The US electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Via Motors has received an order from Pegasus Specialty Vehicles for 2,000 Class 3 electric cutaway chassis cabs. With these, Pegasus will build electric school buses, minibuses and shuttles and distribute them through its dealer network comprised of 56 locations in the US.
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Slovakian battery company InoBat Auto and US electric vehicle specialist Ideanomics are planning a three-stage battery development and production project in the US state of Indiana.
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Chinese-US fintech and sustainable transport company Ideanomics has acquired US electric utility vehicle manufacturer Via Motors for $450 million. This is Ideanomics’ fourth acquisition in the last 12 months in the electric mobility sector.
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Geely’s New Energy Vehicle subsidiary is joining forces with VIA Motors to develop a medium-duty electric truck with Volvo range extender. Software and systems control will come from Via and the e-truck is to launch in China and the Americas by 2019.
Read morePowerful impact: Tesla strikes again, unveiling its stationery battery packs that it hopes will lead the renewable revolution. The PowerWall for homes comes with either 7 kWh or 10 kWh and costs 3,000 or 3,500 dollars, respectively. For 25,000 dollars, businesses can purchase the PowerPack with a capacity of 100 kWh. Shipping will begin later this spring. Numerous international companies are already working with Tesla, such as EnerNOC and German LichtBlick.
chargedevs.com, transportevolved.com, greencarcongress.com (EnerNOC), greencarcongress.com (LichtBlick and others)
New Prius awaits: Toyota says it will end production of the current Prius plug-in hybrid this June. The 2016 generation will not be built before December, meaning the 2016 Prius PHEV cannot be expected before October next year and will possibly be in short supply until then.
transportevolved.com, insideevs.com
Aston Martin EV by 2019: Together, the two biggest shareholders of the British luxury carmaker will pay 200 million pounds (305m dollars) to make the electric concept DBX shown in Geneva a reality. The serial EV is set to launch in 2019.
electric-vehiclenews.com, automobilemag.com
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Semi-autonomous Audi: According to Autobild, the new A6 will come with automatic driving features up to a speed of 120 kph. Launching in July 2017, the new Audi will be made available as plug-in hybrid featuring a 90 kW electric motor, as well as a mild hybrid variant.
autobild.de (German original source), indianautosblog.com
Hybrid black cab: Geely-owned London Taxi Company announced that it wants to introduce a plug-in model of the iconic TX5 taxis. Combining an electric drive and petrol range extender, the black taxis are set to go on sale before 2018, and might be offered outside the UK as well.
autoblog.com
Via voucher scheme: Electric truck manufacturer Via Motors launched the ‘Drive Clean Chicago’ voucher programme, aimed at fleet operators and businesses in the Chicago area. When purchasing an electrified VTRUX vehicle, vouchers from 39,460 over 41,200 to 42,892 dollars apply.
electriccarsreport.com
No less than 50,000 plug-in trucks and vans a year is what Via Motors plans to sell by 2018. A lofty goal, considering it only started delivering its plug-in vans in November and the first electrified trucks will be delivered to fleets in February. The sales goal for this year is set at 12,000 units.
greencarreports.com
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Google ready to take the wheel: The internet giant wants to test a fleet of 150 of its self-driving vehicles on public roads in California as early as this spring. The electric car will be built in Detroit. Google is also in talks with suppliers and hopes to introduce a production version of the vehicle by 2020. The list includes Bosch, LG Electronics, Continental and Roush, as well as carmakers GM, Ford, Toyota Motor, Daimler and VW.
greencarcongress.com, reuters.com
Chevy Silverado (finally) electrified: VIA Motors kicked off commercial production of the e-truck with range extender. 40 eREV have already been delivered to customers, another 200 retrofitted units are on their way. According to VIA Motors, their factory in Mexico could retrofit up to 10,000 units per year.
electriccarsreport.com, hybridcars.com
Who made the Bolt: It is hard to deny that the new all-electric Chevy looks a lot like BMW’s i3. Apparently the EV was thought up by GM’s design studio in Port Melbourne, Australia. The Chevy Bolt is also the result of collaboration between GM Australia, GM Korea and GM North America.
caradvice.com.au
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Electric mobility in 2015: It has been said that there are more events about electric mobility than there are electric cars on the road. And the same seems to be true for 2015. In our calendar section, we have listed the most important trade shows, conferences, workshops, driving events and seminars for you.
electrive.com/calendar (Please send additional information to contact@electrive.com)
Cadillac opens check book: The carmaker wants to invest 12 billion dollars in the development of eight new models by 2020. Unfortunately, neither a new ELR plug-in hybrid nor a pure electric car made the list, even though Cadillac has said that it would want an EV in its portfolio.
bloomberg.com
Long waiting lists: A total of 1,500 customers have placed their order for a Toyota Mirai FCV in Japan in the first month. Toyota had estimated it would sell only 400 units in the whole of 2015. As the carmaker steps up production, waiting times for the car will increase. By 2017, Toyota hopes to quadruple production, rolling out 3,000 units per year.
electriccarsreport.com (orders), asia.nikkei.com (production)
Zero Motorcycles in Thailand: Late last year, BV Moto was made the official reseller of the all-electric vehicle and now hopes to sell 30 units a year. The bikes are imported from the U.S. and sell for 690,000 to 870,000 Thai Baht (21,000 – 26,600 dollars). Motocross models start at 630,000 Baht (19,200 USD).
eco-business.com
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
BMW i3 with fuel cell? By 2016, BMW plans to issue a model with the fuel cell system of the Toyota FCV, Craig Scott of Toyota USA told Motoring. The i3 would be the most likely candidate and packaging of the fuel cell components being on of the challenges, reckons Scott.
motoring.com.au
PHEV van by Via Motors: The U.S. manufacturer will start production of its plug-in hybrid van at the end of September in its Mexico plant. The Via PHEV van will be priced at around 80,000 dollars. The first potential customer is FedEx, which considers to buy up to 5,000 units.
green.autoblog.com
Pimped Prius: Toyota announced its plans for a special edition of its hybrid pioneer, the ‘Persona Series.’ It will feature some special elements such as 17-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors and will come in two colours: ‘Blizzard Pearl’ and ‘Absolutely Red.’
autoblog.com
City EV from Russia: The Russian start up Bravo Motors presented its electric two seater eGo, which also might be offered in Europe. The eGo is said to go up to 90 kph with a range of 70 kilometres. The company aims to sell the eGo starting next summer for a price of 20,000 dollars.
sk.ru
GenZe ready to order: The U.S. subsidiary of Mahindra, which just set up its new headquarters in Fremont close to Tesla, is now taking pre-orders for their 3,000-dollar e-scooter. The first GenZe scooters with removable battery system will be delivered in December.
mercurynews.com
Toyota Prius vs Lexus CT 200h: While both vehicles share the same drivetrain, and, according to Matt Keegan, “exceptional fuel economy,” he found differences too. The most obvious are in the styling of the Lexus which however falls short to “apply the luxury mantle,” in Keegan’s eyes.
autotrends.org
New York charged: EV Connect has won a contract by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to install more than 100 charging stations at 37 locations across the state. The contract is worth 1.5 million dollars and is part of New York’s strategy to erect 3,000 charging stations.
evconnect.com via chargedevs.com
New fuel cell buses: The SunLine Transit Agency of Thousand Palms, California, received two new fuel cell buses, now evolving the American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) configuration from 2011. The buses are powered with a drive from BAE Systems and fuel cell from Ballard.
greencarcongress.com, ballard.com
The Ultimate Driving Experience: BMW will kick off a tour through the States to present the i3 among other vehicles by mid-June. It is set to start in Boston and will run for 74 days. Test drives are also available for teens at the BMW teen driving school – a programme to create awareness about the consequences of texting and driving.
hybridcars.com
Electric shuttle service: Via Motors is providing an electric shuttle service at a conference in Las Vegas with their electric van. The ‘eREV Shuttle’ will be charged from strategically located ClipperCreek stations and can thus operate basically 24 hours.
hybridcars.com
Scottish investment: The Scottish government has made three million pounds (5m dollars) of funding available for electric transport. Two millions will be used for the provision of charging infrastructure. The remaining money will go to Scottish auto clubs for the acquisition of up to 30 electric vehicles.
fleetworld.co.uk
Smarter charging: BMW has introduced an app in the States that enables drivers to charge their electric vehicles at times when energy is the cheapest. The ‘Smart Charging App’ will first be supplied to the Electronauts but will be made available to all i3 and i8 drivers by 2015. The app is said to save users up to 400 dollars a year on their energy bills.
greencarreports.com, green.autoblog.com
Intensified cooperation: EV manufacturer Via Motors has bought Prodigy Engineering, its former contractor. The purchase gives Via Motors an exclusive license to an advanced cooling technology for Li-ion batteries. The price of the acquisition was not disclosed.
automotive-business-review.com, greencarcongress.com
Fuel saving semiconductor: Together with in-house partner Denso, Toyota is developing a new power semiconductor said to save up to ten percent of fuel in its hybrid vehicles. The semiconductor sits in the power control unit (PCU) of the hybrid system and uses silicon carbide (SiC). Road trials in Japan are set to start within a year.
greencarcongress.com, greencarreports.com
Hybrid with a memory: Researchers at Chalmers Uni of Technology, Sweden, developed a method to identify recurrent routes from logged driving data and make optimal use of the hybrid powertrain. This strategy is said to save up to ten percent of fuel in hybrid vehicles and has already been verified in Volvo’s V60 plug-in.
sciencedaily.com
Domestic battery production: German BASF has just launched its commercial production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials in Weimar, Germany. The LFP cathodes will be used for lithium-ion batteries.
basf.com
Saving PSA: Both, Chinese Dongfeng and the French government will inject 800 million euros (1.1b dollars) into the PSA corporation and get 14% shares each. Apart from this capital increase, the companies also vowed to strengthen their industrial partnership while Carlos Tavares, former Renault executive, is taking over as CEO.
greencarcongress.com, automotive-business-review.com
Fisker deal finalised: Judge Kevin Gross at Delaware bankruptcy court has approved the sale of Fisker to Wanxiang America for 149.2 million dollars. The company wants to restart production asap and expects to sell about 1,000 Karmas in the next 18 months.
thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, greenpowertrain.automotive-business-review.com
Fuel efficiency standards: U.S. President Barack Obama has announced plans to further increase fuel economy standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. As the private sector is expected to introduce things like hybrid systems and aerodynamic designs, the Obama administration continues to work on its ‘SuperTruck’ program.
green.autoblog.com
New Chair of Via Motors: The company has made board member Bob Lutz its new Chairman. Lutz, former GM manager also known as the father of the Chevy Volt, is replacing Carl Berg who will remain Via Motor’s largest shareholder.
hybridcars.com
Saleen teams up with AC Propulsion: The tuning specialist is adding the electric car specialist to its design team to work on a new electric sports car. AC Propulsion has provided technology to Tesla in the past for developing the Roadster and will now take care of the motor and batteries of Saleen’s upcoming model.
electric-vehiclenews.com
BYD’s domestic sales: Last year the carmaker sold 1,544 units of its electric e6 and 142 Qin plug-in hybrids. Numbers for the Qin are low because it was only launched in December. January already saw stronger sales of 637. BYD hopes to sell 2,000 units a month.
chinacartimes.com
Super Chargers for China: Tesla announced the start of negotiations and preparations to install a network of its Super Chargers across the Asian nation. The first corridor to open up for all-electric rides is planned to be Beijing-Shanghai. When the first chargers will be ready for use is not said.
chinacartimes.com, teslamotors.com
Canada electrified: VIA Motors has signed an 80 million dollar purchase agreement with Sun Country Highway. A deposit of 8m dollars for the first 100 VIA electric-vans has already been placed. The vehicles will go to Best Western Hotels in Canada, which have been supplied with 1,000 public chargers by the privately funded electrification project Sun Country Highway.
marketwired.com
“Klimaschutz made in NRW”: This is the Denglish slogan of a new initiative in the German city of Essen. “NRW” is short for Northrhine-Westphalia while “Klimaschutz” means climate protection and is in this case a mini-fleet of four electric cars. For the next two years, employees of the State Office for environment and consumer protection will drive around in three Renault Zoé and one Fluence to test if EVs are a viable option for their daily routines. If so, more will be purchased.
emobilserver.de (In German), youtube.com (Video in German)
First contract for HEVO Power: The U.S. start-up made headlines last year when suggesting to turn New York‘s manholes into wireless charging stations. The Department of Public Safety at NYU now takes HEVO up on it and ordered two gully-shaped inductive charging stations. According to HEVO CEO Jeremy McCool even the Department of Defense (DoD) expressed interest.
govtech.com
PlugShare integration: Electric vehicle manufacturer VIA Motors announced to integrate the PlugShare infrastructure listings in their iPad in-dash systems. PlugShare, which is a service of Recargo Inc, currently lists 28,000 charging stations in America and 55,000 stations globally.
electriccarsreport.com
Dutch tax benefits were cut at the end of 2013. This led to record-breaking sales of 9,309 electric and plug-in hybrid cars in December. The biggest winner was the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which is now the best-selling car in the Netherlands.
insideevs.com