BMW’s new 530e plug-in hybrid ( earlier post ) will be produced at Magna’s contract manufacturing plant in Graz, Austria, starting in summer 2017. Magna’s Graz facility will then be the production home for two premium electrified vehicles: the BMW 530e and the previously awarded Jaguar I-PACE. Production of the new BMW 5 Series marks the successful continuation of the strategic partnership between the BMW Group and Magna that started more than 15 years ago. MORE

It's one of the most common questions among electric-car buyers: what happens if the battery fails? The answer is that all electric-car batteries are warranted against failure for either 8 years/100,000 miles or 10 years/150,000 miles, depending on which state you live in. The followup is often: OK, then, what does a battery cost once my car's out. Chevy battery pack plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Replacement MORE

Swedish auto brand Saab may never return, but the company NEVS has officially debuted its electric cars adapted from Saab assets it acquired following the brand's fall from grace. NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden) is, in fact, a Swedish company, though it's backed by Chinese investors. And the new 9-3 series is NEVS' first major production. China plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) NEVS MORE

Henrik Fisker is planning to return to the luxury electric fold with his new company's EMotion sedan, and potential buyers now have a price tag. The brand's first vehicle, the Fisker EMotion sedan, will become available for pre-order on June 30. And when the EMotion eventually goes on sale, it will cost $129,900 and up. DON'T MISS: Fisker EMotion. Emotion plug-in cars Henrik Fisker MORE

A team from Nanjing University in China, using a titanium nitride (TiN) nanotube array as the substrate, has synthesized a high-performance composite tin anode (TiN@Sn) for Li-ion batteries. MORE

The new ArcticPRO ACX1250 air conditioning (A/C) service unit by MAHLE Service Solutions economically services R1234yf vehicles. R1234yf is the new low global warming potential (GWP) worldwide A/C refrigerant that has entered the US market and is designed to be environmentally friendly with the intent of reducing its impact on global warming. As the use of R1234yf continues to grow, automotive technicians will increasingly be asked to service vehicles with this new refrigerant. MORE

One owner has now run his 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric's battery down all the way to "empty" so other owners know what to expect. The Ioniq Electric is EPA-rated at 124 miles of range from the 28-kwh battery pack that powers an 88-kilowatt (118-horsepower) electric motor. MORE

Electric cars have promised to revolutionize transportation for years now. As more manufacturers offer electrified vehicles and prices continue to drop for battery technology, the easy correlation would be to assume that consumer interest has spiked. Actually, it remains pretty darn low, according to extensive research from J.D. Power. DON'T MISS. plug-in cars Charging station charging infrastructure MORE

Ricardo Strategic Consulting is collaborating with the California Fuel Cell Partnership to provide economic modeling tools that will enable the assessment of total cost of ownership (TCO) of future fuel cell trucks, and hydrogen stations necessary to support commercial operation. Ricardo Strategic Consulting’s proprietary Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) modeling capability, provides insights on the economics of fuel efficient technologies, both today and in future. MORE

Greaves Cotton Limited, one of the leading engineering companies in India with core competencies in diesel and gasoline engines, farm equipment and gensets, and Pinnacle Engines, the developer of a high compression ratio, four-stroke, spark-ignited (SI), opposed-piston, sleeve-valve architecture engine ( earlier post ), announced a technology partnership for the launch of a novel opposed-piston gasoline/CNG lean burn BSVI-compliant engine for 3-wheelers in India. MORE

While many drivers generally understand the concept of an electric car, understanding generally stops there. It's a car, and you plug it in to get power to run it. That's fine as far as it goes. Beyond that, things get hazy pretty quickly, we've found. MORE

While Audi and Mercedes-Benz have trumpeted the electric crossover utility vehicles they will offer in 2018 and 2019, a smaller competitor is keeping pace with the German giants. The British brand Jaguar won praise for the design of its I-Pace electric SUV on its debut at last November's Los Angeles auto show. Now, that vehicle is already in pilot. plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV MORE

The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox SUV has dropped nearly 400 pounds (181 kg)—approximately 10% of its mass—compared to its predecessor. Combined with this weight loss, the all-new body was designed and optimized for top safety ratings. MORE

Here's a little quiz on a topic much discussed over the past couple of years: jobs. How many people work in the U.S. coal industry? Not just miners, but office staff, too. And, how many people work for solar-energy companies in the U.S.? DON'T MISS: Clean energy provides far more U.S. jobs than fossil fuels: analysis Coal mining was a mainstay of. global warming jobs climate change renewable energy solar wind energy Donald Trump MORE

Volvo Cars announced that Polestar, its performance car arm, is to become a new separately-branded electrified global high performance car company, marking the latest stage in Volvo’s ongoing transformation. In order to drive the development of the brand, Volvo Cars also announced that Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo, will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer at Polestar. MORE

Electric cars have no tailpipe emissions when running. But unless they're charged entirely on renewable energy—still statistically unlikely today—there are emissions associated with generating the electricity used to charge their batteries. For several years now, rigorous "wells-to-wheels" analyses of the carbon-dioxide emissions. Carbon Footprint emissions carbon dioxide electric utilities plug-in cars GRID MORE

Studies have shown that electric vehicles have a number of strikes against them in the minds on consumers who don't know much about them. Range anxiety, the lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure—or even awareness that it exists—and high purchase prices all play a part in the challenges faced by electric cars. However, a new. Batteries sales Study New car sales plug-in cars MORE

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is honoring additional commitments to 10 previously selected Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) awardees for a total of $20 million. This completes the approval process for projects selected in ARPA-E’s Next-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Autonomous On-Road Vehicles (NEXTCAR) ( earlier post ) and Renewable Energy to Fuels Through Utilization of Energy-Dense Liquids (REFUEL) ( earlier post )programs. MORE

In the presence of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Berlin, Volkswagen signed a joint venture agreement with the Chinese automaker Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (JAC). Each of the partners is to hold a 50% stake in the new company. The new joint venture, which has initially been concluded for a term of 25 years, will develop electric vehicles and launch them on the hotly contested Chinese mass market. MORE

Hydrogenics Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and hydrogen-based power modules, has been awarded a contract to deliver four HyPM-HD90 fuel cell systems to be integrated into Scania hydrogen trucks owned and operated by ASKO, Norway’s largest grocery wholesaler. Earlier post.) Additional terms were not disclosed. The first Scania hydrogen-powered vehicles are expected to be operational by late 2018. MORE

Statoil has made the final investment decision to build the world’s first floating wind farm: The Hywind pilot park offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The decision triggers investments of around NOK 2 billion (US$238 million), realizing a 60-70% cost reduction per MW from the Hywind demo project in Norway. MORE

The UK Government recently awarded £109.7 million (US$141 million) of government funding, alongside significant funding from industry, to help develop the next generation of driverless and low-carbon vehicles, as part of the Industrial Strategy and the government’s Plan for Britain. MORE

Apple has unveiled a software update that will prevent drivers receiving notifications when they are behind the wheel. The all-new feature is called MORE

The US Department of Energy is awarding roughly $15.8 million for 30 projects working toward the discovery and development of innovative, low-cost materials needed for hydrogen production and storage and for automotive fuel cells ( earlier post ). MORE

By mimicking fibrinolysis, a biological self-healing process, researchers at China’s Tsinghua University have developed a self-healing sulfur microparticle (SMiP) cathode. MORE

The Volkswagen Group and GAZ Group have extended their manufacturing agreement for Volkswagen and ŠKODA models in Russia until 2025. Furthermore, the Volkswagen brand will in future supply 2.0 TDI engines for GAZ light commercial vehicles, opening up new business opportunities in international markets. Additionally, Volkswagen Truck & Bus signed a letter of intent with GAZ Group which will enable the companies to identify the possibilities for a long-term strategic partnership. MORE

The University of Surrey is launching a new multi-disciplinary research center next week to tackle air pollution. The Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) will see the University leading on collaborative, cutting-edge research to identify an action plan to ensure “clean air for all”. The Air Quality Lab (AQL) is housed with advanced pollution monitoring instruments, and is part of GCARE. MORE

After providing Michelin with the first of its recent sequence of victories at Le Mans with Laurent Aïello, Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish in 1998 (Porsche 911 GT1-98), Porsche earned the tire firm’s 20th straight victory in the endurance racing classic over the weekend. MORE

Hydrogenics Corporation, a leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and hydrogen-based power modules, has signed a Purchase and License Agreement for technology and fuel cells with Blue-G New Energy Science and Technology Corporation (Blue-G) in China. MORE

Parker Aerospace, a business segment of Parker Hannifin Corporation is introducing technologies designed to enhance the efficiency of aerospace engines in the areas of lubrication, combustion, and thermal management systems. Engine lubrication innovations include the first-time use of composite materials for engine lubrication reservoirs, deploying oil demister technology to reduce emissions, and the development of sophisticated test rigs to optimize engine lubrication systems. MORE

You can't buy one at your local car dealer, but electric transit buses have a significant role to play in reducing vehicular emissions and expanding the spread of electric-vehicle technology. Two companies have a majority of the U.S. market for electric buses, which is growing quickly if perhaps more quietly than that for electric cars. The U.S. mass transit plug-in cars Buses venture capital MORE

The 2018 Toyota Camry, the new eighth-generation of the most popular mid-size sedan in the world and the best-selling car in America for the past 15 years, will be going on sale in the US in late summer. Toyota unveiled the 2018 Camry at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January. MORE

Pretty much everyone knows how to put fuel into a conventional car. You pull up to the pump, open the vehicle's fuel door, put in a credit card, select diesel or one of three grades of gasoline, lift the hose, and pump. (In In New Jersey and Oregon, someone else does this for you.) Electric-car charging isn't quite that simple. DON'T MISS: Car buyers. MORE

One advantage of electric cars is that unlike gasoline or steam cars, they have no emissions. More than a century ago, that was why the U.S. Capitol acquired two custom-built electric cars, nicknamed "Tommy" and "Peggy." They were built by Studebaker, an early and hallowed U.S. car brand that finally folded up shop in 1965. DON'T MISS: Electric. senate History plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV MORE

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) will issue two new funding opportunities (FOAs): one to support R&D on advanced nuclear reactor technologies, the other for the development of hybrid fuel cell and engine systems for the ultra-high efficiency conversion of natural gas to electricity. Advanced Modular Reactors. MORE

University of British Columbia (UBC) engineers have used polymeric scrap tire fibers (STF) to develop a more resilient type of concrete that could be used for concrete structures such as buildings, roads, dams and bridges, while reducing landfill waste. MORE

After two successful years with electric buses on route 55 in Gothenburg, Sweden, the partners in the ElectriCity venture have decided to expand electric bus operations in the city. In June next year two electrically powered high-capacity buses will start operating on route 16. At the same time, plans are under way to expand the demo arena with heavy vehicles for quiet and emission-free urban traffic. Gothenburg has a strong automotive industry and is the Nordic region's logistics hub. MORE