Honda sneaks into third place in the PHEV race It’s ironic that Honda, which has long been known for the fuel efficiency of its vehicles, has been a laggard on the long road to electrification. The Japanese automaker launched its Insight Hybrid in 1999, shortly after Toyota introduced the Prius, but sales have been modest… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "US Hybrid"
Charge like A supercap, store like a battery: ZapGo’s carbon-ion technology
Imagine an EV that could add 300 miles of range with a 5-minute charge – roughly the same amount of time it takes to refuel an ICE vehicle. Many companies are working on technologies to enable faster charging, which would be a huge win for EV adoption. ZapGo, based in Oxford, UK and Charlotte, North… Read more »
German automakers struggle to find a profitable road to electrification
It has gradually become apparent that Big Auto’s reluctance to embrace EVs is not due to mere Luddism or fear of the future. There are several reasons to believe that electrification will take a major bite out of industry profits, as Daimler execs acknowledged in March. Now Volkswagen has warned that its stated plan to… Read more »
Honda Clarity PHEV drives like a dream
The Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid is a quiet star. While the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Volt have been hogging the headlines, the Clarity PHEV has sold 8,109 units in the US since its late 2017 launch. It’s the third best-selling PHEV on the market, after the Prius Prime and the Chevy Volt. In the… Read more »
Tydrolyte releases low-corrosion, low-toxicity electrolyte alternative for lead-acid batteries
Electrolyte specialist Tydrolyte has released an electrolyte intended to replace the sulfuric acid found in lead-acid batteries. It claims that the patent-pending electrolyte is well suited for start-stop batteries, offers lower hold currents and water losses and is less toxic than sulfuric acid. Start-stop batteries must induce 100 times as many engine ignitions as a conventional… Read more »
Rolls-Royce unveils marine battery system
Rolls-Royce has released SAVe Energy, a Li-ion battery system designed for ships. Rolls-Royce has provided energy storage systems since 2010, but it previously depended on third parties for the battery packs. The new system is liquid-cooled and modular to accommodate different vessel classes and requirements. Along with The Norwegian Research Council of Norway’s ENERGIX funding,… Read more »
The Kia Niro PHEV is a fine vehicle, but…
Kia plans to pursue a “pick your powertrain” policy with the Niro. The hybrid version is now available in the US, and the PHEV version is available in select markets (a Florida dealer told us that it could be special-ordered). The EV version recently went on sale in Korea, and is to arrive in Europe… Read more »
Asian rideshare giant Grab invests in EV fleet, partners with SP Group for fast charging
Singapore-based Grab, which operates rideshare services in seven Southeast Asian nations (and acquired Uber’s Southeast Asian operations in March), has announced a strategic partnership with Singapore electric utility SP Group. Grab plans to add 200 new EVs to its Singapore fleet, beginning in early 2019. The new EVs will use SP’s fast-charging network, and Grab’s… Read more »
Ricardo announces 48 V e-motor with improved power density
As per the goals of the European Competitiveness in Commercial Hybrid and AutoMotive PowertrainS (ECOCHAMPS) project, Ricardo Innovations has developed a new 48 V e-motor and inverter combination that it says delivers a 50% power density increase compared to alternatives. ECOCHAMPS brought 25 European commercial and academic partners together to design powertrains with at least… Read more »
City of London introduces emissions-based parking fees
Fortunately, the famous London Fogs are a thing of the past, but the UK capital continues to take steps to improve air quality. Drivers in central London must pay a hefty Congestion Charge of around £11.50 (about $15), subject to discounts for “Ultra Low Emission” vehicles. Now the city’s famous financial district, known formally as… Read more »