Despite the best efforts of EV journalists to keep the peace, the battery and hydrogen teams are squaring off for a smackdown. In one corner, Tesla’s Elon Musk, who continues to deride the efficiency and practicality drawbacks of what he calls “fool cells.” In the other corner, Toyota, whose Lexus subsidiary runs ads ridiculing battery-electric… Read more »
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Every inch an EV: Tesla’s Model S redefines the automobile (new book excerpt)
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 »
Daimler sells stake in Tesla for $780 million in cash
Daimler has reorganized its financial relationship with Tesla, selling its 4% stake in the California carmaker. The cooperation between the partners on the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive is unaffected. “We are extremely satisfied with the development of our investment in Tesla, but it is not necessary for our partnership and cooperation,” said Daimler Board Member… Read more »
They all make EVs – but which carmakers want to sell them?
Almost every major carmaker now has at least one plug-in vehicle for sale. However, several of these vehicles were produced mainly to appease the California Air Resources Board, and their makers have shown little interest in actively marketing them. Savvy car buyers are aware of this, and make their choices accordingly – no one wants… Read more »
What happens when the EV tax credit is phased out? (Don’t ask the IRS.)
How important is the $7,500 federal tax credit for EV buyers, and what will happen to the market when it is eventually phased out? Vehicles from a particular automaker are eligible for the tax credit until it has sold 200,000 EVs in the US. After that, buyers of the company’s vehicles will get 50 percent… Read more »
Pot Daimler calls kettle Tesla black re fast charging standards
It seems that not everyone is enchanted by Tesla’s plans to install 40 to 50 Supercharger stations in Germany by the end of 2014. Carmaker Daimler and parts supplier Robert Bosch recently criticized the American company for pursuing its own proprietary DC charging standard. “The future lies in standardization. As with gas stations, we need… Read more »
Navigant names 10 trends in the EV market for 2014
A new white paper from Navigant Research forecasts global EV sales of over 346,000 units in 2014. Navigant sees expansion at the higher end of the market, as Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes, Saab, and Volvo introduce new plug-in models; and in the middle, with new offerings from Kia, Mahindra, Skoda, and Volkswagen. “Electric Vehicles: 10… Read more »
2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid: Where will it fit into the market?
In a sense, every new entry into the plug-in vehicle market competes with all the others in the field – after all, there are still just a handful available nationwide. However, while the press tends to pit plug-ins against each other for juicy headlines, like “Volt vs LEAF,” there are very few direct head-to-head matchups… Read more »
VW CEO: Germany’s 1 million EV goal achievable, if…
The German government has set a goal to have one million electric cars on the country’s roads by 2020. “We will make our contribution toward this goal,” Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn told reporters this week. However, according to Bloomberg, Winterkorn said that the goal was feasible only if plug-in hybrids are included in that million-vehicle… Read more »
8 to 10 Mini models to be based on new platform, one of them a PHEV
The Mini is one of those cult cars. It might be called the Grateful Dead of automobiles – its fanatical followers love every one of its dozens of variations, while other people just don’t see the attraction. Of course, the important question is, when will an electric version be available? Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW’s board member… Read more »