Tesla CTO and battery mastermind JB Straubel exits

Tesla CTO JB Straubel and CEO Elon Musk presenting at gigafactory tour, Reno, Nevada, July 2016At the start of a call Wednesday to provide guidance on Tesla’s record sales but $408 million loss in the second quarter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped a bombshell: that its chief technical officer, JB Straubel, will be stepping down from his executive post. Drew Baglino will take over most of the responsibilities held by Straubel, who will be...

Two-speed transmission for EVs could make a comeback.

Tesla Roadster Prototype for sale on eBayIt's been a long time since any production cars have used 2-speed automatic transmissions. With a new 2-speed transmission for electric cars, German supplier ZF Friedrichshafen is turning back the page on EV development. The clutchless 2-speed transmission Tesla attempted to use in the original Roadster found notoriety for the lengthy delay of...

Automakers rebuff EPA mpg rollbacks, cut side deal with California

TrafficSome of the largest automakers in the U.S. have banded together with California—to set an example for the EPA and its long-stalled emissions and fuel economy revamp. The agreement between Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW's U.S. division would raise fuel-economy standards by about 3.7 percent a year through 2026 to a final target of about 50...

Democrats call to end global warming emissions (gasoline included) by 2050

Mulan wind farm [CREDIT: Global Climate Budget 2018]The powerful, Democratic-led House Energy and Commerce Committee put meat on the bones of the Green New Deal on Tuesday. The new plan called "100 by 50," aims to eliminate 100 percent of emissions that contribute to global warming by 2050. It was laid out by Republican Committee member Paul Tonko (NY), who said in a statement, “There is no...

BMW doubles battery production in US for coming X3 and X5 plug-in hybrids

2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e iPerformanceBMW is doubling is battery production capacity in preparation for producing two new plug-in hybrids at its South Carolina factory. The company plans to begin producing the 2020 BMW X5 xDrive 45e plug-in hybrid SUV there on August 1, followed by the new plug-in hybrid X3 xDrive 30e in December. The two vehicles—and the expanded battery...