Despite weak EV sales, total battery capacity increased 69% YOY in April 2019


Despite weak EV sales growth in April 2019 compared to the same month the year prior, total battery capacity deployed in newly-sold EVs increased markedly over the same period, according to Adamas Intelligence’s EV Battery Capacity Monthly. While total EV sales increased just 19.6% over the previous April, the industry deployed over 6.7 GWh of… Read more »

AVID Technology and Caterpillar receive $42 million from UK to develop electric construction machinery


The United Kingdom government has awarded EV component manufacturer AVID Technology and construction machinery giant Caterpillar €33 million (about $41.7 million) to develop fully electric construction machinery. The funding, which is made possible by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre, will benefit 32 companies and create 2,230 jobs, according to a government statement. Ian Constance, Chief… Read more »

Electric marine propulsion system can save $1.7 million in fuel costs annually


An independent study for ABB by marine consultancy Deltamarin has found that the ABB Azipod electric propulsion system for ferries could save up to $1.7 million in annual fuel costs per vessel. By simulating a transit on seven existing ferry routes, researchers found that a ferry equipped with twin 10 MW mid-power range Azipod units… Read more »

Toyota and Subaru to jointly develop EV platform and electric SUV


Toyota and Subaru have agreed to jointly develop an EV platform for midsize and large passenger vehicles as well as a C-segment-class electric SUV for sale under each company’s own brand. The companies hope to combine their respective strengths, like Subaru’s much-lauded AWD system and Toyota’s electrification technology. This isn’t the first time the automakers… Read more »

North Dakota deploys first electric school bus


North Dakota’s West Fargo Public Schools has taken delivery of the state’s first electric school bus, a Blue Bird Vision with the Cummins PowerDrive system. The electric bus has a range of 120 miles and can operate in temperatures as low as negative 20 degrees. Funding for the bus was provided by the North Dakota… Read more »

Proterra CEO: Electric buses are close to inevitable


The economic case for electric transit buses has become a no-brainer, Proterra CEO Ryan Popple told Bloomberg in a recent interview. The energy cost of a typical e-bus is about 20 cents per mile, compared to about 75 cents per mile for diesel. The up-front costs for e-buses are substantially higher, but Proterra recently introduced… Read more »

Toyota accelerates its electrification plans, teases six new EVs


EV advocates have long been puzzled by the policies of Toyota. The company that initiated vehicle electrification in 1997 with the Prius, and that currently makes the second-best-selling plug-in vehicle in the US (the Prius Prime) has consistently dismissed the benefits of pure EVs, insisting that hybrids are superior, and diverting resources to fuel cell… Read more »

BYD electric garbage truck now servicing Seattle


BYD, a US-based manufacturer of commercial electric trucks, has delivered an all-electric refuse truck for use in Seattle, Washington. BYD says it’s the first electric Class-8 rear loader in the US. The vehicle features BYD’s 8R Class-8 truck fitted with refuse equipment maker New Way’s Viper Rear Loader refuse body. The vehicle is now in… Read more »

The auto industry is finally advertising its EVs


Over the past few years, we in the EV media have been highly critical of automakers for failing to advertise their EVs (and then claiming that there’s no consumer demand for them). So it’s only fair that we praise them now that they’re starting to release some pro-EV ad spots. Several TV campaigns have referred… Read more »