Tesla Fires Hundreds of Workers
The dismissals came as the electric-car maker tries to increase the production of its first mass-market vehicle, the Model 3 sedan.
GM taps Bolt EV, Volt, Super Cruise chief for new EV lead role
General Motors announced Friday that it would promote Pamela Fletcher to a newly created role to lead the automaker's global electric vehicle program. Fletcher most recently oversaw development of the Chevy Bolt EV and Super Cruise programs. The newly minted role for Fletcher—vice president of Global Electric Vehicle Programs—has... Tesla Model 3 for sale, Norway taxing electric cars, Paris axes gas and diesel: Today’s Car News
Today, it's your chance to buy a Tesla Model 3 (for three times its list price), Nissan gets the A-OK to expand its Tennessee battery plant, and Paris is ready to kick internal combustion engines to the curb. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Bosch showed off its new 48-volt battery ready for us in mild-hybrid vehicles. Norway, one of... Nissan gets approval to expand Tennessee battery plant
Nissan has received local government approval to add more than 26,000 square feet of floor space to the Smyrna, Tennessee, plant where it produces batteries used in the Leaf electric car. Smryna's Planning Commission on Wednesday voted 4-0 in favor of Nissan's intention to enlarge the 475,000 square-foot plant, which is operated by Nissan... Tesla Model 3 comes up for sale… for $150,000
One of the mere handful of Tesla Model 3 electric cars on the road made its way to Craigslist—very briefly—on Wednesday. But it wasn't the fact that the Model 3 was the only one on the open market at the time. It was its eye-popping price price tag: $150,000. That's enough to buy a very well-equipped Tesla Model S and it'll eventually... Ahead of France, Paris to phase out internal-combustion engines by 2030
France followed two other European countries—Norway and the Nethelands—with a plan to ban the sale of new cars powered by gasoline and diesel by 2040. While the country will stick to the 2040 timeline, France's capital city of Paris announced a more aggressive timeline. Ten years ahead of the country as a whole, Paris will phase out... Bosch creates off-the-shelf 48-volt battery for mild-hybrid systems
Whether car buyers are ready or not, many future cars will boast some sort of electrification. The numerous announcements from automakers declare their brands will begin electrifying all vehicles post a certain date; to be clear, that does not mean cars will be solely electric. What it does likely mean is a widespread adoption of 48-volt... Norway proposes electric car tax that could affect Tesla significantly
Norway is likely the friendliest place on Earth for electric cars. The government's generous incentives and perks have led to an electric-car boom, and the country is now Silicon Valley automaker Tesla's third-largest market. However, Norway's latest taxation proposal could have serious implications for Tesla in the near future. DON'T MISS: Half... 11,000 Tesla Model X crossovers recalled for faulty seat mechanism
Electric car builder Tesla is calling back 11,000 examples of its Model X crossover to rectify a folding rear-seat issue. The California company says that the recall affects Model Xs fitted with a flat-folding second row that were built between October 26, 2016, and August 16, 2017. At issue is a cable in the rear seatback, which the automaker... An Electric Car and a Rugged Throwback: The Dreams of 2 Rich Britons
James Dyson is looking to the future and Jim Ratcliffe to the past. But to make their cars a reality they must overcome the auto industry’s high barriers to entry.
Electric cars taking over cities, industry executives weigh-in, a plug-in hybrid Range Rover: Today’s Car News
Today, Fiat-Chrysler's outspoken CEO casts doubt on electric cars, while Oxford in the U.K. and Los Angeles are betting big on going gas- and diesel-free. Talk about contradictory. All this and more on Green Car Reports. General Motors' CEO had her own things to say about electric cars. Toyota is starting to test a semi with powertrain derived... Los Angeles Metro orders 100 electric buses
As part of its bid to go green, America's second-largest bus system has placed an order for up to 100 New Flyer Xcelsior Charge all-electric buses. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) has ordered 35 buses and has the option to purchase an additional 65. DON'T MISS: LA Metro uses BYD's electric buses L.A.'s new... Oxford aims to be world’s first zero-emissions city
The college town of Oxford, England, is poised to become the first municipality in the United Kingdom to ban gasoline and diesel-fueled cars from its city center. A proposal headed to the Oxford City Council has four stages that would culminate in a city free of vehicular emissions by 2035. Initially, the city hopes to ban gas and diesel cars... GM’s Barra backpedals from “mandated” electric car statement
General Motors CEO Mary Barra appeared Tuesday to walk back from earlier statements that China would be artificially creating demand by mandating electric cars in the future. “Clearly we believe that the Chinese market will have the highest electric vehicles most quickly because of the regulatory environment,” she said, according to... Toyota to study Mirai-derived fuel-cell tech for heavy-duty trucks
Toyota announced on Thursday that it will begin testing in two California ports a hydrogen fuel-cell heavy-duty truck adapted from the Toyota Mirai's powertrain for drayage use. Initially, Toyota is looking at how it can use hydrogen fuel-cell-powered vehicles to significantly reduce vehicle emissions in short-haul situations, such as at... Fiat-Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne doesn’t think electric cars, Tesla are viable
The question of electric cars and their profitability remains a major factor as automakers and brands move to electrify vehicle portfolios. While many automakers commit to an all-electric future through various sources of electrification, one remains skeptical of the business model: Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles. In fact, FCA's CEO Sergio Marchionne... 2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400e plug-in hybrid revealed, on sale in US next year
Following the debut of the smaller Land Rover Range Rover Sport P400e plug-in hybrid, the luxury SUV maker revealed its larger sibling: the 2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400e. The Land Rover Range Rover P400e plug-in hybrid is the larger of the two, but the SUV boasts an identical electrified powertrain to the Range Rover Sport P400e. Both plug-in... Volkswagen to launch heavy-duty electric trucks and buses
Volkswagen Truck & Bus are working on electric solutions for use in both medium- and heavy-duty distribution transport and city buses. It will soon have a complete range of electric vehicles for the European market. The jointly developed e-drivetrain will form the basis of any electric architecture in the future.
This electric powertrain is designed in a way that means that it can be used to drive future distribution trucks and city buses manufactured by the Volkswagen Truck & Bus brands as a universal modular element. Navistar, Volkswagen’s strategic partner in the U.S., will also use the platform to be able to offer electric distribution trucks from 2019 onwards.
MAN is already well on its way to developing an electric distribution truck. “We plan to deliver the first nine fully electric trucks to our customers in Austria by the end of 2017 – including large supermarket chains, breweries and haulers.
Electric drives and distribution are a match made in heaven: The drives are quiet, do not produce any emissions locally, and are a perfect fit for customers’ requirements. Equally, demand for these types of vehicles has been on the rise. We will be launching the first small set of vehicles on the market at the end of 2018,” Joachim Drees, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, explained.
World premiere in Hamburg for the electric distribution truck, the e-Delivery
With the fast-growing emerging economies in mind, another electrically powered distribution truck has been developed, which had its world premiere under the model designation Volkswagen e-Delivery at the Innovation Day. The e-Delivery is a modern truck for urban logistics designed to improve sustainability in the delivery of goods. It will be built at Volkswagen Caminhões e Onibus in Brazil in 2020. Roberto Cortes, CEO of MAN Latin America: “The e-Delivery marks a milestone in the history of Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus. This is a brand-new platform that was developed in Brazil with the aim of offering new mobility alternatives to large cities.”
Both MAN and Scania will be testing the module on pre-series production versions of a city bus that runs on electric batteries (BEV) under everyday conditions in several European cities. Series production of these electric buses is due to start before 2020. Both brands can already offer comprehensive advice on introducing electric mobility solutions, along with the necessary charging requirements for electric buses, to bus operators and communities. As part of this endeavor, the focus is on being able to offer a variety of options, such as charging the buses overnight in depots or charging mid-route at bus stops.
Initiatives are under way to find a different way to electrify heavy-duty trucks to make sure that their range and load capacity can become suitable for long-haul traffic. The buzzword for this area of development is “e-road”, which focuses on the use of overhead power lines, as in the rail sector. Trucks powered by overhead lines can run with zero emissions, and any batteries can be charged depending exactly on how many emission-free kilometers still lie ahead. A test route for electric Scania trucks already exists in Sweden. Test routes have also been announced in Germany.
Drive systems of the future will not be uniform, since their aim is to achieve an intelligent transition from diesel engines to alternative drive systems and fuels. “Volkswagen Truck & Bus has announced its aim of becoming number one in the field of alternative drive systems,” Andreas Renschler explained. “The company already has a broadly diversified portfolio, which offers the best possible foundation for this endeavor.”
Transparent structures, clearly defined goals and a wealth of both tried and tested expertise and pioneering technology: Volkswagen Truck & Bus is rapidly becoming a Global Champion. This three-pronged approach, which combines automated transportation, digital services, and environmentally-friendly alternative drive systems, will reduce costs, make rising transport volumes manageable and protect the environment. In implementing the approach, the Group and its brands will set new benchmarks and be able to offer the right solution for every customer.
Electric motorcycle road-tripping, hydrogen fuel-cell in the Army, mid-engined Corvette: Today’s Car News
Today, we envision a diesel-free future in Copenhagen (with many exclusions), ride 4,000 miles across the country on an electric motorcycle, and see that the potential for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles could be in the U.S. Army. All this and more on Green Car Reports. General Motors is diving deep into hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks, but they... Copenhagen mayor proposes banning new diesel cars
Copenhagen's mayor wants to deal a major blow to diesel-fueled cars—but not trucks. Frank Jensen, the city's mayor, says that he will propose legislation to ban new diesel cars from entering the Danish capital by January 1, 2019. Jensen's plan would not apply to vehicles bought and registered prior to the close of 2018, and it appears to...