Powerful plug-ins: Q&A with Efficient Drivetrains Inc. CEO Joerg Ferchau. In November 2014, US officials and electric utility executives stood in front of the White House to announce a new EV commitment from power companies. More than 70 investor-owned electric utilities have pledged to spend an estimated $50 million per year – $250 million over five… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "US Hybrid"
BMW to launch PHEV version of 3 Series in 2016
BMW is surely the most charged of the European automakers. Its i3 city car is a native EV that’s earned much admiration for its many innovations. Meanwhile, well-bucked aficionados are buying the i8 super-PHEV as quickly as it rolls off the lines, and the X5 plug-in SUV just made its debut appearance in Shanghai. BMW… Read more »
European plug-in sales soar
The EV market in Europe got off to a late start, but now that European automakers such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes and Audi have introduced plug-in models, things are starting to move quickly. Registrations of new electric vehicles (including BEVs, PHEVs and FCVs) in the EU countries grew from 11,304 units in Q1 2014 to 24,630… Read more »
Tesla Motors book gets over-the-air update
Tesla Motors is the epitome of a “moving target,” so when I released my history of the company in mid-2014, I knew it would be out of date before long. Like the company’s vehicles, the book continues to be regularly updated, and each new version will be smoothly delivered through the magic of the internet…. Read more »
Sevcon secures grant to develop new generation of controllers
Sevcon (Nasdaq: SEV), a global manufacturer of controls for electric and hybrid vehicles, has received a £400,000 grant from a UK government fund, which it will use to develop the next generation of its Gen4 controller. The new low-voltage controller will provide additional functionality and improved performance in a smaller package than its predecessor. “The… Read more »
MotorBrain to debut integrated EV drivetrain with no rare earth metals
Four years ago, researchers from nine European countries launched the MotorBrain project, which aimed to develop an EV drivetrain that didn’t need costly rare earth metals in the motor. Now they’re ready to present a prototype of a fully-integrated drivetrain with a rare-earth-free permanent magnet synchronous motor at this year’s CWIEME Berlin exhibition. “Rare earth metals… Read more »
Cadillac CT6 PHEV has more electric range than others in its class
The plug-in hybrid version of Cadillac’s CT6 large luxury sedan, which made its debut at this month’s Shanghai Motor Show, will use a version of GM’s second-generation Voltec hybrid system. The 18.4 kWh battery pack is the same size as the one in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which should give the new Caddy an electric… Read more »
Continental announces new generation of power electronics
While batteries and motors tend to get most of the press, a vehicle’s power electronics is just as important to the overall efficiency of a powertrain, and thus to its range and performance. International automotive supplier Continental, which produces power electronics components for five European automakers, has announced that its next-generation system will enter series production… Read more »
Bloomberg article highlights growth of EV sales, predicts decline of Big Oil
We’ve become used to the mainstream press insisting that EVs aren’t selling, and that cheap gas will be the final nail in the electric coffin (most recently in a widely-cited report from Edmunds that found that car buyers are rushing to trade in their “hybrid and electric cars” for gas-guzzling SUVs). Bloomberg, however, has long… Read more »
California Energy Commission awards $9 million in grants for commercial EV manufacturing
The California Energy Commission has awarded nearly $9 million in grants to three companies to encourage the manufacturing of heavy-duty EVs and components in the state. Proterra received a $3 million grant to develop a manufacturing line for battery-electric transit buses in the City of Industry in the San Gabriel Valley. The location is in… Read more »