Diesel has had an increasing rough ride during the current decade—scandals, emission crackdowns, a push for electric vehicles—and it's becoming clear that some automakers are reaching their limits. That includes Volvo, whose chief executive officer has declared its newest generation of diesel engines may be its last, according to...
Tesla's position is clear: the California electric-car maker doesn't feel a union is needed to protect its factory workers from what it claims are only anecdotal stories about worker safety and wage levels. Last weekend, Tesla continued to punch back at United Auto Workers organizating efforts at its assembly plant in Fremont, California...
California has by far the most aggressive climate-change policies in the nation, and the state is a global leader in plans to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. It's also the world's eighth-largest economy, with a growing population, soaring economic output, and a resolutely progressive legislature. While its zero-emission vehicle policies may get...
Sometime within the next few months, the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will be unveiled to the world's media. The second generation of a pioneering plug-in vehicle that launched affordable all-electric cars on the global market. It's been a long time coming. DON'T MISS: 2018 Nissan Leaf: more spy shots of electric car's second generation The...
Renault today demonstrated dynamic wireless electric vehicle charging (DEVC), which allows vehicles to charge while driving. Renault has participated with Qualcomm Technologies and Vedecom in designing a DEVC system capable of charging an electric vehicle dynamically with a charge of up to 20 kilowatts at speeds up to, and in excess of, 100 kilometers per hour. The DEVC system has been designed to support real-world implementation of dynamic charging. The two Renault Kangoo Z.E. vehicles can pick up charge in both directions along the track.
The dynamic charging demonstrations took place at the 100-meter test track, built by Vedecom at Satory, Versailles, near Paris, within the FABRIC project. Qualcomm Technologies and Vedecom installed the primary part of the DEVC system in the test track, whilst Vedecom and Renault installed the secondary part onto two Renault Kangoos Z.E.. The DEVC system will shortly be handed over to Vedecom to perform tests for FABRIC. The tests will evaluate the operation and efficiency of energy transfer to the vehicles for a wide range of practical scenarios including vehicle identification and authorization on entering track, power level agreement between track and vehicle, speed and alignment of vehicle along track.
FABRIC is a €9 million project, mostly funded by the European Commission, addressing the technological feasibility, economic viability, and socio-environmental sustainability of wireless DEVC. The project began in January 2014 and will continue through December 2017, and is being undertaken by a consortium of 25 organizations from nine European countries, including automotive manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and research organizations from automotive, road and energy infrastructure domains. VEDECOM is one of the FABRIC collaborators and responsible for providing the demonstration of the charging solution at Satory using the Qualcomm Halo DEVC system. FABRIC’s main goal is to conduct feasibility analysis of wireless DEVC as a means of EV range extension.
“Our engineers and management have fully supported this project since the very beginning as it aligns perfectly with our focus on EVs, charging systems and mobility services,” says Luc Marbach, chief executive officer, VEDECOM. “We are a public-private partnership focused on pre-competitive research. The installation of one of the world’s first DEVC test platforms has provided us with a unique test facility and we look forward to expanding our expertise with the future testing.”
“Being part of this exciting project has enabled us to test and further research dynamic charging on our Kangoo Z.E. vehicles,” said Eric Feunteun, electric vehicle program director, Groupe Renault. “Our engineers have worked very closely with the Qualcomm Technologies and VEDECOM teams to complete the DEVC system integration demonstration as part of FABRIC. We see dynamic charging as a great vision to further enhance the ease of use of EVs, thus the accessibility of EVs for all.”
“We are inventors. We are WEVC. This dynamic charging demonstration is the embodiment of this,” said Steve Pazol, vice president and general manager, wireless charging, Qualcomm Incorporated. “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved. The combination of a global team of expert engineers and Qualcomm Halo technology, which covers all aspects of WEVC systems, irrespective of the magnetics used, has enabled us to really push the boundaries of the possible and outline our vision for future urban mobility.”
Today, an electric car smashes a lap record, Toyota's CEO worries about passion, the EPA gets feedback on eliminating pollution regulations, and Tesla turns down Uber. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Toyota's CEO and namesake, Akio Toyoda, worries that electric cars will lack excitement, not to mention costing the company a lot to develop...
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Diesel has had an increasing rough ride during the current decade—scandals, emission crackdowns, a push for electric vehicles—and it's becoming clear that some automakers are reaching their limits. That includes Volvo, whose chief executive officer has declared its newest generation of diesel engines may be its last, according to... 
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California has by far the most aggressive climate-change policies in the nation, and the state is a global leader in plans to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. It's also the world's eighth-largest economy, with a growing population, soaring economic output, and a resolutely progressive legislature. While its zero-emission vehicle policies may get... 
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Much of the news out of Washington, D.C., these days has to do with the possibility of political scandal. But the wheels of government keep turning, and significant changes are happening at numerous agencies charged with missions as diverse as collecting intelligence, supporting education, and protecting the environment. Few groups are seeing... 
Tesla and Klaus Grohmann have parted ways. Reuters reports Tesla CEO Elon Musk ousted Grohmann over the executives concerns over how his company's legacy clients, including Tesla rivals like Daimler and BMW, would be served in the future. Grohmann's company, Grohmann Engineering, specializes in automation, and Tesla purchased the company last... 
Road trips have been a staple of automobile culture for decades, but with the rise of electric vehicles, charging infrastructure has thrown them a curve ball. Unlike gasoline-powered vehicles, which can refuel almost anywhere in a populated area, electric vehicles require a little more planning to ensure things go smoothly. So, how easy is it? The... 
Every automaker is now working on one or many electric cars, but some are at the head of the pack and others lag behind. General Motors already sells the 238-mile Chevrolet Bolt EV, and Volkswagen has firm plans for multiple electric cars by 2020 and as many as 30 by 2025. That leaves Toyota, the third of the world's three largest carmakers and by... 
Today, two cars with plugs return—one luxury plug-in hybrid, and one all-electric minicar in a couple of years—plus grim news about diesel emissions, an ambitious electric motorcycle ride, a phone app for British electric-car drivers, and a scary IIHS video. All this and more on Green Car Reports. It's 380 miles from San Francisco to... ![Mercedes-Benz EQ electric car concept [photo: Axel Harries]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/mercedes-benz-eq-electric-car-concept-photo-axel-harries_100597897_t.gif)
Mercedes-Benz has big plans for electric vehicles in the future, but its main nod to what those plans will bring thus far is the EQ Concept. Shown at the Paris Motor Show last year, the vehicle represents a conceptual version of the first of many electric vehicles to come from the Germany luxury marque. In fact, parent company Daimler has already... 
The first Mini E, cobbled together by putting a battery pack where the rear seat used to be, was BMW's very first attempt at building a modern electric car. Only a few hundred were built, back in 2009, but the quick project gave the German company real-world experience on how electric-car drivers used their cars, recharged them, and otherwise... 
The internet has transformed how many perceive property, allowing the rental of other peoples' personal vehicles, apartments, and other spaces when owners are not using them. Now, the idea is being applied to charging stations across the United Kingdom with the introduction of the Chargie smartphone app. Chargie aims to redefine how electric-car... 
When a major lobbying group issues a statement replying to an academic study before that study even hits the media, you know it's major. On Monday, the Diesel Technology Forum responded to an article in Nature with a statement that supported "improved real-world testing" of diesel emissions. Those more stringent tests, the group's executive... 
Lightning Motorcycles is known for pushing the boundaries of electric motorcycles. In 2013, it set the record for the fastest production electric motorcycle, at an adrenaline-pumping 218 mph. Now Lightning CEO Richard Hatfield has plans to make a prototype bike that can travel 400 miles on a single charge, which would be a remarkable feat for an... 
Today, uncertainty over EPA emission testing, GM's electric-car goal, concern over the fate of more capable start-stop systems, and a 5-minute battery recharge? All this and more on Green Car Reports. Romania has doubled its electric-car purchase incentives; they're now more than $10,000 for a new car. Someday, one carmaker will sell affordable... ![StoreDot shows fast-charging battery cell, Cube Tech Fair, Berlin [via Periscope: Gruendermetropole]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/storedot-shows-fast-charging-battery-cell-cube-tech-fair-berlin-via-periscope-gruendermetropole_100606667_t.gif)
It's one of the Holy Grails for battery researchers and electric-car advocates alike: a battery that could recharge in the same amount of time as it takes to stop for gasoline. Some of that can be provided by charging at higher rates, as Porsche's proposed 800-volt system for 15-minute fast charging would. But most of the change has to come deep...