electric vehicles
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ChargePoint is adding 2.5M electric vehicle chargers over the next 7 years
Electric vehicles still make up just a fraction of the cars, trucks and SUVs on the road today. But that’s changing: The number of electric and plug-in hybrid cars on the world’s roads exceeded 3 million in 2017. By 2025, there are expected to be 20 million electric vehicles in just North America and Europe.
And that means the world is going to need a lot more chargers.
ChargePoint, the California startup that provides infrastructure for electric vehicles, said Friday it will expand its network of chargers nearly 50-fold over the next seven years. The company, which has more than 53,000 chargers in operation today, has committed to a global network of 2.5 million charging spots by 2025.
The majority of these new EV chargers will be evenly split between Europe and North America, with smaller percentages in Australia and New Zealand, the company said Friday at the Global Climate Action Summit.
ChargePoint has raised more than $292 million since its founding in 2007. It’s used the funds to add chargers to its network, including an expansion last year into Europe. The company secured an $82 million funding round, led by automaker Daimler in May 2017. A month later the company announced another $43 million in funding from German engineering giant Siemens to bolster its European expansion.
The network expansion comes at an auspicious time for automakers, a number of which are planning to roll out electric vehicles in the next several years. Tesla has its own network of chargers that it calls superchargers. The automaker has invested heavily to build out the network, which is now 1,342 stations with 11,013 superchargers globally.
Only Tesla vehicles can use that network, which aims to promote long-distance travel. Other automakers that are beginning to sell EVs will rely heavily on third-party EV providers like ChargePoint. It’s estimated that at least 40 new electric vehicle models will be introduced in the next five years. Jaguar will start delivering its first EV, the i-Pace crossover, to customers in the U.S. this fall. Audi plans to introduce its first electric vehicle, the e-tron, on Monday.
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Buick unveils an all-electric SUV concept and it’s exactly what GM needs
General Motors is spinning up its electrification plans and today announced the stunning, poorly named Buick Enspire concept at Auto China 2018. As a concepts go, this one looks great and rather feasible.
GM says it’s powered by Buick’s eMotion powertrain that can produce a maximum output of 410 kW (roughly 550 hp). This should make it good for a 4-second sprint to 60 mph. Range is clocked at 370 miles and the battery can be recharged to 80 percent within 40 minutes. It supports both fast and wireless charging.
The 2018 Buick Enspire all-electric concept SUV
Inside is an augmented reality windshield, OLED display and wood center console. And because this is just a concept and nothing is real, the Enspire features a 5G connection.
GM made a big promise in 2017 to release 20 electric vehicles within the next five years. The company is going all-in on electric vehicles, and something like this Buick would fit nicely in the world of crossovers and mild SUVs. I think it looks better than the Tesla Model X, but of course, the Model X is real and this is just a concept.
The Envision was announced in China, where the Buick nameplate is well-loved. It will be interesting to see if GM releases this sharp SUV under a different brand though. To me, throw a new grill on it, drop the dumb name and that SUV could be the future of Chevy.
Pricing and availability were not announced.
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Jaguar reveals the new all-electric I-PACE SUV
Jaguar has finally fully revealed the official I-PACE all-electric SUV, a vehicle with just under 240 miles of range and a 0 to 60 mph time of under five seconds. The car can also charge to 80 percent from empty in 40 minutes using special quick charger hardware, and a 15-minute top-up is good for around 62 miles of additional range. The I-PACE looks like Jaguar’s best attempt to do a… Read More
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Tesla wants to install chargers at the office
Tesla expects to sell 100,000 electric vehicles in 2018. But electric vehicles don’t make much sense unless chargers are easily accessible and convenient. That’s why Tesla is introducing the Workplace Charging program. It will allow offices and business to apply for a Wall Connector to be installed in the company garage or parking lot. And, except for the actual electricity used… Read More
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UPS is working on a fleet of 50 custom-built electric delivery trucks
UPS will work with partner Workhorse, a battery-electric transportation technology company, to develop and deploy a fleet of 50 custom-built plug-in electric delivery trucks with zero emissions. The goal is to make trucks that cost as much to buy as do traditional fuel-based delivery vehicles — even without taking into account subsidies. The Workhorse-designed vehicles will be… Read More
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Tesla launches a web-based version of its in-car trip planning tool
Curious about what it’s like to plan a long road trip as an electric vehicle owner? Tesla thinks you just might be, so now it’s launching a web-based version of its trip planning tool, which was previously only available to Tesla owners via the in-car navigation system. The tool allows you to map out a route and includes the best charging spots along your route, complete with how… Read More
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BMW reaches 100,000 electric vehicle sales target for 2017
BMW set out to sell 100,000 electric cars this year globally, and it has managed to do that, the company revealed today. That includes fully electric cars, as well as electrified vehicles like its plug-in electric Active Tourer 2-Series, Reuters reports. Its fully electric options include the i3 compact, which it debuted in 2013 but which saw strong demand in the U.S. and in Western Europe… Read More
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NIO launches its ES8 all-electric SUV in China
Electric vehicle startup NIO has launched its first production car, the ES8 – a fully electric SUV with 220 miles of range, fast charging that will top off the battery entirely in one hour of charging, battery pack swapping capabilities for thee-minute refuelling and more. The car starts at about $68,000 before incentives and subsidies, and will be a strong competitor with the Model X… Read More
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Toyota will electrify entire vehicle lineup by 2025
Toyota is finally revealing the details of its plan to catch up with some of its rivals on electrification; the automaker has focused primarily on hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles before now, despite having led the market with the Prius – but it’s going to focus more on pure EVs going forward, with a plan to offer over 10 purely battery-powered vehicles from 2020 on, and a… Read More
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Carmaker venture for EV fast-charging teams with gas stations in Europe
Automakers are laying the groundwork for a future in which electric cars are omnipresent – and at least as common a sight on roadways as traditional gas-powered vehicles. Last month, a group of car OEMs including Ford, BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen Group created a new joint-venture called ‘Ionity’ to build out a charing network, starting with a series of fast-charging stations… Read More
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