Latest electric drive news and analysis articles 
That part of the automotive industry concerned with vehicles possessing part or fully electrically driven wheels; includes hybrids, EVs, batteries and all associated electric drive components and power control technologies
SWEDEN: BAIC eyes joint Saab bid with Panasonic
7 February 2012
Beijing Automotive Investment (BAIC) may team up with battery supplier Panasonic to buy Saab in order to make electric vehicles, reported ttela.se.
US: Fisker halts Delaware development
7 February 2012
Fisker has halted work at the former General Motors plant in Delaware, where it plans to build Project Nina, its plug-in hybrid family car, laying off 26 workers there and axing a further 40 contract (temporary) employees from its California headquarters.
US: Fisker starts sales in Canada
6 February 2012
Fisker Automotive has started selling its electric Karma model in Canada where government funded subsidies are on offer to EV buyers.
PRODUCT EYE: Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E.
1 February 2012
White Van Man might well be in danger of losing his innate haste and stress, should he get behind the wheel of the new EV version of Renault's Kangoo van.
SWEDEN: Volvo takes on 50 Saab engineers as it looks to boost EV sector
31 January 2012
Volvo says it has recruited 50 engineers from Saab, with a further 50 being currently evaluated as redundant staff from the Trollhattan manufacturer look for alternative employment.
UK: Chevrolet Volt ‘will be in short supply'
26 January 2012
Chevrolet UK has been contacted by 2,500 people "who said they want to talk to us about the Volt," managing director Mark Terry said, adding that he expects there to be more customers than cars, certainly for the foreseeable future.
JAPAN/UK: Honda hybrid tally over 800,000
25 January 2012
Honda Motor has sold over 800,000 hybrid vehicles since the first generation Insight - a two-seat coupe - was launched in November 1999.
UK: just-auto surveys the global auto industry
24 January 2012
just-auto has launched its latest annual survey of the auto industry to identify key trends and forecasts for the year ahead.
US: Fisker lowers its forecast again
23 January 2012
Fisker Automotive has lowered its sales projections for the second time, saying that the rollout of its luxury electric cars in the US and Europe had slowed down due to regulatory hurdles.
JAPAN: Toyota to expand Li-Ion battery output from 2014
23 January 2012
Toyota Motor will significantly expand its production capacity of lithium batteries as early as 2014 with a view to using the cells in a redesigned Prius hybrid model line planned to be launched that year, sources familiar with the matter have said.
US: Honda delivers Fit EV to home city
23 January 2012
Honda's US unit has delivered a Fit [Jazz] EV battery-electric vehicle to the city of Torrance - south of Los Angeles where it is based - as part of an electric vehicle demonstration programme ahead of the retail market launch in California and Oregon this summer. The EV was displayed at the Detroit auto show this month.
UK: Government and industry join on hydrogen fuel cell project
18 January 2012
A claimed ground breaking project to ensure the UK is well positioned for the commercial roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles has been launched, business minister Mark Prisk announced on Wednesday (18 January).
UK: SMMT welcomes government plug-in grants
17 January 2012
UK automakers' lobby group, the SMMT, has welcomed the government’s renewed commitment to ultra-low carbon vehicles following the announcement that the plug-in car grant will be retained and a new plug-in van grant created – reducing the cost of eligible vans by 20% up to the value of GBP8,000.
UK: Fisker Karma on display at Harrods
16 January 2012
Fisker's electric Karma is the latest car to be displayed in the window of world famous London department store, Harrods, in Knightsbridge, ahead of its international launch in coming weeks.
FRANCE: Rennes plant to build Peugeot 508 hybrid
12 January 2012
A range-topping diesel-electric version of the Peugeot 508 is due for launch later in 2012.
GENEVA PREVIEW: Updated global debuts list [Peugeot 208 added]
11 January 2012
Some additions to just-auto's list of world premiere concepts and production models due to take their bows at the Geneva motor show in March.
DETROIT SHOW: Volvo lauds XC60 plug-in hybrid as '3-in-1'
11 January 2012
When Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, presented the new XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept at Detroit this week, he described it as 'actually three cars rolled into one'.
DETROIT SHOW: VW chases segment leadership with Jetta Hybrid
11 January 2012
It already offers four- and five-cylinder petrol engines as well as a 2.0-litre diesel. Now the US market's Volkswagen Jetta is going after leadership of the compact segment by adding a petrol-electric powertrain to the mix.
DETROIT SHOW: Global debuts list
10 January 2012
Our complete list of concept and production vehicle global premieres which were revealed at the North American International Auto Show.
DETROIT SHOW: Global debuts list [BMW ActiveHybrid 3 & Chrysler 700C added]
9 January 2012
Some additions to our list of concept and production vehicle global premieres that are being revealed at the North American International Auto Show. This year's media preview days are 9 and 10 January, with just-auto reporting live from the COBO Center.
DETROIT SHOW: New Ford Fusion 'points to' next Mondeo
9 January 2012
Ford has revealed the second generation of its Fusion mid-sized sedan at the Detroit motor show. The company says the car 'points to' the next Mondeo, which it confirms as being due for launch in Asia and Europe in 2013.
US: GM makes Volt changes after NHTSA probe
5 January 2012
General Motors has changed the vehicle structure and battery coolant system in the Chevrolet Volt range extender hybrid which, it said, would further protect the battery from the possibility of an electrical fire occurring days or weeks after a severe crash.
DETROIT PREVIEW: Global debuts list [Volvo concept & Porsche 911 Cabrio added]
4 January 2012
An updated list of concept and production vehicle global premieres due to be revealed on the 9 & 10 January media days of the North American International Auto Show.
December 2011 management briefing: Review of 2011 (part 2)
23 December 2011
Like any year in the auto industry, 2011 saw its fair share of company ups and downs, industrial comings and goings, and a fair old sprinkling of corporate drama. Added to the mix this year were devastating natural disasters. We covered it all on just-auto. Editor Dave Leggett sifts through the lot and picks out a few highlights from the year just gone, month by month. Part two covers the second half of the year.
SOUTH KOREA: Kia launches EV with petrol engine sound
22 December 2011
Kia Motors has launched its first plug-in car, the Ray EV.
DETROIT PREVIEW: AMP to show new Jeep EV at show
22 December 2011
AMP Electric Vehicles will unveil its new Jeep Grand Cherokee EV, which will be introduced at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
US: AMP to show new Jeep EV at Detroit show
22 December 2011
AMP Electric Vehicles will unveil its new Jeep Grand Cherokee EV, which will be introduced at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
December 2011 management briefing: Review of 2011 (part 1)
20 December 2011
Like any year in the auto industry, 2011 saw its fair share of company ups and downs, industrial comings and goings, and a fair old sprinkling of corporate drama. Added to the mix this year were devastating natural disasters. We covered it all on just-auto. Editor Dave Leggett sifts through the lot and picks out a few highlights from the year just gone, month by month. Part one covers the first half of the year.
DETROIT PREVIEW: Global debuts list [UPDATED]
20 December 2011
Just-auto's list of the concept and production vehicle global premieres scheduled to be revealed on the 9 & 10 January media days of the North American International Auto Show.
CHINA: Toyota starts production of current Prius in China
19 December 2011
Toyota has said that its Chinese JV making the Prius has started making the third generation model.
