EV3 Will Soon Become Morgan’s First All-Electric Car

You'll be hard pressed to find a more self-contradictory car in the market than Mogran's new EV3 that will be revealed in pre-production trim at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday. While from the outside, the three-wheeler looks like it belongs to the first half of the 20th century, with Morgan itself stating that it draws inspiration from "1930's aero-engine race cars, classic motorcycles and 1950's fantasy automatons", it's anything but that under the skin.

The EV3 is not only the first Morgan vehicle to utilize composite carbon panels in its body construction, including the bonnet, tonneau cover and side pods, with the rest of the car made from aluminum panels, helping keep the weight under 500kg (1,102 lbs), it's also the firm's first ever zero-emissions electric car.

Enclosed within the tubular space frame chassis are a 20KWh Lithium Battery that offers a driving range of 150 miles (241 km/h) and a liquid cooled 46kW electric motor driving the single rear wheel, with the EV3 managing the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in under 9 seconds and achieving a top speed in in excess of 90mph (+145 km/h). Production details, including a sales date, should be announced in Geneva.

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Source: EV3 Will Soon Become Morgan's First All-Electric Car

This Electric Hyper Car Could Make You Forget About Tesla

Rimac Automobili, a Croatian automobile maker, has come up with a 'hyper car' which boasts performance specs that could make sports cars seem obsolete.

The Concept One, often mistaken as a prototype, has been released, and is beating records. Each of the four wheels has a permanent magnet electric motor. That is not all. The optimum torque on the wheels utilizes Rimac's All Wheel Torque Vectoring system, which gives the car 800 KW/1088 Horse Power, and 1600 Nm of Torque, both staggering figures.

The Concept One goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds, beating both, Tesla's Model S, and Model X, with flying colors. It can also reach 200 km/h in just 6.2 seconds, from a complete standstill.

The car makes use of a 4-wheel regenerative electric braking system, for hitting the brakes to have optimum effect. Stability control and traction control are two other features, that are bound to make driving the car a delight.

Another distinctive feature Rimac takes pride in, is the ability of the car to match its driver's mood. This includes a calm and natural setting for a quiet seamless cruise, as well as a track oriented setup, if you want to test your speeding highs. The extreme drift mode on the other hand, will certainly impress those who look for more than just speed in their vehicle.

The bespoke infotainment system keeps the driver aware of the car's status, and information gathered from 500 sensors in the car, can also send this information to a PC or smartphone.

Source: This Electric Hyper Car Could Make You Forget About Tesla

Tesla Model 3: Company To Unveil Electric Car In March

Tesla Motors has finally become more forthcoming about the release of their highly anticipated Tesla Model 3 electric sedan. Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, has officially confirmed that initial unveiling of the vehicle will begin in March of this year. The company will begin accepting reservations in their physical stores on March 31 for the grand down payment of $1,000. Online reservations will open on April 1. This deposit price is much lower than that asked for the Model S and X previously, respectively at $2500 and $5000.

The Tesla Model 3 is the company's first affordable offering to the general public with a price tag projected to run right around $35,000 before incentives.

According to Ecumenical News, when questioned about photos of the electric automobile during a Q&A session at a Tesla event in Chambourcy, France, Musk kept an aura of mystery around his reply.

"The first pictures of the Model 3 will be end of March. I'm being a little coy here. We're not going to show everything about the Model 3 until a lot closer to production time."

It is anticipated that the Model 3 will be about 20 percent smaller than the Model S.

Happy Birthday to me! Confirmed: The $35,000 Tesla Model III Will Be Unveiled in March 2016 https://t.co/iuz6ZpvQ8c

— Dustin Meyer (@dustinmeyer) February 24, 2016

Tesla estimates that production for the Model 3 will begin in 2017, and final deliveries will be made around the middle of the year.

Some anticipated buyers took their disappointment to social media over the fact that no signature series has been presented for the automobile. Many were hoping to purchase it in the popular red/maroon color option often offered by the company on its vehicles.

As reported by The Motley Fool, Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel announced that the Tesla Model 3 will come loaded with "next generation" Tesla technology. He also mentioned that the vehicle will be similar in size to Audi's A4.

Some analysts are speculating that the "next generation" technology mentioned may involve the use of a new suite of cameras and sensors that will help to facilitate the vehicle's ability to function as a self-driving car. Others project that Straubel simply may have been referring to the fact that Tesla has mentioned in the past that the Model 3 will be built on a different platform from the Model S and Model X.

Tesla is hoping that the introduction of the Tesla Model 3 will boost its sales significantly, from roughly 80,000 to 90,000 in 2016 to a whopping 500,000 by 2020.

Tesla Motors is an American-based company that specializes in a combined technology of automotive design and energy storage. Tesla cars run on electrical energy. They are well known for their current three popular offerings: the Tesla Roadster (their first all-electric sports car), the Model S (an all-electric luxury sedan), and the Model X (their electric crossover).

According to Wikipedia, in 2015, the Model S became the world's best-selling plug-in electric vehicle. It held that position until December 2015 when it became second only to the Nissan Leaf.

Want to Drive a Tesla Model 3? Here's Everything You'll Need to Know – LearnBonds https://t.co/UJIDyVJGB6

— The Tesla Channel (@TheTeslaChannel) February 28, 2016

Company CEO Elon Musk has stated that he eventually sees the company positioned as an independent automaker that will have the capability of offering electric cars that will be priced in such a manner that they will be affordable to the average consumer. It seems that this vision will begin its fruition in the production and sales of the new Tesla Model 3.

As news of the unveiling circulates, prospective buyers are already taking to the Internet to express their enthusiasm and excitement. If their comments hold any truth, Tesla continues to command its position as the industry leader in producing some of the most energy-efficient, technology-laden, and forward-moving vehicles in the world.

[Image via Asif Islam/Shutterstock.com ]

Source: Tesla Model 3: Company To Unveil Electric Car In March

Daimler's Electric Car Efforts Getting Boost from Volkswagen's Woes

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Battery-powered vehicle technology got a boost from Dieter Zetsche, chief executive of Daimler (DDAIF) and a figure of growing stature and respect in Germany, where Volkswagen (VLKAY) and its executives remain mired in a costly emissions cheating scandal.

The German government has set a goal of a million electric vehicles on the road by 2020. Zetsche has stated that the ambitious goal won't be reached unless conditions change, a hint that government-sponsored incentives to consumers might be necessary. With Volkswagen having tarnished the German auto industry, a pillar of the country's economy, Daimler rather than Volkswagen or another auto company is in a position to send such a message.

Zetsche also has earned the respect of the German business community by leading Daimler back after a disastrous and ill-advised merger undertaken by his predecessor. Speaking to Euro am Sonntag, a German-language business weekly, Zetsche said rapidly advancing battery technology giv es batteries the edge over hydrogen-powered fuel cells as a source of electricity. Fuel cells are another means of electrifying vehicles that are favored by some automakers and futurists.

''Cars with electric driving ranges of 500 kilometers (312 miles) and fast charging times of 20 minutes are within reach'' with the new batteries, Zetsche said.

Over the past six months, Daimler shares have lost 14% of their value, while Volkswagen shares have declined 41%, compared to the 6.6% decline in the DAX index of European stocks.

Volkswagen is pursuing several battery initiatives including Porsche's Mission E supercar and a microbus for the Volkswagen brand. But the efforts of Europe's largest automaker are bound to be slowed by settlements, lawsuits and fines stemming from last fall's disclosure that it had faked U.S. diesel emissions tests.  

Must Read: Institutional Investors Are Betting on General Motors

Zetsche hedged his optimistic view on batteries, adding that the main hurdle to hydrogen-powered fuel cells -- how to develop an infrastructure for them -- hasn't been solved. The unspoken implication was that a breakthrough in hydrogen could still change the picture. Daimler, the maker of Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and the rest of the global industry are racing to meet government deadlines around the world to comply with stringent CO2 and emissions standards.

In essence, governments have set fuel efficiency standards that could limit use of the internal combustion engine or force automakers to design very small and light cars that won't be sufficient for some needs, such as carrying several passengers or hauling trailers. 

Toyota Motor (TM - Get Report) , in contrast to Daimler, has said it is convinced that hydrogen fuel cells will dominate future automotive technology. Toyota, which helped to pioneer gas-electric hybrids with its Prius line of cars, has begun leasing its Mirai fuel-cell vehicle in California in limited numbers. Most automakers now offer gas-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids, which permit short trips on batteries alone.  The next big step will entail either advanced batteries that offer long range and quick charging, or fuel cells.

Zetsche's latest remarks lend credibility to Tesla Motors  (TSLA - Get Report) and its outspoken chief executive Elon Musk, who has scoffed at hydrogen fuel-cell technology. This week, Honda Motor Co. also announced that two-thirds of its vehicles will be powered by some form of electrification by 2030 -- another sign that battery technology is advancing quickly, making it feasible for use in mass-market vehicles.

As more electrified vehicles reach the market, they could pose stiff competition for Tesla, which so far offers one luxury sedan and another relatively costly crossover model. In September, Volkswagen gave the go-ahead on a $1 billion investment to build its Porsche Mission E battery-powered luxury car, which no doubt will turn the heads of at least a few Tesla Model S owners.

A wave of battery-powered Hondas and Mercedes-Benz would mean a large audience of owners -- and more alternatives to Tesla, as well as to Nissan Motor's (NSANY) battery-powered Leaf.

If government policymakers were inclined to relax CO2 and emissions standards in response to rising automaker complaints that they're becoming too strict, the latest remarks of Daimler's Zetsche should give them pause.

Doron Levin is the host of "In the Driver Seat," broadcast on SiriusXM Insight 121, Saturday at noon, encore Sunday at 9 a.m.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.

Source: Daimler's Electric Car Efforts Getting Boost from Volkswagen's Woes

Muntinlupa fortifies its electric vehicle initiative

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Muntinlupa City has just upped its environmental standards with respect to the use of electric vehicles for mass transport operations. Todate, it already has 14 electric jeepneys plying different routes in the city. And this number is expected to grow.

Muntinlupa City is one of the early movers in the LGU field in the eco-friendly electric vehicle movement. It was one of the very first cities which utilized EJeepneys for mass transport application under the city's Muntinlupa Care Card (MCC) Program.

The MMC Program is a partnership between The Lingkod Muntinlupa Foundation (LMF) and the Muntinlupa City government. It is project of Mayor Jimmy R. Fresnedi that aims to provide all Muntinlupa City residents easy and convenient access to all programs and services of the City Government. The recipients are given smart cards that enable the organization of data to allow the local government to monitor program availment by members and help improve the delivery of basic services. However, membership to the MCC Program is voluntary. 

In its mass transport program called e-Jeepney Ride for Free (eJRF), LMF offers free EJeepney rides to students and senior citizens who are MCC program members. Of the 14 EJeepneys in its fleet, it will assign two eJRFs exclusively to Ayala Alabang at no cost to Barangay Ayala Alabang. However, in return, Barangay Ayala Alabang will maintain and operate the eJRFs. 

 

Rommel Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines says that EVAP is glad that Muntinlupa City is giving its Environmental Protection advocacy a greater push. "We hope that their EV fleet continues to grow even more and that other cities will follow suit. They already have the operations template that can be replicated by other LGUs".

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Source: Muntinlupa fortifies its electric vehicle initiative

This Electric Hyper Car Could Make You Forget About Tesla

Rimac Automobili, a Croatian automobile maker, has come up with a 'hyper car' which boasts performance specs that could make sports cars seem obsolete.

The Concept One, often mistaken as a prototype, has been released, and is beating records. Each of the four wheels has a permanent magnet electric motor. That is not all. The optimum torque on the wheels utilizes Rimac's All Wheel Torque Vectoring system, which gives the car 800 KW/1088 Horse Power, and 1600 Nm of Torque, both staggering figures.

The Concept One goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds, beating both, Tesla's Model S, and Model X, with flying colors. It can also reach 200 km/h in just 6.2 seconds, from a complete standstill.

The car makes use of a 4-wheel regenerative electric braking system, for hitting the brakes to have optimum effect. Stability control and traction control are two other features, that are bound to make driving the car a delight.

Another distinctive feature Rimac takes pride in, is the ability of the car to match its driver's mood. This includes a calm and natural setting for a quiet seamless cruise, as well as a track oriented setup, if you want to test your speeding highs. The extreme drift mode on the other hand, will certainly impress those who look for more than just speed in their vehicle.

The bespoke infotainment system keeps the driver aware of the car's status, and information gathered from 500 sensors in the car, can also send this information to a PC or smartphone.

Source: This Electric Hyper Car Could Make You Forget About Tesla

Electric car owners track down scarce charging stations

"I had my business account at one bank, and my personal one at another and I was thinking of moving them to the same bank anyway, then I saw Weber State Credit Union had a charger," Holtry said. It's a seemingly arbitrary reason, he said, "but I figured I'd support them for putting a charger there."

Holtry mostly uses the PlugShare app to figure out where to recharge. Taking a look at its interactive map, the challenge of finding chargers becomes obvious. While there are loads of electric vehicle stations in Salt Lake City, very few public chargers have been installed around Ogden.

The PlugShare app shows about 12 commercial or public Tier 2 or higher EV charging stations in Weber and Davis counties, compared to the roughly 60 stations found in Salt Lake County alone.

"Ogden is noticeably denuded of stations," said Jeff Barrett, deputy director of the Governor's Office of Energy Development. "I think educating folks in your area is going to be key. I'm actually surprised at how few there are in Ogden."

Barrett's office has worked hard to educate Utah consumers about electric vehicles, or EVs. They've developed a calculator that compares the costs of owning a gas car versus an electric one. They've compiled a list of EV benefits. They've even tried to create their own map of EV stations, although it's not crowd sourced like PlugShare's app, so it's not as extensive.

Barrett's office has also worked hard to assemble funding for more EV stations, but they've almost exclusively gone to the state's capital, not outlying cities.

But Holtry said he sees businesses filling some of the local need. He also thinks they have plenty of incentives to do so.

"It's great for marketing," he said "And you've got a captive audience for at least half an hour."

Holtry works as a Realtor, so he drives around the Wasatch Front a lot. When his battery runs low after zipping around town, he usually stops at the Ken Garff Nissan Dealership on Riverdale Road.

The dealership has one of only two Tier 3 chargers in Utah north of Salt Lake (the other is at a dealership in North Salt Lake), and Tier 3 chargers are what EV drivers want because they're fast. It takes Holtry about 30 minutes to juice up his Leaf on a Tier 3. A Tier 2, by comparison, takes about 8 hours. Tier 1 means plugging into a regular outlet, and that can take 16 hours.

When Holtry uses the Ken Garff Tier 3, he said he waits at the dealership, taking advantage of its free soda and popcorn. He goes to other Nissan dealerships when he's in the Salt Lake area, too, and uses their Tier 3 chargers for free.

"I don't know how many times the average person stops at a dealership — probably every few years when they're looking at cars," he said. "But I go to a dealership once a week, sometimes more. And chances are, when we buy another car, it will be at a Nissan dealership."

That was at least part of the motivation for Weber State Credit Union's new Tier 2 charger, according to Community Engagement Director Roger Dickson.

"I think there's a good portion of our members, and in the market in general, who appreciated that environmentally friendly attitude and want to do business with companies that have a green focus," he said. "We could be better, not all our practices are perfect, but we're trying to do some of those things. I think people notice that and say 'yeah, I'd like to do business with you.'"

Especially in Utah, which struggles with poor air quality, there's an incentive for state officials to get more EVs on the road. They don't emit the chemicals that ultimately form particulate pollution in the winter and ozone in the summer.

Source: Electric car owners track down scarce charging stations

Detroit Electric Officially Delivers its First SP:01 Sports Car

The path from a conceptual drawing on a scrap of paper to a real-world production car is a long and understandably expensive journey. But one of today's most buzzworthy upstart automakers has finally achieved that feat, and it's looking to expand. 

This week, Detroit Electric announced it has delivered its first production-specification SP:01 sports car to China's Jowett Motors. The Chinese company will handle Detroit Electric's vehicle importation and distribution within the large Asian country, and this initial white SP:01 will serve as Jowett's first customer demonstration vehicle.

The Detroit Electric SP:01 was first debuted to the Chinese market at last year's Auto Shanghai 2015 event, after which the firm admits it has seen a flood of interest.

RELATED: Take a Closer Look at the Detroit Electric SP:01 Sports Car

In development since 2008, the Detroit Electric SP:01 stakes its claim as the fastest and lightest two-seat pure-electric sports car, capable of notching 155 mph top speeds and shots from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The SP:01 draws part of its underlying architecture from fellow British car company Lotus and its Elise sports car (both factories are less than 150 miles apart), leveraging 285 horsepower from an electric motor mounted at its rear wheels. The firm is currently headed by former Lotus CEO Albert Lam.

What makes the SP:01 slightly different in design however is its choice of transmissions: a two-speed automatic or six-speed manual (a single-speed automatic is standard). The SP:01 also aims to innovate by integrating its lithium-ion battery pack into its chassis as a stressed member, in the process cutting weight and increasing rigidity. The car's battery pack can also be used as a mobile power unit, capable of supplying a home with energy in the event of a power outage.

RELATED: Check Out the 400-HP 2016 Lotus Evora Sports Car

The official hand-off of this first vehicle took place at the company's Leamington Spa factory in the United Kingdom, at which vehicle production operations initiated in October 2015. Detroit Electric has been mum of late on its future plans and subsequent new models, however the group previously hinted to other "high performance" models sold from 2016 onward. Time will tell whether US-market availability is offered.

RELATED: Should Tesla Build This Four-Door Pickup Truck?

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Source: Detroit Electric Officially Delivers its First SP:01 Sports Car

Cheap Oil Is Killing The Electric Car

Gas prices today are below $2 a gallon and likely to stay there, which makes buying an electric car a hard sell.

"We'd all like to save the environment, but maybe not when it costs hundreds of dollars per year," Jessica Caldwell, director of industry analysis for Edmunds.com, told The New York Times. Low gasoline prices are leading even owners of electric vehicles to "defect" to gasoline cars.

The MIT study states that electric vehicles aren't helping the environment either. Only 12 percent of conventional power plants are green enough that charging an electric car from them leads to fewer emissions than the gasoline power vechiles they replace. 

Even though electric cars can be eligible for up to a $7,500 tax credit, the are still incredibly expensive. Bloomberg projections estimate that it will take until 2040 for electric cars to cost less than $22,000. There are still huge barriers to electric cars, according to a 2015 report by the National Research Council.

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Source: Cheap Oil Is Killing The Electric Car

Electric Car War Sends Lithium Prices Sky High

With lithium prices skyrocketing beyond wildest expectations, talk heating up about acquisitions and mergers in this space and a fast-brewing war among electric car rivals, it's no wonder everyone's bullish on this golden commodity that promises to become the "new gasoline".

Moreover, land grabs, rising price predictions, and expectations of a major demand spike are leaping out of the shadows of a pending energy revolution and a new technology-driven resource era.

For once, we have agreement across the board on a commodity: Demand for lithium will continue to rise throughout the year--and beyond--spurred by the rise of battery mega/gigafactories and a burgeoning energy storage business that will change the way we live.

That's why Goldman Sachs calls lithium the "new gasoline". It's also why The Economist calls it "the world's hottest commodity", and talks about a "global scramble to secure supplies of lithium by the world's largest battery producers, and by end-users such as carmakers."

In fact, as the Economist notes, the price of 99%-pure lithium carbonate imported to China more than doubled in the two months to the end of December -- putting it at a whopping $13,000 per ton.

But what you might not know is that this playing field is fast becoming a battlefield that has huge names such as Apple, Google and start-up Faraday Future throwing down for electric car market share and even reportedly gaming to see who can steal the best engineers.

Apple has now come out of the closet with plans for its own electric car by 2019, putting it on a direct collision course with Tesla. And Google, too, is pushing fast into this arena with its self-driving car project through its Alphabet holding company.

Then we have the Faraday Future start-up -- backed by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting--which has charged onto this scene with plans for a new $1-billion factory in Las Vegas, and is hoping to produce its first car next year already.

Ensuring the best engineers for all these rival projects opens up a second front line in the war. They've all been at each other's recruitment throats for months, stealing each other's prized staff.

And when the wave of megafactories starts pumping out batteries -- with the first slated to come online as soon as next year--we could need up to 100,000 tons of new lithium carbonate by 2021. It's an amount of lithium we just don't have right now.

The war is definitely on, and lithium prices are the immediate and long-term beneficiary. It all depends on batteries, so it all depends on lithium.

The Lithium Oligopoly Ends Here, In Nevada

This is where the lithium oligopoly ends. It's where new entrants to the lithium mining game step in to forge a very lucrative future.

Right now, lithium isn't even traded as a commodity; rather, it is managed through an oligopoly of three or four major global suppliers who have managed supply and demand for decades. That's why everything is priced on a contract basis.

This year could see that change, which makes it a prime time to get in on lithium.

"The few major suppliers who have so far been responsible for all lithium supply and demand are not going to be able to meet new demand. This is why 2016 will be a very interesting year for anyone with the foresight to see the end of this oligopoly and the potential decoupling of lithium from other commodities," Dr. Andy Robinson, COO of Pure Energy Minerals (OTMKTS:HMGLF), told Oilprice.com.

Producers are now working quickly to stake their claims and position themselves strategically to become key suppliers.

So far, so good. Pure Energy, for one, is the only player in Nevada that has managed a conditional agreement with a company building the world's largest battery factory, which is located only four hours from Pure Energy's proposed mine.

There has been other movement in this space as well--broader, global movement that gives us even more reason to be bullish on lithium.

The fourth quarter of 2015 and the beginning of this year have seen a lot of talk about Australia's mining giant Rio Tinto considering entering the hot lithium space.

A Major Long-Term Game

This is an energy revolution that is still in its early days, but it's such a hot commodity right now that chances to get in on the long-term game are narrowing by the day. And Nevada -- ground zero in this revolution--is already raking in the benefits because it is the only U.S. state that both produces lithium and holds vast new resource potential.

In 2013 alone, Nevada doubled lithium production capacity, according to the USGS--and that is just the tip of the iceberg given all of the new exploration going on and the fast and furious land-grabbing.

The next wave of battery factories are expected to increase global battery capacity by some 150% by 2020. Within this prediction, electric vehicles will have a projected 20-30% compounded annual growth rate through 2025, so the demand for lithium appears endless.

Some say the lithium market is already at a supply deficit, and the rising prices make new projects even more attractive.

The lithium oligopoly is already a dinosaur, and new lithium projects on highly prospective land forwarded by companies with lower market caps and strong management are what investors will be looking for.

The brine is the place to be, and right now Pure Energy has the only brine resource in North America. It is also directly adjacent to the only producing lithium mine in North America, Albermarle Silver Peak Mine (NYSE:ALB). Lithium sourced from brine, or salty water, is the most cost-effective out there because it is easier and cheaper to extract.

There are billions of reasons to be bullish on lithium, and bullish on Nevada. Goldman Sachs gets it. Not only will lithium feed massive portable energy storage applications, but it will be a "key enabler of the electric car revolution and replace gasoline as the primary source of transportation fuel."

This commodity that isn't yet a commodity in trading terms is about to break free from the oligopoly. Get there first.

Article Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Electric-Car-War-Sends-Lithium-Prices-Sky-High.html

By James Stafford of Oilprice.com

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Source: Electric Car War Sends Lithium Prices Sky High

Nissan disables app that hacked the electric LEAF

Japanese auto giant Nissan Motor's electric vehicle "Leaf" is seen on display at the Tokyo Motor Show on November 2, 2015. Nissan boosted its full-year forecasts, citing new model rollouts along with upbeat sales in North America and Europe that offset weakness in the home market on November 2. T(Photo: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO, AFP/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO - Nissan on Wednesday disabled an app that allowed owners of its electric LEAF car to control their cars' heating and cooling from their phones, after an Australian researcher showed he could use it to control others' cars as well.

The NissanConnect EV app, formerly called CarWings, enabled a remote hacker to access the Leaf's temperature controls and review its driving record, merely by knowing the car's VIN (vehicle identification number).

Computer security researcher Troy Hunt published a blog post Wednesday describing how he discovered the flaw and initially reported it to Nissan on Jan. 23. He contacted the company multiple times and only posted his blog after the issue began to be discussed on security forums online, he wrote.

Nissan did not announce it was disabling the app after he had done so.

The company's Steve Yaeger said in an email to USA TODAY that the issues relating to the app had "no effect whatsoever on the vehicle's operation or safety."

In a statement, the company said, "our 200,000 LEAF drivers across the world can continue to use their cars safely and with total confidence. The only functions that are affected are those controlled via the mobile phone – all of which are still available to be used manually, as with any standard vehicle."

The company said it was looking forward to launching an updated version of its app "very soon."

In his blog, Hunt emphasized that while this particular security vulnerability was trivial because it didn't impact the  driving controls of the vehicle, it is a cautionary tale for auto makers.

"As car manufacturers rush towards joining in on the 'internet of things' craze, security cannot be an afterthought nor something we're told they take seriously after realizing that they didn't take it seriously enough in the first place," he wrote.

"We are lucky in this case that the attacks were only focused on functionality in the air-conditioning and heating system of the car and were done by a 'white hat' and not a criminally minded black hat hacker," said Reiner Kappenberger, a product manager with Curpertino, Calif.-based HPE Security – Data Security

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Source: Nissan disables app that hacked the electric LEAF

Nissan Leaf electric cars hack vulnerability disclosed

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Nissan Leaf is the world's best-selling electric car

Some of Nissan's Leaf cars can be easily hacked, allowing their heating and air-conditioning systems to be hijacked, according to a prominent security researcher.

Troy Hunt reported that a flaw with the electric vehicle's companion app also meant data about drivers' recent journeys could be spied on.

Mr Hunt said he gave the firm a month to fix the issue before he decided to make it public.

Nissan said it could not yet comment.

The problem remains unresolved but Mr Hunt said car owners could protect themselves by disabling their Nissan CarWings account. Those who have never signed up are not at risk.

Image copyright Nissan Image caption Mr Hunt believes the NissanConnect app needs to do more to check the user's identity

Mr Hunt acknowledged that the issue was not life-threatening, but said hackers could still exploit the NissanConnect app's vulnerability to cause mischief by running down people's batteries.

"The right thing to do at the moment would be for Nissan to turn it off altogether," Mr Hunt told the BBC.

"They are going to have to let customers know. And to be honest, a fix would not be hard to do.

"It's not that they have done authorisation [on the app] badly, they just haven't done it at all, which is bizarre."

The BBC contacted the Japanese carmaker but a spokeswoman said it was not yet able to comment.

Image caption Mr Hunt said he decided to publicise the problem because other car owners were aware of it

Mr Hunt said the root of the problem was that the firm's NissanConnect app needed only a car's vehicle identification number (Vin) to take control.

The code is usually stencilled into a car's windscreen, making it relatively easy to copy.

The initial characters of a Vin refer to the brand, make of car, and country of manufacture/location of the firm's headquarters.

So, Mr Hunt said, it would only be the final numbers that varied between different Nissan Leafs based in the same region.

"Normally it's only the last five digits that differ," he explained.

"There's nothing to stop someone from scripting a process that goes through every 100,000 possible cars and tries and turn the air conditioning on in every one.

"They would then get a response that would confirm which vehicles exist."

Hack tested

Attackers would not even need to use the app, he added, since the commands could be sent via a web browser.

To confirm the proble m, Australia-based Mr Hunt used the Vin number of a Nissan Leaf-owning acquaintance based in the UK.

Image copyright Troy Hunt Image caption Mr Hunt was able to connect to a friend's Nissan Leaf and see data about recent journeys

"I was sat in the vehicle with everything powered off and didn't have my key on me," recalled Scott Helme, who is also a cybersecurity adviser.

"So, the vehicle was as it would be if it was completely unattended.

"As I was talking to Troy on Skype, he pasted the web address into his browser and then maybe 10 seconds later I heard an internal beep in the car.

"The heated seat then turned on, the heated steering wheel turned on. And I could hear the fans spin up and the air-conditioning unit turn on."

Further tests indicated that the hack did not work if the vehicle was in motion.

But it was possible to see the owner's registered username, which might help reveal their identity.

Furthermore, times and distances of recent journeys were disclosed, but not location data.

As soon as Mr Helme unregistered his app, Mr Hunt could no longer contact his car.

"It's not as bad as it could be," Mr Helme told the BBC.

Online forum

"But if I was to monitor your movements over the course of the week and learn when you go to and from work, shortly after you got to your office I could run the heating for the remainder of the day.

"That would potentially leave you with very little power - certainly not enough to get back home."

Further analysis indicated that the app does not talk directly to the cars, but instead sent its commands via Nissan's computer servers.

Image caption Nissan announced in December than more than 200,000 Nissan Leaf cars had been sold to date

As a result, Mr Hunt said, it would be easy for Nissan to suspend the service.

The researcher also discovered that some Canadian owners of the Leaf had discovered and shared knowledge of the flaw on an online forum and had posted a web address that could be used to spoof the app.

"I decided we were past the point of not letting the cat out of the bag," he said, justifying his decision to blog about the discovery before Nissan had issued a fix.

"Unfortunately what we are seeing is just another case of security being important after a problem is discovered," he added.

Source: Nissan Leaf electric cars hack vulnerability disclosed

Should the EPA force VW to build electric car infrastructure as penance for the emissions scandal?

This weekend, the respected German newspaper Die Welt reported that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not rest on fines and fixes for the "Clean Diesel" technology that relied on a software cheat to beat emissions testing while releasing up to 1 million tons of NOx pollution each year.

Instead, under the subheader "VW not enthused about EPA plans," Die Welt reports that EPA demands include production of electric cars at the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee and an obligation to build a network of electric charging stations. It is not clear whether EPA's demands relate to production quotas, new models, or expansion of production of the existing electric and hybrid motors in VW's current range of automobiles.

Although VW and EPA both declined to comment officially to Die Welt, the paper reports that "At VW, they are naturally not enthusiastic over the plans in Washington, which will cost the company additional umpteen millions."

It seems like not such a bad idea though. Often, the American authorities can lower the size of fines in exchange for an agreement that might benefit the company more than a simple monetary penalty. A somewhat unique aspect of the prosecution of corporate crimes under regulations such as those of EPA or OSHA (for occupational safety) is the multiplier factor: the law sets a maximum penalty for a violation; but the EPA can consider every car and every day each car operated as a separate violation. So do the math, 600,000 cars times how many days times even not anywhere near the maximum penalty will still add up to a hard hit. With the threat of huge fines, the EPA can then set about negotiating a more win-win scenario.

Discussions over how to fix the affected cars also continue. Die Welt notes that Americans often ignore recall actions, and unlike German laws, the American laws cannot force VW owners to bring their cars in for a fix, when and if VW figures out what that fix will be. So EPA cannot ensure that the cars already in service will not continue to add to the pollution burden for many years to come.

How it will all come out remains to be seen. But if negotiations could result in a boost for electric car penetration in the American market, and help VW regain trust by supporting American jobs and a clean car infrastructure, perhaps the VW emissions scandal could be turned into a benefit for consumers and the environment after all.

Source: Should the EPA force VW to build electric car infrastructure as penance for the emissions scandal?

Ontario, Canada, Boosts Electric-Car Purchase Rebate Amounts

As U.S. electric-vehicle advocates are well aware, a handful of states have reduced or killed incentives for plug-in vehicles over the past year, adding some headwinds to sales.

Earlier this month, the Canadian province of Ontario took the opposite approach, expanding its plug-in electric vehicle incentive program. It's a welcome tailwind.

The new initiative isn't entirely surprising, as the province has burnished its green credentials in recent years, notably phasing out its use of coal.

DON'T MISS: When Electric-Car Incentives Return: British Columbia Case Study

Premier Kathleen Wynne was also the Minister of Transportation when the province's first incentive program was introduced six years ago, so she may have a deeper appreciation of the history than many of her provincial or state peers.

Ontarians previously received a purchase rebate ranging from $5,000 to $8,500 based on the battery size of their plug-in electric car.

Electric Vehicle Purchase Rebate program, Ontario, Canada

Enlarge Photo

The now-discontinued Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid's 4.4-kilowatt-hour battery earned the minimum rebate, while vehicles with batteries of 16 kWh or more earned the maximum.

The new rebates have been set at $6,000 to $10,000 for vehicles with 5- to 16-kWh batteries, respectively--and cars with batteries larger than 16 kWh qualify for a further $3,000 rebate.

Autos with five or more seats qualify for an additional rebate of $1,000, perhaps in recognition that four-seaters such as the BMW i3 and first-generation Chevy Volt don't offer quite the same utility.

Lastly, in a nod to the tenuous optics of offering rebates to luxury-car buyers, purchase rebates are capped at $3,000 for vehicles with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price above $75,000--and do not apply to cars costing more than $150,000.

British Columbia reinstates its incentives for plug-in electric car purchase, February 2015

Enlarge Photo

As a patient public servant told us:

"Our decision to cap incentives for vehicles with a MSRP of $75,000 reflects the trend toward more affordable [electric cars] coming to market – vehicles that will appeal to more and more Ontarians.

"However, EVs still carry a significant price premium when compared to an equivalent gasoline vehicle. Our modernized Electric Vehicle Incentive Program will help make these vehicles more affordable to the average family.

"We will continue to provide incentives for vehicles at the higher end of the range, but it is increasingly difficult to justify providing incentives to high-income earners for vehicles that may likely be purchased regardless of the incentive. That is the reason we are focusing the program's funds where it makes the most sense: on mid-range vehicles."

Tesla fans may be disappointed that the Model S and X will only qualify for $3,000 in provincial rebates.

2016 Tesla Model X with 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport, photographed by owner Bonnie Norman

Enlarge Photo

But even if the company's Model 3 arrives late, it should qualify for a whopping $14,000 in incentives, because the program presently has no cap.

Quoting the same government representative:

"At this time, the program does not have a specific end date. However, we will be regularly reviewing the incentive program to ensure it is responsive to industry trends and emerging technologies."

Rebates will also be capped at 30 percent of manufacturer's MSRP, meaning that buyers won't be able to buy the Smart Electric Drive for half-price. (Smart ED buyers would otherwise receive $13,000 in rebates for a $26,990 vehicle.)

The government webpage listing rebates for qualifying plug-in electric vehicles can be found here.

Next-best to ZEV?

Policy analysts and advocates are nearly unanimous in agreeing that a California-style Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate is the best way to ramp up plug-in electric vehicle adoption at a rapid pace. If automakers are required to sell such vehicles, they'll do so, cross-subsidizing from the rest of their product lines.

ALSO SEE: Canadian Plug-in Electric Vehicle Study: 1 Percent To 30 Percent Is The Challenge

Of course, ZEV mandates are very, very difficult to implement politically--and California is something of a special case.

Wealthy and populous, the state is a big enough auto market that carmakers can't afford to simply stop selling cars there.

In addition, the earliest regulatory efforts by the California Air Resources Board were aimed at fighting smog, a visible pollutant and lung irritant which tended to galvanize voter support more than does carbon dioxide, the colorless, odorless greenhouse gas.

Source: Ontario, Canada, Boosts Electric-Car Purchase Rebate Amounts

Ajman offers free parking for electric cars

(Image for illustrative purpose only - Getty Images)

Ajman has become the first of the seven emirates to offer free parking for electric cars, an environment ministry official has revealed.

Fahad Hareb, the director of the Air Quality Department at the UAE's newly renamed Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, said the government is working with municipalities to incentivise citizens to use environmentally friendly cars, according to Khaleej Times.

He reportedly told the newspaper: "The Ajman Municipality has offered free parking for anyone who has an electric or eco-friendly car.

"We are putting together the regulations to ensure that it is done properly, mostly by mid-year.

"We hope such perks will encourage people to go for eco-friendly cars."

Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are also understood to be preparing to introduce free parking for electric cars.

The newspaper said that, in Dubai, said the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has agreed to provide free Salik (toll gate) tags and special parking for electric cars.

Other proposed incentives include designated slots for eco-friendly vehicles, to make it easier for drivers to find a space.

The UAE has set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions and energy use across the country.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), told the newspaper electric cars is a new concept in the Middle East but one that should be promoted more widely.

"People here are not yet used to buying this kind of cars yet. But the positive impact and environmental solutions offered by this concept make it imperative for all the parties concerned to work on setting an effective strategy that can contribute in spreading this concept in the near future, he was quoted as saying.

Oman's Nur Majan is reportedly the first electric car to be manufactured in the Gulf and will be brought to market in the UAE by 2019, the newspaper said.

Source: Ajman offers free parking for electric cars

How Apple, Inc. Could Help Tesla Motors Take on Traditional Car Dealerships

Apple Stores might eventually sell you a car directly. Image source: Apple.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is seriously considering making an electric car. This we know. What we don't know is whether or not the Mac maker will actually pull the trigger or not. But there's actually something else we know: We know how Apple would sell its Apple Car if it decides to move forward.

Much like Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA), Apple will pursue a direct sales model for all the same reasons it opened up its own network of retail stores 15 years ago.

Apple will be in Tesla's cornerTesla's battle with incumbent automakers over the traditional dealership model has waged for years, with no signs of letting up anytime soon. In fact, General Motors (NYSE:GM) just authored a bill in Indiana (HB1254) that would push Tesla out of the state based on protectionist dealer laws. Despite the fact that the average consumer is overwhelmingly in favor of direct sales, local lobbying is a powerful force and a meaningful campaign contributor.

However, if Apple were to jump in, it would absolutely push for direct sales. And Apple has a significantly larger customer base than Tesla. The electric automaker does its best to rally support to pressure policymakers, but Apple could potentially tip the scales in Silicon Valley's favor. This fight is really about bolstering public perception, because that will force the hand of lawmakers.

Education, not salesTesla's retail sales reps are not primarily trained or compensated on sales. In states where Tesla is allowed to sell through showrooms, reps do earn a small commission for sales, but it's a very small fraction of their overall compensation. This gives them some incentive, but also removes the high-pressure sales tactics that characterize the industry.

Tesla focuses on education at its retail locations, just like Apple. Image source: Tesla.

Instead, Tesla retail reps focus on education. Selling electric cars requires a significant amount of education. How long do I need to charge? What does electricity cost compared to gas? Can I take long-distance road trips when I want to? What's the difference between all the types of chargers out there? This is why the traditional dealership model simply would not work for Tesla. Not only do electric vehicles require less service than gas cars, thereby undermining one of the dealers' primary profit centers, but it also just takes a lot more time to close a sale.

You'll note that this is precisely the model that Apple uses, too. Apple Store reps are also primarily trained to educate consumers about the product. The key to this strategy is that the product sells itself. Significantly, this reinforces the view that the absolute most important thing for a company to focus on is creating a compelling product. If you get that right, the rest takes care of itself.

Inventory is evilDemand is so strong for Teslas that it doesn't even need to build inventory. Tesla can't even keep up with demand. This is how it is able to drive sales through Apple-esque showrooms at locations with high foot-traffic. Can you imagine General Motors selling cars in a mall?

It's not realistic for most automakers since they need to have inventory lots that take up a lot of real estate. But Tesla educates consumers about the car, and then they go order one online. It takes Tesla longer to produce and deliver the car, but it's worth the wait.

You can easily imagine Apple adopting an identical model. Apple allows customers to customize build-to-order Macs, and they're shipped directly from China to their doorstep. Apple wouldn't need a large inventory of cars on hand, and indeed Tim Cook believes that inventory is evil. Apple does have envious inventory turnover figures to maintain, after all.

It would be easy for Apple to implement a build-to-order model for electric cars, and it would have no problem with generating demand. Unlike Tesla, Apple's marketing machine is a beast (mostly because Tesla does no advertising).

To the deathOf course, dealers will continue to fight to the death (literally). The direct sales model is very much an existential threat. They'll cite things like "intra-brand competition" as proof that their existence is justified, even though the argument is fundamentally flawed.

Removing the middleman will reduce costs for consumers. Dealers compete to reduce their markup, but I think consumers would agree that they would prefer no markup whatsoever. This would also remove the whole haggling process, which is easily one of the most dreaded aspects of buying a car. Tesla doesn't negotiate because it doesn't have to.

Besides, can you imagine Apple negotiating on price?

The next billion-dollar iSecretThe world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something at its recent event, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

Evan Niu, CFA owns shares of Apple and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool recommends General 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: How Apple, Inc. Could Help Tesla Motors Take on Traditional Car Dealerships

EPA asks Volkswagen to make electric cars in U.S. to atone for rigged emissions tests

U.S. environmental regulators are not letting a crisis go to waste, seeking to make Volkswagen do more than fix the diesel engines that cheated on emissions tests.

According to a report in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, the Environmental Protection Agency wants Volkswagen to subsidize the electric-car industry to atone for the diesel-engine cheating.

According to the report Sunday, the EPA wants VW, the world's largest automaker by some measures, to produce electric cars at its U.S. manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. It also is using settlement talks with the German giant, to get help in building a network of charging stations throughout the U.S. — the main practical problem with electric cars, given their short range.

The German report did not specify its sources, according to multiple accounts in the English-language press.

"Talks with the EPA are ongoing and we are not commenting on the contents and state of the negotiations," a spokesman for Volkswagen said. EPA refused to comment to Welt am Sonntag.

Source: EPA asks Volkswagen to make electric cars in U.S. to atone for rigged emissions tests

European All-Electric Car Sales Peaked At 27,000 In Q4 2015

European All-Electric Car Sales Peaked At 27,000 In Q4 2015

23 hours ago by Mark Kane

Renault ZOE

All-electric car sales in Western Europe in 2015 (source: EagleAID)

With some 11,000 all-electric car sales (and about ~33,000 sales when including plug-in hybrids), December 2015 was a record month in Western Europe.

Renault ZOE and Tesla Model S both exceeded 3,000 sales.

According to the EagleAID, the last quarter of 2015 was so far the best for Western Europe with around 27,000 BEV sales.

"For the electric car industry, doing business in Europe is still no stroll in the park. And yet, of late some encouraging signs have been spotted, adding a positive note to this now closely watched niche in West Europe's otherwise upbeat looking new car market."

"Never before in history have so many electric cars been registered in Western Europe in one month."

"Moreover, apart from setting a new all-time record in December, with registrations scaling the 11,000 threshold for the first time, that follows three successive good months when regional electric car registrations topped the comparatively high 8,000 level for three months running."

The other insight is that plug-in hybrids recently noted higher sales than all-electric in Europe. 2016 could be the tipping point.

Source: EagleAID

Tags: europe, sales, Western Europe

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Source: European All-Electric Car Sales Peaked At 27,000 In Q4 2015

There's one new Tesla car that nobody is talking about

Dennis Larson/FlickrSexy! See Also I want the sexy old Tesla back Elon Musk just announced 'Ludicrous Mode' for the Tesla Model S Here Are A Bunch Of Things Elon Musk's Tantalizing 'D' Could Be

Tesla launched its Model X SUV last year and will reveal its forthcoming Model 3 mass-market vehicle next month.

You can pre-order a Model X right now, but the Model 3 isn't expected to arrive until 2017.

These two Teslas are all anyone has been talking about lately — especially Wall Street analysts who want to figure out which way Tesla's extremely volatile stock price is headed.

But Tesla is working on another car that nobody ever mentions.

It's going to be such a fast and sexy car that CEO Elon Musk has reserved a special category of speed for it: "Maximum Plaid."

Like "Ludicrous Mode" — Tesla's current top-speed technology — the label is nicked from Mel Brooks' "Star Wars" parody, "Space Balls."

Ludicrous Mode already enables Tesla's Model S P90D sedan to serve up the kind of acceleration we normally enjoy in Ferraris and Lamborghinis. It weakens the knees to imagine what "Maximum Plaid" will feel like.

And the car that Tesla has designated for its 0-to-60 mph crown is a blast from the past: the Roadster.

Never fade away

Some Tesla observers suspected that the company was going to let its first car fade away. With a Lotus-inspired chassis and an early version of Tesla's electric powertrain, the Roadster was a blistering little thing, capable of sub-four-second 0-to-60 runs — with the top down — in "Sport" trim (a 2.0 version of the original Roadster). 

But Tesla isn't going to let the Roadster go the way of the Dodo. In fact, before 2020, a new Roadster should hit the streets.

Wikimedia CommonsSoon to be updated.

Even if you think Tesla should be all about building no-nonsense electric vehicles for the everyman — and that its priority needs to be beating back challengers on that front — you have to admire the company's dedication to its roots. 

You also have to appreciate that while Tesla is trending in the direction of boring with its master plans, it doesn't want to abandon sexy completely.

The whole point of the original Roadster was to change hearts and minds about electric cars. They didn't have to be glorified golf carts; they could be hot and dazzling and super-cool paradigm-shifters. The Roadster was astonishing when it hit the scene in the mid-2000s. We don't see them as often as we used to, but when we do, they still turn heads. "Wow! That's a Tesla!"

The way it's done

In many respects, Tesla has shown any new entrant to the auto space how it's done. You have to grab the public by the lapels and shake.

Just look at Faraday Future, a mysterious new carmaker, and what it did at CES earlier this year. Faraday's plans for world domination rest on developing a very flexible platform for EVs and connected cars. But what they pulled the cover off of in Las Vegas was a concept that looked ready to run the 24 Hours of Le Mans on the rings of Saturn.

Faraday FutureFaraday Future's wild concept.

For the past few months, plenty of worry has been expressed about Tesla's prospects, as it struggles through some obvious growing pains. But the idea that Tesla will ultimately be selling at least four and probably more cars, with a overtly high-performance two-seater at the pinnacle of the range, should be reassuring.

This is what the world's premier automakers, from Porsche to BMW to even General Motors (Corvette, anybody?), all do: build really compelling cars, at times versatile, at times dull, but also at times frivolous.

And don't forget, as much as Tesla is about self-driving cars and vehicles than can be transformed via overnight software releases, the company's DNA has wound into it more than a fair amount of rubber-meets-the-road. I've driven the Roadster, and I'm here to tell you, although it may have been the car of the future at one time, it was also damned thrilling to pilot on a sunny day in Southern California.

The Roadster was the Tesla that started it all. Everyone should be talking about how great it is that Tesla is going to keep it around.

raneko/flickr

SEE ALSO: That new Tesla probably won't be as cheap as you think NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to drive a Tesla on the new Autopilot mode Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Source: There's one new Tesla car that nobody is talking about

You Need $1000 To Reserve Tesla's Most Affordable Electric Car

Manchester United loss to FC Midtjylland no shock, says Andy HinchcliffeFC's Craig Burley is surprised Louis van Gaal is still in charge of Manchester United after their 2-1 defeat at Midtjylland. But the Dutchman, like the rest of the United team, offered little in the second half as the home side came back to win.

School sends parents snarky 'Hurt Feelings Report,' making fun of whinersThe school spokesperson told NBC10 that the incident didn't reflect the views of those who work in the school. Good that they apologised, but I don't think it means they don't care about the kids".

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Terry ruled out of Manchester City clashHiddink welcomed some of the rumoured reforms reportedly being considered for the FA Cup , "a charming tournament". Pellegrini says the Champions League last 16 away leg against Dynamo Kiev next Wednesday is more important.

Jeb Bush's inscribed gun hits Twitter with a bangSo many ways. "If he ends up fourth there ( South Carolina ), what justification will he have for continuing?", wrote David A. Another Twitter user pointed out the difference between Jeb and his father, former President George H.W.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Still Left Hanging, Marshmallow Wait Still OnMany people still own the LG G2 and they too have been wondering if they are going to be treated to the update. On Wednesday, Samsung also shared some features Galaxy devices will get following the Marshmallow update.

Flint To Get An Additional $2 MillionDykehouse used white paint that's made with lead in the painting as a permanent reminder of children affected in Flint. The order came four months after elevated lead levels were found in blood samples taken from children in Flint.

Anger following dolphin death on Argentine beachTourists took pictures, including selfies with the dolphin, before leaving it on the beach after it had died due to dehydration. The videos and images on the internet stand testimony to the recklessness and cruelty of people in the face of wildlife.

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Source: You Need $1000 To Reserve Tesla's Most Affordable Electric Car

The Kochs Are Plotting A Multimillion-Dollar Assault On Electric Vehicles

The oil and gas industry may have thought it had killed the electric car, but sales -- boosted by generous government subsidies -- rose dramatically between 2010 and 2014, and energy giants are worried the thing may have come back to life. 

Time to kill it again. 

A new group that's being cobbled together with fossil fuel backing hopes to spend about $10 million dollars per year to boost petroleum-based transportation fuels and attack government subsidies for electric vehicles, according to refining industry sources familiar with the plan. A Koch Industries board member and a veteran Washington energy lobbyist are working quietly to fund and launch the new advocacy outfit.

Koch Industries, the nation's second-largest privately held corporation, is an energy and industrial conglomerate with $115 billion in annual revenues that is controlled by the multibillionaire brothers -- and prolific conservative donors -- Charles and David Koch. James Mahoney, a confidante of the brothers and member of their company's board, has teamed up with lobbyist Charlie Drevna, who until last year helmed the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, for preliminary talks with several energy giants about funding the new pro-petroleum fuels group.

Late last year, Mahoney and Drevna flew into San Antonio to explain the need for a new group to executives at two Texas refining giants, Valero Energy and Tesoro Corp. Then, in late January, Mahoney moderated a seminar on "Changing the Energy Narrative" at the brothers' twice-a-year retreat for mega-donors in California. The panel drew a mix of CEOs from big energy companies and other wealthy attendees who, in conjunction with the Koch brothers, bankroll numerous conservative advocacy groups. And last month, Mahoney and Drevna had further conversations with Koch executives about the new project, sources say.

Neither Mahoney nor Drevna returned multiple calls seeking comment about the new group. A Koch spokesman also didn't respond to a request for comment.

It's not clear when the still-unnamed group will be launched, but energy industry sources predict it's likely to be up and running by this spring or summer, and that Koch Industries -- or a Koch foundation or allied nonprofit -- will be the lead financier.

"The fact that Jim Mahoney is leading the effort appears to indicate that this is being driven by the business side of Koch," rather than the political operation that helps oversee the brothers' conservative advocacy empire, said one refining industry source familiar with the early plans for the new group.

Once launched, the new group is expected to use paid and earned media to push its pro-petroleum transportation messages, and do research to bolster the cause.

"I think they (are) approaching all the major independent refiners," added a second industry source, who requested anonymity because he had not been authorized to speak about the private discussions. The group's broad mission will be to "make the public aware of all the benefits of petroleum-based transportation fuels," he explained, adding that "the current administration has a bias toward phasing out" these fuels.

The source also stressed that the new initiative is partly attributable to "electric vehicles and the subsidies for them." 

"They're worried about state and community subsidies," he added. "In 20 years, electric vehicles could have a substantial foothold in the U.S. market."

The fledgling Mahoney and Drevna efforts seem to signal an expansion of Koch-backed drives against subsidies and tax breaks for alternative fuels to the transportation sector, at a time when support may be on the rise in Washington and some states for boosting electric vehicles.

Industry analysts and conservatives familiar with Koch world say the new initiative seems to fit the playbook that advocacy outfits backed by the Koch network have deployed in recent years to fight solar and wind power, battles that are fueled by ideology mixed with bottom line concerns.

"The Kochs have invested heavily in a pugnacious defense of fossil fuel consumption," said one conservative energy analyst. "They've done this in the electricity sector, and as the debate shifts to transportation they're behaving true to form."

Other energy analysts point out that electric vehicle usage is likely to accelerate before long, which could catch a number of energy companies off guard.

"Electric vehicle adoption started slowly, but it certainly is going to follow an exponential growth trajectory," said Varun Sivaram, an energy and environment fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "Once electric vehicle adoption hits a critical mass, I think it will take refiners, petroleum producers and automakers by surprise."

More broadly, some veteran energy lobbyists note that attacks on electric vehicle subsidies could backfire.

"Producers and refiners need to be careful in going after clean energy subsidies and incentives -- unless they're being paid for by the petroleum industry," said Don Duncan, a former top lobbyist for ConocoPhillips (which has now split in two). Duncan added that attacks on clean energy subsidies potentially "could again refocus the debate on subsidies and incentives enjoyed by producers and refiners."

Electric vehicles make up just 1 percent of the U.S. market, but some analysts see them rising to as much as 5 percent by 2025. Much of the impetus for boosting electric vehicles to curb climate change is coming from the government in the form of tax breaks and subsidies, and that's a key reason why Koch and some refining industry allies are riled up.

Not long after the Obama administration took office, it set an ambitious goal of having 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by last year. But only some 400,000 have reportedly been sold in the U.S. to date. In a new effort to spur the electric car and driverless car markets, Obama early this month called for a $10-a-barrel oil tax, a proposal that has little chance of passing Congress.

For Koch and other large refiners, the impact of a growing electric vehicle market could be significant down the road. Koch Industries' refining, pipeline and exploration operations contribute a healthy chunk of its $115 billion in annual revenues.

In their early forays to find financial backers, Mahoney and Drevna have turned to some old allies. Koch Industries has teamed up with Valero and Tesoro before. In 2010, Valero and Tesoro were the leading donors behind a multimillion-dollar California ballot initiative that was aimed at killing new state standards to reduce carbon emissions. Koch was also a big donor to the ballot campaign, which was defeated by environmental groups and other liberal interests.

The new group's formation comes in the wake of other discussions in Koch circles, going back to 2013, about building a stronger pro-fossil-fuels message. At a donor retreat in mid-2013, discussions were held about the need to do more to bolster traditional fuels, according to an April 2014 email that Koch operative and fundraising honcho Kevin Gentry sent to scores of donors.

In that email, Gentry alluded to the importance of a new initiative that would "drive the national narrative around energy and the tremendous benefits of reliable affordable energy for all Americans, especially the less fortunate." Gentry indicated that the energy initiative would be mounted by Freedom Partners, the fundraising hub for the Koch donor network which officially hosts the semiannual donor retreats.

To be sure, the Koch brothers and their network allies have long backed several nonprofit groups that have spent millions of dollars to fight alternative energy, notably wind and solar power projects, and poke holes in climate change science and regulations. The Koch brothers have repeatedly voiced skepticism that fossil fuel use contributes to global warming, and have long maintained that subsidies and tax breaks for alternative energy don't fit with their free-market libertarian ideology. 

In a twist, Koch interests held talks more than a year ago with Securing America's Future Energy, a group focused on reducing American dependence on foreign oil, about making a sizable investment, say two sources familiar with those talks.

SAFE, which was launched in 2006 with major funding from FedEx CEO Fred Smith, never received any Koch money, a spokesperson said.

The group seemed an odd choice for a Koch investment: One of its key priorities is promoting alternative transportation, including electric vehicles.

While the full dimensions of the Mahoney-Drevna initiative aren't clear, some sources believe there could be some overlap with other advocacy outfits backed by the Koch donor network. "The new organization may be doing work that's now being done by the Institute for Energy Research," a Koch-backed think tank, according to one source.

Although IER in recent years has issued several statements and papers attacking electric vehicle subsidies as part of a broad pro-fossil-fuels agenda, the new initiative is expected to expand the focus on electric vehicles and sell its message to a bigger audience through ads to generate more political backing.

Serendipitously, Drevna became a "distinguished senior fellow" at IER last May, after he left his perch running the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. The month after Drevna came aboard, the think tank posted a new paper attacking subsidies for a leading player in the electric car market: Elon Musk's Tesla Motors.

Source: The Kochs Are Plotting A Multimillion-Dollar Assault On Electric Vehicles

Aston Martin Electric Car To Possibly Roll Out In 2018

The hype for electric cars is just beginning, and British luxury car maker Aston Martin wants to be in on the hype, partnering with Chinese company LeEco in order to speed up production and be ready by 2018.

By Jerri Lynn | Feb 19, 2016 08:58 AM EST

Aston Martin teams up with LeEco to create an electric version of its Rapide S model, and hopefully produce more electric car models in the future. (Photo : Twitter Photo Section)

British luxury car maker Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., is partnering with LeEco, a Chinese consumers electronics company, in its pursuit to produce an electric car by 2018.

The partnership also opens the potential for Aston Martin to work with startup electric car maker, Faraday, as it is also backed by LeEco (formerly known as Letv). The team up is all in line with LeEco's plans to build a U.S.-based factory that is set to focus on the production of consumer electric cars, and make it available to the market by 2017, according to Wall Street Journal.

To start off the project, Aston Martin and LeEco is eyeing an electric version of the British car maker's Rapide S model, before proceeding to developing other potential electric vehicles for both companies.

"It brings Aston Martin's electric car project forward," said Andy Palmer, Aston Martin Chief Executive. Palmer also revealed that the cars will be manufactured in a factory in Gaydon, England, according to Reuters.

The partnership of the two companies is also a show of force by the Chinese tech industry, as more companies showcase that they are now capable of supplying cutting-edge vehicle technology, far from the time when they were only expected to produce low-tech car part supplies, according to USA Today.

China has also been looking for ways to lessen the pollution in its country, and electric cars are on top of its list of solutions. As a result, the demand for electric cars has quadrupled over the last year, with China as the biggest market, Reuters added.

Tags: Aston Martin, Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., LeEco, china, Chinese consumer company, Letv, Faraday, electric cars, Aston Martin electric car, Aston Martin Rapide S, Andy Palmer, China electric car market
Source: Aston Martin Electric Car To Possibly Roll Out In 2018