Chevrolet’s redesigned 2016 Volt will be offered in a lower-priced model with a smaller battery pack and a shorter electric range, supplier sources told Reuters. The standard 2016 Volt isn’t expected to be dramatically different from the current model, with a 380-mile total range and a $35,000 price tag. The “entry level” Volt will likely… Read more »
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CBS News silences embarrassing Model S engine noise
60 Minutes aired an absorbing profile of Elon Musk last week, which included some good interviews and a fair amount of objective information about our favorite automaker. However, there was one segment that caused much laughter and head-shaking in the EV community. A video of a Model S on the road was accompanied by the… Read more »
Number of plug-ins doubling every year
The number of plug-in cars on the road has increased at an annual rate of more than 100% over the last three years, according to an analysis by Germany’s Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW). At the beginning of 2014, there were 405,000 plug-ins (EVs and PHEVs) registered worldwide, compared to 200,000 in… Read more »
Daimler acquires two key German battery firms
Daimler has agreed to acquire Evonik’s shares of Li-Tec Battery GmbH and Deutsche ACCUmotive GmbH, making Daimler the sole owner of the two companies. In recent years, Daimler and Evonik have worked together to develop industrial series production of lithium-ion battery cells for EVs. The two companies produce the batteries used in the current model… Read more »
Tom Gage on ZEV mandates, Tesla’s early days, BMW’s EV commitment and V2G tech
Q&A with the EV trailblazer Tom Gage Tom Gage is one of America’s true EV pioneers. He’s perhaps best known as one of the designers of the tzero electric sports car that provided the inspiration for the Tesla Roadster. However, that is far from his only contribution to the electric mobility field. Charged recently caught up… Read more »
March plug-in sales: LEAF leaps ahead, Volt vindicated
In the spring a young person’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of…a new car! Overall auto sales were up 6% in March, and plug-in sales surged. 9,376 units were sold, a healthy increase both on February’s figure (7,055) and last March’s measure (7,982). The LEAF opened up a wide lead with 2,507 units, a respectable… Read more »
New York compromise allows Tesla to keep its company-owned stores
One state may have found a workable compromise in the war of Tesla versus the auto dealers. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week that the belligerents reached an agreement that allows the EV-maker to keep its five company-owned stores in the state. “Today’s agreement reaffirms New York’s long-standing commitment to the dealer franchise… Read more »
Sticky stuff could make Li-ion batteries cheaper and greener
Lithium-ion batteries typically include three components: active materials, conductive additives, and binders. A team of researchers at the University of Delaware recently discovered a sticky conductive material that could eliminate the need for binders. “The problem with the current technology is that the binders impair the electrochemical performance of the battery because of their insulating… Read more »
Mitsubishi shows two plug-in concepts in Geneva
Mitsubishi wasn’t looking quite as charged at this year’s Geneva Auto Salon. Last year, almost its entire display was devoted to plug-in technology, but this time around, the Outlander PHEV and i-MiEV had to share the stage with a wide assortment of legacy ICE models. However, the company did present two plug-in concepts (both of… Read more »
Volkswagen Group announces plans for 40 more electrified models
The Volkswagen Group plans to electrify more than 40 models over the next few years. Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, VW Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn said that Europe’s largest automaker has increased its R&D expenditure to the record value of €10.2 billion, with the lion’s share going to “green” technologies. VW’s modular Baukästen (assembly… Read more »