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future plans to produce electric cars starting from 2020. Newly revealed information details the Dyson plan further: there will be a halo car first, and it will be followed by two less expensive models.Initial information said that Dyson's vehicles would be powered by solid-state batteries, but according to the Financial Times, that appears to not be the case for the first vehicle to launch. Instead, the first car would be a lithium-ion powered limited edition of less than 10,000 units, and it would work as a trial run for Dyson to really get into EV car manufacturing. The company confirmed to Autocar that Ann Marie Sastry, the executive known for solid-state battery technology has left the company late last year, but Dyson would not disclose whether this has had an effect on the future battery pack choice for the first vehicle.Behind Ann Marie Sastry's original embarking on the Dyson project was Dyson's acquisition of Sakti3, a solid-state battery company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The … [Read more...] about Dyson’s electric car venture to be three-part

FRANKFURT — German carmakers hope a network of high-power charging stations they are rolling out with Ford will set an industry standard for plugs and protocols that will give them an edge over electric car rivals.At the moment, Tesla and carmakers in Japan and Germany use different plugs and communication protocols to link batteries to chargers, but firms building the charging networks needed for electric vehicles to become mainstream say the number of plug formats will need to be limited to keep costs down.Carmakers behind the winning technology will benefit from having an established supply chain and an extensive network, making their vehicles potentially more attractive to customers worried about embarking upon longer journeys, analysts say.Manufacturers that back losing plugs, however, could end up with redundant research and development and may have to invest to adapt assembly lines and vehicle designs so their customers can use the most widespread fast-charging … [Read more...] about Plug wars: the battle for EV charging supremacy

hydrogen vehicles in the U.S. If fuel cell vehicles spread from there the way sourdough bread and normalized weed have made their way across the country, we should pay attention to what's happening in the Golden State. One highlight worth noting is that Toyota has sold 3,000 units of its Mirai fuel cell sedan in California, the automaker announced.For a normal vehicle, 3,000 isn't an impressive number. Consider, though, that there are only 31 hydrogen fueling stations at which to fill them up in the state, and that they're located primarily around Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. That helps put the sales into perspective. Perhaps more interestingly, Toyota claims that the Mirai makes up 80 percent of all fuel cell vehicles on the road in the U.S.That might not be the case for long, though. Other automakers are slowly ratcheting up their hydrogen vehicle programs to gauge their reception primarily in — you guessed it — California. There, Honda is selling its … [Read more...] about Toyota surpasses 3,000 Mirai fuel cell sedan sales

Honda raised a few eyebrows by announcing the return of the Insight hybrid for 2019, this time as a larger and plusher four-door sedan. While the model holds the title of America’s first hybrid car, its groundbreaking status didn’t carry over into the model’s second generation, which, despite selling better than the two-seater first-gen model, quietly (and slowly) disappeared from the market after its 2014 discontinuation.The automaker sold three “new” 2014 Insights last year, and 67 the year before.Throughout the second Insight’s run, and continuing through 2015, the Civic Hybrid was also available to lower-end electrified car shoppers. Which begs the question: why didn’t Honda just make a hybrid version of its wildly popular 10th-generation Civic?Oh no, Honda couldn’t do that.Speaking to Wards Auto at last week’s Detroit auto show, Henio Arcangeli, senior vice president of American Honda’s automotive division, said … [Read more...] about Why Bring Back the Insight? Because a Hybrid Civic Just Isn’t Done

Infiniti announced that it will offer new electrified vehicles starting in 2021. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said that its luxury brand will build its first all-electric car in 2021, as well as new "e-Power" vehicles – series hybrids with batteries charged by gasoline generators.Nissan has introduced e-Power vehicles in other markets, including the Note e-Power and the Serena e-Power minivan. Now it will extend that technology to Infiniti, providing a similar driving experience to an EV with the convenience of a gas-powered vehicle.Infiniti also said that we can expect "beautiful vehicles" like the Q Inspiration Concept that debuted at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. Infiniti doesn't plan on producing the Q Inspiration, but it will certainly influence future vehicles in terms of both styling and technology. The Q Inspiration uses variable compression technology, which the company intends to use to improve efficiency and performance of its gasoline-powered cars.Infiniti expects half of … [Read more...] about Infiniti EV coming in 2021

Despite the inherent challenges with using hydrogen as a fuel source, Hyundai is plowing ahead with a new generation of fuel cell vehicle as a follow up to the Tucson Fuel Cell it currently offers in limited markets.Difference is, the current hydrogen-powered Tucson shares a lot of sheetmetal with the traditionally fuelled Tucson. The new, as yet unnamed, hydrogen crossover doesn’t look like anything in Hyundai’s portfolio … at least not yet.It’s not unrealistic to suspect the machine shown here may be a harbinger of future Hyundai design philosophy, given the company has said it is “near-production” ready. The Hyundai FE Concept shown last year at Geneva looks remarkably similar.At Geneva, the company said the electrified FCV will boast a range of nearly 500 miles, more than double the range of the most long-legged electric cars and about a hundred miles ahead of Honda’s Clarity Fuel Cell car. However, that 500 mile estimate is likely based on … [Read more...] about Hyundai Plans New Fuel Cell Vehicle for CES, But What’s This About Powering Your Home?

rebate on purchases of so-called new-energy vehicles (NEV) until the end of 2020, a boost for hybrid and electric car makers amid a shift by policy-makers away from the traditional internal combustion engine. The finance ministry said in a statement on Wednesday the tax exemption, which was set to expire at the end of this year, will run from Jan. 1, 2018 until Dec. 31, 2020 for electric, plug-in petrol-electric hybrid and fuel-cell powered vehicles. The extension comes as automakers in China brace to meet strict NEV quotas starting in 2019 that are sparking a flurry of electric car deals and new launches of electric and hybrid models. Amid the shift, some global automakers have called on China to maintain financial support for the market, citing concerns consumer demand alone will not be sufficient to drive sales without state-backed incentive schemes to lure buyers. The Ministry of Finance said the extension would help "increase support for innovation and development in new energy … [Read more...] about China extends tax rebate for electric cars, hybrids

When Elon Musk revealed his plans for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, he also promised the delivery of his own cherry-red Tesla Roadster to space, all while David Bowie's Space Oddity plays. Not the most subtle of promotions, for sure. Now Musk is teasing us with an even more overblown set of seven photos that show said Roadster prepping to head into orbit near Mars.The photoset on Musk's Instagram account reminds everyone that test flights usually contain mass in the form of concrete or steel blocks to test load capacity. Instead, Musk decided to launch his own Roadster into an elliptical orbit around the sun, which he says should last a billion years. Which, obviously, may be a bit of hyperbole. Even still, this is some unforgettable imagery, which will likely burn itself into our collective minds as we think of Tesla, Musk or Space X. Which is probably the point.This story originally appeared on Engadget, your guide to this connected life.Related Video: … [Read more...] about Elon Musk shows off the Tesla Roadster he’s prepping for space

Kia’s well-regarded Niro, the boxy, decent looking hybrid five-door that’s a cross between a crossover and a hatch (it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive), spawns a plug-in sibling for 2018.Positioned as a mainstream offering for green yet thrifty families, both Niro and Niro Plug-in offer more than 100 cubic feet of passenger volume in an incognito body while delivering fuel economy approaching that of the Toyota Prius. In plug-in form, the Niro travels 26 miles before requiring the assistance of gasoline.While the Niro Plug-in’s price tops that of a base Prius Prime, we’ve learned Kia has a strategy for scoring value-minded buyers.Leasing. More and more Americans are deciding to have their vehicular relationships last no longer than three years, making attractive lease offers an increasingly popular way to lure buyers — and trump rivals.According to Cars Direct, the base 2018 Niro Plug-in LX, which retails for $28,840 after delivery (an $845 … [Read more...] about Kia Niro Plug-in Looks to One-up the Toyota Prius Prime in One Key Way

Honda previewed the revival of the Insight hybrid, seen above, ahead of its official debut at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. This comes just shortly after the launch of the Clarity trio — a battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and fuel cell electric (FCEV) — which doesn't have a standard, non-plug-in hybrid model. What gives? If you're a little confused, you're not alone, but we think we can help you make sense of Honda's hybrid hierarchy, and how they correspond to other advanced- and traditional-powertrain vehicles in its lineup.Let's start with the Insight. We honestly didn't know that Honda would be recycling that nameplate until this morning. We did know that Honda would reveal a "compact dedicated hybrid" at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. We don't know what platform will underpin the new Insight — and "dedicated" could just refer to the nameplate, not the platform. So perhaps it's on its own platform, or it shares with another … [Read more...] about Insight? Civic? Accord? We need some Clarity: Honda’s hybrid hierarchy