May 14, 2013 - According to a recent survey by Navigant Research, consumer support for solar and wind energy, though still high, has fallen steadily over the last three years. Favorable impressions of solar energy fell from 77% in 2011 to 69% in 2012, the survey found, while wind energy suffered a smaller drop, from 71% to 69%.

May 8, 2013 - Bosch Automotive Service Solutions (formerly SPX Service Solutions) says its new Power Max is the automotive industry’s first electric vehicle (EV) charging station with a price point of less than $450. The Power Max will retail for roughly half the cost of current EV charging stations, boasts Bosch, offering 240V charging and is designed to work with all EVs. Some features include: no-touch operation; NEMA 3R enclosure; and standard safety features such as cord breakaway system. Power Max is available in 16A or 30A configurations with cord length up to 25 feet. Bosch has started taking advance orders today at (877) 805-3873 to place an order. The Power Max will begin shipping in early June, with initial customers receiving their charging station in late June to early July. Bosch also offers Trained Vehicle Charging Advisors who can walk customers through a free onsite estimate, installation and inspection and provide ongoing support, including finding rebates offered by utility companies, government or vehicle manufacturers.

April 19, 2013 - PowerStream and Georgian College say they are collaborating to better understand electric vehicles (EVs) and their charging demands. A new applied research initiative will be conducted by means of a charging station, complemented by solar power, at the college’s Barrie Campus.

April 18, 2013 - CSA Group says it has been awarded $1.8 million by the ecoEnergy Innovation Initiative to develop new standards that support electric vehicle adoption, including a proposed suite of consensus-based electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and battery charging equipment standards, as well as support research to identify emerging technologies.

April 16, 2013 - Fuji Electric Corp. of America has announced that U.S. production of its UL-certified DC quick chargers for electric vehicles has commenced, with the first production units shipping out of Milpitas, Calif., by late last month. The manufacturer’s 4th generation 25kW DC quick charger features a slimmer design than previous versions, is built to the CHAdeMO spec and allows EV owners to charge their vehicles in under an hour.

April 8, 2013 - ABB recently launched the Terra SC (SmartConnect) direct current charger, which is designed for fast charging in commercial and office areas. It fully charges an electric car in 30 to 120 minutes, says ABB, and will be available for delivery in the Americas in the second quarter. Initial shipments will support the CHAdeMO fast-charging standard, with SAE/combined charging system units available later this year. ABB DC chargers have the ability to integrate seamlessly into existing AC charging networks, says the company. The Terra SC will be fully UL listed and come standard with an outdoor-rated steel housing, a full-colour, 8-in. touchscreen user interface, and smart connectivity features. Key optional features include RFID and PIN code authorization, as well as a web-based statistics module with data per user to support energy usage reporting. ABB’s connectivity suite supports all existing and future connection standards within the same network, adds the company, and plug-n-play functionality using the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP).

April 3, 2013 - The Nissan restoration team’s Masahiko Isobe explains the unique characteristics of the Tama electric vehicle, including the work of airplane engineers, which helped to pave the way for Nissan’s lineup of zero-emission vehicles.

March 26, 2013 - There’s good news for potential buyers of clean energy vehicles (CEVs) in British Columbia. If you thought you had missed out on your chance to save up to $5000 on a qualifying CEV, don’t worry: the province’s point-of-sale incentive program has been extended for another year.

February 27, 2013 - BASF is opening a new R&D laboratory and an application technology centre for battery materials in Amagasaki, Japan, which will focus on researching electrolytes and electrode materials for high-performance batteries.

February 22, 2013 - Quebec’s Bell Centre, home to the Montreal Canadiens, is the newest member of The Electric Circuit, and is set to deploy two public charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in its parking lot in the coming weeks, said Hydro-Quebec.