Electric Cars
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Forget the Jaguar C-X75 or BMW i8 range-extenders. When it comes to the greenest supercars around, pure-electric drivetrains are a must. Whether its single motors, dual motors, or one in each wheel, electric cars offer enthusiasts a whole new level of performance, and capabilities never seen before. Here’s our roundup of the latest production-intended electric supercars, either prototypes or are already on sale, as well as some wild concepts that give us a preview of what's to come. Tesla Roadster Starting off with what’s already in showrooms, you can’t look pass the Tesla...
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Cadillac ELR Plug-In Cost: Less Than Tesla Model S, More Than Volt
When the Cadillac ELR extended-range plug-in car goes on sale, probably in 2013 as a 2014 model, it's a given that it will cost more than the 2012 Chevy Volt. But how much more? In the spate of reports late yesterday covering GM's announcement yesterday that its 2009 Cadillac Converj concept would...
John Voelcker -
One Red Tesla: This Canadian’s Bid to Trade Up Is Running Out of Time
Remember the story of One Red Paperclip? The guy from Vancouver, Canada who traded a single red paperclip to a full-size house in just 14 trade ups? Now fellow Canadian Martin Provost, trying to trade his way from a $30 Camera to a Tesla Roadster, has just got his first ride in the $109,000...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Volt-Based 2014 Cadillac ELR Electric Car Confirmed By GM
General Motors has just confirmed what this site reported last week: The Cadillac Converj concept car from 2009, based on the running gear of the Chevrolet Volt electric car, will go into production. Cadillac's electric sports coupe will be called the ELR, joining the current CTS mid-size sports...
John Voelcker -
A Ten-Second Camaro Promotes Electric Drag Racing
The performance characteristics of electric motors make them ideal for drag racing, and one man is out to establish electric drag racing as a legitimate sport.
Kurt Ernst -
Five Reasons Why The Chevrolet Volt Isn’t Losing Popularity
According to a recent research article by CNW Marketing Research, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt isn’t as cool as it once was. As reported by USA Today, the research firm claims that interest in Chevrolet’s plug-in hybrid electric car is at an all-time low. CNW blames the car’s high...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
The 2011 Audi Urban Spyder Concept features carbon fiber construction and is a preview of what's to come from Audi.
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Ten Percent Electric Vehicles By 2020? No Sweat, Utility CEO Says
How many people, how soon, could be driving electric vehicles before it makes a significant difference to the grid and the utility needs to increase capacity?
Bengt Halvorson -
Think Sunk: Now Its Primary Creditor, Battery Supplier Could Too
It’s hard enough when two companies part company on good terms, but when one side of the business relationship leaves the other with a total of $105 million in unpaid bills things are going to get a little tough. That’s exactly what has happened to publicly-traded New York-based battery...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Portland's Electric Avenue Charger Project Aims To Take It Higher
In what we see as a shrewd move that will help keep Portland, Oregon at the forefront of the EV movement, the city has dedicated a full city block, called Electric Avenue, to EV charging.
Bengt Halvorson -
Want a Wind-Powered Electric Car? It might Just Be Possible
Photovoltaic solar panels are quickly becoming the accepted ultimate accessory for any self-respecting electric car owner. So much so that Ford recently announced that it has negotiated special discount pricing on SunPower solar panels, meaning 2012 Ford Focus Electric owners could get an array...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
This Monstrosity Will Be Your Next Electric-Car Charging Plug
It's almost the size of a misshapen softball, but it may be the charging combo you will have to use for quick charging on future electric cars. The U.S. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is in the process of expanding its J-1772 standard for an electric-car coupler from the current round...
John Voelcker -
Back in the 1990s, when it seemed like electric vehicles were gaining traction with consumers, Costco did something unusual: the big-box retailer installed charging stations at many of its California locations. Now, however, those stations are being removed, and electric car fans aren't happy. According to Plug In America, Costco has offered no official explanation for removing the charging stations other than the Xeroxed signs taped to each that read, "Please be advised that this electric charger will be removed on August 15th, 2011. Sorry for the inconvenience." Costco's move seems curious...
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Forget The Planet: Electric Cars Are Energy Security, Lobbying Group Says
Fresh off our piece yesterday looking at different motivations for buying plug-in cars comes more proof that it's not just early adopters and uber-greens who think driving electric makes sense. Industry trade journal Automotive News (behind a paywall, unfortunately for our readers) has published a...
John Voelcker -
Aptera CEO: We’re Not Dead, Just Moving, Okay?
Aptera Motors - the Californian automaker which has been telling us for five years that it would revolutionize the world of electric vehicles - might be refunding each and every person who had put down a reservation for its 2e electric car, but it is not dead, Aptera CEO Paul Wilbur has said...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Gets More Smart, Gains Speed
The 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive may be the smallest, most compact highway-capable electric car on the market, but its pathetic top speed, sluggish acceleration, limited range and expensive price tag haven’t gained it many fans. But that may all change in a little under a month as...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2011 Chevrolet Volt Enters Palin Country In Alaskan Test-Drive (Video)
It may not be available in the northernmost of the 50 states, but the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is no stranger to Alaska. Last winter, a team of engineers from Chevrolet spent many weeks in the frigid north to see how well its range-extended plug-in hybrid would fare with the extreme cold and heavy...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Green Car People: Who Buys Electric And Plug-In Vehicles?
Once upon a time, people who bought (or built) electric vehicles were often science-minded, forward-thinking, eco-conscious drivers who sometimes had a hippie past. Times have changed. Today, there are several motivations for buying a car that plugs into the electric grid to recharge its battery...
John Voelcker -
We can’t get our Volt back soon enough. Electric vehicle driving is a the kind of addiction more of us need to experience.
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2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Spotted During Filming In Chicago
Were it not for imminent reveals at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in mid September, you might think the automakers were getting careless with their upcoming models. First, Audi's E1 e-tron was caught on camera in the center of Berlin, being filmed in camoflage for an Audi promotional video. The E1...
Antony Ingram -
Ferrari Boss: No Electric Prancing Horses, But Hybrids Are OK
Ferrari has been making super-fast, super-sexy sports cars for over 80 years. But just as it won’t ever be making a four-door coupe, the firm won’t be switching roaring gasoline engines for the quiet hum of an electric motor any time soon. In fact, talking to engadget on Friday, Ferrari...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show Preview
You might have just one week left to register your interest in buying a 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, but we still haven't yet seen a production version of Toyota's first plug-in hybrid yet. That will all change in Frankfurt in just under a month, when Toyota will unveil the official production...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Futuristic Electric-Car Dream Dead? Aptera To Refund Deposits
It was great while it lasted, but the dream of being able to buy a sleek, three-wheeled Aptera 2e electric car seems to be receding into the distance. A month ago, the company stopped taking deposits for new Apteras, blaming an issue with the escrow account in which they were held. Now, the company...
John Voelcker -
Electric Cars In "No Benefit For Poor Communities" Shocker
Presumably following studies on whether bears really do defecate in the woods and to which religion the Pope actually pertains, The Greenling Institute in California has released a new report suggesting that expensive electric vehicles aren't benefitting communities of low income. The new study...
Antony Ingram