Data collected by Nissan indicates that a LEAF battery should last as long as 22 years, according to Francisco Carranza, Managing Director of Renault-Nissan Energy Services. Nissan monitors various parameters, including charging patterns and battery degradation, on the over 400,000 LEAFs it has sold in Europe since 2011. Carranza did not discuss the issue of… Read more »
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Mercedes begins production of EQC electric SUV
Mercedes has begun production of the EQC, a pure electric SUV that represents the German automaker’s first native EV (built to be electric, not adapted from a legacy vehicle). The company has begun taking orders, and deliveries are expected to start next month. Mercedes says the EQC SUV is already sold out for the year…. Read more »
A look at Volkswagen’s MEB architecture
The all-electric underpinnings that the VW Group will use to build dozens of EVs A few weeks before the end of 2019, if all goes according to plan, the first Volkswagen I.D. Neo electric car will roll off the assembly line at the company’s plant in Zwickau, Germany. Different versions will offer ranges from 160… Read more »
New study from VW confirms EVs produce lower emissions than diesels
Volkswagen has refuted a recent anti-EV hit piece with a new study that confirms what many earlier studies have found: EVs have smaller life-cycle carbon footprints than comparable ICE vehicles, even if they are charged by dirty fossil-derived energy. “For the same vehicle models with different powertrains, the carbon footprint of the battery-powered E variants… Read more »
Tesla and Panasonic reported to be reconsidering Gigafactory expansion plans
Earlier this week, Nikkei reported that Tesla and Panasonic have suspended plans to expand the capacity of Gigafactory 1. The two companies had planned to increase capacity at the Nevada plant by about 50 percent by 2020, but financial problems have forced them to put those plans on hold, the newspaper said. Panasonic will “study… Read more »
Dozens of new EVs on display at Geneva auto show
The Geneva International Motor Show may have lost some of its former glamor – several major brands are not attending this year – but it remains a good place to get a feel for the state of the European auto industry. And the Europeans are talking electrification – the New York Times caught the electric… Read more »
Shell to acquire home energy storage company sonnen
Pending regulatory approval, Shell will acquire 100% of sonnen, a German manufacturer of energy storage systems for homes and small business. Shell previously invested in sonnen in May 2018. sonnen manufactures smart energy storage systems and offers energy services via its sonnenCommunity platform. In December 2018, sonnen put into operation a virtual power plant composed… Read more »
Volkswagen Group Components to produce fast charging station with storage
In 2020, Volkswagen Group Components, an independent business unit of Volkswagen AG, will start production of a fast charging station capable of charging four vehicles simultaneously and providing energy storage when not in use. The charging stations will be manufactured at a components plant in Hanover, replacing the plant’s current heat exchanger production area. The… Read more »
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology establishes hub to help ICE tech companies transition to EVs
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany has established an organization that aims to teach companies experienced in manufacturing combustion engines how to transition their skills to EV technologies. The Transformation Hub Electric Mobility, which will target small to medium-sized companies, has been funded with €2.6 million from the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The… Read more »
Rivian secures $700 million in new investment round led by Amazon
Amazon will lead a $700-million investment round in EV startup Rivian Automotive. Also investing in this round is Rivian’s long-term investment partner, Saudi auto distributor Abdul Latif Jameel. Although it was reported earlier that GM was also in talks with Rivian, the automaker is not involved in this round. Rivian has been raising eyebrows since… Read more »