The most recent edition of the EPA’s annual report Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends notes that alternative fuel vehicles (including EVs, PHEVs and CNG vehicles) are beginning to have a “measurable and meaningful impact” on the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of the country’s passenger car fleet. The EPA report,… Read more »
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Tesla D is more revolutionary than you think
Tesla’s mysterious D has been revealed and it is cool. Elon Musk introduced the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version of Model S at a theatrical event at Hawthorne Municipal Airport (where SpaceX is headquartered). Musk didn’t just show a slide of the goodies – a huge robot arm lifted up a Model S chassis and turned it… Read more »
Can Tesla crack open Japan’s auto market?
Japan has long been at the forefront of the electromobility revolution. It’s the home of the historic Toyota Prius and the world’s best-selling EV, the Nissan LEAF. As an island nation that imports almost all of its oil, Japan has compelling reasons to electrify, and its government has worked hard to do so, providing significant… Read more »
September plug-in sales: Revenge of the pure EV
September plug-in sales showed a slight decrease compared to August, but 2014 is still on track to decisively beat 2013’s figure. Pure electricity ruled this month, as the leading EVs made strong showings, and all the major PHEV models showed steep declines. The Nissan LEAF still leads the pack. Sales shrank slightly to 2,881 in… Read more »
Tesla fires new legal salvo against New Jersey auto dealers
Tesla has launched a new offensive in the ongoing War of the Auto Dealers, claiming that New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) did not have the authority to stop the company from selling its electric cars at showrooms in the state. Tesla sold cars directly to customers at two New Jersey showrooms for a couple… Read more »
New X-ray technique sheds light on why Li-ion batteries degrade
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are using a new imaging technique to learn more about the process that causes lithium-ion batteries to degrade over time. Using coherent X-ray diffractive imaging at the DOE’s Advanced Photon Source facility, a team of researchers mapped the three-dimensional strain in individual nanoparticles within the electrodes of operating batteries. In… Read more »
Livingston Products develops battery self-cooling system
Illinois-based Livingston Products has developed a new liquid cooling pump system that uses the heat from a battery to propel a proprietary cooling fluid through a system of tubes. The Transthermal Heat Bridge, the subject of more than ten individual patents pending, can be scaled to fit almost any battery configuration, according to the company,… Read more »
Mercedes reveals details of S 500 Plug-in Hybrid as deliveries begin
Mercedes has released some more details on its S 500 Plug-in Hybrid, which is scheduled to begin deliveries in Germany this month. The plug-in Benz sports a V6 biturbo engine, an 85 kW electric motor, an 8.7 kWh water-cooled lithium-iron phosphate battery, and a 3.6 kW on-board charger. The high-voltage battery and plug-in components are covered… 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 »
Studies indicate that EVSE and shade structures could attract prime customers
Public charging and parking have a symbiotic relationship, for obvious reasons. A number of companies in the charging field are forging business relationships with parking providers, which may be large employers, owners of commercial, residential or government properties or third-party operators of paid parking facilities. Most of us devote surprisingly little thought to parking, considering… Read more »