Discounts, Rebates Making Some Electric Cars More Affordable

Minnesota Power customers can get a Nissan Leaf for around $13,000 through the month of June

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Power is hoping to get Duluthians to start thinking green when it comes to driving.

Representatives with the company were out at Whole Foods Co–op on Wednesday to promote electric vehicle technology.

Through the month of June, Minnesota Power is offering a $10,000 discount to customers who buy a Nissan Leaf electric car.

Along with a $7,500 dollar federal tax credit, they say right now you can get one of these for just $13,000.

"A question we commonly get is 'how does it handle in winter driving?' The vehicles are actually heavier than a regular internal combustion engine car because of that battery pack, so they typically get a lot better traction as well," says Pam Schmidtt, a customer solutions analyst with Minnesota Power.

Minnesota Power also just finished up construction on a brand new electric vehicle charging station in Canal Park.

The Nissan Leaf gets just over 100 miles on a full charge.

Source: Discounts, Rebates Making Some Electric Cars More Affordable

Elon Musk just revealed an important detail about Tesla's upcoming electric semi-truck

TED

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday that the company is working with major truck companies to design the company's first all-electric semi-truck.

"We are showing off a working prototype at the end of September, but we have shown it to people who buy heavy duty trucking and they all love it. They just want to know how many can they buy and how soon," Musk said during Tesla's annual shareholder meeting hosted at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

"We are getting them closely involved in the design process," he said.

Tesla shared this slide showcasing future products at its shareholder meeting on Tuesday.Tesla

Tesla is including the companies in the design process because it helps ensure their needs are met, Musk said. He also said the company will likely reach full-scale production for the semi in 18 months to two years.

Musk first announced the company was working on a Tesla Semi in August in his Master Plan Part Deux. However, Musk has kept mum on specific details about the upcoming vehicle.

Other companies are also pursuing electric semi-trucks. Daimler's electric semi will hit the streets in Germany this year and the company has said it has as many as 20 potential customers.

Tesla, of course, also plans to launch the Model 3, which is the company's first mass-market car, by the end of this year and the Model Y by the end of 2018. Musk also said in April that the company will reveal its first pick-up truck within the next two years.

Get the latest Tesla stock price here.

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Source: Elon Musk just revealed an important detail about Tesla's upcoming electric semi-truck

China Said to Halt New Electric Car Permits on Glut Concern

China plans to halt issuing permits to produce electric vehicles because of concern additional approvals may lead to a glut in the world's biggest auto market, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The National Development and Reform Commission, which oversees new investments in the auto industry, wants to evaluate the program after handing out 15 production licenses since March 2016, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions aren't public. A suspension of new permits may delay plans by companies such as Internet entrepreneur William Li's NIO and Jia Yueting-backed LeEco's electric-car unit that have said they intend to apply.

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China has identified new-energy vehicles as a strategic emerging industry and aims to boost annual sales of plug-in hybrids and fully electric cars by 10-fold in the next decade. Besides giving generous subsidies for both consumers and manufacturers, the government created a class of permits allowing companies including billionaire Lu Guanqiu's Wanxiang Group and a Volkswagen AG joint venture to produce only electric vehicles, while imposing a moratorium on new capacity for the manufacture of conventional gasoline-run vehicles.

The state support helped China surpass the U.S. in 2015 to become the world's biggest market for new-energy vehicles -- comprising electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars. A total of 507,000 such vehicles were sold last year in the country, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The NDRC didn't immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

A suspension of new licenses may help incumbent electric-car manufacturers including BYD Co. and BAIC Motor Corp. by limiting the number of competitors to the industry. Volkswagen's joint venture with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp. received the 15th permit to produce EVs.

BYD shares climbed as much as 1.6 percent as of 9:34 a.m. to the highest intraday level in six months in Hong Kong trading, while BAIC Motor rose as much as 1.7 percent. The benchmark Hang Seng Index was little changed.

To date, newly set up companies in China have announced at least 98 billion yuan ($14 billion) of investments to build electric car factories with a total annual capacity of 2.9 million units a year, or six times the number of plug-ins sold last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from company statements.

Apart from Karma Automotive owner Wanxiang Group, other companies that received the permits to manufacture electric vehicles include auto-parts maker Minth Group, car designer Beijing CH-Auto Technology Co., Beijing Electric Vehicle Co., Hangzhou Changjiang Passenger Vehicle Co. and a unit of Chery Automobile Co.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said last week the country will stick to its pledges to tackle global warming. President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate pact because it favored other nations, a move seen as an opening for China to burnish its image as a global leader on environment issues.

— With assistance by Tian Ying, Heng Xie, and Keith Zhai

Source: China Said to Halt New Electric Car Permits on Glut Concern

Lots of ways to get $10K off 2017 Nissan Leaf electric car by end of June

The 2017 Nissan Leaf might well be the hottest electric car deal on the market right now, with a slew of potential discounts.

Nissan is working with numerous partners to provide $10,000 off a 2017 Leaf lease, which adds to the $7,500 federal income-tax credit, giving a total of $17,500 in incentives.

Among the partners offering the $10,000 incentive is utility company Baltimore Gas & Electric, which services 2,300 square miles and encompasses Baltimore City.

DON'T MISS: California utilities submit $1 billion of electric-car projects to regulators

BG&E will offer the discount through the end of June, but it cannot be combined with any other lease deal—though it may be debatable whether a better deal than this is available this month.

For customers outside BG&E's service area, the utility company's parent, Constellation Energy, is offering an identical deal. 

The incentive was originally introduced in January of this year, but has has most recently been extended through the end of June.

However, a customer may need to register with the EZ-EV, unlike the BG&E deal.

Moving down south to Texas, the EVgo national charging network and Nissan have partnered to offer new EVgo customers the $10,000 incentive.

The $10,000 off comes when signing up for an EZ-charge card and only applies to new sign-ups.

READ THIS: Hawaii, utility offer $10,000 Nissan Leaf rebate; hope for carbon-free transport

From the information provided, it does not appear Texas residency is required to take advantage of the incentive, since buyers may sign up at any dealer.

The same incentive was introduced in January by Hawaii's Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative and the Hawaiian Electric Company as well.

A $10,000 incentive is included for utility customers and it has been extended, once again, through the end of June.

Nissan is likely attempting to clear out its supply of first-generation Leaf electric vehicles, EPA-rated at 107 miles of combined range but now in their seventh and final model year.

The 2018 Nissan Leaf will be revealed later this year, and first sales of that car may begin as early as December 2017.

The 2018 Leaf will likely boast greater range than the 2017 Leaf's 107 miles, and arrive with less polarizing styling.

CHECK OUT: California utility SCE offers $450 rebate for new and used electric cars

If you're not in or near one of these areas and you're planning on buying a Leaf soon, it might not hurt to contact Nissan or your local electric utility to ask if they know of more local programs.

Other incentives by utility companies are considerably lower, but still worth noting—even for those who purchased before the program's rollout.

Southern California Edison, for instance, will provide a $450 rebate for both new and used electric vehicles.

It's a small step toward reaching the state's goal of putting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads by 2025, made more critical by California's renewed public commitment to abide by the terms of the Paris climate pact even as the U.S. overall has pulled out.

[hat tips: George Amoss, Brian Henderson]

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Source: Lots of ways to get $10K off 2017 Nissan Leaf electric car by end of June

Chinese Plug-in Electric Vehicle Market Increased Just 7% In April

7 hours ago by Mark Kane

Sales of New Energy Vehicles in China – April 2017

The Chinese plug-in electric vehicle market has yet to fully recover from a disastrous start to 2017, but managed to improve EV sales by 7.9% over a year ago, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

And while a 7.9% growth rate might be acceptable for some countries, China is/was looking for 800,000 total plug-in sales this year – so at this point, they need much, much larger gains.

Sales in April amounted to 34,361, bringing the cumulative total to 90,402 after the first four months; a number which is basically on par with 2016 when ultiamtely ~507,000 PEVs (including commercial vehicles and buses) were sold.

The bulk of April's sales comes via all-electric vehicles: 28,570 in April (up 19%) and 72,895 YTD (up 9.7%), while plug-in hybrids fell by 27% to 5,791 and 17,507 YTD (down 27%).

Sales of New Energy Vehicles in China – April 2017

source: Automotive News China

Tags: china, sales

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Source: Chinese Plug-in Electric Vehicle Market Increased Just 7% In April

Elon Musk 'intrigued' by India's objective of all-electric cars by 2030

He may have recently played down chances of Tesla coming to India in 2017 but Elon Musk - widely regarded as one of the pioneers in development of electric cars - appears to be keeping a close watch on developments here. On Thursday, the Tesla CEO tweeted a report which highlighted India's vision of saying farewell to cars powered by fossil fuels by 2030.

On April 30, power minister Piyush Goyal had said the country is looking at an all-electric fleet by 2030+ . "We are going to introduce electric vehicles in a very big way. The idea is that by 2030, not a single petrol or diesel car should be sold in the country," Goyal had said while addressing the CII Annual Session 2017. Musk took note of the intent and recognised that the country is already the largest market for solar power.

India indeed is at the cusp of being a viable market for selling products which make use of clean energy. The potential demand is only second to the sheer urgency in reasons for a switch, considering India's toxic air has become globally infamous. Add to that that the country is the third-largest importer of oil which adds a burden of $150 billion yearly. However, there is still some way before, at least, electric cars become more prevalent.

Musk in a Twitter reply in May had said he was told 30 per cent of parts must be locally sourced in India and that the "supply does not exist to support that."

This fueled speculation that the speculative launch of Tesla cars in India won't happen in India. While there is still no word on when and if Tesla would come here, the Indian government had replied to Musk's observation by using its #MakeinIndia handle on the micro-blogging platform. Major car makers in country though are looking at India's electric push with a sense of caution, even as Chinese firms look to storm in.+ Volvo, for instance, has welcomed the vision but understands the drastic change it calls for. "I think that's a great ambition. I think these type of ambitions really try to change us," Tom von Bonsdorff, MD, Volvo Auto India, recently told TOI Auto. "13 years is a very short time. It requires some drastic change. "The question is more that we need to kickstart the activities to make sure that we can get there." (Read full interview here) Getting there will of course require a slew of measures and the advent of Tesla can, perhaps, only quicken India's pace towards its dream of going all-electric on the roads.
Source: Elon Musk 'intrigued' by India's objective of all-electric cars by 2030

Daimler, VW eye China's electric car market

German auto giants Daimler and Volkswagen announced plans Thursday to secure pole positions in China's electric car market as the world's second-biggest economy ramps up investment in cleaner energy.

Coinciding with a visit to Berlin by Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Daimler and VW were among a string of top German companies to unveil major business deals with China.

China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, has been investing billions in clean energy infrastructure and is building up an e-car industry, as its leaders battle to clear up the notorious choking pollution enveloping its biggest cities, including Beijing.

Among the agreements signed in the presence of Li and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the automakers agreed to build electric cars in China, which they described as the world's biggest market for "electromobility".

Daimler said it would take a minority stake in Chinese carmaker BAIC's electric car subsidiary.

At the same time, Daimler will also invest in upgrading the current production facilities at its existing joint venture with BAIC, "paving the way for the introduction of New Energy Vehicle production," the German group said.

"China today is already the world's largest market for new energy vehicles, and Daimler is committed to contributing to the further development of electric mobility in this country," said Daimler's China chief Hubertus Troska.

As for Volkswagen, it announced it would "develop, produce and market electric vehicles as well as mobility services" in a 50-50 joint venture with carmaker JAC.

VW, the world's largest carmaker, aims to sell some 1.5 million electric cars per year in China by 2025, thanks to its deals with JAC and competitors SAIC and FAW.

Its first vehicles jointly designed with JAC are scheduled to roll off the production line in 2018.

- Trump and trade -

Both China and Germany have found themselves under fire recently from US President Donald Trump who lashed out at their massive trade surpluses.

The meeting between Merkel and Li appeared much more good-natured, and Li emphatically said that China welcomed foreign goods.

"China will continue to provide German companies, particularly automobile firms, with a good environment to sell more cars," he told a news conference after talks with Merkel.

"Germany has a massive trade surplus with China, but we're not complaining," he said.

"We're happy for Chinese consumers to have more choices and products. If they pick German goods, we're still happy," Li added.

The German-Chinese projects came as the world waited to learn whether Trump will take the US out of the Paris climate accords.

For China's part, it will "steadfastly" stick by its commitments to reduce carbon emissions by 2030, said Li.

In other deals, German car components suppliers Bosch and Continental also both announced they would collaborate with Chinese internet behemoth Baidu in the area of "connected mobility".

Germany's DZ Bank is teaming up with the China Development Bank (CDB) to finance business and infrastructure investments and trade in both countries, as well as cooperating on capital markets.

And Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest lender, announced Wednesday that it would work with CDB on investments in the "Belt and Road" infrastructure project, which Beijing hopes will deepen trade links between Asia, Europe and Africa.

© Provided by AFPRelaxNews CEO of Daimler Greater China Ltd and board member of the Daimler AG, shake hands after signing an economic agreement.
Source: Daimler, VW eye China's electric car market