Volkswagen has acquired a 5% stake in US battery startup QuantumScape, with an option to buy more, and it is evaluating the company’s solid-state battery tech with an eye to using it in VW’s next generation of EVs. Last November, Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn said he saw “great potential” in solid-state batteries, which potentially… Read more »
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Did VW build a prototype hybrid back in 1979?
The currently unfolding electromobility revolution has spurred a surge of interest in the history of EVs, and some fascinating fossils are coming to light. Our colleague Jason Torchinsky at Jalopnik unearthed an interesting relic in The Complete Book of Electric Vehicles, by Sheldon Shacket, which was published in 1979. The book describes a prototype Volkswagen… Read more »
Argonne National Labs hosts the Interoperability Olympics
At Argonne National Labs, the pursuit of greater compatibility between DC fast charger EVSE and EVs connected some dots between industry standards and industry stalwarts. America’s first national lab, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), has always been steeped in the purpose of discovering and developing sustainable energy sources for promoting national security and prosperity. While the… Read more »
Sources say Samsung to provide battery packs for BMW X5
Industry sources expect Samsung SDI to provide battery packs for BMW’s upcoming X5 Plug-in Hybrid SUV, according to Korean news agency Yonhap. In July 2014, BMW and Samsung agreed to expand their supply relationship. The Korean company’s battery cells power the BMW i3 and i8, and market research firm IHS expects Samsung to increase shipments… Read more »
Audi unveils Q7 PHEV, R8 EV at Geneva Auto Salon
After years of preparation, Audi brought its first plug-in vehicle, the A3 e-tron, to market in Europe late last year. This week in Geneva, the company unveiled two new plug-in models: the Q7 e-tron quattro diesel plug-in hybrid, and an electric version of the R8 super-sports car. The upgraded Q7 family is based on the… Read more »
February plug-in sales slow overall, but BMW i3 powers ahead
There are plenty of legitimate excuses: winter is always the slow season for auto sales; a couple of key vehicles are in rundown mode as buyers wait for a new and improved model; and, although logic tells us they shouldn’t, ultralow gas prices may be taking a bite out of demand for plug-ins. Be all… Read more »
Japan has more EV charging points than gas stations
Worried about finding a place to plug in your EV? You needn’t be, at least if you live in Japan – Nissan recently made the surprising announcement that the number of power points in Japan has passed 40,000, more than the 34,000 gas stations in the country. “An important element of the continued market growth… Read more »
Sources claim that Porsche 717 EV will feature 4WD and a 300-mile range
Porsche is definitely working on a pure electric sport sedan, and details of the company’s plans are beginning to trickle out. In January, unnamed sources told the German magazine auto motor und sport that Porsche had dropped plans for gas and diesel versions of its Pajun (Panamera Junior) sedan, and that it would go on… Read more »
Plug-in sales drop with the temperature – LEAF fails to set new record, Volt buyers wait for the new model
January has always been a slow month for EV sales, and this month didn’t fail to disappoint. Monthly sales of 5,924 barely bested last January’s figure. A new generation of vastly-improved plug-ins is in sight, so a lot of buyers may be opting to wait a bit, and those rock-bottom gas prices probably aren’t helping…. Read more »
VW to include CCS fast charging on all future plug-in vehicles (PHEVs too?)
Like the other German and US automakers, Volkswagen has signed on to the SAE-sanctioned CCS standard for DC fast charging. CCS fast charging capability is included with the new e-Golf. Last week in Detroit, Michael Horn, Volkswagen’s US CEO, told Green Car Reports that it plans to include fast charging on all its future plug-in… Read more »