Search Results Found For: "Clean Cars"

The 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine PHEV enters the US market with great promise

These days when most Americans think of Swedish engineering, they probably remember a frustrating experience with an Allen wrench and one too few pieces of particle board. But we didn’t always buy our Swedish creations under the same roof as our Swedish meatballs. Any American old enough to drink remembers a friend whose parents drove… Read more »

UQM Technologies grows from pioneer to power player in vehicle electrification

With its integrated electric propulsion systems spreading across the globe in all conceivable vehicle types, UQM Technologies could be called the biggest little company in the EV industry. Over the past few years, the company seems to have entered its prime, as in one of those TV commercials where a deep, authoritative voice tell us… Read more »

CARB invests $373 million in advanced vehicle technologies

The California Air Resources Board has approved a $373-million funding plan for fiscal year 2015-16 for investments in a wide range of vehicle technologies, from zero-emission heavy-duty trucks and buses to rebates for low- and zero-emission passenger vehicles. The budget for the annual Funding Plan for Low Carbon Transportation Investments and the Air Quality Improvement… Read more »

Bolloré’s electric Bluecar, with novel solid-state batteries, coming to London

Electric car-sharing service Autolib has become a hit in Paris and two other French cities since its 2011 launch, and now boasts a fleet of over 3,500 EVs. Corporate parent the Bolloré Group also has a fleet of electric Bluebuses operating on Parisian streets, and has been working on bringing electric car sharing to Indianapolis… Read more »

Tesla hires prominent battery researcher Jeff Dahn

Better and cheaper batteries will be one of the key enabling technologies for the clean, distributed energy system of the future. More specifically, they are a critical component of Tesla’s master plan to produce an affordable mass-market EV. The Seers of Silicon Valley added a big name to their stable of battery boffins this week,… Read more »

German state to test carpool/low-emission lanes

The German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (which includes Daimler headquarters Stuttgart) plans to conduct a feasibility study of carpool lanes (Umweltstreifen), which can also be used by vehicles with low emissions. As reported by the Stuttgarter Zeitung (via Green Car Reports), the special lanes will be open to EVs, PHEVs, and other vehicles that meet the… Read more »

Georgia EV fans may sue state over new fee

The state of Georgia recently reversed its policy of encouraging EV adoption, not only eliminating its $5,000 tax credit for plug-in purchases, but saddling drivers with a yearly $200 road-use fee to boot. The leader of a local pro-EV group is considering a class-action lawsuit against the state. “We will challenge the state for discriminating… Read more »

April plug-in sales: Tesla and Nissan battle for lead, Chevy Spark (what?) snatches third place

The monthly sales race has presented a predictable pattern for many months: LEAF, Model S and Volt in the lead, Ford and Toyota plug-ins in the second rank, low-volume and compliance cars way in the back of the pack. So it was quite an upset when a couple of models that everyone had long ago… Read more »

Bloomberg article highlights growth of EV sales, predicts decline of Big Oil

We’ve become used to the mainstream press insisting that EVs aren’t selling, and that cheap gas will be the final nail in the electric coffin (most recently in a widely-cited report from Edmunds that found that car buyers are rushing to trade in their “hybrid and electric cars” for gas-guzzling SUVs). Bloomberg, however, has long… Read more »

March plug-in sales: Tesla grabs lead, Fiat surprises, Kia and Cadillac disappoint

There are several interesting developments to report on the EV sales front this month – an overall increase, a lead change, and a sales surge in the most unexpected of quarters. Total plug-in sales for the month were 10,341, a healthy recovery from February’s slump, and a 7% increase over the March 2014 numbers. Interestingly,… Read more »