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Prius Prime Advanced: the prince of PHEVs

Looking for an objective review of the Toyota Prius Prime Advanced? Sorry, you’ll have to look elsewhere. I’m one of “the pious” – annoying Prius drivers who sing the praises of our favorite hybrid vehicle to anyone who will listen. I’ve owned three Prii (and yes, replaced batteries on two), and this is a completely… Read more »

City of London introduces emissions-based parking fees

Fortunately, the famous London Fogs are a thing of the past, but the UK capital continues to take steps to improve air quality. Drivers in central London must pay a hefty Congestion Charge of around £11.50 (about $15), subject to discounts for “Ultra Low Emission” vehicles. Now the city’s famous financial district, known formally as… Read more »

New eoALM adds automatic load management to non-smart EV chargers

UK EVSE manufacturer EO Charging has launched a self-contained unit that adds automatic load management capabilities to the company’s “non-smart” chargers. The eoALM module is aimed at multiple-EV households, apartment complexes and businesses with small plug-in fleets. When combined with one of EO’s eoMini or eoBasic chargers, the unit constantly monitors the energy profile of… Read more »

Penn State researchers develop cold-weather fast charging method for Li-ion batteries

Fast charging cold Li-ion batteries comes with the risk of lithium plating. When metallic lithium is formed in a battery, it can severely reduce battery lifespan and increase instability. Researchers from Penn State have suggested a solution to that problem that can provide 15-minute fast charging and a twelve-year battery lifespan in temperatures as low as… Read more »

Next 10 report examines the effects of EV adoption on California’s power grid

A new report from non-profit think tank Next 10 explores how the power grid might be challenged or helped by the rise of EVs. Two related reports look at the effects of distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar panels, and of Community Choice Aggregators, a growing local alternative to investor-owned utilities. According to Next… Read more »

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV delivers the goods

As a tree-hugging greenie, I tend to be prejudiced against SUVs, but after a week with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, I couldn’t really find anything not to like. This medium-size crossover drives great, it’s comfortable, and it has all the high-tech goodies we’ve come to expect. The electric range of 22 miles is enough to… Read more »

Momentum Dynamics installs 200 kW wireless charging system for buses

Momentum Dynamics has installed a 200-kilowatt wireless charging system to support electric transit buses in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The new charging system, which became operational in June, is inside the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) Shuttle Park and automatically charges electric buses as they load and unload passengers. The system is Momentum Dynamics’ second in… Read more »

A closer look at DC-DC converters

As far as we know, all EVs in production by major automakers use a conventional lead-acid battery for the 12 V system (surprising, but true – more on why in a bit) and this battery needs charging, just as it does in an ICE vehicle. While you could hang an alternator off the traction motor… Read more »

Wall Street comfortably digests Tesla’s Q2 results

Tesla isn’t like other companies, and you can never tell how Wall Street will react to a particular quarterly earnings report. Like gourmands digesting a culinary oeuvre, those of us who aspire to be seen as wise have learned to wait a day or so to let things settle before passing judgement (or making stock… Read more »