As EVs multiply, it’s critical for electric utilities to manage their energy needs. For that they need data on EV owners’ charging habits, and Opower has it. Opower claims to be the world’s largest energy data storehouse, covering 75 utility partners and 50 million households. The Outlier blog crunches that data into digestible articles about… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Plug and Charge"
BMW sells over 5,000 i3s in the first half of 2014
The BMW Group is having a banner year – it sold more than a million vehicles in the first half of 2014 for the first time (that includes MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorcycles). The new i division, which comprises BMW’s plug-in models, shared the wealth. In June, 1,241 BMW i3s were delivered to customers worldwide,… Read more »
New survey: UK drivers have little interest in EVs
Why are EVs catching on faster in some regions than in others? Government incentives play a large role, as a May study from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) detailed. The world’s top three EV hotspots, Norway, the Netherlands and California, are all places whose leaders have enacted strong pro-plug-in policies. However, the ICCT… Read more »
University of Delaware to offer BMW Mini-E EVs for lease in V2G project
The University of Delaware is making a small number of BMW Mini-E EVs available for lease as part of an ongoing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) demonstration project. “Individual drivers are now needed to expand the demonstration over a wider range of driving patterns,” said project leader Willett Kempton. The Grid on Wheels program will lease the vehicles… Read more »
Is Toyota still interested in battery EVs after all?
Recently, the EV press, including Charged, has been reporting that Toyota seems to be placing all its chips on fuel cells, and abandoning efforts to develop battery-electric vehicles. However, comments by Elon Musk at Tesla’s first-quarter shareholders’ meeting imply that there may be more to the story. In answer to a question about competition from… Read more »
The Buckeye Bullet: A student-built EV that’s racing towards 400 mph
As it stands today, Ohio State’s Buckeye Bullet 1 holds the US record speed for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at 314.958 mph, its Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2 holds the world record for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles at 302.877 mph, and the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5 holds the world record for BEVs at 307.666 mph. … Read more »
GM makes 401 EV charging stations available to employees
General Motors has installed 401 electric vehicle charging stations at its US production and business locations, in response to employee demand. Most are located at GM’s large engineering and corporate facilities in Michigan, where employee EV ownership is growing steadily. Charging is available free to GM employees and visitors. More than 20 percent of the… Read more »
VIA Motors acquires Prodigy Engineering
VIA Motors, the maker of VTRUX plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles, has acquired Prodigy Engineering, an EV design, engineering and prototyping company that has been under contract with VIA to prototype new vehicle models. Prodigy founders Mark and Mike Patey will stay on under a four-year retainer and non-compete agreement with VIA. “This acquisition expands VIA’s… Read more »
Volvo may test dynamic wireless charging on Swedish city bus line
The Volvo Group is studying the possibility of developing a dynamic charging solution for city buses. Dynamic charging, in which vehicles are charged by an inductive charging coil in the roadbed, is generally considered to be several years from commercialization, although a group of Korean researchers has tested a prototype system. Volvo plans to develop… Read more »
Toyota makes it official: Battery EVs stink, fuel cells rule
A top Toyota executive has confirmed what was already apparent to EV industry insiders: the Japanese automaker is placing all its chips on hydrogen fuel cell technology, and abandoning efforts to develop battery-electric vehicles. In an interview with Automotive News at Fortune magazine’s Brainstorm Green conference, Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, said that Toyota believes battery-electric vehicles are viable only… Read more »