We hear a lot of discussion in the EV industry about all the possible business models for public charging. Will paid public charging ever be a profitable business in its own right? Will plug-in vehicle drivers pay a premium to charge away from home? Or, will it make more sense for businesses to offer charging… Read more »
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GM ends production of 2015 Volt, retools for next-gen model
GM has suspended production of the Volt at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant in order to get ready for the revamped 2016 Volt, which is to go on sale in the second half of this year. The company plans to invest a total of $343 million to retool for its lineup of next-generation hybrid vehicles. The production… Read more »
BMW i3 nearing “sustainable” rate of sales
Sales of the BMW i3 are approaching “a sustainable rate” of 12,000 i3s annually, Ludwig Willisch, CEO of BMW of North America, told Automotive News. This figure seems roughly in line with that of auto consultant Sandy Munro, who has estimated that the i3 could be profitable for the company at a global volume of… Read more »
Illinois suspends its $4,000 rebate program for plug-in vehicles
Illinois consumers who purchased a new plug-in vehicle in 2014, or later, will not receive a $4,000 rebate from the state. That is the message from the Illinois Green Fleet rebate program, which announced the suspension of the rebate last week. The Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program started in 1998 and over $14 million in rebates have been… Read more »
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV US launch delayed again
Mitsubishi’s Outlander Plug-In Hybrid has sold well since going on sale in Europe and Japan two years ago, and there’s reason to believe that it could be a huge hit here as well. However, US buyers will have to wait for a plug-in crossover – the US launch has been delayed once again. Mitsubishi recently… 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 »
BMW’s fast charging strategy: Clarifying some nuanced announcements
Range anxiety: we’re not sure whether it’s a serious disease or a psychosomatic ailment, but it’s one of the most commonly-cited objections heard from potential EV buyers, and automakers take it quite seriously. All of the top EV-makers are investing heavily in public charging infrastructure in an effort to eradicate this dreaded malady. At the… 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 »
UC Davis study: Plug-in buyers less satisfied with the dealer purchase experience
The nation’s network of auto dealers has not exactly embraced electromobility, as we explained in a recent feature article. The Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis has released a detailed study of the issue, which finds that buyers of plug-in vehicles (PEVs) tend to be far less satisfied with the dealer purchase experience than… Read more »
Tesla pre-owned vehicle program could be lucrative profit center
Tesla is developing a certified pre-owned vehicle program similar to those already offered by luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes. “With the Model S fleet now heading toward the first cars hitting three years old, we are looking at CPO and how best to structure.” VP of Communications Simon Sproule told Automotive News. In… Read more »
