The XC90 T8 is the first Volvo designed from the ground up for plug-in compatibility, according to the company. Built on the Scalable Product Architecture platform, the 7-seat SUV features a 4-cylinder Drive-E gas engine with supercharger and turbocharger, an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The high-voltage (270–400 V) lithium-ion battery has a 9.2 kWh capacity, capable of… Read more »
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Utilities launch initiatives to electrify their vehicle fleets, encourage workplace charging
Utility industry bigwigs joined Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz at the White House to announce two initiatives to promote electric transportation technologies. More than 70 investor-owned electric utilities will increase investment by about $250 million over 5 years to add more electric vehicles to their fleets, starting in 2015. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and the… Read more »
Celgard to work with Panasonic on next-generation battery cells
Celgard, a subsidiary of Polypore International (NYSE: PPO) and Panasonic have agreed to work together to develop coated and uncoated Celgard brand separators for Panasonic’s next-generation cylindrical battery cells. Upon completion of the development effort, the two firms expect to form a long term supply agreement. A battery separator provides a barrier between the anode… Read more »
Every inch an EV: Tesla’s Model S redefines the automobile (new book excerpt)
This article is an excerpt from Tesla Motors: How Elon Musk and Company Made Electric Cars Cool, and Sparked the Next Tech Revolution by Charged Senior Editor Charles Morris. This 270-page book is a comprehensive history of Tesla, told by the entrepreneurs who made it happen, as well as an assessment of the company’s lasting influence… Read more »
EU scraps official targets for EV charging stations
The European Union has dropped proposed targets for the number of public charging stations member countries must install by 2020. The EU’s new alternative fuel law, due to come into force later this month, will contain no binding rules on how many charging stations are to be deployed. The law states only that governments must… Read more »
NRG eVgo installs 60 workplace charging stations for Sony Pictures
NRG eVgo has installed what it says is the largest corporate deployment of EV charging stations in Southern California – 60 Level 2 workplace charging stations at Sony Pictures Entertainment’s historic facility in Culver City. eVgo’s Ready for Electric Vehicle (REV) program provides workplaces with turnkey EV charging solutions, providing charger maintenance and driver support…. Read more »
Los Angeles County deploys 82 new public charging stations
Los Angeles County has deployed 82 Schneider Electric EVlink charging stations at 34 locations, including hospitals, sheriff stations and the Los Angeles Civic Center. During the first year of the pilot program, charging will be free for up to four hours. “There has been tremendous progress by car makers to socialize buying of electric vehicles,… Read more »
British Columbia public EV charging stations see rapid growth in usage
A growing number of drivers are plugging into British Columbia’s public EV charging stations. Powertech Labs, a subsidiary of local utility BC Hydro, tracks 350 of BC’s 550 public chargers, and reports that the number of charging sessions at those stations doubled between August 2013 and August 2014. “Over 40,000 charging sessions were reported in… Read more »
French city launches car-sharing service with tiny Toyota EVs
The City of Grenoble, France has launched a unique car-sharing service featuring ultra-compact EVs and close integration into the local public transport system. Cité lib by Ha:mo (for Harmonious Mobility), which is patterned after a system that Toyota has been piloting in Japan, opens October 1 for a three-year trial period. Toyota is providing 70… Read more »
Ultracapacitors supercharge stop/start systems
Electrification is quietly sneaking into “conventional” vehicles, as more models incorporate stop/start technology. Navigant Research predicts that 54% of new vehicles worldwide will have stop/start capability by 2022. Different automakers are applying stop/start in very different ways. For energy storage, a stop/start system may use Li-ion batteries, advanced-glass-mat (AGM) lead-acid batteries, ultracapacitors (UCs), or some… Read more »