Reading tip: ‘Car and Driver’ put a Tesla Model S up against a 99-year old Ford Model T in a race from Detroit to Long Island. Guess who won!
caranddriver.com
Video tip: This week, T.E.N. (Transport Evolved News) reports about the trip from Texas to Panama in a Model S, the BMW i3 Launch Edition and plans in U.S. state Georgia to kill EV subsidies.
transportevolved.com (Video)
E-Golf available: In Germany, Volkswagen is now taking orders for its latest electric car. The e-Golf starts at 34,900 euros (47,700 dollars), including an eight-year battery warranty or 160,000 km respectively. Like the E-Up, the electric Golf comes with standard features such as a heated windscreen and LED daytime running lights.
auto-medienportal.net (In German), volkswagen-media-services.com (In German)
Kia Soul in Geneva: The long-awaited Soul EV will make its European debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show alongside the updated Optima Hybrid. The two will be joined by Kia’s new 48 V mild-hybrid system, which is capable of driving a car in all-electric mode at low speeds and while cruising.
greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com
Twingo in Geneva: Another highlight in Geneva this year will be the unveiling of the latest generation of Renault’s Twingo. With an electric version in the making, the Twingo will also serve as a base for the new Smart Forfour. So far, the third-gen Twingo reminds us a more of the Fiat 500 or Opel Adam though.
fleetnews.co.uk
Supra set: Toyota made its decision that its FT-1 concept will indeed become a production Supra, according to a “source close to Toyota.” The Japanese carmaker is believed to be working on a smaller hybrid sports car too, expected by 2017.
motoring.com.au, 7tune.com
Hybrid Odyssey: Honda’s developer Takashi Shinchi said the Japanese carmaker is considering to introduce a hybrid version of its Odyssey on its domestic market but no decision has been made yet. The Odyssey’s ultra-low floor makes it particularly tricky to integrate a battery.
hybridcars.com, caradvice.com.au
New e-bike brand: ‘Ariel Rider’ has started its work on electrifying cruiser bicycles. These new alloy bikes have no-plastics frames but come with details such as stitched handlebars or automatic LED lights. Behind Ariel Rider are the same people who launched e-Bann bikes.
24-7pressrelease.com, arielrider.com
In Germany 541 electric cars were registered last month. This is a meager 0.3% of the overall market but a 50% increase of EV sales.
kba.de (In German)
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Compact motor: Mitsubishi Electric’s latest prototype for a new EV drive system comes with a built-in silicon-carbide inverter, thus making it very compact. Thanks to similar figures in volume and power, the new motor will be able to be used as a replacement part for current motors. Before commercialisation, cooling technologies will have to be finalised.
electric-vehiclenews.com, greencarcongress.com
V2G demonstration: At the Hannover Trade Fair in April, the Fraunhofer ESK will present a charging station serving as an interoperable node between EV and the grid’s control center using the ISO/IEC 15118 and IEC 61850 standards. The researchers designed their model as reference for utility providers still hesitating to apply the standards.
greencarcongress.com
Inductive charging trial: Toyota will be testing its wireless charging technology in Aichi, Japan. If successful, the Japanese carmaker believes its inductive system could reduce charging times to 90 minutes.
thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, electriccarsreport.com
How-to for flooded EVs: With great parts of the UK currently being hit by floods, this guide might be helpful to some EV drivers right now. Transport Evolved sums up the most important advices if your car has been gone under water. Hopefully you will never need it!
transportevolved.com
“Our start in Le Mans is the beginning of a new electric era of motor sport. It is a great platform to gather valuable experiences, which can then be used for developing road-ready electric cars.”
Lucas Ordonez, who has been named as the first driver of Nissan’s ZEOD RC car, on Le Mans.
elektromobilitaet-praxis.de (In German)
Click tip: IDTechEx launched its new ‘Electric Vehicle Market Intelligence Portal’ designed to provide analysis of the EV market for land, water and air.
idtechex.com (Portal) via etaiwannews.com
Video tip: Swiss Piero Istrice made this video advertising for the new Ecoist platform. Watch it all to the end to find out what happens when the i3 meets a V6 at the car wash!
youtube.com
Formula E driver pool complete: The electric racing series has filled the remaining eight spots in its pool of drivers. Jaime Alguersuari, Nicolas Minassian, Alex Brundle, Robert Doornbos, Christian Klien, Conor Daly, Katherine Legge and Ben Collins join the league of racers eager to get behind the wheel of the Spark-Renault SRT_01E for one of the ten Formula E teams.
fiaformulae.com
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German-Japanese battery joint venture: Lithium Energy and Power GmbH & Co. KG is the name of a new joint venture by Bosch, GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi. Established in Summer last year the enterprise has declared its ambitious goal to develop li-ion batteries with double the energy capacity of today’s technologies. The joint venture of which Bosch holds 50% of the stakes is based in Stuttgart, Germany and has already recruited 70 employees.
greencarcongress.com, automotiveworld.com, automotive-business-review.com
1.9 million Prius to be recalled: Toyota will have to recall all Prius hybrid models built between March 2009 and February 2014 worldwide, due to problems with software controlling the motor and hybrid function. Toyota will contact owners as soon as a software update is ready.
autoblog.com, greencarreports.com
All or nothing for early i3 buyers: In the first three months BMW USA will offer its electric car as ‘Launch Edition’ only. This leaves first buyers with no choice but to “opt-in” for all available add-ons, with only the REx being optional, which boosts the price from 41,350 up to 50,875 dollars.
insideevs.com, transportevolved.com
Toyota to increase production: Thanks to growing demand for its Yaris and Yaris hybrid, the Japanese carmaker will ramp up output at its plant near Valenciennes, France. Three-shift operations starting in June are set to increase annual production by 15% to 220,000 units.
just-auto.com, fr.reuters.com (In French)
Honda in Geneva: At the upcoming Motor Show in Switzerland, the carmaker will show its hydrogen concept FCEV as well as an updated NSX concept hybrid.
driving.ca, caradvice.com
Wanxiang stock soared 20 percent in the last three days because rumours of a cooperation with Tesla were not denied quickly enough. Another reason might have been the outlook of Wanxiang taking over the remaining Fisker assets.
chinacartimes.com
Magnetic eCVT: Magnomatics has introduced its Magsplit 2 (Magnetic Power Split), a magnetic transmission that could replace both the mechanical planetary gearset and motor/generator a hybrid system usually consists of.
greencarcongress.com (with video)
Toyota’s battery plans: Toyota is currently working on solid state batteries, which its engineers believe could be ready for production by 2020. Also lithium air batteries are being developed but will not be produced before 2030, the company said.
autonews.com
Kia heating system: The Soul EV uses an innovative heating and ventilation system designed to save energy by making use of waste heat and carefully controlling airflows. A heat pump utilises waste heat of the air-conditioning and electrical systems to minimise the energy consumption.
hybridcars.com, electriccarsreport.com
Hacker Princess hired by Tesla: Kristin Paget, formerly employed by Microsoft and Apple, has been hired by the Californian carmaker. “Something security related” was all she let out on her new job description.
green.autoblog.com
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“We aim to use lithium ion for Prius, but we are not sure yet. Or we could differentiate within the Prius lineup between ones that use lithium ion battery and other ones that use nickel-metal hydride batteries.”
Hideki Iba, Toyota’s battery research manager, seems only sure of one thing: the Prius 2015 will feature new batteries.
ecomento.com
“There have been many jobs lost in the automotive sphere but electric cars are going to be a substantial fraction of the automotive market.”
With the outcome of yesterdays Fisker auction still unknown, Delaware University professor Willett Kempton hopes whoever buys the assets wants to manufacture in Delaware and make use of the former GM plant in Wilmington as originally planned by Fisker.
usatoday.com
Click tip: Fast Company magazine published its list of the world’s ten most innovative companies. Tesla takes the first place because of its supercharger network that is speeding up EV adoption.
fastcompany.com
Study tip: A new report from Navigant Research predicts that from 2013 to 2022 more than 250,000 V2G-enabled plug-in cars will be sold worldwide.
navigantresearch.com
Hybrid Tech bolsters bid: In preparation for a possible Fisker restart after this today’s auction, Hybrid Tech Holding has hired former Ford executive Martin Leach. This might be interpreted as a try to counteract arguments of the other bidder, Wanxiang, being better equipped for reviving bankrupt Fisker.
reuters.com (Hybrid Tech), green.autoblog.com (auction)
Electric utility vehicle: Centro Motor Corporation announced to soon unveil the KOMBI. The all-electric utility vehicle is claimed to be the first electric vehicle of its class in the US. Equipped with a 6.2 kWh lithium battery from Samsung, the micro van will have a range of over 50 miles on a single charge.
electriccarsreport.com
Two Terra Motors concepts: At Indian Auto Expo, the Japanese unveiled the electric A4000i scooter and the T4 e-rickshaw. The latter uses a lead battery which supplies a range of 80 kilometres. The e-scooter is powered by a li-ion battery with a range of 65 km and uses a smartphone to display details such as the speed, charge status and range.
indianautosblog.com
VW XL1 in South Korea: Volkswagen has started a tour of test drives and showcases of its ultra-efficient XL1 across South Korea. But mobile coupons and miniature models will be all Koreans get as the 250 units of the diesel plug-in hybrid will be produced and sold in Europe only.
eco-business.com
Maxximo electric: Mahindra showed an all-electric version of its mini-van at the Auto Expo in India. Now some more details are public: The Maxximo electric is said to have a range of 90 kilometres at a top speed of 55 kph and weighs 2,165 kilos.
indianautosblog.com
China’s EV promotions: While China plans to extend EV subsidiaries beyond 2015 (we reported), its finance ministry now announced changes to incentives currently in place. Previously planned reductions of subsidies by 10% in 2014 and 20% in 2015 have now been halved to 5% and 10% respectively.
eco-business.com
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BMW’s American dealers have a list of 65,000 potential buyers for the i3 and i8. According to Trudy Hardy, VP of Marketing for BMW North America, this interest-based demand exceeds supply by far.
online.wsj.com
Juggling charging: Two patents filed by Tesla, point to preparations for times when super chargers will have to handle many cars at once. U.S. Patent Application 2013/0057209 and 2013/0307475 outline prioritisation models according to state-of-charge, battery temperature or time of arrival.
greencarreports.com
Hybrid boat: At the Düsseldorf boat show, Italian Azure Embark presented the Ethos 30 or E30. The hybrid boat is equipped with a 13 kW electric motor powered by a 9.2 kWh LiFePO4 battery allowing for a 20 hour cruise at 3.5 knots. Solar panels on the roof are “primarily accessories,” says the company but when in hybrid mode, the E30 will travel 7,000 nautical miles (8,055 mi).
technologicvehicles.com (With videos)
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Every workday, “electrive.com today” delivers the latest electric-mobility news from around the world right to your inbox – short, to the point and free of charge. Made in Germany! We cover global stories but also keep a focus on relevant news from the German electric car industry! Anyone, that would like to receive a free subscription, just needs to email us at subscribe@electrive.com or visit www.electrive.com
Lubricant turned electrolyte: Researchers at the University of North Carolina and UC Berkeley, have found a new class of nonflammable electrolytes for li-ion batteries. These electrolytes are based on functionalised perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs), usually used as a heavy-duty lubricant, and remain stable at temperatures beyond 200 °C.
greencarcongress.com
Electrically grown anode: Researchers at Limerick University and University College Cork (Ireland) have developed anodes for li-ion batteries from tin-seeded germanium nanowire arrays. The anodes “grow” into a mechanically stable yet porous structure after about 100 charging cycles, providing a stable anode for about 1,100 cycles.
greencarcongress.com
“Perhaps where the Kia Soul EV will truly stand out to represent a legitimate alternative for EV buyers is in the platform itself.”
While Brad Berman is not particularly impressed by the battery and motor specifications of Kia’s all-electric car, he expects that the “quirky” looks of both the interior and exterior are more likely to attract buyers.
plugincars.com
“We’re hoping the government will consider the role Tesla can have in catalysing electric vehicle adoption in China and extend those incentives to Model S as well.”
Diarmuid O’Connell, Tesla’s vice president of business development, is optimistic after Tesla’s shares reached its record high yesterday following the news about China’s plans to extend its EV subsidies.
bloomberg.com
Listening tip: European Tesla drivers will soon be able to tune in to Rdio. The music streaming service has been selected as the default dashboard audio service for Model S, similarly to Slacker in the U.S..
gigaom.com, rdio.com
Click tip: January 2014 has been another great month for EVs in Norway. Once again the Nissan Leaf became the best-selling car in the Nordic country with now almost every tenth car sold being all electric. Second best-selling EV was the VW E-Up followed by the Tesla Model S.
ev-sales.blogspot.co.uk
Plug-in by Maruti: The Indian Suzuki subsidiary presents its Swift R.E at the Auto Expo in India. With R.E. standing for Range Extender, the Swift capable of 25 kilometres all-electric drive is better to be called a plug-in hybrid. Together with the 54 kW electric motor, li-ion battery and three-cylinder petrol engine, the Swift R.E. now weighs 1,600 kg.
indianautosblog.com
Honda recalls hybrids: The Japanese carmaker is recalling 70,929 Fit Hybrids (known as Jazz in Europe) and 10,424 Vezel Hybrids produced from July 2013 until now in Japan. It is the third time a recall has been issued concerning Honda’s 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT). This time the control software is affected.
thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, puregreencars.com
China extends EV incentives: The current subsidies for EV buyers are set to expire by 2015. However, the Chinese government has planned a follow-up programme “to preserve policy continuity,” the Ministry of Finance stated on its website. Details are yet to follow.
eco-business.com
No Zoe for India: Despite being on display at the Auto Expo India, the small electric car will not go on sale in India any time soon. This is possibly due to the lack of charging infrastructure or EV subsidies in the country.
indianautosblog.com
EV world domination: Nissan’s electric flagship the Leaf accounted for 45% of all EV sales worldwide last year. Sales of Renault’s four EVs, namely Kangoo and Fluence Z.E., Zoe and Twizy, rose by 13% in the same time. Together Renault-Nissan now holds 63% of the global market for zero-emission vehicles, according to the company’s 2013 figures.
businessgreen.com
Video tip: BMW advertises its i3 and i8 during the Sochi games on NBC. While the ‘Shhh’ spot obviously praises the silent electric ride only the i3 can offer, the yet to be launched i8 is promoted as hear-say or simply the future.
youtube.com (Shhhh i3), youtube.com (i8 Sightings), youtube.com (Hello Future i8)
In 2013, Canadians bought 3,100 PHEVs, that is an increase of 58% over 2012. Like in January last year, the Chevy Volt is the favourite EV in Canada with 66 sold last month. It is followed by the Nissan Leaf (41) and the Tesla Model S (35).
greencarreports.com, ev-sales.blogspot.de (Sales by model)
Laser lights hit the road: The BMW i8 will be the first production car with optional laser headlights. The lasers are said to double the high-beam range of the standard LEDs, being more energy-efficient at the same time. A camera-aided high-beam assistant will prevent the lights from blinding incoming traffic.
carscoops.com, youtube.com (Video by BMW)
Safer with gummy: Researchers from Washington State University have developed an electrolyte with a texture like chewing gum. It could reduce the risk of fire for lithium batteries dramatically. Furthermore, the material is light-weight and flexible.
electriccarsreport.com, puregreencars.com
Platform for smart charging: San Francisco-based Greenlots has introduced its SKY Smart Charging Platform designed for utilities and smart grid operators to tackle peak load impacts of EV charging. The platform is certified for the use with OpenADR demand response programmes.
renew-grid.com
“We don’t preclude it someday.”
Carla Bailo, Nissan’s senior vice president for R&D, on plug-in hybrids. While she did not say never, she clarified that hybrids could obviously not be part of the zero emission strategy the company is currently driving forward.
greencarreports.com
“Tesla reminds me of the early days of the internet hype, when all sorts of companies were traded for billions at the stock exchange even though they had never made a penny.”
Willi Diez, head of the Institute for automotive industry in Geislingen, Germany, has his reservations about the electric car prodigy but is impressed how far Tesla actually has come as it is now about to expand its model range.
stuttgarter-zeitung.de (In German)
Event tip: The ‘World Advanced Vehicle Expedition’ or WAVE Rally 2014 is said to be even bigger than last year’s event. With 305 electric cars rolling through Zurich and setting an official Guinness record last year, we wonder how big it will get this time.
youtube.com (Video of WAVE 2013) via green.autoblog.com
Video tip: Almost two weeks ago Tesla’s Elon Musk and JT Straubel were travelling Europe (we reported) to talk directly to customers and reveal more details of Model S leasing and supercharging. Follow the link to watch a recording of their ‘gig’ in Oslo, Europe’s unofficial EV capital.
youtube.com (Video) via cleantechnica.com
Plug-in BMW 3 series: Apparently BMW is testing a plug-in version of its 3 series in Sweden, spy shots revealed. The car is marked with ‘Hybrid Test Vehicle’ and has a second fuel cap. Autoblog assumes that the test car could use the same eDrive drivetrain which has been seen before in the X5 prototype. Taken that the X5 comes with a range of 20 miles, the lighter 3 series will probably have at least 30 miles in all-electric mode.
autoblog.com, auozeitung.de (In German)
Details of the Halo: The Mahindra Halo with its 140 hp might not be the most powerful car, it is however fairly lightweight and said to reach 62 mph in under 8 seconds. On the biggest battery it will have a range of 125 miles and reach a top speed of 100 mph. Mahindra is planning to bring the sleek sports car into production after its market feasibility for Europe and India has been studied. At this point, pricing is aimed at 48,000 to 56,000 dollars.
greencarreports.com
Hybrid triple: Mitsubishi will present its three hybrid concepts seen in Tokyo also in Geneva next month (we reported). Now, more details on the proposed drivetrains have emerged: While the SUV studies GC-PHEV and XR-PHEV will be plug-in hybrids, the Crossover AR showcases a mild hybrid drive assisted with a ‘low output’ motor powered by a 28 Volt li-ion battery.
themalaymailonline.com, autobild.de (In German)
SsangYong’s hybrid concept: The Korean carmaker has published renderings of its hybrid XLV Concept to be presented at Geneva. ‘XLV’ is short for ‘eXciting smart Lifestyle Vehicle’ and said to come as a diesel-hybrid with seven seats.
telegraph.co.uk
Luxurious Lexus: Damion Smy put the latest version of the Lexus GS300h Luxury to the test and finds that the car indeed lives up to its name. Smy calls the drive “majestic” and the interior “spacious and comfortable.” Only the throttle behaviour is “disappointing,” still Smy concludes the Lexus to be a very serious competitor for BMW’s 5 series, especially as it offers “a lot of car for the money.” Speaking of money: German Autobild has just recently rated the GS 300h best car of its class in terms of depreciation.
carmagazine.co.uk, newfleet.de (In German)
Is a Model S getting better with age, or why else would people pay 99,734 dollars for a second-hand Tesla in the U.S.?! Only explanation Forbes came up with so far, is that demand and therefore waiting time remains high, in particular for the higher equipped Model S. The last time we witnessed this phenomenon was with the second-gen Prius. Is history repeating itself?
forbes.com
Putting used EV batteries back into use: Japanese Sumitomo has installed a power storage unit which utilises recycled EV batteries. This commercial scale storage system uses 16 batteries and is placed in Osaka, where it will go live this February. It is operated by 4R Energy, a joint venture Sumitomo created together with Nissan.
greencarcongress.com
How to print an electric motor? The PriMa3D project of Chemnitz University of Technology and Fraunhofer IFAM is looking for an answer to that question. The partners are working on production technologies involving 3D screen printing of electric drivetrains. The project is part of seven collaborative research projects with a total of 49 partners all working on new concepts for electric motor manufacture. The projects are funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research with 20 million euros (27m dollars).
elektroniknet.de (In German), tu-chemnitz.de (PriMa3D – in German)
Porsche powered by A123: The German carmaker just announced that A123 Systems will be its exclusive technology partner for the development of the energy storage system for the 919 Hybrid LMP1 Le Mans prototype. Porsche also revealed that it will partner with Schaeffler and Veltins brewery on its return to the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
greencarcongress.com
Bidding alliance for Fisker: Hybrid Tech Holdings has joined forces with battery supplier Boston-Power from Massachusetts. Together, they will compete against Chinese Wanxiang for the winning bid in the Fisker auction set for the 12th of February.
chargedevs.com
“Until 2020, we want to have 4,000 charging stations all over Austria. None shall be further apart than 60 kilometres from another.”
Michael Viktor Fischer is the CEO of Smatrics, a joint venture with Siemens designed to expand charging infrastructure in Austria. The focus is on erecting stations along highways, malls and hotels.
salzburg.com (In German)
“Aiming at our goal to become the leading market for electric vehicles by 2020, California is a reference to us.”
Henning Kagermann, member of the steering comite of the German joint council ‘Nationale Plattform Elektromobilität,’ sees Germany well-situated in the race to become the leading market for electric mobility but identifies California being in the lead so far.
bizzenergytoday.com (In German)
Study tip: A new research by IDTechEX expects the market for electric water crafts to increase from 2.6 billion dollars of today to 7.3 billion in 2024. At the same time, sales of electric outboard motors will at least have tripled.
idtechex.com, electricvehiclesresearch.com
Video tip: GM leaves no doubt for who its Cadillac ELR is made for: the few that have it all – and still want more. Well, who else is luxury being made for?!
youtube.com, hybridcars.com
Kia Soul EV presented: The Koreans took the veil off their first all-electric car at the Chicago Auto Show. The Soul EV is now officially in the run against BMW’s i3 or GM’s Chevy Spark EV and will go on sale in some states in the U.S. in autumn this year. Next to the Soul EV, Kia’s latest Optima Hybrid and Niro hybrid concept are on display.
greencarreports.com (Soul), autoblog.com (Optima), greencarreports.com (Niro)
Mahindra electric: With the Auto Expo India starting today, more details of Mahindra’s exhibits emerge on the web. First of all there is the Formula E racing car M1 Electro. It is joined by the concept Reva Halo, an all-electric sports car, said to come with a range of 200 kilometres (125 miles). Last but not least comes the Mahindra Verito Electric.
indianautosblog.com (M1 Electro), technologicvehicles.com (Reva HALO), worldrapid.com (Verito)
Tesla Model X AWD: Tesla has now confirmed that its upcoming Model X will be offered with all-wheel drive only. The decision followes strong customer feedback showing a clear preference for the AWD solution.
greencarreports.com
Nissan carry-over: In Chicago, Chevrolet unveiled its City Express van, which is basically a rebadged version of Nissan’s NV200. If GM will further follow the path Nissan laid out with its electric eNV200, and also electrify the City Express remains to be seen. The petrol version goes on sale this autumn.
greencarreports.com
New EV leadership: Nissan named Toby Perry as new director for EV Marketing & Sales. Perry has been working for the brand in the U.S. and Europe for twenty years. In his new role, he is expected to further Leaf sales and oversee the eNV200 launch.
electriccarsreport.com, hybridcars.com
Cost of ownership: Kelley Blue Book (KBB) published its annual “Cost to own” list. The best plug-in vehicle is the Chevy Spark EV with a 5-year cost to own of 26,421 dollars followed by the Volt (33,462 dollars) and the Honda Accord Hybrid at 36,190 dollars. The Prius came first in the hybrid/alternative energy category costing 31,584 dollars over 5 years.
hybridcars.com
In total 5,905 electric and plug-in hybrids were sold this January in the USA. This is an increase of 108.4% compared to the same month last year. However, sales of hybrids without a plug receded by almost 22% with 27,085 units sold.
hybridcars.com
Engineering e-mobility: The German RWTH Aachen University has now founded the ‘Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components.’ There, students will learn to produce electric drive trains, batteries and other EV components. Professor Achim Kampker presides over the new course of study. He is also the CEO of StreetScooter, an electric delivery van company. For RWTH it is the second EV effort, complementing its recently opened Centre for EV production.
automobil-industrie.vogel.de (In German)
High-energy aluminium-air batteries: Together, Israel-based Phinergy and Alcoa want to develop aluminum-air batteries. Phinergy says its batteries would have an increased lifespan and can power an electric car for up to 1,000 miles (1,600 km).
greencarcongress.com, chargedevs.com
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Every workday, “electrive.com today” delivers the latest electric-mobility news from around the world right to your inbox – short, to the point and free of charge. Made in Germany! We cover global stories but also keep a focus on relevant news from the German electric car industry! Anyone, that would like to receive a free subscription, just needs to email us at subscribe@electrive.com or visit www.electrive.com
Next Two details: ‘Greencarcongress’ has more details about Renault’s autonomous electric car of 2020. The Next Two prototype is based on the Zoe and is able to drive autonomously in congested traffic at speeds of up to 30 kph or at automated valet parking. The driver can then make use of the integrated video-conference service for example.
greencarcongress.com
Unintentional winter testing: The latest arctic spells over the USA and Canada saw Toyota’s fuel cell cars being put to the test. According to reports from companies using the FCHV in their fleets, the cars worked just fine in sub-zero conditions.
earthtechling.com
“If every vehicle in California ran on hydrogen, we could meet refuelling logistics with only 15 percent of the nearly 10,000 gasoline stations currently operating in the state.”
Speaking at the opening of the Chicago Auto Show yesterday, Toyota’s Senior Vice President Bob Carter said that the company’s green car credibility will continue to grow because of its upcoming hydrogen fuel cell car, due next year.
green.autoblog.com
“Using this technique will help make battery design much more systematic, and less trial and error.”
Dr. Ken Ogata, Department of Engineering at Cambridge University, on a new method to monitor what happens inside silicon lithium batteries. The researchers went down to atomic level, using a combination of nanotechnology and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques.
cam.ac.uk