Search Results Found For: "nissan"

EVs to the rescue of the French auto industry

French President Francois Hollande has proposed a package of measures to revive France’s auto industry by encouraging the production of environmentally-friendly vehicles. The government will strengthen the reward-penalty system for the environmental impact of cars that has been in place since 2008. The incentive for EVs will increase from €5,000 to €7,000, and from €2,000… Read more »

Find your niche: Balqon Corporation targets short haul drayage tractors

Electric vehicles (EVs) have their partisans and detractors. Supporters see the be-all and end-all transportation solution, while opponents argue the technology is too young. Somewhere between the two extremes lies the truth: today’s commercially available EVs have strengths and weaknesses compared to internal combustion engine (ICEs). The strong points include lower operating costs and lack… Read more »

Ford’s new plug-ins

Ford’s recent launch of the Focus Electric, and the upcoming launches of the Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids, are major milestones for the American EV industry. The Focus Electric claims the title of the only pure EV currently available from the Big Three US automakers, and the Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi will… Read more »

The economics of free public EV charging

In June, Cathy and I took our Tesla Roadster on an 11-day, 1,823-mile road trip. It was by far our longest trip in an electric car, and it worked well because the 240-mile range of the Roadster fit pretty well with our goal of a leisurely trip of about 200 miles of driving per day…. Read more »

WattStation/LEAF problem traced to faulty software

Two of the most prominent companies on the EV scene were embarrassed a couple of weeks ago by the news that at least 11 LEAF owners have sustained damage to their cars after using GE’s popular WattStation charger. The two companies mounted an investigation of the problem, and GE announced the findings to the public… Read more »