

Electric vehicle sales surge, putting B.C. on track for emission reductions
(CP) VICTORIA – Electric vehicles are selling in record…

Ford, Unifor reach tentative deal that includes $2B in EV contracts
Includes five electric vehicles for Oakville and an engine contract that could yield new jobs in Windsor.

Advocates hope Ottawa expands, renews electric car rebate program
Provides up to $5,000 back on the purchase or lease of a new battery vehicle, or hybrid.
ATS Automation secures $60M electric vehicle order
Will design, build and install the two battery assembly conveyor lines for a global automaker’s electric vehicle production.

Electric vehicle options grow, but profitability challenges are limiting
Analysts say government policies are crucial to push automakers to sell EV models.

Energy demands will change with 13.2M electric vehicles by 2030
EY report says rapid adoption could also cause an 11% spike in Canadian electricity demand.
Tesla says it has turned over documents to US feds
Elon Musk’s tweets about going public caused stock headaches, now raising SEC concern.

UPS to test new electric vehicle
The parcel service is collaborating with Los Angeles-based Thor Trucks.
Chinese startup EV maker picks BlackBerry for key software licences
QNX technology will be used in Byton’s first series of intelligent production vehicles.
Ontario offers incentives for electric vehicle charging stations at workplaces
Employers and commercial building owners could get up to $7,500 per charging space.
For electric cars to take off, they’ll need place to charge
…But the distribution of public charging stations is wildly uneven around the globe.
Ontario to miss deadline to install 500 promised EV charging stations
The province expects about two-thirds of the station to be live by the April 1 deadline.
AddEnergie gets $7M funding for EV recharging stations
Federal investment for development of advanced technology for installation across Canada.
Toyota says new tech means longer EV battery life
Will boost electric vehicle cruise range by 10% to 15%.

Toyota bullish on plug-in hybrids with Prius Prime
Will get a whopping mileage equivalent to 120 miles per gallon (2.4l/100 km).

Audi plans electric SUV with 500-kilometre range
Will feature three electric motors to take on Tesla Model X.
GM drops price of its electric Spark
Electric vehicles still struggling in the US, especially as oil price drops.
Is Apple building an electric car?
Wall Street Journal report says the electronics giant has hired hundreds of people to develop a mini van-like EV.

$30,000 Chevy EV expected to set up showdown with Tesla
The Bolt has been manufactured with advanced materials to curb weight and maximize range, the automaker says.

Nissan unveils LEAF with self-cleaning nano-paint technology
Superhydrophobic and oleophobic paint repels water and oils.
Tesla’s shares soar on Q4 performance, production forecast jumps
Electric car maker expects to ship more than 35,000 Model S sedans in 2014, a 55% jump from 2013.

Bankruptcy judge approves outline of Fisker’s Chapter 11 plan
Quick sale of the electric vehicle manufacturer remains on track.

Toyota unveils hydrogen car for 2015 at Tokyo auto show
Automakers step up the competition for vehicles running on fuel cells.
Obama administration to sell $192M loan made to EV maker Fisker
Troubled manufacturer has produced no vehicles, 75% of the workers are laid off.

Tesla Model S is North America’s safest vehicle with 5-star NHTSA rating
Electric vehicle sweeps all safety subcategories and registers top marks overall.
Tesla plans to pay back DOE in half the time required
Electric car maker will pay off $465 million load in five years, rather than the originally planned 10.
Speedier EV chargers touted at Toronto auto show
Sure, there’s shiny cars, but charging stations firms are also in the spotlight.
GM to increase workplace EV charging stations
Automaker joins 12 other major companies as part of the US Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge.
Electric vehicle owners will get a charge out of 13 charging stations in BC
Stations provide a charge up to 80% in less than 30 minutes.

Fill’er up – wirelessly
UBC R&D to boost EV appeal.
Chrysler looks to boost Fiat sales with new 500s
Automaker introduces electric and 4-door version of its stylish compact.
GM plans 500,000 vehicles with electrification on roads by 2017
Automaker will focus development activities on plug-in technologies, says product development boss.