Electric Cars

 A U.S. National Research Council report released on Monday concludes that in North America at least, "For electric vehicles to become a major green alternative, the power fuel mix has to move away from coal, or cleaner coal technologies have to be developed...". According to Jared Cohan, chair of...

Per the press release on Th!nk's website dated August 27, 2009, seen here, production of the Th!nk City EV will resume, but will be built by Valmet Automotive.  Both Ener1, American supplier of Th!nk's battery pack, and Valmet Automotive, intended assembler of Fisker Automotive's Karma, have...

In the summer of 2008, amid staggering gas prices, Central Michigan University (CMU) invested $23,000 into an electric vehicle. Just over a year later, the school is requesting a refund, citing the vehicle's poor performance in cold weather. The EV in question is believed to be a Miles ZX40ST Work...

Though most production electric cars are still a few years away, several electric motorcycles are already available to the public, or will be very soon.  To highlight the capability of their electric motorcycle, Brammo's director of product development Brian Wismann and Dave Schiff of Crispin...

Compact Power, the company responsible for supplying battery cells for the upcoming Chevy Volt EREV, announced that it hopes to supply its own fully assembled battery packs in the near future. According to Compact Power CEO Prabhakar Patil, the company has its eyes on a goal of supplying fully...

Here in the United States where a typical commute exceeds 15 miles, range anxiety is at the forefront of the electric vehicle discussion. The residents of the island of Terschelling, in the northern Netherlands, needn't worry about such things. Their 12 miles of paved roads represent less than a...

Updating a story we have been covering for awhile regarding three wheel vehicles and their classification as either cars or motorcycles, Congress has now voted and passed a bill that will classify 3 wheel vehicles such as the Aptera 2e as cars.  You can read previous articles by clicking here...

The first time I started an electric car, I wondered the same thing everyone else wonders their first time: Is it on? Did it start or stall out? It’s so quiet! Near-silent electric vehicles have been decried by advocates of pedestrian safety, and although there’s no data to suggest electric...

A few months back, Tesla was approved for low cost loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program.  In response to criticism and in an attempt to be forthcoming with the public, Tesla VP of Business Development Diarmuid O'Connell wrote a post on Tesla's blog explaining where the...

By voting 80 to 17 to approve a compromise bill allocating $33.5 billion to fund energy and water projects, the U.S. Senate yesterday also redefined what qualifies as an "automobile". Once President Barack Obama signs the measure, a vehicle with only three wheels can--for the purpose of allocating...

Toyota is certainly known for it's clean running hybrid lineup of vehicles including the popular Prius and has been awarded for their efforts.  According to the recent findings of Clean Green Cars, Toyota is now the cleanest automaker in the UK. The award is based on CO2 emissions of an...

The production version of the Pininfarina designed Bluecar EV was displayed at the Geneva Auto Show this year.  CEO Silvio Pietro Angori confirmed that production is on schedule and this vehicle is set for its debut in 2011.  According to Angori, the company has tallied 6,000 pre-orders.  As...

The e2 Seems To Be Aimed Squarely At Tesla

The greatest impediment to the general adoption of EV technology has always been physics; an EV battery exhausts it's stored energy far more quickly (thanks to lower energy density) than the fuel-tank of a conventional car, and unlike the ICE vehicle, can't be topped off with a fresh supply in...

As you may remember from previous articles, our Editor in Chief Lyle Dennis took delivery of his Mini E electric vehicle many months ago now.  The journey with the vehicle, though mainly enjoyable, has had a few setbacks including lack of a proper charging receptacle at home, initial range...

When Nissan rolls out its electric Leaf in late 2010, it will only be available in select cities throughout the U.S.  The initial launch is limited to those cities that have formed agreements with Nissan and can provide the infrastructure required for the electric vehicle.  By 2012, Nissan hopes...

Smith Electric Vehicles, maker of the Newton plug-in electric delivery truck, began production at its diminutive plant in Kansas City.  The Newton, plug-in electric is one of only a few electric vehicles built within the United States. The plant where construction of the Newton takes place is a...

Chances are, you know someone who drives a gas-electric hybrid, like the iconic Toyota Prius, or you’re driving one yourself.  Prius owners haven’t had to change their habits to enable them to re-fuel their cars. They re-fuel the same way they always did, at traditional gas stations. They just...

Responding to an audience question during a panel-discussion at the October AltCar expo In Santa Monica, Ca, GM Spokesman Dave Barthmuss suggested that GM may be willing to sell Volt "gliders" ( that is, vehicles without a powertrain) to enthusiasts who wish to turn the Volt into a full EV.  He...

The latest figures from Autodata Inc. indicate that Ford Motor Company Hybrid vehicle sales have risen 73% this year in comparison with the same period in 2008. This contrasts with a slight decline in hybrid sales across the industry.  Ford attributes much of this growth to the popularity of the...