EV buyers to benefit from subsidies and lower taxes

Currently the central government offers subsidies of around 60,000 yuan (about $9,340 or €6,890) for the purchase of an EV in the pilot cities. In addition to this the local governments may grant an additional financial support. The Chinese policy-makers together with industry will not only maintain the subsidy policy in the new plan, but they will aim to augment them, thereby making the electric-powered vehicles more attractive for consumers. Moreover, Wang Wei, director of the tariff department at the ministry of finance indicated that the tax rate for EVs is also likely to be decreased.

In 2009, the Chinese government initiated a programme to stimulate the rollout of electric vehicles in 10 major cities focusing initially on deployment of EVs for government fleets. Since then the plan has spread to more then 15 other cities and also targets adoption of EVs for personal use.

[Read More From Source: Cars 21]

What’s more is that while all participants reported that they were suffering with range anxiety at the start of the trial, this dropped by 35 per cent after three months of running electric cars.

Today the board releases the results of the data collected from eight UK-wide demonstrator programmes involving some 340 ultra-low carbon vehicles. Presented on the opening day of the low carbon motoring event LCV 2011, at Rockingham Speedway, the findings of the trials make for encouraging reading.

[Source & Read More: The Green Car Website ]

Magna International Inc. the largest automobile parts manufacturer of Canada announced to spend $430 million for electric vehicle R&D in Ontario. The government of Ontario province will match the contribution with $48 million to help fund 19 research and development projects over the next six years.

This announcement of Economic Development Minister Sandra Pupatello, is a reflection of the current initiatives of the province to support and boost the development and production of more environmentally friendly vehicles.

The projects will include developing concept electric cars, parts for hybrid vehicles and metallic components and research on alternative energy and ways to improve fuel efficiency.

This investment will have a huge positive impact on the Ontario economy creating 728 new jobs and help sustaining about 1,300 jobs at Magna’s factories in Brampton, Aurora, Concord and St. Thomas, Ont.

[Source & Read More: CBC News ]

For the first time on German motorways direct-current charging equipment is now available for electric car users. With a charging capacity of up to 50 kW, these stations enable electric cars to recharge within 20 to 30 minutes.

During an initial trial phase, the rapid charging will cost a flat fee of five euros (EUR5). The electricity used in the stations will be generated using renewable production and will come exclusively from E.ON’s own hydroelectric plants.

In the future, E.ON intends to further develop public charging stations and deliver an even faster solution, with recharging taking only a few minutes instead of several hours. The recharging would then be similar to today’s petrol refuelling.

Klaus Dieter-Maubach, member of the E.ON AG board of management, responsible for Research and Technology, said: ‘Such public stations are attractive to customers and energy suppliers alike only if they have short recharging times. We are therefore pursuing this approach with particular interest.’

[Source & Read More: E.ON ]

[Image Copyright: E.ON ]

In an effort to prepare communities for the widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles, the US Department of Energy has launched two online.

One is a template to help local governments design permits for residential electric vehicle charger installations; while the other is a training video providing inspectors and electricians with a guide about installations and inspections of home electric chargers.

At the moment, many cities lack a standardising permitting process for electric vehicle charger installations and DOE’s new permitting template can be adapted by local governments to develop their own residential charging station permits. It is hoped that by creating a set of standard permit guidelines, the process will be simplified and cities will know what to expect. It will also streamline the process to make it faster and simpler for electric vehicle owners to work with certified electricians in installing their home chargers.

[Source & Read More: The Green Website]

In August, DTE Energy, the old Detroit Edison, became the first utility in the U.S. to offer a flat monthly rate, $40 for each vehicle. The test rate aims to measure customer response.

Consumers Energy Co., of Lansing, Mich., is offering a rate plan of $35 a month for 300 kilowatt-hours of electricity, if it’s used exclusively for car charging. Customers using more than that amount would pay 7.8 cents a kilowatt-hour from October through May and 12.5 cents from June through September.

[Source & Read More: Wall Street Journal]

“If we really want to see the country go green, the Government must take the lead and show by example. We cannot keep telling the people and the private sector to go green if we do not do the same,” he told The Star yesterday, explaining the rationale behind the change.

[Source & Read More: The Star]

Now 25 Chinese cities have signed up for a pilot programme co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology along with the Ministry of Finance, National Development and Reform Commission and also the Ministry of Industry and Information. Its aim is to replace public transport vehicles with electric vehicles to support the development of the industry.

[Source & Read More: The Green Car Website]

A new five-year, $10.5-million partnership between General Motors of Canada, Waterloo-based Maplesoft Inc., and a multidisciplinary research team at the University of Waterloo is tackling the challenges of next generation electric vehicles. Through model-based design and prototype testing, the team will investigate crucial technologies for achieving more widespread use of electric vehicles.

“Vehicle electrification is a key pillar of our energy diversification strategy,” said Kevin Williams, president and managing director of GM of Canada. “Building on our leading R&D commitments in Canada, this project better positions us to exceed customers’ expectations with respect to the performance, safety, and sustainability of our electric vehicle technologies.”

[Source & Read More: Maplesoft]

With a theoretical capacity some 10 times that of graphite, silicon anodes could contribute to a doubling of the capacity of graphite-anode Li-ion batteries. However, a silicon anode experiences a large volume expansion during lithium-ion insertion and a consequent shrinkage during extraction; this leads to severe particle pulverization, resulting in quick failure of the electrode structure and resulting capacity fade with cycling. Accordingly, a numerous efforts are underway to devise a structure and a material resistant to those changes.

[Source & Read More: Green Car Congress]