Fisker Automotive, the maker of the star-crossed plug-in hybrid sports car called the Karma, has now changed its name to Karma Automotive. The Fisker story has been colorful, and mostly tragic, since renowned designer Henrik Fisker co-founded the company in 2007. It was involved in a lawsuit with Tesla, became an issue in the 2012… Read more »
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BMW i3 snatches second place in September plug-in sales
US plug-in sales are still in the slow lane – once again, the monthly figure of 10,134 fell short of last year’s 10,921. The Tesla Model S grabbed the lead position, with 2,500 estimated US sales in September. The company reported delivering 11,580 total vehicles worldwide in the third quarter of 2015, a 49% increase over Q3… Read more »
Alcoa splits into two companies as auto industry demands more aluminum
Aluminum colossus Alcoa (NYSE:AA) has approved a plan to split into two independent, publicly-traded companies, referred to for now as the Upstream Company and the Value-Add Company. The transaction is to be completed in the second half of 2016. Global aluminum demand is expected to double between 2010 and 2020, driven partly by the light… Read more »
Will a post-diesel VW turn to EVs?
The developing VW scandal has highlighted the lengths to which some automakers will go to find an alternative to electrification. Some industry gadflies have speculated that Volkswagen might opt to redeem itself by becoming a (sorely needed) leader in the electromobility field. “With hydrocarbon combustion we’ve hit the limits of physics,” Elon Musk told Auto… Read more »
EV-friendly countries and states join to form the International ZEV Alliance
Plug-in vehicles are on a roll – as of this month, there are now a million on the world’s roads, according to an estimate by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). However, that’s still a tiny fraction of the two-billion-strong global vehicle fleet. EV adoption will have to ramp up quickly to have an… Read more »
Model X delivered as Musk admits “we got a little carried away”
The long-awaited Model X is finally on the road – at least, a few of them are. In a super-duper sound-and-light show in Fremont, Elon Musk handed over the keys to the first six buyers. Production is just getting started, and it will take a while to ramp up to full volume. Musk offered no… Read more »
Jaguar Land Rover developing three electrification concepts
As Audi, Porsche and other luxury brands show their concepts for the electric future in Frankfurt, Jaguar Land Rover has released details of three R&D projects that explore three different levels of electrification. The Concept_e MHEV is a mild-hybrid system featuring an electric motor/generator that regenerates braking energy, stores it in a battery and uses… Read more »
Fastned prepares for 300 kW charging
Automakers are touting ever-faster charging speeds – Audi and Porsche both showed concept cars at this month’s auto show in Frankfurt that they claim will be able to charge at speeds of up to 300 kW – and Dutch charging network operator Fastned is determined to be ready. Fastned, which operates 38 stations in the… Read more »
The Apple EV: It’s a long way off, but it’s coming
The idea of Apple building a car is media catnip – it sends ordinarily sober journalists (yes, there are a few) into flights of wild speculation. In the wake of a Wall Street Journal article that seems to confirm that the Cowboys of Cupertino are indeed dabbling in the automotive realm, one writer gushed that… Read more »
Chinese automaker BAIC opens EV R&D center in Silicon Valley
The Chinese are coming. Joining most of the American automakers, BAIC has opened an R&D facility in Silicon Valley. The BAIC EV R&D Center will be dedicated to the research and development of four to six models per year, and will become an important part of BJEV’s globalization plans, the company said. The BAIC subsidiary… Read more »