The LEAF has been racking up impressive sales since Nissan began production in the US. Some of the top 10 sales hotspots are where you’d expect them to be – Left Coast cities such as San Francisco and Portland, and Nashville, the home of Nissan’s north American headquarters. However, the electric hatchback is also conquering… Read more »
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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 »
EVs in paradise: plug-ins and island markets
Islands make perfect EV habitats. Driving distances are generally short, and the need to ship supplies from the mainland keeps gas prices high. Also, islands around the world face a lot of environmental challenges, and many island economies depend on tourism, so the level of green consciousness tends to be high. Island governments around the… Read more »
In-wheel house: Protean Electric’s in-wheel drive system nears production
When Protean Electric begins production of its Protean Drive in-wheel electric drive system later this year, it could mark the stirring comeback of the wheel hub motor, a concept that’s been more than a century in the making. Electric wheel-hub motors date all the way back to 1884, and none other than Ferdinand Porsche used… Read more »
Kentucky firm to market diesel hybrid conversion kits for Class 8 trucks
Kentucky-based ePower Engine Systems has placed an order with Axion Power International (OTC QB: AXPW) for Axion’s leadcarbon (PbC) batteries and management systems, which will be used to convert ten Class 8 trucks (the largest category of over-the-road trucks) to series diesel hybrids, using ePower’s proprietary technology. Each conversion kit would require 56 PbC batteries… Read more »
June EV sales: Volt and LEAF vie for the lead once again
Chevy, Nissan and Tesla are swapping paint at the head of the pack, as a couple of feisty little contenders get ready to enter the race. Plug-in automobiles posted their second best month of US sales so far this year, with almost 8,000 vehicles changing hands. The 2013 Chevrolet Volt retook the lead and then… Read more »
BMW: lithium-air batteries will double EV range within four to five years
Most experts agree that the eventual dominance of electric vehicles depends on a big breakthrough in battery technology. With researchers around the globe feverishly working on such an advance, there’s no question (except among the most rabid EV-haters) that it will happen. If you ask when the big break will occur, however, you’ll find a… Read more »
Nissan announces battery replacement program
Nissan has announced plans to offer a battery replacement program for US LEAF buyers who wish to replace their original lithium-ion battery pack. LEAF batteries are already protected by a warranty that covers battery capacity loss (below 70%) for five years or 60,000 miles, and manufacturing defects for eight years or 100,000 miles. The new battery replacement… Read more »
NADA: prices of used plug-ins to drop 30% in 2013
It’s bad news for early adopters, but good news for those who are impatient for EV prices to come down to a more affordable level. A new report from the National Association of Auto Dealers (NADA) predicts that values for used plug-in vehicles are expected to decline nearly 30% this year – the highest depreciation… Read more »
Bosch to distribute and install Evatran wireless chargers – shipping in July
The Plugless Level 2 EV Charging System includes a vehicle adapter installed on the user’s EV, a floor-mounted wireless Parking Pad, and a wall-mounted control panel.