The state of California has granted Tesla a $34.7-million tax break on a batch of new manufacturing equipment valued at around $415 million. California is one of the few states that taxes the purchase of manufacturing equipment, but it sometimes offers exemptions to clean-tech companies. Tesla received a similar deal in 2010 when it bought… Read more »
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Virgin and Venturi racing teams round out Formula E roster
Two high-profile groups have announced plans to field teams for Formula E, the all-electric racing series that will take place in 10 city centers around the world, beginning in Beijing in September 2014. The Virgin Racing and Venturi teams became the ninth and tenth to join, making the roster complete. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire… Read more »
Vermont announces new incentives for public chargers
The state of Vermont became the latest to hit the charge button this week, as it announced two new initiatives to support EVs. The first expands the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) loan program, and the second provides financial resources for public charging stations in Vermont’s historic downtown areas. Under the SIB program, municipalities and businesses… Read more »
Jaguar Land Rover seeks partner to develop hybrids
Like all the world’s automakers, Jaguar Land Rover is working hard to build cleaner cars. The European Commission’s emissions mandate requires a 20% reduction in fleetwide emissions by 2015. The venerable British brand isn’t exactly famous for fuel-efficient models – the rugged Defender safari mobile and Inspector Morse’s enormous red Mark 2 come to mind…. Read more »
Tesla Model S achieves best safety rating of any car ever tested
They’re quieter, cleaner and more fun to drive. Now it’s becoming apparent that electric vehicles are safer, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory, a distinction that only one percent of all cars tested by the feds… Read more »
VIDEO: Another peek inside Tesla’s Fremont factory
Another video from WIRED lets us look in on Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, where the future of the American automobile industry is being assembled. This video is much like the one WIRED released a couple of weeks ago, but true Tesla fans can never get enough. The huge factory was built by NUMMI, a… Read more »
A reluctant gem: The FIAT 500e EV
The cute, cuddly FIAT 500e EV may have been born only out of regulatory necessity. So what happens if it becomes the best-reviewed new EV in its class? The bar is raised; the game changes. Maybe Chrysler will even concede that it should sell it outside of the Golden State. Summertime in Sonoma County… Read more »
Taxing EVs: no gas means no gas tax
The electric car may have come back from the dead, but it won’t escape life’s other inevitability How do we pay for the highway system? The roads don’t build themselves, in fact they cost a ton of money to construct and maintain. In the US, most of the money comes from gasoline taxes, which have… Read more »
EVs in paradise: plug-ins and island markets
Islands make perfect EV habitats. Driving distances are generally short, and the need to ship supplies from the mainland keeps gas prices high. Also, islands around the world face a lot of environmental challenges, and many island economies depend on tourism, so the level of green consciousness tends to be high. Island governments around the… Read more »
Aruba plans to be emissions-free by 2020
Cities, regions and countries around the world are moving ahead with the transition to electric mobility. As we discuss in this month’s issue of Charged, island communities are especially keen to get plugged in, because of their high energy prices and environmental challenges. However, as far as we know, the Caribbean island of Aruba is the… Read more »