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Tesla Preps To Produce Next Generation EVs At The NUMMI Plant
Tesla Motors has planned to begin building prototypes of its Model S electric sedan in the third quarter at the NUMMI plant located in Fremont, Calif, which was acquired from Toyota last year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated the project will involve a $500 million investment. The Model S is slated for production in mid-2012…
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Test On-Board Cam [Video]
The racing version of Nissan’s electric vehicle, the Leaf, lapped the Sodegaura Forest Raceway,Japan during a test run yesterday. In this four minute video, the driver puts the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC through its paces and at some points can barely keep it on the track. The Nismo RC features a full carbon fiber body…
ZF Announces New Nine-Speed Gearbox Developed For Passenger Cars
ZF, a leader in automotive tranmissions, has announced a new nine-speed automatic gearbox for passenger cars. This gearbox was designed for a transverse mounted engine and will provide up to 16 percent better fuel economy compared to a six-speed automatic transmission. The nine-speed is referred to as the 9HP and is extremely flexible, capable of…
GM May Test EN-V In Detroit
General Motors may be testing the EN-V mobility concept vehicles in its Detroit hometown. GM North America President Mark Ruess said that Detroit would be a “perfect” area to test the futuristic machines. EN-V, known as the Electric Networked Vehicle, is GM’s answer to changing transportation in traffic choked cities such as Tokyo. The vehicle is a battery-powered…
GM CEO Dan Akerson Takes A Cheap Shot At Ford’s Lincoln Brand
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson discussed the future product line of his company in an interview and bashed the Lincoln brand while at it . Akerson began the interview explaining that next year, GM will unveil a powerful bifuel engine for commercial trucks that will run on compressed natural gas or gasoline. He then spoke of…
Tesla Shows Off Model S Alpha, Comes Dressed to Impress
Tesla‘s Model S sedan is looking ready for production, as evident by these new photos released by the electric car manufacturer. Based on its aesthetics alone, the Model S will be very competitive in the mid-size luxury market, featuring an aggressive front end with a very sleek and stylish body. Unfortunately we’re looking at a…
Nissan Testing Roadside Assistance Charger Vehicle for EVs in Japan
In Nissan‘s continuing effort to relieve range anxiety, the automaker has now announced a joint project with the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) to test out a roadside assistance vehicle capable of recharging electric vehicles. “As EVs gain wider consumer acceptance, it is important to create a roadside assistance system that can help motorists driving EVs…
Prince Charles’ Eco-Village Features EV Chargers In Every Home
Britain’s royals are a pretty forward-thinking bunch. Take Prince Charles – he’s planning a whole eco-village that will feature electric car charging infrastructure as a key element. The eco-village, called Knockroon in East Ayrshire, Scotland, will consist of 700 homes to be built over 15 years. It will set out to prove that electric and…
Ford Launches 3 Cylinder Engine in B-Max Minivan
Ford has officially confirmed that its new ultra-efficient smallest ever engine, a 1.0-liter three-cylinder Ecoboost unit will be placed in the new B-Max MPV. Ford claims that its new 3 cylinder engine, “delivers the same performance as a four-cylinder, but with much higher fuel economy and lower emissions”. The three cylinder engine was developed by engineers…
Dutch Duo Drives 779 Miles in 24 Hours in a Nissan Leaf [Video]
There has been much speculation over whether electric vehicles are suitable for long distance journeys. The biggest issue is regarding the distance an electric car can travel before running out of power, and where to charge up. Skeptics also doubt whether the advanced lithium-ion battery can withstand the torture of numerous “Level 3” charges within…
Chevrolet Volt Earns Five-Star Overall Safety Rating
The Chevrolet Volt is the first electric vehicle to receive a five-star overall vehicle score under the new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program. In addition, the Volt is also a 2011 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Safety is a key consideration for all buyers no matter…
Nissan Leaf NISMO Race Car to Make Le Mans Track Debut
Nissan has announced that its Leaf Nismo RC Concept race car concept will be making two demonstration runs at the Le Mans Vers Le Futur, in celebration of the 79th anniversary of the event (June 11-12). The 24 Hour of Le Mans is the world’s most renowned endurance race and is held on the Circuit…
Toyota Prius, Venza and Sienna Recalled
Toyota has announced a recall on 52,000 2001-2003 Prius’ as well as a handful of Venza and Sienna vehicles. The recall is regarding the possibility of nuts securing the pinion shaft for the steering box assembly. These nuts may become loose from repeated full-lock turning of the steering wheel. Toyota says that over time, the…
Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid Sales To Start In July
With much of the electric car attention being drawn by the first mass-produced Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt, many have ignored the 2011 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan. Fisker dealers in Los Angeles previously claimed the first deliveries to paying customers would take place in March or April of this year. But the…
Reborn Electric Audi A2 Will Be Produced
Audi has confirmed that the A2 will be making a comback this September at the Frankfurt Auto Show, in the form of an electric concept car. The original A2 ended production due to the cost of its aluminum spaceframe chassis. The new A2 will retain the chassis but the car will be a more expensive…
Nissan Leaf To Compete In Pikes Peak Hill Climb
On June 26, an electric Nissan Leaf will compete in the 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb driven by Nissan off-road truck racing champion Chad Hord. The Leaf will compete in the Production Class for electric vehicles in factory shape. Other than a roll cage, racing seats and safety harnesses the car will be entirely…
2012 Honda Civic Sedan Receives IIHS Top Safety Pick Award
The all-new 2012 Honda Civic sedan models received the highest safety rating of Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, announced today. In order to receive a top safety pick, the vehicle must include a standard electronic stability control system and must successfully protect occupants inside the vehicle, involved in front, side…
Tesla To Unveil New Model X By End Of 2011
Tesla might have started out by producing an electric version of the Lotus Elise, but that’s merely the start of their ambitious program to launch a full range of electric cars. They already have the Model S sedan, which is set to go on sale in 2012, but now they are also working on a crossover vehicle,…
2011 Gumball 3000 Rally Kicks Off in London [Video]
With the Gumball 3000 already underway (it started May 26), the folks in charge of the international parade of shenanigans has released a video showing the rally’s start in Covent Garden, London. The 19 minute video shows over 100 of the most magnificent and rare supercars in the world. Even the rain couldn’t stop the…
GM Calls Out Nissan Over ‘Gas Powered Everything’ Ad
Aiming to build hype behind its all-electric Leaf, Nissan has released a new ad, imagining a world where tiny internal combustion engines power everything that currently runs on electricity. The bleak and dirty existence portrayed in the new ad spot then steps to a new level to prove Nissan’s point, showing the sullen protagonist gassing…
Ford Figures Out The Best Place For An Electric Charging Port
Ford thinks it’s finally figured out the best place to put the charging plug on an electric car: on the front grille, like the Nissan Leaf? On the pillar, like the Tesla? Or where the gas cap is supposed to be, like on the G-Wiz? Nope, to all of those: Ford believes that the charging…
BMW To Debut Four New Models At Frankfurt Auto Show
BMW is giving its home turf a big, heaping pile of BMW-osity. The carmaker plans to debut no less than four production models at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September: the M5, the M3 GTS’s sedan version, a redesigned 1-Series, and the i3 electric city car. The M5 and the M3 GTS, of course, will…
New Chevrolet Impala To Borrow Cadillac’s XTS Platform
General Motors has recently revealed plans of a shift in production for the next-generation Chevrolet Impala. The new Impala will soon be produced in the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, rather than the Oshawa, Canada facility that currently builds the car. The next Impala will be based on Cadillac’s upcoming XTS sedan meaning the Impala will grow in…
2011 Lexus CT200h Receives IIHS Top Safety Pick Award
The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety today announced the all-new 2011 Lexus CT200h hybrid earned a “Top Safety Pick” award. The Lexus earned the award through enduring front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations and its standard electronic stability control. High-strength steel components are carefully located in the body structure to help ensure strength in key…
