The DOE will award $49.4 million in new funding for projects that accelerate research and development of new vehicle technologies. The announcement identifies 13 areas of interest, of which 7 are described as “critical technologies” to meet the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, which has a goal of making EVs more affordable and convenient to own… Read more »
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London taxicabs plug in as Metrocab launches real-world trials
London’s classic black taxicabs are slowly but surely going electric. The new Range Extended Electric Metrocab, a plug-in hybrid taxi designed and built in the UK by Ecotive, a subsidiary of electric powertrain developer Frazer-Nash, will begin real-world trials in the British capital this month. London’s famous black taxis must conform to a host of… Read more »
New paper: US policies to support plug-ins are ineffective
Governments around the world are taking many different measures to encourage the adoption of plug-in vehicles, but it’s far from clear which of these policies will prove to make sense in the long run. A new paper published in Energy Policy argues that current US policies are inefficient and ineffective. One of the main culprits… Read more »
December plugin sales: LEAF has best month ever, but Volt wins top spot for 2013
It was a banner year for plug-in vehicles, as 2013 sales (94,019) almost doubled 2012’s figure (52,581), and several new models made strong debuts – US buyers now have a choice of 16 mainstream plug-in models, compared to 9 at the end of last year. Overall US auto sales are up 8% in 2013, according… Read more »
A new roadmap for plugging EVs into California’s electrical grid
As EVs proliferate, the challenges of integrating them with the electrical grid will grow in importance. While an increase in peak demand is a concern, pessimists’ predictions that an influx of EVs will “overwhelm the grid” are vastly overblown. In fact, with some intelligent planning, EV batteries could be a valuable resource that improves the… Read more »
Senate proposal would eliminate plug-in vehicle tax credit
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) has unveiled a draft package of proposals to streamline energy-related tax incentives. The package would repeal a number of current tax incentives, including those for plug-in vehicles. “It is time to bring our energy tax policy into the 21st century,” Senator Baucus said. “Our current set of energy… Read more »
WiTricity to provide wireless charging technology for Prius Plug-In
The Prius Plug-In is going wireless, and WiTricity will be providing its resonant power transfer technology. This week, the Massachusetts-based MIT spinout announced an intellectual property license agreement with Toyota, which has been an investor in WiTricity since 2011. Toyota announced plans to add wireless charging to the Prius line in August. “We have heard… Read more »
Volvo won’t sell V60 diesel plug-in globally
Disappointing news for American lovers of Volvo station wagons: Senior VP Lex Kerssemakers told the Australian outlet Drive that the company will not offer the V60 diesel plug-in hybrid wagon globally. Instead, Yanks and Aussies will have to settle for a gasoline plug-in powertrain that will debut in the new XC90 SUV in late 2014…. Read more »
Via Motors presents solar tonneau for its plug-in pickup
The first question the “average Joe” asks about an EV is often, “Why don’t they put a solar panel on it?” Leaving aside technical details about surface area, insolation, voltage levels and the requirements of vehicle design, the simple answer is that it wouldn’t produce enough energy to justify the cost. However, Via Motors’ VTrux… Read more »
Volvo’s plug-in hybrid buses save fuel, delight drivers
Field tests in Sweden have shown that Volvo’s plug-in hybrid buses reduce fuel consumption by 81% and total energy consumption (diesel plus electricity) by 61% compared to a comparable Euro 5 diesel bus. The silent, smooth ride is an added benefit. “Our performance results are even slightly better than we had anticipated. The plug-in hybrid… Read more »