Just as the idea of battery swapping seems to have stalled (its main proponent, Better Place, is retrenching amid hard times, and Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn has poo-pooed the concept) it may get a recharge from the alpha dog of the EV pack. A careful reading of the leaves from Elon Musk’s last cup of tea… Read more »
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Ford selects AeroVironment to provide turnkey charging station installation
Ford has chosen AeroVironment as its preferred installation partner and charging station supplier for its Focus Electric, C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in vehicles. AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) offers turnkey installation through its nationwide network of certified installers, and a three-year warranty. AeroVironment’s 240-volt home charging station will recharge Ford’s Energi plug-in hybrids in 2.5 hours,… Read more »
Australian firm introduces a compact, dual-standard fast charger
Tritium, an Australian manufacturer of EV power electronic systems, has introduced what it calls “the world’s smallest footprint EV fast charger.” The Veefil is the first release in what the company says will be a new line of charging solutions. It has a power rating of 50 kW, and maximum output current of 125 amps…. Read more »
Bosch introduces a Level 2 charger for under $450
Bosch Automotive Service Solutions (formerly SPX Service Solutions) has introduced what it claims is the first EV charging station with a price under $450, about half that of most current EV chargers. The Bosch Power Max is UL-certified, and is designed to work with all electric vehicles. Features include no-touch operation, a NEMA 3R enclosure for… Read more »
Carlos Ghosn sees little future in battery swapping
The future of the battery swapping concept looks dim, which is bad news for the pioneering firm Better Place. In an interview with Danish news outlet Energi Watch, Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn seemed to say that Renault’s Fluence ZE will probably be the first and last production vehicle to offer battery swapping capability. “When you… Read more »
BYD buys plant in California to build electric buses
Chinese EV maker BYD has purchased a facility in Lancaster, California, to house its electric bus manufacturing operations. The plant was formerly operated by Rexhall Industries, a maker of RVs. Several Rexhall employees, including company CEO William Rex, will stay on as the plant makes the transition to BYD ownership. According to BYD, the manufacturing… Read more »
BMW partners with SOLARWATT to offer solar systems in Germany
Electric vehicles and rooftop solar power are natural partners for several reasons. BMW has just announced a partnership with a Dresden-based company called SOLARWATT to offer deals on photovoltaic systems to drivers of BMW’s upcoming i3 and i8 plug-ins. The German automaker plans to start selling its i3 EV later this year, and its i8… Read more »
GM CEO: next-generation Volt will see big price drop
GM CEO Daniel Akerson was talking green with Fortune’s Geoff Colvin at this week’s Brainstorm Green conference. He talked about the $90 million that GM saves every year in the US from its energy- and waste-saving policies, and took a dig at the politicians, pointing out that no president since Nixon has articulated a national… Read more »
Volvo raises V60 PHEV production target again
Volvo’s V60 Plug-In Hybrid wagon is a runaway success. The first year’s batch of 1,000 cars sold out before any had a chance to reach showrooms, and Volvo announced in November that it would increase production to 4,000-6,000 units for model year 2014. That figure will now be raised to 10,000 units, according to Cars… Read more »
Volvo upgrades C30 EV demo fleet
Volvo’s demo fleet of 100 C30 EVs, which is now being evaluated by European leasing customers, will be upgraded this summer with a new, more powerful motor from Siemens and a new on-board charger from BRUSA. The new Siemens motor has a peak power output of 89 kW (120 hp), torque of 250 Nm, and… Read more »
