GM’s Maven is terminating its electric car-sharing service in eight major US cities, including New York and Chigaco. GM says the move is to concentrate on the remaining nine markets across North America.
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The U.S. charging infrastructure operator EVgo is introducing Plug & Charge into its network. Called Autocharge, the technology allows registered customers to start a fast-charging session in seconds without having to open the EVgo app or handle RFID or credit cards.
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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.
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Scottish EV charging hub: Dundee will see solar canopies and charging points installed to form a new hub that has just got given the green light. The chargers will be available to the public, taxis, NHS vehicles and local businesses with funding coming through a 1.86m pound award made to the city by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) last year. Dundee’s City Council operates a 83-strong EV fleet, the biggest of any UK local authority an owns 58 charge points. Works on the new hub are to start this autumn so it can be operational before the year’s end.
bbc.com, scottishconstructionnow.com
German EV infrastructure scheme: The German government has granted 233,000 euros to N-ERGIE to install 84 EV chargers across North Bavaria. The funding is part of the 300m euro Federal Charging Infrastructure scheme that aims to build 15,000 charge points across Germany until 2020.
greencarcongress.com
H2 refill in NoCal: The California Energy Commission awarded 16m dollars to Equilon Enterprises to install 7 new hydrogen stations in Northern California, three of them in San Francisco.
greencarcongress.com
More Bolts for Maven: GM says it will bolster up its car sharing service Maven with another 250 Chevy Bolt. They will join an active fleet of 150 EV which can be seen in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Detroit and 13 other U.S. cities.
wardsauto.com
Home run for BYD: Macao’s tourism will get cleaner in the future as BYD signs a contract to deliver 20 electric buses. The 10m coaches have been purchased by two different tourist companies that will get ten each. Running on an iron phosphate battery, the buses have a range of 250 kilometres.
masstransitmag.com
London’s T-Charge in is to go ahead and will take full force by 23, October this year. It applies to high polluting vehicles and will be added to the existing 11.50 GBP congestion charge, so motorists could pay as much 21.50 GBP to drive through central London.
autocar.co.uk, businessgreen.com
Electric cabbies: In Britain, cab service Phoenix Taxis wants to add 50 more electric taxis to its fleet and also plans to install fast-charging stations.
bdaily.co.uk
Battery trolleybuses in service: The city of Esslingen officially introduced battery trolleybuses with In-Motion-Charging (IMC) from Vossloh Kiepe. Four of them have been in active service since late 2016. Their lithium titanate (LTO) traction batteries with 37 kWh enable the bendy buses to also run on routes with no overhead contact lines.
masstransitmag.com, knorr-bremse.de
Electric ridesharing gains traction: GM wants to expand its carsharing service Maven in Los Angeles as it adds electric cars. 100 Chevy Bolt will soon appear in LA and more EV are headed to fleets in San Francisco and San Diego. Furthermore, GM plans to trial “thousands of autonomous electric Bolts” via ride sharing service Lyft by next year, Reuters quoted insiders.
electrek.co, electriccarsreport.com, latimes.com
Electric buses in Himalayas: The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh decided to buy 25 electric buses after testing has been successful. They will serve on the 50 km Manali-Rohtang pass in the Himalaya mountains, where glaciers had lately turned black from the exhausts of tourist shuttles.
indiatimes.com
Shop and charge: Supermarket chain Lidl struck a deal with British charging infrastructure provider Pod Point, asking the latter to set up fast-chargers for electric vehicles at some 40 locations in the UK. Customers will be able to charge for free while they shop.
fleetnews.co.uk, businessgreen.com
Electric transport: Park City in the U.S. state of Utah will purchase six all-electric buses from Proterra, as well corresponding charging infrastructure. The state is funding the initiative with 3.9m dollars. The first e-bus will already be commissioned this month, with the other to follow in June.
ksl.com, fox13now.com
Repercussions: Back in June 2015, the U.S. state of Georgia agreed to cut a 5,000 dollar subsidy for the purchase of an EV. The consequences are now becoming more apparent, as EV sales dropped 80 percent since then.
utilitydive.com
Maven fleet get electric addition: GM will offer its electric Chevy Bolt as part of its ride-hailing service Maven in California. Users can catch the EV from February 1st.
wardsauto.com
Going clean: The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District in Illinois announced that 18 new hybrid buses will go into service there in summer. That would increase the hybrid share of its fleet to 77 percent.
foxillinois.com
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Siemens and Valeo form alliance: The recently announced Valeo Siemens eAutomotive GmbH, a 50:50 joint venture, has begun operations. The company will focus on high-voltage powertrains for all forms of electrified cars, including hybrids. Jointly developed electric motors, on-board chargers, inverters and power converters are said to give the companies a more favourable position in the market.
greencarcongress.com, siemens.com
Good-bye diesel cars: The mayors of Athens, Madrid, Mexico City, Paris pledged they would ban diesel cars from their streets by 2025. Athens even wants to go one step further and get rid of all cars in in city centre. Meanwhile, from February 15th, 2017, Beijing will prohibit all cars that don’t meet emission standards from entering the city during smog alarm. The move could affect all cars that are ten years or older – or roughly 8 percent of vehicles.
theguardian.com, c40.org (diesel), channelnewsasia.com (Beijing)
Tesla-fighter from China: NextEV, who just unveiled its 1 MW hypercar, is reportedly also working on a Model X competitor. The electric SUV will be built in China together with JAC and is said to hit the road late 2018 or early 2019. Thanks to a 70 kWh battery pack, range is estimated at 330 miles (530 km), but more importantly, NextEV says it will be “cheaper” than the Tesla.
autonews.com
Maven comes to Germany: Opel will introduce GM’s mobility service Maven to Germany next year. Called “Maven home,” it will also employ the Ampera-e. The EV will first be available for selected hotels, apartment complexes and student housing, and will later also be used in a more conventional e-carsharing scheme.
automobilwoche.de, autogazette.de (articles in German)
Tesla goes on sale in Spain: The Model S and Model X can now be ordered in Spain, with first deliveries scheduled for the first quarter of 2017. The EV pioneer is also stepping up its game in terms of chargers there, installing more Superchargers and Destination Chargers at hotels, etc.
electrek.co, elpais.com
The first Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid rolled off production lines at the Windsor plant in Ontario on December 1st. The first electrified minivan will be available from just under 42,000 dollars in the U.S., where it also qualifies for the 7,500 dollar tax credit. Electric range is rated at 30 miles.
greencarcongress.com, insideevs.com
Opel car sharing: German Vauxhall is to import GM’s car sharing service Maven to Europe by 2017. If the service will include the Ampera-e (aka the Bolt) remains to be seen as details will only follow in November. The cars will be booked via app but the system is not free flow.
automobilwoche.de (in German)
Technological evolution: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is looking to convert 14 propane-powered buses to electric power at Utah’s Zion National Park. So far, the move will first be evaluated by gathering data on use and topography. Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska has made its decision and took delivery of two hydraulic hybrid shuttles from Lightning Hybrids.
greencarreports.com (Utah), greencarcongress.com (Alaska)
University of Bristol decided to replace four diesel vans with electric ones as it found the diesels not suitable for the conditions on campus that include short rides and start-stop at hills. The four Nissan e-NV200 are charged at four EV charging station on-site, saving further time and pit stops.
evfleetworld.co.uk
Widespread EV adoption: The Greenlining Institute has issued an online tool kit to facilitate EV adoption in underserved communities. “Electric Vehicles for All: An Equity Toolkit” deals with EV awareness, affordability as well as information about specific tools and resources for policy-makers.
greenlining.org (guide), chargedevs.com
Charging like a sheik: Al Qasba, a tourist and family destination in the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has installed two EV charging stations at its car park. To promote the new spots, two BMW i8 made a princely charge stop. The stations are part of a green parking initiative.
menafn.com, emirates247.com
High qualifier: ChargePoint appointed Jennifer Granholm to its Board of Directors. The former governor of Michigan is a law professor at UC Berkeley, senior research fellow at the Berkeley Energy and Climate Institute, and project scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
just-auto.com, prnewswire.com
Audi and Porsche fast-charger: Both VW brands are looking at building their own rapid-charge network, German Wirtschaftswoche reports. “We will need to,” said Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller, but left open if Porsche and Audi would go at it alone or as a consortium. Fast-charging infrastructure will be needed if the new performance models go ahead as planned.
wiwo.de (in German)
GM carsharing: GM has bundled it mobility offers under the name Maven. The city-based carsharing app will first be made available in Michigan. The brand will also see the expansion of GM’s peer-to-peer carsharing offers in Berlin and Frankfurt. The move is said to keep up with companies like ZipCar and Uber and the Bolt would surely be a most suitable EV for sharing purposes.
autonews.com, carscoops.com
Canny charge initiative: Pod Point offered the boroughs of London to replace all broken charge points for free with the company’s own Open Point Charge POD. Pod Point even started a petition asking for support. Mind you, the subsequent maintenance agreements are part of the deal.
businesscar.co.uk, change.org (petition)
Leaf-to-Home: Nissan showcased the V2G capability of its electric vehicles in Davos. Visitors were greeted with hot chocolate, cooked on a stove powered by the Leaf battery. The Leaf-to-Home system has been available in Japan since 2012. At COP21, Nissan announced a partnership with ENEL to offer the technology in Europe as well.
blog.alliance-renault-nissan.com
Charging at home even if you live in a multi-tenant building will soon be possible as Schneider Electric and EverCharge enter into a global collaboration. Schneider Electric will deliver the charging equipment, while EverCharge’s technology allocates power according to the needs of EVs and building infrastructure.
greencarcongress.com
Tesla valet service: Luxe has become the EV maker’s latest partner. The valet-parking app will offer parking and charging services to Tesla drivers, as well as car wash and drive home services. A pilot is running in New York and San Francisco.
autoblog.com, valuewalk.com, techcrunch.com, luxe.com
