Fuel cell vehicles – love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re here. The Toyota Mirai made its debut at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, and is scheduled to go on sale next year. The 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell has been available for lease since June. Honda plans to launch its hydrogen offering within two… Read more »
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Lexus ad ridicules BMW i3
They’re at it again. As Toyota execs talk trash about electric powertrains, subsidiary Lexus has launched a second ad campaign (via Green Car Reports) that makes fun of EVs, touting pure hybrids as superior. In the latest five-minute video (perhaps an outtake from the new Dumb and Dumber movie), two groups of jokers set out on a… Read more »
BMW’s fast charging strategy: Clarifying some nuanced announcements
Range anxiety: we’re not sure whether it’s a serious disease or a psychosomatic ailment, but it’s one of the most commonly-cited objections heard from potential EV buyers, and automakers take it quite seriously. All of the top EV-makers are investing heavily in public charging infrastructure in an effort to eradicate this dreaded malady. At the… Read more »
October plug-in sales: LEAF, Volt still lead, BMW coming up strong
The US auto industry had a good month, as automakers reported their strongest October sales in a decade. Most of the action was in gas-guzzling pickups and SUVs – alas, plug-in sales were down compared to last October, for the first time in 46 months of EV sales. Annual sales are still on track to handily… Read more »
CHARGED Electric Vehicles Magazine Issue 15
Subscribe Now Trouble viewing? Read the features inside here. Featuring: The Tech Next-gen battery pack testing: AeroVironment launches the AV-900 EX Simulation of battery pack cooling systems: Measure twice, cut once Voltabox begins building Li-ion battery packs in Texas Freudenberg Group’s new line of Li-ion battery separators The… Read more »
Tesla pre-owned vehicle program could be lucrative profit center
Tesla is developing a certified pre-owned vehicle program similar to those already offered by luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes. “With the Model S fleet now heading toward the first cars hitting three years old, we are looking at CPO and how best to structure.” VP of Communications Simon Sproule told Automotive News. In… Read more »
New Report: Aluminum vs steel in battle to meet CAFE standards
Aluminum seems to be in the ascendant these days – Ford will use aluminum for the body of its 2015 F-150 pickup truck, and a recent report from the Aluminum Association predicts that by 2025, three out of four pickups will have all-aluminum bodies. Not so fast, says the industry information service World Steel Dynamics…. Read more »
European EV sales – a very different selection from the US
The US and European auto markets differ in several significant ways, so it’s not surprising that the sales figures for the various plug-in models available look quite different across the water. One of the biggest differences is size. We Americans love our pickups and SUVs, while Europeans love cute little cars that would be laughed… Read more »
Renault and Bolloré collaborate on assembly, car-sharing and a new 3-seat version of the Bluecar
French firms Renault and Bolloré have agreed to join forces to promote EVs through three separate agreements: The Bolloré Group has commissioned Renault to take over assembly of the Bluecar, which was formerly built in Italy. The vehicles will be assembled at the Renault plant in Dieppe beginning in the second half of 2015. The… Read more »
Plug-in hybrid kit maker Echo Automotive goes out of business
The commercial fleet market promises great opportunities for startups, but also great dangers. A number of companies are trying to electrify this segment, and several have already fallen by the wayside. The latest to run out of juice is Echo Automotive, which was profiled in our April issue. The Arizona-based company has been forced to… Read more »