The Volkswagen Group has invested approximately $100 million in California battery QuantumScape, following six years of collaboration with the firm. VW also announced that it aims to have a production facility for solid-state batteries by 2025. VW estimates that solid-state battery technology could more than double capacity compared with its current batteries, for example boosting… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Toyota"
New UCS report indicates automakers have lost interest in reducing emissions
The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a new report that ranks the environmental performance of global automakers. It’s no surprise that Tesla topped the rankings by a wide margin. (Yes, the report considers the full lifecycle of vehicles, including emissions associated with manufacturing and the production of fuel.) However, EV fans may be surprised… Read more »
European emissions levels climb even as tougher standards are on the way
As emissions standards tighten around the world, and the threat from EVs grows, shouldn’t automakers be making their cars cleaner? Somehow, they don’t seem able to do so. According to a recent report from JATO Dynamics (via Automotive News Europe), European emissions actually increased by a small amount in 2017, reversing a decade of steady… Read more »
Auto consultant Munro gives Model 3 thumbs-down for build quality, thumbs-up for electronics and handling
Sandy Munro takes cars apart for a living. Specifically, Munro & Associates, the Detroit consulting firm of which he is the CEO, performs teardowns. Munro and his team dismantle cars and analyze each part in minute detail (what’s it made of, what supplier made it, and how much did it cost?) and write up their… Read more »
Automakers and state governments cooperate on ad campaign for EVs
A lack of advertising is often cited as a main reason for the slow pace of EV adoption, so it’s welcome news that a consortium of automakers and Northeast states intends to cooperate on an EV ad campaign. The Drive Change Drive Electric campaign, launched at the recent New York International Auto Show, will focus… Read more »
New York awards 5,750 plug-in rebates in first year of Drive Clean Rebate Program
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that over 5,750 consumers have received plug-in vehicle purchase rebates since the state’s Drive Clean Rebate was launched one year ago. The program provides residents with a rebate of up to $2,000 for eligible vehicles. The program has paid out more than $7.5 million in rebates to… Read more »
Ford to offer hybrid versions of most of its SUVs
Ford wants us to know it hasn’t given up on hybrids and EVs, even though it hasn’t updated its existing plug-in models since 2013. That was the message from several company execs at a recent press event in Dearborn. Ford will introduce hybrid versions of five of its SUV models by 2020, and produce seven… Read more »
Batteries expected to increase demand for nickel
Just one word for you: nickel. That’s the gist of a new report from the metals and minerals research firm Roskill. In its latest ten-year market outlook, Roskill predicts nickel consumption will rise by almost 4% per year, driven by increased consumption by stainless steel producers and by growth in demand in the automotive battery… Read more »
2018 smart fortwo loses its top – and its gas engine
The smart isn’t for everyone, and it has never pretended to be. The media buzz these days centers around the trendy trio – Model 3, the Bolt and the new LEAF, each of which aspires to be “your affordable, every-day, one-and-only car,” as Motor Trend recently put it. The smart does not aspire to any… Read more »
New study finds consumers are behind the curve on EVs
Automakers and policymakers around the world are preparing for the transition to EVs. Toyota, Volvo, VW, BMW, Mercedes and other brands are setting ambitious sales goals and investing substantial sums. Norway, the Netherlands, France, the UK and China are talking about phasing out sales of legacy ICE vehicles. There’s just one key group of stakeholders… Read more »