Hitachi Automotive Systems has begun to supply Daimler with compact, high-output inverters and DC/DC converters for use in the Mercedes S500 and S550 plug-in hybrids, which recently went on sale in Germany. Hitachi developed a third-generation inverter that is 40% smaller and offers higher output than the previous version, and a high-output DC/DC converter with… Read more »
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November plug-in sales: LEAF (still) leads, Ford falters, Toyota tanks, smart surges
The US auto industry had another banner month, and plug-ins were present at the party, though perhaps not first in line at the punchbowl. PEV sales were down a tick from October, but eked out a gain compared to November 2013. Year-to-date sales have now surpassed 2013’s total, and it appears that annual sales will… Read more »
Daimler invests €100 million to expand lithium-ion battery production
Daimler plans to invest around €100 million ($125 million) to expand production capacity for lithium-ion batteries at its Deutsche ACCUmotive subsidiary. A new building is under construction in Kamenz, Germany, and when it is completed in mid-2015, Deutsche ACCUmotive will have nearly 20,000 square meters of production and logistics space. “Deutsche ACCUmotive will be producing… Read more »
2016 Volt teaser images and charging improvements released
Chevrolet has been dribbling out details of the next-generation Volt ahead of its debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Last week the company released the details of some new charging features. “Chevrolet used the real-world experiences of today’s Volt owners to make the charging process simpler and more convenient in the next-generation Volt,” said… Read more »
Tesla describes details of factory upgrade
Tesla has released a blog post and video with some details about what was accomplished during the recent factory shutdown. The main goal was to increase capacity – Tesla expects to build about 35,000 cars this year, and to scale that up to 50,000 per year by the end of 2015. During the production pause,… Read more »
VIA Motors earns EPA certification, begins delivering vehicles
VIA Motors has received official certification from the EPA for its eREV van, and has begun delivering vehicles to fleet customers. According to the company, 23 vans have already been delivered, with three more in transit and more on the way. SEE ALSO: New white paper urges utilities to electrify their vehicle fleets Based on a… Read more »
Toyota partners with Air Liquide to develop hydrogen fueling stations for new Mirai sedan
Toyota has announced that its hydrogen fuel-cell sedan, unveiled at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show, will be called the Mirai, which means “future” in Japanese. “For us, this isn’t just another car,” said Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda at a pre-show press event. “This is an opportunity to really make a difference. This is a… Read more »
OXIS Energy achieves specific energy of 300 Wh/kg with lithium-sulfur cell
OXIS has developed its largest lithium-sulfur cell to date, achieving specific energy in excess of 300 Wh/kg. The company has also increased cell capacity to 25 Ah, a twelve-fold improvement in 18 months. OXIS predicts that it will achieve a cell capacity of 33 Ah by mid-2015. The OXIS scientific team expects to achieve its… Read more »
New CARB regulations deciphered by Transport Evolved Panel
Even voracious EV news junkies should be sated by a recent episode of the Transport Evolved Panel Talk Show, as electromobility experts Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, Chelsea Sexton and John Voelcker hold forth for 90 minutes on the latest developments on the plug-in scene, including Michigan’s new anti-Tesla law, the UK’s sudden surge in plug-in sales, and the… Read more »
Do luxury models make more sense as EVs than small cars?
Contrary to popular belief, the small, practical city car is not necessarily the best candidate for electrification. Battery costs will keep EVs more expensive than legacy vehicles for some time to come, and many drivers won’t recoup the higher purchase price in fuel savings in a reasonable number of years. In a new article, John… Read more »