As the use of electric and hybrid vehicles increase, and the fuel efficiency of newer vehicles becomes better, states are finding that the per-gallon fuel tax is no longer generating enough income to fund road maintenance and operations. In response to the declining revenue, late last year California legislature approved a Bill to examine the implementation of a road usage charge.

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Nissan is conducting a safety campaign on a small number of 2014 Nissan Leaf EV’s after a routine quality inspection found a vehicle that was missing several front member welds. Vehicles with several structure welds out of specification fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 208; Occupant Crash Protection, and FMVSS No. 305; Electric-powered vehicles: electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection. Continue reading

Tesla has acknowledged a problem affecting certain Universal Mobile Connectors (“UMC”) NEMA 14-50 adapters used to charge Tesla Model S vehicles. According to the recall report, a variety of factors such as corrosion, physical damage to receptacles, or inappropriate installation of electrical outlets can cause higher than normal electrical resistance. Electrical resistance heating in the adapter or at the wall socket could lead to melting of the adapter, cord or wall receptacle. There is also the possibility of electrical arcing that could lead to fire. Continue reading

With only 5,000 miles on his new 2012 Toyota Rav 4 EV, a Manhattan Beach, CA resident started noticing problems related to the charging system of his vehicle. He would receive messages that the charging process had been interrupted or that the vehicle could not charge because of a malfunction. After six months of repeated repair attempts at a manufacturer approved repair facility, the RAV owner was told that there was no current fix for the problem. Frustrated with the lack of help in getting his vehicle repaired, he decided to contact the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates. Continue reading

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) have opened a preliminary evaluation (PE13-013) into certain 2012-2013 Ford Focus electric vehicles after receiving thirty complaints of the vehicles shutting down while driving. The complaints show an increasing trend, with most received within the past five months. Continue reading