Nov 17, 2014 - 09:23 am

Toyota, Li-Tec, GRIFA, Via Motors, BMW, Jaguar.

Toyota FCV update: According to German magazine WirtschaftsWoche Toyota´s fuell cell model will be called Mirai and cost 79,000 euros in Europe. Moreover, a BMW model fitted with Toyota´s fuel cell technology is said to be introduced by late 2016 or early 2017.
wiwo.de (in German)

Daimler stops battery cell production: Daimler has confirmed that its subsidiary Li-Tec will cease production of Li-ion battery cells in the German city of Kamenz in December 2015. Li-Tec will be retained as a research location and as electrive.com has learned, negotiations are underway with various suppliers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland in terms of battery cell production in the future.
greencarcongress.com, spiegel.de (in German)

Italia plugs ins: The Gruppo Italiano Fabbriche Automobili (GRIFA), headed by former leaders from Fiat, Alfa, and Ferrari, wants to build seven models at a disused Fiat plant on Sicily starting in 2016. These will partly be based on the Fiat Panda platform and include 35,000 hybrid and all-electric cars per year. The price of the hybrid variant is said to be lower than that of the Toyota Yaris.
motorvision.de, auto.de

Via Motors van gets green light: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given its stamp of approval for the eREV van with range extender, which the manufacturer is now allowed to sell in the U.S. The first 23 units have already been delivered to customers.
electriccarsreport.com, puregreencars.com, .autonews.com

BMW van with plug: Georg Kacher writes that the BMW 2 series Active Tourer will be available as a plug-in hybrid variant with all-wheel drive, where the electric motor connects to the rear wheels. Starting in summer 2015, the system will allegedly also be implemented in the Grand Tourer seven-seater.
carmagazine.co.uk

Electric Jaguar? Jaguar Land Rover has patented the name “EV-Type” in Europe and the U.S., which could mean that the carmaker is planning an electric version of its Jaguar F-Type sports car. Recently, rumours about an electric Rover had circulated (we reported).
autoguide.com

May 22, 2014 - 09:12 am

PSA, Li-Tec, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Elio Motors.

PSA to rethink EV strategy: Carlo Tavares, PSA Peugeot Citroen CEO, said its company will decide within the next twelve months if to keep up the cooperation with Mitsubishi on EVs. The decision is part of an overall re-evaluation of strategy which also takes location of production and the strength of the yen into account.
businesstimes.com.sg

The end of Li-Tec? Daimler considers to close its production of Li-ion cells for the Smart electric drive in Saxonia by 2016, reports the German Manager Magazin. Cells for the new Smart ED would than be supplied by LG Chem. The end of Li-Tec does not affect its partner German Accumotive, which manufactures Li-Tec cells into finished batteries, as Accumotive serves other customers apart from Smart, the magazin writes with reference to Daimler insiders.
manager-magazin.de (in German)

Mercedes hybrid estate: The German carmaker will launch its latest C-Class later this year at the Auto Mobil International (AMI) car show in Leipzig. The estate will be manufactured in Bremen. Furthermore, Daimler confirmed to offer it as diesel-hybrid C 300 BlueTEC Hybrid and later as C 350 plug-in hybrid with a 50 kW electric drive.
indianautosblog.com, autobild.de (in German, hybrid)

Hybrid Tiguan: German Auto Bild reports that the upcoming VW Tiguan will not only come with an option for seven seats but will also be offered as plug-in hybrid from July 2016 using the drivetrain of the Golf GTE offering 50 km electric range.
indianautosblog.com, autobild.de (German original source)

H2-Tucson has arrived: Hyundai’s production fuel cell vehicle, otherwise known as ix35, has arrived in the states. Here, it will be called Tucson and become available at three Californian dealerships within the next few weeks. The monthly lease of 499 dollars includes unlimited free hydrogen and servicing.
greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com

Elio trike delayed: Louisiana company Elio Motors announced it had to push back production of its ultra-efficient trike until the third quarter of 2015. The delay is due to funding issues, the company said.
autotrends.org