As more and more automakers are accelerating their plans for an electric future, sales of existing EV models are also gathering momentum. Monthly US plug-in vehicle sales have now beaten previous-year figures for 20 consecutive months. The trend continued in May, as an estimated 16,568 plug-ins were sold, a gain of 44% over last May…. Read more »
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Elon Musk addresses Tesla employees about unionization
Unions and automakers have a long and fraught relationship. As Tesla has begun to evolve into a major automaker, the union has come calling, and Detroit execs are doubtless looking on with sympathy (or schadenfreude?) at the events of the past couple of weeks. Recently, Tesla factory worker Jose Moran claimed in a post on… Read more »
GKN Driveline supplies eTransmission for StreetScooter electric vans
GKN Driveline is supplying its electric drive technology to StreetScooter, the electric vehicle company owned by the German postal service, Deutsche Post DHL. The service intends to deploy 2,000 StreetScooter vehicles in its urban delivery fleet by the end of the year as part of its ultimate objective of converting its entire delivery fleet to… Read more »
Global warming impact of Chrysler PHEV is 31% less than that of previous minivan
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid plug-in hybrid has a life-cycle global warming impact that’s 31% less than that of the previous-generation minivan, and 24% less than its 2017 gas-powered stablemate, according to an analysis by Fiat Chrysler (FCA). FCA’s engineers used an industry-standard software tool that determines Global Warming Potential (GWP), considering not only fuel… Read more »
New Eagle and Inventev demonstrating electric Ford Transit van in Detroit
Two Michigan companies, New Eagle and Inventev, have teamed up to convert full-size commercial vans to electric drive. They are demonstrating a fully electric Ford Transit van at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Production and sale of the vehicles is scheduled to begin in early 2018. New Eagle will provide the core… Read more »
Plug-in sales through the roof in 2016 as multiple models set records
December plug-in sales blew away last year’s figure, a cheery finale to a year that saw a huge increase. 159,139 EVs and PHEVs changed hands in 2016, a 37% increase over 2015’s 116,099. A new breeze seems to be blowing through boardrooms around the industry, from Toyota to Chrysler to Ford. As usual, Tesla heads… Read more »
Chrysler expected to reveal electric minivan in January
Is Fiat Chrysler, the most famous electro-skeptic of the major automakers, changing its tune? An anonymous source has told Bloomberg that the company will show a pure EV based on its popular Pacifica minivan at the upcoming CES show in Las Vegas, a move Bloomberg described as an attempt “to get in step with the… Read more »
Tesla subsidies amount to a fraction of what the Big Three have received
Tesla has been the target of trolls, misinformation and fake news stories since its founding. Whole web sites are devoted to trumpeting the company’s failings, real and invented. Since the US presidential election, the torrent of tirades has kicked into high gear. The Institute for Energy Research, a think tank funded by oil and coal… Read more »
Chrysler reveals pricing and features for Pacifica PHEV
Chrysler is joining the plug-in party with a PHEV version of its popular Pacifica minivan. The 2017 Pacifica Hybrid has an estimated electric range of 30 miles, and fuel efficiency of 80 MPGe in city driving. LG Chem is supplying the 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack system and controls. The pack carries a 10-year/150,000-mile warranty…. Read more »
Auto industry (except Tesla) spends an average $1,000 per vehicle in advertising
Elon Musk has said several times that he rarely thinks about marketing, and that if you build a truly revolutionary product, the marketing will take care of itself. Tesla has followed this philosophy since its founding. It participates in only the largest, most high-profile auto shows, gives access to only a few carefully selected journalists,… Read more »