Volkswagen has bought a five-percent stake in battery startup QuantumScape. Confidential sources told Bloomberg that the Volkswagen Group plans to complete tests of QuantumScape’s technology by mid-2015, and is considering using it in VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles. Closely-held QuantumScape, founded in 2010 by former Stanford University researchers, is working on solid-state batteries, which it… 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 »
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 »
Voltabox begins building Li-ion battery packs in Texas
Three Li-ion battery chemistries, the speed of its software and hardware systems configuration and the automotive legacy of Voltabox make this newly-landed American spin-off company a player in the realm of rechargeable batteries for public transit and heavy industrial vehicles. Austin, Texas is known for many things: music festivals, barbequed ribs, the Texas Longhorns, filmmaker… Read more »
Automakers say they plan to go head-to-head with Tesla
Lately it seems that almost every EV-related headline has to include a reference to Tesla, however tenuous. However, there may be some substance to this week’s news, as four major automakers have at least hinted at plans to directly challenge Tesla with new high-end EV models. In a recent conference call with Wall Street analysts,… Read more »
Will European drivers warm to hybrids?
Hybrids, with or without plugs, are comparatively rare on European roads, but Automotive News believes that’s about to change, as EU limits on CO2 emissions become stricter, forcing Continental automakers to electrify. German and French automakers dominate the market in Europe, and diesels have long been their chosen solution, accounting for half of new-car sales… Read more »
VW’s Chinese expansion plans include plenty of plug-ins
The Volkswagen Group is the latest automaker to trumpet a major push into the Chinese market, and electrification is very much a part of its strategy. The Porsche Panamera S E-hybrid is already in showrooms in China, the electric up! and e-Golf will be launched this year, and the Audi A3 e-tron and Golf GTE… Read more »
Tesla and Daimler: Is the honeymoon over?
The partnership between Tesla and Daimler, which dates from 2008, has been advantageous for both companies, with the stodgy Germans enjoying a little of Tesla’s bad-boy chic, and the Silicon Valley upstarts benefiting from Daimler’s old-world respectability. However, it’s sounding as if Daimler has lost that lovin’ feeling. Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche told reporters at… 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 »
Auto sales, including plug-ins, freeze up in January
After a stellar 2013, overall auto sales took a big dip in January, and plug-ins were no exception to the trend. Auto sales slid 3% as snow and ice kept people away from dealerships. Total plug-in sales were little more than half of December’s (but still more than in January 2013). The LEAF was firmly… Read more »