Charging infrastructure projects for electric cars have mostly focused on expanding the number of charging sites available to the public over the last six years. But now significant effort is also being put into increasing the power those public charging stations can provide. This is due to anticipated technological improvements to electric-car... Faster electric-car fast charging: test site in Fremont, VW plans 300 kw-plus
Charging infrastructure projects for electric cars have mostly focused on expanding the number of charging sites available to the public over the last six years. But now significant effort is also being put into increasing the power those public charging stations can provide. This is due to anticipated technological improvements to electric-car... ![Electric-car advocate Bjorn Nyland shows off Vulkan parking garage, Oslo, Norway [video, Mar 2017]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/electric-car-advocate-bjorn-nyland-shows-off-vulkan-parking-garage-oslo-norway-video-mar-2017_100596280_t.gif)
Parking garages often aren't very well-lit, and a video tour of one may not sound like a particularly enjoyable way to spend time. But if you're an electric-car driver or advocate in North America, an 11-minute tour by electric-car advocate (and Tesla fanatic) Bjørn Nyland may be time well spent. That's because his tour of the Vulkan... 
In multiple states, electric utilities are beginning to establish networks of electric-car charging stations. But plans for such a network in Michigan recently hit a roadblock. Last week, local utility Consumers Energy withdrew its request to install public electric-car charging stations at an estimated cost of $15 million. DON'T MISS: California... 
Volkswagen has submitted a plan for electric-charging infrastructure to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. VW's "Electrify America" plan shows how the automaker would spend funds it is required to commit to zero-emission vehicle infrastructure under the terms of a settlement for its diesel-emissions... 
It seems fair to say that the new presidential administration may have increased the generalized level of worry among many Americans, not to mention the rest of the world. Among the things to worry about are the future of incentives, infrastructure, and legislation encouraging the adoption of zero-emission vehicles, primarily electric cars. These... 
Tesla is the world's only automaker to build and operate its own large-scale network of public charging stations. This year, the Silicon Valley automaker hopes to double the number of Supercharger DC fast-charging sites, to make it more convenient for U.S. Tesla owners to undertake longer road trips. With 373 sites in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico... 
As automakers produce electric cars in greater numbers, public charging infrastructure will become even more crucial to lure new buyers and convince them the cars can be practical. Some automakers have already invested in charging infrastructure, while others are just starting to contemplate public charging stations for the electric cars they plan... ![Tesla Model S at Supercharger site in Ventura, CA, with just one slot open [photo: David Noland]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/tesla-model-s-electric-car-road-trip-upstate-new-york-to-southern-california-photo-david-noland_100500011_t.gif)
Tesla will undertake a major expansion of its Supercharger network of DC fast-charging stations this year. The Silicon Valley automaker is already one of the most committed to offering widespread DC fast charging, positioning the stations as a way for customers to complete longer journeys more easily. After expansion slowed in 2016, Tesla hopes to... 
Unlike most automakers, Tesla doesn't schedule redesigns, updates, and new features for its cars to coincide with traditional model years. Aided by the fact that most of its new features are software-related, Tesla takes a more flexible approach. Many new features are pushed to its electric cars whenever they're ready, in the form of over-the-air... 
When it comes to promoting electric cars, California is rightfully viewed as the most active. But efforts are not limited to the Golden State. If one electric utility has its way, more electric cars will soon be plying the roads of America's heartland. CHECK OUT: Kansas City Power & Light To Build 1,000 Electric-Car Charging Sites (Jan 2015) A... 
Relatively short ranges and long charging times are two of the main factors restraining more widespread electric-car adoption. To address the range issue, automakers are expected to launch a batch of more-affordable long-range electric cars over the next few years, a shift heralded by the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV and the upcoming Tesla Model 3. At... 
Electric cars are often touted as a way to avoid gas stations. But electric-car drivers in certain European countries will soon be going to them to charge. That's because a pair of European oil companies plan to add electric-car charging at certain fuel stations. CHECK OUT: Electric-Car Charging Station At Gas Station In Tar-Sands Land (Nov 2014)... 
Those unfamiliar with electric cars often don't know that several different types of battery charging exist. Overnight recharging at home can be done either with 120-volt household current or, for longer-range cars, with a 240-volt charging station installed by the car owner. Then there's DC fast charging, which generally provides an 80-percent... 
At the end of 2015, BMW and Nissan announced that the two companies had partnered to fund the installation of 120 DC fast-charging stations for electric cars across 19 states. All the sites had one or more 50-kilowatt stations with a pair of charging cables: one with the CHAdeMO connector that accommodates the Nissan Leaf electric car, the other a... 
California continues to lead the United States, and in some ways the world, in efforts to reduce and eliminate harmful emissions from road vehicles. Following the lead of Governor Jerry Brown, the state legislature and regulatory agencies have set aggressive goals to reduce emission of climate-change gases, primarily carbon dioxide. That will be... ![Electric Avenue charging stations in Portland, Oregon [photo: Portland General Electric]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/electric-avenue-charging-stations-in-portland-oregon-photo-portland-general-electric_100532762_t.gif)
It's clear that after several years of electric-car sales, electric utilities see a role to be played in providing the infrastructure to make them practical. Two weeks ago, California utility PG&E received approved to install 7,500 public charging stations for plug-in vehicles. Now, Oregon's two largest utility companies have filed plans to... 
Much of the U.S. innovation in electric-car incentives and infrastructure has come not from the federal government but from one or more states, especially California. With the decision years ago to let states either comply with national emission standards or adopt the stiffer California rules, both individual states and regional groups are... 
California's latest tactic to promote electric-car adoption is to involve electric utilities in the installation and operation of charging infrastructure. Utilities in other states were previously allowed to own and operate electric-car charging stations, but that wasn't the case in California until a state Public Utilities Commission ruling in... 
Longer-range electric cars will add flexibility for drivers, but they will also require changes to charging infrastructure. More powerful DC fast-charging stations will be needed in order to charge cars with larger-capacity battery packs in a reasonable amount of time. The EVgo charging network is taking a step in that direction with a new...