electric
Nissan Developing 10-Minute Electric Car Charger
If your cell phone has ever run out of battery power midday, you know how frustrating it can be to charge on the go. Imagine having to do the same for your car. Driving an electric vehicle (EV) means you’re always thinking about when and where you can charge next. At current charging times that…
Infiniti Electric Sports Car Concept Heading For Geneva In 2012
Earlier this week at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Infiniti released teaser sketches of their upcoming Nissan Leaf-based Infiniti electric sedan concept. As if that wasn’t enough to stir the press, Nissan’s global communications chief Andy Palmer informed the media of an upcoming Infiniti mid-engine electric sports car as well. The car will use many of…
2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class and B-Class E-Cell Plus Concept: Frankfurt Auto Show 2011
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its second-generation B-Class at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show along with a concept for an E-Cell version of the front-wheel drive compact sport tourer. The new B-Class is almost two inches shorter than the previous version yet has more leg room thanks to a lowered floor. The seats are also more upright but…
Audi A2 Concept Revealed Ahead Of Frankfurt Auto Show
Lately it seems like auto shows have become just another venue for another automaker to unveil another electric vehicle concept. The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show will be no different, as Audi is set to display its new electric A2 concept alongside the introduction of the new Audi S6, S7, and S8. Now this might come as…
Nissan Leaf’s Sell Out In Canada In Just Two Hours
Last weekend, Nissan Canada officially began the reservation process for the all-new electric Leaf. Within two hours, all Leaf inventory was reserved. On August 27th, Canadians attended one of 27 Nissan Leaf certified dealers and were invited to reserve the electric vehicle for a refundable $99 deposit. Judy Wheeler, Nissan Canada’s director of marketing, said, “Response…
Cadillac ELR Will Cost Less Than Tesla Model S
General Motors has confirmed production of the Cadillac ELR coupe. The American automaker has yet to announce pricing for the coupe, but an unidentified course close to the project revealed the Cadillac ELR’s price will be lower than the $57,400 Tesla Model S. It is expected that the ELR will be priced somewhere around $49,900…
Morgan Builds High Performance Electric Sports Car
Morgan Motor Company and British technology specialists have teamed up to build a new, high-performance electric sports car prototype. The development project is being partially funded by a £100,000 grant from the Niche Vehicle Network CR&D Programme that supports companies active in the niche vehicle sector. The vehicle will use a new derivative of Zytek’s…
Smart Fortwo Electric Drive Coming In Spring Of 2012
The third generation Smart fortwo is on its way, hitting dealers in the spring of 2012. The electric Smart car will roll off the production line in Hamback, France and will be available in more than thirty markets worldwide when released. The third generation smart fortwo electric drive features a fifty-five kW magneto-electric motor, churning…
Fiat To Expand North American Model Range With Abarth, Crossover
After a 27 year absence, Fiat has had a very successful launch in North America. Currently, the 500 is available in three trim levels, but the model range is set to expand next year with the introduction of the sporty Abarth version and an all-electric 500. Fiat will also launch a fifth vehicle in 2013, a…
KTM E3W Revealed: Motorcycle Maker Develops Three-Wheel Electric City Car
Austrian-based KTM, best known for producing motorcycles (not to mention the lightweight X-Bow racer), has teamed up with the Austrian Institute of Technology to create an electric vehicle called the E3W. The E3W (Electric 3-Wheeler) can carry two passengers for up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) using a 15kW motor and lithium-ion battery, not to…
Ford Focus Electric Full Launch Delayed
Ford is delaying the full launch of the 2012 electric Focus. Initially, the Focus EV was to be launched in 19 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Seattle. However, plans have changed and the primary launch will be concentrated in California and New York. Ford’s electrified-vehicles marketing manager David Finnegan said, “For the…
Nissan And City Ventures Prewire 190 New Homes For Electric Vehicle Chargers
Nissan and City Ventures announced today that they plan to proceed with their cooperative project to prewire 190 Southern California townhomes with electric vehicle chargers. This will be the largest residential, electric vehicle pre-wiring project in the United States. The installation will include a Level II (240v- 40 amp) electric vehicle dock which is recommended for charging…
Nissan To Build Rear-Wheel Drive Electric Powered Sports Car
Nissan has plans to launch its own small sports car that will rival the Mazda MX-5. Nissan’s newcomer will have a rear-wheel drive system and will be powered by the Leaf’s electric drivetrain. At one point, Nissan wanted to revive the legendary rear-wheel drive 200SX but that was put on the back burner in 2008. However, the…
BMW Reveals All New i3 And i8 Concept Vehicles
BMW has developed two new hybrid vehicles that the German automaker says have redefined the understanding of personal mobility with a focus on sustainability. The i3 concept, previously know as the Megacity, is an all-electric car that focuses squarely on the mobility challenges in urban areas. The i8 hybrid concept is a “forward-looking, intelligent, and innovative” sports…
Chevrolet Volt Production Boosted To 5,000 Units Per Month
General Motors is trailing Nissan in electric car sales, prompting the the American automaker to boost output on Chevrolet Volt to 5,000 units a month as the automaker tries to take the lead. Nissan sold 3,875 Leaf units in June while GM followed behind with 2,745 vehicle sales. Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the…
Electric Car Maker Think Will Relaunch Again After Bankruptcy
The Norway-based electric car maker Think has been acquired by one of its investors, Russian businessman Boris Zingarevich, who plans to relaunch Think. The electric automaker has filed for bankruptcy for the third time last month after failing to secure finances to continue operating. The automaker released a statement today, regarding a court-appointed trustee choosing…
Steve Nash Does Toyota Prius Parking Victory Dance [Video]
Well this is a change. The typical NBA all star usually drives around in a Cadillac Escalade or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but not Steve Nash. No no, this Pheonix Suns point guard, seven-time NBA All-Star, two-time MVP award winner represents the Toyota Prius. In this new commercial, based on the competitive nature of both Nash and…
Volkswagen Up! Released Schedule Leaked; Official Debut in August
Important dates for the release of the Volkswagen Up! models have been leaked. The highly anticipated city vehicle will have its world premiere on August 22 in Paris. Following the premiere, the Up! vehicle will be present at the Frankfurt auto show in September 2011, and the official release for the 3-door hatchback is scheduled…
Toyota’s RAV4 EV Will Not Be Sold To General Public
Toyota has decided that the RAV4 electronic vehicle will not be made available to consumers. According to Geri Yoza, Toyota’s national business planning manager of advanced vehicle marketing, the vehicle will instead be focused for “very strategic applications” such as fleets and car sharing programs. The RAV4 EV has made use of Tesla’s electric drivetrain…
Honda’s Fit Was The Best-Selling Car in Japan For 1st Half Of 2011
Honda’s best selling car in Japan for the first half of 2011 was the Fit compact, helped by the addition of a fuel-efficient hybrid model released in October. During the time period, 88,282 Fit cars were sold, interestingly sales figures dropped 2.1 percent compared to the same period last year because of disruptions caused by…
VW Golf Twin Drive Plug-In Hybrid Prototype Begins Testing Ahead of 2013 Launch
Volkswagen has unveiled its latest Golf Twin Drive plug-in hybrid prototype. This vehicle is a more refined and updated version of the Golf Twin Drive hatchback released in 2008. It has an electric-range of 35 miles and will use a direct-injected 1.4-liter gasoline engine that can achieve 559 miles. The electric traction motor cranks out…
Mitsubishi Plans Electric Versions Of Three Vehicles
Contrary to public belief, Mitsubishi still sells cars in America. And the company is hard at work on hybrid technology: they are planning to sell three electric versions of their vehicles: the i-MiEV, the Outlander, and the Outlander Sport. The kidney-shaped i-MiEV is already available in America, and is fully electric-powered. But the other two vehicles…
2011 Nissan Leaf Takes On Laguna Seca [Video]
Last Sunday, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosted Refuel 2011, the third annual track day for electric cars and motorcycles. The event was open to anyone with an electric car, ranging from the Tesla Roadster to DIY conversion cars. This year’s event was the first time that fully electric production vehicles from mainstream car makers…
AC Propulsion Electric Car Smashes Its Own Pikes Peak EV Record
AC Propulsion, a global leader in electric drive design, development and manufacturing, announced today that the Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s proprietary electric drive system broke it’s own record set last year at the 88th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The electronic race car won the hill climb’s Exhibition Class and set…
