Industry news

China has thrilled the solar industry in the past few years with bigger and bigger solar installation targets. Of course, this also came on the back of solar capacity oversupply and a solar manufacturer shakeout that put many non-Chinese solar companies out of business, but it has also helped to pull manufacturers out of a financial crisis and further drive

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Rooftop solar is an unstoppable force in the Australian market that will drive the nation’s total installed solar capacity well past 20 gigawatts, regardless of any attempts by the incumbent utilities to thwart its development, Bloomberg New Energy Finance says. Kobad Bhavnagri, head of BNEF in Australia, told the 2014 Solar Conference and Expo in Melbourne on Thursday that BNEF

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Thanks to its partnership with Tesla Motors, Panasonic now possesses 39% of the plug-in vehicle battery market — crushing its closest rivals, NEC at 27% market share and LG Chem at 9%. The market as whole is continuing to grow relatively rapidly — having more than tripled over the past three years. It currently rests at about 1.4 GWh per

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Electric vehicles already were a hard sell in China. Now, battery-pollution concerns have made the task even tougher. Graphite used in US luxury electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc’s batteries has been tied to pollution problems in China. The announcement that China, a leading graphite producer beset by severe smog problems, will shut down dozens of graphite mines and processing facilities

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We have just become aware of a last-minute attempt by the auto dealers lobby, via pressure on legislators, to bar Tesla from selling its vehicles direct to consumers in the state. This extraordinary maneuver amounts to a sneak attack to thwart due process and hurt consumer freedom in Missouri. In the last week before Missouri’s legislature ends its current session,

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Sales of plug-in electric cars last month stayed about level with last month’s, based on the reports from all makers of plug-in electric cars sold in the U.S. (except for two that refuse to provide sales data). With all data now in, it was a steady month for plug-in sales, but not a spectacular one. The Nissan Leaf battery-electric hatchback

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If you’ve bought an electric vehicle recently, chances are you may have enjoyed some of the myriad incentives currently offered on plug-in cars. Income-tax credits, purchase rebates, sales-tax exemptions, and various non-monetary incentives have been used worldwide to spur plug-in car sales growth. Now, data from the International Council on Clean Transportation show they’re working pretty well. Mostly. An ICCT

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Tuesday it will launch at least two new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the next three years as it faces rising fuel-efficiency standards. The automaker disclosed it will launch a plug-in hybrid Chrysler Town & Country minivan in 2016 and a yet-to-be-named full-size Chrysler crossover in 2017. Chrysler chief Al Gardner said the new plug-in

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There are many reasons for considering making an electric car the next car you buy or lease. Besides the many environmental benefits, the promise of energy security, the silky-smooth driving experience with instant torque available without delay and low maintenance, one of the best characteristics of electric vehicles is how little they cost to operate. I’ve covered this topic here

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Many of the gas-saving driving and maintenance tips for conventional vehicles also apply to hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles (EVs). However, here are some additional tips that may help you improve the fuel economy of these advanced vehicles. Reading the Owner’s Manual These vehicles can vary significantly in design, especially the way they manage energy use; tips that apply

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