Toyota will begin verification testing of its newly developed wireless charging system in late February. Toyota developed the system in cooperation with WiTricity, an MIT spin-off that the automaker has been cooperating with for several years. Toyota Managing Officer Satoshi Ogiso announced in August that the next-generation Prius Plug-in Hybrid would include a wireless charging… Read more »
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Wanxiang wins auction, will pay $149 million for Fisker
(Updated 2/17/2014 – 11:30 am ET to correct/clarify details of the Fisker’s DOE loan.) China’s Wanxiang Group won an auction for the assets of bankrupt Fisker with a $149.2 million offer, beating out rival bidder Hybrid Tech Holdings. The courtroom drama lasted three days and went through 19 rounds of bidding. Fisker’s creditors were delighted with… Read more »
Bill would pull the plug on Georgia’s EV tax credit
Georgia legislators can’t seem to make up their minds about EVs. Just days after a trio of Republican state legislators introduced a bill that would let Tesla sell up to 1,500 vehicles a year directly to consumers, one of those same lawmakers, Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta), has proposed to eliminate the state’s $5,000 tax credit for… Read more »
AMP Electric Vehicles patents new extended-range powertrain system
AMP Holding Inc. (OTCBB and OTCQB: AMPD) announced that it has filed a provisional patent for a new system that extends the range of electric vehicles. E-GEN Drive is designed specifically for the package delivery vehicle market, in which vehicles (commonly known as step vans) tend to stop and restart hundreds of time a day…. Read more »
UQM Technologies secures $5.3 million in additional financing
Colorado-based UQM Technologies, a manufacturer of electric motors, generators and power electronic controllers, has closed on a $5.3-million offering of stock and warrants to institutional investors. The company plans to use the new funds for potential joint ventures, capacity expansion in new regions, and working capital for new business opportunities that are currently being pursued…. Read more »
Auto sales, including plug-ins, freeze up in January
After a stellar 2013, overall auto sales took a big dip in January, and plug-ins were no exception to the trend. Auto sales slid 3% as snow and ice kept people away from dealerships. Total plug-in sales were little more than half of December’s (but still more than in January 2013). The LEAF was firmly… Read more »
DOE announces $50 million for vehicle R&D funding, releases plug-in progress report
The DOE will award $49.4 million in new funding for projects that accelerate research and development of new vehicle technologies. The announcement identifies 13 areas of interest, of which 7 are described as “critical technologies” to meet the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, which has a goal of making EVs more affordable and convenient to own… Read more »
Nissan e-NV200 begins real world tests in Washington DC
FedEx Express will begin testing Nissan’s e-NV200 electric cargo vehicle under real-world conditions in Washington DC. The companies have conducted similar e-NV200 tests with fleets in Japan, Singapore, the UK and Brazil, but this test will be the e-NV200’s North American debut. The front-wheel drive e-NV200 has a powertrain based on the LEAF, and the… Read more »
London taxicabs plug in as Metrocab launches real-world trials
London’s classic black taxicabs are slowly but surely going electric. The new Range Extended Electric Metrocab, a plug-in hybrid taxi designed and built in the UK by Ecotive, a subsidiary of electric powertrain developer Frazer-Nash, will begin real-world trials in the British capital this month. London’s famous black taxis must conform to a host of… Read more »
2014 Cadillac ELR: Technology trickling up
Nowadays, when the in-crowd thinks of the planet’s coolest car, a Model S or one of the European brands might come to mind, but there was a time when the unchallenged monarch of automotive luxury was the Cadillac. Surely no other car has been mentioned in as many classic movies and blues songs. And a… Read more »