Electric Vehicles
The article Mercedes Challenges Tesla With an All-Electric SUV describes how legacy auto-maker Mercedes-Benz, among others, are working to get ahead of the electric vehicle curve and are taking on all-electric Tesla. The freshly unveiled EQC fully-electric SUV is the first of many in the new Mercedes-Benz EQ sub-brand line of electric vehicles. Production of the SUV will begin in 2019.
Green Car Reports brings you the story: Fact of The Week: Internal Combustion Cars Still Waste 70 to 88 Percent Of Energy. To give additional context, internal combustion engines are really inefficient in comparison to electric vehicles which convert about 59%–62% of the electrical energy from the grid to power at the wheels.
Infrastructure
In the world of electric car charging, faster is better. The article GM Working On Ultra-Fast Charging System For Electric Cars Like the Chevy Bolt EV (Updated) gives some insight into the technology that the company is working on with partner Delta Electronics. The fast-charging system being developed could charge at the rate of 18 miles per minute and deliver up to 400-kW of power!
The wireless-charging startup ‘Hevo’ is taking another approach to charging and is working on wireless charging technology. They are focused on developing a solution for cities where it could be too crowded to charge cars. Check out the article: There’s a Plug-Free Way to Fill the World With Electric Vehicles.
Policy
Are EVs hitting critical mass? That seems to be the takeaway from the article Exciting Figures Show the Cumulative Global EV Sales Hit 4 Million. An additional highlight from the Bloomberg New Energy Finance article is that the 5-millionth EV is projected to be sold as soon as March 2019. China and their policy pivot away from the internal combustion engine has played a large hand in this quick timeline.
Department of Energy Announces $80 Million Investment in Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research. This week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of 42 projects totaling $80 million to support advanced vehicle technologies. The biggest allocation of almost $32 million is going to research for batteries and electrification.
Events
Don’t forget that September 8th kicks off National Drive Electric Week! Click here to find a list of all the cities participating.