What a difference a year or two makes. Not so long ago, we EV pundits were trying to figure out why EV sales were so slow in Europe compared to the US, despite the continent’s green reputation and high gas prices. Now they must be wondering the same about us. Annual US plug-in sales actually… Read more »
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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 »
Hyundai joins the plug-in club with the 2016 Sonata PHEV
Around the world, automakers are facing ever-tightening emissions regulations, and they understand very well that improving the efficiency of their internal-combustion engines isn’t going to be enough to bring them into compliance. Each OEM has crafted its own strategy to reduce the average emissions of its fleet. Hyundai has opted for an “all-in strategy,” developing… Read more »
Tesla leads the pack as overall 2015 plug-in sales fall short
2015 was a year of retrenching and preparation for the future in the EV industry. US sales for the year were around 116,000, falling short of 2014’s figure of 123,000. The Tesla Model S grabbed and held the lead position, handily outselling all other plug-ins in the US with 25,700 deliveries. However, the big news… Read more »
Audi to launch wireless charging in 2017
Audi’s e-tron quattro SUV, due out in 2018, is one of several planned EVs that will offer American car buyers more space and more range. Longer ranges mean bigger batteries, and that means either longer charge times or higher charging power levels, and there’s no question which of those consumers will prefer. “Progress in charging… Read more »
German carmakers to collaborate on development of DC fast charging up to 350 kW
If, as the media are firmly convinced, the German automakers’ EV strategies revolve around competing with Tesla, they will have to come up with an answer to the ascendant Supercharger network. The Europeans recently took a step in this direction with the formation of the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN). Audi, BMW, Daimler, Opel, Porsche and… Read more »
Bob Lutz thinks Tesla’s in trouble
Since Tesla’s 2003 founding, there’s been a steady stream of articles explaining why it would soon go belly-up. The latest comes from a seemingly unlikely source: Bob Lutz, the “father of the Chevrolet Volt.” Back in the day, Lutz and Musk seemed like fellow travelers – the former GM exec said he would always be… Read more »
Jaguar Land Rover developing three electrification concepts
As Audi, Porsche and other luxury brands show their concepts for the electric future in Frankfurt, Jaguar Land Rover has released details of three R&D projects that explore three different levels of electrification. The Concept_e MHEV is a mild-hybrid system featuring an electric motor/generator that regenerates braking energy, stores it in a battery and uses… Read more »
Fastned prepares for 300 kW charging
Automakers are touting ever-faster charging speeds – Audi and Porsche both showed concept cars at this month’s auto show in Frankfurt that they claim will be able to charge at speeds of up to 300 kW – and Dutch charging network operator Fastned is determined to be ready. Fastned, which operates 38 stations in the… Read more »
Mercedes confirms plans for high-end EV
Daimler is accelerating into the electric future. Last year the company spent about half of its 5-billion-euro R&D budget on electrification and other emission-reducing technologies, and announced that it would introduce 10 new plug-ins by 2017. The Mercedes S550 Plug-In Hybrid, the group’s third model with a cord, went on sale in the US in… Read more »