Plug-In

REVA, an automobile company based in Bangalore, India,  is preparing to launch its own plug-in models, except with a twist.  Shown off at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, and scheduled for production early this year, the NXR, a 3-door, four-seater hatchback, will have a range of about 100 miles and a top speed of 65 mph.  The NXG (shown above) will sport a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 125 miles.     Both of these car models will feature ... Discover More

Hitachi, Japan's largest industrial electronics manufacturer, is devoting significant resources to capture the global car battery market.   Already, they are able to boast of the 100,000 hybrid car order that GM has placed for its lithium-ion batteries.  But, of course, that is not enough.   The Tokyo-based corporation is ramping up its capacity in order to accommodate the needs of 700,000 electric vehicles a year, a gain of 600%. The Nikkei Business Daily has estimated the expansion costs at between $200 and ... Discover More

Londoners are about to welcome an all-electric vehicle pod, according to a recent announcement by Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing service provider.  As part of a pilot program, the pod will be used to test the profitability and durability of plug-in cars as they are incorporated within their fleet.  The statement comes soon after the company partnered with Westminster City Council, the government municipality that is backing the car club with £200,000.   Members who sign up for the program will also ... Discover More

The lithium-ion battery cell has emerged as a clear favorite with the plethora of car manufacturers who are announcing their electric ambitions. And as this demand rises, suppliers of battery technology are in a race of their own to provide high-quality, low-cost lithium-ion solutions. Several Asian firms have established dominant footholds in the industry, winning contracts with major auto companies, and they offer a formidable challenge to newer entrants: South Korea’s LG Chem was the supplier chosen by GM to manufacturer batteries ... Discover More

One of the thorniest issues facing the mass adoption of electric-only vehicles is the time it takes to charge them – plugging in for a couple hours seems cumbersome for anyone wanting to drive more than just to work and back. There have been several solutions proposed, such as waiting for advances in battery technology, battery-swapping stations, and improving charging standards and infrastructure. A group of engineers in South Korea, however, have proposed and tested an idea ... Discover More

The American Clean Energy and Security Act, also known as H.R. 2354, was opened up for amendments and debate today in Congress.  The legislation is meant to introduce  measures that increase energy efficiency, deploy green technology, and transition the country away from fossil-fuel dependence. The Bill mandates utilities to begin development of plans that support electric vehicle infrastructure and standards for incorporating their integration with a smart power grid.   It also authorizes the Secretary of Energy to provide financial assistance for the ... Discover More

You might call them swapping stations, battery cell replacement stations, charging stations or any combination of the above. The important thing is, we will be talking about them soon: there's a $400 million startup company, and billions of dollars in capital set aside by its partners, who are all banking on it.   Their idea?   The future, as they see it, is one where drivers will be provided with ultra-cheap cars and then billed by the mile/kilometer as they move around. ... Discover More

- With an electric car plug standard about to be finalized, and charging stations beginning to pop up in the U.S. and Europe, an important question to ask is: How long will it take to fill up a car battery? And like most matters, the answer is, “It depends!” Automobile batteries, whether they are nickel-metal hydride or lithium-ion, can be made up of many cells, with larger cell quantities capable of a larger storage capacity. The tradeoff, however, is that cars with more ... Discover More

The United States Council for Automotive Research is set to formulate new standards for the high-voltage wiring and connections in plug-in automobiles.   The alliance, which includes Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation,  will be meeting to discuss the details at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) conference in Detroit  on April 20-23. The new standards will cover specifications for systems running up to 400V, replacing the old standards for wiring capacities of only 20V.   This will allow plug-in ... Discover More

With one of the biggest challenges of mass-adoption of plug-in vehicles being the possibility of overloaded power grids, many utilitily companies feel that they already have the solution: Install upgraded transformers in areas where the demand for electric vehicles is the highest, and charge consumers different rates according to peak hours of demand. Pacific Gas & Electric is already implementing a tiered system, charging electric car owners 5 cents per kilowatt hour between midnight and 7 a.m., and 30 cents per kilowatt hour ... Discover More

It's not just the U.S. and multinational automobile CEOs, the advertising executives and car dealerships, the auto magazines and the eager consumers that are anticipating the shift from gas-powered engines to battery-powered electric vehicles, but nationwide, power companies see the upcoming change as a great opportunity, as well as a need for adjustments. The major boon that a surge of plug-ins bring to utilities is as follows:  Their "surplus" power, which is all those electrons that their power sources produce and send through ... Discover More