California announces $95-million plan for charging infrastructure and ZEVs

California flag
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a $95-million plan to expedite the adoption of zero-emission vehicles. The plan focuses on closing an anticipated gap in EV charging infrastructure and increasing benefits to disadvantaged communities. The 2019-2020 Investment Plan Update for the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program (formerly known as the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and… Read more »

Konin, Poland orders six Solaris electric buses


The municipal transit operator Miejski Zakład Komunikacyjnycity (MZK) in Konin, Poland has ordered six Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses and three chargers, which are scheduled for delivery by the end of May 2020. The six 12-meter buses will each feature two 110 kW electric motors and a 200 kWh battery. The three free-standing dual charging… Read more »

Amazon orders 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian


Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has announced a far-reaching plan to reduce his company’s environmental footprint. Amazon’s “Climate Pledge” calls for the retail behemoth to zero out its carbon emissions by 2030. Bezos also challenged other companies to join Amazon in meeting the goals of the Paris climate agreement 10 years ahead of schedule. As part… Read more »

Porsche to join Formula E electric racing championship, 2019-2020 calendar announced


The Formula E electric racing championship has announced its calendar for the 2019-2020 season: 14 races in 12 cities on 4 continents, beginning in November in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia and winding up in July 2020 in London. However, the big news is that Porsche will be fielding an electric racing team. The TAG Heuer… Read more »

Schwarzenegger rebuts Trump’s attack on California emissions standards

trump-plug-in-vehicles
The Trump administration launched another salvo in its war on environmental regulations this week by formally revoking California’s authority to set its own auto emissions rules. The administration previously announced that it would pursue anti-trust investigations against four automakers that forged a compromise with California on fuel economy standards. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Republican former governor… Read more »

VW ID.R sets first record on China’s Tianmen Mountain


Volkswagen has set the first speed record on China’s Tianmen Mountain with its ID.R electric motorsports vehicle. VW staged the record attempt to support its upcoming introduction of EVs to the Chinese market. The ID.R is the motorsport ambassador for Volkswagen’s ID. family, its new range of EVs. It currently holds records on Pikes Peak… Read more »

BEVs account for 91% of passenger vehicle battery capacity, outpacing PHEVs and hybrids

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV battery system
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 91 percent of all passenger EV battery capacity globally in June 2019, according to a recent report on monthly EV battery capacity by Adamas Intelligence. That figure was up from 84 percent a year earlier. Adamas attributes the increase to the sales growth of BEVs outpacing those of hybrids… Read more »

First electric off-road Extreme E race to take place in Greenland


The all-electric off-road racing series Extreme E has announced that its first race will take place in Greenland in 2021. Organizers are currently reconnoitering sites for four more races in other regions of the world. The three-day event, which will be the first-ever motorsport race in the Arctic country, will take place on the sandbars… Read more »

Aptera returns from the dead, unveils 1,000-mile EV


Long-time followers of the EV scene may remember Aptera, a startup that was founded in 2006, designed a unique three-wheeled two-seater EV, then went into liquidation in 2011. Now, Aptera is back. Three of the founders have bought back the intellectual property, and have spent many months working on an improved version of Aptera’s vehicle… Read more »