In the USA, General Motors is partnering with the three main charging station networks. Namely EVgo, ChargePoint and Greenlots will be providing customers of the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt with access to more than 31,000 charging points.
Weiterlesen
General Motors has announced a comprehensive restructuring plan to save six billion dollars annually by the end of 2020. This will free up funds to invest in the development and production of electric cars and autonomous vehicles, but also means closing down large U.S. factories.
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The American automobile manufacturers have surprised with the presentation of a fully electric drag racer named COPO Camaro with 515 kW performance and an 800 volt architecture.
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In order to boost GM’s Chevy Bolt production by more than 20% this Fall, as planned, a new LG factory is being set up in Michigan, where they will supply battery packs to the GM assembly facility in Orion, where the Bolt is being manufactured.
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The US American company Lightning Systems has announced a new electric motor system for medium weight trucks (Class 6), specifically for Low Cab Forward Trucks with a total weight between 19,501 to 26,000 pounds.
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General Motors is getting closer to the 200,000 EV cap for the $7,500 federal tax incentive. Still estimates suggests that they may have until early 2019 before the incentive is cut off but consequences for the Bolt EV could be stark.
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GM announces to increase production rates of the Chevrolet Bolt EV by 20 percent in the last quarter of the year. Meanwhile, the Chevy Volt receives a few upgrades and may now charge twice as fast as before.
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We thought “Schadenfreude” is a German-only trait but it appears that GM got their share of it. Following the recent burn out of a Tesla vehicle in motion, they offered the owners a brand new Chevy Bolt.
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General Motors and EVgo say they want to install “hundreds” of EV charging stations for use with GM’s Maven car sharing service. The growing numbers of gig drivers using the Chevy Bolt EV will now get a dedicated DC charging network across the States.
Weiterlesen
The popular Chevy Bolt is going to receive a heavy investment for further development of autonomous driving capabilities. The Cruise AV, as the autonomous Bolt will be called, is expected to go into serial production soon, in time for a driverless ride-share programme launching in 2019.
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General Motors is stripping out the Bolt EV in order to offer a cheaper version with more cargo space to commercial users such as fleet operators. It is an “incomplete” EV of sorts with no backseats, benefiting delivery services for example.
Weiterlesen
A criminal in Austin, Texas was apprehended after attempting to highjack a Chevy Bolt EV. The man was able to get into the car, but obviously was not aware of just how different it is to drive an electric car: He failed to get away with the vehicle, as he “didn’t know how to drive […]
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By installing an electric Tesla motor into an old Honda accord, the American car enthusiast Jimmy Bullet created an intriguing crossover vehicle, using Chevrolet Volt battery packs. The car benefited from a series of other tuning, including off-road suspension.
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There might be some good in Model 3 deliveries being slow. At least that is what GM’s marketing seem to have thought when designing their latest email campaign around one currently unique selling point of the Bolt EV.
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General Motors presents a Chevrolet Bolt equipped with its fourth generation of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. Surprise, surprise: The autonomous EV comes without steering wheel and pedals.
Weiterlesen
In the course of General Motor’s presentation of its electric mobility strategy in New York an interesting picture appeared: Most probably, it shows the carmaker’s upcoming all-electric crossover that is based on the Chevrolet Bolt.
WeiterlesenReading tip: The U.S. will see a new rallycross series this year that will use EVs only. The E/Racing will kick off on October 31st in Las Vegas and features electric cars from Austrian company STARD (Stohl Advanced Research and Development). Other planned stops are LA and New York.
motorsport.com
Video tip: Chevy released a series of videos about the Bolt, providing more technical details. They focus on the subjects of Electronic Precision Shift, cargo room, one-pedal driving, the My Chevrolet app, EPA range, charging, regen on demand and the surround vision.
youtube.com via insideevs.com
Another electric VW bus: VW unveiled its new electric concept car, the I.D. Buzz at the Detroit Motor Show. The minibus takes after the iconic VW bus and is slightly bigger than the BUDD-e, presented at CES last year (we reported). It is powered by two electric motors with a total output of 275 kW, while the 111-kWh battery pack allows for up to 270 miles of range (EPA) or 600 km (NECD). It is not clear when the I.D. Buzz will hit the road, but most likely not before the I.D. and an electric SUV, which VW will unveil in Shanghai.
greencarcongress.com, autonews.com, autocar.co.uk
Tiny e-car for the city: Start-up Eli Electric Vehicles presented its EV Zero in Las Vegas. The small electric car has some similarity with the Renault Twizy, bus has a closes cockpit and real doors. Its top speed is limited to 40 kph, while it can go 100 km on one charge. Zero will launch in Europe and the U.S. at the end of the year and will sell for around 10,000 dollars.
autoexpress.co.uk
eRace hits track in Vegas: The first virtual eRace took place in Las Vegas over the weekend. Faraday Future Dragon Racing pilot Bono Huis took the crown, winning 200,000 dollars. Technically, Mahindra driver Olli Pahkala was the fastest, but only because he used a FanBoost incorrectly, activating it for six rounds and not six seconds. He therefore got a 12 second penalty and lost the top spot.
motorsport.com, cnn.com
Electric two-seater by Jaguar? Auto Express reports that Jaguar may be working on a narrow two-seater electric city car, where the passengers would be seated behind the driver. The tiny EV could become available at the beginning of the next decade and would be built by company Magna in Graz (Austria).
autoexpress.co.uk
EV crowned: Automotive journalists have cured the Chevy Bolt as “North American Car of the Year 2017.” It is the first time that an electric car has taken home the award. The Bolt is said to have won out mainly because it is believed to be a game changer in the automotive sector, as it offers more than 200 miles of range, while still being affordable.
usatoday.com, electrek.co, insideevs.com
Ikea ChargeLounge: Ikea Germany has its first ChargeLounge that has been developed together with Fraunhofer IAO. It has been installed at a parking lot at the furniture store in Ludwigsburg. Customers can charge with AC or DC while the lounge is a modular box that can serve as showroom or café.
idw-online.de
Fuel cell deal: Ballard Power Systems signed a Long-Term Sales Agreement (LTSA) with Polish Solaris for the sale and supply of fuel cell modules. An initial order is for ten 85 kW FCveloCity-HD fuel cell modules, with deliveries planned to start in 2017.
greencarcongress.com
When in Rome promote electric vehicles. Nissan teamed up with Italian football club AS Roma to showcase its EV offering. Apart from the Leaf, the e-NV200 Evalia will serve as shuttle at the stadium. At the Trigoria training centre, another Leaf and e-NV-200 vehicles will transport people and goods.
carscoops.com
NYC stands behind the Bolt: New York City signed a deal with GM to supply the Chevy Bolt. The order will help the city to reach its 1,000 EVs by 2017 target, which has been laid out in the NYC Clean Fleet scheme. The Bolt is to play a “pivotal role” according to NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who did not go into further detail. 50 Bolt have however been ordered to take part in a shared fleet initiative and are expected to arrive in spring 2017.
einnews.com, uaw.org
Mapping charging demand: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) collaborated with researchers at the PHEV Research Center at the University of California, Davis and developed best practices for siting DC fast chargers. The findings were applied to feed an interactive map.
businesswire.com, pge.com (map, log in required)
Mercedes secures Formula E entry option: After Audi and BMW, Mercedes could be the next German carmaker to enter the all-electric racing series. A newly signed contract gives the company the option to fill one of the spots for newcomers, which will be offered from season five to expand the number of Formula E teams.
electricautosport.com, daimler.com
H2 off-roader for deployment: As previously reported, GM will fit its Chevy Colorado with a fuel cell for the U.S. military, which can also deliver power for activities outside the vehicle. The army will test the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 under extreme conditions next year.
greencarcongress.com, autoblog.com
Electric motorbike with Leaf battery: Night Shift Bikes used existing components to build an all-electric retro style motorbike. And it’s not named Leafy Savage without a reason. Next to using batteries from a Nissan Leaf, the bike frame comes from a Suzuki Savage.
wired.de, averagejoes.co.uk
Battery development: Sion Power and BASF achieved an energy density of 400 Wh/kg and 700 Wh/kg, as well as 350 charging cycles with its battery system Licerion-Ion and Licerion-Sulfur. The partners are targeting 500 Wh/kg, 1000 Wh/L and 1000 cycles.
greencarcongress.com
No VW battery plant: VW CEO Matthias Müller snubbed the possibility of setting up a VW battery production plant, telling German Handelsblatt that they would not do something “that foolish.” Cell production is highly automated and would therefore only create few jobs, while costing “an arm and a leg.”
handelsblatt.com
Yes to Samsung battery plant: Samsung SDI meanwhile decided to set up shop in Hungary. It will invest some 358m dollars in a battery plant, said to churn out battery packs for some 50,000 EVs per year. The factory near Budapest is said to open its doors in the second half of 2018.
reuters.com, koreaherald.com
In the army now: GM is working with the U.S. army on the development of fuel-cell-powered Chevrolet Colorado for military purposes. A first prototype of the H2 pick-up is said to be unveiled in October.
freep.com, thedetroitbureau.com
Non-flammable electrolytes: Cornell University spin-out NOHMs Technologies has collected 5m dollars in funds to commercialize its non-flammable electric vehicle (EV) battery electrolyte technology. The NanoLyte Electrolytes contain ionic liquids, making them more resistant without compromising battery power.
greencarcongress.com
Tesla increased production to 2,000 vehicles per week, according to Eletrek. That means about 104,000 EVs would roll off production lines every year and that the EV maker has a real shot at meeting its own goal of delivering 80,000 t0 90,000 EVs in 2016.
electrek.co
Faraday’s future: Electric car start-up Faraday Future has officially broken ground on its 1bn dollar, 900-acre facility in Nevada that should generate some 4,500 jobs. FF expects to have full prototypes by the end of the year, and is building both mechanical and software systems. Their first EV will be “at the premium end of the segment.”
businessinsider.de, faradayfuture.com
Tesla surprise: Tesla has introduced a 75 kWh Model X, up from 70 kWh. That changes the range from 220 miles to 237, though it is reported to have a lower top speed, at 130 mph. The base price will also increase from 80,000 dollars to 83,000 dollars.
insidedevs.com
Setbacks in Germany: German political parties met last night to discuss several topics and have, again, failed to come to a consensus on electric car incentives. Though auto leaders have been pressing for incentives to help push the electric vehicle market forward, a decision is not expected until late April.
reuters.com
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www.siemens.de/electriccar
Overnight testing: Chevrolet intends to offer overnight testing for the Volt and Bolt, hoping that cutting out the requirement to visit a dealership will boost interest and buys. Shoppers will be able to experience and test the vehicles from their own home.
insidedevs.com
Green light Korea: The Renault Twizy had previously not been allowed in South Korea because it did not fall into any of the country’s automobile categories. Now, the ministry decided to create a new category for compact electric vehicles, so the Twizy will finally be allowed on their roadways.
businesskorea.co.kr
Falling emissions: Emissions from new cars sold in Europe last year fell three percent, and are expected to reach the target goal of 95 grams of CO2 per km by 2021. Those figures, however, come from data based on outdated tests that tend to report emissions at 30 to 40% lower than real world driving conditions.
theguardian.com
Click tip: Details on the 2017 Chevy Bolt are here, paired with ample images, specs and a detailed look at the battery pack. The car boasts a 60 kWh battery and expected 200 miles of EPA and is expected to make waves as an option for inexpensive long range driving – and for those who may not want to wait for the Tesla Model 3.
insidedevs.com
Click tip II: Big Limos claims to be building the first Tesla Model S stretch limousine. Though little more is known about the project, there is footage of a Model S being cut in half in preparation.
electrek.co
Video tip I: Chevrolet sends Tesla some love as it starts pilot production of the Bolt EV just a week before the Model 3 launch. While the economy Tesla will not see the light of the day before late 2017, GM’s affordable electric model is to hit the stores this autumn.
youtube.com via forbes.com
Video tip II: The term drag race takes on a whole new meaning in this Alfa Romeo vs. Tesla Model X. The Italian is literally dragged along as it towers on a trailer towed by the Tesla that competes with another Alfa Romeo 4C at the same time.
insideevs.com
Reading tip: British journalist Jess Shanahan will go for some soul searching this April. Driving over 2,500 miles in a Kia Soul EV, she shall show that electric cars can go the long distance and along 57 must-see sights of the isles over 20 days.
nextgreencar.com
Events for the upcoming week: EKOnova Rally Slovenia (March 30-April 02; Slovenia and Austria) ++ FIA Formula E, Round 6 (April 02; Long Beach, USA)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
Chrysler plug-in minivan: NAIAS saw the debut of Chrysler’s Van Pacifica. The plug-in hybrid variant will be able to drive about 30 miles all-electric, powered by its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery. The PHEV is expected to arrive in the second half of this year.
electriccarsreport.com, greencarcongress.com, forbes.com
Bolt EV specs: Chevrolet has released more details of its 200-mile electric car. The Bolt’s lithium-ion battery pack holds 60 kWh, while the electric motor powers the front wheels with up to 150 kW for a top speed of 91 mph. A full recharge might take up to 9 hours, but Chevy claims the built-in 7.2-kW charger is able to charge 50 miles in less than 2 hours.
detroitnews.com, greencarreports.com, insideevs.com
Bigger battery for e-Golf? New cells are to increase the range of Volkswagen’s electric classic by 30 percent, Volkmar Tanneberger, head of electronic development, said at CES. The current e-Golf has a range of 83 miles, while the new power pack would push it to 108 miles, well in range of the new Nissan Leaf. No word yet on when the update is due.
autoblog.com
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Volvo S90 Hybrid debut: The Swedes in Chinese hands launched their 2017 S90 in Detroit. All variants will be available from the get go, including the plug-in hybrid version. It features the same drivetrain as the XC90 SUV.
carscoops.com
Mercedes E-Class on display: Daimler presented its new E-Class in Detroit. The now even bigger sedan will become available as a diesel and petrol variant from April, with the PHEV E 350e to follow shortly after. The hybrid Mercedes is expected to have an electric range of 19 miles.
autocar.co.uk, insideevs.com
Hyundai Ioniq update: Hyundai has released first images of its Ioniq, which will be available as an EV and a hybrid with and without plug. The hybrid will be powered by a 1.6 litre and 105 hp petrol engine, combined with a 32 kW electric motor. Pricing in South Korea is said to start at just 22.9m won (19,127 USD). The Hyundai will premier in Geneva and New York in March.
autocar.co.uk, indianautosblog.com
Chevy Bolt overview: Following the unveiling of Chevrolet’s new EV at the CES in Las Vegas yesterday, here are the official presentation video, specs and more pictures to scroll through. The Bolt will go on sale at the end of the year and will feature lots of driving assistants and maximum connectivity to appeal to younger generations.
youtube.com (official video), chevrolet.com (official website), forbes.com (photos)
Mellow Boards gets cash injection: The Hamburg-based start-up (we reported) has received 1.5m euros from TQ Systems, securing enough financing until the start of production. Mellow Boards says it will most likely be able to stay on schedule, with deliveries said to start in September.
Source: info per mail
Mini with plug? According to German Auto Motor und Sport, the new Mini Countryman will be available from the end of the year. A plug-in variant is to follow at a later date, but will have an all-electric range of a mere 34 km.
auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German)
Baojun E100 spy shots: The small city EV said to premier at the Beijing Auto Show in April, was caught on camera. The Baojun E100 will then launch in China in October, have a range of 100 km an top speed of 100 kph. And it apparently comes with a takeout tablet on the dashboard.
carnewschina.com
EV batteries for India: The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) are working together to develop an affordable EV battery for Indian manufacturers. The goal is to reduce the cost to about one tenth of currently imported battery prices. A first prototype is to be revealed in about a year.
indiatimes.com, thehindubusinessline.com
Faraday departure ahead of premiere: Even before the California start-up could show off its futuristic EV, it lost a vital part of its core team. The from SpaceX headhunted battery architect Porter Harris has left the company.
bloomberg.com, manager-magazin.de
S-class recall: Mercedes is calling 52 units of the S550 plug-in hybrid back to the shop in the United States. There seems to a be a problem with the onboard charger.
electriccarsreport.com
Camaro with plug: Ohio State University’s EcoCar team is turning a Chevrolet Camaro into a plug-in hybrid with an electric range of up to 40 miles. This is the third year that teams from 16 universities are going head to head in retrofitting cars with electric powertrains. Ohio State has won the EcoCar competition for the past two years.
dispatch.com
Prius sales target lowered: Toyota fears that sales of its 4th-gen Prius hybrid could drop due to low petrol prices. Toyota is now targeting average global annual sales of 300,000-350,000, the lower end of the 300,000-400,000 annual sales target for the previous model. Moreover, the AWD variant may not be offered in the U.S. for now, as demand for all-wheel drive cars there actually is decreasing.
reuters.com, autoblog.com, autonews.com (AWD)
BAIC starts new e-car project: The Chinese manufacturer and Californian company Atieva plan to develop a range of electric cars to be offered for sale globally. BAIC is helping the start-up financially, as well as with expertise through its new electric vehicle technical centre in the Silicon Valley. The first “breakthrough electric car” is said to be unveiled at the 2016 Beijing motor show.
autocar.co.uk, atieva.com
Faraday Future takes Las Vegas: The Californian start-up will open its EV factory in North Las Vegas, Nevada to kick off production by 2017. Meanwhile, Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting confirmed that he is backing the company financially.
jalopnik.com, reviewjournal.com, forbes.com
Jaguar to take part in Formula E? According to Sky News, Jaguar Land Rover will announce plans to launch a team in the Formula E electric car-racing series at a press conference next Tuesday. The event is expected to include a commitment to launch an all-electric (street) car, but without setting a formal timetable. An electric Jaguar, built by Magna Steyr in Austria, has long been making headlines.
sky.com
Tesla opens shop in Mexico: The store in Mexico City is the first in the Central American region. Ricardo Blanco, previously brand and communications manager in South America for Google, has been hired to further develop the Mexican market.
electrek.co
Chevy Malibu Hybrid priced: The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid will be available from 28,645 dollars in the U.S., including a 875 dollar destination charge and will go on sale in spring. Its drivetrain unit is based on the powertrain from the second-gen Chevrolet Volt, allowing for as much as 48 mpg.
freep.com, hybridcars.com
Toyota fast forwards the electrification of its fleet as it plans to decrease its average new-vehicle CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2050. This means combustion engines will become a thing of the past for the Japanese carmaker, who looks to strengthen the future instead. Some 30,000 fuel cell vehicles and 1.5m hybrids shall be sold annually by 2020. Also, Toyota plans to sell H2 buses by 2017. In terms of R&D, better batteries such as solid-state technology move even higher up the agenda. This is what we call a bright “mirai” (future).
greencarcongress.com, toyota.co.jp, toyota-global.com (The Environmental Action Plan)
Tesla cashes in: The latest software update is available from today. That much we knew. What Elon Musk failed to announce was the 2,500 dollars Tesla charges those who like to get all the autopilot functions “included” in version 7, Fortune reports. Usually, Tesla updates are free of charge.
fortune.com
Nationwide Volt rollout: The order books for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt will open this December in all North American states. Production of the 2017 version starts in February 2017 with first deliveries to commence in spring. The 2016 Volt will only be available in selected states and Canada (we reported).
insideevs.com
Mahindra goes Britain: The Indian manufacturer further clarified its plan to enter the European market with a four-door version of its electric e2o that is to land in Great Britain. In order to do so, Mahindra will set up a dedicated distribution centre on the Isles.
business-standard.com
Bugatti Chiron saved: Volkswagen’s budget cuts do not concern the planned hybrid sports car, according to Jalopnik. The prestige project Bugatti Chiron will thus be presented in Geneva next year.
jalopnik.com
Audi made in Belgium: The German carmaker will build its Q6 E-tron in Brussels starting in 2018, Belgian De Morgen learned. The electric SUV is to sit between the Audi Q5 and Q7.
reuters.com, demorgen.be (original source in Dutch)
