With the entire collection of 23 Toyota and Lexus hybrid models as a backdrop, Toyota Managing Officer Satoshi Ogiso delivered an inspiring overview of the past, present and future of the Prius family at the “2013 Toyota Hybrid World Tour event in Michigan. Ogiso was one of the engineers who began developing hybrid technology at… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "FLO"
ZF and Levant develop active regenerative suspension
Regenerative braking is cool, so why not regenerative suspension? German transmission manufacturer ZF Friedrichshafen and Massachusetts-based Levant Power have started working together to produce just such a system. According to the companies, GenShock-technology is a fully active system for passenger cars which will combine dynamics, safety, and comfort characteristics with minimum energy consumption. The goal… Read more »
MetLife installs workplace chargers at 14 US campuses
Good grief! Insurance giant MetLife (NYSE: MET) has installed 32 Level 2 charging stations for employee use at 14 of its facilities across 10 states. According to the company, this is the largest number of stations of any non-EV industry company currently participating in the DOE’s Workplace Charging Challenge. “MetLife has a broad and deep… Read more »
Tesla Model S achieves best safety rating of any car ever tested
They’re quieter, cleaner and more fun to drive. Now it’s becoming apparent that electric vehicles are safer, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory, a distinction that only one percent of all cars tested by the feds… Read more »
ECOtality suspends trading, speaks of possible bankruptcy
ECOtality, the operator of the Blink charging network (Nasdaq: ECTY), has suspended trading and filed an 8-K report that details serious trouble for the company. Here’s the bad news: Although the Company is currently exploring options for a restructuring or sale of the entire business and/or assets, [it] may need to file a petition commencing… Read more »
2014 Volt MSRP to drop five grand
The eagerly awaited 2014 Volt will have no changes from the 2013 model, except for a couple of new colors – and a $5,000 price cut. The new sticker price will be $34,995, including an $810 destination charge. The 2014s have already begun shipping from GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, and will arrive in showrooms within… Read more »
OnStar and TimberRock introduce EV solar charging partnership
GM and TimberRock have announced a partnership to combine OnStar software with TimberRock’s solar canopies, allowing for the management and storage of solar energy using electric vehicle fleets. TimberRock will use OnStar’s aggregation software to monitor the output of its solar charging stations, how much stored energy is available, and at what times during the day it… Read more »
Is Chrysler finally going to get charged?
Hope springs eternal that America’s #3 automaker will someday get serious about EVs, or at least bring a hybrid to market. A couple of media outlets seized on a Chrysler exec’s comment in a recent interview as evidence that the company plans to jump on the electric bandwagon. The Detroit Free Press recently published an… Read more »
Honda plans field tests of the Micro Commuter EV
Honda plans to begin field tests of its Micro Commuter Prototype β this fall, in cooperation with the city of Saitama, Japan. The Micro Commuter was introduced as a concept at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. At a mere 2.5 meters long, and 400 kg plus the battery, it’s designed to seat a driver and… 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 »