When is a hybrid not a hybrid? When it’s made by GM. In a recent blog post, Pam Fletcher, one of GM’s chief engineers, claims to be trying to clear up the confusion about the terms used to describe the various categories of electrified vehicles (and of course, to explain why you want to buy… Read more »
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New US-Europe Interoperability Center will promote EV-smart grid cooperation
The interaction between smart grids and EVs is expected to be a key part of the transition to electric mobility. The grid of the future will provide two-way communication between suppliers and consumers, responding to the actions of all users and ensuring efficient, sustainable power systems with low losses and high security. Promoting common standards… Read more »
Sales surge leaves dealers scrambling for LEAFs
With the LEAF selling over 2,000 units a month – quadruple its year-ago sales – Nissan’s factory in Smyrna, Tennessee is ramping up production. But it’s not fast enough to meet the demand from dealers, Erik Gottfried, Nissan’s director of electric vehicle sales and marketing, told Automotive News. “We’re going to be short on inventory… Read more »
Plug In America study: Tesla Roadster batteries retain 80-85% capacity after 100K miles
Plug In America (PIA) has released a study by its Chief Science Officer (and Charged contributor), Tom Saxton, designed to predict the longevity of Tesla Roadster battery packs, based on user data. The advocacy organization used data voluntarily submitted by Roadster owners, as well as data collected anonymously through the Open Vehicle Monitoring System. 126 vehicles contributed… Read more »
TV ad for Spark EV pushes performance, not polar bears
The EV Press has eagerly awaited the Chevrolet Spark EV, which recently went on sale at selected dealerships in California and Oregon. The big question, of course, was: will GM be actively marketing the new model, in hopes of selling some? The news looks good so far, as GM has launched a TV campaign. Better… Read more »
Wildcat Discovery Technologies’ new cathode materials
We first told you about Wildcat Discovery Technologies back in the October/November 2012 issue of Charged. It is a venture-backed start-up in Southern California that has developed proprietary methods for rapidly synthesizing energy-storage materials. The company boasts that one of its busy scientists can produce 400 to 500 different battery materials at the same time… Read more »
It’s on: Lite-On enters the US EVSE market
If you’ve never heard of Lite-On, don’t feel bad – it’s a quiet giant. However, it’s quite likely that you’re using one of the company’s products right now. The Taiwan-based group is the world’s biggest manufacturer of LEDs and power supplies for consumer electronics. Most of the major computer and smartphone makers use its power… Read more »
A reluctant gem: The FIAT 500e EV
The cute, cuddly FIAT 500e EV may have been born only out of regulatory necessity. So what happens if it becomes the best-reviewed new EV in its class? The bar is raised; the game changes. Maybe Chrysler will even concede that it should sell it outside of the Golden State. Summertime in Sonoma County… Read more »
OCPP: There’s definitely confusion, but is there controversy?
Reporting on the charging industry is a tough gig. It’s incredibly nuanced. Every question we ask the experts leads to three more questions. It turns out that when you take hardware, software, networks, protocols and panels, then mix in some public funding, you get endless opinions. We’ll attempt to clarify two issues in the thick… Read more »
Taxing EVs: no gas means no gas tax
The electric car may have come back from the dead, but it won’t escape life’s other inevitability How do we pay for the highway system? The roads don’t build themselves, in fact they cost a ton of money to construct and maintain. In the US, most of the money comes from gasoline taxes, which have… Read more »