US plug-in sales have resumed their steep upward climb. March sales shattered last year’s figure, setting a new all-time record. Around 13,725 plug-ins were sold in March, a 33% increase over March 2015 and a few units more than the previous monthly record set in December. American car buyers now have around two dozen EV and… Read more »
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Why is Ford suddenly advertising its Focus Electric after 3 years?
Many EVangelists believe that the plodding progress of plug-in sales has a lot to do with the automakers’ minimal marketing efforts. So it’s welcome news that Ford has launched a new ad campaign for its Focus Electric. It seems to be a substantial buy (although Ford declined to talk about budgets), with TV ads running… Read more »
Tesla Model 3 will debut in March, preorders start then
For better or for worse, Elon Musk has confirmed a reveal date for the much-anticipated Model 3. “35k price, unveil in March, preorders start then,” he tweeted. Of course, as every car buff knows, the “unveiling” of a new model happens a long time before cars are actually ready for delivery, and in Tesla’s case,… Read more »
Plug-in sales slow in June, but Tesla exceeds estimates
For the second month in a row, total plug-in sales fell short of last year’s figures. Overall US sales were 10,365 in June, 10% lower than May, and 16% lower than June 2014. The good news is that worldwide sales have shattered last year’s numbers every month so far this year. After a slow start,… Read more »
GM ends production of 2015 Volt, retools for next-gen model
GM has suspended production of the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant in order to get ready for the revamped 2016 Volt, which is to go on sale in the second half of this year. The company plans to invest a total of $343 million to retool for its lineup of next-generation hybrid vehicles. The production… Read more »
The future of integrated inverters: Press-fit solderless interconnects and smarter design
Interplex, the complex assemblies expert, on power electronics, the automotive industry and the continuous drive for smarter design Power modules containing high-power insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are at the core of most modern inverters. These modules are the electronic muscle of the system. They perform all the switching, and they generate all the heat. But… Read more »
February plug-in sales slow overall, but BMW i3 powers ahead
There are plenty of legitimate excuses: winter is always the slow season for auto sales; a couple of key vehicles are in rundown mode as buyers wait for a new and improved model; and, although logic tells us they shouldn’t, ultralow gas prices may be taking a bite out of demand for plug-ins. Be all… Read more »
New joining technology for CFRP tested on BMW i3
Assembly specialist Böllhoff and adhesive expert DELO have developed a new joining method for lightweight materials using a bonded bolt called ONSERT. The technology is ideally suited to carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and the companies have tested it in a pilot project that secured cables, claddings and other components of the BMW i3. DELO… Read more »
Plug-in hybrid kit maker Echo Automotive goes out of business
The commercial fleet market promises great opportunities for startups, but also great dangers. A number of companies are trying to electrify this segment, and several have already fallen by the wayside. The latest to run out of juice is Echo Automotive, which was profiled in our April issue. The Arizona-based company has been forced to… Read more »
Echo Automotive aims for the plug-in fleet sweet spot
The commercial fleet market is one of the most exciting frontiers in the electromobility revolution, not only because of the enormous potential for fuel savings, but because it offers opportunities for a smaller company, which can hope to carve out a lucrative niche developing a powertrain solution, without the need to build the sort of… Read more »