Kia may be the auto brand with the biggest disconnect between perception and reality in the US today. It makes stylish, modern vehicles – passenger cars plus a growing range of crossover utilities – packed with advanced features. It’s a legitimate competitor to Toyota, Honda, and others. But ask the average buyer if he or… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "total"
BMW doubles battery production capacity at its South Carolina plant
BMW has doubled its production capacity of high-voltage batteries at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The battery facility now produces new fourth-generation batteries for the plug-in hybrid models of BMW’s new X5 and its future X3, both of which are also produced in Spartanburg. In the past four years, the plant’s battery assembly team… Read more »
Tesla’s new wiring architecture could greatly reduce vehicle build time
Tesla has devised a new wiring architecture for its vehicles that could greatly streamline production. The new wiring system is designed to allow robots to handle more of the assembly process. One of the main reasons for the highly-publicized delays in early production of Model 3 was that Tesla tried to introduce too much automation,… Read more »
BMW’s electric Mini Cooper SE: redeemer or regression?
BMW can’t seem to make up its mind about electrification (the same could be said about most of the legacy automakers). In 2013 it released the i3, which was a giant stride forward at the time. The once-revolutionary city car continues to sell in respectable numbers in some European markets, but BMW never followed up… Read more »
Letter from Amsterdam: EVs of all shapes and sizes
The streets of Amsterdam are a chaotic carnival of transportation options: the famous flotilla of bicycles (which have dedicated lanes on all major streets) shares the cobblestones with skateboards, scooters (gas, electric and pedal), Segways, buses (diesel and electric) and street trams. There are also canal boats, an underground Metro system, and of course automobiles… Read more »
Electrify America to offer 2 years of free charging to Harley-Davidson LiveWire owners
Charging network operator Electrify America has partnered with Harley-Davidson to provide owners of its first all-electric motorcycle, the Harley-Davidson LiveWire, with the per-minute equivalent of 500 kWh of complimentary charging over two years. Harley first teased an all-electric motorcycle in 2014 and the company plans to begin deliveries of the LiveWire in August 2019. “At… Read more »
IONITY to install fast chargers at eight Extra service stations in UK
IONITY, a joint venture between Daimler, Ford, BMW and VW to create a fast charging network throughout Europe, has partnered with Extra, a UK service station operator, to install fast charging stations at eight Extra locations. Each charging station will initially include up to six 350 kW chargers. The first of the charging stations is… Read more »
Volvo Penta showcases electric terminal tractor
Volvo Penta showcased an electric terminal tractor at a recent port and terminal technology trade show in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The tractor was retrofitted with a Volvo Penta electric driveline, borrowing technologies from Volvo’s electric buses and trucks. Volvo Penta has been active in establishing its presence in the EV industry, aiming to offer electrified… Read more »
Virginia governor pledges over $12 million for electric buses
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has pledged more than $12 million towards the deployment of electric buses in Alexandria, Blacksburg, and Hampton Roads. The funding will cover a total of 17 electric buses and charging stations, eliminating the need for an estimated two million gallons of diesel fuel and offsetting 612,000 tons of carbon emissions and… Read more »
UK awards £23 million to Jaguar and other firms for battery tech research
The UK government has awarded £23 million ($29 million USD) to numerous companies for investments in EV battery research, as part of a push to help keep the country at the forefront of EV tech development. The awards are part of the Faraday Battery Challenge, a £274 million government investment bringing together academia and businesses… Read more »