Chinese automaker BYD is poised to profit from two converging trends: the government’s support for new energy vehicles, and what the company calls China’s insatiable appetite for SUVs. BYD has begun taking pre-orders for the Tang, a plug-in SUV that’s named for the most prosperous of Chinese dynasties. The Tang is built on BYD’s second-generation… Read more »
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UQM patents EV motor using non-rare earth magnets
Colorado-based UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has earned a patent for a new EV motor design that uses non-rare earth magnets. Most current EVs use permanent magnet motors that include rare earth metals, which offer strong and constant magnetic fields. However, obtaining rare earths can be environmentally harmful, and some fear that supplies may run… Read more »
Logos wins DARPA funding for SilentHawk hybrid military motorcycle
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded funding to Logos Technologies to continue development of the SilentHawk military motorcycle in partnership with California’s Alta Motors (formerly BRD). In Phase I of the project, Logos and Alta tested Alta’s existing RedShift MX electric motocross bike in multiple terrains and riding conditions to understand the… Read more »
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV adds vehicle-to-home power export capability
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has learned a new trick. The plug-in SUV is now able to supply electrical power to a home using Mitsubishi’s SMART V2H (vehicle-to-home) system. The feature, which can be used with current Outlander PHEVs (with the optional CHAdeMO quick charging socket) is so far available only in Japan. The V2H system… Read more »
German automakers (still) planning to challenge Tesla
Elon Musk hopes Tesla’s success will inspire other automakers to get serious about EVs. The latest buzz in the automotive press is that he may get his wish, as German luxury brands are rumored to be working on their own EVs to compete with the boys from Silicon Valley. Automobile magazine reported earlier this month… Read more »
Renault previews new EV motor
Renault has previewed a new EV motor that it says will enter production in 2015. The synchronous electric motor offers 65 kW of power and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of peak torque, and features an integrated Chameleon charger. Renault designed the new motor with integration, miniaturization and simplification in mind. It uses smaller and fully… Read more »
Tesla Model X to be the first EV with towing capability
When Tesla’s category-killing electric SUV finally goes on sale, it will be available with an optional trailer hitch, the company revealed this week. A letter to Model X reservation holders posted on the Tesla Motors Club forum (via Green Car Reports) reads, in part: We’ll be spending much of 2015 building and testing production-intent prototypes before delivering… Read more »
Volvo’s new plug-in hybrid SUV
The XC90 T8 is the first Volvo designed from the ground up for plug-in compatibility, according to the company. Built on the Scalable Product Architecture platform, the 7-seat SUV features a 4-cylinder Drive-E gas engine with supercharger and turbocharger, an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The high-voltage (270–400 V) lithium-ion battery has a 9.2 kWh capacity, capable of… Read more »
BMW unveils 3 Series PHEV prototype
BMW’s new 3 Series plug-in hybrid prototype combines a four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo gas engine from the new Efficient Dynamics engine family with an electric motor and power electronics based on the eDrive technology used in the i3 and i8. It’s designed to offer performance on a par with the legacy 3 Series six-cylinder model, with… 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 »