Search Results Found For: "Tesla"

FTC panel considers direct-to-consumer auto sales

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently assembled a panel of experts in auto manufacturing and marketing to consider the question of whether automakers should be allowed to sell cars directly to customers. For several years, Tesla has been waging a war with auto dealers’ associations over this issue – the company’s direct sales model is… Read more »

DOT announces major push to advance autonomous vehicles

DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx introduced a new federal strategy to help develop autonomous driving technology at the Detroit auto show, joined by execs from Tesla, Google, Ford, GM, Delphi and other automotive firms. “If the government doesn’t change its ways, drivers in the future will not be moving on the highways – they will be… Read more »

Carlos Ghosn talks EVs: Governments may be leading now, but consumers will follow

There’s been a lot of talk lately about whether automakers that aren’t named Tesla are truly committed to zero-emission vehicles. Yes, they’re building EVs, but many observers believe that this has more to do with government regulations than customer demand – a controversial article in The Detroit News recently made this point. At the North… Read more »

The Bolt EV is on the way, but GM has no plans to invest in fast charging infrastructure

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is the hero of the hour – reviewers who checked out the production version at the recent Consumer Electronics Show were impressed, and pundits have been hailing it as the EV that could finally break into the mainstream. But one part of the picture seems to be missing. Many believe… Read more »

Faraday Future’s Variable Platform Architecture – a modular skateboard to build an EV on

EV startup Faraday Future’s carmaking prowess has yet to be tested, but it has already revealed some impressive marketing talent. After milking several months of mystery, the company unveiled its FFZERO1 supercar concept at the recent CES in Las Vegas. The event was one of the hottest tickets at a show that has reinvented itself… Read more »

Can Tanktwo redefine the battery pack with big data?

A Finnish-American start-up with ambitious goals wants to change how we think about batteries. The concept of an EV that supports the quick removal and replacement of a discharged battery pack was all the rage about 5 years ago. Since then, however, various systems have been attempted and subsequently abandoned by companies like BetterPlace, Renault,… Read more »

Paraclete Energy says its low-cost silicon nanoparticles can at least double your current anode capacity

Silicon has a theoretical charge capacity ten times higher than typical graphite. That is why a mind-blowing number of researchers are working towards replacing more and more of the graphite used in today’s lithium-ion battery anodes with silicon. In the last issue of Charged, we discussed Tesla’s announcement that it had begun to use small… Read more »

EV marketing efforts continue to miss the mark, determining the reasons why is complicated

Most of us in the EV industry are probably tired of the mainstream media’s constant stream of “EVs aren’t selling” articles, which began around the time the Volt made its debut, and will probably continue until the day the last ICE vehicle rolls off the line. Well, for the near future, it’s only going to… Read more »