These days, not a week goes by without an announcement of some major electrification initiative from a major carmaker: Nissan’s new LEAF is coming to the US soon, GM is actually advertising its Bolt EV, VW and Daimler have each announced a range of new EVs (for China, at least), and Volvo and Jaguar have… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Daimler"
Arnold Schwarzenegger backs Austrian battery startup
Austrian battery startup Kreisel Electric grabbed some attention in the EV media by facing off with a Model S in a converted Porsche Panamera. Now it’s in the spotlight again after announcing the backing of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his nephew, Patrick Knapp-Schwarzenegger. The Governator, a longtime EV fan, became familiar with Kreisel when he hired… Read more »
GM turns up the voltage, plans 20 new EVs by 2023
GM has recently shown a newfound interest in selling its EVs, running a major ad campaign for the Chevy Bolt EV in mainstream newspapers and magazines for the first time. Now the company has announced that it plans to launch 20 new battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles by 2023, including two in the next 18… Read more »
Mercedes to invest $1 billion to build electric SUVs, batteries in Alabama
Daimler has announced that it will invest up to $1 billion to build electric SUVs and batteries at its assembly plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The company said it will build a new battery plant near the site in 2018, and that production of a Mercedes-Benz EQ electric SUV will begin “early next decade.” More than… Read more »
Startup with former Tesla execs to introduce a commercial electric truck this fall
A new player has popped up to join the growing ranks of commercial EV makers. California-based Chanje has assembled a team of execs with impressive experience in the EV industry. President Ian Gardner is an alumnus of the Boston Consulting Group, Duke Energy and the Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator. COO Joerg Sommer has been… Read more »
Mercedes-Benz factory transitions to producing batteries and electric powertrain components
The Mercedes-Benz plant at Untertürkheim, Germany, the home of Daimler headquarters, will make a transition from producing legacy engines, transmissions and axles to producing powertrain components for EVs. This will include new battery production, and the assembly of electric modules for front and rear axles. The Untertürkheim plant, which was built in 1904 and currently… Read more »
Porsche installs 350 kW fast charging station at tech center
Porsche has installed a charging station using its new 800 V 350 kW fast charging system at its technology center in Berlin-Adlershof. The Porsche High Power Charging (HPC) station is liquid-cooled, and uses CCS connectors. The new tech center also features a 25-meter-high solar pylon that is expected to generate up to 30,000 kWh of… Read more »
Analyst predicts Tesla will have a near-monopoly in EVs
As Tesla soars and the legacy automakers waffle, a classic disruption scenario, unthinkable only a couple of years ago, seems ever more likely. The latest to reach this conclusion is analyst Alexander Haissl of Hamburg’s Berenberg Bank, who predicts in a recent report that Tesla will end up with a near-monopoly of the EV market…. Read more »
Panasonic shifts focus to automotive tech
The coming restructuring of the auto industry will yield winners and losers. New opportunities will open up for battery-makers and copper producers, but the hottest sector of all may be “auto tech,” which includes not only powertrain electronics such as motor controllers, inverters and chargers, but also self-driving hardware and software, and customer-facing components such… Read more »
All-new 2017 smart fortwo electric drive will start at $23,800
The all-new 2017 smart electric drive will be $1,200 less expensive than the outgoing model, starting at $23,800 for the coupe and $28,000 for the cabrio (not including a $750 destination charge and federal and state incentives). Arriving at US dealers this summer, the next-generation smart electric drive will have improved range, more power, more space and additional standard features. Daimler… Read more »