Search Results Found For: "Tesla"

Chinese EV market takes off – as Western automakers watch from the sidelines

Sales of plug-in vehicles in China are quickly ramping up, spurred by generous government subsidies, which in turn are motivated by choking air pollution in the country’s major cities. Yonghe Huang, Director of Policy Research at the China Automotive Technology Center, highlighted the explosive growth in a recent presentation. In 2014, automakers in China produced… Read more »

Nissan dealer: 2016 LEAF to offer larger battery pack as an option

The new and improved 2016 LEAF, which may reach dealers in October, is expected to have substantially increased range, but that’s about all we know at this point – Nissan has yet to release any details. However, it may be that an Indiana Nissan dealer has just spilled the beans. Andy Mohr Avon Nissan ( via Green… Read more »

California Air Resources Board chief: Automakers need to end production of ICEs around 2030

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is one of the world’s most important promoters of electromobility. The agency’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires that 2.7 percent of new cars sold in the state this year be plug-in (or fuel cell) vehicles. That percentage is scheduled to increase every year, reaching 22 percent in 2025. The… Read more »

3M licenses NMC patents to LG Chem

3M and LG Chem have formed a patent license agreement to allow the Korean battery-maker to use 3M’s formulation of nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries. NMC, valued for its balance of power, energy, thermal stability and low cost, has been the subject of some rivalry and at least one lawsuit…. Read more »

Sales of plug-ins plateau as Model S maintains a lean lead

It’s official: US plug-in sales are in the doldrums. July sales of 8,951 were substantially down from June (10,364), and from July 2014 (11,242). While we’re waiting for the 2016 LEAF and next generation Volt to get things moving again in the fall, we’ll console ourselves with the news that even as US sales have stalled, worldwide… Read more »

I want my Infiniti EV! Is it on-again or off-again?

If, as most of the media is convinced, the world’s luxury automakers are all scrambling to deliver a competitor for Tesla’s Model S, then it would seem only logical for Nissan, builder of the world’s top-selling EV, to produce an upscale EV under its luxury brand, Infiniti. In fact, the gentlemen from Yokohama already thought… Read more »

New independent EV builder makes the scene

The difficulty of starting up a car company, and the unlikelihood of anyone duplicating Tesla’s success, are so well known as to require no repetition here. Suffice it to say that Faraday Future’s recent colorfully-worded announcement that it intends to bring a new EV to the market has been greeted with predictable skepticism. However, the… Read more »

Volkswagen working on automated DC charging

EV drivers are demanding more range, and automakers are responding. However, as several observers have noted, this will introduce a new set of challenges. Better batteries can hold more energy, and consumers certainly don’t want longer charging times, so higher charging power levels will be required. That, in turn, will require thicker (or perhaps liquid-cooled)… Read more »

Proterra CEO on the economics of the electric bus business

Venture capitalists assume a large amount of risk when they invest in early-stage companies. They do so because of the potential for huge returns. To ensure that a portfolio of investments delivers the greatest return with the least risk, VCs spend a considerable amount of time evaluating companies, looking for the key ingredients of success…. Read more »