Charging infrastructure provider The New Motion surveyed 5,000 clients about their EV use. It turns out that 82 percent of EV owners are male and also 82 percent are older than 41. 94% of EV owners live in a household with at least two people and 57% use their electric car to drive to work. electriccarsreport.com
Germany get two eHighways: Germany will test electric trucks on 12 km stretches of two motorways in northern and central Germany from no later than the end of 2018. The trucks will be powered through an overhead wire. The German Press Agency dpa says, the exact location of the test routes will be announced in February. handelsblatt.com, heise.de (in German)
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Inductive charging standard gets more concrete: Carmakers and technology suppliers from across the world have agreed on the SAE J2954 standard for wireless charging. It allows for inductive charging with 3.7 and 7.7 kW and provides a basis for manufacturers to develop their systems. It also ensures that the new systems are compatible with vehicles from other brands. greencarcongress.com, sae.org
Fully autonomous Tesla in 2017? Elon Musk says the company will be ready in about three and no later than six months to allow for fully automated driving. Tesla cars are already being fitted with the necessary hardware since last October. The only thing standing in the technology’s way are rules and regulations. teslarati.com, electrek.co
“Renewable energy is something that could be quite interesting. There’s so many possibilities. Electric cars, for example.”
Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg, who just announced his retirement, is eyeing investment opportunities. So maybe he will become a new sponsor in for the Formula E. straitstimes.com
“This was a very difficult decision, because I care deeply about the technology and people at Apple and because I could see myself staying there for many more years.”
Chris Lattner, who recently left Apple and came on as Tesla VP of Autopilot Software, says he wasn’t unhappy with his former employer. He was just ready for a new challenge, which the EV maker can provide. macrumors.com
Fast-charging initiative CharIN has 10 new members, putting its total count at more than 60. According to the initiative, which wants to establish CCS as a worldwide fast-charging standard, EnBW, Honda, Hyundai, Infineon, Ingeteam, Keri, Lear, Siemens, STMicroelectronics and Yazaki joined at the beginning of the year. charinev.org
Tesla with new partner Down Under? Chinese news agency Xinhua reports that Tesla is allegedly sitting down with facilities manager Spotless to set up “thousands” of EV chargers in Australia. The idea is for the Spotless Group to re-brand itself as a technology solutions firm for clients. The where and when was not revealed. globaltimes.cn
Electric student shuttle: The University of California, Irvine (UCI) announced that it will purchase 20 electric buses from BYD. According to its own accounts, it will make it the first university in the U.S. to only use electric buses on campus. uci.edu
Electric commuter shuttle: Since Monday, Paris is testing two all-electric and autonomous EZ10 shuttles from Easymile on a stretch of road between Gare de Lyon and Gare d*Austerlitz. During the three-months trial, the shuttles are free to use. More test routes will follow. digitaltrends.com, euractiv.com
Video tip: After finishing a rather extensive test drive, Bjørn Nyland published a video showing the fast-charging capabilities of the Hyundai Ioniq Electric. The EV’s 28 kWh battery can thus support charging capacities of up to 70 kW using CCS. youtube.com via insideevs.com
Since the new U.S. President wants to put “America first,” he should be driving a Tesla or Toyota. The EV maker produces all its cars and batteries in the U.S. and when it comes to component production, the Toyota Camry takes the crown as “most American car.” 75 percent of its parts are made in the U.S. focus.de (in German)
Subsidy update from China: According to Reuters, the Chinese government has published a new list of electric and hybrid cars eligible for subsidies. It contains 185 models so far and will be amended at a later date. It now also includes cars with batteries from LG Chem and Samsung SDI, which were excluded in 2016. reuters.com
Subaru XV as hybrid: Subaru will premier its second generation XV at the Geneva Motor Show. So far, the XV is only offered as a hybrid in Japan and the U.S., but will now also debut in Europe. The platform, on which the XV is based, would also allow for a pure EV model. autocar.co.uk
BYD increases output: The Chinese manufacturer wants to increase production of electric and hybrid vehicles this year in order to cut cost. The reason is that the Chinese government has lowered subsidies by about 20 percent. A loss that the company now needs to compensate by slashing production cost by about 5-10 percent. chinadaily.com.cn
Scotland to ban combustion engines? To reach the country’s CO2 reduction goals, a new strategy paper suggests setting up an energy task force that will ban all diesel and petrol cars from cities by 2025. The government is expected to publish the draft next week. To what point the energy task force will be mentioned remains to be seen. dailyrecord.co.uk
New Outlander priced: Mitsubishi UK now offers the new generation of the plug-in variant starting at 34,749 pounds (before the 2,500 pound subsidy). The new model comes with an “EV Priority Mode” and shorter charging times. electriccarsreport.com
Kia Niro Hybrid gets price tag: The car will start at 22,890 dollars in the U.S. and will already roll to dealerships there in the first three months of 2017. Pricing for higher trim levels nor the destination charged were announced so far. hybridcars.com
Whopping 145 Tesla Model S and more than 100 Model X recently set the new record for the world’s longest Tesla parade in Beijing. The electric SUVs even performed their falcon-wing-door choreography. electrek.co
Akasol lands big deal: The German battery specialist will deliver Li-ion battery systems for the entire e-bus fleet of an unnamed North-European manufacturer. According to Akasol, the deal is worth hundreds of millions of euros and includes the delivery of 4,500 battery systems until 2023. press-n-relations.com, energate-messenger.de (in German)
New Autopilot with restrictions: Tesla began with its over-the-air update of its Autopilot software last week. However, the new Autosteer function designed to keep the Tesla in its lane on highways, will only work at speeds below 45 mph. Restrictions could be dropped once the carmaker collected enough data about the systems safety. Also, the cameras of some cars will need to be readjusted following the update. theverge.com, insideevs.com
Ford Transit electrified: Companies New Eagle and Inventev from Michigan presented an electrified version of the Ford Transit. The retrofit kit used is also available for other utility vehicles. The companies want to kick off selling the EV from early 2018. chargedevs.com, neweagle.net
Hyperloop copycat: Eight Korean research organisations want to work together to come up with a similar high-speed train system. This one will be called Hyper Tube Express (HTX) and is said to enable people to travel at speeds of up to 1,000 kph in Hyperloop-like tunnels or tubes. greencarcongress.com
“Tesla will never stop innovating. People are buying the wrong car if they expect this. There will be major revs every 12 to 18 months.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that the EV maker has no intention on conforming to the traditional automotive schedule and introduce new cars and features at the end of a model year. The constant updates are making it difficult for some to decide when to order their Tesla to get the latest features. twitter.com via electrek.co
“I don’t see any of these start-ups, or even BYD being able to challenge Tesla, at least in the next two to three years.”
John Zeng, managing director of consultancy LMC Automotive believes that despite the sales figures, Chinese electric carmakers cannot keep up with Tesla – at least not for now. scmp.com
Electric buses for Helsinki: The Finnish capital commissioned their first electric bus on Monday. Another three will follow before spring and the city plans to have a total of 12 electric buses in service before the end of the year. The buses were delivered by Linkker and are fitted with drivetrains from Visedo. hsl.fi, automotiveworld.com
EV uptake programme: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) asked for 253m dollars from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to fund at total of seven projects that will help accelerate EV uptake in the Golden State. Most of these projects involve setting up EV charging infrastructure and electrifying fleets. electriccarsreport.com
Loosing game: Bolloré’s e-carsharing scheme Autolib’ (as it is called in Paris) is a loss-making business in any city that it is active, unless the programme is highly subsidised. In Paris alone, the company expects to lose 179m euros by the end of the contract duration. And Bolloré’s cars are not a sales hit either – only 942 of the tiny BlueCars were sold to individuals in 2016; 15 percent less than in the year prior. autonews.com
Destination charging for all? Company DigiNow has developed an adapter to allow electric cars other than Tesla to also plug-in at Destination Chargers. So far, Tesla have not commented, but they can surely not be too happy if EVs other than their own use their free infrastructure. autoblog.com (with video)
London funds emobility, earmarking a total of 1.4m pounds to set up a zero emission zone including fast- and regular charging in Hammersmith, a trial of one of the UK’s first hydrogen-diesel powered vans at Heathrow Airport, and high-voltage training for electricians, new chargers and EV test drives for local businesses in Harrow. These are only three of a total of six neighbourhoods that will receive funding. getwestlondon.co.uk
Click tip: As reported, former U.S. President Barack Obama kicked off the construction of 48 national charging corridors in the country last year. The Federal Highway Administration now provides interactive maps to give a quick overview of the project. energy.gov via insideevs.com/
Video tip: In his newest episode of Fully Charged, Robert Llewellyn takes a look at EV start-up Lucid Motors. He criticises that like many of these new electric carmakers, Lucid Motors is focusing on the high-end segment. But what the world really needs are affordable and practical electric cars for everyday driving. youtube.com
Just after the unveiling of its FF 91 electric SUV in Las Vegas, company Faraday Future boasted about having received 64,000 reservations (we reported). But as it turns out, there may only have been a total of 60 people who put 5,000 dollars down to reserve the car. An honest mathematical mistake, we are sure… businessinsider.de
Hyundai to launch electric SUV: The Korean manufacturer is working on an all-electric SUV said to hit the road in 2018 in South Korea. A still seriously camouflaged prototype has already been spotted. The unnamed SUV will most likely feature a 64 kWh battery back and go 320 km on one charge. etnews.com, electrek.co
Future Mobility get serious: Future Mobility’s still undefined plans to set up an EV factory (we reported) are getting more concrete. According to Bloomberg, the Chinese start-up has signed an agreement with the city of Nanjing. The production site is said to have an initial capacity of 150,000 per year, which could double at a later date. Future Mobility plans to launch its first serial production car, an electric SUV, in 2020. bloombergquint.com
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New Golf GTE can be ordered: The plug-in hybrid variant of the recently facelifted VW Golf can now be ordered. The Golf GTE’s drivetrain remains the same as for the previous model – as does the price tag of 36,900 euros. autoevolution.com, volkswagen-media-services.com
FF 91 pricier than initially though: Faraday Future’s just recently unveiled FF 91 (we reported) will most likely cost more than many initially expected. LeEco CEO and FF financier recently spoke of “less than 2m yuan,” which is the equivalent of roughly 291,000 dollars. So the car will not cost more than that – but probably not much less either. electrek.co
BYD with plans to expand: In two to three years, the Chinese manufacturer wants to begin selling its electric cars to individuals in the U.S. Until now, BYD is only selling its buses and EV to fleet operators there. And the company is planning to conquer India’s bus market and is planning a joint venture with company Goldstone Infratech there. todayonline.com (USA), telanganatoday.news (India)
The Renault-Nissan alliance has sold more than 400,000 electric cars globally since the Nissan Leaf hit the road a little over six years ago. CEO Carlos Ghosn disclosed the figures during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. reuters.com
ABB invests in Canada: The Swiss engineering firm is investing 90m dollars in the construction of a research and development centre in Montréal, said to open its doors before the end of 2017. It will also house the “North American Center for Excellence in e-Mobility,” which focuses on the development of energy management solutions for electric buses and trains. investquebec.com, theprovince.com
Israeli start-up ElectRoad developed a new technology that would charge electric cars while driving, using copper wire embedded in the asphalt (we reported). First tests have now been completed successfully and the technology will now be tried for a bus line in Tel Aviv. ElectRoad wants to initially offer its technology to public transport operators, so that electric buses can be fitted with smaller batteries. trendintech.com
Higher charging capacity: Researchers at the University of Bath and University of Illinois say they have figured out how to charge batteries more quickly in the future. The discovered that adding positively charged ions increased how fast lithium moves and therefore the batteries charging capacity. dailymail.co.uk, phys.org
Serial production of sodium-ion batteries? British company Faradion is working on a cheap sodium-ion battery (we reported) that could be used for i.e. electric cars and was now able to raise 3.2m pounds in additional funding. The money will be used to demonstrate that the technology is suitable for serial production. thestar.co.uk
“We are going to increase investment, we are going to have lot of new cars coming, better batteries, better performance, lower prices.”
Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says the alliance remains invested in staying in the lead of the electric car market. This comes as Ghosn announced that Renault-Nissan has sold 400,000 electric cars worldwide, since the Leaf launched in December 2010. autonews.com
“We are exploring on our electric platform all the concepts that could be done.”
Volkswagen sales and marketing boss Jürgen Stackmann says we will see two or three more concepts based on the VW I.D. in the coming months, that could make it to production after the initial VW I.D. launches in 2020. autoexpress.co.uk
“Success of our electrified vehicles shows we are already well on track, and our message is clear. We intend to remain at the forefront of electro-mobility.”
BMW Board Member Ian Robertson says the carmaker’s plug-in portfolio is critical, saying BMW aims to sell 100,000 electrified vehicles in 2017. wardsauto.com
Electric delivery: New Zealand’s supermarket chain Foodstuffs is getting cash from the government to test the use of electric delivery vans at its locations. 28 Nissan e-NV200 will be imported for the task in 2018. The installation of public EV chargers at the market’s locations is also in the cards. scoop.co.nz
Field testing bi-directional charging: Nissan is working with Newcastle University on a project using electric cars that feed electricity back into the grid. The first ten V2G charging points have been installed on the university’s campus and at Nissan’s research centre in Cranfield. The tests are part of a larger project, in the course of which Nissan plans to install a total of 100 V2G chargers on the Iles. chroniclelive.co.uk
Banking on dieselgate: The U.S. state of Connecticut is getting 50m dollars in financial penalties from VW following the scandal, and is now considering where to invest. The Connecticut Public Interest Group proposed the installation of more than 100 EV charging points and the purchase of dozens of electric buses. ctpost.com
Electric Portugal: More than 4,000 electric vehicles were roaming the streets of Portugal last year, and the country expects to crack the 5,000-EV milestone this year. In the coming weeks, 14 fast-chargers will be installed in Portuguese cities and along the motorways. theportugalnews.com
Download tip: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has published the “Midterm Review” of its EV programme. It is expected that just because of the programme, at least 1m new electric vehicles will hit the road in California by 2025. arb.ca.gov via greencarcongress.com
Video tip: In the newest episode of Fully Charged, Robert Llewellyn takes the Renault Zoe with the 41 kWh battery for a spin. On his drive in Portugal, Robert finds that the 400 km range that Renault advertises is actually not far off from reality. youtube.com via electriccarsreport.com
As reported, the new racing series Electric GT will see a converted Tesla Model S hit the track. And as with any car, the vehicle needs to be fuelled up from time to time. In this case, the series won’t Tesla’s own Supercharger infrastructure, but the CHAdeMO adapter to plug in the EV. electrek.co
Pushing FCVs: The World Economic Forum saw the introduction of a new hydrogen council. Companies such as BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Air Liquide, Linde, Shell and Total will work together to help fuel cell technology take off. During the launch event, members confirmed their intent to invest even more than the current 1.4bn euros per year in further development and commercialisation of hydrogen and fuel cell technology. greencarcongress.com, .autonews.com, daimler.com
Mini presented its Countryman in detail, announcing that it will launch in Europe in February. The Plug-in-Hybrid drivetrain of the Mini Copper S E Countryman ALL4 combines a 100 kW petrol engine and 65 kW electric motors and can drive fully electric at speeds of up to 125 kph. The all-electric range is set at 40 km. While Mini has no listed a price, the Countryman PHEV was shown with a price tag of 36,000 euros at the Brussels Motor Show. bmwgroup.com, automobile-propre.com (price; in French)
Gigafactory production: It’s not a secret that Tesla wants to produce components other than battery cells at the Gigafactory, but those plans are finally shaping up. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said Tesla will invest another 350m dollars in the production site and create 550 new jobs, as the EV maker will being building electric motors and drivetrains for its Model 3 there. electrek.co, teslarati.com
Tesla recall: The carmaker is calling all Tesla Model S build in 2012 back to the shop to replace possibly faulty Takata airbags. While only U.S. build cars are concerned, Tesla extended the recall worldwide on a voluntary basis. A recall for Model S from 2013 to 2016 could follow. All cars produced after the end of 2016 are not concerned, Tesla says. teslarati.com, tesla.com
JSW update: The Indian company wants to venture into the electric car market from 2020 (we reported) and initially said it would purchase batteries externally. Now, JSW is considering building batteries themselves as part of a joint venture. Moreover, the son of JSW CEO Sajjan Jindal wants to open his own company selling electric two-wheelers. bloomberg.com
Driving the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid: Autocar calls it “better in almost every measurable way” than its predecessor, saying it is “absolutely lovely” to drive in electric mode. Still, the tester misses a bit of that Porsche feel when driving it, saying it “appeals more to the head than the heart.” autocar.co.uk
Exactly 5,451 electric motorcycles and scooters were newly registered in France in 2016, Avere France reports. That’s nearly three times as many as in 2015.The number is expected to rise even further, as the government now gives 1,000 euros in subsides for the purchase of an electric two-wheeler. avere-france.org (in French)
Giving a glimpse: Vanda Electrics from Singapore is showing first teaser images of its electric sports car, developed together with Williams Advanced Engineering. The Dendrobium will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. As reported, the company plans a small production series of 10 to 20 units in 2018. autoexpress.co.uk, autocar.co.uk
Flying taxi: Airbus CEO Tom Enders confirmed that first test flights with the all-electric and autonomous Vahana (we reported) are scheduled for this year. Next to the single-seat flying taxi, Airbus also plans on setting up a drone delivery service called Skyways and at a later date, the flying taxis service CityAirbus that can carry more than one person and will also be all-electric and autonomous. digitaltrends.com, wired.co.uk
Nikola Motor update: The first 5,000 units of the fuel cell truck will be built by company Fitzgerald Glider Kits in Tennessee. Thompson Machinery and Ryder Systems will be in charge of sales and distribution. Meanwhile, Nikola Motor wants to invest 1bn dollars in a new research and development centre, as well as its own production line that could churn out 50,000 fuel cell trucks per year. Nikola says it will pick a location by mid-2018. trucks.com
Futuristic celebration of the past: For the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower crossing the Atlantic, another vessel will set sail from Plymouth to New England in 2020. Only this one will be fully autonomously and will get its energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen. treehugger.com
“Our view is that the industry offerings, 15 years from now, is that there are going to be more electrified offerings than there are internal combustion engines.”
Ford CEO Mark Fields explains that American carmaker will invest heavily in electrification, as it wants to build up its reputation and even become a leader in the field. businessinsider.de
“We will tell customers that the 160-km range equals between 120 km and 130 km in real traffic conditions but in winter it could be even less.”
Smart’s product manager Rouven Remp says energy consumption of the new generation was cut 15 percent, but that a larger battery for more range could not be fitted into the small chassis. autonews.com
Shop and charge: Supermarket chain Lidl struck a deal with British charging infrastructure provider Pod Point, asking the latter to set up fast-chargers for electric vehicles at some 40 locations in the UK. Customers will be able to charge for free while they shop. fleetnews.co.uk, businessgreen.com
Electric transport: Park City in the U.S. state of Utah will purchase six all-electric buses from Proterra, as well corresponding charging infrastructure. The state is funding the initiative with 3.9m dollars. The first e-bus will already be commissioned this month, with the other to follow in June. ksl.com, fox13now.com
Repercussions: Back in June 2015, the U.S. state of Georgia agreed to cut a 5,000 dollar subsidy for the purchase of an EV. The consequences are now becoming more apparent, as EV sales dropped 80 percent since then. utilitydive.com
Maven fleet get electric addition: GM will offer its electric Chevy Bolt as part of its ride-hailing service Maven in California. Users can catch the EV from February 1st. wardsauto.com
Going clean: The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District in Illinois announced that 18 new hybrid buses will go into service there in summer. That would increase the hybrid share of its fleet to 77 percent. foxillinois.com
Click tip: Canadian tinkerers have electrified a 427 Shelby Cobra using a rear-wheel-drive motor of a Tesla Model S P85 and a Kia Soul EV battery pack. The goal is to hit the track, which the team plans on doing later this year. electrek.co, youtube.com (video)
Reading tip: Market-research company MaritzCX has identified at what point people in the U.S. consider buying a hybrid or electric car to save fuel costs. 3 dollars per gallon seems to be the magic number. Anything below that is (or could be) bad for electric car sales. wardsauto.com
Full Circle Funerals in Yorkshire now offers a ride to the cemetery in a converted all-electric Nissan Leaf. Because the boot is too small, the coffin rides next to the driver and a large side window gives the funeral procession a clear view of their late loved one. thetelegraphandargus.co.uk, bdaily.co.uk
Five new e-trons for China: Audi and its Chinese joint venture partner signed off their 10-year strategic plan. Next to forming its own brand for mobility and digital services, the two companies are also planning to produce five more e-tron models in China, on top of the already scheduled A6 L e-tron und Q7 e-tron, and introduce them to the market there. That includes purely electric vehicles. greencarcongress.com, electrek.co, audi-mediacenter.com
Diesel-ban in Oslo: The Norwegian capital banned private diesel cars from its roads on Tuesday and Wednesday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The ban could be extended. German magazine Der Spiegel reports that Oslo even wants kick all vehicles with combustion engines out of the inner city ring by 2024. thelocal.no, theguardian.com, spiegel.de (in German)
Kia Stinger update: According to Auto Express, Kia could launch an all-electric version of the Kia Stinger GT, which it presented at the Detroit Motor Show. The sleek five-door GT would then rival the upcoming Tesla Model 3, but is not said to hit the road before 2019. But it could then be fitted with level 3 or 4 autonomous features. autoexpress.co.uk
SUV Aircross as PHEV: Citroën wants to introduce its SUV Aircross to the Chinese market at the end of the year. It will also be available as a seven-seater, as well as a plug-in hybrid from 2018. carnewschina.com
Rollout plan: GM has published a rollout schedule for the Chevrolet Bolt in the U.S. The EV is currently only available at dealerships in California and Oregon, but can already be ordered in a total of seven states. By September, the Bolt will be available across the United States. insideevs.com
Tesla referral programme: Tesla launched a new round of its referral programme until March 15th. Clients who successfully refer seven new buyers will receive two invitation to the Model 3 delivery event. Those who sell five vehicles get a limited-edition Powerwall and those with three successful referrals get a Model S for kids. Tesla also kicked off an annual awards programme. The first person to successfully refer 20 new buyers in each sales region – North America, Europe, or Asia Pacific – will get a Tesla Model S or X P100D. electrek.co, teslarati.com
More than 2,000,000 electric and plug-in hybrids vehicles have been sold worldwide. According to Hybrid Cars, the milestone was reached in December and encompasses individual cars and lightweight utility vehicles. Electric buses and trucks don’t figure into the calculation. 632,371 of those vehicles are registered in China, 638,000 in Europe and 570,187 in the U.S. hybridcars.com
Tesla update: The EV maker has started pushing its over-the-air software update for the Autopilot 2.0 to entire fleet of vehicles equipped with the second generation hardware. 1,000 cars received the update for testing earlier this month. The Enhanced Autopilot will remain deactivated for now, but will most likely be activated before the end of the week. insideevs.com, electrek.co
Investing billions in EV batteries: Nikkei reports that Panasonic will invest a total of 1.3 to 1.8bn dollars in its EV batteries business over the next three years. Investments in other business segments like TVs will in return be cut back. nikkei.com
Electric truck: A new project by British Arcola Energy, Haydale Composite Solutions and Commercial Group aims to fit a 3.5-ton truck with an electric drivetrain and fuel cell range extender to get a range of around 200 miles. The undertaking is part of the UK government’s funding round for the electrification of the countries logistics sector, which was announced last week. itsinternational.com, transportengineer.org.uk