Industry news

Utilities are excited about the current generation of smart thermostats that customers are buying from big-box stores and HVAC dealers. A growing body of research shows that there’s good reason for the excitement. Not only can utilities leverage the two-way wireless thermostats for demand response if a customer so chooses, but there are also notable savings even if a customer

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SolarCity (SCTY) is trying out a new approach to signing up customers in the increasingly competitive rooftop solar game — taking its offer to the online discount marketplace. On Wednesday, the country’s leading residential solar financier and installer announced it was partnering with Groupon (GRPN) to test the appetite for discounted solar installations in 84 U.S. metropolitan areas. Under the

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Today Standard & Poor’s gave Tesla Motors’ stock an unsolicited junk rating of B-minus, six grades below investment status, for what it termed a “vulnerable” automaker. “We believe there is considerable uncertainty in Tesla’s long-term prospects and believe that the company is less likely to successfully adapt to competitive and technological displacement risks over the medium to long term,” says

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MINI is showing up at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2014 with a very special EV concept: the MINI Superleggera Vision. This open-top two-seater EV was created by MINI and Touring Superleggera, the tradition-steeped design and coach building house based in Milan. MINI stated the Superleggera Vision is on the one hand a classic roadster, a compact and agile two-seater,

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4,150 MW worth of new solar energy projects are now set to be developed in China thanks to a series of new deals just inked by GCL-Poly. All of the new deals are currently set to be completed by the year 2016. The new deals include: one with Guodian unit GD Solar to develop 3 GW of solar PV capacity;

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As part of a new development partnership, Volvo Buses will deliver three Volvo Electric plug-in hybrids to Hamburger Hochbahn AG. The electric hybrids will enter into traffic in Hamburg towards the end of the year.   Hamburger Hochbahn AG has been a successful and important partner of science and manufacturers in the field of innovative drive technologies. The company has now

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The largest electric vehicle show in the Midwest is celebrating its sixth year at Schoolcraft College. The show, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 7, is a must-see for anyone who’s ever considered buying an electric vehicle. The show is free and open to the public. It is a great opportunity to see all types of EVs and

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Panasonic Corp said it expected to become the sole manufacturer in Tesla Motors Inc’s planned multibillion-dollar U.S. battery factory, firming up its commitment to the electric car maker’s project. The Japanese electronics conglomerate had until this week made only cautious comments about Tesla’s plans, for which the carmaker is seeking total investment of around $3 billion in addition to the

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OK, clearly he shouldn’t have said, “I hope you don’t buy it.” But last week’s little media explosion over Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne’s negative comments on the 2014 Fiat 500e electric car his company sells–in limited numbers, in California only–shouldn’t be a surprise. To summarize his comments in a Reuters article that appeared last Thursday, Marchionne said of the

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Today on Green Car Reports: A drive report on the brand-new 2014 BMW i3 REx range-extended electric car from the very first owner, a new book offers Tesla Model S ownership advice, and we drive BlueIndy’s electric BlueCar as well. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Lots to catch up on, including last week’s stories in reverse …

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