GM has floated the idea of selling the plug-in hybrid powertrain used in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt (and in the Cadillac CT6 PHEV and Chevy Malibu Hybrid) to other automakers. “We want to be the partner of choice in propulsion system development in this complex and turbulent era we are approaching,” GM’s global powertrain chief… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Plug & Charge"
EV sales in Canada up 32% in 2015
It’s still a bit of a mystery why we Americans fell behind in EV sales in 2015. While US plug-in sales fell short compared to 2014 (a trend that has happily now reversed), sales in Europe almost doubled. Up north in Canada, sales also grew, by 32% compared to 2014 (actually a slower rate of… Read more »
While US EV sales shrank, Europe’s almost doubled
What a difference a year or two makes. Not so long ago, we EV pundits were trying to figure out why EV sales were so slow in Europe compared to the US, despite the continent’s green reputation and high gas prices. Now they must be wondering the same about us. Annual US plug-in sales actually… Read more »
TurboDock: AeroVironment’s answer for affordable and elegant workplace charging
Workplace charging is growing quickly in popularity, and it’s encouraging more and more drivers to go electric. Survey data and reports continue to pile up affirming that pushing for more workplace charging is one of the most effective ways to accelerate widespread plug-in vehicle adoption. According to an August 2014 Department of Energy survey, employees… Read more »
Advancing BMS: Linear Technology launches its fourth-generation battery stack monitor
Engineers use battery management systems (BMS) to prevent problems that occur in Li-ion batteries when they are over-charged or over-discharged, including premature capacity loss and thermal events. A BMS ensures precise control and keeps the individual cells balanced, which is critical to extracting the most useful energy from a pack. Fortunately for EV systems designers,… Read more »
Gigavac launches new PCB-mounted contactors
It’s a common theme across the EV industry: Today many OEMs are designing their second- and third-generation EV platforms, and there is a strong push to increase packaging efficiency across the board, driving out every possible bit of cost. In the past few months, we’ve written about GM’s decision to attach the power electronics directly… Read more »
EV Fleet CEO on building a highway-capable light-duty all-electric truck
There are a lot of great opportunities for companies building EVs for niche markets, but getting an independent automotive startup off the ground is anything but easy. EVs can be very practical from a financial point of view. So it’s a bit of a shame that for the world’s most practical vehicle buyer – the… Read more »
Volkswagen CEO: Europe needs to take the lead in electric mobility
Since the public humiliation of the diesel debacle, Volkswagen’s execs have had much to say about producing more electrified vehicles. Speaking at the company’s New Year’s party in Brussels, CEO Matthias Müller promised that the Volkswagen Group would concentrate on sustainability “more than ever before,” and confirmed plans to introduce about 20 new plug-in models… Read more »
Renault tops European EV sales in 2015
The EV markets on the two sides of the Atlantic look very different. Tesla tops the bestseller list in the US, followed by Nissan. In Europe, Nissan’s partner Renault rules the roost. Some 97,687 pure electric vehicles were sold in Europe in 2015 – that represents 0.61% of the overall European car market, and an… Read more »
Carlos Ghosn talks EVs: Governments may be leading now, but consumers will follow
There’s been a lot of talk lately about whether automakers that aren’t named Tesla are truly committed to zero-emission vehicles. Yes, they’re building EVs, but many observers believe that this has more to do with government regulations than customer demand – a controversial article in The Detroit News recently made this point. At the North… Read more »