When Tesla’s category-killing electric SUV finally goes on sale, it will be available with an optional trailer hitch, the company revealed this week. A letter to Model X reservation holders posted on the Tesla Motors Club forum (via Green Car Reports) reads, in part: We’ll be spending much of 2015 building and testing production-intent prototypes before delivering… Read more »
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Volvo’s new plug-in hybrid SUV
The XC90 T8 is the first Volvo designed from the ground up for plug-in compatibility, according to the company. Built on the Scalable Product Architecture platform, the 7-seat SUV features a 4-cylinder Drive-E gas engine with supercharger and turbocharger, an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The high-voltage (270–400 V) lithium-ion battery has a 9.2 kWh capacity, capable of… Read more »
BMW unveils 3 Series PHEV prototype
BMW’s new 3 Series plug-in hybrid prototype combines a four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo gas engine from the new Efficient Dynamics engine family with an electric motor and power electronics based on the eDrive technology used in the i3 and i8. It’s designed to offer performance on a par with the legacy 3 Series six-cylinder model, with… Read more »
2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
After a gradual build-up, Daimler’s automotive brands are now showing their stuff in the EV arenas of three continents. Stateside, the spotlight lands on the new, competitively priced Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), hasn’t been the most visible mover or shaker in electric mobility up to this… Read more »
Tesla D is more revolutionary than you think
Tesla’s mysterious D has been revealed and it is cool. Elon Musk introduced the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version of Model S at a theatrical event at Hawthorne Municipal Airport (where SpaceX is headquartered). Musk didn’t just show a slide of the goodies – a huge robot arm lifted up a Model S chassis and turned it… Read more »
New Report: Aluminum vs steel in battle to meet CAFE standards
Aluminum seems to be in the ascendant these days – Ford will use aluminum for the body of its 2015 F-150 pickup truck, and a recent report from the Aluminum Association predicts that by 2025, three out of four pickups will have all-aluminum bodies. Not so fast, says the industry information service World Steel Dynamics…. Read more »
Can Tesla crack open Japan’s auto market?
Japan has long been at the forefront of the electromobility revolution. It’s the home of the historic Toyota Prius and the world’s best-selling EV, the Nissan LEAF. As an island nation that imports almost all of its oil, Japan has compelling reasons to electrify, and its government has worked hard to do so, providing significant… Read more »
ABB and Greenlots partner with Kia to deploy DC fast chargers for Soul EV Rollout
San Francisco-based Greenlots will partner with Kia Motors and ABB to install DC fast chargers at selected Kia dealerships for the 2015 Kia Soul EV, which is scheduled to go on sale this fall in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Kia will roll out Greenlots’ SKY Smart Charging platform to its dealerships… Read more »
Tesla infinite-mile warranty will also apply to Models X and 3
A little rain fell on Tesla’s parade recently, when Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com each reported that their Model S units had racked up what seemed to be an excessive number of maintenance issues. However, both sources reported that most of the repairs in question were covered under warranty. Perhaps in response to the negative publicity,… Read more »
US automakers firmly on track to meet EPA fuel-economy goals
EV lovers may consider this good news or bad, but the US auto industry is making better progress than expected toward meeting the EPA’s long-term fuel-economy standards, as Ward’s Auto reported this week (via Green Car Reports). “Innovations are coming at us faster than originally anticipated,” says Michael Olechiw, Director of the EPA’s Light-Duty Vehicle… Read more »