Wrightspeed, the electric powertrain startup led by Tesla co-founder Ian Wright, has just landed its biggest fish to date: an order of 25 powertrains from giant fleet operator Federal Express. The company has tested Wrightspeed’s technology in two of its trucks and decided to take the next step. Financial details of the deal are confidential,… Read more »
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EPA report: EVs are beginning to have a “measurable and meaningful impact”
The most recent edition of the EPA’s annual report Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends notes that alternative fuel vehicles (including EVs, PHEVs and CNG vehicles) are beginning to have a “measurable and meaningful impact” on the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of the country’s passenger car fleet. The EPA report,… Read more »
New Report: Aluminum vs steel in battle to meet CAFE standards
Aluminum seems to be in the ascendant these days – Ford will use aluminum for the body of its 2015 F-150 pickup truck, and a recent report from the Aluminum Association predicts that by 2025, three out of four pickups will have all-aluminum bodies. Not so fast, says the industry information service World Steel Dynamics…. Read more »
As DC fast chargers multiply, so do standards
Public DC fast-charging stations are proliferating around the world at what some might call an alarming rate. In at least 50 countries, EV drivers can top up their batteries in the time it takes to (leisurely) enjoy a cup of tea, or whatever the local beverage may be. While automakers agree on the importance of… Read more »
Chrysler announces plug-in hybrid minivan
Chrysler will launch a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Town & Country minivan late next year, about a year earlier than the company had previously indicated. Other hybrids, including a full-size crossover, are also in the product pipeline. The plug-in minivan, which would be a first for the industry, will get 75 MPGe, according… Read more »
They all make EVs – but which carmakers want to sell them?
Almost every major carmaker now has at least one plug-in vehicle for sale. However, several of these vehicles were produced mainly to appease the California Air Resources Board, and their makers have shown little interest in actively marketing them. Savvy car buyers are aware of this, and make their choices accordingly – no one wants… Read more »
September plug-in sales: Revenge of the pure EV
September plug-in sales showed a slight decrease compared to August, but 2014 is still on track to decisively beat 2013’s figure. Pure electricity ruled this month, as the leading EVs made strong showings, and all the major PHEV models showed steep declines. The Nissan LEAF still leads the pack. Sales shrank slightly to 2,881 in… Read more »
EVs are the fastest growing market segment in Europe
The European auto market is picking up – it grew by 6 percent in the first half of 2014 – and also changing rapidly. Out of the 24 segments tracked by Automotive News Europe, nine had leadership changes since last year. Can you guess which segment is the fastest-growing overall? That’s right, electric vehicle sales… Read more »
Solar energy expert predicts battery prices will reach $100/kWh by 2030
When will lithium-ion battery prices reach the price point of $100 per kWh that so many in the media are calling the “magic number?” According to Winfried Hoffmann, an analyst at the consulting firm ASE, the glad day will dawn sometime around 2030. Hoffmann, the former CTO of Applied Materials, is a well-known figure in… Read more »
Could Sakti3 build GM’s 200-mile battery?
After years of operating in secrecy, battery startup Sakti3 has been much in the news lately, the subject of feature articles in Scientific American and Fortune (via Green Car Reports). The Ann Arbor company, founded in 2008 by Ann Marie Sastry, has developed a solid-state electrolyte, which could eliminate some of the drawbacks of liquid electrolytes, including… Read more »
