Does Daimler have a coherent electric-vehicle strategy? Its battery supply chain is literally all over the map, and this week’s announcement that the company may close a German battery plant that it was boasting about a month ago has the EV press puzzled. The first generation of Daimler’s smart fortwo electric drive, which is selling… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Tesla"
Alcoa applies for DOE loan to expand aluminum plant
The DOE has proposed lending money to aluminum giant Alcoa to increase production at a Tennessee factory, the first loan to a supplier under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, which was created by Congress in 2007 but hasn’t approved a loan since 2011. Alcoa spokeswoman Lori Lecker told Automotive News the company has applied… Read more »
California to reduce EV rebates, but drops plan for $60k price cap
Since its launch in 2010, California’s Zero Emission Vehicle rebate program has provided cash incentives to thousands of EV buyers in the Golden State. In fact, it’s proven so popular that the California Air Resources Board seems to be looking for ways to make the available funding go farther. CARB is now working on its… 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 »
Next-generation LEAF, with substantially improved range, planned for 2017
If we had an electric crystal ball, the question we’d most like to ask is: When will a next-generation battery, with substantially improved range, show up in a production EV? According to Nissan, that Earth-shaking event may happen around 2017. At last month’s Beijing auto show, Executive VP Andy Palmer told Automotive News that a… Read more »
Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher on the future of the leading electric motorcycle company
Electric motorcycles are one of the most interesting stories in the EV world today, both because of their recent impressive accomplishments on the racetrack and because of the future potential for high-volume sales, especially in international markets. Ashland, Oregon-based Brammo is one of the leading makers of two-wheeled EVs, and its story has much in… Read more »
Chrysler may finally (and grudgingly) offer plug-ins in a few years
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has announced that it will introduce two PHEVs starting in 2016. A plug-in hybrid version of a new minivan will appear in 2016, and a full-sized crossover that has a plug-in hybrid option in 2017. The plug-in minivan, which would be a first for the industry, will get 75 MPGe, according… Read more »
Misleading Lexus ad trashes plug-in vehicles
Every automaker has its own electrification strategy. Tesla, Nissan and BMW are pushing pure EVs. GM and Ford have each put most of their chips on plug-in hybrids, while hedging their bets with a low-volume EV. Toyota, and its luxury division Lexus, firmly believe hybrids are the way to go. Lexus has five hybrid models… Read more »
April plug-in sales: LEAF leads, Prius pushes ahead, smart strengthens
Monthly plug-in sales dropped a bit in April after the March surge, a typical pattern for this time of year. 8,605 car buyers saw the light last month. The LEAF easily held onto its lead with 2,088 units, a little less than its March sales but an incremental increase over last April. Nissan has already… Read more »
OLEV Technologies’ dynamic wireless inductive system charges vehicles while in motion
When one thinks of Nikola Tesla and electric vehicles, the obvious connection points to Elon Musk’s favorite part-time project. However, we also have to give the Serbian inventor proper credit for pioneering technology that eventually may become even more important to EVs than battery breakthroughs. Tesla’s obsession with wireless power transmission defined much of his… Read more »