We tested a new electric vehicle: 2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEv

September 12-20 was National Drive Electric Week. The initiative aims at raising awareness of all-electric vehicles that, "…are fun to drive, are less expensive and more convenient to fuel than gasoline vehicles, are better for the environment, promote local jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil". Some of that sounds like a political agenda. But there are some compelling reasons to a least try an electric vehicle, if not just for the novelty. We won't lie, it took quite a bit of convincing for us to even consider the idea. Electric cars just aren't our thing. In the end, the timing was right and we couldn't justify passing on an opportunity to sample one. Of course, when you're trying to raise awareness of the benefits of EVs, you do come up against the argument of price. So we started with the most affordable 100% electric vehicle on the market today, the Mitsubishi i-MiEv.

The i-MiEv starts at $22,995. Add in the only option, the $2,000 Navigation Package, and the Mitsubishi reached $25,845 before the $7,500 Federal tax credit. Underneath this adorable orb, a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery powers a 49 kW motor. That translates into a 66 horsepower engine with a 62 mile effective range. This is a city car. It's small, nimble, and works great in traffic. But we don't live in a city. So how would the i-MiEv experience be in the country? We kept a log of our first EV experience to find out.

Day 1

The car arrived fully charged with the onboard indicator showing an optimistic 73 mile range. With temperatures forecast to reach 93 degrees, I'm going to need that air conditioning. Turning on the A/C drops the range counter to 64 miles without even leaving the driveway. My daily commute is 42 miles round-trip so there should be no issue, but there are no charging stations on my route should I need to top up. I won't be charging until I'm home again. The i-MiEv passes the test. I arrived at work with 41 miles of range and returned home with 23 miles left over.

Day 2

I awoke to a problem. The car didn't have time to fully recharge overnight. The i-MiEv arrives with an 8A/12A Level 1 charging cable. My garage is only capable of using the 8amp, 110V charging system. In EV speak, that's Level 1 and translates to a 22 hour charge time. Had my garage had a 12amp, 220V circuit, the charge time would drop to 14 hours. Exchanging a once-a-week, 5 minute stop to pump those horrible hydrocarbons into my car with a nightly, 14-hour charge doesn't exactly come across as "more convenient".

Either way, I now had to embark on a 42 mile one-way trip to a friend's house with 54 miles of indicated range. Yesterday's "leftover" range imbued a sense of EV bravado. Cruising comfortably down the highway with the A/C on was a unique experience. There's nothing but wind noise on the highway, easily drowned out by the meager 100-watt stereo. The absence of engine vibration signals to your brain that something isn't quite normal. But the visibility is excellent and the i-MiEv managed to stay with traffic and keep a low profile. All was well…

Until I did a bit of mental math. With 12 miles to go, the Mitsubishi showed just 16 miles of range left. Knowing the last 2 miles climbed steeply uphill, I shut off the A/C and dropped into Eco mode. Eco mode reduces battery output and increases the intervention of the regenerative brakes. I ran through several what-if scenarios if I found myself stranded. None of them seemed like very much fun. I changed my driving style – slow gentle acceleration, minimal braking. I needed to be efficient as possible. As the temperature in the car began to rise, I narrowly skirted through a yellow light…stopping would have cost too much energy. One sweat-drenched shirt and many chewed finger nails later, I arrived with 4 miles to spare. Range anxiety is real.

This, of course, lead to another problem. Even after arriving at my destination and convincing my friend to let me borrow some electrons, I faced an almost 20-hour wait to sufficiently recharge for the return trip. After 7 hours, the i-MiEv had only gained 25 miles of range. A quick search on the i-MiEv's touchscreen navigation system lead to the discovery of a free charging station at a nearby gym. Thankfully, the gym was next to a bar. I had sweat enough for one day.

The Level 2 charging station was managed by ChargePoint, a company that boasts almost 24,000 charging locations across the globe. To use the ChargePoint station, you need a ChargePoint account. To get a ChargePoint account, you need to sign up online and be mailed a card. You scan the card at the charging station and it releases one of the plugs. None of this does you much good when you're standing in parking lot at 8:00pm without enough range to get home. There's also no credit card reader or bill slot on the machine. Thankfully, ChargePoint has a helpful app, also not advertised on the machine, where you can register, sign in, and unlock the charger. The app also tells you, based on which vehicle you register, how many miles are added per hour. Just over two hours later, I had enough range to get home. I plugged in the i-MiEv with 12 miles left.

Day 3

Yesterday's late return and the i-MiEv's 22 hour charge time meant I didn't have enough range to go round-trip to work the next day. If the premise was to use the i-MiEv as a daily driver, it failed halfway through the test. Back to internal combustion for a day.

Day 4

With a full charge and full Saturday morning to-do list, the i-MiEv is finally in its element. Around town, the instant torque from the electric motor makes it perfect to jump into traffic. There's no long trip to induce anxiety. With regenerative braking in its most aggressive mode, you learn to drive with a single pedal. It's the most efficient method and acts as some level of mental escape from the i-MiEv's interior.  For the most affordable EV to stay inexpensive, it gets minimal luxury treatment. Hollow plastics and hard, manual seats show the true price of frugality. The owner's manual rationalizes the standard heated seats as more efficient than the HVAC system as a means of warming up on cold mornings. We wouldn't know that if the switches had been mounted somewhere rational.

Day 5

Sometimes the hardest thing about a car is finding a location to photograph it. Not so with the i-MiEv. This is a city car being used well outside its comfort zone…in a county where someone's other car could legitimately be a tractor. We want to show it as such, so it was off to a corn field. The soft hum of the electric motor and the crunch of gravel under the narrow tires are the only noises present as the i-MiEv crawls down the dirt access road. This must be what David Scott experienced as the first man to drive on the moon. Sort of.

Day 6

The last day with the i-MiEv was much like the first; 64 miles to start, plenty of air conditioning, and 24 miles when it was said and done. What had left, after a week to get acquainted with the most affordable EV on the market, was the trepidation.

There's a first time for everything. And the Mitsubishi i-MiEv was the logical place to start. It exposes you to the bare minimum capabilities of the electric car. Its unabashedly inexpensive on the EV spectrum, but undercut by one of its own stablemates. For just over $17,000, you could have a similarly equipped Mitsubishi Mirage. With a 9.2 gallon tank and an EPA average of 40 mpg, it has an effective range in excess of 350 miles. During the course of the week, we traveled less than 350 miles, recharged 7 times, and had to leave the i-MiEv behind once. As a daily driver in Upstate New York, it just doesn't work.

There are cases where the electric car is a viable alternative. Parts of the country have a more mature EV support network. You don't have to spend much more to own an EV with a larger operating range. And the lack of regular service intervals is an incentive to some audiences. But the i-MiEv is a niche car in a niche segment. And if you aren't one of a very small percentage of people, that makes it very hard to justify.

Article by LimitedSlipBlog

Source: We tested a new electric vehicle: 2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEv

Rolls-Royce may build an electric car

Up to now, Rolls-Royce has pooh poohed the idea of building an electric car, but ever tightening government regulations may be changing the company's mind. Soon, wealthy plutocrats may not be able to buy their way out of the green car revolution by simply paying a little more for the cars. Fines for non-compliance with European Union regulations will soon move from merely inconvenient to genuinely painful.

At the Frankfurt auto show this month, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, head of the BMW division that owns Rolls-Royce, said, "Suppose we find a battery technology that can offer ranges that are acceptable to our customers." In that case, he said, "I can definitely imagine a fully electric Rolls-Royce."

That's a lot of supposing and imagining. A Rolls-Royce today tips the scales at close to 6,000 lbs, and that's before any people or luggage gets added. Theoretically, a battery could be made that is large enough to waft all that weight down the highway (the Tesla Model X may have a gross vehicle weight of more than 6,000 lbs.), but the charging network to keep the battery topped up barely exists anywhere in the UK or Europe.

Whether or not the Tesla Model S or Model X is quite the car a Rolls-Royce is, customers may prefer to own a car that has its own dedicated charging network rather than be parked on the side of the road waiting with a depleted battery, waiting for assistance. Which raises this interesting possibility: Is the Rolls-Royce simply irrelevant in the modern world?

Source: Rolls-Royce may build an electric car

110-Year-Old Electric Car Sells for $95,000

Teslas might be 'practical' and 'fast' and other useful things, but they're also a little nouveau riche. If you want real electric-car class, you've got to hark back to 1905, and this very expensive vintage golf cart.

The 1905 Woods Electric Queen Victoria Brougham — described by Bonhams as still functional and recently driven — was one of the early electric car pioneers. Equipped with an open-air cab and a curb weight of 2,600 pounds, it was the height of style for anyone with $3,000, or $80,000 in today's money.

The car, which was just sold by Bonhams for $95,000, is the only surviving model. It was last sold in 2010 for $77,000, so if you're looking for a stylish investment you can also drive, it's a pretty safe bet.

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[Bonhams via Gizmag]

Source: 110-Year-Old Electric Car Sells for $95,000

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on New Electric Competition: I'm Glad

With all the recent announcements from major automakers about plans to enter the electric vehicle market with their own high-end vehicles, it has sparked a debate about whether or not Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) will face greater challenges in growing its business than investors have expected.

Here's a look at how the electric-car maker thinks about competition, as well as some new quotes from Tesla CEO Elon Musk from an interview with Danish newspaper Borsen this week, in which he talks about the increasing number of competitors in the space.

Model S. Image source: Tesla Motors.

Where is the competition?Up until recently, the main narrative expressed by Tesla management regarding competition was about how disappointing the competitive response to the success of Model S has been. As carmakers continue to flood the market with new gasoline cars, Tesla has tried to woo them toward electrification in a number of ways, including an onstage plea in Detroit from Musk for more electric cars, and a move to open-source its patents.

In a blog post last year, Musk articulated the company's frustration with the automotive industry's lack of interest in electric vehicles, regarding its decision to share its patents "in the spirit of the open source movement, for the advancement of electric vehicle technology":

At Tesla, however, we felt compelled to create patents out of concern that the big car companies would copy our technology and then use their massive manufacturing, sales, and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla. We couldn't have been more wrong. The unfortunate reality is the opposite: Electric car programs (or programs for any vehicle that doesn't burn hydrocarbons) at the major manufacturers are small to non-existent, constituting an average of far less than 1% of their total vehicle sales.

At best, the large automakers are producing electric cars with limited range in limited volume. Some produce no zero-emission cars at all.

Musk acknowledges competitionBut the narrative is shifting. Competition is finally showing interest in building compelling electric vehicles. And in this recent interview with Borsen, Musk provides an update on how Tesla is thinking about its competitive landscape today.

When asked about an increasing number of plans from its larger peers to compete with its electric vehicles by building their own electric models, Musk said he was "glad."

"I hope they move even faster than they announce," Musk said.

He noted that Tesla's ultimate mission is to accelerate a transition to sustainable transport, so automakers' decisions to launch their own electric are in line with what the company is trying to accomplish.

"To that end, we actually open sourced all of our patents," he reminded. "So, we said any car company can use our technology -- it's no problem. They don't even have to pay a fee to us."

When asked whether he believes Tesla investors expect the company to "fight off this competition rather than embracing it," Musk first responded saying that he has been clear from the beginning that Tesla is driven by strong ideology to transition the world to sustainable transport, so Tesla's efforts to support competitors in developing electric vehicles shouldn't come as a surprise.

Tesla Model S Supercharging. Image source: Tesla Motors.

"So, for us, we're very philosophically motivated. We care about the advancement of electric vehicles," Musk said.

But then he addressed the elephant in the room, which is whether Musk believes it will be able to effectively compete with these new entrants. "As long as we make compelling products, I think Tesla will do OK. I mean we shouldn't do OK just because the competition failed; I mean we should do OK because we make good cars -- that's the only reason."

Perhaps an even bigger question about whether Tesla will be able to remain competitive when there is more electric competition on the road is whether new entrants in the space will drive enough incremental demand for electric vehicles in total that the competition actually ends up helping Tesla. Only time will tell.

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Daniel Sparks owns shares of Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Source: Tesla CEO Elon Musk on New Electric Competition: I'm Glad

Apple Car Battery: Behind The Technology That Will Power Tim Cook's Revolutionary Electric Vehicle

LONDON -- The spiral of white lines as the battery on an iPhone dies is one of the most frustrating images in modern life. No more Crossy Road, no more Snapchat, no more social life. Now imagine if the same image appeared on the dashboard of your car, leaving you stranded miles from the nearest power source.

This is the challenge facing Apple as it embarks on what is the most difficult task in the company's history -- designing and building an electric car from scratch that can meet its own exacting standards while having enough power to get drivers where they need to go.

The key to any electric car is its battery. It is the single most expensive component and is the biggest factor in the consumer purchasing decision when it comes to electric vehicles.

Just like smartphone batteries, advances in automotive battery technology over the last five years have been incremental at best. We have had numerous "breakthroughs" that promised to allow us to drive from San Francisco to New York on a single charge -- such as those from Envia Systems and the cautionary tale of A123 -- but all have fallen short when it came to delivering on their promises.

Despite the high cost of batteries and lack of real advances in technology, Apple's reported decision to go down the electric car route -- not yet formally confirmed by the company -- was probably not a difficult one for CEO Tim Cook, Jony Ive and the team they have assembled to produce the company's first ever car, which the Wall Street Journal reported will be introduced in 2019.

A Tesla S electric car and a charging station are displayed during the press preview day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, in this Jan. 14, 2014 photo. Electric car maker Tesla Motors' operating loss per vehicle has tripled in the past year, to nearly $15,000, and at its current rate of spending, the company would burn through its cash reserves in less than a year.  REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/Files

Bringing an electric car to market for a new manufacturer is a lot easier than introducing a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle because of regulatory issues. The difference was highlighted this week by the scandal surrounding Volkswagen's falsified diesel emissions reports, which resulted in the company's CEO resigning.

"Getting a petrol or diesel engine signed-off in various markets is much more complex than it is for an electric vehicle as you have to meet the emissions standards that are required by each of the markets you sell it in," Dave Greenwood, an expert in automotive battery technology at Warwick University in the U.K., told International Business Times.

Having gone down the electric car route, Apple's next big decision would be choosing what type of battery will power everything from the wheels to the in-car infotainment -- and that choice will influence what type of car Apple makes.

Two Choices

When it comes right down to it, Apple has only two options. The first is the easy choice -- pick an off-the-shelf solution, bolt it into Apple's shiny new car and accept the limitations of today's car battery technology. The second would be to design and build its very own battery technology, which would require an order of magnitude more investment, but could pay off hugely not only for its new car business, but across its entire product range.

An off-the-shelf solution doesn't sound very much like the Apple way of doing things, but let's not forget that Apple buys some components from the likes of Samsung, Qualcomm, Sharp and Sony to build its smartphones, so off-the-shelf isn't alien to Apple.

Greenwood believes that this is the route Apple is most likely to take. "[Find] a tier one supply-chain company who will design and test and warrant that component for them and deliver a big box," he said.

Now is a great time to be looking for such an off-the-shelf solution. There is currently a global glut of battery manufacturing capability so you have numerous companies fighting to find outlets for their products. "There are big factories set up around the world to manufacture a lot of cells and they are not being utilized so there are good deals to be had," Greenwood said.

Electric Car Challenges

The reason for this glut of battery cells is simply that electric vehicles are not selling in the numbers expected, and while in the short term it may mean cheaper batteries for Apple, longer term it reflects the company's challenges.

If they are like today's technology, the battery packs that will be powering Apple's car will comprise two components. The lithium-ion cells and the battery pack into which the cells are placed. These typically come from two different supply chains, and trying to ascertain where Apple will look for suppliers is difficult.

Canadian company Magna International was touted as being a possible supplier to the Apple car, as Foxconn is to the iPhone. In February, the company sold its battery pack business to Samsung SDI, meaning that Apple could once again be dealing with Samsung as a supplier.

'Apple Is Deeply Engaged With Suppliers'

However, there are a number of manufacturers on the market and, at the moment, Panasonic is the market leader, with its 18650 cylindrical cell packs the best one available and being used by Tesla and Audi in their electric cars. But that might all change by the time the first Apple car rolls off the production line.

The Audi E-Tron Quattro is an electric car that uses Panasonic's market-leading battery cells.  Audi

"[Battery development] is a fast moving field from a technology perspective and a cell manufacturer is only really at the top of its game for three to four years maximum, and then another one comes along and usurps it," Greenwood said.

If Apple opts for using batteries of its own design in its cars, then Greenwood says the fastest development time to go from a blank sheet of paper to having something ready for production would be between two to three years.

With a reported 2019 launch date, Apple still has time to wait and see what technologies emerge, but not that much time. "Given that Apple is new to the [car] business, my guess is that it would be deeply engaged in discussions with suppliers around now -- unless of course they were looking to do something utterly disruptive and actually engineer their own battery chemistry and cell."

Something Utterly Disruptive

To date, Apple has shied away from really pushing the boundaries when it comes to battery technology in its smartphones, tablets and laptops. It relies on software to eek the most out of batteries that are shrinking to meet the ever thinner profiles of iPhones and iPad. Yes its latest MacBook did something unique when it developed a terraced battery cell, but it has never touched the technology inside the battery cell itself.

To come up with something "utterly disruptive" would require a mammoth effort in terms of resources but also expertise. Hiring the right people to create a bespoke battery technology that no one else has been capable of creating is not going to be easy.

Apple has innovated by cramming more batteries into its products, but has yet to tinker with the technology inside the batteries themselves  Apple

To do so you first need electro-chemists. A search on LinkedIn shows that yes, Apple is hiring electro-chemists, but not for anything related to batteries. Apple is seeking such people to work on its iPad screen technology. Both BMW and Ford are currently recruiting electro-chemists to help them develop new battery technologies, and while Apple may be doing its hiring in secret, it would be tough to keep such an effort under wraps.

Even tougher to hide would be the second stage of developing your own battery technology. While there are a number of companies who might be able to produce batteries to Apple's design, it's likely that Apple would need to go down another route.

"Most of the current [battery] manufacturing facilities are set up to manufacture their own chemistries," Greenwood says. "There are a couple of independents that could do that but not in the kind of volumes you would anticipate someone like Apple would need." If Apple is going down this route and does want to meet a 2019 launch date then it would have to be building such a facility already, and keeping that secret would be much more difficult.

Connectivity And Functionality

The idea of Apple developing a radical new battery technology may sound far-fetched, but should Apple succeed it would benefit the company's entire product range, and could revolutionize not only the car industry but also the smartphone and tablet industries.

At the end of the day, however, the most probable situation is that Apple will go down the first route and that means that rather than challenging Tesla on range, it will be leveraging its expertise in software and mobile technologies to sell its car based on connectivity and functionality.

Greenwood believes the first Apple car will be more focused on urban and suburban commuting where range doesn't need to match that of a Tesla. "60 to 100 miles real world range is enough for something like 80 percent of consumers at that point," he said. This approach would mean that Apple wouldn't need to invest in a network of charging points as Tesla has done with owners simply plugging their cars in overnight so they can be ready for their iCommute the next morning.

Source: Apple Car Battery: Behind The Technology That Will Power Tim Cook's Revolutionary Electric Vehicle

Mercedes Electric Car Around 2019: Could Be SUV, Sedan, Or Both

Over the next few years, established German luxury automakers are expected to respond to Tesla's success with a series of high-end electric cars and plug-in hybrids.

Mercedes-Benz has already discussed an electric car, with a possible introduction date of 2019.

Both a sedan and an crossover are rumored, giving Mercedes models to parallel the Tesla Model S and Model X.

DON'T MISS: Mercedes Confirms All-Electric Luxury Car To Fight Tesla 'Very Soon'

Now, it appears a crossover utility vehicle could be the first long-range electric car to arrive from the world's oldest automaker.

Without confirming anything, Mercedes R&D boss Thomas Weber hinted that the carmaker is prioritizing an electric crossover in a recent interview with Car and Driver.

Weber said the new model will not be anything like the company's previous electric models, which include the B-Class Electric Drive, SLS AMG Electric Drive sports car, and the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive.

None of these models were intended for particularly high sales volumes, but Mercedes could take a more aggressive approach with this new electric car.

Weber hinted that it will be a crossover, saying that sedans "are not particularly well suited to storing large battery packs."

With competitor Audi set to launch an all-electric version of its Q6 "crossover coupe" in 2018, Mercedes may also be eyeing the plans of other German brands, as well as Tesla.

ALSO SEE: Audi e-Tron Quattro Concept: 2018 Q6 Electric Car Previewed At Frankfurt Motor Show

While Weber said the new model will be "cool and emotional," it's unclear whether it will have as heavy an emphasis on styling as the Audi, or whether it will use a more traditional SUV body.

Unlike the Audi--which is also expected to be offered with internal-combustion powertrains--the electric Mercedes could be a standalone model.

Mercedes is rumored to be working on a project code-named "EcoLuxe" that will yield a new vehicle architecture that can be used for battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains.

Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile concept, 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show

Enlarge Photo

The plug-in hybrid Concept IAA (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile) that debuted at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show may have been a preview of this platform.

Mercedes previously owned a small stake in Tesla and contracted with the company to provide running gear for three models.

MORE: Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA Changes Shape For Better Efficiency

It subsequently sold that stake, and is likely looking to move development of future electric cars completely in-house.

Electric cars will augment Mercedes' growing fleet of plug-in hybrids, including plug-in versions of the S-Class and C-Class sedans, and the GLE-Class SUV.

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Source: Mercedes Electric Car Around 2019: Could Be SUV, Sedan, Or Both

How government workers are filling their tanks on the taxpayers' tab: Widespread fuel rip-off is exposed after Arlington cemetery worker is jailed for using his staff card for ...

Bobby Bennett Harris was given the card to pay for fuel for Arlington National Cemetery's fleet

But his bosses noticed he had used it to put gasoline in his private vehicle

He was jailed for nine days, given a $5,000 fine and must pay back $5,354

Between 2010 and 2014, government workers fraudulently bought an estimated $2.4million of gas for personal use by using government cards

By James Dunn For Mailonline

Published: 04:01 EST, 24 September 2015 | Updated: 08:12 EST, 24 September 2015

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An Arlington cemetery worker jailed for a $5,000 fraud has become the latest in a long line of Government employees exposed for filling their tanks on taxpayers' dollars. 

Bobby Bennett Harris was handed a nine-day prison sentence and two years' supervised probation for buying £5,354 of fuel for his personal car with a staff card.

The court also ordered him to pay back the money and issued him with a $5,000 fine.

The case was brought after authorities noticed he had used a card assigned to an electric vehicle to put gasoline in his SUV. 

The electric vehicle was part of the fleet at Arlington National Cemetery, where fallen U.S. war heroes have been buried since the American Civil War. 

Arlington National Cemetery employee Bobby Bennett Harris was jailed for nine days and given two yea rs supervised probation for paying for £5,354 of fuel for his personal car with a staff card

Harris had been issued with two staff cards to pay for the fleet's fuel. He agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors in Virginia for theft of government property

Eric Radwick, special agent for the General Services Administration, told Watchdog.org that Harris using an 'electric' vehicle card for gas was 'an obvious sign [of fraud]'. 

It is the latest in a long line of abuses of fleet cards after an NBC investigation revealed that $2.4million was recovered in 260 cases between 2010 and 2014 by the General Services Administration. 

In March, a former Washington D.C. fire employee pleaded guilty to fraud for using a taxpayer-funded gas card to buy more than $2,600 in gasoline in his Jaguar and selling it to others at a reduced rate.

Staff assistant Terrell McCray, 31, was dismissed from his position shortly after his case was revealed in a February.

In 2011, a jury convicted Lanaire White, 38, of conspiring to steal almost $300,000 worth of gasoline he bought using fleet cards from the Fort Monroe Army base in Virginia. He was sentenced to six years in jail.

It is the latest in a long line of abuses after an NBC investigation revealed that $2.4million was recovered in 260 cases uncovered between 2010 and 2014 by the General Services Administration

The Watchdog.org review of fraudulent use of fleet cards showed 10 guilty pleas, one military discharge a nd one arrest in the past 11 months alone.

The thefts ranged from $976 to $24,000 and involved employees from a number of departments, including the Navy the Department of Homeland Security and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Services.

While some employees, like Bennett, used the cards to fill their personal vehicles, others sold the fuel to others in orchestrated scams.

'They'll start to arrange with people a time and place. They'll usually do this at a gas station, and they'll line up several people,' says Stuart Berman, who leads the GSA Inspector General's office in Chicago.

Officials believe that the full scale of theft could be much larger - with 590,385 gasoline purchase cards being used for the national fleet of 150,000 vehicles.

'Generally we don't catch (thieves) on the first tank,' said Radwick. < /p>

 

Source: How government workers are filling their tanks on the taxpayers' tab: Widespread fuel rip-off is exposed after Arlington cemetery worker is jailed for using his staff card for ...

Can Apple pull off an electric car by 2019? (The biggest challenges may not be technical.)

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This is the juiciest of stories: Apple will have a vehicle on the market by 2019. It's great for analysts and writers, because half the time nobody knows what Apple really is up to; there's little penalty to reputation for predicting incorrectly. Everybody else is usually wrong, too. It's great for Apple fanboys because it gives them something to talk about and predict, or dispute. It's great for car buyers because Apple will probably do something great, and different.

Here's what we believe: Apple will produce a car, an EV and perhaps a plug-in hybrid. 2019 may be when Apple signs on off on the car, but not when the car ships. It will have autonomous-driving features as good or better than other cars, but it won't be truly self-driving. It will have unique aspects. Apple will either muscle the 50 states to allow direct sales or work with a thoroughly vetted new dealer network, like Lexus's, only better.

The BMW i3's frame design.

It has to be an EV

There's little reason to sell a combustion-engine car. If there's one Apple car, it will be an EV. If there are two, it be an EV and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), because much of America lives where electric-only won't cut it for the driving tasks you face during all 52 weeks of the year. It will be smaller instead of larger, and will be shaped like a crossover or SUV, since that's the most efficient design. A compact crossover such as the Honda CR-V holds about as much as a midsize car such as the Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima, currently the top two sellers among midsize sedans. In fact, the compact SUV has taken over from the midsize sedan as the top-selling body style among cars today. It could be Apple starts out with something that would be called a subcompact crossover, meaning a car less than 160 inches long.

Most likely Apple will partner, at least quietly, with other automakers to license chassis and suspension technologies. The most likely donor car would be the BMW i3 (pictured at top), since it's the right size (157 inches), is well regarded, and Apple and BMW have partnered in the past. The i3 is also perfect because it comes in EV and PHEV flavors.

Apple won't go it alone

If and when Apple announces its car, it will be the work of hundreds and now thousands of Apple employees. The effort is codenamed Project Titan, notwithstanding that Nissan makes a big pickup truck called Titan. But just as Apple doesn't create every physical component on an iPhone, this will be the work of other companies, too. BMW or someone else will provide an initial level of chassis and powertrain expertise. Apple will source the component electronics for the basics of self-driving from the major players such as Harman, and then add its own tweaks and interface.

Adaptive cruise control, shown here by Volvo.

Autonomous driving (well, some) is a given

Add up all the features you can find on high-end cars now, reduce the price 50% at least to account for Moore's Law, and you'll have a car:

Stop and go adaptive cruise control

Lane keep assist that warns if you drift out of lane, nudges you back, and probably even self-centers the car in a lane

Blind spot warning

Volvo-like city braking for people and cars

High-end features such as night vision and shape recognition that locates pedestrians and deer on dark suburban or country roads

Obviously the Apple car will work with Apple devices. It will be interesting to see how well it supports Android. This could be the first car with more USB jacks than seats.

A sales experience you won't hate

Apple's greatest contribution may be the creation of its own dealer network that treats customers well. That is an amazing undertaking. The state legislatures require cars to be sold indirectly, through dealer networks. Dealers are the people who benefit the community by sponsoring youth league soccer in exchange for making the sales experience thoroughly wretched for many customers. If there's a fixed price for the sale of the car, you get whipsawed on the trade-in. If that works out okay, you get to work with a separate person on F&I – finance & insurance – which often is where the profits are made.

Apple could revolutionize the car sales experience like Tesla.

In exchange for rating the dealership 10 out of 10 on a satisfaction survey, you get a free oil change. It would be hard for Apple to do worse. Dealers do serve some good purposes for the business in general. If the automaker is too dumb to know beige doesn't sell well in the region, the dealer will clarify that.

Apple would like to sell direct, with Apple stores for cars. Tesla has had some success in direct sales, often locating showrooms in the same malls where Apple has stores. Dealer bodies will a) lobby against direct Apple sales, because it ends the world as they know it and b) individual dealers will line up to grab Apple car franchises with even stricter rules of good conduct than Lexus required in 1990 at its launch.

Will an Apple car actually happen?

With hundreds of billions of cash on hand, Apple could spend several tens of them, decide to move ahead, and then still decide the abort the project. A car remains a complex project.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "We look at a number of things along the way, and we decide to really put our energies in a few of them." For Apple, that's about par for the course, sounding appealing without saying too much.

Our belief: The Apple car is a go. Only if Apple hits impossible odds will it give up. More likely the car will happen, just not on time. In this, the computer and car industries have common ground.

Source: Can Apple pull off an electric car by 2019? (The biggest challenges may not be technical.)

Report: Apple wants electric car by 2019

SUNNYVALE -- Apple has set a 2019 target date to unveil an electric car, according to a report Monday.

The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified sources in reporting that Apple is committed to building an electric car and plans to triple its 600-person team working on the project.

Apple declined to comment, but the report was the latest to confirm what a general partner at Google Ventures on Monday called the "worst kept secret" in the Bay Area.

"There are more people working on it than work at almost every startup," M.G. Siegler, a partner at Google's venture capital wing, wrote on Twitter.

Still, longtime Apple observers remained skeptical that the iPhone maker wants to get into the car manufacturing business.

The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is decorated for an Apple media event Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, 2015, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Staff)

"I would be much more inclined to believe what Apple is doing is looking to become a dominant force for in-vehicle electronics, and be able to do integration between the car and all the other services they offer," said Van Baker, a San Jose-based analyst for Gartner Research. "Where the value comes is in the computing you put in the electric car."

Apple already has an Internet-connected dashboard, CarPlay, that turns cars into a mobile Web device and will be deployed in more new model vehicles in the coming year. The auto industry, however, has been slow in accepting CarPlay or rival Google's Android Auto -- in part because some carmakers are reluctant to cede control of the dashboard to Silicon Valley.

Another observer who has watched Apple since the late 1970s said he doubts the Cupertino company wants to take on Detroit or foreign carmakers, but he added that it "continues to surprise me."

"Apple was a computer company, but they've evolved more and more to be an electronics technology company heavily focused on consumers," said Tim Bajarin, president of San Jose-based tech consulting firm Creative Strategies. "This transformation has been going on for almost 20 years. When there were rumors of Apple trying a phone, a lot of us had trouble understanding why. Now we do."

He remains doubtful, he said, "only because trying to do an actual car, creating a manufacturing line, a sales structure and everything else, is a huge undertaking. To me it's more plausible they are creating a prototype car for the purpose of integrating Apple-related technology into the vehicle."

Even Google, which has worked for years on self-driving technology and already has a few dozen prototype robot cars riding through the streets of Mountain View and Austin, Texas, has said it does not intend to become a car manufacturer. But it recently hired an auto industry business veteran, former Hyundai executive John Krasnik, to lead its self-driving division.

On Friday, the California Department of Motor Vehicles disclosed that it met with Apple last month to talk about the state's rules for testing autonomous cars on public roads. Ten companies -- including Google and most major carmakers -- already have testing permits.

Apple also met in May with the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to discuss the possibility of using the agency's GoMentum road testing facility at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, though the talks did not lead to an agreement to use the site.

Online resumes on LinkedIn show the company has been hiring engineers with experience in self-driving cars, powertrains, battery systems and other relevant automotive experience, though sources told the Journal that Apple does not intend to make its first electric car fully autonomous.

Sunnyvale permit records also reveal that Apple in recent months has been fortifying an office complex for its car team off North Wolfe Road, adding security fencing, vehicle access controls for a multi-story parking garage, an "auto work" area and other renovations.

In true Silicon Valley style, records show the remodel includes some recreational perks, such as a bocce court.

Contact Matt O'Brien at 408-920-5011. Follow him at Twitter.com/Mattoyeah.

Source: Report: Apple wants electric car by 2019

Tesla Model X: The Electric SUV Women Say They Want

Tesla displayed an interior refresh for their Model X at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Photo by Joe Nuxoll.

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First deliveries of the Tesla Model X electric crossover are expected to take place just over a week from now.

With production set to ramp up gradually after that, speculation will likely shift to whether the Model X will be as much of a success as the Model S.

And it's possible that women could be the deciding factor.

DON'T MISS: Will Tesla Model X Success Depend On Women Buying The Electric SUV?

Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] designed its first utility vehicle in part to suit the tastes of female drivers, and is betting that women will account for a large chunk of sales, according to Bloomberg.

Early in the design process, Tesla reportedly invited a dozen women to its headquarters in Palo Alto, California, for a three-hour focus group with chief designer Franz von Holzhausen.

When the Model S launched in 2012, demand skewed towards male buyers, but that has changed somewhat.

2014 Tesla Model X all-electric crossover with 'Falcon Doors' open

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In 2012, women accounted for just 13.3 percent of U.S. Model S registrations, but in 2014 they accounted for 21.5 percent, according to research firm IHS Automotive.

Adding a crossover to the lineup is seen as key to attracting even more women to the brand.

"Women dominate the crossover SUV segment," Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds told Bloomberg.

ALSO SEE: Tesla Model X Range: EPA Estimates Now 250 Miles, Company Says

They account for 40 percent of U.S. new-car sales, but they buy 53 percent of small SUVs and 48 percent of small premium SUVs, according to J.D. Power & Associates.

While the Model X is more of a mid-size to large vehicle (the NHTSA hasn't classified it by size as yet), Tesla expects sales to reflect those trends.

CEO Elon Musk previously said more than half of orders for the Model X have come from female buyers.

Tesla Model X prototype [by Tesla Motors Club forum user Mulder1231]

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Audi may be taking a similar approach by going with a crossover model for its first mass-production, all-electric vehicle.

Previewed by the e-tron quattro concept that debuted last week at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, the battery-electric Audi Q6 e-tron will start production in 2018.

MORE: Audi e-Tron Quattro Concept: 2018 Q6 Electric Car Previewed At Frankfurt Motor Show

The first Model X deliveries will take place September 29.

A handful of vehicles will be handed over to their owners at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California.

However, production may not fully ramp up until later this year, or possibly even early next year.

_______________________________________________

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Source: Tesla Model X: The Electric SUV Women Say They Want

Electric Vehicle Car Rally

WESTFIELD – Electric vehicle drivers, enthusiasts, and intrigued local residents descended on the parking lot of 465 E. Main Street Westfield on Saturday for a ribbon cutting and Electric Vehicle Car Rally sponsored by the Westfield Gas + Electric.

This event was designed to further the City of Westfield's green initiatives and celebrate Westfield's new Level 2 commercial charging stations in that parking area.

Source: Electric Vehicle Car Rally

Electric Car Sales = 26% Of New Car Sales In August In Norway

Cars

Published on September 19th, 2015 | by Zachary Shahan

September 19th, 2015 by Zachary Shahan 

Originally published on EV Obsession.

I've finally got what seems to be official and complete data on electric car registrations in Norway. Woohoo! (In case you haven't been following along for years, public data on electric car sales/registrations are not available for all models in practically every large country in the world.) However, last month, a reader tipped me off to an obscure (and time-consuming) way for obtaining Norway electric car sales by model.

The data I've collected comes from doing simple calculations based on data presented on Grønn Bil, which I think originally comes from Ofvas (but is not presented on its website). It seems to include "personal" as well as "commercial" registrations.

The main story in Norway is that the Volkswagen e-Golf is absolutely crushing the competition. For the year to date, it has more than twice the registrations of the #2 Nissan LEAF.

The Tesla Model S is right behind the Nissan LEAF at #3, but it was #6 in August. #4 for the year to date is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (with a solid lead ahead of the #5 Audi A3 e-tron), but it was again far below that in August, sitting at #7 (and the e-tron was even further down, at #10).

The cars that moved up a lot in August relative to earlier in the year were the Kia Soul EV (#3 in August, #7 year to date), BMW i3 (#4 in August, #8 YTD), and Volkswagen Golf GTE (#5 in August, #10 YTD).

Interesting changes. And it will be interesting to see what happens when the 2016 LEAF (with 107 miles of range) hits the market. Can it take back #1 from the VW e-Golf? Also, how will the Tesla Model X do once production gets rolling? I'll venture to say quite well.

By the way, electric car sales seemed to account for ~26% of all new car sales in Norway in August and 25% for the year through August — but I say "seemed to" because I'm not entirely sure if the source of all new car sales is including commercial sales or not (but I think this says that the number does include commercial sales).

Here are the full charts and table:

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Tags: audi, Audi A3 e-tron, BMW, BMW i3, bmw i8, Chevy Volt, Citroen, Citroen Berlingo EV, Citroen C-Zero, daimler, EV sales, Ford, ford focus electric, GM, kia, Kia Soul EV, Mercedes, Mercedes 350e, Mercedes B-Class Electric, Mercedes S500 PHEV, Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Mitsubishi Outlander Plug In Hybrid, Nissan, nissan e-NV200, Nissan Leaf, norway, Norway EV Sales, Opel, Opel Ampera, Peugeot, peugeot ion, Peugeot Partner EV, Porsche, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, renault, Renault Kangoo ZE, Renault Twizy, renault zoe, Smart Electric Drive, Tesla Model S, Toyota, toyota prius PHEV, Toyota RAV4 EV, volkswagen, volkswagen e up!, Volkswagen e-Golf, Volkswagen Golf GTE, volvo, Volvo V60 PHEV, Volvo XC90 T8

About the Author

Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species) one letter at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of EV Obsession, Gas2, Solar Love, Planetsave, or Bikocity; or as president of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, energy storage, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media: ZacharyShahan.com, .

Source: Electric Car Sales = 26% Of New Car Sales In August In Norway

Apple is already talking about its plans for a self-driving car with DMV officials in California

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueApple CEO Tim Cook listens to U.S. President Barack Obama speak at the Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University in Palo Alta, California February 13, 2015. See Also Some people think Apple now has 'veto power' over the web A new drone video has revealed more of Apple's giant 'Campus 2' office If Google and Apple are really making cars, they should turn to India first

Apple met with officials from California's Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss plans regarding the self-driving car it's believed to be developing, according to a new report from The Guardian's Mike Harris. 

The documents indicate that Mike Maletic, a senior legal counsel at Apple, held an hour-long meeting with Bernard Soriano, the DMV's deputy director, Stephanie Daugherty, chief of strategic planning, and Brian Soublet, the DMV's deputy director and chief of counsel.

Both Soriano and Daugherty are cosponsors of the state's autonomous driving project, as The Guardian notes.

The DMV also confirmed to the publication that the meeting with Apple was held to review the department's autonomous vehicle regulations, but didn't disclose any further details about what was discussed.

The report comes about a month after The Guardian reported that Apple had begun seeking out a testing facility for its autonomous vehicle.

Rumors that Apple has been developing its own self-driving car have been swirling for months. Apple has made several hires over the past several months that indicate it's indeed working on some type of electric car. Doug Betts, formerly of Fiat Chrysler, joined the company in July, for instance. The first report suggesting that Apple has plans to work on a car of its own came from The Wall Street Journal back in February, and rumors have been circulating ever since.

Apple's self-driving car project is believed to be called Project Titan, and a design of the car looks similar to that of a minivan, reported The Wall Street Journal. The initiative is reportedly being led by Steve Zadesky, who oversaw the production of the iPhone and iPod and previously worked at Ford.

Apple hasn't publicly discussed or confirmed any plans to get into the auto industry. But the reports come at a time when Google and Uber are both entering the autonomous driving space.

Jeff Williams, Apple's vice president of operations, suggested that the car is of interest to Apple in an interview with Re/code's Walt Mossberg, calling the car the "ultimate mobile device." He later clarified that this was in reference to CarPlay, Apple's connected car software, but his comments sparked speculation nonetheless.

When Apple CEO was asked whether or not the company is working on a self-driving car on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," he simply replied:

"We look at a number of things along the way, and we decide to really put our energies in a few of them." 

SEE ALSO: We just learned a new detail about the iPhone 6S that explains why it'll perform faster NOW WATCH: All the incredibly useful things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Source: Apple is already talking about its plans for a self-driving car with DMV officials in California

Chevy Bolt EV, 107-Mile Nissan Leaf Face Off At LA Drive Electric Week (UPDATE On Leaf Pricing)

Chevy Bolt EV, 107-Mile Nissan Leaf Face Off At LA Drive Electric Week (UPDATE On Leaf Pricing)

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We're now in the middle of National Drive Electric Week, the largest ever, with events planned for almost 200 cities.

But yesterday Los Angeles managed to pull off a double-header: Its event brought together the first production versions of the new 107-mile 2016 Nissan Leaf and a running prototype of the upcoming 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.

To the best of our knowledge, it's the first time the two have ever been in the same place at the same time. And we've got the photos.

DON'T MISS: Drive Electric Week Larger Than Ever: 165 Cities, 3 Countries, Starting Sep 12

Each car provides greater range than before, and together they point to a future of affordable and much longer-range electric cars.

Many of the attendees were aware of the upcoming longer-range vehicles, and the event logged more than 800 test drives despite the day's scorching heat.

2016 Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV at Drive Electric Week event, Los Angeles [photo: Zan Scott]

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Speakers included Calif state Senator Kevin de León, electric-car advocate and racing driver Leilani Munter, film director Chris Paine (of Who Killed The Electric Car? and Revenge of The Electric Car), numerous elected officials, representatives from GM and Nissan, Michael Brune of the Sierra Club, and Plug-In America executive director Joel Levin.

"Electric cars are changing the world; every time one of these vehicles gets sold, our air gets a little cleaner," said Levin.

ALSO SEE: 2016 Nissan Leaf Offers 107-Mile Range With 30-kWh Battery; Leaf S Unchanged

"We will take a big bite out of climate change," he continued. "Our economy will not be subject to wild swings in gas prices."

"And we will not be involved in foreign wars over oil."

2016 Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV at Drive Electric Week event, Los Angeles [photo: Jeff U'ren]

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The City of Los Angeles gave official proclamations to Paine, for his two movies, and to the three groups that organize National Drive Electric Week: the Electric Automobile Association, Plug-In America, and the Sierra Club.

But it was the cars that were the lure, especially the two newest vehicles.

The 2016 Nissan Leaf, announced last Thursday and arriving at dealerships sometime next month, offers 107 miles of range from a new 30-kilowatt-hour battery pack in the SV and SL trim levels.

MORE: GM Shows Chevy Bolt EV Electric-Car Prototypes Testing: Video

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Our readers Keith Kemp and Tyrel Haverman point out that we described the pricing of the 2016 Leaf versus the prior year's model incorrectly. The sentences below reflect their corrections, for which we thank them.]

The longer-range Leaf SV model actually costs slightly less than its comparable 84-mile version last year, because Nissan has made DC quick-charging standard.

A 2016 Leaf SV is $380 cheaper than a comparable 2015 model. A high-end 2016 Leaf SL costs $1,000 more than the previous year's model; both have DC quick-charging fitted as standard equipment.

While the prices of those vehicles are $1,600 to $2,000 higher than their comparable 84-mile versions last year ...

The 20-percent range increase makes the 2016 Leaf the longest-range affordable electric car.

2016 Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV at Drive Electric Week event, Los Angeles [photo: Zan Scott]

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The Chevrolet Bolt EV was announced at the Detroit Auto Show last January, with General Motors CEO Mary Barra saying it would have a range of 200 miles and a base price of $37,500 before incentives.

That is expected to reset the bar for electric car range, and put significant pressure on Nissan for its second-generation Leaf, anticipated as a 2017 or 2018 model.

MORE: GM Officially Confirms It Will Build Chevy Bolt Electric Car With 200-Mile Range

We'll cover the totality of National Drive Electric Week once it's over and the organizers have tallied up its effects.

A 107-mile Leaf now, or a 200-mile Bolt EV sometime in the future?

From what we hear, attendees at the Los Angeles event were tantalized by the question--with Nissan and Chevy both curious to see how buyers make their choices.

_________________________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Source: Chevy Bolt EV, 107-Mile Nissan Leaf Face Off At LA Drive Electric Week (UPDATE On Leaf Pricing)

Audi’s e-tron quattro electric SUV: 310 mile range, arrives in 2018

Audi

The Audi e-tron quattro concept. A production version is due in 2018

Audi

The Audi e-tron quattro concept. A production version is due in 2018

Audi

It might not look it, but that shape is remarkably efficient, with a Cd of just 0.25.

Audi

We think Audi have something against completely round steering wheels.

Over in Europe, the annual Frankfurt International Motor Show is taking place, and several of the brands that live under the Volkswagen AG umbrella have used the show to reveal electric vehicle (EV) concept cars that trail future production models. One of these is the Audi e-tron quattro, a 310-mile (500km) SUV that will reach the showroom by 2018.

The Audi e-tron quattro has a pair of electric motors driving the rear wheels and another motor driving the front wheels. These give the car a total of 429hp (320kW), with an extra 67hp/50kW available as a boost function for short periods. Coupled with an extremely low drag coefficient of just 0.25, it should be good for 0-62 mph (0-100kp/h) in 4.5 seconds, making it one quick SUV.

The e-tron quattro will have 95kWh batteries, and Audi says the car can be fully recharged in about 50 minutes with DC power. Given how rapidly EV batteries are developing, it's even possible the production version will pack more of a punch.

The e-tron quattro also features a solar panel on the roof for capitalizing on free power during sunny days, and has a wireless induction charging feature similar to the Qualcomm Halo system we saw earlier this year.

Listing image by Audi

Source: Audi's e-tron quattro electric SUV: 310 mile range, arrives in 2018

Porsche and Audi unveil electric cars to take on Tesla

* Audi, Porsche concept cars boast over 500 km range

* Both models designed for production in 2018-19

* VW flagships aim to rival Tesla's upcoming Model X SUV

By Andreas Cremer

FRANKFURT, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The high-performance electric car market is shaping up to be a high-profile battleground featuring some of the world's most glamorous brands after Porsche and Audi unveiled models to challenge U.S. pioneer Tesla Motors.

Consumers have largely shunned electric vehicles because of their high price tags and limited driving range, as well as the scarcity of charging stations, though many analysts predict sales will rise sharply by the end of the decade.

Tesla, however, has enjoyed success and managed to stay ahead of the pack with new technology, which has extended driving range and reduced costs.

Germany's Audi and Porsche - Volkswagen's two premium flagships - showcased purely battery-powered cars at the Frankfurt auto show on Monday.

The impact on Tesla is not clear cut, according to analysts. As two of the world's most sought-after auto brands, they represent heavyweight competition for the attention of wealthy, environmentally conscious buyers. But they also boost the credibility and cachet of the all-electric market, which could benefit Tesla.

"It will certainly sharpen the public focus on electric vehicles and raise overall awareness. Consumers are also set to gain from growing offerings of electric cars, especially in the performance segment," said Commerzbank analyst Sascha Gommel.

Audi unveiled its e-tron quattro sport-utility concept - its first electric model designed for series production - and Porsche its first-ever battery-powered sports car in Frankfurt.

Neither car will be available to buy until around 2018, but the launches are perhaps aimed at stealing the limelight from Tesla's first luxury electric crossover, the Model X, ahead of its planned start of deliveries on Sept. 29.

Audi had initial misgivings over whether to launch dedicated electric vehicles, a reticence which some analysts said risked making them look like a laggard in an industry where innovation is a major draw for customers.

DRIVING RANGE

The all-electric venture represents a change of course for Audi, which had previously focused on developing electric variants of existing models such as its two-seater R8 sports car rather than committing to serial production like German rival BMW with its "i" brand electric series.

While the two car brands did not reveal many specifics about their models, they are set to match Tesla - whose prices start at around $77,000 - in the crucial driving range department.

Audi said its e-tron quattro, to be launched by 2018, would have over 500 km (311 miles) per charge. That compares with about 300 miles for Tesla's new Model S P90D saloon, which is already getting rave media reviews.

Porsche also boasts over 500 km of range with its first all-electric concept sports car, two sources close to the company said, adding that it was roomier than the 911 and predicting a market launch in 2018-19.

"The largest challenge set forth by Tesla against all entrants into the pure electric market is that the benchmarks have already been set, and the bar is rather high," said Ivan Drury, senior manager at U.S. automotive website Edmunds.com.

"The fascination with Tesla is not that they were the first to introduce an all-electric vehicle, it stems more from the first electric vehicle without compromise to styling, performance metrics and range," Drury said.

Audi has paid heed with the electric R8 which it dropped in 2012 due to poor range but revived earlier this year after doubling the range to 450 km.

The German brands may rapidly close the gap with Tesla on engine and battery technology, said Laurent Petizon, an automotive consultant with AlixPartners.

Audi and Porsche can make "a better car than Tesla in terms of driving experience, balance, suspension and road handling", Petizon added.

"They have been doing it for 100 years and it's their job."

($1 = 0.6483 pounds)

(Additional reporting by Laurence Frost; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: Porsche and Audi unveil electric cars to take on Tesla

Drive Electric Week turns Orlando users into educators

Thron Crowe rarely goes a week without becoming an educator.

The 34-year-old Orlando resident says when he pulls up to a charging station in his 2013 Nissan Leaf, it often leads to a chat about electric cars with others.

Crowe enjoys expanding awareness about electric cars and did so Saturday at Valencia College's celebration of Drive Electric Week, which started as National Plug In Day in 2011. The Valencia College event featured local renewable energy experts, including city officials, educators and industry advocates.

"Every year it's the same kinds of questions, which is great because it means more people are learning about it," Crowe said. "They recognize the car and it'll be either a five-minute or one-hour conversation. Next thing you know, they say they are getting one."

As more become aware of electric cars, mainstream manufacturers have been building and selling electric cars or hybrid vehicles by the millions.

According to Electric Drive Transportation Association data, the industry is on pace this year to sell about 16.7 million electric cars. That would surpass the 16.5 million sales last year and is about 60 percent higher than the 10.4 million sold in 2009.

Experts say reasons for that include the drop in price, minimal maintenance costs and a growing acceptance of the vehicles, which has led to improved infrastructure and an increasing number of charging stations.

As electric car use increases, more businesses have installed charging stations, with some benefiting from tax rebates.

According to the Orlando Utilities Commission, more than 300 charging stations are available in Central Florida. That includes several Walgreens locations, which is one of the largest retailers in the U.S. to offer charging stations, about 400 total. So far, officials say, they have been received well.

"Consumer interest and enthusiasm has been incredible and we're excited to provide locations to charge up in neighborhoods and along major commuter routes across the country," Walgreens spokeswoman Emily Hartwig said.

Along with business acceptance, more manufacturers have rolled out their own all-electric cars like Nissan's Leaf or hybrid models like Chevy's Volt, which can charge electrically but also has a fuel tank as a sort-of backup system.

Tesla Motors unveiled its first Roadster to the public in July 2006 and recently Tesla owners have become evangelists for the brand.

Ben Prochazka of the hotel, rental car and tourist attraction partnership Drive Electric Orlando says his organization has a partnership with Enterprise to let vacationers and travelers know they can rent electric vehicles during visits here.

In addition, the group has partnered with travel agents to do the same.

Prochazka would not say how the 2-year-old program has been received, declining to share usage data for the program.

He compared electric vehicle use to the growth of smartphone use, which had early adopters often sharing them with friends and family.

Drive Electric Orlando is "an extension of what Tesla and others have figured out," he said. "We give them the opportunity to experience an electric car. Through that test drive, we hope to turn those renters into buyers."

The challenge has been changing minds on an industry that, essentially, has had more than a 100-year head start, Prochazka said.

But the more people drive electric vehicles, the more they become part of the conversation.

"We have been driving (non-electric vehicles) a long time and they are a significant part of our cultural fabric," Prochazka said. "In almost every instance, when people experience the benefits of electric cars directly, it creates that commitment in people. They realize it's a better vehicle and they get to drive with their conscience, too."

That has been the case for Valencia College's Lisa Macon, who has owned a Chevy Volt since May and said she has yet to use the fuel tank.

Macon helped organize the local event, which featured about 25 vehicles and more than 100 people people in attendance. She says her experience has mirrored Crowe's, with students often asking her about the car when she arrives for the day.

"The level of recognition remains low throughout the town and on campus," she said. "But I went to Discount Auto Parts looking for a keychain and ended up spending 30 minutes explaining it to the guy behind the counter."

Macon said she now more frequently visits businesses that have chargers available with her husband.

"It's almost a game for us," Macon said. "There are options to choose from but we choose to buy at places considerate enough to put chargers in."

As does Crowe, whose first experience with an electric car came when he bought his father's, which had 100,000 miles on it.

He said he and his wife added another 150,000 miles on it before buying a new one. Chief among Crowe's reasons for buying another: the environment.

"At its very core, it comes down to my take on my way of life, which is sustainability," he said. "Part of that is knowing what it's like to sit in traffic, on the corner of Goldenrod and Colonial, with the windows down begging to die because of the noise and the smell."

msantana@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5256

Copyright © 2015, Orlando Sentinel
Source: Drive Electric Week turns Orlando users into educators

That Victorian-Living Couple Is Just Playing Dress-Up Until They Get A Real Victorian Car

It seems like everyone's talking about that woman who fired up her Difference Engine and keyed in a long, self-satisfied story about how she and her husband live like it's 1880. That's fine by me. But, while reading more about them, I found references to a "truck." That just won't do. But I'm not here to judge — I'm here to help.

First, let me be clear, I'm not trying to talk these people out of living how they want; no matter how affected or goofy or ridiculous it may seem to many of us, they have every right to do it.

But as someone who genuinely loves automobiles of their 1800s larval-stage, I can't bear the idea that these people think it's okay to have a re-built penny-farthing and wind-up their clocks and pour paraffin in their heaters and yet not use a period-correct steam vehicle (or even electric, or gas, really) for their transportation needs.

I mean, really, this is just one long, tedious cosplay without the car-angle covered here. They must feel it every time they load their expensive hand-made bicycles and tricycles into their modern (presumably - they don't go into what kind or how old a truck it is, but I guaran-fucking-tee you we'd hear about it if it was period-correct in any way) truck.

I mean, if you're going to do this to the degree that they are, where they're defining their whole lives by their Victorian fetishism, I think you really need to get all the components together. And the proper motor vehicle is key.

The good news for them is that the period they seem to have settled on as their 'acceptable' era is around the 1880s. That's good news because by the 1880s, all three major types of motor vehicle — steam, gasoline, and electric — were available, even if they were in quite early stages.

Steam vehicles were by far, the most mature. The first automobile designed from the ground up to carry passengers, the 1803 London Steam Carriage, can be thought of as a beginning, and by the 1830s steam omnibus service was relatively common in England. The first series-produced automobile (about 50 were built), Amédée Bollée's La Mancelle was available in 1878. If these crazy wool-bathing-suit-lovers really wanted to step up, a replica of a Bollée could certainly be built, and even be modified to carry their bikes in place of that painfully modern truck.

Steam power, of course, takes some work. Which, frankly, they should embrace, if they really want to feel what Victorian life was like. I feel like if you're not shoveling coal into a boiler of some kind, you're really missing out on a key part of Victorian tech culture. At least, that's what the magic lantern slides of late-1800s TEDx talks I've seen say.

But it doesn't have to be coal, as stereotypically perfect as that would be. If they won't mind using modern-generated electricity (they already say they'll use vintage-reproduction electric lights when they have company, so I think this is a safe conclusion) then they could take the much easier route of an electric vehicle.

In 1881, Gustave Trouve built an electric tricycle, and a few years later, in England, Thomas Parker built a number of practical electric cars. These cars were quite simple to use and drive, and a modern equivalent could be built that used, basically, golf cart parts and still be reasonably historically accurate. Just stick to heavy old lead-acid batteries and simple DC motors, and maybe use an old Amish buggy for the body.

I don't think you'd be able to expect more than, say, 25 miles of range and about the same number of miles per hour, but it would certainly work as a general-use city car. And I bet it could carry those bikes if need be, too.

They could even be totally conventional and use a gasoline-powered car, like the famous (but despite what always seems to be said, not the "first car ever" by a long shot) Benz Patent-Motorwagen of 1886. There were 25 of these built (with various model improvements) between 1886 and 1893 — well within the target scope of our neo-Vickies.

There's been many Patent Motorwagen replicas built already, and a simple vehicle that generally fits within the technological parameters of the time could be constructed, the level of how accurate they want to be dictating the price. On the cheap side, a little lawnmower engine on a tube-frame body with bicycle wheels and other vintage-style bicycle parts would give a very close experience to the orginal Benz, and if they wanted to spend more money, I'm sure they can find a shop to make a real open-crankshaft, horizontal cylinder engine like the original Benz.

The whole point here is that if these chronically overdressed people are really, really serious about what they're doing — which it seems they are — they need to go all out and get a period-correct motor vehicle.

The original Victorians generally embraced new technologies. Just look at famous Victorian-era time-citizen Mark Twain, who was an early adopter of the Spotify of 1897, the Tellharmonium. A Victorian probably would find the idea of deliberately shunning any sort of technological advance pretty silly.

But, if they're going to do this, they may as well make themselves available to every Victorian technology they can, especially if it means ditching the 3,000lbs of anachronism that is whatever truck they now have.

My vote is for a copy of the La Mancelle, but I think from a practical standpoint, they should just go for a simple electric car. I'm available for consultation on this matter if the Chrismans are interested; just telegraph me care of Jalopnik.

Source: That Victorian-Living Couple Is Just Playing Dress-Up Until They Get A Real Victorian Car

Schneider Electric strikes five-year partnership with Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions

Schneider Electric has announced an exclusive five-year partnership with Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions to provide complete electric vehicle charging solutions to their fleet and personal customers.

The partnership aims to help make electrical vehicles more commercially viable for business fleets and enable organisations to hit green targets.

The partnership is for all makes and models of BEV's (Battery Electric Vehicles) and PHEV's (Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) from all major vehicle manufacturers.

Although electric vehicles bring a host of benefits, from a £5,000 Government grant to congestion charge exemption, zero road tax, and fuel costs from just 2p-per-mile, practicalities in charging have acted as a barrier for many.

Schneider Electrics partnership with Hitachi Capital aims to combat these barriers by: setting standards of electrical vehicle charging services that guarantee a high end customer experience and service; and full management of the end-to-end customer journey using Schneider Electric management process tools. 

Residential charge point installations using the Schneider Electric EVLink range of products and the provision of charging solutions to corporate customers of Hitachi Capital at their workplaces and depot networks are also priorities.

 David Greaves, business development director at Schneider Electric, said: "We believe that working together in partnership with Hitachi Capital, will help promote a higher standard of experience for the customer.

"The benefits are enormous and range from access to easy, safe and high performance charging to helping make Britain a cleaner, greener place.

"At Schneider Electric we are committed to reducing carbon and creating a sustainable and ethical business. This has resulted in us achieving a top 10 position of the most sustainable corporations in the world and we are delighted to bring this to the partnership."

Tim Bowden, head of operations at Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, added: "We were looking to work with an organisation that shared our passion for providing high-quality service.

"Schneider Electric shares the same ethics as Hitachi Capital and was a natural choice. Hitachi Capital's appetite for new technology keeps us and our customers at the forefront of innovation and this partnership will further enhance our technological skills."

 Schneider Electric products and installation services are fully approved by the Government and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) for the provision of EV home charging. Schneider also fully manages the subsidy claim process on behalf of the end users to minimise the administration for them.

Source: Schneider Electric strikes five-year partnership with Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions