DOE
Department of Energy Loans Alcoa $259 M
Alcoa will borrow $259 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand its automotive aluminum sheet production capacity.
Department of Energy Commits $20M to Hydrogen Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Energy is hoping $20 million will help kick start the country’s hydrogen infrastructure.
Government Looking to Fund Aluminum Production
Demand for aluminum in automotive production is at an all-time high, and the U.S. government is looking to assist.
Hong Kong Investor Likely to Buy Fisker
The likely winner of the U.S. Department of Energy loan for Fisker is an investor group led by Hong Kong’s Richard Li.
Used Car MPG Window Stickers Available From EPA
The U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA have released a new online tool to print your own window sticker showing off your vehicle’s fuel economy figures.
AM General Gains Control of VPG Autos
AM General has agreed to purchase VPG Autos the maker of the MV-1. The what? By who? Allow us to explain.
Alternative Vehicle Loan Program Coming Back Online
Despite criticism by Republican lawmakers, the Department of Energy loan program designed to encourage alternative vehicles is ready to resume.
Challenge to Selling E15 Fuel Declined by Court
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge today by major automakers and other groups to reverse the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision regarding E15 fuel.
ALABC UltraBattery Hybrid Surpasses 100,000 Miles of Testing
A North Caolina-based group is trying to prove that lead-carbon batteries are viable for hybrid vehicles.
Tesla Repays Government Loan Nine Years Early
As expected, Tesla has repaid its government loan nine years early, becoming the first American automaker to have paid back the government.
Tesla Aims to Repay Government by Wednesday
Elon Musk, Tesla’s ever enigmatic CEO, announced over Twitter that the company will likely repay its government debt by Wednesday, May 22.
Stricter Loan Policies Spurred by Fisker Fiasco
Fisker is all but wiped from the automotive landscape, and more information about the Energy Departments loan criteria is surfacing in the wake of the failure.
Department of Energy Reclaims $21M from Fisker
The U.S. Department of Energy recovered $21 million from Fisker Automotive, the floundering company behind the Karma plug-in hybrid luxury car.
Tesla Model X Delayed
As Tesla hopes to repay its DOE loan five years ahead of schedule, the American electric automaker will be delaying production on the Model X for at least a year.
Government Backs Away From Million EV Goal for 2015
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is backing away from its previously announced plan to see 1 million electric cars on U.S. roads by 2015, saying the timeline isn’t really all that important.
Chinese Company Wins Auction for A123 Systems
A year riddled with controversy for electric cars is winding down, but not without at least one more flare up — Chinese firm Wanxiang Group won the bidding war for A123 Systems.
Why Your Next Set of Tires May be Made from Weeds
When it comes to the auto industry, oil isn’t the only thing imported from foreign countries and subject to supply issues and price spikes. The same is true of the rubber in your car’s tires, though a solution could lie in a simple, resilient weed that grows freely across the American southwest.
Fisker Seeks Additional $150 M in Investment Funds
Unlike exotic EV maker Tesla’s relative success story, Fisker’s has been one riddled with scandal and financial scrambling, the latest of which sings to the tune of $150 million.
GMs EcoCar2 Challenge Could Win You a Job
Across North America, 15 teams will be participating in the EcoCar2 Challenge, a three-year alternative fuels vehicle competition sponsored by General Motors and the Department of Energy.
Bright Automotive Blames Department of Energy for Failure
Bright Automotive has just announced its plans to close up shop. It blames the Department of Energy (DOE) for not helping secure a $314 million loan. In a letter to DoE secretary Steven Chu, Bright execs wrote that the government failed them and ultimately lost “hundreds of great manufacturing and technical jobs … and thousands…
Aptera: A Brief Chronology Of The Collapse
Last week we brought you a story about Aperta employees boorishly smashing the remaining shells of their 2e electric vehicle, including quotes from their disgruntled former CEO, Steve Fambro. You may wonder how things went so wrong. If you haven’t been following the Aptera saga, or if you don’t know what Aptera is, this is a good…
2012 Mitsubishi i Ranks Best In Fuel Economy
Behold, the new bar for fuel economy: 126 highway miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). Which car is championing these figures? The Mitsubishi i electric vehicle. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Guide ranked the Mitsubishi i electric vehicle at the top for fuel consumption. The competing Nissan Leaf stacks up 13 MPGe lower at a still…
