Charged Magazine

Akasol, based in Darmstadt, Germany, is now manufacturing lithium-ion battery systems for Daimler subsidiary EvoBus, which plans to launch its new Citaro electric bus at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in September, and begin series manufacturing this year.
Each bus will be fitted with between six and ten of Akasol’s AKASYSTEM …read more

As regular Charged readers know, the US Department of Energy (DOE) provides funding for a variety of basic research programs that benefit the EV and renewable energy industries. The current administration in Washington has made no secret of its desire to end government support for these industries – its recent …read more

Starting in May, Japanese LEAF owners will be able to exchange their old batteries for refurbished ones. Nissan will initially offer 24 kWh refabricated batteries for ¥300,000 ($2,853) each. Prices for brand-new replacement batteries range from $6,182 for a 24 kWh battery to $7,800 for the 40 kWh version.
Nissan is …read more

The UK firm Zap-Map has launched two peer-to-peer EV charging networks – Zap-Home and Zap-Work – designed to allow charging station owners to share their devices with other EV drivers.
According to Zap-Map surveys, almost 50% of EV drivers are willing to share their home chargers with other users. This means …read more

The government of Japan has delivered a fleet of 20 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs and 29 Mitsubishi i-MiEVs to the government of Costa Rica, as part of the Overseas Development Agreement between the two countries.
The new vehicles will be used by 15 government agencies and universities.
Costa Rica is a land of …read more

The Hawaiian Electric Companies have released an Electrification of Transportation Strategic Roadmap, which forecasts that by 2045, most personal vehicles in Hawai’i will be powered by electricity generated from renewable sources. Hawaiʽi already has the second highest rate of EV adoption in the US.
According to the plan, replacing fossil fuels …read more

Buick plans to add two new models to its offerings in China: the Velite 6 PHEV and the Velite 6 EV.
China is by far the world’s largest market for the Buick brand, supposedly because former Emperor Pu Yi owned one (one expert on the Chinese automotive market told Charged that …read more

The city of Gdynia in Poland has ordered 30 battery-equipped trolleybuses from the Polish firm Solaris Bus & Coach, at a total cost of around $28 million. In addition to traditional trolleybus drivelines, which draw power from overhead wires, the new Solaris buses will be fitted with batteries that enable …read more

Volkswagen has appointed former Tesla exec Matthew Renna as Vice President, North American Region G4. Renna will manage VW’s “NAR-G4” team, overseeing the Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB), the automaker’s modular EV platform. His responsibilities will include “product content, costs, financial results, timing, quality, launch, and risk management throughout the entire …read more

Commercial EV-maker Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS) is deploying a fleet of its electric N-GEN cargo vans in the San Francisco Bay area, in partnership with Ryder System, Workhorse’s exclusive maintenance provider. To commemorate the launch, Workhorse will display the N-GEN at City Hall in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 28.
Designed …read more