Home »
Posts filed under electric cars
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
57,000 sales out of just over 14-million. That's how many electric cars sold in the United States last year, causing more than a few people to announce the second death of the electric car. But General Motors' US president Mark Reuss has come out fighting for the battery car, saying that he expects Americans to embrace the technology more and more.
“The electric vehicle is not dead. We at GM believe that the public will accept and embrace electric vehicles. Some people already have" said Reuss at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.
He also promised that not only would the next generation of Chevrolet Volt, sold here as the Opel Ampera, have a greater battery range, it would also be thousands of dollars cheaper, as GM is now able to make batteries and electric drivetrains more efficiently.
Posted by Alex Bale
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Most car makers don't expect electric vehicles to take more than 15% of the global market in the next 12 years, according to a survey carried out by KPMG.
KPMG surveyed more than 200 global motor industry executives and found that most were investing in downsized petrol and diesel engines to keep ahead of ever tightening emissions regulations, rather than going for pure electric vehicles. The survey certainly seems to back up something that Toyota said late last year, when its European sales boss said that customer needs were better met by hybrids and plugin hybrids than by pure battery EVs.
“When you look at current MPG estimates for new cars, it’s very evident that automakers are continuing to significantly improve engine efficiency”, KPMG’s National Automotive industry leader Gary Silberg said, speaking to The Detroit News. “What’s clear is that the internal combustion engine is not going anywhere soon.”
The study also found that more than 60% of car makers were preparing to invest in their factories to make production more efficient and that the executives polled picked BMW, Hyundai and VW as the car makers most likely to increase their global sales over the next year.
Posted by Alex Bale
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Cork and Dublin Airports have gone electric for their latest fleet purchase as part of the DAA’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.
The DAA (Dublin Airport Authority) has purchased nine electric Renault Kangoo mini-vans for use at Dublin and Cork airports, making the company one of the largest electric fleet operators in the country. DAA’s decision to opt for the nine electric vehicles will result in CO2 savings of more than 200,000kg over the lifetime of the vehicles, which is equivalent to planting more than 6,000 trees.
“With this investment, DAA has already become one of Ireland’s leading operators of electric vehicles, and we look forward to significantly expanding our electric fleet over the coming years,” said DAA’s Head of Sustainability, Mary Coveney.
DAA’s decision to opt for electric vehicles followed its participation in a programme supported by ESB ecars, which allowed the company to test drive a Kangoo Z.E. for a month to check its capabilities in a major international airport.
“The trial helped us build confidence throughout the organisation that buying electric vehicles wasn’t just good for the environment, but also made sense from an operational perspective,” said Ms Coveney. “Electric vehicles are perfect for an airport environment, as they have a range of 120km and will always be close to a main charging point.”
The new electric vehicles will be used on a daily basis in both airside and landside locations by DAA maintenance crews, and staff from its car park and terminal services departments.
Patrick Magee, Renault Ireland Sales & Network Director said he was delighted that DAA had chosen the Renault Kangoo Z.E. for its new electric fleet.
“The Kangoo Z.E. has been a very popular choice for both public and private businesses looking to reduce costs whilst helping the environment and it’s great to see the DAA take up the electric challenge,” Mr Magee said. “Renault is the only manufacturer to introduce a range of 100% electric vehicles, from the Kangoo Z.E. to the Fluence Z.E. Saloon, the Twizy and the stylish compact hatch the ZOE which will both be launched in 2013”.
