Electric Cars

Just days ago the Volvo C30 EV was presented at the EnerDel facility in Indiana.  Several reporters were on hand for the presentation as well as Volvo's director of special vehicles Lennart Stegland.  Stegland described many of the attributes of this new electric offering from the company...

In 2009, the plug-in vehicle market gained unprecedented federal support. In addition to President Obama's proclamation of 1,000,000 plug-in cars by 2015, several newcomer companies, including Tesla, Fisker, A123, and Johnson Controls-Saft, received multimillion dollar grants and/or loans to...

To say that Toyota has been hit hard with recalls recently is truly an understatement.  The company's most recent recall and stop sale involving a possible stuck accelerator has affected an estimated 2.3 million vehicles. As Toyota stated, "There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal...

The Nissan Leaf made a brief stop at the North American International Auto Show before departing early and heading back out on its nationwide tour.  The Leaf was on hand for the press preview days and was met by many with incredible praise.  Nissan appears to have created the hype necessary to...

There has been a considerable amount of debate recently about how clean electric vehicles really are.  Some suggest that, dependent upon the source of electricity, electric vehicles may actually be dirtier overall than gasoline vehicles.  Others argue that though the source of electricity does...

Customers served by the Japan Post Network's Minami Kanto office will be able to spread enthusiasm for electric vehicles with a unique set of stamps starting in February. The delivery company has partnered with Nissan to offer a new collection entitled "Nissan Electric Vehicle History." Believe it...

A few days back we posted a story about Honda and their decision to bring a hybrid model to the Acura lineup of vehicles.  The release of information about an Acura hybrid came directly from Honda CEO Takanobu Ito as he spoke at the NAIAS.  At the time, it was unclear as to what Acura product...

The Honda CR-Z Hybrid shown in the picture may beat the Prius in terms of performance when it comes to market later this year, but it falls well short of the Prius in terms of fuel efficiency.  The Prius can return a whopping 50 mpg in everyday driving while Honda only expects the CR-Z to return...

One million hybrids is certainly a lofty goal for any automaker to achieve and if anyone can do it, it is Toyota.  According to a report from the Nikkei Newspaper in Japan, the company plans to double its hybrid production by 2011 with an anticipated volume of 1 million units per year. As the...

Back in the fall of 2009, Yamaha debuted a hybrid motorcycle, the HV-X, with production planned in the coming year.  Now, Yamaha is moving into the battery electric vehicle space by introducing a scooter into Asian markets. Prototypes of the EC-03 were revealed last year, but in the press release...

Nobody is suggesting that plug-in vehicles will take over the world anytime in the near future, but Toyota managing officer has gone a step further by insisting that the internal combustion engine will "never" be abandoned. Koei Saga, the managing officer of Toyota told reporters at the NAIAS that...

Fresh on the heels of an announcement that AutoPort is partnering with AC Propulsion to convert vehicles for evaluation by the United States Postal Service (USPS), AutoPort is now announcing that they are first to license vehicle to grid (V2G) technology developed at the University of Delaware. ...

Angelo Di Pietro is an Italian engine designer who once worked for Mercedes Benz on their Wankel Rotary engine in 1969-1970, then migrated to Australia to pursue other interests, among them, as hobbyist / inventor of the Di Pietro Rotary Air Engine.  Rotary air motors aren't new, as any mechanic...

Toyota has offered a few iconic cars in the past that have evoked emotion and passion from those who have owned these vehicles.  One such vehicle is the now departed Toyota MR2.  This unique, mid engine offering from the company has followers from across the globe.  There is perhaps no other...

How can you tell that EVs are in high demand?  Look no further than Mitsubishi.  The company has increased production expectations for its i-MiEV several times before and is now increasing those numbers once again. The Mainichi News is reporting that the company will increase production for 2010...

Zap (Zero Air Pollution), an American electric vehicle maker known for their fleet vehicles, small trucks, cars and scooters, and Zhejiang Jonway Automobile Co. Ltd., announced a commercial agreement for the development and production of electric SUV's, cars and other vehicles for domestic and...

When Tesla Motors received a cash infusion from Daimler for less than 10% of their shares, one of their objectives was to begin opening more stores in key markets around the world.  Since then, they have opened stores in Colorado, Monaco, Miami and now Chicago. Per the press release linked below...

Holding the title of Canada's largest electric vehicle project is certainly an accomplishment and it will soon be in the hands of Mitsubishi.  The company will soon bring 50 i-MiEVs to the providence of Montreal allowing them to claim the title of the largest fleet of EVs in the nation. The...

Electric vehicles are ideally suited for certain regions of the world.  Some climates are ideal for EV.  Some locations do not have to deal with the thought of range anxiety, and some areas simply see a need for EVs more so than other locations across the globe.  One place where EVs seem to be...

Critics of the development and use of lithium-ion (“li-ion”) batteries have long cited their concerns over the (un)availability of lithium, and with moderate success. They state that politically unstable, remote Bolivia owns the world’s largest reserve of lithium, which is certainly true. But...