The Swedish manufacturer Sandvik is looking to meet the increasing demand for battery-electric vehicles in the mining industry. To that end, the company wants to set up a new production plant in Malaysia.
SK Group subsidiary SK Nexilis has signed a supply contract with Northvolt for copper foil worth up to 1.4 trillion won (US$1,08 billion). The five-year contract will come into effect next year.
Samsung SDI has started building its second battery cell factory in Malaysia. The new factory in Seremban is to start series production of cylindrical cells in 2024 – later probably also in the 4680 format.
Samsung SDI is preparing a pilot line for the production of 4680 battery cells for Tesla at its Cheonan plant in South Korea, according to Korean media. The first equipment for the production lines is said to have already been ordered.
Volvo Cars plans to assemble its all-electric XC40 Recharge in Malaysia later this year. In addition to the local market, the electric car from Malaysia will also be exported to other Southeast Asian markets.
Porsche Asia Pacific and Shell announce they are setting up Southeast Asia’s first cross-border high power charging network. It comprises twelve charging points at six Shell service stations strategically located along Malaysia’s north-south highway.
An electric car too cute to be true: The Malay Mini EV X2 that recently hit social media may turn out to be a scam. On their Facebook page, the Cyber Crime Alert Royal Malaysia Police on warned that there is not much behind the company except a bank account to order from.
Malaysia wants to launch serial production of cylindrical battery cells in the 18650 format for electric vehicles and stationary applications. A feasibility study is currently being prepared and should be completed within three months.
The ride-hailing firm Grab is set to receive 250 million dollars in funding from Hyundai and Kia, who are aiming to establish a series of EV projects, beginning with Singapore, as well as the setup of an EV fast charging network.
BMW has published their global sales data for the first 5 months of 2018 and shares of electric and hybrid cars are on the rise and grew by 41% worldwide. In countries like Norway and Malaysia, electrified cars even make for almost 50 percent of all sales.
Nissan’s newest vehicle, the BEV Leaf, has been slated for release in a total of 7 additional countries, alongside the already announced market nations, paving the way further to the goal of offering the vehicle in up to 60 countries around the world.
UK to invest 1bn pounds in electric mobility: The British has government announced to spend 2.5bn pounds until 2021 to meet its climate targets, fixed in its “Clean Growth Strategy”. As part of this roadmap, 1bn pounds have been approved to promote electric and low-emission vehicles. The Clean Growth Strategy is detailing government spending between 2015 and 2021. In its update, the government also confirmed once more the aim to ban combustion-powered cars by 2040. uk.reuters.com, www.gov.uk
Ireland supports electric corporate fleets: In order to promote electric cars in company-owned fleets, the Irish government establishes a zero percent rate of Benefit-in-Kind for such vehicles. Existing EV incentives such as a purchase premium of up to 5,000 pounds and a reduction of the vehicle registration tax are going to be continued, too. thejournal.ie, irishtimes.com
Leeds welcomes electric double decker: Bus company First Leeds is currently testing an all-electric double decker bus in Leeds. The vehicle called Metrodecker EV carries up to 99 passengers and provides a range of almost 150 miles. The bus company’s trial project is part of its plan to invest 71m pounds into the purchase of 284 ultra-low emissions buses. intelligenttransport.com, yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
Ford triples charging opportunities for staff: The U.S. carmaker says it will extend the amount of charging stations for its employees in North America from currently 200 to 600 within the next three years. The company explains this move by pointing at the fact that charging options at the workplace are a decisive criteria to opt for an electric vehicle purchase. autonews.com
150 electric buses for Malaysia: GETS Global and Putrajaya Leisures & Services Group signed a MoU as both partners seek to bring 150 electric buses to the streets of Putrajaya. However, they take their time: The electric bus fleet shall not go into operation before 2025. nst.com.my
Shell acquires NewMotion: Oil giant Shell takes over charging infrastructure specialist NewMotion, a company with access to 50,000 public charging stations and according to own information, provider of the biggest charging network in Europe. Thus, Shell is the first oil group to enter the charging infrastructure market on a large scale. As part of the Shell group, NewMotion shall be further in charge of supplying charging solutions for private households, companies and public areas. reuters.com, newmotion.com
Deutsche Bahn kicks off EV ride sharing: The German railway company presents a new brand for on-demand mobility and autonomous driving: ioki will provide electric shuttles, autonomous electric buses and electric tuktuks. After starting operation in Bavaria-based Bad Birnbach this month, ioki will launch a ride sharing shuttle service linked to the public transport system in Hamburg next year. Additionally, Hamburg will see a trial area close to the railway station to test autonomous electric buses. sueddeutsche.de, car-it.com, deutschebahn.com (all in German)
Oxford to ban combustion engine cars: The British city wants to keep petrol-powered and diesel-powered vehicles out of its territory by 2035. The ban shall be implemented in several stages. Already by 2025, the access to several streets shall be limited to cars with electric powertrain only. theguardian.com
Electrifying Chicago: The third biggest city of the States wants to electrify 25 percent of its passenger fleet until 2023. In a first step, Chicago is going to purchase 182 EVs, 9 fast-charging stations and 182 lower-level chargers. The costs will be covered by a 15.5m dollars federal grant. sacbee.com, sfchronicle.com
100 EV charging stations for Malaysia: Petronas Dagangan, a subsidiary of the country’s national oil and gas group, teams up with Asia’s biggest energy provider Tenaga Nasional and a state green technology firm to erect 100 charging stations across the peninsula. The beginning of the project is scheduled for 2018. asia.nikkei.com
CA sees first electric school buses: Adomani has founded a subsidiary called School Bus Sales of California and just received an order, worth 1,1m dollars. The Calaveras Unified School District seeks to add three zero-emission electric 72-seat school buses to its fleet. nasdaq.com
Street debut of Lohr’s electric shuttle: Le Cristal has entered a real field trial in Strasbourg, a year after French Lohr Group had put its self-driving shuttle in Berlin on display for the first time. In France, the bus pod will carry delegates of the ITS European Congress from the railway station to the event and back this week as planned. If the need arises, the compact electric bus can link with up to four of its kind to form a sort of free floating tram. rtl.fr, voituredufutur.blogspot.de, lohr.fr (all in French)
Pittsburgh to electrify its fleet: Employees of the city of Pittsburgh will soon take charge of the first two Ford Focus EVs and Chevrolet Bolts as local government wants to replace all its gas guzzlers until 2030. Four charging stations have been ordered as well, one for each car. triblive.com
Tesla took another step in its battle with states that bar the EV maker from direct sales as a judge approves a dealer license gained in Arizona. From now on, the company can operate its existing “galleries” as full stores. Texas, Connecticut and Michigan remain opposed to Tesla’s business model. carscoops.com
Charging infrastructure for Malaysia: Within the next two years, PRG Holdings intends to install between 20 and 30 EV charging stations in its own property developments in Malaysia together with Sunsuria. So far the group owns six charging stations in the island state. thestar.com.my, thesundaily.my
Bolloré to launch in London: The French firm is ready to roll-out its electric carsharing scheme BlueCity in the British capital finally. Not quite though, as only Hammersmith and Fulham has been bold enough to make the move so far. The borough’s bid for better air quality includes an initial 30 electric vehicles and about 85 on-street charging points set to reach 150 this summer. On top, Hammersmith and Fulham residents will be offered a year’s free membership and 20 hours of free driving. While BlueCity has been three years in the making, Bolloré has met severe difficulties in London due to its reportedly complex political power map and poor charging infrastructure. Still, BlueCity shall eventually include up to 3,000 red electric cars. standard.co.uk
Electric scooter incentives: Quebecers can now claim a 500 dollar rebate from the province when going for an electric moped limited to 65 kph. The incentive is part of the Ride Electric subsidy scheme that also includes a 2,000 dollar goodie for electric motorcycles. theqtimes.com
Taking aim at the whole of Canada is Cadillac Fairview, who announced its national EV charging programme that will see networked chargers at 15 CF properties. There will be 45 across Canada in 2017 and continuing into 2018. cadillacfairview.com
Campus cycling: Six universities in Malaysia will receive a total of 1,200 electric bicycles from the government as it wants to promote electric mobility. The e-bikes are made by a local company. theborneopost.com
Fluid fast-charging: eVolt has launched its third-generation Rapid EV charger, the Raption 5. It uses four individual power packs delivering 12.5kW each. It thus completes an 80% charge in 30 minutes with simultaneous charging for two EVs at 50kW DC and 43kW AC. fleetnews.co.uk
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
Put to the test: The Malaysian city of Putrajaya (and recent setting for the Formula E) will begin a trial run with ten electric buses in September of next year. The Japanese-built e-buses are said to have a range of 30 km after ten minutes of charging. If the trial is successful, the latter could replace buses currently in service. themalaymailonline.com
Electric ride to work: Partnering with Lithium Urban Technologies, Tesco Bengaluru will have its employees picked up and dropped off in electric Mahindra E2O taxies. 40 EVs will be in service to start. Tesco Bengaluru will also install a fast-chargers on its premises, which is supplied with hydroelectric energy. indiatimes.com
V2G system from Shanghai: Chinese company Neusoft Reach has introduced an intelligent internet-based charging system with vehicle-to-grip capabilities. The system uses power line communication technology, able to pass information between EV and charging pile via the charging cable. prnewswire.com
Park and plug: The Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania will get two Blink DC rapid-chargers. The first will be installed early 2016 at the “cellphone lot,” where people can wait to pick up passengers. The second will be erected at a parking garage at a later date. cpbj.com
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
EVs made in Malaysia: A joint venture of both Chinese BAIC and Amber Dual will start EV production in Malaysian Gurun. A first prototype will be ready in December, while serial production kicks off in July 2016. The 73-million dollar facility is believed to be able to produce about 2,000 – 3,000 electric cars in its first year. freemalaysiatoday.com, paultan.org
Tax free: Electric cars, plug-in hybrids and “new energy” ships will be exempted from vehicle and vessel tax in China, Chinese media reports, quoting a governmental statement. When the legislation will to come into force has not been published. china.org.cn, xinfinance.com
HOV lanes in Germany? The federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg is planning to conduct a feasibility study on of what it calls “Umweltstreifen” (eco lanes). These extra lanes would be reserved for EVs, PHEVs, car pools, as well as Euro 6 vehicles. The report will determine the effect on air quality while also finding ways to control such lanes. stuttgarter-zeitung.de (in German)
Leases to owners: Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation (NMAC) has come up with a new deal for customers leasing a 2011, 2012, or 2013 Leaf. NMAC lowered the buy-out price of the lease Leaf by 5,000 dollars for the newer models. For 2011 Leaf, a 1,500-dollar discount applies until the end of June. insideevs.com
Kia Soul EV reviewed: Byron Hurd delivers a thorough review of Kia’s electric version of its Soul EV. Its virtues lie in its accessibility and practicality, as it is close enough to its conventional Soul(mate). leftlanenews.com
Electric carsharing in Malaysia: Klang Valley will get its first electric carsharing scheme Cohesive Mobility Solutions (COMOS) featuring 16 Renault Zoe in May. The scheme will be expanded to other Malaysian cities and is said to include more than 1,000 EVs by 2020. thestar.com, paultan.org
Electric busses for Bangkok? Thailand’s Minister of Transport Prajin Juntong has called for a feasibility study to see whether the current diesel and natural gas-powered buses used by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) could be replaced with electric buses. thaivisa.com
U-Turn on route to electrification: Once Governor Deal signs on the dotted line, U.S. state Georgia will scrap its 5,000 dollar incentives for the purchase of electric cars as of July 1st, and EVs and other alternative-fuelled cars will have to pay a yearly license fee of 200 dollars. transportevolved.com
TransPower celebrates milestones: The company has received nearly 9 million dollars from the California Energy Commission to realize new electric truck and tractor projects across the states. TransPower already conducted a demonstration of four fully functional battery-electric Class 8 trucks. electriccarsreport.com, pennenergy.com
UK funds H2: The Department of Transport has earmarked 6.6 million pounds for seven new hydrogen projects across the UK. The money will be used to form a network of 12 hydrogen refueling stations, including new stations built in Brentford and Croydon and a mobile station. The fund will also support upgrades to the existing network of demonstrator stations. autovolt-magazine.com, fleetnews.co.uk/, businesscar.co.uk
All-in-one Charging Point Solution is the name of Endesa’s newest offer. The Spanish utility company will provide a charging station, installation, servicing and a three-year warranty for just 1.85 euros per day. According to Endesa, it has installed 958 regular and 37 rapid-chargers in Spain since 2011. tdworld.com
Electric taxis for Dundee: 30 Nissan Leaf are now serving as taxis in the Scottish city. Moreover, taxi company 203020 Electric, a subsidiary of the Tele Taxi Group, wants to completely electrify its entire 60-vehicle fleet over the next twelve months nextgreencar.com, fleetnews.co.uk
Sunny cooperation in France: Solar company Solarwatt and BMW’s i-brand will work together in France. The core of the cooperation will be providing BMW i owners with solar technology solutions for the roofs of their home and carports. emobilserver.de, solarserver.de (articles in German)
Sustainable charging: The SmartCharging app by Dutch company Eneco allows Tesla drivers to charge when electricity prices are low and a lot of wind and solar energy is available. Eneco wants to further develop the app to offer the service to drivers of EVs from other brands. cleantechnica.com, eneco.com
Malaysia gets electric bus service: 15 electric buses will take commuters the 5.4 kilometre route from Subang to Bandar Sunway, driving in dedicated lanes to avoid congestion. The new transportation service called Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will begin operating in May. thestar.com
How Tesla does it: Jeff Dahn from Dalhousie University wondered how Tesla realises a 400-mile range Roadster through an update (we reported). He found out that “incremental improvements to existing battery technology” rather than revolutionary new materials account for the better performance. Less plastic and slightly larger cells might have done the trick without changing chemistry. technologyreview.com
Malaysia’s first FCV is a golf buggy designed and built by the National University of Malaysia (UKM). The project was funded by the government with 7 million ringgit (about 2 million dollars) over three years. A prototype of a full-size fuel cell car can be expected by 2016, UKM announced. electricvehiclesresearch.com
Li-S research: A team from the University of Rome Sapienza has developed a Lithium-sulfur battery with higher energy density and stability. It combines a sulfur-carbon cathode, a Li-Sn-C nanostructured anode and a PEO-based, polysulfide-added electrolyte. greencarcongress.com, nature.com
Future game changer? Three minutes only to fully charge your electric car – a promise almost to good to be true and made by Israeli StoreDot (we reported). The start-up now reinforced its claim at the CES when stating it would be ready to showcase its technology charging an EV at CES 2016. Let’s see! autoexpress.co.uk
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Most clicked link on Wednesday was Detroit Electric, which has finally revealed the exterior and interior design of its SP:01 electric sports car. autocar.co.uk
France to be charged up? Bolloré introduces plans to erect 16,000 charge points all across “La Grande Nation” and intends to invest 150 million euros over the next four years. Read more on electrive.com >>
Electric car sharing in Singapore: The government of the city state has launched the Electro-Mobility Singapore (EMS) task force to explore the viability of a 1,000-EV car sharing and charging infrastructure project. A Request for Information (RFI) is asking for business model proposals. todayonline.com, transport.asiaone.com
Laos to be electrified: Laotian city Luang Prabang plans to import 100 electric cars which the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is ready to fund with four million dollars. More trials in other cities of Laos are to follow if the pilot proves to be a success. thaipbs.or.th, 12go.asia
Malaysia to recharge: Another three million ringgit (about 860,000 dollars) will be invested next year to erect 300 charging stations in the south-east Asian country. They will join the existing 40 charge points in Malaysia and are in line with the country’s plan to boost the EV uptake (we reported). themalaysianreserve.com
Luxembourg added to PlugSurfing: Thanks to a cooperation with Estonteco, the PlugSurfing app now includes 26 charging points in Luxembourg where users can pay via a RFID-enabled key fob. The Berlin-based start-up now connects a total of more than 10,000 charging points across Europe. plugsurfing.com
BYD in Britain: British private-car service Thriev has ordered another 200 BYD e6. The EVs will add to the existing fleet of 32 e6 with deliveries due to start by April 2015. The London-based firm is now BYD’s biggest oversea partner but the Chinese carmaker has already set eyes on the U.S. market. cleantechnica.com
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
CARB to cut ZEV? Back in 2012, the California Air Resources Board decided that six Large Vehicle Makers will be required to sell a certain number of zero emission vehicles (ZEV). Afraid not to be able to meet requirements, Immediate Vehicle Makers called for the rule to include plug-in vehicles. The measure is said to be passed in the coming days. greencarreports.com
Zero emission chauffeur fleet: Late Chicago gangster Al Capone has reason to be jealous. Now one can hire one of six Tesla Model S, ready to hit the street of the Windy City. Chicago’s first all-electric fleet is operated by E-Motion Chauffeurs and Hires of Chicago. insideevs.com
University of Hannover goes electric: The German university received six VW e-Caddy and will test the lightweight delivery vehicles during the upcoming 12 months. Data collected about energy consumption, servicing and battery capacity will be send to VW for evaluation. vwvortex.com
Fast-charger from Down Under: The Australian charging infrastructure provider Tritium has signed a deal with E-Wald. The pilot scheme will be the first European client to use the “Veefil Electric Vehicle Fast Charger,” which supports CCS as well as CHAdeMO. electriccarsreport.com
New market for BYD: At the IGEM 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, BYD presented the first electric bus for Malaysia. Manufactured in China, the K9 has already found buyers in Malaysia – Panorama Melaka has ordered 40 units and Sunway BRT 15 units. paultan.org
Space-saving e-drive: Siemens developed the integrated drive unit Sivetec MSA 3300 on the basis of a series electric motor and adapted the housing in such a way that the inverter could be integrated into the motor. The solution’s key feature is the use of a common cooling system for both components. This ensures that the inverter’s power electronics don’t get too hot despite their proximity to the electric motor greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com, siemens.com
Malaysian cooperation: Platinum Nanochem and Sync R&D announced a development partnership for graphene-based li-ion batteries for a Malaysian e-bus project which aims to launch 50 e-buses in the country. A prototype of the battery is slated for completion in 2016. greencarcongress.com
Wireless drive for EVs: Japanese inventors have demonstrated how EVs might get topped up with additional juice via radio waves, with power drawn using steel bands in the tires. The advantage: It could reduce battery sizes. The disadvantage: Metal tracks would need to be embedded in the roads. gizmodo.com, gizmag.com, tut.ac.jp
Multifunctional command center: Glistening with no fewer than 24 buttons and switches mounted on the front and six paddles on the back, the only mundane task left for the WEC Porsche 919 Hybrid race car’s steering wheel is for the driver to use it to steer the car in the right direction. hybridcars.com, puregreencars.com
Tesla charges China: Under a new agreement with Minsheng Bank, the California EV maker will erect 200 so-called Destination Chargers in twenty cities. Similar deals with China Unicom, Intime Retail and SOHO China have seen Tesla install over 400 charge spots in 61 cities, and 20 Superchargers in another eight cities in China, says China Times. wantchinatimes.com
Malaysia charges itself: From 2015 to 2017, the Malaysia Automotive Institute will install 125 to 150 charging stations along the country’s highways and in the capital Kuala Lumpur. The government is ready to spend 150 million Malayan ringgit (about 46m dollars) on EV infrastructure. More stations are likely to follow until 2020. paultan.org, home.net.my
Sharing economy: In the UK, owners of Tesla wallboxes are taking matters into their own hands. The TesLowJuice is a charge club via which British Model S owners can make their chargers publicly available. 50 chargers are already registered – 20 more and the UK is covered. autoexpress.co.uk
Leaf taxi in Rome: Nissan is working with a Roman taxi company and will erect a CHAdeMO fast charger for two Leaf taxis at the Fiumicino airport. Moreover, working with FCS Mobility, Nissan will convert a NV400 into a mobile charging station for the electric taxis. electriccarsreport.com
Soho House and BMW i: The two enterprises have entered a global partnership that spans across Europe and America. The carmaker will provide guests and members of the Soho House Group with electric i3 vehicles, while also collaborating on cultural events. electriccarsreport.com
Hawaii’s hybrid buses: Honolulu will soon receive four hybrid buses. They are based on New Flyers Xcelsior platform (we reported) and come with HybriDrive Series-E by BAE Systems. The articulated buses were ordered by the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) of the City and County of Honolulu. automotive-business-review.com
E-bus made in Europe: Spanish Irizar presented its first electric bus, the i2e. Its secret is hidden under the hood as the company uses sodium-nickel batteries. The huge packs offer 376 kWh which should be good for a range of 200 to 250 kilometres. The i2e can already be found on the streets of Barcelona and San Sebastian. insideevs.com, irizar.co.uk (with video)
Malaysian battery: The Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), Australia’s AutoCRC Ltd and Swinburne University of Technology want to develop high energy density Li-ion batteries for EVs. Already next year, a prototype produced in Malaysia shall be presented and is first aimed at the Malaysian market. thestar.com.my, eco-business.com
Early warning system: British R-Tech Services will receive 300,000 pounds in funding from the Technology Strategy Board to develop a monitoring system for hydrogen storage tanks. R-Tech’s system will give an early warning if any damage is detected using optical, digital and electron microscopy equipment. reinforcedplastics.com, nblo.gs
Foldable cargo bike: The Johanson3 is a new type of electric trike currently looking for crowd funding over 1.7 million dollars. It features solar panels and is a mixture between a bike and a scooter as it can go as fast as 45 kilometres an hour but transports up to three grown up people. indiegogo.com
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Most clicked link on Monday was the electric scooter with its portable Panasonic battery system from Munich-based start-up Unu. designboom.com
Malaysians to travel electrically: A private initiative is bearing fruits with the public transport provider of Malakka, Malaysia, having successfully tested an e-bus by BYD. Now, RapidBus plans to lease five buses from BYD and another 15 next year. Furthermore, electric car sharing initiatives are set to pop up in Klang Valley with Renault Zoes while Langkawi will share Twizys. thestar.com.my
E-truck for fragrances: Speed Distribution Logistique started a test of Renault’s fully electric Truck D in Paris. In the next two years, the 16-tonne vehicle will collect products at the facility of renown perfumer Guerlain about 200 kilometres from Paris and deliver them smell-free to stores in the French capital. electric-vehiclenews.com, thegreencarwebsite.co.uk
Electricians electrified: Sky Electrical from Twickenham has added the Smart Fortwo electric drive in its fleet. The branded Smart ED is now used to carry electricians to their assignments all across London and its surrounding areas. wallstreet-online.de
Truly Tesla: Members of the Tesla Motors Club (TMC) will travel from all over America to attend the annual ‘TMC Connect’ meeting in California. One group (@TeslaRoadTrip) even gathered beforehand to go ‘Supercharging Across America’ together and documented their pilgrimage. teslamotorsclub.com via cleantechnica.com
Nissan Leaf success story: In one year, C&C Taxis from St. Austell, UK, logged no less than 150,000 miles with their five Nissan Leafs. On average, each car is able to make 40 runs per day, thanks to the company’s own DC quick charger – the only one in Cornwall. Compared to the previous diesel taxis, the company has saved 40,000 pounds (68,000 dollars) on fuel bills. thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, fleetnews.co.uk
DriveNow takes the streets of San Fransisco: BMW’s carsharing service offer street parking in selected neighbourhoods across the Californian city, starting in the Mission District. It will also add another 80 all-electric ActiveE vehicles to its fleet there. DriveNow members can even vote on names for the newcomers. electriccarsreport.com
Car2go Italy: As of May 14th, Car2go will be available in another Italian city – Florence. So far, the Daimler carsharing service operates in Milan and Rome and with its new addition has conquered a total of 27 cities worldwide. However, Amsterdam, San Diego and Stuttgart remain the only cities with electric Car2gos. auto.it (in Italian)
EV carsharing in Malaysia: Starting in August, the joint venture between CMS Consortium Sdn Bhd (Comos), Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) and Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia) will offer the country’s first EV carsharing programme. The service will start in Klang Valley with about 40 cars of the type Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe. thestar.com.my
Electric Eurabus: Public transport operator KViP from Pinnerberg, Germany, just leased the latest model of the Eurabus 2.0-300. The 12-metre electric bus from Chinese manufacturer Tewoo has been modified by Berlin-based Eurabus GmbH to meet European specifications. The bus’ battery has a capacity of 314 kWh, enabling a range of more than 250 kilometres when in service. prignitzer-leasing.de (in German)