Germany

From 9to5Toys.com:

How does going 35mph on a surfboard sound? No, it’s not a gadget in the upcoming James Bond film. J-Force, out of Germany, has developed a new electric powered board that puts out substantial power and is completely controlled by a wearable glove.

It doesn’t just stop there, J-Force also has a gorgeous new Jet Ski that produces zero-emissions and promises to be a much friendlier alternative to traditional gas operated watercraft. We have the full details below on both models.

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During a press conference today in Germany, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla is in talks with “some [auto] manufacturers” to share the Supercharger Network.

In the past, Tesla confirmed being opened to the idea of sharing its extensive network of fast charging stations, which now operates over 2,900 chargers at over 500 locations around the world, but until now, we couldn’t confirm that any automaker showed interest in the offer.
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Germany is in the spotlight of the automotive industry as the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show is coming to an end. While we are sorting through vehicle registration data, we decided to take a look at the top-selling electric vehicles in Germany. Unsurprisingly, the BMW i3 is the best-selling all-electric vehicle in its home turf, but sales are down 27% year over year while Tesla’s Model S is gaining market shares by growing sales 84% based on registration data.
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Last week we reported on Artega unveiling the Scalo, an all-electric sports car concept unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, today we’ll give you a brief overview of another EV concept unveiled at the show by the German automaker: The Karo.

The Karo is an electric quad-bike concept aimed at complying to driver license and insurance requirements for young people.
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During a visit in Berlin at the end of the month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is scheduled to meet Sigmar Gabriel, German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, for a public conversation titled “Economy for Tomorrow”.  The CEO’s visit in Germany coincides with the popular Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), which runs from the 17th to 27th of September.

Tesla is not expected to bring anything new to the Frankfurt Motor Show considering the company’s predilection for unveiling products at their own events instead of at industry shows…
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In an interview with German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Daimler’s chief of research and development Thomas Weber confirmed the company is currently working on a next generation electric vehicle with a range of “400 to 500 km” (250 to 310 miles).

Daimler already sells a few electric vehicles, like EV versions of the Smart or the Mercedes B class, but the automaker as yet to build a fully electric vehicle from the ground up. It’s not entirely clear from Weber’s comments if the concept will be a completely new electric platform, but it sounds more likely than not…
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Apple and BMW have engaged in negotiations over Apple’s interest in using BMW’s i3 electric cars as a basis for its own electric car project, according to a new report from German publication…

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Last night after the market closed Tesla disclosed that the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KRAFTFAHRT-BUNDESAMT) cleared Tesla of manufacturer-related defects in the three fires in recent months.  “Therefore, no further measures under the German Product Safety Act [Produktsicherheitsgesetz (ProdSG)] are deemed necessary.”

The assumption on Wall Street is that if the German Motor Transport Authority cleared Tesla, so would the NHTSA. German automotive standards are generally considered more stringent (and efficient) than that of the US.

Analysts jumped on the news and dialed the stock up.  The market responded with a 20 point gain after opening up 6 points and steady growth throughout the day.

Analyst’s words follow:
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoQNX5WF1M]
2 BMW i8s at a GAS STATION

Reuters got the numbers from the Los Angeles Auto Show

Luxury carmaker BMW has orders for nearly 10,000 of its i3 electric cars, the first of which were delivered in Germany last week, the company’s global sales chief, Ian Robertson, said at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

Robertson also said the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car due to be introduced in mid-2014 has sold out for its first year of availability. He did not say how many the company will sell in that first year.

[ooyala code=”1iNnFiZzpGDO8aDQVaNNNplR-qHESdwf” player_id=”null”]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk stopped by the Bloomberg office to discuss TSLA stock valuation and other fun stuff this week. Of course the question of the recent Fire, which the NHTSB recently ruled was not a defect nor compliance issue, came up and Musk reiterated his stance. 
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoQNX5WF1M#t=45

Being shown filling up is not exactly good PR for BMW who’ve already shown off the full sized carbon-fiber i8 in promos. This would be one of the first public sightings.  If you aren’t familiar with how the i8 works, it has an interesting 131 hp front electric engine and a rear 231HP engine that sends it hurdling forward with a 4.4 0-60.

Think further to go further. The intelligent plug-in hybrid system in the BMW i8 combines the benefits of an electric motor and a petrol engine into an extraordinary driving experience: highest efficiency and maximum dynamics are simultaneously possible. The electric drive, a powerful 96 kW (131 hp), is located on the front axle. The rear axle is driven by an authoritative BMW TwinPower Turbo 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with 170 kW (231 hp) of peak performance and up to 320 Nm of torque; combined with the electrical boost of the hybrid system, it guarantees typical BMW driving pleasure.

Together the pair accelerates the BMW i8 from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds*. And this with an enormous saving in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as it uses just 2.5* l per 100 km and emits 59 g/km*.

Although I’m not a fan of the 131 EV engine (matches $19K Chevy Spark!) I do like the look of this thing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3JAtvsqfF8

via InsideEVs