Search Results Found For: "Plug & Charge"

Will a post-diesel VW turn to EVs?

The developing VW scandal has highlighted the lengths to which some automakers will go to find an alternative to electrification. Some industry gadflies have speculated that Volkswagen might opt to redeem itself by becoming a (sorely needed) leader in the electromobility field. “With hydrocarbon combustion we’ve hit the limits of physics,” Elon Musk told Auto… Read more »

EV-friendly countries and states join to form the International ZEV Alliance

Plug-in vehicles are on a roll – as of this month, there are now a million on the world’s roads, according to an estimate by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). However, that’s still a tiny fraction of the two-billion-strong global vehicle fleet. EV adoption will have to ramp up quickly to have an… Read more »

New ads for next-gen Chevrolet Volt attack Nissan LEAF, Toyota Prius

The 2016 Chevrolet Volt is a tour de force of engineering, a substantial step forward over its predecessor (see our cover story in the current issue of Charged). However, some EV industry observers fear that unless GM follows up on the technical improvements with some meaningful marketing, an area in which EV-makers have fallen short… Read more »

Yet another study: EVs emit less carbon than legacy vehicles, including electricity generation

EV skeptics have long speculated that EVs powered by grid electricity may be no cleaner in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than ICE vehicles. Well, according to studies by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the University of Minnesota, and Carnegie Mellon University, the opposite is true. On average, EVs produce less well-to-wheels emissions than… Read more »

SoCal Edison deploys workplace charging with smart grid demand response

EVSE LLC, Greenlots and Southern California Edison control peak charging demand Electric utilities around the world have been studying the potential impact of EVs on the grid. The largest pilot program with smart grid demand response (OpenADR 2.0b) that we’ve seen is an 80-unit deployment of EVSE LLC’s Level 2/Level 1 combo smart charging stations at… Read more »

Silicon Valley’s Motiv helps electrify heavy-duty trucks, shuttles and buses

Sometimes kids can’t wait to be grown-ups, but growth takes time. An acorn doesn’t become an oak tree overnight. Electric vehicles are a growth industry, and many people in that industry would like to see explosive expansion, rather than the slow and steady gains that have characterized the market for years. Yet even slow progress… Read more »

2016 Chevy Volt: GM’s top electrification engineers on designing the all-new EREV

When the Chevrolet Volt was launched at the end of 2010, I must confess that I gave it little chance of success. It seemed like an awkward compromise – buyers who wanted to go electric would surely prefer a pure EV, and buyers who weren’t ready to take that plunge had every reason to stick… Read more »

Chevrolet Bolt EV “for everyone” except those in right-hand-drive countries?

It’s the most important question about any new EV: is its maker serious about selling it, or is it just another compliance car or halo model? One clue to an automaker’s intentions is whether the EV is offered for sale in all markets, not just in California. It’s probably far too early to make predictions… Read more »

New study: “Lack of coherent sales concepts” is responsible for weak EV sales

A new market analysis acknowledges that the market share of electric vehicles in the seven leading automotive nations remains stubbornly low, and looks at some of the reasons for the sluggish growth. “The major growth impetus that would anchor e-mobility in the seven leading automotive nations long term is still nowhere to be seen,” the… Read more »

Electric car sharing service opens in Indianapolis

Indianapolis is becoming something of an EV hotspot. The all-electric car sharing service BlueIndy opened for business this week. BlueIndy is owned by the Bolloré Group, a French conglomerate that operates car sharing services in several other cities, including the successful Autolib in Paris. The new car sharing service uses the Bluecar, a two-door hatchback… Read more »