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Norway about to run out of EV incentives; plan to be reviewed

As electric vehicle advocates in Norway may ready to celebrate, executives over at Tesla Motors and Nissan may be preparing for a healthy bawl. That's because Norway, whose financial support of plug-in vehicle use have pushed the country to the forefront of plug-in vehicle adoption, is about to reach its government-imposed threshold for electric vehicle and plug-in vehicle incentives, Hybrid Cars says. Two years early, in fact. Norway's perks for EVs and PHEVs include free access to bus lanes, highway tolls, ferries and parking, not to mention a big tax rebate. As a result, the country is less than 250 units away from hitting its 50,000-vehicle limit for those perks, which were initially estimated to expire in 2017. In fact, last month, more than 25 percent of the four new cars sold in Norway were plug-in vehicles. The government is now saying it will review the incentives and put forward a new plan in the next budget, which is due in May. Late last year, Nissan put out a video saying that electric vehicles had about a 15-percent new-vehicle market share in Norway, and that the Japanese automaker had sold more than 15,000 all-electric Leaf vehicles in the country since starting sales there in 2011. Last spring, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Tesla Model S broke Norway's all-time monthly sales record for a single model in March 2014, with almost 1,500 Model S vehicles sold. This is for a country whose population is less than that of Colorado. Whether those days will soon be gone remains in question. Advocates will push for some sort of extension on the perks, but opponents in government say the incentives have cost the country as much as $500 million a year in tax revenue. News Source: Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Elbilforeningen/Flickr Government/Legal Green Nissan Tesla Electric incentives government incentives

Why a Renault-FCA merger could be good news for Nissan, Mitsubishi

TOKYO — Nissan's advanced technologies including platforms and electric powertrains could give it leverage in a merger involving Renault and Fiat Chrysler, thanks to a royalty system it has with the former, two people with knowledge of the matter said. A merged Renault-Fiat Chrysler could face an extra hurdle each time it uses technology developed by Nissan or Mitsubishi Motors, while the two Japanese automakers stand to gain a client in Fiat Chrysler (FCA), one of the people said. Both sources declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Nissan's technology, particularly in electrification and emissions reduction, could give it some sway in the $35 billion potential tie-up between Renault and FCA, even as its stake in the newly formed company would be diluted. Currently Renault SA pays less for technology developed by Nissan than the Japanese automaker pays for French technology, a third person said. This has long been a sticking point for Nissan, and an area where Nissan could seek more favorable terms. "Whenever Nissan transfers platform, powertrain or other technology to Renault, there is a margin or royalty which Renault has to pay for use of that tech," one of the people said. "In that sense, FCA, if everything went well, would become another 'client' of ours and that's good. More business for us." A Nissan spokesman declined to comment on its royalty system. The potential Renault-FCA deal has complicated the Japanese automaker's already uneasy alliance with Renault. A further deal with Fiat Chrysler looks likely at least in the near term to weaken Nissan's influence in the 20-year-old partnership. Renault owns a 43.4% stake in Nissan and is its top shareholder. Nissan holds a 15% non-voting stake in Renault and would see that diluted to 7.5% after the FCA deal, albeit with voting rights. The imbalance between the two has long rankled Nissan, which is by far the larger company. Alliance imbalance Renault had previously angled for a merger with Nissan but has been rebuffed by CEO Hiroto Saikawa. Securing benefits from the merger deal will be important for Saikawa, who is grappling with poor financial performance while he struggles to right the company after the ouster of former chairman Carlos Ghosn last year.

Recharge Wrap-up: Renovo Coupe at CES, Aussies tour US in Tesla Model S

Australians review the Tesla Model S in a Seattle to LA road trip video. The folks from CarAdvice drive the P85+ along the West Coast of the US, testing out the car, trying the Superchargers, stopping by some notable sites along the way and even making use of roadside assistance. While the video shows what it's like to take the Tesla on a US road trip, it gives viewers Down Under a glimpse of their own future. Tesla just began sales in a country that, while on the other side of the globe, also features long distances between cities and a new Supercharger network. Check out the video below or read more at Inside EVs. A UK taxi company is introducing the Nissan e-NV200 to its fleet. C&C Taxi, which has been using six Nissan Leafs in its Cornwall taxi service since early December, has added the passenger-ready e-NV200 Combi to its stable of cabs. Mark Richards, manager of C&C's fleet, is happy with its performance and money saved after over 1,000 miles of service so far, and plans to replace the rest of the diesel fleet with EVs. The Nissan e-NV200 Combi "does everything the Leaf does but is much bigger and offers more space," says Richards. "We'll definitely be ordering more." Learn more in the video below or read more at Hybrid Cars. Learn more about Nissan's fleet EVs at the company's website. The US Department of Energy has released a new report on EV charging behavior and its impact on the grid. The report, which covers grant projects from six different utilities, includes data from over 270 public chargers and 700 residential charging units. Most at-home charging took place at night during off-peak hours. There were some reports of problems with chargers and smart meters working together. Most public charging took place during peak hours, but was low compared to home charging. This means a longer cost recovery period due to the high cost of installation. See the report at the DOE website or read more at Green Car Congress. The Renovo Coupe will be on display at the NVIDIA booth at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for its first public viewing. Renovo Motors CEO Christopher Heiser says, "These are very exciting times for Renovo and we think our new technology, coupled with NVIDIA's breakthroughs in automotive applications, has the potential to make a tremendous impact across the entire automotive industry." The Shelby Daytona-bodied Renovo offers 500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque from two electric motors.