After setting a new monthly record (11,073) in August, plug-in sales retrenched in September. The month’s total of 8,027 was still the third best of the year, and the fourth best of all time. Plug-ins’ lower September sales reflected the larger market – overall US auto sales were down 4% compared to September 2012, partly… Read more »
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Model S catches fire after collision
It was a horrible sight – a motionless Model S on a rain-slick Seattle road, its front half consumed in flames. No one was hurt, and the real flames were confined to a small section at the front of the vehicle. How far will the symbolic fire spread? It’s too early to say. If it… Read more »
Dutch team sets new 0-100 kph time for an electric car
A team of Dutch students has set a new acceleration record for an EV. In a recent run at Valkenburg Airport, the Delft University of Technology Racing Team achieved 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.13 seconds, according to team manager Tim de Morée. This represents a 20% improvement over the previous record (the new record… Read more »
Japanese mining firm triples lithium nickel oxide production
“Just one word, young man: lithium!” As EV production ramps up, companies at all points in the supply line for the lightest metal are getting ready for new levels of demand, from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently warned that a “truly gargantuan battery factory” will soon be needed, to Panasonic, which is investing $200… Read more »
ChargePoint hints at new lease deal on charging stations
It’s a familiar dilemma in green tech: the long-term benefits are substantial, but high upfront costs keep buyers from taking the plunge. This spells opportunity for companies that can find ways to remove this objection. Tesla’s cousin SolarCity is one example – it has achieved huge success by offering leases that let property owners enjoy savings… Read more »
Palo Alto may require new houses to be charging-station-ready
Palo Alto, California, home of Tesla Motors, is already one of the most charged cities in the US, and this week, three city council members unveiled plans to make it even more so. Mayor Greg Scharff, Vice Mayor Nancy Shepherd and Council Member Gail Price are recommending a package of laws that would require all… Read more »
Battery makers expect to cut prices in half by 2020
Executives at two leading battery makers said this week that the cost of lithium-ion batteries is steadily declining, and could well drop to half of today’s price by 2020. “We have an internal target to go down by at least a factor of two by 2020,” said LG Chem Power CEO Prabhakar Patil, at this… Read more »
GM bulks up its Global Battery Systems Lab
General Motors has greatly increased the size of its Global Battery Systems Laboratory, North America’s largest OEM-owned battery lab. The 85,000-square-foot lab now has 112 pack-level test channels and 120 cell-level test channels. The added space will let the company test batteries and computer controls much faster than before. It took GM about four years… Read more »
BMW i3: The launch of many firsts
When you’re writing about the dawn of a new industry, “firsts” and “milestones” come along so often that they may start to lose their novelty. However, the BMW i3, which was officially “launched” in July, and is scheduled to go on sale next year, boasts an impressive number of innovations that has the EV press… Read more »
EV sales surge puts Panasonic battery division back in the black
Panasonic’s lithium-ion battery division is seeing a dramatic turnaround, mostly thanks to healthy sales of Tesla’s Model S, according to Lux Research. In the second quarter of 2013, the Li-ion division made about $40 million in profits, compared to a loss of $20 million in Q2 2012. Panasonic plans to invest $200 million over the… Read more »