Willett Kempton had an idea way back in 1997 about an electric car that would do more than just allow an owner to commute to work without using a drop of gas. The University of Delaware professor wanted that same vehicle to store power and be able to pump it back onto the utility grid, Continue reading →
Just over a year ago, Anthony Foxx – President Obama’s nominee for transportation secretary – unveiled a pilot program for electric-vehicle charging stations in Charlotte, N.C., where he is the mayor. If he wins confirmation, Mr. Foxx can help the president push electric vehicles (EVs) on a national scale. Getting more American drivers into plug-ins Continue reading →
The revived Detroit Electric company will be partnering with China’s Geely, but the mission is not to cooperate on bringing the all-electric Tesla Roadster-like SP:01 to market. Instead, Detroit Electric and Geely will co-develop more normal passenger vehicles from Geely’s Emgrand brand, starting with the EC7 pictured above. The two companies will also work on Continue reading →
In the United States, electric vehicles are slowly gaining ground on gas-powered cars. As of March, 2013, there were 34,000 on the road. But if electric vehicles are ever going to overtake their combustion-engine counterparts, the sticker price will have to come down, battery life will have to go up and the charging station infrastructure Continue reading →
Decades may have passed since the Electric Slide was in vogue, but electric cars are now sliding into charging stations all around Lodi. Seven electric vehicle charging stations are installed in Lodi and are currently free to use. Want to charge up in your own home? The Lodi City Council approved an ordinance to offer Continue reading →
Phinergy, an Israeli startup, has demonstrated an aluminium-air battery that is capable of powering an electric vehicle for up to 1,000 miles (1,609km). Unlike other metal-air batteries that we’ve written about in the past, such as IBM’s lithium-air battery, Phinergy’s Al-air battery actually consumes aluminium as a fuel, allowing for an energy density that far Continue reading →
A newly announced Detroit vehicle manufacturer wants to bring high-performance electric vehicles to the Motor City from the west coast. Detroit Electric, a resurrected name brand made popular in the early 1900s for electric vehicles, plans to have its headquarters in Detroit’s Fisher Building, hire 180 employees by the end of the year and produce a Continue reading →
The Motor City has a new kid on the block — electric vehicle manufacturer Detroit Electric announced this week that it is once again putting down roots in the Michigan town. After a 70-year absence, the company is returning with a new approach, as well as the promise of job creation and “a range of Continue reading →
Despite internal concerns about the practicality of electric vehicles, Volkswagen has gone ahead and developed its first fully electric car. The brand’s Up minicar will be offered with a 55-hp electric motor and a 18.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack beginning this fall. When factoring in a curb weight of 2612 pounds, Wolfsburg’s first attempt at an Continue reading →
SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY) and Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) don’t seem like a natural fit initially, but a growing number of partnerships between the solar company and electric vehicle maker may be a sign of what’s to come in these two industries. SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) already has deals with Nissan and Ford (NYSE: FORD) , and Continue reading →
Union des Groupements d’Achats Publics (UGAP) awarded a deal to Renault wherein the brand will supply 2000 ZOE and 100 Fluence ZE electric vehicles over the next 3 years. Renault won this deal as there were few competitors in the ‘compact electric sedan’ and ‘versatile 4-seater electric vehicle’ categories sought by UGAP. via 2100 Renault Continue reading →
Stars and green cars are nothing new–several have admitted to owning Toyota Prius in the past, while others have been spotted in Tesla Roadsters or Fisker Karmas. At Global Green USA’s 10th Pre-Oscar party on Wednesday, a host more stars were caught alongside two electric vehicles–the 2013 Chevrolet Volt and 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV. via Continue reading →
Despite all the media focus on electric cars, their adoption in the U.S. and around the world can be considered halting at best. The much-hyped Nissan Leaf, for instance, sold only 9,819 units in 2012 – even Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn admitted that was a disappointment. Yet Chinese companies have made a serious investment push Continue reading →
The Department of Defense quietly announced in January that the next step in making the military more eco-friendly would entail spending $20 million to purchase electric vehicles to help offset power usage at Defense Department installations. The Pentagon expects to lease up to 500 electric vehicles at six different installations later this year, with each Continue reading →
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to add 10,000 public parking spots for electric vehicles over the next seven years. According to prepared remarks for his 12th and final State of the City address Thursday, the Mayor says: “This year we’ll pilot curbside vehicle chargers that will allow drivers to fill up their battery Continue reading →
Over the next decade, the most vibrant Wireless Power Transmission (WPT) markets will involve the contactless charging of portable and mobile equipment, in particular consumer electronics and electric vehicles and this is the focus of this report. These two aspects go together because the technology is similar, some proposed standards overlap and some suppliers seek Continue reading →
Chicago has often been called the nation’s candy capital, murder capital, basketball capital, steakhouse capital and even the capital of “false confessions.” Now Chicago boosters are planning to add the title “battery capital” to the list (though that title is already claimed by Holland, Michigan, thanks to two factories that opened last year). via With Continue reading →
Picture the scene: There’s a power cut. It goes dark. Your TV, refrigerator and computer all shut down. How long will it last? Who knows? Power outages are normally brief affairs, but in disasters like 2012′s Superstorm Sandy, people could be left without power for days. A potential solution, increasingly coming to light, is that Continue reading →
Not so long ago, the idea of a car that runs without gas sounded like pie in the sky, something only the Jetsons would drive. Now, of course, battery-powered cars such as the Volt, Leaf and Tesla are making their way up and down streets everywhere. That doesn’t mean, however, that they’re only encountering green Continue reading →
