Contrary to popular belief, the small, practical city car is not necessarily the best candidate for electrification. Battery costs will keep EVs more expensive than legacy vehicles for some time to come, and many drivers won’t recoup the higher purchase price in fuel savings in a reasonable number of years. In a new article, John… Read more »
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What happens when the EV tax credit is phased out? (Don’t ask the IRS.)
How important is the $7,500 federal tax credit for EV buyers, and what will happen to the market when it is eventually phased out? Vehicles from a particular automaker are eligible for the tax credit until it has sold 200,000 EVs in the US. After that, buyers of the company’s vehicles will get 50 percent… Read more »
Are auto dealers the EV’s worst enemy?
It’s safe to say that car dealers aren’t a particularly beloved bunch. Shopping for a car may not be as bad as going to the dentist, but for many people, it’s right up there. Technically-minded buyers find it frustrating to try to glean some factual information from the typical rambling sales pitch, while more gentle… Read more »
Blink Network introduces kWh-based pricing
The Car Charging Group has announced that it will introduce kWh-based pricing on charging stations in its Blink Network in states where such pricing models are permitted. 12 states, including California, New York and Florida, plus the District of Columbia, currently allow the energy-based pricing model. With kWh pricing, EV drivers pay fees based on… Read more »
California i3 drivers to receive free DC fast charging through 2015
There’s a battle brewing, and EV drivers are clearly going to be the winners, as BMW becomes the third automaker to regale its customers with free and convenient public fast charging. The ChargeNow DC Fast program, a cooperative effort with NRG eVgo, offers BMW i3 drivers in California unlimited no-cost 30-minute DC fast charging through… Read more »
CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine Issue 13 – April 2014
Subscribe Now Trouble viewing? Read the features inside here. Featuring: The Tech Phinergy CEO explains aluminum-air batteries for 1,000-mile range-extended EVs A closer look at the semiconductor switch Wildcat’s new copper fluoride cathode material offers 2.5x more capacity than today’s battery tech The Vehicles The Buckeye Bullet: A student-built EV that’s racing towards 400 mph… Read more »
Tesla patents include technology for reducing risk of battery fires
It will take a while to digest the probable impact of Tesla’s bold move to open up all of its patents. A first step toward understanding the likely effects on the industry would be figuring out just what kind of technology the patents cover, and the insurance analysis firm uAutoInsurance is working on doing just… Read more »
Number of plug-ins doubling every year
The number of plug-in cars on the road has increased at an annual rate of more than 100% over the last three years, according to an analysis by Germany’s Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW). At the beginning of 2014, there were 405,000 plug-ins (EVs and PHEVs) registered worldwide, compared to 200,000 in… Read more »
Auto sales, including plug-ins, freeze up in January
After a stellar 2013, overall auto sales took a big dip in January, and plug-ins were no exception to the trend. Auto sales slid 3% as snow and ice kept people away from dealerships. Total plug-in sales were little more than half of December’s (but still more than in January 2013). The LEAF was firmly… Read more »
Norway to reevaluate EV incentives: too much of a good thing?
EVs may still draw stares in many American cities, but in Norway these days, they don’t merit a second glance. For the last three months, the Model S and the LEAF have been the best-selling cars in the country. Total EV sales are around 1,200 a month, or over 10% of all auto sales. According… Read more »