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 »
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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 »
OXIS Energy bets on lithium-sulfur
Though it may have a stinky reputation, sulfur could set EVs on the path to total ICE replacement if energy-dense, low-weight lithium-sulfur batteries become the norm. British-based OXIS Energy is banking its business on it. If American clean energy industries are to take full advantage of the emerging lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery chemistry, they just may… Read more »
Ultracapacitors creep into automotive
Maxwell looks to leverage its early ultracapacitor experience into a ubiquitous, low-cost, high-volume complement to batteries. Power sources like internal combustion engines and advanced battery packs work great as continuous suppliers of energy. But during the highest peak loads, both sacrifice efficiency attempting to meet the power delivery demands. And pushing these devices to their… Read more »
Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S is the best car since 2007 (VIDEO)
Tired of hearing about a certain California carmaker? Well, sorry. Tesla’s name is all over the press this week, from gushers about stock market success to sour-grapes hit pieces about ZEV credits to tantalizing hints of next-gen batteries and self-driving sedans. However, this is the most important news of all for a prospective Model S buyer: Consumer… Read more »
Carlos Ghosn sees little future in battery swapping
The future of the battery swapping concept looks dim, which is bad news for the pioneering firm Better Place. In an interview with Danish news outlet Energi Watch, Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn seemed to say that Renault’s Fluence ZE will probably be the first and last production vehicle to offer battery swapping capability. “When you… Read more »
Volvo raises V60 PHEV production target again
Volvo’s V60 Plug-In Hybrid wagon is a runaway success. The first year’s batch of 1,000 cars sold out before any had a chance to reach showrooms, and Volvo announced in November that it would increase production to 4,000-6,000 units for model year 2014. That figure will now be raised to 10,000 units, according to Cars… Read more »
