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VIA Motors Delivers Range Extended Hybrid Trucks to PG&E
VIA Motors has delivered a pair of Chevrolet Silverado-based eREV pickup trucks to the California based Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The extended-range electric vehicles will join PG&E’s fleet of work trucks. Similar to how the Chevrolet Volt operates, the eREV pickup allows for 40 miles of full electric operation but can switch to a…
Chevrolet Volt Charger Cords Being Replaced Due to Overheating
It sure beats having your Chevrolet Volt up in flames, but having your charger cord overheat and melt isn’t so great either. After complaints from Volt owners that their 120-volt charging cords were overheating, GM first insisted that the issue was with the wiring of the charging outlet, and not the car. Since then, however,…
Meet the Worlds Fastest EV on Ice: Electric RaceAbout – Video
It has been almost two years since we first heard about the Electric RaceAbout (E-RA), but it appears that this research project by the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences is now the fastest electric car on ice. Equipped with Nokian Tyres, the E-RA headed out to the frozen Lake Ukonjärvi in northern Finland and hit an…
Fisker Nina Teased Ahead of New York Reveal
Fisker has had a tumultuous year so far, especially when news broke that their Nina project was put on hold due to a lack of funds. But the American electric automaker is pushing to prove all its skeptics wrong, announcing a press conference ahead of the New York Auto Show intended to give a look…
Paper-Based Supercapacitor Could Improve Hybrid/EV Performance
Rajesh Rajamani, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, along with colleague Shan Hu and fellow professor Xun Yu from the University of North Texas, were able to create this new superconductor using a polymer based electrolyte and nanotube coated cotton paper for electrodes.
Infiniti Battery-Electric Vehicle Announced for New York Auto Show
Questions and uncertainty are swirling around the Infiniti battery-electric vehicle (BEV) which Nissan will debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show. The BEV, which isn’t named yet, will share underpinnings with the Nissan Leaf, but with more emphasis on power and aggressive styling. “It was designed to be a luxury vehicle first and an…
CODA Automotive Officially Begins Selling in California
Last week, CODA Automotive began production on its electric sedan and now the Los Angeles-based automaker has begun selling in their home state of California. The CODA sedan easily fits five and is based on the Chinese market Hafei Saibao. Priced at $35,200, the EV is competitive especially considering that it offers up to a 125-mile…
Lithium-ion Batteries to Cost 30% Less By 2017
Despite the fuel efficiency benefits of a hybrid vehicle, the average cost premium of purchasing a hybrid over a conventional internal combustion vehicle is still approximately $2,000. In order to begin seeing the cost benefits of fuel frugality, an ownership period may be as long as 6 years before money saved at the tank can…
West Coast Freeway Earns Electric Highway Nickname
Back in 2009, California, Oregon, and Washington made a decision to start turning a portion of the I-5 freeway into an Electric Highway. Hoping to address the limited range of an electric vehicle, the states lined a 160-mile stretch on the West Coast freeway with eight charging stations. Each station is spaced out 25 miles…
Opel Ampera To Participate In 2012 Rally Monte Carlo
Six Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, the identical twin to the American Chevrolet Volt, will make an inaugural appearance at this year’s International Rally Monte Carlo. Entering the Monte Carlo Rally for Alternative Energy Vehicles, the six Amperas will race against 150 other green cars in a series of stages starting March 22 from…
Nissan Leaf Gets Upgrades in December
Now that Nissan has had its Leaf on the market for some time, the Japanese automaker has been able to gather some customer feedback to upgrade its electric vehicle. Nissan plans on debuting a new, upgraded Leaf at the end of this year, adding leather seats, darker interior option, and a more efficient heating system….
Mitsubishi i-MiEV Power Box Lets You Use Your EV as a Power Source
Japanese automaker Mitsubishi will be releasing its i-MiEV Power Box on April 27th in their home country for around $1,785 (149,800¥). The i-MiEV Power Box is basically a vehicle-to-grid system that will allow the owners of an i-MiEV and the MINICAB MiEV to use their EV to power an outside device like a phone charger…
Washington State Trying to Penalize EV Owners for Saving Gas
Washington State doesn’t like people buying electric vehicles (EVs), or so it seems based on a proposed law to penalize EV owners. While the Federal Government is offering a $7,500 tax credit to those that wish to buy an EV, the Washington State Government wants to penalize owners to the tune of $100 a year because they…
Fisker Karma Performed Properly in Consumer Reports Testing, CEO Says
The infamous Fisker Karma that shut down during Consumer Reports‘ testing performed exactly as it was meant to, according to Tom LaSorda, the company’s new CEO. Apparently the luxury EV is meant to shut down in the event of a failure to prevent collateral damage that might otherwise result. LaSorda sent a letter to customers apologizing…
Pininfarina Cambiano Concept May Become Reality
Along the same vein as the Fisker Karma, the plug-in hybrid Pininfarina Cambiano concept may receive the “go-ahead” for low-volume production. According to Pininfarina CEO Sergio Angori, “We are evaluating the potential for companies and private buyers interested in a high-performance, low-emission luxury model such as the Cambiano.” The Pininfarina Cambiano concept was first unveiled at…
Volkswagen eGolf Confirmed for Late 2013 US Release
German giant Volkswagen already sent the first eGolf electric car to California, but as we reported in late February, it wasn’t a production car. That will change late next year as the company plans to start releasing the EV as a 2014 model. Jonathan Browning, VW of America’s president told Automotive News it will be a fully-electric version…
White House Will Miss 2015 Million EV Goal
In 2008 when President Barack Obama was a senator, he pledged a goal of having 1 million electric vehicles on U.S. streets by 2015. Four years later, that goal seems far away at best. In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama said “with more research and incentives, we can break our dependence…
Rolls-Royce Ghost Expansion Likely, SUV and EV Not: CEO Says
Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös recently confirmed that there will be no all-electric model or SUV coming anytime soon, if at all. The British luxury automaker will instead concentrate on its existing Ghost model, potentially releasing a coupe and convertible variant. Back at last year’s Geneva Auto Show, Rolls-Royce showed off an all-electric 102EX concept but the CEO…
Former Fisker Employee Says Karma Pushed to Market Prematurely
UPDATE: The Fisker employee in question was revealed to be a Fisker retailer employee and not someone who would have inside knowledge of the company. Fisker addressed the claim, saying the information divulged by that individual is untrue. The former employee now works with EV maker Coda. The Fisker Karma suffered a struggle-ridden launch, including a fire risk recall and…
2012 CODA EV Production has Officially Begun
The 2012 CODA sedan is an electrified version of the Chinese market Hafei Saibao mid-size sedan, sporting a 31 kW/h lithium ion iron phosphate battery pack, which the company says gives it a range of up to 125 miles on a single charge.
Fisker Karma Returns To Consumer Reports Fleet
The Consumer Reports Fisker Karma test vehicle which broke down on them last week has now been returned to the fleet after spending 48 hours at a Fisker dealerhsip. During a routine speedometer test the Karma began to flash a warning light and a chime to alert the driver that something was amiss. Once the…
AMP Electric Vehicles Now Qualify for Tax Credit
While some electric vehicle companies are floundering, AMP Electric Vehicles has just been cleared by the IRS to give a federal tax credit to its customers. With the prices of gas steadily increasing, the timing of AMP’s qualification is right on point. Jim Taylor, AMP CEO says “Given the recent increase in gas prices and the…
Ford to Increase Fuel Ecomomy 20-Percent by 2020
American automaker Ford has committed to increasing the fuel economy of its U.S. model lineup 20-percent by the year 2020. The Blue Oval is hoping to achieve this through electric vehicles, hybrids, and improvements to gasoline-powered vehicles. The recently released Ford Focus EV is rated at 105-MPGe, making it the country’s most efficient five-passenger vehicle….
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-CELL Details Revealed
In an effort to maximize reliability, the SLS E-CELL incorporates three cooling circuits; two for the electric motors and one for the battery pack, which via the car’s air conditioning system can provide additional cooling while operating in hot climates.
