Charged Magazine

For the last couple of years, EV fans have been eagerly awaiting a new version of the LEAF with a 200-mile range to match that of the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3. Nissan did launch a redesigned 2018 LEAF, with a 40 kWh battery pack and 150 miles of …read more

The Von Roll Institute for high-voltage insulation in Breitenbach, Switzerland has been testing electrical insulation systems for 100 years. Now it’s continuing the tradition, but with electric motors.
The institute recently opened a brand-new eDrive testing lab to meet the high demands placed on drive systems for the next generation of …read more

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority recently placed an electric commuter ferry into service, with an electric drive system from Torqeedo.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha attended the launch ceremony, traveling by skytrain, subway and foot through Bangkok’s crowded streets before ending his mixed-mode commute with a trip aboard the emission-free passenger ferry.
The …read more

Bidirectional charging technology (vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-building) has the potential to help reduce utility costs by using EV batteries to store energy and release it at times of peak consumption.
Now Nissan, in partnership with with Fermata Energy, a vehicle-to-grid systems company, has launched a pilot program that uses LEAFs equipped with …read more

Champlain Cable has patented a flexibility testing apparatus for automotive wire and cable. The idea for the product came from a European specification for wire – LV-112, used by German OEMs – that described a wire flexing requirement, but did not describe the apparatus used to test the wire.
According to …read more

Northern Ireland-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus showed a production-ready fuel cell-powered double decker bus at the recent Euro Bus Expo in Birmingham, UK.
Wrightbus developed the Streetdeck FCEV with funding from the EU-backed Joint Initiative for hydrogen Vehicles across Europe project (JIVE, which some would call a fitting name).
The new Streetdeck FCEV …read more

UK-based Zapinamo has developed a new charging system that uses battery storage to “power boost” a domestic electric grid connection and reduce charging time.
According to Zapinamo, a typical home charger adds 4 miles of charge in 30 minutes, whereas the new Hubz unit can add 50 miles in 30 minutes.
The …read more

Electrify America (profiled in the July/August 2018 issue of Charged) has been making headlines for the comprehensive network of fast charging stations it’s building. But the company’s mission also includes increasing awareness of EVs, and trying to make them more accessible to disadvantaged and low-income communities.
To that end, EA has …read more

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, pickup trucks are popular – they made up 16 percent of US auto sales in 2017 (per Trucks.com). If EVs are to move into the mainstream, somebody needs to produce a mass-market pickup. Startups Workhorse, Havelaar and Bollinger have pickups in the pipeline; Tesla has …read more

In one of the largest fleet orders of EVs to date, FedEx has ordered 1,000 electric vans from California EV startup Chanje. The delivery giant said it will buy 100 Chanje V8100 vans outright, and will lease the remaining 900 from fleet management specialist Ryder System, which Chanje has designated …read more