Chinese electric car manufacturer Kandi has signed a framework agreement with Hunan Hengrun Automobile to jointly produce all-electric vehicles with the associated battery swap technology. The vehicles are to go on sale under the Henghe brand name.
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Kandi America announced its certification by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for meeting the state’s stringent emissions standards. With this approval in hand, Kandi is now preparing to launch deliveries of the K27 to California.
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The Chinese electric car manufacturer Kandi is about to enter the US market. On 18 August, Kandi will start US pre-sales of its two models and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2020.
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A new electric car brand launched in China named Maple. Maple is a joint venture between Geely and Kandi’s Fengsheng Automotive Technology Group. The brand’s first model, the Maple 30x, is to be launched at prices of less than 9,000 euros.
Read moreGerman charging unification: BMW, Daimler, Ford and VW with Porsche and Audi officially declared to build a CCS ultra fast-charging network together. The joint venture will fund 350 kW charging stations along the Autobahn and other European key routes. Construction is to start next year at an initial 400 locations for a rapid recharge. The network shall grow to “thousands” of stops by the end of the decade.
reuters.com, autonews.com, greencarcongress.com
Another new i3? BMW is extending its electric car offering not only with a facelift but also a new version of the BMW i3, Autocar reports. The i3S will get an uprated version of the current electric drive for a sportier ride and may also have an even longer range.
autocar.co.uk
Kandi to receive subsidies: Hainan province granted Kandi 100m yuan (app. 14.5m dollars) in subsidies to develop a new electric vehicle. It will be produced in the company’s facility in Hainan, where soon 100,000 electric cars will roll off the lines (we reported).
econotimes.com
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Chevy Bolt live: GM has launched the Chevrolet Bolt configurator. The electric car can now be customised and subsequently ordered online.
chevrolet.com via insideevs.com
Solar Tesla stores: After merging with SolarCity, Tesla is to integrate its energy offering into Tesla stores. Customers will thus be able to purchase a Powerwall in-store and still online as before. Solar shingles will make it into retail at a later date as well.
businessinsider.de, cleantechnica.com
The Toyota Supra was caught wearing mainly production bodywork that still has much F1 flair to it. The Supra is developed together with BMW and expected to arrive by 2018. A hybrid is most likely.
autoexpress.co.uk
EV only zones in Poland? Poland’s Ministry of Energy is looking into introducing ‘low-emissions zones’ in cities, a Polish newspaper reports. This may be a push for coal as much as for green transport as the country relies on carbon sources for its energy needs, while the ruling party PiS pushes back more sustainable alternatives.
cleantechnica.com, parlamentarny.pl (in Polish)
Ten electric buses have been acquired by the Dutch town of Utrecht, where they replace ten older diesel vehicles. The 12 metre models will serve an entire line by spring next year and have been bought in a joint effort by the Utrecht public transport bus provider, Qbuzz, the municipality, and the province.
eltis.org
Supercharging Ireland: Tesla is to expand to the republic with a new store, likely in Dublin, as well as EV charging stations by 2017. Ireland is the last Western European country missing on the Tesla map and was due to be connected already this year.
electrek.co
Clean fleet cooperation: Leasing company Venson Automotive Solutions partnered with charging infrastructure provider EO Charging, to help fleet providers switch to electric. They set up the ‘CleanFleet‘ service, which uses GPS data to see if a more electric and/or hybrid fleet is feasible.
businesscar.co.uk, fleetnews.co.uk
Ballard bus update: Ballard Power Systems is to deliver technology for 300 fuel cell buses in the Chinese cities of Foshan and Yunfu reportedly. The latter has now taken delivery of ten such hydrogen buses, while Foshan received the first twelve earlier this month.
renewable-energy-industry.com
Kandi is to sell 50,000 EV over 5 years through Shanxi Coal, a strategic cooperation agreement sets out. Kandi says the agreement is to stabilise the firm’s EV business in times of varying subsidy policies.
streetinsider.com
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Serious Karma production: Wanxiang wants to build electric cars in China and is to invest 375m dollars in a new facility in Hangzhou. The factory could roll out 11,000 Karma (formerly Fisker) vehicles, including those with range extender, and 39,000 Atlantic models. A production date is not yet set.
electriccarsreport.com, bloomberg.com
Electric Porsche SUV? Spy shots of a Porsche test coupe led Car Magazine to suggest that what we are seeing is the sequel to an electric crossover similar to Audi’s upcoming electric SUV. If it is true, the electric Porsche would fight for market segments with the Model X or Jaguar.
carmagazine.co.uk
BAIC is to build an EV factory for 50,000 units as well. It is planned next to the border with Myanmar in the city of Ruili. Production is to start by 2019 and would one year later be doubled to hit an annual capacity of 100,000 electric cars.
just-auto.com
EV1 engineer to lead Faraday: The electric car start-up has hired former GM engineer Peter Savagian. He signed responsible for the ingenious EV1 that was killed prematurely. For Faraday Future, the engineer will take over the the electric drive as VP for engineering.
autoblog.com, electrek.co
Kandi EVs: The Chinese firm launched its latest electric model, the Global Hawk K17A in China. Prices start at 12,000 dollars after subsidies and the range is given at 150 km. For developing its next electric car, the governmennt of Hainan province just granted Kandi 300m yuan (about 45m USD).
globenewswire.com (Global Hawk), nasdaq.com (grant)
New UK charging network planned: EV Hub wants to set up a charging network at supermarkets and cafés in the UK. It is currently looking to collect 500,000 pounds via crowdfunding to kick start its project in London, which will then successively expand to other parts of the country.
thisismoney.co.uk
Sells like hotcakes: Kandi has signed another deal, this time with Pang Da Automobile that ordered 60,000 EVs that will be delivered over the next four years. The electric cars will be stationed at universities across the country.
globenewswire.com
Seattle plugs in: Utility Seattle City Light will install 20 new rapid-chargers, as well as set up charging at several hundred private homes. Previously, the company had announced plans to set up 10 fast-chargers.
seattletimes.com
Electrifying Dubai: The UAE’s biggest city wants that by 2020, at least two percent of all new cars registered there will be electric of hybrid – a number said to grow to 10% by 2030. Meanwhile. Dubai’s taxi service Careem is working with Next Future to set up a shuttle service with self-driving electric pods.
tradearabia.com, timeoutdubai.com (pods)
Public electrification: Thanks to federal grants, Portland is looking to purchase four all-electric New Flyer buses and the corresponding charging infrastructure. Service will start in 2018. The city of Everett, located in the U.S. state of Washington, has received 3.4m dollars in grants to replace four older buses with electric ones from Proterra.
patch.com (Portland), heraldnet.com (Everett)
VW to electrify China: Volkswagen has laid out a three-step strategy to electrify the Chinese market by investing 4bn euros per year. In the current phase, plug-in hybrid and electric models are being imported. Next, PHEVs will be produced directly in China, starting with the Audi A6. The last phase will see VW models based on the MQB platform be built in China before 2020. At the same time, the MEB platform will be developed together with JV partners SAIV and FAW. Overall, China will see up to 15 VW PHEV and EV models within the next three to five years.
autonews.gasgoo.com, news.xinhuanet.com
Iconic concept: Italian Icona presents an electric city car study dubbed Neo. Inspired by Shanghai’s asymmetric architecture, the Neo sits four people. Weighing only 720 kg and with 21 kW in-wheel motors, Icona says the car will have a top speed of 75 mph and a city range of 93 miles.
gizmag.com, youtube.com
Hybrid Jeep: Fiat Chrysler confirmed plans to hybridise the upcoming Jeep Wrangler. However, the 2018 model will only be a mild-hybrid, while a full hybrid can only be expected by 2022. FCA does not act out of conviction, admitting that it simply has to meet regulations.
motorauthority.com, worldcarfans.com
Bagging it: Toyota USA is recalling about 5,000 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h built in 2016, due to faulty airbags for the driver’s knee. If found faulty, Lexus will replace the airbags free of charge.
carscoops.com, corporatenews.pressroom.toyota.com
Breaking ground: Kandi has started the construction of a new facility in Haikou in Hainan province. Once finished, the site will have an annual production capacity of up to 100,000 electric vehicles.
money.cnn.com
Putin pushes for EV: Russia’s president Vladimir Putin urged the country’s car industry to modernise by pushing production towards electric cars by 2025. At the moment, there is no import tariff on electric cars. Still, there use is not widespread in the vast country.
bellona.org
Volkswagen SUV with plug: According to Autocar, VW will present its new SUV concept at the Geneva Motorshow in March. The T-Cross is based on the VW Polo and is said to build on the carmaker’s MQB platform – just like the T-Roc study shown in 2014. The T-Cross is said to also be available as a plug-in hybrid.
autocar.co.uk
Maserati hybrid update: The manufacturer has to keep an eye on its CO2 emissions record, which is why it will not only fit the Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte with plug-in hybrid drivetrains (we reported), but alo the GranTurismo and GranCabrio. Only the Alfieri will keep its combustion engine.
autocar.co.uk
Tesla misses sales target in China: The EV maker lowered sales expectations in the country to 5,000 units this year. 2015 it had hoped to sell at least 10,000 vehicles, but sold only 3,025 in the first nine months.
nikkei.com, greencarcongress.com
Kandi gets new partner: The Kandi Technologies Group has signed a strategic partnership with Chinese car dealer Pang Da for the distribution of the former’s electric cars. The deal i.e. includes the set-up of joint sales teams that will share marketing resources.
cnn.com
Under scrutiny: British consumer protection agency Consumers’ Association tested emissions of some 300 cars. 95 percent of diesel and 10 percent of petrol cars exceed NOx limits. Hybrids are unfortunately no exception. It turns out that even the Peugeot 508 RXH diesel-hybrid is dirtier than previously said.
which.co.uk
New Mahindra EVs: The Indian manufacturer will present electric variants of its Maxximo and Verito at the New Delhi Auto Show next month. The e2o featuring inductive charging technology will also be on display.
indiatimes.com
Free EV sharing service: WaiveCar has kicked off in California. The carsharing service “waives the fee,” covering costs with on-car advertising instead. 20 Chevrolet Spark EV are available in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, where the first two hours are free. The company hopes to cover more areas around LA and extend its fleet to 200 EVs with digital billboards on the roof.
prnewswire.com, waivecar.com
CHAdeMO too rare? Mitsubishi will not add a CHAdeMO inlet to its Outlander PHEV models destined for the U.S. The company believes there are too few charging stations featuring the Japanese standard across the States, but will continue to include the standard in models on sale in Japan and Europe.
insideeevs.com, autonews.com
Electric buses for India: The Indian government will fund an initiative in Himachal Pradesh state to acquire 25 electric Volvo buses, following the successful completion of trials there. A total of 35 million INR (about 520,000 dollars) will be made available. Charging stations will be set up at all district bus stations.
dnaindia.com
Micro Public Transportation magnified: Kandi announced that it had expanded its electric carsharing scheme to 16 Chinese cities by the end of 2015. The carmaker started its service in 2013, while MPT is now available in cities like Hangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, and others.
money.cnn.com
EV promotion: Kia joins the Go Ultra Low campaign in Britain. The initiative aims to increase EV use on the isles. The Korean carmaker intends to expand its electric offering beyond the Soul EV.
Korea gears up for FCVs: The country wants to have 9,000 fuel cell cars on its road by 2020 and 630,000 by 2030. The ambitious plan is bolstered by a subsidy of 27.5m won (23,000 dollars) per FCV. By also waiving taxes, Korea targets an average FCV price of 35m won (30,000 dollars) by 2018. 520 hydrogen pumps are expected to be erected by 2030; 80 percent of those within the next four years.
koreaherald.com
Jaguar to enter Formula E: The iconic brand will take part in the 2016/17 season of the electric racing series as Jaguar, replacing Team Trulli. The move was expected, but it remains to be seen if and when electric racing technology will power Jaguar Land Rover production cars.
autocar.co.uk, electricautosport.com, fiaformulae.com
Tighter RDE rules: The EU Environment Committee rejected a draft calling for NOx emissions limits of diesel cars to be raised by 110 percent (we reported), saying the move is “neither explained nor justified.” MEPs are calling on the commission to propose a new draft that is not in fact watering down existing EU regulation.
europarl.europa.eu
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Tesla competitor homegrown: Nevada continues its subsidy policy that already lured the Gigafactory into the desert. Faraday Future’s latest move to erect its EV production site close to Las Vegas also seems fuelled by dollars. The start-up will receive 335m dollars in tax abatements and incentives over the next 20 years.
lasvegassun.com
Kandi scales up: The Chinese carmaker expects 100,000 electric vehicles to roll off the production line at the planned facility in the city of Haikou in Hainan province annually. Start of production is set for early 2017.
stockhouse.com
Top of the line: From January, British buyers of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will be able to choose from two new trim levels. The GX5h and GX5hs both include leather seats and a heated rear bench, some automated driving features and start at 38,399 and 40,499 pounds, respectively.
autoexpress.co.uk, transportevolved.com
Sharing Chinese EVs: Kandi announced that its EV joint venture with Geely plans to deliver 2,000 Kandi electric vehicles to ZuoZhongYou in Hainan. The electric cars are destined for a Micro Public Transportation (MPT) programme in Haikou. Delivery is expected by the end of 2015.
money.cnn.com
All-electric public transport? Canadian Winnipeg is looking into replacing its entire bus fleet with electric vehicles. One such bus is already running and together with manufacturer Manitoba the city explores the conversion of 618 buses to electric. The report is expected in spring 2016.
cbc.ca, winnipegsun.com
All-electric public fleet? New Zealand’s capital Wellington plans to put an EV charging network in place that shall span the entire region. A working group will be set up including local councils to see how to get the infratsructure in place. Once set up the councilors vowed to replace their existing fleet with electric vehicles possibly starting by March 2016.
stuff.co.nz
Fortunate take over: Fortum expands its Charge & Drive network in Norway as it acquires ten EV charging stations from EV Power in Trøndelag. The firm will extend the existing spots to include two fast-chargers and one semi-fast charging station with twin outlets and also plans to install additional ones.
fortum.com
This new public toilet in Beijing not only lets you answer nature’s calling, but surf the internet, get cash from an ATM or a candy bar from a vending machine. You can also charge your mobile and even electric scooter while on the throne. The toilet paper remains low-tech, however.
dailymail.co.uk
Kandi signs another big deal: The Chinese carmaker will deliver 1,500 electric vehicles to the city of Luzhou in the southeastern region of the Sichuan province. The city will uses the cars to start its Micro Public Transportation (MPT) program before the end of the year.
nasdaq.com
EVs for hire: Hiring service Myles has opened 20 new locations in the city of Mumbai, India, allowing customers to rent cars hourly, daily, weekly or on a monthly basis. Myles has 34 car models in its portfolio, including electric vehicles.
indiatoday.intoday.in
Double-trouble in London: Some of the city’s hybrid double-decker buses, that have been on the road since 2012, have been experiencing battery performance problems. That meant the buses were diesel-powered 90 percent of the time. Transport for London admitted that earlier buses had battery problems, but said these batteries had been repaired or replaced at no cost to the taxpayer.
airqualitynews.com
First H2 station with two systems: In Munich, the world’s first hydrogen filling station featuring two refueling technologies has gone online. Next to CGHT technology with 700 bar, it makes use of Cryo-compressed hydrogen storage technology (CCH2) with 350 bar, which is developed by the BMW Group. It offers up to 50 percent more hydrogen storage capacity than 700 bar tanks
automotiveworld.com, bmwgroup.com
Proterra sells e-buses in California: The cities of Stockton and Porterville each ordered two of Proterra’s Catalyst battery-powered buses. The purchase is funded by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District and the buses will replace diesel-powered buses currently in use.
prnewswire.com, greencarcongress.com
Four chargers for Tennessee: CarCharging and the Hamister Group have installed four Blink EV charging stations at the Fairfield Inn & Suite and MainStay Suites Hotel in Tennessee. The chargers are available to anyone, as they accept payment with any major credit card.
prnewswire.com, cnn.com
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Kandi sells: The Chinese manufacturer signed a deal with Zhejiang Shi Kong Electric Vehicle, which will acquire more than 4,000 Kandi EV to resell them online. Another 2,000 vehicles will be delivered to the Chinese city of Kunming to be used in Micro Transportation.
chargedevs.com (Zhejiang), marketwatch.com (Kunming)
Indianapolis’ first electric buses are rolling through the city’s streets. They are run by the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo), which aims to have 21 electric coaches funded by a TIGER grant by the year’s end. Maybe it will help BlueIndy get some love, too.
masstransitmag.com, insideindianabusiness.com
Charged if charged: The American Car Charging Group will enforce a new de-ICEing policy – this time for EV drivers. Everyone leaving their car at a charger for more than 15 minutes after being fully charged will have to pay 8 cents/minute. The new rule will be put in place starting Monday.
transportevolved.com
Electric flyway: Both Birmingham and Liverpool Airport now offer fast-charging and have became part of the Electric Highway in Great Britain. They are the first aerodromes to join the network, set up by green utility provider Ecotricity.
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New plug-in drivetrain from Audi: The German carmaker will present a new plug-in petrol-electric hybrid system for the Q7 at next week’s Auto Shanghai, Autocar reports. Also to be revealed is the third version of the Prologue concept that offers an outlook on the A6 Allroad. The eigth generation is set to launch in 2018 and will most likely come as PHEV, too.
autocar.co.uk, indianautosblog.com
Macan PHEV announced: Porsche is going to have a plug-in version of the Macan in “1 – 2 years,” CEO Matthias Müller told Indian Autos Blog. The Macan would be the fourth plug-in hybrid car of the German brand, following the Panamera, Cayenne, and 918 Spyder.
indianautosblog.com
Rental EVs for sale: Kandi is planning to offer its electric vehicles to private buyers and is looking for dealers in 26 Chinese provinces. Both the K12 and K17 models will go on sale this year. At the same time, the China-based company is looking to expand its rent-a-car service from 8 to 15 cities.
greentechlead.com
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Sonata PHEV: Hyundai chose Seoul to premier the Sonata plug-in hybrid. It is the first ever PHEV of the Korean brand. The system output is 205 hp and the 9.8-kWh battery is said to allow for 38 kilometres in electric mode.
zawya.com
iOn unwanted: Peugeot has stopped selling its rebadged Mitsubishi iMiEV in the Netherlands as only three units were sold there last year. Sales of the Citroën C-Zero and Mitsubishi i-MiEV were not much better (6 and 7 units), while Tesla sold almost 1,500 Model S in the same period.
insideevs.com; egear.nl (in Dutch)
Small Outlander PHEV for the States: Finally, Mitsubishi will bring its Outlander plug-in hybrid to the US market where it will become available in the first quarter of 2016. The original PHEV is to be followed by a smaller plug-in version of the Outlander Sport.
autoguide.com, hybridcars.com
Kandi sold 10,935 EVs last year. The biggest growth came in the 4th quarter, when 3,656 electric vehicles were delivered. Furthermore, sales of parts for electric cars increased by a whopping 6,653.4%, reaching 116.4 million dollars compared to 1.7 million dollars in 2013.
globenewswire.com
EV vandalism: Toyota’s i-Road sharing scheme in French Grenoble is suffering from setbacks, Bloomberg reports. Recurring vandalism has slowed down the introduction of the electric three-wheelers which were supposed to be guarded by surveillance cameras promised by the Socialists. Since the Green party has been elected together with the far-left, public support for the project has vanished.
bloomberg.com
U.S. charging patterns: The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) has published a new report on EV charging behaviour. The data was gathered by six utility providers monitoring public and home charging stations. Charging patterns show sessions rarely last longer than four hours and take place at home during off-peak hours. Public chargers served mainly to top-up during peak times.
insideevs.com
Electric car-sharing expands rapidly: Kandi says it has delivered no less than 14,398 electric cars for its EV sharing program in nine Chinese cities. Hanzhou made the start with 9,852 EVs and was soon followed by Chengdu (1,020), Guangzhou (700), Shanghai (686), Wuhan (612), Changzhou (500), Changsha (388), Nanjing (340), and Rugao (300). Happy sharing!
globenewswire.com
Follow up: Solaris is to develop an extra-long electric bus together with Polish universities (we reported). Green Car Reports now has all the information on the Solaris Urbino 24 Electric concept in English.
greencarreports.com
Lease a charge point: POD Point together with Tower Leasing is offering businesses charge points to lease for about 50 pounds (75 dollars) a month over 3 years. Charging is pay-as-you-go.
electriccarsreport.com
Leaf taxis in Belgium: 12 Nissan Leafs already serve as cabs in Brussels since last September and receive positive feedback by the various operators. Nissan hopes to increase the number of Leaf cabs soon.
nissan-corse.com (in French)
Battery-swapping for scooters: Gogoro from San Francisco wants to build up a battery-swapping system for electric scooters and is backed with 150 million dollars. At the CES, the start-up presented its electric ‘Smartscooter’ which it hopes to sell especially in Asian cities.
bloomberg.com, forbes.com, businessinsider.com
Robot charging “for realz:” Elon Musk took to Twitter once more to inform the world about Tesla’s planned charging system that in his words “automatically moves out from the wall & connects like a solid metal snake.” That is as much info as you get from 140 characters.
golem.de, engadget.com, twitter.com
Pennsylvania extends subsidies: The state’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate program will be continued until June 30, 2015, or until the 500 vehicle benchmark is reached. EVs with batteries with a capacity of 10 kWh or more can receive 2,000 dollars while PEVs with smaller batteries are eligible for a 1,000-dollar rebate. A 500 dollar rebate is available for electric motorcycles and scooters.
portal.state.pa.us
Chengdu follow-up: After Kandi delivered 1,000 EVs to the leasing company ZuoZhongYou in Chinese Chengdu (we reported), another 4,000 electric cars could follow before the year’s end – given demand grows fast enough.
globenewswire.com
Fresh money for CarCharging: The operator of the Blink charger network has closed an offering and raised net proceeds of up to 6 million dollars with current institutional shareholders. The money will be used to expand the charging network in the U.S. as well as to strengthen the company.
greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com
Massive push for hydrogen infrastructure: According to a report from Nikkei, JX Energy may build up a total of 2,000 hydrogen fuelling stations in Japan. It will be opening its first one late this month at a gas station in Kanagawa Prefecture, and by the end of fiscal 2015 hopes to have 40 such locations mostly in the Tokyo area. The rollout would continue as JX watches how fuel cell vehicles are adopted.
nikkei.com
Hydrogenics has been awarded contracts to supply two hydrogen fueling stations, one in California and another one in Scotland. That brings the total number of contracts secured by Hydrogenics this year to nine. Moreover, Hydrogenics is involved in the building and servicing of 45 stations worldwide.
cnn.com, globenewswire.com
Kandi strikes another deal: The Chinese manufacturer has sold another 700 of its electric vehicles, this time to Guangzhou MingZhi Auto Trade Co. The latter will be responsible for setting up EV leasing businesses in the region, as Guangzhou is one of the national renewable energy automobile pilot cities.
electriccarsreport.com, puregreencars.com
Fleet Alliance goes greener: The company extends its fleet by two Nissan Leaf and a Lexus CT Hybrid and has installed two charging points, free for all EV drivers. The measures are part of an electric vehicle awareness campaign, aimed at cutting carbon emissions on its clients’ fleets.
fleetnews.co.uk
Malaysia to be electrified: An electric car sharing service will be set up in Kuala Lumpur by KL Electric Mobility. The ‘KL Electric A-gogo’ is to start with 150 electric cars while at least 3,000 charge stations are to be installed over the next two years.
paultan.org, thestar.com.my
1,000 EVS for Chengdu: Kandi has completed the sale and delivery of 1,000 electric vehicles to the leasing company ZuoZhongYou. The EVs will be used for a newly launched car-share program in the Chinese city of Chendu.
nasdaq.com
Hybrid buses in San Francisco: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors just granted 68 million dollars for the acquisition of 61 hybrid buses by New Flyer over the next six years. The contract also includes options to purchase an additional 363 hybrid buses.
sfbay.ca
Hydrogen cooperation: Sandia National Laboratories and Linde LLC have signed a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) to accelerate the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The first projects will look into R&D for the expansion of hydrogen fuelling stations.
greencarcongress.com, bizjournals.com
Washington on the EV case: Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s plans to make the state more EV friendly (we reported) are taking shape. He is to extend tax incentives, create an EV infrastructure bank, and ask city planners to incorporate infrastructure in their planning.
greencarcongress.com
Plymouth has installed its first charge points and expects EV ownership to grow over the coming years while the council plans to add EVs to its own fleet as well. The charging stations are the beginning of a two-phase project which will see public charging opportunities pop up all over the British city.
plymouthherald.co.uk
Kandi needs more batteries: The Chinese carmaker had to turn from its current battery suppliers to Zhejiang Tianneng Energy Technology. The one-year supply agreement is to meet the accelerated demand brought about by Kandi’s successful electric car-sharing program.
nasdaq.com
Anode research: Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute has developed a new type of anode material (MSnS2), that is able to cycle in both lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur batteries. The team attained specific charges greater than 750 mAh/g and 500 mAh/g for the Li–S and Li–ion system, respectively, after 400 cycles.
greencarcongress.com, jes.ecsdl.org
Electrochemical research: Toyota and the Electrochemical Society (ESC) have launched the ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship. It is to encourage young professors and scholars to pursue research in green energy technology that may promote the development of next-generation vehicles.
greencarcongress.com, electrochem.org
Fuel cell vans: ULEMCo is planning to roll-out its hydrogen-fuel technology to fleets after its converted vehicles were granted ultra-low emission status by the British approval authority Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). The vans can run for 200 miles on hydrogen before switching back into diesel mode.
fleetnews.co.uk
Most clicked link on Tuesday was our “Short Circuit” showing Santa Claus shopping at the Galleries Lafayette in Berlin with a Brabus Smart Electric Drive.
automobilesreview.com
Smart charging: As part of a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Siemens, Duke Energy and Ford have presented a lower cost home smart charging system. The Siemens charger connects to Wi-Fi and can be controlled via a smartphone app. It is said to become available next year.
greencarcongress.com, siemens.biz
Quick chargers for Mitsubishi: The carmaker will install rapid chargers at all of its 700 dealerships in Japan by March 2016. Usage will be made available for only 1,000 yen (8.27 USD) a month.
asia.nikkei.com
1,000 more EVs for China: Geely and Khandi have opened a rental center for electric cars in the city of Changsha, capital of the Hunan province. Before the end of the year, about 1,000 EVs will be available for hire for a mere 200 yuan (32.50 USD) per month.
chinadaily.com, yibada.com, changsha.gov
BMW rapid charger network? The carmaker hopes to rival Tesla in terms of setting up rapid charging stations in the U.S. In an interview with AutoGuide, Jacob Harb, head of electric vehicle sales and strategy for BMW of North America, called 2015 “the year of infrastructure” and said that an official announcement is planned for the North American International Auto Show next month in Detroit.
autoguide.com
E-carsharing in South Baden: The companies Stadtmobil Südbaden and Energiedienst have founded “my e-car.” The goal is a comprehensive network of electric cars and fast-chargers in the south-western region in Germany. The sharing scheme will start off with 40 Renault Zoe.
swr.de, badische-zeitung.de (articles in German)
Hydrogen buses on sale: BC Transit in British Columbia, Canada, is currently accepting bids for their 20 hydrogen buses, which had been bought to showcase hydrogen power during the 2010 Winter Olympics. BC Transit wants to sell them off and replace them by old-fashioned diesel-powered buses.
huffingtonpost.ca
BMW 5 Series PHEV debut: The German carmaker has presented its 530Le at the Guangzhou Auto Show. The plug-in hybrid will be produced in China with JV partner Brilliance and is based on the long wheelbase 5 Series. The BMW 530Le combines a four-cylinder engine with an electric motor for an overall power output of 200 kW and is said to have a range of 36 miles (58 km).
bmwblog.com, autoevolution.com
New Caddy ELR delayed? Cadillac did not bring the new ELR to the LA Auto Show as expected but displayed the current model instead. ‘GM Inside’ believes the reason being Caddy trying to turn the new ELR into a “highly autonomous vehicle” after Tesla presented its Autopilot system.
gminsidenews.com via insideevs.com
Toyota Ranz EV: At Guangzhou Auto Show, Toyota showcased the Ranz EV in what seems to be a production ready version. The all-electric sedan is based on the Corolla and developed together with FAW. However, Toyota confirmed the ‘Leahead’ EV brand together with GAC, which will presumably beat Ranz to the market next year.
indianautosblog.com
Model S enhanced: Saleen has begun deliveries of its tuned Tesla Model S with prices starting at 132,000 dollars. The tuner also plans to modify the upcoming AWD Tesla and expects its version to go from 0 – 60 mph in less than three seconds. In the meantime, “Jalopnik” reports that Saleen is running out of cash and owes more than 5m dollars, which includes about 500,000 dollars in payroll taxes.
soec.org, saleen.com, jalopnik.com (financial situation)
Kandi EV gets the go: Kandi Technologies has got the approval of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to bring its new model SMA7002BEV05 to market. Buyers of the electric SUV are thus eligible for all national and local subsidies and incentives.
money.cnn.com, newsfilecorp.com (picture)
EVs made in and for Malaysia: Malaysian Automotive Institute says it will develop prototypes of two electric sedans for 2015. Set to launch by 2016 and 2017, the EVs shall come at a price tag of less than 100,000 ringgits (about 30,000 dollars). To keep costs down, the institute considers battery leasing.
therakyatpost.com
Hydrogen for the East Coast: On the occasion of presenting its Mirai, Toyota revealed plans to erect twelve hydrogen fueling stations together with Air Liquide in the states of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island where the Mirai will be sold from 2016.
hybridcars.com
H2 buses for Europe: EvoBus, MAN, Solaris, Van Hool, VDL together with bus operators from major European cities such as Hamburg and London have signed a joint Letter of Understanding for the commercialisation of fuel cell buses. 500 to a 1,000 are said to be deployed across Europe by 2020.
greencarcongress.com, itm-power.com, fch-ju.eu
Clever charging: Danish eMobility provider CLEVER announced its plan to build 263 new fast charging stations in its home country. By the end of 2015, a total of 543 charge points are thus to be made available, offering charging with 22 kW, 43 kW, and 50 kW in Denmark.
insideevs.com, clever.dk
Electric car sharing in China: Kandi announced the delivery of 64 Kandi EVs to the city of Wuhan in the Hubei province. The car sharing programme is operated by ZuoZhongYou Electric Vehicle Service, a Kandi subsidiary. By the end of this year, delivery of up to a 1,000 Kandi EVs is expected.
globenewswire.com
Iceland to be electrified: Canadian Sun Country Highways has set its eyes on its nordic “neighbour” and plans to set up free EV charging stations along Iceland’s roads. The initiative will go ahead together with EV importer EVEN and is said to take less than twelve months.
green.autoblog.com
County police goes all electric: Athens-Clarke police in Georgia has now added a Nissan Leaf to its existing fleet of 18 hybrid Toyota Priuses and Ford Fusions. The leased Leaf will be used by administrators rather than officers on patrol.
onlineathens.com
Light and Charge: BMW has developed a streetlight named “Light and Charge”, that also serves as a charge point for EVs. It will become part of the BMW i ChargeNow network as well as Hubject’s Intercharge. BMW commissioned the first two prototypes in Munich yesterday. A city-wide pilot project where existing streetlights will be replaced with the BMW technology will follow in spring 2015.
bmwgroup.com (in German)
Sharing Kandi EV: The Chinese city of Chengdu will launch its electric carsharing scheme before the end of the year, for which carmaker Kandi Technologies will provide 1,000 of its electric vehicles.
autorentalnews.com
Charging flat rate in Japan: For 3,000 Yen per month (26 USD), Nissan customers now have unlimited access to charge points of the Japan Battery Charge Service (JBCS). The service is a cooperation between Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Honda, which plans to have installed up to 2,500 rapid chargers in Japan by March 2015.
japan.ahk.de (article in German), itmedia.co.jp (article in Japanese)
ChargePoint expands across USA: According to company figures, ChargePoint already has more than 18,700 charge points in the U.S., 8,158 are located in California. Moreover, the infrastructure provider says that it will add over 500 new charging ports every month
insideevs.com
Slough Borough Council adds 15th EV: The council, part of the My Electric Avenue smart charging trial project in the UK, has added its 15th electric vehicle to its fleet, a Nissan Leaf. The council owns eleven of the vehicles, the other four are being leased.
evfleetworld.co.uk
Gigafactory update: Tesla’s application for subsidies in Nevada reveals new details about the battery production site. 1.1 billion dollars will be invested in the building and site infrastructure, another 3.9 billion in machinery and equipment including materials processing and product assembly. Tesla wants to start with 300 employees in 2017 and plans to have 6.500 employees by its eighth gigafactory year.
rgj.com
Power boost for the i8? George Kacher, European Bureau Chief at Automobile Magazine, rumours that there are two drivetrain combinations being evaluated, both with more than 500 hp, to make the BMW i8 more powerful. He says the BMW i8S could be available by late 2017.
automobilemag.com
MyCar getting closer: GreenTech Automotive just opened its production facility in Tunica, Mississippi, where it wants to begin building its all-electric MyCar starting next month. At the same time, GreenTech is working on setting up a distribution network for the two-seater.
electriccarsreport.com
Kandi develops new EV: The Chinese manufacturer wants to introduce a new model even before the end of the year. The only thing that has been revealed so far is that the four-seater, jointly developed by Kandi and Geely. will be named “Cyclone”.
insideevs.com
Spy shots of LaFerrari XX: First pictures and a short video of the camouflaged hybrid supercar have emerged on the web. The XX version is said to deliver more than 1,000 hp, and only 30 units will be produced (we reported).
worldcarfans.com, youtube.com
Kandi goes to Shanghai: From now on, the Chinese automotive company has an electric presence in Shanghai. A total of 208 Kandi EV have now been deployed for Shanghai’s carsharing program. This is only the start, as Kandi plans to deliver 3,000 to 5,000 electric cars by this year’s end.
marketwatch.com, money.cnn.com
Hybrid dairyman: West Horsley Dairy now delivers its milk products with a FUSO Canter Eco Hybrid truck in London. The lorry comes with a special cooling body with an eutectic cooling system, which is based on frozen gel that keeps goods cool even when no power source is available.
fleetnews.co.uk
Methane to miles: The garbage collection company in the Croatian city of Karlovac plans to electrify its entire fleet. On top of it, the business will produce its own energy for the EVs by using methane – a by-product of waste decomposition at its local landfill.
dalje.com
No cable, no charge: In the Vancouver area, cable theft is increasingly becoming a problem for EV drivers as thieves are cutting the long charging cables to get their hands on the copper inside. Some stations had seen their charging cables stolen more than once.
transportevolved.com
Kandi sold 4,114 electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2014. That is an increase of 238 percent compared to the first quarter in which the Chinese Geely subsidy sold 1,215 EVs.
streetinsider.com
