Sep 14, 2015 - 07:58 am

LA, Bern, Hitachi Capital, Oslo, ITM Power.

LA electrifies: The city of Los Angeles wants to lease 160 all-electric cars and 128 plug-in hybrids in the coming months. Apart from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the initiative is estimated to lower operating costs of the city’s fleet by 41 percent. The LAPD already received a Tesla Model S P85D and a BMW i3 in a full-fledged police outfit.
latimes.com, transportevolved.com, insideevs.com

Bern swaps diesel for hybrids: The Swiss capital has ordered 21 hybrid articulated Volvo buses, which will replace Bern’s current diesel buses and are scheduled to be delivered from mid-August to the end of October 2016. The new buses are said to drive all-electric around 30 percent of the time.
nahverkehrs-praxis.de, newstix.de, derbund.ch (articles in German)

Hitachi Capital teams up with Schneider Electric: In the UK, Schneider Electric and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions have signed a five-year contract in order to provide complete charging solutions. The partnership aims to make Hitachi Capital’s customers feel more comfortable about choosing EVs.
fleetnews.co.uk

H2 on the fly: The Norwegian prime minister inaugurated a hydrogen fueling station at Oslo airport. Another three are scheduled to be built in the greater Oslo region over the next two to three years. Norway wants to maintain a leading globally role in the adoption of hydrogen fuel.
norwaytoday.info, fuelcellsworks.com

Fuel for all: ITM Power will deliver hydrogen filling stations to three Shell locations in the UK. These will be the first hydrogen stations on the premises of existing petrol stations in the country.
itm-power.com, gasworld.com

Sep 11, 2015 - 08:10 am

Budapest, Clean Bus Technology Fund, Laos, Chargemaster.

Budapest presents the first of a total of 36 trolleybuses built by Skoda and Solaris, which are able to operate without connecting to the catenary. Delivery will be completed this year, and the city has the option to order another 72 trolleybuses. The contract is worth almost 22m dollars.
praguemonitor.com

Bid for greener buses: The British government launched a 5-million pound (7.7m dollar) fund to cut down on NOx emissions. Local authorities are asked to bid to get therir share of the Clean Bus Technology Fund of up to 500,000 pounds to retrofit their buses. Applications are open until the end of October.
businessgreen.com, gov.uk (invitation to bid)

Laotian electric bus project: Laos’ province Luang Prabang is embarking on a project to deploy 34 electric mini buses, of which 14 were granted by the Japanese government. They are made for six people from Lao – foreigners are said to reduce capacity to three to four persons.
ttrweekly.com

Ultracharger: Chargemaster has launched a new rapid charger built in the UK but destined for the world. Its compact dimension ensure installed without planning permission in most places. It is compatible with all charging standards and also uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).
fleetworld.co.uk

Sep 10, 2015 - 08:23 am

BMW, Workhorse, CVEI, Smatrics, EV infrastructure.

BMW charges China: The German carmaker will erect 500 charging stations in major Chinese cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen by the end of the year. By the end of 2016, BMW intends to have finished installation of a total of 1,000 charging points.
autonews.gasgoo.com

Workhorses for UPS: The delivery company has ordered 125 hybrid delivery trucks from Workhorse. The trucks have a range of up to 60 miles and will serve in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida from the first half of 2016.
streetinsider.com

EV promo project: Over the next to years, the ‘Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration’ (CVEI) project will look at market penetration of and consumer reaction to EVs in the UK. A trial with more than 300 participants is planned at a later stage. Cenex and EDF Energy are among the partners.
renewableenergymagazine.com

Burger and electricity: Infrastructure provider Smatrics, a cooperation between Verbund and Siemens, will erect fast-charging stations at nine McDonald’s restaurants in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The company hopes to exponentially increase EV uptake.
meinbezirk.at

EV ready: The Environmental Planning Commission in Mountain View, California, wants to make the installation of EV infrastructure compulsory for all new constructions. The city has yet to decide whether to support the measure.
losaltosonline.com

Sep 9, 2015 - 08:12 am

Hungary, Green H2, Sogrid, Russia.

Redistribution: Hungary will invest 7 billion forint (25m dollars) from carbon credit sales in electric mobility. The government plans to install 150 charging stations over the coming months, while also buying electric cars for its own use. Private buyers there can expect EV tax incentives.
bbj.hu

Green H2 supply chain: Toyota, Toshiba, and other Japanese partners have set up a trial for a carbon-neutral hydrogen supply chain in Japan. Wind power will be used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen through electrolysis. The four year project is set to start April 2016.
greencarcongress.com

Smart grid trial: French research project ‘Sogrid’ enters the testing stage in Toulouse. Until summer 2016, some 1,000 residents will be connected to the smart grid via a chip using the new PLC protocol, designed to transmit digital information on the grid. The project aims to introduce an international communication standard for intelligent grids that could also integrate electric vehicles.
metering.com, usine-digitale.fr (in French)

EV readiness ordered: A decree by Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medwedew calls for all gas station owners in the oil-rich country to provide EV charging stations at their facilities by November 1st of next year. So far, there are only about 500 EVs roaming the streets of Russia.
themoscowtimes.com

Sep 8, 2015 - 08:02 am

Bolloré, India, California, Hamburg.

BlueCar in Congo: Together with Qatar, Bolloré introduces Bluecongo in Congo’s capital Brazzaville on the occasion of the African Games. 50 electric cars and 14 electric buses can be rented and re-charged at 80 charging points, which are yet to be installed. The vehicles will remain in the Central African republic after the games.
automobile-propre.com (in French)

Inter city electric buses in India: Indian state of Gujarat is wants to introduce battery electric buses to run between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. The first phase of the Gujarat State Electric Vehicle (GSEV) programme already saw six electric buses being deployed in Gandhinagar.
business-standard.com

EV fees in California? The Golden State’s roads need repair but who will pocket the governor’s proposed 3.6bn dollars a year? Tax increases and higher vehicle registration fees one way to foot the bill, while some also call for the inclusion of EV drivers to the paying folks.
autoblog.com

Future safe bus depot: The German city of Hamburg will include EV charging points, as well as hydrogen storage and filling stations in its planned bus garage. Construction will start by 2016. By 2020, public transport provider Hochbahn will be required to only buy buses with alternative drivetrain technology.
newstix.de (in German)

Sep 7, 2015 - 08:59 am

BYD, DLR, Pacific, Gas and Electric, Indianapolis.

News from BYD, part I: The Chinese manufacturer has secured the largest contract for the delivery of all-electric buses in the U.S. to date. The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded BYD 10 out 12 available categories of a contract allowing for a total of 800 buses to be purchased.
electriccarsreport.com, theautochannel.com

News from BYD, part II: BYD signed a deal for the delivery of 10,000 electric, hybrid and conventional vehicles to Sudan. Power systems and key components will be shipped to Sudan and the cars will be assembled there at a later date.
chinadaily.com, chinadaily.com

Online tool for fleet managers: As part of the Incentives for Cleaner Vehicles in Urban Europe (I-CVUE) programme, German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has made an online tool for fleet managers available. It is said to help them calculate the final cost of an EV, based on the fleet’s individual conditions.
dlr.de (online tool) via renewableenergymagazine.com

No charger network in Cali? The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is putting a damper on Pacific Gas and Electric’s plan to install 25,200 chargers in Northern and Central California. Only 10 percent of the stations will be allowed to go online in the first two years, as PUC looks into whether the utility has an unfair advantage.
mercurynews.com

Indianapolis likes electrification: The city is looking to begin operating the U.S.’s first all-electric rapid bus transit system by 2018. The line will be constructed in three phases and span 13 miles, says transport agency IndyGo.
indianapolisrecorder.com

Sep 4, 2015 - 09:44 am

Hamburg, KEBA, Denver, New York, Ohio.

Hamburg e-terminal: The terminal for electric buses in Hamburg is completed. It will become the first and last stop on the so-called ‘innovation line’ 109, as well as buses from lines 4 and 37, since the German city plans to continue to electrify those routes as well. A total of 12 buses can be prepared for service there at the same time.
newstix.de (in German), abendblatt.de (in German, with video)

KEBA presents new wallbox: The company will show its KeContact P30 wallbox at the IAA in Frankfurt later this month. The device has i.e. load balancing capabilities and can be integrated into smart homes. It will arrive on the market early next year.
keba.com

Plug and fly: Denver International Airport has opened ten new AC Level 2 charging stations in the west parking garage, doubling the number of charging possibilities at the airport. The stations were partly financed by the Charge Ahead Colorado Electric Vehicle and Charging Station grant fund and are free to use. Parking fees, however, do apply.
thedenverchannel.com

NYC misses out on electrification: Since September 1st, the Nissan NV200 is the official taxi of the Big Apple. That is no spelling mistake – New York failed to go for the transporter’s electric variant. The ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ will make up 80 percent of the fleet, while the rest (!) are hybrids or wheelchair accessible vehicles.
autoblog.com

Ohio University chargers: A total of ten EV charging stations are now online on campus. Two of them will be earmarked for a car-sharing program provided by the university, while the other eight will be available for charging EVs of students and employees.
thepostathens.com

Sep 3, 2015 - 09:46 am

BlueIndy, CarSharing, IKEA, UPS, Alliant Energy.

BlueIndy kick-off: As you read this, the first EVs should be rolling on the streets of Indianapolis, as the BlueIndy carsharing scheme started on Wednesday. The Bolloré BlueCars can be found at 25 stations across the city, as well as at the airport. For those in the area, local news station WTHR summarized how the sharing concept works.
greencarreports.com, wthr.com (how it works)

Charger plus battery: CarSharing and Technology with Spirit (TWS) signed a deal allowing the former to offer TWS energy storage and rechargeable battery solutions with its EV charging solutions. CarSharing therefore provides a comprehensive solution to reduce energy costs, as the storage systems can be used to stabilise peaks of consumption.
pv-magazine.com

IKEA drives electric: IKEA containers arriving in the Port of Los Angeles will be unloaded using the ElecTrucks, an all-electric drayage tractor with a range of up to 100 mi. That is enough to reach IKEA stores in the area, which is why the programme may soon include electric transport of the beloved furniture and accessories.
joc.com, truckinginfo.com

Parcel by e-bike: UPS is extending its pilot programme using electric cargo bikes to deliver parcels in Basel, Switzerland, following the projects recent success in the city of Hamburg. The e-cargo bikes are just three feet wide, feature a 250-watt battery, and can carry up to 330 pounds.
dcvelocity.com

Demo storage project: Alliant Energy is setting up a solar energy storage demonstration project in Wisconsin, USA. It will feature 1,000 solar panels, a storage system and 13 EV charging stations. The panels will i.e. be used in solar parking canopies, covering some 50 parking spots. The project’s first phase is expected be completed by the end of 2015.
utilitydive.com

Sep 2, 2015 - 09:57 am

Hanover, Solar Power Inc., Tesla, DriveMyCar.

Hanover pedals: As part of the showcase project for electric mobility, the German city now offers 52 pedelecs for hire. Until the end of the testing phase in June 2016, they can even be used for free. There are three rental stations located in Hanover, and the city hopes to attract more people to use bikes instead of their car.
hannover.de (in German)

New online EV hire platform: Solar Power Inc. (SPI) has acquired 60 percent of shares of Beijing Yiwei New Energy Technology Development Company (Yiwei) for 30bn yuan (4,7bn dollars). They will set up an online platform for electric car hire, as well as EV charging infrastructure in Chinese cities.
cnn.com

Tesla lottery ticket: According to Tech in Asia, the Californian EV maker will be added to the list of preferred vehicles in the license plate lottery in Beijing. Only winners will receive license plates and until now, Tesla was in the pool with combustion engine cars.
techinasia.com

Combustion-free zone: The Bogor Institute of Agriculture in Indonesia will no longer allow combustion engine vehicles on its campus. Instead, students can use one of 44 electric cars or 1,500 bikes provided on campus. Usage is not free and can be paid electronically.
tempo.co

Easy access to hybrids and EVs: Australian peer-to-peer rental start-up DriveMyCar will now lease cars to the business sector in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, including hybrid and electric vehicles. The company essentially provides businesses with access to under-utilised cars of its members.
thefifthestate.com.au

Sep 1, 2015 - 08:49 am

Berlin, Uruguay, Singapore, tax credits, Virginia.

Berlin e-bus: As you maybe saw on our Facebook page yesterday, Berlin began operating four all-electric Solaris Urbino 12 buses to service the route 204. The buses are charged inductively at the first and last station on the line via the Primove charging system from Bombardier.
berlin.de (in German), infobus.pl (in Polish) facebook.com (our photos)

Uruguay wants more e-taxis: The country earmarked 100,000 dollars for each newly purchased electric taxi. A taxi license will be subsidized with 60,000 dollars and the taxi company will be exempt for a 23 percent sales tax. Charging infrastructure will be funded with 5,000 dollars. Moreover, BYD confirmed the delivery of 50 e6 e- taxis for the capital Montevideo.
electriccarsreport.com

EV infrastructure in Singapore: Greenlots is partnering with real estate developer CapitaLand and BMW to continue with its second phase of EV charging infrastructure installations in Singapore. The goal is to increase the number of public chargers to 45 at 31 locations across the city state.
prnewswire.com

Money for the rich: Researchers at the University of California, Berkley, found that between 2006 and 2012, 60 percent of all clean energy tax credits went to people who earned more than 200,000 dollars a year. In the case of electric and hybrid vehicles, that quintile even received 90% of all credits.
greencarcongress.com

Port of Virginia cleans up: Kalmar delivered three hybrid shuttle carriers to The Port of Virginia. They will begin operations at the Virginia International Gateway and are part of the port’s voluntary Green Operator (GO) programme to replace equipment with more energy-efficient alternatives.
greencarcongress.com, hamptonroads.com

Aug 31, 2015 - 09:45 am

BlueIndy, Lithium, CARB, Utah Valley University.

BlueIndy ready to fly: As reported, the electric carsharing scheme in Indianapolis will kick off on Wednesday. 20 EVs will be stationed at the Indianapolis International Airport, more than at any other station. The Bolloré subsidiary will all airport fees, just as other traditional car hiring services.
indystar.com

More e-cabs for Bangalore: Spurred by the recent success of its all-electric taxi fleet, Indian start-up Lithium wants to increase its number of EVs from 30 to 100 cars. Operating in the city of Bangalore, the company has to unfortunately still limit its services to the corporate sector due to the lack of the necessary charging infrastructure.
newindianexpress.com

A total of 2,000 vouchers for hybrid and electric trucks and buses have already been awarded by the California Air Resources Board, amounting to more than 63m dollars in subsidies. Since the incentive programme was launched in 2010, fleets across California purchased more than 430 all-electric and 1,800 hybrid trucks and buses.
greencarcongress.com

Utah Valley plugs in: The Utah Valley University has purchased two Toyota Prius Plug-Ins and has installed two charging stations on campus. One is reserved for campus vehicles, the other is open to the public and free of charge.
deseretnews.com/, heraldextra.com

Aug 28, 2015 - 08:25 am

Action Highland Highway, U.S. army, Atlanta Airport, Tesla.

Highlands to be charged up: The project Action Highland Highway wants to install a network of rapid electric charging points in the Scottish Highlands. The project has received phase one funding through the Scottish Government’s Local Energy Challenge Fund and is in the first phase of a feasibility study.
north-star-news.co.uk, highland.gov.uk

Hybrid fleet for U.S. Army? Oshkosh Defense has received a 6.7bn dollar contract from the U.S. Army to deliver some 17,000 new light trucks to replace the military’s aging Humvees. The new Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) can be outfitted with a diesel-electric hybrid system. It is still unclear, however, how many of the vehicles will actually be hybridised.
army-technology.com, outdoorhub.com

New EV parking spaces at Atlanta Airport: Park’N Ticket Airport Parking announced ten additional electric vehicle charging spaces at their offsite parking facility servicing the Atlanta Airport. The lot now offers 20 open air EV spaces on the top deck and 7 EV spaces in the covered deck.
digitaljournal.com

Tesla moves forward in China: The Californian electric car maker has opened two new experience centers in Hangzhou and Shanghai. Currently, Tesla has 14 service and experience centers in i.e. Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi’an, as well as in other cities in China.
gasgoo.com

Aug 27, 2015 - 08:12 am

UK, DB Schenker, Colorado, California.

Plug-in car grant extended: The UK Government announced that the current plug-in car grant scheme will continue to offer motorists up to 5,000 pounds off the price of an PEV until at least February 2016, for all vehicle categories. The government previously indicated that grant levels would be reviewed once 50,000 vehicles had been sold, a milestone expected to be reached in November this year.
airqualitynews.com, electriccarsreport.com, businessgreen.com

DB Schenker Rail to introduce EVs? Railway cargo carrier DB Schenker Rail is currently trialling a Nissan electric van at different depots to explore the possibility of replacing elements of its UK fleet with fully electric vehicles.
logisticsmanager.com, rail.dbschenker.co.uk

Overload avoidance: 15 families living in the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake will receive a Nissan Leaf to help develop new technology for charging stations. The use of the EVs is part of a yearlong pilot project that will provide information about car-charging overloading transformers, and how to prevent it.
niagaraadvance.ca

Discounted EVs in Colorado: Boulder County has launched its Solar Benefits Colorado program. It offers homeowners a 15 percent discount on solar rooftop systems and 8,300 dollars off the cost of a Nissan Leaf.
denverpost.com

Burbank charges up: The Californian city of Burbank has added 16 new EV charging stations as an extension of the 11 chargers that were placed in the city in 2011.
scpr.org

Aug 26, 2015 - 08:17 am

Nissan, California, Denver, Berlin e-bus.

Fuel station of the future: Nissan and architecture firm Foster + Partners want to design tomorrow’s fueling station that will be sustainable and can accommodate a range of new energy and autonomous vehicles, as well as conventional cars. A first concept is expected by the end of the year.
businessgreen.com, edie.net, puregreencars.com

CA restricts incentives: According to the LA Times, the state of California will limit subsidies for the purchase of an electric car to persons earning less than 250,000 dollars (500,000 for couples). Since the beginning of the Clean Vehicle Programme, the California Air Resource Board has distributed 242m dollars in subsidies, paid for through registration ad smog fees.
latimes.com

Denver shuttles electric: The Colorado city will purchase 36 of BYD’s small electric shuttles for the 16th Street MallRide in downtown Denver. The 45-foot-buses have a lifespan of 12 years and will save the city 100,000 dollars over the course of their service.
denverurbanreview.com

E-bus finally takes passengers: It seems that Berlin’s electric bus is ready to hit the road, following months of testing. Starting Monday, four Solaris buses will begin their official service on Line 214 in electrive’s hometown, with a wireless charging station at either end of the route.
Info per email

Aug 25, 2015 - 08:05 am

Efficient Drivetrains, Tesla, solar-power, dairy business.

Port of Shanghai plugs in: Collaborating with truck manufacturer Shaanxi Automotive, Efficient Drivetrains has developed a truck with plug-in technology for the Port of Shanghai. Shaanxi says it will acquire some 200 of the PHEV Port trucks over the course of 2016.
businesswire.com

New Tesla destinations: The carmaker is partnering with Secure Parking in Australia in order to install 18 new destination chargers along the country’s east coast. Secure Parking operates some 450 car parks across the country and there is talk about a national rollout of charging opportunities for Tesla drivers.
news.com.au

Powered by the sun I: As part of a government launched pilot project, Indian companies Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and Rajasthan Electronics are developing a solar-powered EV charging station. A prototype should be ready in the next month or two and will be tested for three months. The stations could then be installed across the country.
hindustantimes.com

Powered by the sun II: Indian Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation plans (NMRCL) wants to use solar-powered EVs for its feeder services. The vehicles will have six to eight seats and their batteries will be charged by solar panels installed at stations and along the boundary. The panels will produce enough energy for the stations and trains, as well.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Electric moo-bility: According to dairy business owner Carlos Nicholls, New Zealand’s first hybrid milk delivery trucks are about to hit the street. The two vehicles are much quieter, to not disturb residents during early morning calls and are, of course, much more environmentally friendly that the previous delivery pair.
stuff.co.nz

Aug 24, 2015 - 09:05 am

Tesla, BlueIndy, Hertz, India, Car-wheels.

Tesla teams up with Airbnb: As many as 100 Airbnb hosts on the West Coast, USA, could receive a free Tesla home charger. 12 Tesla-ready locations are already available and the application for a free charging station is still available via the Airbnb website. Tesla will only provide the charger, however. Hosts have to pay for installation themselves.
autoblog.com, t3.com

Indianapolis (finally) goes electric: The BlueIndy electric carsharing scheme will finally hit the road on September 2nd, featuring with 25 charging stations and 50 EVs. Kick-off had initially been planned for the end of 2014, but operator Bolloré faced funding issues and battled with city council over parking spaces. BlueIndy aims to increase the number of chargers and cars tenfold.
indystar.com, ibj.com

Hertz adds 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Hertz’s Green Traveler Collection fleet now include the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid in selected locations across the U.S. The fleet already features electric, hybrid and clean diesel vehicles, and Hertz says it has the most fuel-efficient rental fleet in the industry.
greencarcongress.com, automotive-business-review.com

Electric taxis for India: The country’s second largest taxi fleet, Ola Cab, is planning to introduce electric taxis to its fleet and is currently in discussion with manufacturers to develop vehicles with adapted range for Indian cities.
business-standard.com

EVs for hire: Starting in September, Car Club operator Co-wheels will 10 electric, hybrid and ultra-low emission vehicles for hire in Derby, UK. Prices start at 22,50 pounds (35,24 USD) per day and 3.75 pounds (5.87 USD) per hour. Co-wheels is the country’s largest Car Club operator, with more than 50 locations and almost 700 vehicles.
bdaily.co.uk, derbytelegraph.co.uk

Aug 21, 2015 - 08:40 am

Madrid, Pisa, Atlanta, Wyoming, Envision Solar, ChargePoint.

Madrid e-bike sharing: More than 50,000 residents of the Spanish capital have already signed up for the public electric bike share system BiciMAD, which was launched in June 2014. Some 1,000 e-bikes are available at 160 stations right now and the goal is to have 4,000 by 2026.
afp.com

Italian hospital launches e-bike service: Cisanello hospital in the Italian city of Pisa will provide sixty e-bikes free of charge to help staff, students and visitors move about its grounds and facilities.
eltis.org

Atlanta goes electric: The city of Atlanta, Georgia has plans to introduce a total of 50 plug-ins into its fleet. Council members recently voted unanimously to authorize the city’s Office of Sustainability to lease 15 battery-powered electric cars as well as 35 plug-in hybrids.
bizjournals.com

Wyoming to charge EVs: As of July 1, Wyoming joined seven other U.S. states to charge a special fee on electric cars. The 50-dollar fee was created to offset the lack of gas tax collected from plug-in cars.
oilcitywyo.com

Solar partnership: EV charging product company Envision Solar and charging network ChargePoint announced a partnership agreement to jointly offer solar-powered EV charging in the U.S. and Canada.
cnn.com

Aug 20, 2015 - 06:59 am

Vienna, Seattle, McAllen, Tanger Outlets.

Vienna calling: The Austrian capital is moving forward with its plans to introduce 250 all-electric taxis by 2017 (we reported), investing a total of three million euros in subsidies. The first 120 taxis running on electricity are scheduled to hit the streets of Vienna in March 2016 and can be charged free of cost for one year. 50 taxi drivers have registered for the scheme up to now.
orf.at, heute.at (articles in German)

Seattle electrifies: Five new trolley buses by New Flyer have hit Seattle streets yesterday. In addition, King County Metro Transit is also testing battery-electric buses. If tryouts succeed, Metro has an option to buy no less than 200 e-buses from Proterra to replace diesel-fueled buses.
seattletimes.com

Inductive charging in Texas: Texan city McAllen has purchased two electric buses. They are expected to arrive at the end of the month and will be the first ones in Texas to be charged wirelessly.
valleycentral.com, insideevs.com

Mission accomplished: Tanger Outlets has completed its planned installation of charging stations at 23 U.S. locations. ChargePoint Networks has developed and will maintain the charging network.
pennlive.com

Aug 19, 2015 - 08:15 am

Malaysia, Portland, India, Supercharger.

EV boost for Malaysia: GreenTech Malaysia is targeting to roll out no less than 25,000 charging stations across the country by 2020 to encourage uptake of EVs. The country aims to bring 100,000 electric cars, 2,000 electric buses and 100,000 electric scooters on the streets by the end of the decade.
eco-business.com, paultan.org

Fly & charge: Portland International Airport has installed a total of 42 Level-1 charging stations at its car park, said to be the largest such installation in the United States. The “slow” chargers are available for free access and were chosen due to of their low energy consumption and because they are believed to be the ideal solution for the long stopovers of vehicles at the airport.
evfleetworld.co.uk, greentechlead.com

Upgrading filling stations: In India, existing gas stations could be supplemented by solar charging stations, as the government looks to promote the use of electric cars. The national roll out of the scheme may start from next financial year onwards depending on the proliferation of EVs in the country.
mydigitalfc.com

Charging etiquette: Tesla sent letters to customers that are aggressively using Superchargers, saying that these weren’t really meant to be used for local driving. According to Tesla, the Supercharger promise is “free long-distance travel forever” rather than “free forever” (the phrase Tesla has used up to now).
greencarreports.com

Aug 18, 2015 - 08:16 am

China, Uruguay, India, Perth.

EV leasing in China: Jinqianchao Electric Vehicle Leasing Service launched a leasing scheme for electric cars in Shenzhen, offering 100 EVs supposedly at half the price of other leasing companies. The company plans to expand to other Chinese cities like Qingdao, Jinan and Linfen from August.
wantchinatimes.com

Electric taxis for Uruguay: Uruguay’s capital Montevideo has taken delivery of four electric taxis from BYD, which are said to have a range of 350 kilometers (217 miles) on a single charge. The province, most of which is covered by the capital city, plans to issue up to 50 new electric taxi permits.
evwind.com (in Spanish); foxnews.com

Electrification in India: To find out the cost of operations and practical feasibility, the Indian government will start road trials with 30 electric buses in selected cities across the country soon. Meanwhile, Indian delivery startup Roadrunnr plans to bring 100 electric scooters on the streets this month.
timesofindia.com (electric buses), economictimes.com (electric scooters)

No hybrid buses for Perth: The Australian city will replace its fleet of 32 buses with new diesel buses. A diesel-electric hybrid bus had been trialled, but was considered too expensive.
busnews.com.au

Aug 17, 2015 - 07:03 am

Scotland, Tasmania, Columbia, Leviton.

EV boost in Scotland: Scottish motorists will be able to take out an interest-free loan of up to 50,000 pounds (100,000 pounds for businesses) to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle under a new fund from the Energy Saving Trust. In addition, full grant funding is currently available through the ChargePlace Scotland programme for electric car drivers to install a charge point in their home.
clickgreen.org.uk, scotsman.com

EV boost in Tasmania: Tasmania’s electric car industry is driving forward with the official launch of an electric vehicle association. Currently, there are about 120 registered EVs in Tasmania and there are plans to build up 40 to 50 charging stations in the state.
abc.net.au

Columbia electrifies: The City of Columbia, Missouri has ordered four electric buses from BYD. The first bus to be delivered in September will be a full-size 40-foot transit bus, followed by three 30-foot low floor transit buses in December.
electriccarsreport.com

New Leviton charger: Leviton unveiled its Evr-Green 320 Level 2 charging station. The device, which is capable of providing 32 amps at 208 or 240 volts AC with a maximum output of 7.7 kW, claims to display an improved installation process and to reduce the charge time of next-gen SAE J1772 plug-ins.
electriccarsreport.com

Aug 14, 2015 - 08:35 am

Oxford, Nissan, Tesla, Portugal.

Gas-guzzler ban? Oxford is looking to only allow electric vehicles in its city centre by 2020, thus effectively banning all petrol and diesel cars. By 2035, the proposed policy could be enforced across the whole city. Only one council member voiced his objection. The vote is due on September 8th.
oxfordtimes.co.uk

Electric travel in Japan: Nissan and the Japan Travel Bureau initiated EV sharing in the country’s rural areas. Until the end of August, 1,622 new charging stations will be installed for relaxed travel. The stations in Matsunoyama are powered by electricity from local hot springs.
greencarreports.com, nissan-global.com, youtube.com (video)

Tesla recharged: Charging a Model S in the Big Apple just became easier, as Tesla installed a dozen destination chargers with another 12 to follow. Also, Manhattan will soon see its first Supercharger. In Australia, things are moving fast with three more rapid-chargers being installed between Sydney and Melbourne.
wsj.com (New York), cnet.com (Australia)

Liberation from Lisbon: The Portuguese government is opening the market for charging stations, previously in the hands of the monopolistic consortium MOBI.E. The latter has been found “inefficient” in regards to the installation and operation of a public charging network.
theportugalnews.com

Aug 13, 2015 - 08:20 am

Latvia, Israel, Copenhagen, USA.

Latvia latches on TEN-T: 235 EV charging stations will be erected in the Baltic state by 2022, if the Ministry of Transport gets its will. 60 of those are to be provided through the EU’s TEN-T programme and will line Latvia’s main roads by 2020. Another 175 charging stations, located within 50 km from each other, will follow by mid-2022, connecting smaller roads to the EV network.
lsm.lv

Israel to clear the air: The city of Haifa plans to introduce a Low Emission Zone (LEZ), the first of its kind in the country. In a first step, heavy vehicle traffic within the LEZ would be restricted. The Environment Ministry plans to spend 330 million NIS (about 87m dollars) on the project that now has to be approved by the cabinet.
jpost.com, haaretz.com

Danish DriveNow update: BMW’s car sharing service together with Arriva will reportedly let 400 i3 loose in Copenhagen this September. Also on board is Danish travel card provider Rejsekort and energy utility E.on. The former will supply the keycard for the electric BMW.
cphpost.dk

Joint efforts: California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia are teaming up with provinces in the West Coast Electric Fleets initiative, a project by Pacific Coast Collaborative. The programme aims at the electrification of public and business fleets in the whole region.
ngtnews.com

Aug 12, 2015 - 08:41 am

Munich, Vantage Power, Plugged in Places, Jordan, solar carport.

Cycle Autobahn: Munich revealed plans for a network of cycle highways that would connect the suburbs with the city centre. Commuters could ride uninterrupted by red lights, cars, or crossings. The lanes are thus particularly attractive for e-bikes and s-pedelecs.
fastcoexist.com

London retrofits: British Vantage Power has developed a retrofit hybrid system for buses that will be utilised in the British capital’s double-deckers by 2016. The young company is partnering with UK bus dealer Ensignbus. The hybrid system is geofencing enabled.
eandt.theiet.org

Electric Scots: East Ren Council received over 78,000 GBP in funding from Transport Scotland to install electric vehicle charging points. Five so-called Plugged In Places will offer rapid charging with more being planned at a nearby carpark. Charging will be free, but parking fees do apply.
glasgowsouthandeastwoodextra.co.uk

Jordan update: The country found partners to install 3,000 solar-powered charge points over the next decade. The 120 million dollar deal goes to AllCell, while partners include Hyseo Int. for the solar cells and French DBT. About 600 stations will be fitted with batteries, the rest relies on the grid.
chargedevs.com

Britain’s largest solar carport can be found in Nottingham. The solar tiled canopy provides shade for 40 cars and could to generate 55.7 MWh of electricity per year, which then could also be used to charge electric cars.
edie.net, solarpowerportal.co.uk

Aug 11, 2015 - 08:13 am

Chargemaster, Addison Lee, Ulster County, Dubai, SGM Distribution.

Subscribers charge cheaper: For a monthly installment of 7.95 pounds, EV drivers can charge at Chargemaster’s POLAR stations in the UK for 9 pence per unit. 80 percent of the network’s charge points are free to use but subscribers collect points with each charge that can be exchanged for week-long loans of iconic electric cars.
evfleetworld.co.uk

Green rides: Private cab company Addison Lee is switching into electric mode whenever its hybrid cars enter one of four designated inner city zones in London. The change is triggered via geofencing. The City of London Corporation is asking other taxi firms to join the scheme as well.
airqualitynews.com

Green county: Ulster County in the state of New York has installed nine EV charging stations. They are free to use and were financed through state and federal grants, as well as county labor.
dailyfreeman.com

Update Dubai: The desert state has installed 16 of its planned 100 EV charging stations. The missing 84 solar-powered charging spots will follow before the end of the year.
gulfnews.com, greenpowertrain.automotive-business-review.com

Electric delivery: Scottish courier company SGM Distribution added two Mercedes Vito Ecell to its fleet. The electric vans will serve in the Granite city (Aberdeen), where the company had tested them prior. A charge point will be supplied and installed at the HQ by Siemens.
aberdeenbusinessnews.co.uk

Aug 10, 2015 - 08:16 am

ELIPTIC, Philippines, London, Tampa, McDonald's.

Urban e-mobility: EU project ELIPTIC (electrification of public transport in cities) is looking at 23 user cases in 11 cities like Barcelona, London, Bremen, and Warsaw. The findings will be copied by “twin cities” that can receive funding and advice. Interested cities or public transport providers can apply until August 31st.
gallery.mailchimp.com, eliptic-project.eu

The 3,000-trike project in the Philippines goes to Japanese Uzushio Electric and its local partner Bemac Electric Transportation. From five initial bidders, it was the only group that fulfilled requirements for the scheme funded by the Asian Development Bank. 100,000 electric trikes will be introduced on the island by 2017.
manilastandardtoday.com, bworldonline.com

Twizy shuttle service: Londoners hit by the recent tube strike had the chance to hitch a ride in a Twizy instead. Renault launched a small fleet to help stranded commuters reach their destination, or at least have some fun trying to get through traffic.
edie.net

Fly and charge: Tampa International Airport added 12 EV charging stations in its parking garages. This brings the total number of chargers up to 15 that offer 18 charge points altogether.
abcactionnews.com, tampabay.com

Fast-food and charge: McDonald’s has started erecting Rolec charging stations at its locations in Italy. Customers receive a token with their burger that allows them to charge their EV for free for an hour. However, the fast-food chain failed to install fast-chargers.
evfleetworld.co.uk, zap-map.com

Aug 7, 2015 - 08:17 am

Norway, Japan, Cornwall, Bolloré.

Norway on track: A member of Norwegian Parliament recently laid out targets for the traffic industry. Already this year, all communal vehicles will become electric, with public transport to follow by 2020. By 2022, all cabs have to run on electricity as well. From there it is only a “small” step until, in 2025, all newly registered private cars shall be electric, too. Today, 20 percent of Norway’s motorised four-wheelers are EVs.
ecomento.com, greencarreports.com

Japan charges ahead: Together with NEC Corporation, Seven & i Holdings will install 3,380 wall boxes for EV charging at its supermarkets, malls and department stores. From November on, they can be used with charge cards supplied by the Nippon Charge Service.
automotive-business-review.com, nec.com

Cornwall charged up: The first rapid EV charging station has been installed at the Eden Project in British Cornwall. Another 15 will follow before the end of the summer.
piratefm.co.uk

Bolloré goes Cambodia: The French EV sharing service is now offering its services to tourists visiting the country’s ancient Angkor Wat temples. As Blue Solutions, the company signed a 6-month trial contract. The blue cars can be hired for 80 dollars a day.
insideevs.com, youtube.com

Aug 6, 2015 - 08:17 am

Hungary, Prague, UFCEV, UK, Linde.

Hungary privileges electric and hybrid cars as the Eastern European country plans to hand out green license plates by the end of this year. Replacement costs 8,500 forint (about 30 dollars) but that money might buy the right to drive in bus lanes and reduces parking and motorway fees.
bbj.hu

Czech electric bus: In Prague, locally built electric buses are being tested and could go into service as early as September. The project is run by Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) and Czech bus manufacturer SOR Libchavy. Via pantograph charging, range can increase from 150 to 260 km.
eltis.org

Fast-charging via battery: The UFCEV (Ultrafast Charging of Electric Vehicles) station, developed by Empa, ETh Zurich and others, is said to charge an EV in just 5 minutes in the future. It is basically a large battery packed in a car trailer. While it takes an hour to charge the 230 V power pack, the battery – made from lithium iron phosphate cells – discharges in currently 20 minutes through charging an EV.
ee-news.ch (in German), ufcev.epfl.ch (project’s website)

EV chargers were installed in British Dorset and Weymouth. A total of four fast-charging points can be found in various carparks in the English coastal towns. Rapid charging costs 4 pounds for the first 60 minutes with a pay-as-you-go tariff. The stations were funded by the UK government.
dorsetecho.co.uk

Truly a gas station: Linde opened a hydrogen fuel spot at the Ramos Oil Company station in West Sacramento. It is the first in the United States that has been certified as “officially open,” meaning it can be used just as any other “traditional” pump.
automotive-business-review.com

Aug 5, 2015 - 08:02 am

Tesla, Hawaii Electric, Ensto Chago, Kansas City Royals, Supercharger.

Tesla destined for China: The EV maker has found another cooperation partner in Hang Lung Properties. A total of ten Tesla Destination Chargers are to be installed at six of Huang Lung’s shopping malls. Test drives will also be possible.
streetinsider.com, bidnessetc.com

EV excess wanted: Utility provider Hawaiian Electric says it will install 25 new EV fast charging stations in Oahu, Maui County and the Big Island. Furthermore, discounted rates will stimulate EV charging when excess energy is available, while also promoting the use of electric cars.
bizjournals.com

Billboard charger: Finnish Ensto Chago presents the Chago Wall 2.0. The charging station integrates an advertising space that could generate income to pay for the station, installation and charging. The digital display was developed together with Symbicon.
parking-net.com, enstochago.com

Home run: The Kansas City Royals now offer their fans 5 EV charging stations at the Truman Sports Complex. Charging will be free of charge for the first two years thanks to the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. The stations are part of the KCP&L Clean Charge Network.
salinapost.com

Spanish Supercharger update: Tesla now opened the second Supercharger station on Spanish soil. The lot in Tarragona joins the 4-slot spot in Girona (we reported) and thus puts Valencia into reach.
insideevs.com

Aug 4, 2015 - 08:23 am

Copenhagen, Paris, Malacca, Amman, Nottingham.

Copenhagen soon fully charged: Utility E.ON says it will install an additional 100 EV charging stations in the Danish capital. The network will thus include 600 stations at 125 locations by September. Copenhagen claims to become a carbon-neutral city by 2025. Outside the city, however, only 1,000 EV charging stations can be found in the country.
thelocal.dk

Paris is testing Solaris: Parisian public transport provider RATP is testing the Urbino 12 electric bus by Solaris over the coming months. The testing is part of Paris’ plan to electrify its 4,500-strong bus fleet by 2025. Further testing of buses from other providers will follow (we reported).
eurotransportmagazine.com

Malacca goes e-bus: The historic Malaysian city is putting two electric buses into service this August. They will first serve tourists hopping on and off to visit the city’s sites. The fleet will grow to 40 electric buses before the end of the year.
nst.com.my

Amman sun-charged: The capital of Jordan announced plans to install about ten solar-powered EV charging station this year already. They will be set up by Net Energy, a company owned by a Jordanian entrepreneur based in the Silicon Valley. An agreement with Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has been signed.
albawaba.com

Campus charged up: The University of Nottingham acquired nine Kangoo ZE. The electric Renault vans will be used by staff members and make up about 15% of the fleet. Public EV charging stations have been installed on campus with more being planned.
impactnottingham.com