2021 Tesla Model 3 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Epic Electric American Road Trip goes 12,000 miles on EV power

Twenty-seven states. 12,000 miles. Zero gasoline. Those are the headline numbers for the "Epic Electric American Road Trip" that ended in Venica, CA today, just in time for Earth Day. Norman Hajjar, the managing director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, made the journey in a stock Tesla Model S both as a way to draw attention to electric vehicles (he's trying to get Guinness World Record to verify that this was the longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100 percent electric power) and to show that long-distance road trips are possible even with today's charging infrastructure. This was certainly a trip for an EV diehard, since it was made up of 109 hours of charging and 213 hours of driving. That leads to the second part of Hajjar's reason for driving criss-cross across the US: to "draw attention to needs for further improvement." You can relive the journey over at Plugshare or on Twitter. World Record-Breaking Electric Vehicle Journey Crosses Finish Line "Epic Electric American Road Trip" marks the longest ever journey made with zero fuel costs VENICE, Calif., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the completion of the record-setting Epic Electric American Road Trip, a 24-day, 12,183-mile battery-powered journey sponsored by electric vehicle (EV) software and information services company Recargo Inc. The trip is seeking Guinness World Record verification for longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100% electric power, and served to emphasize the possibilities of the nation's current electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Norman Hajjar, Managing Director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, crossed the finish line in a stock Tesla Model S sedan. At the trip's end, Norman has ventured across a 27-state route spanning the four corners of the lower 48 states: Washington, Maine, Florida, and California, ending at Recargo's offices in Venice, California. Hajjar took advantage of Tesla's newly built, proprietary string of cross-country "Supercharger" stations, in order to make the coast-to-coast electric venture. "We wanted to illustrate what's possible with the nation's charging infrastructure, and draw attention to needs for further improvement," said Norman Hajjar. "The plausibility of a mass switch to EV usage in America simply can't be separated from the need for a robust fast-charging network. I've traveled over 12,000 miles in under 3.5 weeks.

Tesla breaks 28-year-old monthly sales record in Norway

Someone may want to try to translate "Gigafactory this!" into Norwegian. Tesla Motors just set the all-time monthly sales record for a single model in Norway, The Wall Street Journal says, citing Norwegian transportation officials. And that's for any type of model, gas-powered or not. The California-based electric-vehicle maker, which is planning a massive Gigafactory battery plant in the US as it prepares to unveil a lower-priced model, sold 1,493 Model S sedans in Norway last month. The sales total more than doubled the No. 2 selling Volkswagen Golf (624 units) and beat a 28-year-old monthly sales record set by the Ford Sierra (1,454 vehicles). And March marked the second straight month an electric vehicle took Norway's best-selling crown, which was won by Nissan for its Leaf in February. That's heady stuff, and it gets headier when you factor in Norway's population of only about 5.1 million people. That means that on a per-capita basis, that'd be like Tesla selling about 94,000 Model S vehicles in a month in the US. By comparison, Ford sold "only" about 71,000 of its best-selling F-Series trucks last month. With cheap and abundant hydroelectric power, Norway heaps lots of incentives for its EV buyers, including perks such as free parking, an extensive recharging network, use of bus lanes and free ferries and road tolls. With EV subsidies tallied at about $8,000 per vehicle, the country reportedly may reach its limit of providing incentives for 50,000 EVs by mid-2015, or about two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule. And for that, Norwegians, blame Tesla.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ohio State wins EcoCar 3 Year One, Renault video praises environmental benefits of EVs

A new video from Renault touts the benefits of electric vehicles. The video covers how EVs can help improve the air we breathe and mitigate climate change. It looks into the future at how the air of various metropolitan areas would improve with the adoption of electric cars. It focuses on how EVs help reduce not just CO2 emissions that put the climate in jeopardy, but gases and particulate matter that directly affect the human health. A study in Rome shows that if 10 to 20 percent of the vehicles were electric, particulate pollutants that cause respiratory and heart diseases would decrease by 30 percent, with nitrogen dioxide decreasing 45 percent. "The solution already exists," the video says, "and it is quite accessible for most of us." See the video above, and read more in the press release below. Ohio State University has won Year One of EcoCar 3. Winning the Year One trophy in the competition to create eco-friendly technology and incorporate it into a Chevrolet Camaro, the team defends its title from EcoCar 2 and wins $10,000 in prize money. "This year really lays the foundation vehicle development, which is critical step in the process for future success," says Ohio State University Engineering Manager M.J. Yatsko. "We have already begun vehicle dynamic analysis for next year and are excited to share some of our innovative features we plan to integrate into our vehicle." Teams receive their Camaros this fall, and will use the next years to install, test, and refine their technologies. Read more from the US Department of Energy. Advanced Microgrid Solutions will use up to 500 megawatt-hours of Tesla batteries for grid-based energy storage. It will install the Tesla Powerpack systems for storage in commercial and industrial facilities to help balance the grid load. It offers greater reliability for the grid, and cost saving for customers. "Tesla's focus on performance and design makes them the stand out technology choice for our projects," Says Advanced Microgrid Solutions CEO Susan Kennedy. "AMS' projects require intelligent, powerful and scalable energy storage solutions. Tesla's technology gives us the edge we are looking for." Read more in the press release from AMS. The National Electric Drag Racing Association has announced the Inaugural 2015 NEDRA Points Championship Series. It borrows rules from NHRA and IHRA, and seeks to put vehicle consistency and driver skill at the forefront.