A race towards progress: The all-electric racing series The greatest obstacle to getting more EVs on the road isn’t high upfront costs, range anxiety or a lack of infrastructure – it’s simple consumer awareness. Despite the fact that the Model S, Volt and LEAF are becoming common sights in many cities, a surprisingly high number of… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "NIO"
Apple exec: “The car is the ultimate mobile device.”
Will Apple’s next blockbuster product line have wheels and a windshield? Well, the company hasn’t said it won’t, and Senior VP Jeff Williams made some tantalizing comments at last week’s Code Conference. Responding to a question about what the company might do with its massive pile of cash, Williams said, “The car is the ultimate… Read more »
New report: EV charger market to expand twelvefold by 2020
The global market for EV chargers is set to grow from about one million units in 2014 to more than 12.7 million units in 2020, according to a new EV Charging Infrastructure report by IHS Automotive. IHS expects public charging to be a small but important part of the picture. In 2020, approximately 10% of… Read more »
FTC officials: States should allow consumers to choose how they buy cars
Federal Trade Commission officials have weighed in for a second time on the war between Tesla and the auto dealers. In an 11-page letter that is summarized in the Competition Matters blog, a trio of senior FTC staffers wrote that a recently-passed Michigan law, which strengthens the requirement that automakers sell only through third-party dealers,… Read more »
Report: EV makers slowly increasing power capacity of onboard chargers
In quest of faster charging times, some EV-makers are gradually raising the power capacity of their vehicles’ onboard chargers. However, a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan predicts that onboard chargers with power ratings between 3 and 3.7 kW will remain the norm, especially in lower-end models, and will account for 62 percent of sales in… Read more »
Tesla acquires Michigan tool-and-die manufacturer
Tesla reached another corporate milestone this week, making its first acquisition, Michigan tool and die manufacturer Riviera Tool. The company will be renamed the Tesla Tool and Die Factory, and most of the 100 employees are expected to stay on, the Detroit News reported. “This acquisition enables Tesla to bring additional capabilities in-house, streamlining production… Read more »
Eguana and LG Chem partner on residential energy storage system
Tesla may have some competition in the residential storage market. Battery giant LG Chem has partnered with Eguana Technologies to develop a modular energy storage system called AC Battery. AC Battery is targeted at homeowners who want to store electricity from solar panels for later use. However it could also be aggregated for small commercial… Read more »
Tesla batteries already powering Wal-Marts
Tesla’s new residential and utility-scale batteries, which have the potential to revolutionize the energy market, are expected to be publicly unveiled this week. Invitations to the April 30th event teased the new product line as “the missing piece.” The company has been quietly installing systems for a while now – in a California pilot with… Read more »
Maxwell Technologies introduces 24-volt versions of ultracapacitor-based Engine Start Module
As every truck driver or heavy equipment operator knows, diesel engines can be difficult to start in low temperatures, or after not being started for long periods. Maxwell Technologies’ Engine Start Module (ESM) is an ultracapacitor-based system that takes over the engine cranking function and remains fully charged, even if battery voltage drops. Now Maxwell… Read more »
Los Angeles mayor’s environmental plan calls for 1,000 new public chargers
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has set out his vision for the city’s environmental goals in an upbeat report entitled “the pLAn.” It covers a wide range of topics, from water conservation to energy-efficient buildings to renewable energy to recycling to public transit. Many of the goals are very modest, such as the call for… Read more »