Break out the Champagne! August was the best month ever for US plug-in vehicle sales, as 11,073 new owners got charged. Year-to-date sales (58,662) have already surpassed sales for all of 2012 (52,581). The surge was broad and deep – the three leading models had huge increases, the top two set new records, and even… Read more »
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DOE to resume making loans for advanced vehicles
The $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program, which funded both winners (Tesla, Ford, Nissan) and losers (Fisker) before election-year criticism from the back seat caused it to slam on the brakes, will get back on the road soon, said DOE spokeswoman Aoife McCarthy. The program, which was created in 2008 by President… Read more »
Cadillac says the ELR will be priced for the discerning few
The Cadillac ELR may be based on the same powertrain as the Chevy Volt, but it’s aimed at quite a different market segment, and it appears GM intends to keep production low and prices high. When GM unveiled the luxury PHEV in January, it indicated that the sticker price would reflect its exclusivity. But, with… Read more »
New report: DC fast charging poised for exponential growth
DC fast charging is about to take off like a rocket-powered drag racer, according to IHS Automotive (NYSE: IHS). The market analysis firm’s new report predicts that the worldwide number of public fast chargers will grow to 5,900 by the end of 2013, nearly triple to 15,200 in 2014, and explode to almost 200,000 stations… Read more »
EVs take 1.1% of California auto market
EV sales have cracked the whole-digit mark for the first time. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 1.1% of new vehicle sales in California in the first half of 2013, according to California Auto Outlook, a publication of the California New Car Dealers Association. Hybrids took 7% of the market, up from 6.2% in 2012, while… Read more »
A quick look at the Model S quality control regimen
We just can’t get enough of snooping around the Tesla factory. The latest video from WIRED gives us a look at the testing process that each Model S goes through before it hits the streets. As all high-end automakers do, Tesla puts each individual vehicle through a battery of tests before it leaves the… Read more »
Elon Musk reveals plan for Hyperloop, might build prototype himself
The Hyperloop: a new and super-high-tech form of transportation that can take passengers (and maybe even cars) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes, and that can be built for a tenth of what California is planning to spend on its high-speed rail system. If anyone else had come up with this idea, few… Read more »
July plug-in sales: total pulls back as LEAF edges ahead
Total US plug-in sales saw a substantial drop in July, to 6,592 units. Last month’s three front-runners all succumbed to the summer doldrums, but the second-tier sellers held steady or showed slight improvements. The LEAF edged into first place in July with a total of 1,864, which is a drop from June’s 2,225 but still… Read more »
Rumors of a new Chinese suitor for Fisker
Fisker seems to be in limbo – it hasn’t declared bankruptcy, but so far its few prospective suitors have left it standing at the altar. Karma fans haven’t lost their faith, however. Lately, online discussion groups have been abuzz with hopeful rumors, and one frequent participant claims to have heard from insiders that a pleasant… Read more »
VIDEO: A look at the Model S production line
A fascinating new video from WIRED takes us on a guided tour of the Tesla production line, as rolls of raw aluminum sheeting are transformed into the world’s most advanced automobile. All auto plants are very high-tech these days, but Tesla is at the forefront of this trend. Human employees (3,000) outnumber robots (160) for… Read more »