Intertek’s Rich Byczek on avoiding EVSE-to-vehicle interoperability issues. Back in January, Plugincars.com published an article by Colby Trudeau – a Honda Fit EV owner, Plug In America volunteer, and electrical engineer at Qualcomm Technologies – that detailed his charging troubles using Ecotality’s Blink charging stations at work. Trudeau found that after about 20 minutes… Read more »
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Supercars, hybrids and EVs take the stage in Geneva
At Geneva’s enormous Palexpo convention center, it’s obvious we’re not in Detroit – there’s hardly a pickup truck in sight, and the wine and coffee are flowing freely. Reflecting Europe’s colorful collage of cultures, a vast variety of vehicles from hybrids to EVs to seven-figure super-sports cars are spinning on the turntables. Europe is just… Read more »
e-Motorsports and the race to bring green automotive solutions into mainstream markets
The whirr of competition will replace the ear-splitting cacophony of engines and fossil-fueled adrenaline.
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 »
Will Tesla add battery swap capability to the Model S?
Just as the idea of battery swapping seems to have stalled (its main proponent, Better Place, is retrenching amid hard times, and Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn has poo-pooed the concept) it may get a recharge from the alpha dog of the EV pack. A careful reading of the leaves from Elon Musk’s last cup of tea… Read more »
Ford selects AeroVironment to provide turnkey charging station installation
Ford has chosen AeroVironment as its preferred installation partner and charging station supplier for its Focus Electric, C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in vehicles. AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) offers turnkey installation through its nationwide network of certified installers, and a three-year warranty. AeroVironment’s 240-volt home charging station will recharge Ford’s Energi plug-in hybrids in 2.5 hours,… Read more »
Carlos Ghosn sees little future in battery swapping
The future of the battery swapping concept looks dim, which is bad news for the pioneering firm Better Place. In an interview with Danish news outlet Energi Watch, Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn seemed to say that Renault’s Fluence ZE will probably be the first and last production vehicle to offer battery swapping capability. “When you… Read more »
BYD buys plant in California to build electric buses
Chinese EV maker BYD has purchased a facility in Lancaster, California, to house its electric bus manufacturing operations. The plant was formerly operated by Rexhall Industries, a maker of RVs. Several Rexhall employees, including company CEO William Rex, will stay on as the plant makes the transition to BYD ownership. According to BYD, the manufacturing… Read more »
GM CEO: next-generation Volt will see big price drop
GM CEO Daniel Akerson was talking green with Fortune’s Geoff Colvin at this week’s Brainstorm Green conference. He talked about the $90 million that GM saves every year in the US from its energy- and waste-saving policies, and took a dig at the politicians, pointing out that no president since Nixon has articulated a national… 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 »