plugging in
Latest News

Boosting U.S. Electric Car Sales Is a Chicken and Egg Riddle

WASHINGTON, DC, February 2, 2015 (ENS) – President Barack Obama set a goal in his 2011 State of the Union speech – put one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. But auto analysts and executives doubted that was possible. Turns out the doubters were right. U.S. car dealers have sold just over 250,000 electric vehicles since they were introduced in 2010. […]

Arias
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EU Struggles to Cut Road Transport CO2 Emissions Post-2020

BRUSSELS, Belgium, January 28, 2015 (ENS) – “Some people think that the recent decrease in oil prices will have a negative impact on electric cars. Personally, I am convinced that this will not be the case,” said Miguel Arias Cañete, EU commissioner for climate action and energy, in a speech at the IG Metall conference on Tuesday. […]

brake pads
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Automotive Industry Agrees to Copper-Free Brake Initiative

WASHINGTON, DC, January 21, 2015 (ENS) – An agreement to reduce the use of copper and other toxic materials in motor vehicle brake pads was signed Wednesday in Washington by the automotive industry, an organization representing the 50 U.S. states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. […]

Carter
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Toyota Opens Hydrogen Fuel Cell Patents Royalty Free

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, January 6, 2015 (ENS) – Toyota is “opening the door to the hydrogen future,” offering to share nearly 6,000 hydrogen fuel cell patents with other automakers – royalty free. Bob Carter, senior vice president of Automotive Operations at Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. announced the offer Monday at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. […]

tires
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From Finland: Green Winter Tires for Electric Cars

NOKIA, Finland, January 5, 2015 (ENS) – A winter tire designed for BMW’s i3 electric car goes on sale this month, designed and manufactured by Finnish tiremaker Nokian. Known for its winter tires, Nokian operates the world’s only permanent winter tire testing facility. […]

Bucharest
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EU Traffic Noise Causes 10,000 Premature Deaths a Year

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, December 19, 2014 (ENS) – More than 125 million Europeans could be exposed to levels of road traffic noise above legal guidelines, causing up to 10,000 premature deaths each year, finds a new assessment published today by the European Environment Agency. […]

Berlin
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Mobile Phone App Could Help Manage Harmful Traffic Noise

BRUSSELS, Belgium, November 17, 2014 (ENS) – A new mobile phone application, called 2Loud?, can measure night-time noise exposure inside homes near roadways. EU health officials say that with large-scale community participation, the app could provide valuable data for urban planning. […]

train station
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Billion Euro Eco-Friendly Train Station Opens in Vienna

VIENNA, Austria, November 11, 2014 (ENS) – Vienna’s new environmentally-friendly Central Railway Station will begin receiving international arrivals in December. Austrian transportation planners have designed access to the new station to favor public transit users, bicyclists and pedestrians over automobiles. […]

Elantra
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False Greenhouse Gas Claims Cost Hyundai, Kia US$100 Million

WASHINGTON, DC, November 4, 2014 (ENS) – South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia will pay the largest fine in U.S. Clean Air Act history because close to 1.2 million vehicles they sold will emit 4.75 million metric tons more greenhouse gases than the companies certified to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. […]

officials
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California, Japan Charge Ahead With Electric Vehicle Pilot

SACRAMENTO, California, October 21, 2014 (ENS) – The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the Japanese government’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization have agreed to conduct a feasibility study for an electric vehicle fast charging project in California. […]

electric vehicle
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Major Incentives for Electric Cars Offered in 20 U.S. States

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, October 15, 2014 (ENS) – JEA, a community-owned, not-for-profit utility in Jacksonville, is the latest entity to offer rebates for plug-in electric vehicles. JEA is offering a $500 rebate for vehicles with batteries smaller than 15kWh and a $1,000 rebate for vehicles with larger batteries. […]

Mayor Tau
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October in Johannesburg Means Ecomobility

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 6, 2014 (ENS) – Ecomobility – an integrated form of mobility that combines walking and cycling with riding public transit – is the focus of Johannesburg’s 2014 Transport Month. All during October, activities planned throughout this city of 752,000 residents encourage car-free transportation. […]

electric cars
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Germany Offers Perks for Electric Car Drivers

BERLIN, Germany, September 29, 2014 (ENS) – The German government has approved a new law on electromobility, including incentives for EV drivers such as parking privileges, use of bus lanes and special transit access. But environmentalists are not happy with the new law. […]