Delivering a welcome victory for the government’s policy of supporting American manufacturing, Tesla Motors has paid off the loan it received from the Department of Energy nine years ahead of schedule, giving taxpayers a profit of at least $12 million on the original $465 million loan, Reuters reported. “I would like to thank the Department… Read more »
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Erik Spek on battery abuse testing, improving safety, and developing standards
(This article originally appeared in Charged Issue 7 – MAR/APR 2013) Q&A with Erik Spek: The Chief Engineer at TÜV SÜD Canada on battery abuse testing, improving safety, and developing standards. When analyzing the current state of lithium-ion technology, it helps to look back at the development of the nickel metal hydride battery (NiMH). Some argued that hybrid automotive… Read more »
Volvo raises V60 PHEV production target again
Volvo’s V60 Plug-In Hybrid wagon is a runaway success. The first year’s batch of 1,000 cars sold out before any had a chance to reach showrooms, and Volvo announced in November that it would increase production to 4,000-6,000 units for model year 2014. That figure will now be raised to 10,000 units, according to Cars… Read more »
LG Chem says US battery plant will begin production in late 2013
South Korea’s LG Chem plans to start production at its US car battery factory in the second half of this year, two executives told Automotive News. The Holland, Michigan manufacturing plant drew some unpleasant publicity in February, when a DOE investigation found that the production line at the plant was idle, but workers were being… Read more »
ARPA-E’s new RANGE program offers $20m for battery research
If you think you can develop an EV battery that delivers three times the range for a third less cost than current designs, you can claim a slice of $20 million in research funding from the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). The agency has issued a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the… Read more »
Pennsylvania extends EV rebate program
Vehicles with a battery system capacity of 10 kWh or more are eligible for the $3,000 rebate amount.
EPA certifies Ford Fusion Energi’s 21-mile electric range
According to the EPA, Ford’s new Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid has a range of 21 miles in electric-only mode, and a 620-mile range using dino juice. With a 100 MPGe combined fuel economy rating, there’s no doubt that the new sedan is a gas saver. In fact, Ford is making fuel economy a centerpiece of… Read more »
VIDEO: Nissan begins US production of new and improved LEAF
Nissan has begun to ramp up production of the LEAF at its manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, and has also announced a number of upgrades for the 2013 model. The electric hatchbacks roll down the line alongside legacy vehicles, but instead of gas tanks and internal combustion engines, workers install lithium-ion battery packs made at… Read more »
Ford Fusion Energi earns 100 MPGe combined EPA rating
America’s #2 automaker is embracing electrification with almost as much zeal as it used to hawk hulking SUVs. Ford has launched five new electrified models in the past year.
Ford: fun or fuel economy – pick one
Two Ford execs have addressed the recent revelations that its 2013 C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid fell short of their EPA mileage ratings in real-world tests done by Consumer Reports and others.



