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 »
Search Results Found For: "Toyota"
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 »
Bite Squad to convert its delivery fleet from Prius to Tesla Model 3
Bite Squad, the Minneapolis-based restaurant delivery service that now operates in 30 markets around the country, hopes to swap out its current fleet of several hundred Toyota Priuses for Tesla Model 3s. It plans to test a handful of 3s on the road in its home base of Minneapolis this fall. Company-owned vehicles account for… Read more »
2017 plug-in sales up 26%, Tesla and Chevy on top
Plug-in sales have failed…to reach the milestone of 200,000 units. Total US sales for 2017 were 199,826 (according to InsideEVs), a 26% increase compared to 2016’s 158,614. Worldwide sales were well over a million. December saw the biggest US monthly sales in history, and was the 27th consecutive month that sales were greater than the… Read more »
Predicting the properties of lightweight carbon fiber composites
Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics represent a promising lightweight replacement for heavy steel. However, for carbon fiber to be widely adopted, new, more economical composites need to be developed. Unfortunately, carbon fiber properties are difficult to model, as they depend on complex features such as fiber loading, length distribution and orientation. Now researchers at the DOE’s Pacific… Read more »
User survey shows buyers misunderstand the used EV market
While new EVs remain on the pricey side for lower-income buyers, there are great values available on the used market. Sadly, few realize this, and myths and misinformation abound. A recent study from the buyer intelligence firm Autolist compared buyer perceptions of used EVs to market data, and found a major disconnect. Fact vs Fiction:… Read more »
Ford plans to launch 15 new electrified models in China
Global automakers are pushing their EV programs into high gear, announcing massive investments and lots of new electric models to be produced in the near future…in China. The Asian giant has the most aggressive electrification strategy of any major country -zero-emission vehicles must make up 10% of new car sales in 2019, and 12% in… Read more »