“The Morning Briefing” is SmartPlanet’s daily roundup of must-reads from the web. This morning we’re reading about the electronic vehicle industry.
1.) Indiana electric vehicle industry goes bust. Indiana’s Think City’s plant may have encouraged high expectations as a means of job creation and a boost to the economy, but its future looks grim. The electric vehicle manufacturer has over 100 unfinished models lined up in its warehouse , and there is no word on when they are to be completed. There are currently only two members of staff in a plant that was expected to bring over 400 jobs to the table two years ago.
2.) Electric vehicle enthusiast app released. Available now in the iOS App store, the ‘GreenCharge‘ app has been created by Xatori Inc. The company are the makers of PlugShare, the U.S.’s largest electric vehicle charging network. This app allows users to view battery data and gain information on the various benefits of electric vehicle ownership.
3.) City opens free vehicle charging stations. In a bid to entice more consumers to turn to electric vehicles, a federal pilot project has introduced over 16 free charging stations in Oregon. Over half are already installed and in working order across the city, much to the delight of car dealers.
4.) Auto hacking causes vehicle owners concern. Some scientists and consumers have displayed concern that vulnerabilities within car systems and software could allow manipulation from unauthorized sources. Safety and entertainment systems are designed to be separate; however, there has been cases of unintended acceleration in Toyota models causing additional worry. If a cyber-attack can take place in other areas, why not in a vehicle?
5.) U.S. fines Japan car part makers $548m. Denso and Yazaki, two of Japan’s largest car part makers, have agreed to pay penalties totaling $548m after the U.S. government began investigating a global price-fixing conspiracy.
Bonus: Ex-NASA employees turn to futuristic car development.
Image credit: Ben Sutherland
Related on SmartPlanet:
