Electric Cars
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Nissan hasn't hesitated to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to electric vehicles.
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All-Electric Roadtrip From LA to Detroit? No Problem, Says Tesla
As we've noted elsewhere, we write a lot about Tesla. We certainly give them more ink...errr, electrons?...than their share of the sports car market, since they're just delivered their 900th Roadster. Not that they're not wildly fun to drive, mind you. But despite early engineering difficulties...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Roadster Heads Out on 2,700 Mile Road Trip to NAIAS
Starting on December 17th, the Tesla Roadster Sport will make an epic, cross country journey on its way to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The journey will begin in Los Angeles and cover 2,700 miles arriving in Detroit at the end of the trip on January 8th. The...
Eric Loveday -
EV Car Leasing Strategy May Provide Answer to Fear of Commitment in New Technology
As part of the ongoing debate over leasing and purchasing batteries for EVs continues, a new option is now on the horizon. Most consumers buy vehicles in the U.S. rather than leasing them. This changeover is relatively recent as the economic downturn put an end to many attractive leasing...
Eric Loveday -
Rumormill: Next Gen Nissan GT-R Going Hybrid (Godzilla Goes Green)
According to a report in Best Car magazine out of Japan, the next generation Nissan GT-R will come with a hybrid powertrain. A 160 hp electric motor and a 440 hp gas engine will team up for a combined 600 hp. That's a number truly deserving of the car's nickname: Godzilla. The current generation...
Robert Scardino -
Th!nk Resumes Production at Valmet Automotive Facility in Finland
Think has finally resumed production of their Think City EV at a new manufacturing facility in Finland. Recently, both Ener1 and Valmet Automotive recapitalized Think to bring their vehicles back to the market. Ener1 supplies Think's battery packs, while Valmet Automotive assembles them at their...
Jason Hendler -
Tesla has announced that its Model S saloon is being withdrawn from the Automotive X-Prize competiton. In an interview with Stuff, Ricardo Reyes, Tesla Motors' vice president for communication, said, “We have discussed it with the X Prize guys and agreed to put a car in the demonstration division instead [of the competition]...” He went on to say “The competition division is amazingly good but the demonstration division is one that people shouldn’t look past. It’s more geared towards actual car manufacturers and it’s a better fit for us.” The company also said that it intends...
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Spy Shots Show Possible BMW 1 Series Fuel Cell Hybrid
Bimmerpost.com recently released a series of spy shots of what they believe to be a hydrogen fuel powered hybrid BMW 1 Series hatchback. The shots were apparently taken at a hydrogen fueling station and the pictures clearly show hoses leading out of the fuel filler door and into what appears to be...
Eric Loveday -
Peugeot To Display ER-EV 307CC Fuel Cell Vehicle At Hydrogen Technology Conference This Week
French automaker Peugeot will make its way to a hydrogen technology conference in France this week to display its latest fuel cell powered vehicle. The vehicle, called the ER-EV 307CC combines several types of emerging technology into a single package, but the company is ahead of its time as it...
Eric Loveday -
Ford Considers $500 Million Investment in Michigan For Production of Hybrids, EVs, and Batteries
Ford Motor Company is currently considering an investment between $300 and $500 million into Michigan assembly plants as the company expands its development and production of hybrids and EVs. The company's decision to invest more money into the state of Michigan depends upon the state granting...
Eric Loveday -
VW To Introduce Hybrid and EV Versions of Upcoming 7th Generation Golf
As we reported yesterday, Volkswagen may be considering adding a hybrid variant to their upcoming "New Midsize Sedan". Apparently this is not the only electric adventure that VW is considering for future models. According to a report from Autocar, the company is also considering a BEV and...
Eric Loveday -
Audi E-Tron Sportscar Production Limited to 1000 Units
Although Audi will not publicly label itself a "green" automaker, it has reported that it will be going forward with its R-8 based e-tron electric supercar, now slated to be on show-room floors in 2012. The company is also saying that production will be limited to a 1000 vehicles total. It's...
Jon Vandervelde -
Honda fan-boys have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the upcoming CR-Z Hybrid for months. The Japanese automaker calls the CR-Z "that place in the universe where sport and efficiency meet." According to a Japanese brochure leaked to the Temple of VTEC, what many had hoped would be the heir apparent to the much loved CR-X, sounds more like "that place in the universe where slow and efficiency meet." Honda bets that the new CR-Z will take 9.7 seconds to get to 62 mph. In other words, a 1998 Chevy G1500 cargo van will handily smoke the new hybrid. To be fair, the cargo van won't get you...
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EV maker Tazzari has finally revealed its long-awaited US$30,000 ZERO electric vehicle
Unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show Saturday, the Tazzari Zero electric vehicle is a tiny little thing, weighing just 1,195 pounds (882 lbs without the Li-Ion battery!) and top-speed limited to 56 mph. The sporty two-seater is capable of accelerating to 31mph in less than five seconds, and 88...
Jon Vandervelde -
Meet Garia, the World’s Finest Golf Car(t)
What has a drivetrain by the same Italian company that produces Ducati gearboxes, and an aluminum frame by the same manufacturer that supplies them to Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Volvo? I’ll give you a hint — it’s an electric vehicle manufactured at Finland’s Valmet Automotive factory, where...
Jennifer Knightstep -
Volkswagen's New Midsize Sedan Could Include Hybrid Variant
Volkswagen is working on an upcoming "New Midsize Sedan". The vehicle has no name at this point, but the company plans for the vehicle to be released here in the U.S. at the beginning of the 2012 calendar year. It will be built at the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. The information above comes...
Eric Loveday -
Panasonic Approved For $4.6 Billion To Acquire Sanyo, To Become World's Largest Li-Ion Battery Maker
Panasonic recently received regulatory approval of its massive $4.6 billion plan to purchase leading battery maker Sanyo Electric Co. Upon news of the approval of the plan, the company almost immediately began talks with at least 10 automakers. The talks center around the company supplying...
Eric Loveday -
Zenn Motors to Cease Low Speed EV Manufacture in Preparation for EEStor Powerplant Sales
Zenn Motors is the Canadian manufacturer of low speed electric vehicles that has partnered with EEStor Inc, a company reportedly on the edge of revolutionizing energy storage. Zenn originally was formed to make low speed electric cars which they have been selling since 2006. The company's bigger...
Lyle Dennis -
If widespread use of electric vehicles is going to become a reality, then a charging infrastructure must be in place by the time a new crop of these vehicles is available — say, 2011. While that may sound like quite a while in the future, it’s not. It’s only 14 months away. Needless to say, the industries and consumers that are investing in electric vehicles are seeking innovators in the infrastructure development arena. We don’t just need a few re-charging stations scattered across cities and dotted along highways. We need a comprehensive, intelligent, user-friendly network, one that...
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Mitsubishi Plug In hybrid SUV To Be Sold In The U.S. In 2013
It was recently announced that the Mitsubishi PX-MiEV, a plug in gas/electric hybrid vehicle that debuted at the Tokyo Auto Show as a concept vehicle and was recently presented at the LA Auto Show, will be modified for production and actually go on sale in north America sometime within the next...
Jon Vandervelde -
Ford Fusion Hybrid, Keep the Awards Coming
Back at it again, the Ford Fusion Hybrid has won yet another award. Add this new one to the list which includes the vehicles recent selection as Car and Driver's 10 Best. The newest award presented to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is the 2010 Earth, Wind, & Power Award for green car of the...
Eric Loveday -
ZAP Phasing Out Xebra, Cuts Back Development of Alias
According to a report from The Truth About Cars site, electric vehicle maker Zap is facing some financial issues that will require the company to make some changes to its portfolio of electric vehicles. The report is based off of Zap's most recent 10-Q filing which outlines funding and operations...
Eric Loveday -
Audi Disdains Green Label
Audi will not follow BMW in trying to position itself as a green brand, according to Chairman of the Audi board of management, Rupert Stadler. "We want to take out weight and want to further diesel and FSI technology. We can still improve fuel consumption. But we will not position Audi as a green...
Jon Vandervelde -
2010 Toyota Prius Wins Another Award, U.S. Market Green Car of the Year
The Toyota Prius is the poster child of the green car movement. Its overall sales volume speaks for itself as the Prius has outsold every other hybrid model and the trends show that this dominance is likely to continue for some time. The Prius has won countless awards for its innovative...
Eric Loveday