Volvo has announced a major expansion of its electrification plans. The company says it will introduce PHEVs across its entire range, and bring a pure EV to market by 2019. In the first phase of the new strategy, Volvo will introduce plug-in hybrid versions of its 90 series and 60 series larger cars, based on… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Plug & Charge"
Liquid Sky’s new WattZilla charging stations
Liquid Sky Technologies’ new 80-Amp WattZilla Level 2 charging stations have passed UL certification testing. WattZilla, which is based on the OpenEVSE platform, is designed for commercial installations that require high-current chargers. Both the Uno (single-vehicle) and Duo (two-vehicle) versions can be wall- or pole-mounted in interior or exterior locations. The company is now working… Read more »
DC Fast Charging maps highlight differences between Tesla and CHAdeMO/CCS rollouts
Tesla touts its Supercharger network as a no-compromise solution for electric road trips, and has strategically placed Superchargers along well-traveled highways. Elon Musk himself has embarked on a coast-to-coast adventure in a Model S to demonstrate that it can be done in about the same timeframe as with any other vehicle. On the other hand,… Read more »
CARB announces $24 million in new grants for zero-emission truck and bus pilots
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has announced a grant solicitation for Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Pilot Commercial Deployment Projects. Almost $24 million is available for fiscal year 2014-15, and an additional $60 million may be appropriated by the California legislature by next June. This project is intended to speed the deployment of commercially available… Read more »
Why is Ford suddenly advertising its Focus Electric after 3 years?
Many EVangelists believe that the plodding progress of plug-in sales has a lot to do with the automakers’ minimal marketing efforts. So it’s welcome news that Ford has launched a new ad campaign for its Focus Electric. It seems to be a substantial buy (although Ford declined to talk about budgets), with TV ads running… Read more »
Karma is Fisker is Karma: The Luxury PHEV company rebrands and continues hiring
Fisker Automotive, the maker of the star-crossed plug-in hybrid sports car called the Karma, has now changed its name to Karma Automotive. The Fisker story has been colorful, and mostly tragic, since renowned designer Henrik Fisker co-founded the company in 2007. It was involved in a lawsuit with Tesla, became an issue in the 2012… Read more »
Volvo: Electric buses could save cities millions per year
It’s indisputable that electric buses can save local transit authorities substantial amounts on fuel and maintenance costs. However, a new analysis conducted by the Volvo Group and the audit and advisory firm KPMG finds that, taking into consideration such factors as noise, travel time and emissions, the total savings may be much higher. “Standard investment… Read more »
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 »