Electric Cars
Nissan Leaf Available Nationwide Tomorrow
As of tomorrow, Nissan has announced that the Leaf will be available for order across all U.S. markets as the automaker completes its final launch phase in the remaining states. “More than 22,000 Leafs are on the roads globally, having driven more than 30 million miles. There is no longer any doubt that a 100-percent…
Tom Lasorda Named New Fisker CEO
Fisker Automotive announced today that former Chrysler head Tom LaSorda will replace the company’s namesake, Henrik Fisker, as the new CEO. Fisker first called LaSorda to join the team as an observer and to assess the company as a whole. After two months of evaluation,He asked LaSorda to become CEO. Fisker meanwhile announced his intent to “build…
Audi to Bring All-Electric A3 to U.S.
Audi is bringing an all-electric A3 to the U.S. Exciting as that may be, only 17 of them will make their way across the ocean. At the annual TED conference in Long Beach, Calif., Audi CEO Johan DeNysschen revealed plans to bring 17 A3 e-trons Stateside as a trial to see what type of reaction the…
Pininfarina Cambiano Concept: Geneva Motor Show Preview
Official images of the Pininfarina Cambiano concept car have been revealed ahead of the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show. According to Pininfarina, the Cambiano concept was approached with, “great attention to the environment, both as to the engine and as to the materials’ choice.” Engine wise, the Cambiano is a range extended electric vehicle with…
Toyota RAV4-EV Immune to “Bricking”
Following up on Tesla’s battery problems, we got a chance to talk to Toyota about the upcoming RAV4-EV. Toyota has been working closely with Tesla in developing their electric crossover. We were curious to see if the issue that is now worrying owners of Tesla Roadsters will be a problem with Toyota’s vehicle as well….
Volvo Launches ELVIIS to Streamline Public EV Recharging Process
The dawn of a new era is upon us with electric vehicle charging and it appears that Swedish automaker Volvo wants to help streamline the recharging process for owners out in public looking for juice for their EV. The project, titled Electric Vehicle Intelligent Infra Structure (ELVIIS) is being kicked off with the help of…
Tesla Roadsters Can Become ‘Bricked’, Cost $40,000 to Fix
The term “bricked” is often used with smartphones and other devices that can become completely unusable and are essentially, well… just a brick. To hear that terminology being used by an automaker is a little disconcerting, especially when that automaker sells cars that cost over $100,000. If the battery is ever completely discharged in a…
Rinspeed Dock+Go is a Backpack on Wheels for Electric Cars: Geneva Motor Show Preview
Making its way to the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show will be Rinspeed’s Dock + Go creation, an innovative yet strange concept that will leave some scratching their heads. The Swiss-based tuner is marketing the Dock + Go as a backpack on wheels but is also a detachable range-extender for electric cars. The product essentially…
Mystery German Electric Sports Car Spied Testing – Spy Photos
There’s not a lot of mystery in the auto industry. Automakers release info on cars before they debut, and with leaked info and spy photos, even then, there’s often little that’s unknown about a new model before it arrives. And then there’s this… a mysterious German electric vehicle spotted testing in Northern Europe. In fact,…
Tesla To Supply Powertrain For Future Electric Mercedes-Benz
Some may remember in 2009, Daimler purchased a 10 percent stake in Tesla for the joint development of a Smart EV. Once again, Tesla and Daimler will once again collaborate on a new project, this time an electric Mercedes-Benz. Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings report revealed details regarding its role as the full powertrain supplier for a…
Tesla Model S Will Not be Available to Media Before Release
One of the great perks of becoming an automotive journalist is the opportunity to get behind the wheel of practically any new car on the market, whether it be the latest Porsche or a Pagani Huayra. However, Tesla has chosen not to oblige. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk during an announcement last night, no…
Bigger Electric Car Subsidy Possible in 2013
Things might get a lot sweeter in 2013 for folks considering a “new technology car,” as they’re being called at the White House. President Obama’s 2012 fiscal year budget apparently includes a provision for increasing the federal tax credit from $7,500 to a more substantial $10,000. The subsidy hasn’t been passed yet, but if it…
Electric Race Car Debuts New EV Technology
A dream team of ten engineers and tech experts have assembled at the UK-based Lola-Drayson to develop an extremely innovative all-electric race car. This electricity powered car is aiming at a top speed of 320 km/h or 200mph. While that seems like an astronomical number, this actually isn’t the ultimate goal of the electric racer. According…
Electric Car Sales Not Taking Off Any Time Soon: Survey
Why get an electric car when new gas powered vehicles are getting such high marks for fuel efficiency? According to a survey by KPMG, the rising standard of efficient gas engines is going to lead to minimal sales of electric vehicles. KPMG’s 13th annual Global Automotive Executive Survey found that, although electric engines are a…
New Vehicles are 14-Percent More Fuel Efficient Compared to Four Years Ago
An interesting study has just been released by the University of Michigan which compared the average fuel efficiency of vehicles made in 2012 compared to those manufactured in 2008. According to the report, there has been a 2.8-mpg improvement for cars (including station wagons) and a 1.6-mpg for light trucks (including pickups, minivans, vans, and…
Tesla Model X Second Teaser Revealed by CEO
The all-electric Tesla Model X will debut today at 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time at Tesla’s design studio in California. Mere hours before the official unveil Tesla founder and CEO, Elon Musk tweeted a new teaser photo which shows off what are being called the Model X’s falcon wing doors. The new picture doesn’t give…
Nissan Concept Cars Announced For Geneva Auto Show
Today Nissan announced its list of concepts that will bow at the Geneva Auto Show next month. There are two world premiers in the group, the Invitation and one other that the company is keeping closely guarded. The Invitation, which from what we can tell is a lot like a cooler version of the Versa, will…
Infiniti Emerg-E Plug-in Hybrid Sports Car to Get Mid-Engine Layout
Infiniti has announced that its upcoming plug-in hybrid sports car concept will be called the Emerge-E. Using a gasoline range-extended to add power and range to an electric powertrain, this will be the first such system used in an Infiniti product. The “advanced sports car concept” will also be the first Infiniti to use a…
California Rules 15% of Car Sales Must be Zero-Emissions by 2025
Just when CAFE loosened standards and lowered from 56.5 MPG to 54 MPG by 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has decided to propose new and more stringent conditions for automakers that sell cars in California. The California Air Resources Board will not only enforce CAFE, but will also require at least 15.4 percent of…
Student Designed 2025 Lincoln Continental Concept Backed by Ford
The Lincoln MKZ concept that debuted in Detroit earlier this month gave us an olfactory tingle in more than one place after the display started inexplicably smoking in front of us much to its presenter’s chagrin. Despite all that, the MKZ wasn’t the hottest Lincoln design to make the scene. Instead, the car that’s still capturing…
Peel, World’s Smallest Car To Be Revived [Video]
While small cars have had a difficult time catching on in North America, it seems as if cars in the UK market could never be small enough. A group of businessmen in the United Kingdom decided to resurrect the Peel brand and are now taking orders for both the Trident and P50 models. 0-60 times…
Fisker Cuts Sales Goals Again
Citing complex certification processes, Fisker Automotive has cut its sales target for the plug-in hybrid electric Karma once again. Initially set at 15,000 units for 2012, in November the American start-up automaker headed by renowned automotive designer Henrik Fisker shopped the forecast to 12,000 units in November. Now Fisker has reduced that goal once again,…
Chevy Dealers Rejecting Volt Allocations
After a half a decade of build-up, sales of the Chevrolet Volt are not going as planned. With a targeted goal of moving 10,000 units in its first full year on sale GM moved 7,671, leading to speculation that the American auto giant won’t be able to meet its lofty forecast for 60,000 sales in…
Coda Automotive Expands Business, Gets Into Grid Energy Storage World
Coda Automotive, known for their upcoming sedan electric vehicle, has expanded their business by announcing a new venture called Coda Energy. The spinoff business unit will specialize in building stationary energy storage systems. All the knowledge gained by Coda while designing and developing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles has lead them directly into the grid…
