The Jeep Renegade plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that will be launched in early 2020 is nearing production. Currently, the Fiat Chrysler Melfi Plant in Italy is being readied for the production run. Pre-production copies will be made in 2019, before the final versions in 2020. €200 million is the amount reportedly invested in the new trim’s launch.
Bosch is collaborating with toom to launch an electric van sharing service at German hardware stores. toom sells home improvement products and supplies, so the idea is to place electric vans at some of them to provide on-demand personal transportation for customers. Caroline Reichert, head of connected mobility solutions for EVs at Bosch, answered some questions about the program for CleanTechnica.
Sortimo has shown two studies or concepts at the IAA Commercial Vehicles event — one is an electric cargo mover and the other is a mobile depot. Sabrina Sendlinger, Corporate Communication Manager for Sortimo, answered some questions for CleanTechnica about the new innovations.
The International Council on Clean Transportation recently released a report on EV sales around the world. It’s a fascinating document with some intriguing insights. Were you aware that over one million electric passenger vehicles were sold around the world in 2017, that China led the way with over 579,000, and that most sales of such vehicles to date have taken place in China, Europe, Japan, and the United States?
Vanuatu, a South Pacific ocean nation with 83 islands, UNICEF, the Australian company Swoop Aero, and the German firm Wingcopter are collaborating on a three-month medical drone pilot project.
Over one hundred EVs are being deployed in a carsharing initiative brought to Sacramento by Envoy and Electrify America. 142 Volkswagen e-Golf electric cars will be available in the Sacramento area by early 2019 at 71 locations. The first of the EVs are located near the Whispering Pines Apartments in Meadowview. They can be rented by the minute, hour, or day. Envoy’s co-founders, Aric Ohana and Ori Sagie, answered some questions about the program for CleanTechnica.
The Miami Metromover covers 4.4 miles without a driver, runs on electricity every day from 5:00 am to midnight, and lets people ride without paying a penny. It serves the downtown Miami area, and some of its destinations are American Airlines Arena, Miami-Dade College, Miami-Dade County School Board, and Bayside Market Place. Clarence Eckerson gave it a very enthusiastic review in a video he posted on Vimeo. He particularly notes the city scenery that can be filmed while riding.
If the Veligo program is successful with 10,000 e-bikes, another 10,000 might be added, raising the total to 20,000. At this level, it would be the largest e-bike program in the world.
MAN Truck & Bus recently announced a number of innovations, including new vehicles. At the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 show, the company presented a 15-ton electric delivery truck, the MAN CitE, and the MAN eTGE, an electric van. A prototype of an electric city bus, the MAN Lion City E, also was shown.
The Volvo Cars Tech Fund has invested in Freewire Technologies, a mobile and stationary energy storage startup located in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Fund invests in the tech and mobility sectors to shape the future of transportation.
