German sports car manufacturer Artega has taken over all rights for the production of the Swiss electric city car Microlino from Tazzari of Italy. The latter wants to focus on projects outside the urban segment instead. Hence Artega also acquired the rights to the Tazzaro electric taxi e-cab but first to the electric Isetta remake.
Read moreNew H2 lighthouse project: As part of the six-year, EU-funded project Hydrogen Mobility Europe 2 (H2ME 2), 37 partners want to get no less than 1,230 fuel cell vehicles on the road and erect 20 hydrogen filling stations. The H2ME 2 is the extension of the H2ME 1 project, launched in 2015, which wants to deploy 325 fuel cell vehicles and set up 29 H2 fuelling stations.
h2me.eu
Combo-package for home chargers: RWE announced the unveiling of a system that will connect solar panels with an intelligent charging management system for EVs at the Intersolar next week. The package includes a solar power system from Heckert or Aleo, a battery storage system form Homepower Storage flex, the management system RWE Smarthome, as well as a wallbox for EVs.
pv-magazine.de, iwr.de (articles in German)
Pushing EV uptake: Scotland earmarked 7.8m pounds to offer interest free loans to anyone interested in buying an EV. Individuals can qualify for up to 35,000 pounds, business for up to 100,000 pounds. Loan applications will be accepted through March 31th, 2017, or until the funds run out.
energylivenews.com
Evo Car Share expands: The Canadian provider expanded its operating area in Vancouver and added 750 Toyota Prius to its fleet. Evo Car Share is the city’s only provider that has a full fleet of hybrid vehicles.
autorentalnews.com
Zero for police: The Maple Valley Police Department in the U.S. state of Washington has bought to motorcycles from Zero. The vehicles will mostly be used by officers on duty in parks.
maplevalleyreporter.com
BYD dreaming bigger: The Chinese manufacturer says it will deliver 120,000 hybrid and electric vehicles in the second half of this year, double as many as last year. For future growth, BYD looks into building light rail vehicles like trams that could serve in 2nd and 3rd tier Chinese cities within five years.
gasgoo.com
Plug-in A-class: As Mercedes is readying the new A series set for launch by 2018, German media reports that a plug-in hybrid variant with an electric range of up to 100 km is planned as well. Spy shots show the the new compact Daimler but do not reveal a plug yet.
auto-motor-und-sport.de, autobild.de (both in German),
Zero jubilee: For its tenth birthday, Zero Motorcycles issues the 10th Anniversary Edition DSR limited to 50 units. In a broader promotional effort, buyers of the Zero S, SR, DS, or regular DSR receive a 1,000 dollar gift card through the month of June. Those opting for a Zero FX oder FXS get 650 dollars off.
cycleworld.com
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Leading experts from industry, including BMW, Daimler, Honda, Porsche, Samsung, Tesla, and Varta, will meet the global science community at 15. UlmElectroChemicalTalks (UECT). Join the conference and discuss important aspects for safety and lifetime of batteries and fuel cells in daily life products on July 20th and 21th in Blaubeuren near Ulm. www.uect.de
Toyota to continue legacy: Supra will indeed be the name of the hybrid sports car the Japanese carmaker jointly develops with BMW. Toyota registered the name in Europe, thus confirming its intentions as previously reported.
motorchase.com
Tesla is in and VW is out of the top ten of the most valuable car brands. Toyota retains its pole position, followed by BMW and Mercedes Benz. Tesla ranks as number 10 for the first time and is only overtaken by Porsche. Together with Audi on rank 7, both brands keep VW in the game despite the diesel scandal.
europe.autonews.com, caradvice.com.au
Model X review: Ahead of the UK launch, Autocar got in the new Tesla and finds the electric SUV “dramatic.” While some interior lapses and minor issues with driving comfort are mentioned with British roads in mind, the Ludicrous mode and easy if slow access via Falcon Wing doors work their magic.
autocar.co.uk
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Truly desired: The hybrid sport car by Aston Martin and Red Bull has been sold out – even though production will not start until 2018 (we reported). All 100 planed units found a new owner during the Formula One race in Monaco. Apparently, there were even twice as many potential buyers as cars.
ibtimes.co.uk, itechpost.com
Wireless charger put to the test: Toshiba will test its inductive charging system under real life conditions in Japan from now until December. It will be used to charge an electric bus that services an 11 km route. Engineers estimate charging to take about 15 minutes for each direction.
phys.org, toshiba.co.jp
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Electric climb to the top: The MIT’s Electric Vehicle Team is working with Zero Motorcycles and other partners to take part in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb at the end of June. Named KOMMIT-EV, the team further developed the Zero FXS’ drivetrain and aerodynamics.
hybridcars.com, ppihc.com
Apple patents smartphone key: The company applied for a patent for its “Accessing Vehicles Using Portable Devices” technology. It would allow cars to be locked and unlocked using a smartphone, while access can be granted to others by sending an access code. Is this yet another clue in the iCar puzzle?
valuewalk.com
EV for Gen-Z: Toyota and Clemson University have teamed up to create the uBox, an electric car aimed at the upcoming generation of car buyers, Generation-Z. The EV includes an emission-free stationary energy source and a unique pultrusion technique to support a curved glass roof. Several parts can be personalised with 3D printing technology.
greencarcongress.com
Betting on games: Chinese mobile game developer Youzu Interactive is partnering with an electric vehicle producer in anticipation of self-driving cars. By building relationships with producers now, they hope to guarantee the chance to create games, video and content that will be featured in future automobiles.
bloomberg.com
Brazilian electric: Alta Green Motors plans to develop electric vehicles in Brazil. What started as a project to create recharging stations turned into the new car, Liggo. The first prototype is expected by the end of 2016, and the dynamic chassis model can be adapted for other types of vehicles, and they have already designed a mini kart, as well as a vehicle for the physically handicapped.
prnewswire.com
Skoda SUV: Skoda’s new SUV was revealed in Prague, with the official unveiling still set for this fall at the Paris Motor Show. The car, likely dubbed Kodiaq, will also be available as a plug-in hybrid, though it will not be part of the launch range.
autocar.uk
Toyota tyres: Yokohama tyres will be official equipment for the upcoming Toyota Prius. The BluEarth E70 will appear in Europe, Japan and Oceania, and the BluEarth S34 all-season tyres in North America. Other regions will feature the Aspec A349. Several other brands have also received approval to provide original equipment, including Sumitomo Rubber in Japan.
tyrepress.com
Off-roading: The Zero FX electric motorcycle is put to test off-road. The bike proved great for zipping around on main roads and going briefly off-road, though it differed greatly in feel from the traditional bike. It was also incredibly quiet compared to traditional motorcycles.
detroitnews.com
Research tip: Frost & Sullivan expect sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to further grow from 304,683 in 2014 to 466,407 units this year. While our number of the day does not necessarily back this prediction, the analysts are positive that the States will lead globally with a market share of 36 percent followed by Europe (27 percent) and China with 24 percent forecasted.
frost.com via prnewswire.com
Video tip: The “ultimate drag race” has taken place in Italy and saw the Energica EGO competing with a Tesla Roadster, a Model S P85D, a BMW 1000RR HP4, a Ferrari 458 and a Zero S. Tune in for almost two minutes of ultimate EV fun!
youtube.com via insideevs.com
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Pricing for China-Leaf: Dongfeng Nissan presented the Leaf in its Chinese version under the brand name of Venucia. First called the e30, the electric car now goes under the name Chenfeng but uses the same drive as the Leaf. Starting price (including rebates) is at 267,800 yuan, about 44,000 dollars.
carnewschina.com
Zero Motorcycles new Managing Director for Europe will be Umberto Uccelli. He brings 20 years of experience in the motorcycle industry with him and has served the likes of MV Augusta, Ducati and BMW. His first international duty will be at the Intermot 2014 trade show in October.
prnewswire.com
All-Finnish electric bus: Linkker Oy from Finland has announced the start of the production of its new electric bus powered by a drivetrain from Visedo. The aluminium frame of the bus, which is based on the eBus project governed by Technical research Center of Finland (VTT), is said to be 3 tons lighter than in standard buses.
visedo.com
Bugatti Chiron? Car And Driver reports that the successor of Bugatti’s Veyron might be named after the Bugatti race driver. The hybrid Chiron is said to come with 1,500 hp, indeed worthy of racing.
caranddriver.com
Bye-bye Volt: After three years and 35,000 miles, David Noland said goodbye to his Chevy Volt as he also drives a Tesla. With number of Superchargers increasing and the lease ending, there was simply no more need for the range-extended car. Noland still would recommend the Volt to “virtually everyone who asks.”
greencarreports.com
Infiniti QX60 hybrid review: Bengt Halvorson took this luxury Nissan for a quick drive and was a bit wary at first on what mpg he would possibly reach. The QX60 hybrid managed to impress him though with 26 mpg but the actual torque felt slightly detached from the gas pedal.
thecarconnection.com
