Electric Cars NewsAll News
Browse by News Category
GE Introduces Solar Powered Carport To Electric Cars
GE is introducing a solar powered carport designed for charging electric cars that uses solar panels that produces enough energy every year to power 20 homes with electricity. Rather than a home unit, the carport is intended for public usage, with six charging stations allowing for a total of 13 EVs to be charged each…
Mazda Not Working On RX-9, RX-7 Rebirth A Possibility
Bad news for Mazda rotary engine enthusiasts – the company has no plans to build the RX-9 hybrid sports car, contrary to recent rumors. Even worse, minimal sales of the RX8 may jeopardize the Mazda rotary engine all together. Production of the Mazda RX-8 is drawing to a close, with U.S sales of just 291…
Volvo Engineering Flywheel KERS System that Adds Power, Saves Fuel [Video]
Volvo has announced plans to develop and test a new flywheel kinetic energy recovery system. Volvo says the KERS system (or FKERS as Volvo calls it) is “a light, cheap and very eco-efficient solution that makes a four-cylinder engine feel like a six at the same time as fuel consumption drops with up to 20 percent.”…
Honda’s North American Production Returns To 100 Percent In August
North American Honda production will return to normal in August, earlier than expected, the company announced in a statement today. The Japanese automaker has accelerated their recovery following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Every Honda model will resume regualar production in August, except the 2012 Civic. The company expects full production…
Hyundai-Kia Will Overtake Honda and Toyota In May
Hyundai–Kia will outsell Toyota and Honda in May sales, according to TrueCar. TrueCar expects Hyundai-Kia to sell 115,434 units in May. This number represents an increase of 43.4 percent over May 2010 making the Korean group a 10.9 percent market share putting it number three behind Ford and GM. Hyundai-Kia has gathered a momentum caused…
Updated Fuel Economy Window Sticker Unveiled: Video
An updated U.S fuel economy label was unveiled today aimed at reducing gasoline consumption and exhaust emissions. These new stickers will be required on all 2013 models, allowing consumers to quickly glance at fuel consumption. The sticker will also display estimates of fuel or electricity required to drive 100 miles as well as time needed…
57% Of Americans Won’t Buy EV’s Regardless Of Gas Prices: Survey
A poll has just been released asking Americans to rate their likelihood of making certain lifestyle changes based on different hypothetical gas prices. 57 percent of respondents refused to consider buying an “electric car that you could only drive for a limited number of miles at one time” no matter how high gas prices go. Instead, they are…
Nissan Leaf Gets Five Star Crash Test Rating In Europe
The Nissan Leaf became the first EV to get a five star crash test rating from the Euro NCAP program, after scoring well in all categories involving passenger safety, on-board safety systems and pedestrian safety. Also notable was the car’s lithium-ion battery system, which according to Nissan “completely withstood all the impacts.” “The Nissan Leaf proves that…
Car Buyers Willing To Pay For More Fuel Efficient Vehicles
With the recent recession and high fuel prices, car buyers are placing a higher priority on fuel efficiency. To save at the pump, buyers are willing to sacrifice purchase, price, amenities and size but not safety, according to the Consumer Reports National Research Center. 1,764 random adult car owners were interviewed between April 28-May 2,…
US Government Buying 101 Chevrolet Volts For Federal Use
The Obama administration will announce today it is buying 116 plug-in electric vehicles and will install charging stations in government buildings in five cities. Of the 116 vehicles, 101 of them will be extended-range Chevrolet Volts. These vehicles are to be placed with 20 government agencies in five cities including Washington, D.C., Detroit San Diego,…
Toyota Prius Family To Grow Even Larger
The Toyota Prius family could grow even larger as the automakers studies additional versions of the three row Prius. The Japanese automaker wants to sell 1 million hybrids a year and in early 2012, Toyota will launch two more Prius family members. The members will include the Prius C compact hybrid and the Prius plug-in…
Porsche Boxster E Prototypes Detailed and Driven at Michelin Challenge Bibendum
At the annual Michelin Challenge Bibendum sustainable mobility event in Berlin, Germany Porsche showed off its new Boxster E prototypes which continue to undergo testing as the sports car maker examines the future of emissions free driving fun. In total, Porsche had three Boxster E models which weren’t just on display, but were available (to…
Toyota In Need of Safety Management Changes
r Since the fall of 2009, Toyota has recalled more than 20 million vehicles. According to an advisory panel appointed by the company, Toyota has not adopted enough change to address the slew of safety problems that have arisen over the past decade. This issue lies within Toyota’s centralized decision-making that remains based in Japan, and a 60…
U.S Department Of Energy Testing Dodge Ram Hybrid
Chrysler is delivering 10 Ram 1500 Hybrids to the U.S Department of Energy for testing within the next week. The pickups will be delivered to Yuma, Arizona, as part of a $100 million research project. The program with the U.S Department of Energy will run through June 2014. 140 Ram 1500 pickups will be delivered…
Honda Fit Shuttle Wagon to Launch This June
Honda has scheduled the June 16 release of its all new Fit Shuttle. The new station-wagon-like variant of the popular Fit subcompact will be offered with both a regular 4-cylinder engine or a hybrid version, the Nikkei business daily reported. Increased production at the Suzuka factory in Mie Prefecture began in early May and has progressed enough…
Chevrolet Volt Production Increasing By 1,000 Units Per Year
Chevrolet‘s popular Volt is getting a production boost—GM is increasing annual production from 15,000 to 16,000 per year. GM is gearing up to build the European version of the Volt: of this new 16,000-vehicle figure, approximately 3,500 will be sold in Europe as the Opel Ampera. About 2,500 jobs are expected to be added to the…
MINI Planning Smaller Model For 2014
MINI is preparing an all new sub-compact that will be closer in size to the original Mini, and likely become available in 2014. The new ‘mini’ MINI will be a true successor to the Sixties model, only 40cm longer and 50cm wider than the first iteration. This mode will create a new entry point with…
Volvo Exploring Inductive Charging For Electric Cars
Volvo is collaborating with Belgian technological and development specialist Flanders’ Drive to develop inductive charging for its model line up. Inductive charging allows electric vehicles to be recharged wirelessly. A charging plate(conductor) could be buried beneath the driveway so when the car is parked, it will charge. “The aim is naturally that it should be as convenient as…
As Gas Hits $4 Per Gallon, Demand For Hybrid Cars Soars
With the average price for a gallon of gasoline above $4, many American drivers are looking to dump the family gas-guzzler as quickly as possible and buy a more fuel efficient hybrid. But according to Jeff Bartlett, deputy online automotive editor at Consumer Reports, this is the worst time to do so. With so many…
Ford Says 25 Percent Of Lineup To Be “Electrified” By 2020, Calls On Government Subsidies For Batteries
Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford (great-grandson of Henry Ford) revealed to Fortune magazine that his namesake automaker will apparently launch a global line of electric vehicles, with 25 percent of Ford’s lineup available with some degree of electrification by 2020. Ford cited the electric Focus and both plug-in and fully electric versions of the…
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Hits The Track [Video]
We’re well aware that the last Nissan you ever thought would see the track as a full-blown race car would be the all-electric Leaf, but you have to admit, the Nismo RC Leaf is one bad-ass looking piece of electric machinery. Even though Nissan has built their racing heritage on their 350Z/370Z and GT-R platform,…
Toyota Prius Sales Soar As Price Of Gasoline Officially Reaches $4 Per Gallon
Toyota Prius sales have drastically risen as the price of gasoline officially reached $4 per gallon in the US. Car buyers are flocking towards high-mileage vehicles and because of Japan’s earthquake and the subsequent disruption of hybrid production, prices have spiked accordingly. According to Toyota spokesman Mike Michels, as gas prices climbed past $4 a…
Chevrolet Volt 36-Month Resale Value Set At $17,000
A 2011 Chevrolet Volt will be worth just over $17,000 after 36 months, the length of a typical lease, says Kelley Blue Book. That’s a 42 percent drop in price from the car’s $41,000 sticker price. Eric Ibara, director of residual value consulting at Kelley Blue Book, says the residual value projection seems low. But…
BMW i3 Electric City Car Starting At $35,000; 150-HP and 160-Mile Range
BMW‘s little urban runabout is almost ready for the limelight, and some tantalizing details have been released: when it goes on sale, uh, eventually, it will be priced at $35,000, or around the price of a 3-Series Coupe. And what does that $35k get you? Well, 150-horsepower, for starters—a lot for its size, and good…
