Nov 7, 2014 - 09:24 am

Model S crash test, Harley LiveWire ride, Event.

Video tip 1: Yesterday we told you that Euro NCAP drove the Model S into a wall. Today, you can see for yourself why the all-electric sedan has received the maximum-possible 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Program.
youtube.com

Video tip 2: Jonathon Buckley from Translogic takes Harley Davidson’s LiveWire concept for a spin and loves it. He says he would be surprised if the concept did not make it into production soon, also because of all the effort and market research the manufacturer has put into it.
autoblog.com

Event for the upcoming week: 12. Michelin Challenge Bibendum (Nov 11-14; Chengdu, China)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar

Sep 10, 2014 - 08:21 am

VW Golf GTE, Harley LiveWire.

Video tip: Once more, Robert Llewellyn gets excited over a low emission vehicle features in Fully Charged. This time, it is the Golf GTE plug-in hybrid that first surprises and then enthuses the comedian.
youtube.com

Reading tip: Ted Dillard has seen the Harley LiveWire and is rather unimpressed by the engineered sound (“timid”), the mirrors (“hazardous”) and 50-mile range (“unrealistic”). His favour only finds the low mount of the motor (“great solution”) that results in a “tight” and well tracked ride.
insideevs.com

Aug 12, 2014 - 08:25 am

Harley LiveWire at Jay Leno's Garage, Robert Llewellyn drives Model S.

Video tip: In this edition of Jay Leno’s Garage, the host welcomes a pretty special guest: the LiveWire, accompanied by Ken Ostermann, head of global marketing at Harley.
youtube.com

Reading tip: Robert Llewellyn took a Model S to drive from London all the way north to Edinburgh and back to the British capital. While the trip only cost him about six pounds, he is now revising his pension to see if he might be able to buy himself a Tesla.
thegreencarwebsite.co.uk

Jul 25, 2014 - 08:42 am

Porsche, BMW, Honda, Harley Davidson, Brose.

Cayenne plug-in hybrid: Porsche announced the launch date of its latest plug-in hybrid. In Germany, the Cayenne will hit the stores on October 11th, before launching in the States on November 1st. There, prices for the Cayenne S E-Hybrid start at 77,395 dollars. The Cayenne comes with a range of 23 miles and is powered by a V6 with 245 kW and an electric motor with 70 kW.
transportevolved.com, electriccarsreport.com

Meanwhile, the Porsche Panamera plug-in hybrid is getting cheaper and being offered for 6,000 euros (8,080 dollars) less in Germany and 3,000 dollars less in Canada. Pricing for other market has yet to be announced. Porsche gave synergistic effects as the reason for the lower reduction as now Panamera and Cayenne share the same powertrain.
auto123.com, wn.de (in German)

New BMW models for China: The German carmaker plans to bring the BMW 5-Series plug-in hybrid to China by the end of this year, according to CFO Friedrich Eichiner. Additionally, a second model is being developed with BMW JV partner Brilliance following the electric Zinoro 1E.
gasgoo.com

Honda NSX on fire: A prototype of the hybrid sportscar burned down during testing at Nürnburgring. The engineers could escape unhurt and while the cause of the fire has yet to be found, the NSX showed all characteristics of a “a mid-engine supercar, burning entirely up to the base of the windshield,” Auto Evolution reports.
autoevolution.com, autoblog.com

Livewire live: Harley Davidson has been touring the States to let fans and press test ride its electric motorbike. Ben Rich went to see what the concept bike is like. Harley says the Livewire will not enter production, but having built 40 demonstrator bikes and currently searching for a Livewire project manager, are clear signs that the bike manufacture is serious about electric motorcycles.
greencarreports.com

E-Bike motor made in Berlin: Brose has started the production of its pedelec drive unit in its facility in the German capital. The motor weighs 3.4 kg and generates up to 600 Watt peak power. The family-run automotive supplier hopes to acquire 20% share in the electric bicycle segment.
bike-eu.com

Jul 4, 2014 - 08:42 am

France, Zinoro, BMW, Harley-Davidson, Merkel, Audi.

Record registrations in France: Some 1,050 new electric vehicles hit the roads in France in June, more than ever before. The Renault Zoe took the crown, with 641 units sold. However, compared to first six months last year, overall EV registration fell about 10 percent.
emobilitaetonline.de (in German), avem.fr (in French)

Caught on camera: Pictures of the Brilliance-BMW Zinoro 1E on the streets of Beijing, China, have been published. The Zinoro is not for sale and can only be rented or leased. Rates start at about 7,400 renminbi (1,190 dollars) a month at a 3-year lease. Another reason why it might have a hard time is the lack of public charging infrastructure in Beijing, where the only dealer is located.
carnewschina.com (pics), pluginindia.com (leasing)

BMW i8 priced for the States: The base price of the all-electric sportscar has been listed at 135,700 dollars, plus a 950 dollar destination fee. The i8 will be available in the U.S. starting August 17th. 90% of the initial production will be available with the 10,800 dollar ‘Pure Impulse World’ launch package.
bmwblog.com via greencarreports.com

The new face of Harley-Davidson: Jim Federico, the former GM executive responsible for the Chevy Volt and Spark EV, has joined the chopper team, where he will head the LiveWire project. By the way, the electric Harley is said to come to Europe next year as well.
autoevolution.com

Merkel head to China: The German chancellor will travel to the country next week. Among her delegation will also be representatives from the automotive industry and electric mobility projects have also been spotted on the agenda.
autonews.gasgoo.com

Test driving Audi’s A3 Sportback e-tron: The title already sets the mood, saying it is “a car BMW needs to be afraid of.” It is further described as an “absurdly luxurious car for its segment” and the “class benchmark,” since it appeals to a wide range of drivers.
ecomento.com

Jun 30, 2014 - 08:26 am

Audi, Bosch eBike Systems, Volkswagen, BMW, Harley-Davidson.

Audi to go global with plug-in hybrid: The German carmaker will start to sell the Audi A3 e-tron in Europe this month. In the States, Audi’s first plug-in hybrid will be available in the second half of 2015. It is set for China first though, where deliveries will start in the first half of next year.
autonews.com

Bosch boldly moves east: As of July, the Chinese city of Suzhou will become the headquarter of Bosch’s new-founded regional Asian-Pacific business unit. There aim is to help e-bike manufacturers in China, Taiwan and Vietnam with their export business to Europe and the U.S., before developing markets in the Asian-Pacifc region.
bike-eu.com

XL1 to come to Britain: Volkswagen has priced its “1-litre car” at 98,515 pounds (168,800 dollars) in the UK, so it is certainly not for everybody. Anyway, the XL1 is limited to only 200-250 cars, set to land on British shores.
thegreencarwebsite.co.uk

BMW i8 got its own Wiki: The second round of advertising for the super plug-in hybrid has started. As part of it, test drives while wearing Google Glass are being offered at some German airports. The branding exercise is completed with the interactive online platform ‘Wiki8’ that holds everything there is to know about the BMW i8.
bmwblog.com

LiveWire live: The now much-talked about electric Harley has been ridden by Susan Carpenter before it went public. Starting the LiveWire with a fob as you do with all Harleys was easy but then Susan had to choose between power and range. Guess what she opted for!
autoblog.com (with video)

Jun 20, 2014 - 08:56 am

Harley Davidson, France, NEVS, Proterra, BMW, Hyundai.

Electric rocks: Project ‘LiveWire’ is Harley Davidson’s first all-electric motorcycle, which the legendary brand just presented. The electric Harley is not on sale (yet?), but will go on a demonstration tour through the United States. Harley CEO Matt Levatich expects the EV technology and customers openess is “only going to increase” and wants to make sure his company is “part of leading the development” of standards, infrastructure and technology. What will Harley fans will think of the new humming sound?
washingtontimes.com, theverge.com, youtube.com (video) via greencarreports.com

Energy transition á la France: The French cabinet has just been presented with a new bill designed to reduce the country’s dependency on fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The so-called energy transition is estimated to cost between 15 and 30 billion euros until 2050 and includes the installation of seven million EV charging points across the country.
wattsupwiththat.com, news.yahoo.com

NEVS indebted: This is why creditors have turned to the Stockholm enforcement authority. Kronofogden reports that it received 30 applications worth 22.7 million kroner (3.4m dollars) for unpaid bills relating to National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS). The automaker is having cashflow problems but hopes to get help from other vehicle manufacturers (we reported).
just-auto.com, automotorsport.se (in Swedish)

Proterra eyes Tesla patents: The electric bus company, which is run by former Tesla employee Ryan Popple, welcomes the Californian carmaker’s latest move to share its patents. While nothing is certain yet, Proterra could imagine working with Tesla to improve its e-bus charging technology soon.
businessinsider.com

A critic’s choice: Hollywood reporter Michael Walker reviewed the BMW i3 and liked it so much that he now wonders if it could replace the Model S as the number one choice of Hollywood stars. His only worry is that it might be a bit too obviously “granola-driven.”
hollywoodreporter.com (with video) via greencarreports.com

Hyundai Tucson FCV review: At the recent launch of the hydrogen vehicle, Michael Harley had half an hour to get acquainted with the car that “sips hydrogen and drips water.” His conclusion is that the Koreans finally made a “no-compromise emissions-free vehicle.”
autoblog.com