US plug-in sales have resumed their steep upward climb. March sales shattered last year’s figure, setting a new all-time record. Around 13,725 plug-ins were sold in March, a 33% increase over March 2015 and a few units more than the previous monthly record set in December. American car buyers now have around two dozen EV and… Read more »
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Tesla kills the instrument cluster
Automobiles, and the automotive industry itself, have a lot of features that survive as vestiges of earlier technological times, and may no longer serve any real purpose. Tesla has eliminated a few of these (model years, free press trips) and tried hard to eliminate others (rear-view mirrors, independent dealerships). With the advent of the Model… Read more »
2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron delivers performance and practicality
The selection of plug-in vehicles available to US buyers continues to grow steadily – it now stands at 27 models, with several more expected this year. The latest entrant to the market is the 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, the German luxury brand’s first plug-in model available in the US. Every time a new plug-in… Read more »
February plug-in sales: Tesla and Chevy battle for the lead, Ford grabs third by a nose
US plug-in sales are on the rise again – February’s figure of 7,881 was the fourth consecutive monthly record, and an increase of 13% over last February’s 6,951. The Tesla Model S regained the lead that it briefly lost to the Volt in January – estimated sales were 1,550 units in the US (via InsideEVs). The… Read more »
Plug-in sales grow again in January as Chevy, Tesla and Nissan continue to lead
2015 was a disappointing year for plug-in purchases in the US (although sales soared in Europe). Annual sales fell short of the previous year, mostly thanks to a mid-year slump. However, growth returned in October, and January marks the fourth month in a row that US sales have bested the previous year’s monthly figure. 6,291… Read more »
FTC panel considers direct-to-consumer auto sales
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently assembled a panel of experts in auto manufacturing and marketing to consider the question of whether automakers should be allowed to sell cars directly to customers. For several years, Tesla has been waging a war with auto dealers’ associations over this issue – the company’s direct sales model is… Read more »
Ford unveils 2017 hybrid and plug-in hybrid Fusions
Ford’s Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid has been one of the top-selling PHEVs since its February 2013 debut (it sold 9,750 units in 2015, second only to the Volt). Now Ford has released some details of the 2017 Fusion (also available in hybrid and legacy gas versions), which is scheduled to arrive at dealerships this summer…. Read more »
Can Tanktwo redefine the battery pack with big data?
A Finnish-American start-up with ambitious goals wants to change how we think about batteries. The concept of an EV that supports the quick removal and replacement of a discharged battery pack was all the rage about 5 years ago. Since then, however, various systems have been attempted and subsequently abandoned by companies like BetterPlace, Renault,… Read more »
EV marketing efforts continue to miss the mark, determining the reasons why is complicated
Most of us in the EV industry are probably tired of the mainstream media’s constant stream of “EVs aren’t selling” articles, which began around the time the Volt made its debut, and will probably continue until the day the last ICE vehicle rolls off the line. Well, for the near future, it’s only going to… Read more »
BMW and Nissan partner to deploy dual-standard public fast chargers
Good news for EV drivers: the dreaded war between the two major DC fast charging standards doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. At least two of the potential combatants are working amicably together. BMW and Nissan have teamed up to deploy a network of 120 public dual-standard DC charging locations across 19 states (pictured… Read more »