The next-generation Chevrolet Volt will debut at next January’s Detroit Auto Show. GM has released a teaser image of the new model, which seems to have a slightly more rounded rear liftgate. Other than that, little has been revealed about the second-generation PHEV. In April, supplier sources hinted that the Volt would be offered in… Read more »
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US automakers firmly on track to meet EPA fuel-economy goals
EV lovers may consider this good news or bad, but the US auto industry is making better progress than expected toward meeting the EPA’s long-term fuel-economy standards, as Ward’s Auto reported this week (via Green Car Reports). “Innovations are coming at us faster than originally anticipated,” says Michael Olechiw, Director of the EPA’s Light-Duty Vehicle… Read more »
July plug-in sales: LEAF sets 17th straight monthly record
July plug-in sales were lower than in May or June, but 2014 is still on track to handily beat 2013’s figure. Sales of the industry-leading LEAF surged to 3,019 in July, the 17th consecutive monthly record, and just a little shy of May’s all-time monthly best. The 2015 LEAFs are now available for adoption –… Read more »
Fisker needs to fix 250 “bugs” before production resumes
The Chinese auto parts giant Wanxiang Group, Fisker’s new owner, is working to restart production of the Karma at a plant in Finland, and hopes to eventually assemble the luxury PHEV in the US. Two of the company’s top execs have been on a US tour, meeting with officials and politicians in Delaware, where Fisker… Read more »
Build an inverter the size of an iPad and win a million bucks
Google and the IEEE have launched the Littlebox Challenge – an open competition to design and build an inverter with the highest power density (at least 3.05 kW/L to enter) in a package of less than 0.66 L in volume. For comparison: The Bosch INVCON 2.3 inverter used in the Fiat 500e has a volume… Read more »
BMW’s new DC fast charger: smaller, lighter, cheaper
BMW of North America has launched its own DC fast charger. A joint development between BMW and Bosch, the BMW i DC Fast Charger can charge an i3 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. It’s about half the size of most DC chargers (31x19x12 inches), weighs around 100 pounds, and can be mounted on a… Read more »
BYD to build factory in Brazil for electric buses and battery packs
Chinese EV-maker BYD plans to build a factory in Campinas, in the São Paulo region of Brazil, where it will manufacture electric transit buses and their iron-phosphate battery packs. The factory is slated to open in 2015. “In the first year of operation, the plant will have a maximum production capacity of 1,000 electric buses… Read more »
LG Chem will supply batteries for 200-mile EV in 2016
LG Chem CFO Cho Suk-jeh told Reuters this week that the South Korean company plans to supply batteries for an EV with more than 200 miles of range in 2016. Cho Suk-jeh did not say which automaker(s) would be using the new cells, but GM seems to be a likely candidate. It currently has a… Read more »
Phinergy CEO on aluminum-air batteries and 1,000-mile range-extended EVs
Along with its industry giant partner Alcoa, Israeli startup Phinergy says it has aluminum-air batteries for EVs in the can. More than 550 feet over the National Mall in Washington, DC, the single most significant piece of American aluminum triangulates a point between the White House, the US Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial. It is… Read more »
June plug-in sales: Fusion Energi powers into second place
The US auto industry had another stellar month in June, as sales rose at the fastest pace since 2006. At 11,893 units, plug-in sales saw a slight drop compared to May (12,053), but a healthy increase over last June (8,292). The Nissan LEAF held onto its lead with monthly sales of 2,347 units, although that… Read more »