Long-haul trucks are going to be a tough nut for EVs to crack, but it’s never smart to bet against Tesla. That’s the one-sentence summary of the trucking industry’s reaction to Tesla’s recent announcement that it will unveil an electric semi-truck in September. The challenges involved in electrifying big rigs are huge. The battery for… Read more »
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London Taxi opens plant to build plug-in taxis
The London Taxi Company (LTC) has opened a new plant to produce what it says is the world’s first purpose-built, mass-market plug-in taxi. LTC, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely, has invested £300 million ($374 million) in the next-generation London taxi, which will be produced at the plant in Ansty, Coventry, and exported around the… Read more »
Luxembourg deploys 150 kW ABB fast chargers for plug-in hybrid buses
ABB has installed two fast chargers at Luxembourg City’s central station, to support 5 Volvo plug-in hybrid buses. Each vehicle will be charged with 150 kW of power in three to six minutes, during the turnaround times at the end point of the bus route. The new fast chargers are connected to the cloud for… Read more »
GKN Driveline to invest $179 million to expand North Carolina manufacturing facilities
GKN Driveline’s eAxle technology enables automakers to add plug-in hybrid and AWD capabilities to their vehicles. Customers include BMW, Volvo and Porsche. Now GKN has announced that it will invest nearly $179 million to expand its manufacturing facilities in four North Carolina counties. The new investment, to be made over the next five years, is… Read more »
China logs record EV sales, Tesla top foreign brand
Plug-in sales in China are going wild – annual sales for 2016 are expected to exceed 350,000. The country now has the largest plug-in fleet in the world: over 650,000 vehicles, surpassing Europe (630,000) and the US (560,000). Upcoming changes to government incentive programs contributed to a sales surge for small EVs in November. The… Read more »
AeroVironment to provide official home charging station for 2017 Bolt
GM has named AeroVironment’s EVSE-RS as the official charging station accessory for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), which also makes drones and missiles for military customers, builds a variety of EVSE, from workplace charging stations to portable “trunk chargers.” As an official accessory, AeroVironment’s EVSE-RS charging station will be labeled with a… Read more »
Sweden launches study on electric road systems
The Swedish Transport Administration has been testing an “electric road,” which features overhead catenary lines that provide power to electric trucks – a system similar to that used by railroads. A new Swedish project, “Research and Innovation Platform for Electric Roads,” will explore how to make the step to large-scale operation, and examine technical issues… Read more »
BMW electrifies its best-selling model: the 330e iPerformance PHEV launches in the US
Which major automaker has sold the highest percentage of plug-in vehicles relative to its overall US sales? You may be surprised to learn that it’s BMW – aside from Tesla, of course, which sells 100% EVs. In the first half of 2016, BMW’s four plug-in vehicles – the i3, i8, X5 xDrive40e and 330e iPerformance… Read more »
GKN Driveline’s new electric drive system for PHEVs
GKN Driveline has developed a new electric drive system for PHEVs, which will start production in 2019 on a global platform from a European vehicle manufacturer. GKN supplies its eAxle for the BMW i8 and the Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine. The company has produced more than 300,000 units at its manufacturing facilities in Europe… Read more »
Torque Trends offers plug-and-play electrification for fleet conversions
Startup companies often evolve as they grow, and sometimes they stumble on a new application for a prosaic product that leads to a new way of doing things, with the huge opportunities that implies. For Mitchell Yow, the CEO of Torque Trends, the journey started with a gearbox, and has led to a complete electrification… Read more »