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December 2012: best month ever for plug-in vehicle sales

Even as the mainstream press continues to insist that no one is buying plug-in vehicles, December set a new monthly sales record, as the three market leaders continue to battle for the top spot, and a couple of new entrants posted impressive early results.  The Chevrolet Volt rebounded from a weak November to sell 2,633… Read more »

Pike Research makes 10 predictions for the EV industry in 2013

Pike Research has issued a white paper entitled Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2013, that should make (mostly) cheerful reading for EV enthusiasts. Saying that “doubts about the long-term viability of the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market were put to rest” in 2012, Pike predicts “the industry will be racing ahead in second gear in 2013.”… Read more »

November sales: Prius Plug-in takes lead, Volt drops to third place

The good news: 2012 plug-in vehicle sales may turn out to be triple the 2011 figure. The bad news: November’s total is down a little from October, and sales of the former front-runner, the Chevy Volt, took a big hit. The Volt sold 1,519 units in November, a steep decline from October, in which the… Read more »

A closer look at regenerative braking

Regenerative braking (usually called regen for short) is simply the act of turning a motor into a generator, so that it slows down the load it was previously driving. Instead of converting momentum into heat with friction brakes, regen puts some of that energy back into the traction pack, not only saving wear on the… Read more »

October plug-in vehicle sales break records

With a presidential election and a deadly hurricane hogging the headlines, it’s perhaps understandable that the major national news media have ignored the most important story: all three of the mass-market plug-in vehicles broke sales records in October, while also topping the Consumer Reports customer reliability survey. Once again the Chevrolet Volt leads the plug-in pack. The… Read more »

VIDEO: Jay Leno gives Model S a thorough workout

In the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, our favorite TV personality and auto enthusiast takes an in-depth look at Tesla’s Model S, which he introduces as “the car they said would never be produced” and “the electric car that doesn’t look like an electric car.” Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen gives Jay the grand tour,… Read more »

SAE releases new combo charger standard for plug-in vehicles

Love it or hate it, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)’s long-awaited standard for plug-in vehicle charging has been approved and published. The new revision to the J1772 standard incorporates AC Levels 1 and 2 (up to 80 amps), and DC Levels 1 and 2 (up to 200 amps), and allows all to be combined on a… Read more »