Officials from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have weighed in on the war between Tesla and the state auto dealers’ groups. They join several prominent politicians, a group of 70 economists and law professors, and over 133,000 citizens who signed a pro-Tesla petition in saying that state laws prohibiting the company’s direct sales model amount… Read more »
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DOE awards $17 million to small businesses for renewable energy and electromobility projects
The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has awarded $17 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects to help small businesses develop prototype technologies in a wide range of renewable energy and transportation-related fields. These awards are for Phase II SBIR projects to further develop Phase I projects and produce a… Read more »
Governor Cuomo backs New York auto dealers in battle against Tesla
As the spring fighting season approaches, New York auto dealers are preparing for a new assault in their campaign against Tesla. Last June, the New York State Assembly ended its legislative session without advancing a pair of bills that would have prevented Tesla from selling its electric vehicles directly to consumers in the state. However,… Read more »
BMW X5 plug-in hybrid prototype highlights eDrive strategy
Members of the press took BMW’s X5 eDrive PHEV for a test drive at an event in Germany this week. BMW also presented several elements of its EfficientDynamics strategy, which depends on a combination of ever-more-efficient gasoline and diesel engines with eDrive electrified drive technology developed by the BMW i sub-brand. BMW plans to develop… Read more »
Mitsubishi makes minuscule motor with integrated inverter
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a prototype EV motor drive system with a built-in silicon-carbide inverter that it claims is the smallest of its kind. As EVs require large spaces to accommodate their battery systems, Mitsubishi sees a strong need to reduce the size and weight of motor systems to leave a decent amount of… 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 »
Fuel cells vs batteries for vehicle powertrains
Jeffrey Wishart, a Senior Project Engineer at Intertek, conducts research and development on products and services in the areas of energy, the environment, and advanced transportation. In addition to his supervisory position at Intertek, Dr. Wishart worked for several years at ETEC LABS (the research and consulting division of ECOtality) and at a utility company… Read more »
Navigant names 10 trends in the EV market for 2014
A new white paper from Navigant Research forecasts global EV sales of over 346,000 units in 2014. Navigant sees expansion at the higher end of the market, as Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes, Saab, and Volvo introduce new plug-in models; and in the middle, with new offerings from Kia, Mahindra, Skoda, and Volkswagen. “Electric Vehicles: 10… Read more »
Model S owners report air suspension altered to increase clearance at highway speed
Could Tesla improve the Model S’s resistance to highway fires just by issuing a remote software update? This week, Model S owners were notified to update their software from version 5.6 to version 5.8. Some are reporting that, after the update, the Active Air Suspension no longer goes to the lowest setting at highway speeds…. Read more »
Altran and Quimera collaborate to advance electric motor sport
Engineering consulting group Altran and the Quimera Project have signed a new agreement to invest in the continued development and construction of electric racing vehicles. Quimera Responsible Racing (QRR) is a global R&D endeavor that focuses on motor sport’s role as a test bed for the automotive sector. As part of the new agreement, Altran… Read more »