We’ve become used to the mainstream press insisting that EVs aren’t selling, and that cheap gas will be the final nail in the electric coffin (most recently in a widely-cited report from Edmunds that found that car buyers are rushing to trade in their “hybrid and electric cars” for gas-guzzling SUVs). Bloomberg, however, has long… Read more »
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Siemens introduces VersiCharge Smartgrid Wi-Fi-enabled charging station
Siemens’s new VersiCharge Smartgrid (SG) is a Wi-Fi-enabled charging station that allows residential owners to monitor and control usage remotely through a mobile app. Users can automatically turn charging on or off, schedule charging when rates are lowest, and view past power consumption data in graphical form. The cloud-based charging station can also interact with… Read more »
CCS EV Fast Charging standard is about two years behind CHAdeMO in California
California is the most electrified state in the US, thanks in part to its ZEV mandate that requires automakers to produce a certain number of zero-emission vehicles. In addition to leading the way in EV adoption, the state has also installed the most public charging infrastructure, by far. According to PlugShare, there are about 6,597… Read more »
Fairchild’s new line of MOSFETs and High Voltage Rectifiers
Semiconductor supplier Fairchild (NASDAQ: FCS) has introduced new automotive-qualified SuperFET II MOSFET and High Voltage Rectifier product families, which are designed to increase the power ratings of onboard chargers and DC-to-DC converters used in hybrid and electric vehicles. “A chief goal for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturers is keeping onboard battery chargers and DC-to-DC… Read more »
BMW i5 may be more EV than PHEV
BMW’s electrification strategy is cruising along smoothly. The i3 is moving around 1,000 units a month, i8s are selling as fast as they’re being built, and the company has said it plans to introduce a plug-in model in every one of its product segments. The next e-beemer will be the 2016 X5 plug-in hybrid SUV,… Read more »
2016 Cadillac ELR gets a price cut and performance upgrades
The Cadillac ELR has always been a bit of an odd duck. When it went on sale at the end of 2013, most of the media, including Charged, found it to be a fine vehicle, but some were skeptical that buyers would be interested in paying $75,000 for what is basically a luxury version of… Read more »
New report: China poised to overtake US as world’s largest EV market
A new report from consultancy Roland Berger indicates that while the US remains the country with the largest market for plug-in vehicles, that’s unlikely to last, as China has the highest rate of EV sales growth, and by far the highest level of e-mobility subsidies. The Q1 2015 E-Mobility Index compares the relative competitive standings… Read more »
Meanwhile, Massachusetts extends its EV rebate program
As other states, including Georgia and Illinois, are eliminating their tax incentives for EV purchases, Massachusetts has allocated an additional $2 million to its Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program, which offers rebates of up to $2,500 to residents who buy or lease plug-in or fuel cell vehicles. The MOR-EV program was initially… Read more »
GM ends production of 2015 Volt, retools for next-gen model
GM has suspended production of the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant in order to get ready for the revamped 2016 Volt, which is to go on sale in the second half of this year. The company plans to invest a total of $343 million to retool for its lineup of next-generation hybrid vehicles. The production… Read more »
Chinese automaker BYD to triple production of batteries
Chinese automaker BYD aims to be a major player in the battery business, adding 6 gigawatt-hours of global production in each of the next three years, company spokesman Matthew Jurjevich told Reuters recently. If it continues at that pace, BYD’s capacity will be some 34 GWh of batteries by the beginning of 2020, putting it about… Read more »