EDTA - Electric Drive Transportation Association Weekly Media Round-up

VW: '500-mile EVs by 2020'
AutoCar (UK)
August 13, 2010

-- Electric vehicles will have a range of more than 500 miles within the next 10 years. That is the view of Martin Eberhard, a man who sprang to prominence when he co-founded the Tesla electric sports car company in July 2003. ARTICLE HERE

Charging Your Electric Car At Home: What You Need To Know
All Cars Electric
August 13, 2010

-- Yesterday we dialed in to a phone conference hosted by the Electric Drive Transportation Association, where representatives from groups including ChargePoint America, ECOtality, the Eaton Corporation and General Motors offered their views on the future of recharging for both the public and businesses alike. ARTICLE HERE

California Senate Gives HOV Access to Plug-in Hybrids, Extends Hybrids for 6 Months
Hybrid Car News
August 12, 2010

-- The California Senate yesterday voted 28-3 to pass a bill to would extend the use of carpool lanes for solo hybrid drivers through June 30, 2011. The legislation, SB 535, would also provide HOV access to solo drivers of plug-in hybrids under the state’s Enhanced Advanced Technology Zero Emissions Vehicle (EAT-PZEV) designation. ARTICLE HERE

Spain's Queen shows green credentials in electric car
The Telegraph (UK)
August 12, 2010

-- Spain’s socialist government had hoped to get 2,000 green cars on the road by the end of the year but so far only 16 of the vehicles have been sold. Queen Sofia was photographed during her Majorcan holiday behind the wheel of the Peugeot iON, a zero-emission electric vehicle with a battery life of 80 miles. ARTICLE HERE

Ford to build solar energy system to power production of electric and hybrid vehicles
The Associated Press
August 12, 2010

-- Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it is teaming up with two utilities to build a solar power generation system used to provide energy for production of the automaker's electric and hybrid vehicles. Ford, Detroit Edison and Austin, Texas-based Xtreme Power will build the power station at the automaker's assembly plant in Wayne, Mich. ARTICLE HERE

BYU unveils electric streamliner racecar
NBC 5 - KSL (Salt Lake City)
August 12, 2010

-- Brigham Young University unveiled its new electric streamliner racecar Thursday. The vehicle has been in development for the past six years. ARTICLE HERE

When a Truck Absolutely, Positively Doesn't Use Fuel
Wall Street Journal
August 12, 2010

-- Say "electric vehicle," and most people think of cars like the Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt that will soon roll off assembly lines. But with a push from companies including FedEx Corp., attention is turning to commercial delivery trucks that may prove a surprisingly good fit for battery power. ARTICLE HERE

Electric cars: 30 Silicon Valley charging stations will get upgrades
San Jose Mercury News
August 12, 2010

-- Expecting a surge of consumers buying new electric-powered vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt, California is recharging the infrastructure needed to power the cars in Silicon Valley and elsewhere in the state. The California Energy Commission is working with charging-technology providers EV Connect and Auburn-based ClipperCreek to upgrade 3,000 electric-car charging stations throughout the Golden State, according to a statement Thursday from Huntington Beach-based EV Connect. ARTICLE HERE

AeroVironment to Supply, Install and Support Electric Cars in South Carolina
Power Electronics Technology (Online)
August 11, 2010

-- Plug In Carolina today announced it has selected AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) of Monrovia, Calif., to supply, install and support a network of public electric vehicle (EV) "re-fueling" stations in seven South Carolina cities. The charging network is expected to be operational by December 1, 2010 to support the variety of new EVs entering the roadways. ARTICLE HERE

DTE offers a deal for 1st electric car buyers
The Detroit Free Press
August 11, 2010

-- Just before the first wave of electric vehicles hits the market, DTE Energy is offering incentives to 2,500 early adopters to help the company learn when and how often drivers will charge their cars. ARTICLE HERE

Bay Area to install over 5,000 EV charging stations
CNET
August 11, 2010

-- The San Francisco Bay Area is set to receive $5 million to install charging stations for electric vehicles throughout the area, the Department of Energy announced Wednesday. The $5 million will cover the installation of 50 fast-charging EV stations along highways, 2,000 public stations for public parking lots and participating company-owned parking lots, and 3,000 residential charging stations. ARTICLE HERE

Push is on for car charger network
The New Haven Register
August 11, 2010

-- With the release of the nation’s first mass-market electric car just a few months away, there is an increased focus on how and where the vehicle will get recharged. The Chevy Volt, which comes with an electric battery and a gasoline-powered engine to increase its range, is scheduled to arrive in Connecticut showrooms this fall, perhaps as early as November. ARTICLE HERE

California Energy Commission approves electric vehicle funding
Platts
August 11, 2010

-- The California Energy Commission on Wednesday approved a $108 million investment plan intended to speed development of electric vehicle technologies and alternative transportation fuel resources. ARTICLE HERE

GM soon to announce charging partner
The Detroit Free Press
August 10, 2010

-- General Motors is close to naming a partner to install optional residential charging hardware for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car that is scheduled to go on sale later this year. The Volt will come with a 120 volt cord that will work with any outlet and allow its owner to recharge the car in eight to 10 hours, said Gery Kissel, an engineering specialist for GM. ARTICLE HERE

Vancouver plugs in to charging stations
The Columbian
August 9, 2010

-- Electric vehicle charging stations will soon be plugged into spots around Vancouver, linking the city to a regional system that will keep zero-emissions cars moving from Canada to California, city officials said. The city will use $100,000 of its $1.6 million in federal stimulus money earmarked for environmental improvements to install chargers for electric cars, including the Nissan Leaf, which will be sold in Portland and Seattle starting at the end of this year. ARTICLE HERE

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