Charged Magazine

Tesla appears to be closing in on its goal of producing 5,000 units of Model 3 cars per week. The Silicon Valley superhero team just unveiled a third production line, apparently assembled in a mere three weeks in a tent-like temporary structure next to the Fremont factory.
“Amazing work by Tesla …read more

TE Connectivity has announced its new EVC 80 for hybrid and electric vehicles. The EVC 80’s crucial feature is its relatively low maximum amperage of 80 A, which allows it to be used as either a main or auxiliary contactor. Its compact design also features improved heat dissipation, and allows …read more

The German government has ordered Daimler to recall 238,000 vehicles in Germany after they were found to be fitted with illegal software that conceals the true amount of emissions. Daimler said that some 774,000 diesel vehicles in Europe, including diesel versions of the Mercedes C-Class, Vito and GLC, contain “defeat …read more

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved a plan to invest $423 million that the state will receive from the National VW Environmental Trust. The mitigation plan will invest primarily in zero-emission replacements for heavy-duty trucks, buses and equipment. There is also money to reduce emissions at freight facilities …read more

American drivers are plugging in, and they’re beginning to consume substantial amounts of electricity, according to new figures from the DOE.
Plug-in vehicles in the US consumed 1.94 TWh of electricity in 2017 – nearly 100 times more than the measly 0.02 TWh consumed in 2011, says the DOE.
Furthermore, the share …read more

Smart charging solution provider NewMotion, which currently has more than 30,000 private charge points across the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK, is expanding further into Europe in a new partnership with vehicle leasing firm Arval.
Norway will be the next country to join NewMotion’s empire, followed by another four European …read more

In 2017, fertilizer producer Yara announced a partnership with Kongsberg Maritime to build a fully autonomous, battery-electric container ship. Now Yara has made an agreement with cargo handling firm Kalmar, which will deliver equipment, software and services for a fully autonomous container handling solution at Yara’s Porsgrunn facility in Norway.
All …read more

Lithium Werks, a producer of Li-ion phosphate energy cells, and Super B, a specialist in lithium battery solutions, have agreed to work together to increase their overall battery production. The agreement calls for an expansion of Super B’s operations, including solutions for transportation and renewable energy needs, and a ramping-up …read more

You’ll never guess which of the Big Three just announced plans for 10 new EVs. Yes, Fiat Chrysler (FCA) plans to introduce the new models under its Jeep, Maserati, and Fiat brands within the next 4 years.
Currently, Fiat’s only plug-ins are the e500, a compliance car that CEO Sergio Marchionne …read more

It’s not really news that auto dealerships are a significant roadblock to wider EV adoption. A 2017 study found that most traditional dealers have few EVs in their inventory, and are unprepared to answer customers’ questions about EVs. In some cases, dealers actively discourage buyers from going electric.
A new study …read more