Electric Cars

German car manufacturer Volkswagen plans to create a gigantic network of charging points for electric cars in Europe with Enel and BP. They aim to set up six gigafactories for EV batteries across Europe by the end of this decade, with a total production capacity of 240 GWh.

Dutch scientist Bonna Newmann spoke with pv magazine about the present and future of vehicle-integrated PV from a technological and economic perspective. Solar panels installed on cars could have a payback time of only three or four years and ensure 10,000 km of pure PV-generated road travel per year, she said. Furthermore, if you live in a sunny place, you can drive an electric car with solar panels for weeks during summertime, without the need for recharging, she pointed out.

Italian start-up Italvolt wants to build a €4 billion EV battery manufacturing facility in Italy. The site for the project is currently being identified, and the factory’s initial capacity should reach 45 GWh.

Spanish companies Repsol and Ibil have launched the first charging station for electric vehicles with energy storage. The system reuses batteries from electric buses.

Ford, Toyota, and the U.S. government have all taken huge steps toward getting more electric vehicles on the roads, and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has released a report outlining which states are keeping pace.

According to a new report by BloombergNEF, 58% of global passenger vehicle sales in 2040 will come from electric vehicles, yet they will make up less than 33% of all cars on the road.

Some Australian states are choosing this moment to ensure that electric vehicle drivers are paying their fair share of funds needed to maintain road infrastructure given that they don’t contribute via fuel excise. The moves are expected to throw a spanner in the works of drivers deciding in favour of zero-emissions motoring.

The French energy giant has acquired Charging Solutions, a recharging stations specialist, from German industrial group Viessmann. It has also won a tender by the municipal government of Paris to operate 2,300 EV charging points.

Scientists in Qatar have developed a new model for setting up standalone EV recharging stations based on the hybridization of multiple renewable energy sources and different types of storage. The system includes power generation devices from CPV/T, wind, and biomass and is designed to fast-charge 80 electrical vehicles daily.

Australia’s Tritium has unveiled a new scalable solution, launched in tandem with the next-gen RTM75 DC Fast Charger, to knock down one of the few remaining obstacles to large-scale EV charger uptake.