over the last few years. However, only a handful stuck their toes into the networked-public-charging pond – and some quickly decided that the water was too cold to swim in, and scaled… Read more »
Tesla’s next competitor might not need to build a single car
These days, the media insists on describing every future plug-in vehicle as a “Tesla competitor.” The latest putative challenger is not an automaker at all, but Apple, a company that has a lot in common with our favorite EV maker (including about 150 former employees). Reports that Apple has been bulking up on battery expertise… 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 »
Japan has more EV charging points than gas stations
Worried about finding a place to plug in your EV? You needn’t be, at least if you live in Japan – Nissan recently made the surprising announcement that the number of power points in Japan has passed 40,000, more than the 34,000 gas stations in the country. “An important element of the continued market growth… Read more »
PG&E proposes 25,000 new charging stations
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has asked state regulators for permission to build an estimated 25,000 EV chargers, using $654 million in ratepayer dollars, at sites across its service area in Northern and Central California. The project would represent the largest deployment of EV charging stations in the country. The chargers are to be located at the usual… Read more »
Minnesota utilities offer off-peak electric rates as low as 3.3 cents/kWh
Xcel Energy, Minnesota’s largest power company, has asked state regulators to approve an off-peak EV charging rate of of 3.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, a 43 percent discount to the usual residential rate. “We are trying to provide more options for customers,” said Xcel exec Chris Clark. “This is really how we’re seeing the future. We… Read more »
Lux Research: Cheap oil’s impact on EV sales will be temporary
How much the latest plunge in oil prices will affect plug-in sales is anybody’s guess. Consumers have shown themselves to be pretty oblivious to history – when prices go down, the SUVs start flying off the lots. Will EVs be watching sadly from the sidelines? Lux Research is taking the long view. In “Just a… Read more »
Model S fan builds database of battery degradation data
Batteries do degrade over time, and unfortunately most EV models haven’t been on the road long enough to provide a lot of data, so there is still much to be learned about how quickly capacity loss takes place. Plug In America has conducted battery longevity studies for the Nissan LEAF and Tesla Roadster, and is… Read more »
Georgia Power launches $12-million EVSE incentive program
Atlanta has become an unexpected EV hotspot – it’s now the #2 market in the US for plug-in vehicles, and the #1 market for the Nissan LEAF. The local electric utility, Georgia Power, sees this as a growth opportunity, and has launched a $12-million program called Get Current to drive more EV sales. The utility… Read more »