Electric Vehicles

Tesla Model 3 Coming In July, Sweet Autopilot Updates In June (#ElonTweets)

7 years ago Steve Hanley 0 Comments

When Elon Musk said last year that production of the Tesla Model 3 would begin in July of 2017, everyone rolled their eyes and snickered up their sleeves. After the Model X fiasco, the conventional wisdom said projections by the serial entrepreneur were always wildly optimistic. July? More like December, if past experience is any guide. Even Musk admitted the timetable was ambitious and that actual production by late in the third quarter was more realistic.

Electric Car Drivers Want Electric SUVs/CUVs, Midsized Cars, Much More Model Variation (CleanTechnica Report)

7 years ago Zachary Shahan 0 Comments

One of the challenges of the current EV market is extreme lack of choice. There are only a few widely available models, and even if you look in the most popular markets (California, Norway, etc.), EV models only account for a small percentage of all the vehicle classes. We were curious which classes were most desired for future EV purchases and again polled respondents on this topic (simply in regards to size and style, not taking into account price).

Wireless EV Charging Pilot For Renault Kangoo Z.E. Via Qualcomm & Vedecom

7 years ago Cynthia Shahan 0 Comments

Renault has partnered with Qualcomm Technologies and Vedecom to explore wireless electric vehicle charging at a rate as high as 20 kilowatts (kW) — with the wireless charging working even up to 62 miles per hour (100 km/h)! In other words, this rate of wireless electric vehicle charging (DEVC) could enable vehicles to charge while driving. … Well, that certainly would hush any charge anxiety.

California Electric Car Sales Up 91% (1st Quarter)

7 years ago Steve Hanley 0 Comments

The data is in. It has been sliced and diced six ways to Sunday and now it can be told. EV sales in California during the first quarter of 2017 were up 91% compared to the same quarter a year ago. Industry observers give much of the credit to the Chevy Bolt, the first all-electric car from General Motors that went on sale in the Golden State last December. 2,735 Californians opted for the Bolt in the first quarter of the year. Rebecca Lindblad, a Kelley Blue Book analyst, said the Bolt — with its 240 miles of range — brings a “new element” to the electric car market.

UBS: Chevy Bolt Powertrain $4,600 Cheaper Than Thought, Tesla Model 3 Likely To Be Profitable

7 years ago Steve Hanley 0 Comments

Analysts for UBS have torn apart a perfectly good Chevy Bolt to see how it is put together. What they found led them to make this rather startling announcement: the “total cost of consumer ownership [of electric cars] can reach parity with combustion engines from 2018.” Notice that doesn’t mean an electric car and a conventional car will cost the same to buy new. It means they will cost the same to own, figuring in maintenance, cost of fuel, insurance, and all the other factors that are part of the total cost of ownership.

BMW Now Charging Electric Cars Via Light Poles

7 years ago Steve Hanley 0 Comments

A year ago, BMW’s carsharing program known as ReachNow folded up shop in San Francisco and moved to Seattle. The service began with 370 cars, including electric BMW i3 sedans and conventional 3 Series and MINI offerings. A year later, the ReachNow fleet has grown to more than 700 cars and expanded to Portland and Brooklyn. It now has more than 50,000 members.

California Electric Car Subsidies May Shift To Point Of Sale Subsidies

7 years ago Steve Hanley 0 Comments

California is about to begin testing a new “point of sale” clean vehicle rebate plan in San Diego. Under the present rules, people who purchase a qualifying EV can get a check back from the state for up to $7,000, depending on their income level. California started indexing its rebate program to income level a few years ago to avoid the charge that the incentives the state was offering were mostly benefiting wealthy tech tycoons and Hollywood stars replacing their Porsches with Teslas. The state is much more interested in encouraging low-income families to give up their inefficient and pollution-belching commuter cars and drive a low- or zero-emissions (and far safer) car instead.