Search Results Found For: "London"

UK government to invest £32 million in EV infrastructure, £11 million in R&D

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 »

Plug-in sales beginning to take off in UK

The UK has had a bit of a slow start getting plugged in – last June a survey showed little consumer awareness of EVs, and more recently London’s public charging network has been plagued by problems – but the Brits seem to be turning up the voltage now. This month, the Department for Transport reported… Read more »

2015 VW e-Golf ushers in an era of interchangeable drivetrains for every Volkswagen model

Rising above the waters of the Mittelland Canal in Wolfsburg, Germany, four iconic smokestacks cut through an otherwise sparse skyline. These are the most recognizable – and among the last – vestiges of the original Volkswagen factory from 1938. Symbolically, however, the smokestacks represent much more than the symbols of a power plant that –… Read more »

EV City Casebook highlights 50 big ideas driving EV adoption

Falling gas prices and changes in Congress got you feeling pessimistic about the future of EVs? Here are 50 reasons to celebrate the advent of the electric century. The second edition of the EV City Casebook highlights 50 “big ideas” that have the potential to turbocharge EV adoption around the world. Some of the big… Read more »

Chargemaster’s management system keeps its public charging stations up and running

The British firm Chargemaster, which operates a network of over 10,000 public charging points across the UK, uses a proprietary system to monitor the operational availability of its network, and claims a 98.7% serviceability record over the last year. David Martell, Chargemaster CEO, said, “We are proud to have the best-maintained charge points not only… Read more »

2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive

After a gradual build-up, Daimler’s automotive brands are now showing their stuff in the EV arenas of three continents. Stateside, the spotlight lands on the new, competitively priced Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), hasn’t been the most visible mover or shaker in electric mobility up to this… Read more »

BYD sells 34 electric taxis in Brussels, beating Renault and Nissan to the punch

Chinese EV maker BYD has sold 34 electric taxis in Brussels, capital of the EU, embarrassing the more established players Renault and Nissan. “I’d rather have chosen a European brand than a Chinese one of course,” said Luigi Marrocco, CEO of Taxis Bleus, one of the two biggest taxi companies in Brussels. “But when it… Read more »

Electric buses begin to take over the public transit world

The humble city bus is quietly (also smoothly and emissions-free) going electric. In the past couple of months alone, Chicago, Washington DC, Portland, Oregon and London have begun trials of battery-electric buses, and the Chinese city of Hangzhou has placed an order for 2,000. China’s BYD is building buses in California and planning a factory… Read more »

New book excerpt: The early days of Tesla

This article is an excerpt from Tesla Motors: How Elon Musk and Company Made Electric Cars Cool, and Sparked the Next Tech Revolution by Charged Senior Editor Charles Morris. This 270-page book is a comprehensive history of Tesla, told by the entrepreneurs who made it happen, as well as an assessment of the company’s lasting influence… 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 »