Teardown specialist Sandy Munro: Tesla Model 3 should deliver 30% profit margin


Model 3 is rolling out of the factory and onto the roads, and so far owners are making happy noises. But can Tesla make a profit on its much-anticipated mass-market EV? The results of two recent teardowns suggest the answer is a resounding yes. Earlier this year, a group commissioned by German automakers dismantled several… Read more »

Nissan offers $3,000 LEAF discount to Duke Energy customers


Perhaps you’re tempted to upgrade to a new 2018 LEAF, but need a little extra sweetener to close the deal. If you’re a customer (or employee) of Duke Energy in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina or Florida, you may be eligible for a special incentive of $3,000 off MSRP. Nissan is offering the… Read more »

Letter from Switzerland: No EV incentives in sight


In Switzerland, it’s not just the Alpine meadows that are green: every corner of the country can be reached by public transport, solar panels are ubiquitous, and recycling programs are strong. When it comes to automobiles however, it’s a different story. The Swiss love their cars every bit as much as Americans do, and in… Read more »

Renault will invest over a billion euros to develop and produce EVs in France

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Groupe Renault plans to invest more than €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the development and production of plug-in vehicles in France. The company will: introduce a new Alliance electric platform in Douai to create a second EV production site; double production capacity for its ZOE EV, and launch a new ZOE at Flins; triple electric… Read more »

UK LEAF buyers claim Nissan misled them about range, charging times


Some UK buyers of Nissan’s new 2018 LEAF are ever so cross. As the BBC reports, some say charging the LEAF can take three times longer than claimed on Nissan’s website, and others have found that the range is far shorter than the 235 miles (378 km) they were promised. Nissan denies that there’s a… Read more »

New interactive tool estimates effect of EVs on oil demand


Most of us expect EVs to cut into global demand for oil, but how much and how soon? Big Oil foresees a gradual, decades-long process, while energy guru Tony Seba believes the Oil Age will wind down by 2030. A new report from Carbon Tracker examines many of the factors that affect how oil demand… Read more »

Toronto Transit Commission orders 10 electric buses from New Flyer

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New Flyer Industries Canada has won an order from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) for ten forty-foot electric Xcelsior CHARGE transit buses, with an option to purchase up to 30 additional buses over the next two years. TTC is the third-largest transit system in North America, operating more than 140 bus routes, as well as… Read more »

German government awards €50 million in subsidies to 31 municipal electromobility projects


The German government has announced €50 million ($58 million) in new funding for 31 municipal electric mobility projects under its aptly-named “Clean Air 2017-2020 Emergency Program.” Under this fourth phase of the program, municipal vehicle fleets (e.g. waste disposal vehicles and buses), as well as taxi and car-sharing companies will receive subsidies of from 40… Read more »

CARB awards $20 million to zero-emission off-road vehicle demonstrations


The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has awarded $20 million in grants for demonstrations of zero-emission off-road equipment in the freight, agriculture and waterborne mass transit sectors. The projects are part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of dollars from the state’s Cap-and-Trade program to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly… Read more »

Paris pulls the plug on Bolloré’s Autolib electric car-sharing service

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French conglomerate Bolloré launched its Autolib electric car-sharing service in Paris in 2011, and later expanded to other French cities, as well as London, Indianapolis and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the Paris operation has died. After a very public dispute, the syndicate that brought together the 103 partner municipalities, including Paris, in Île-de-France, terminated its contract… Read more »