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Home > 2008 October Electric and Hybrid Car News 2008 October Electric and Hybrid Car News
Electric-car race could strain lithium battery supply(October 31) - CNet - The headlong rush to create electric cars for green-minded consumers may come with a significant economic and environmental cost. Lithium ion batteries--the same used in electronic gadgets and laptops--have become the preferred battery type for plug-in hybrids and electric cars now starting to come to market. Complete Story Duke Energy, Progress Energy team up on electric-car venture(October 31) - Business Journal -Duke Energy Carolinas will partner with Progress Energy Inc. and the nonprofit Advanced Energy for a trial of new technology for plug-in electric cars. Twelve Toyota Priuses will be modified for plug-in recharging and equipped with two-way technology for connecting to the electric grid. Complete Story Another car to run on air(October 31) - Still in prototype stage, the maverick inventor Kanak Chandra Gogoi this time has brought a two-seater car to run on air with zero combustion. Named as 'Pawan-Ex', the car was demonstrated here at the Press Club yesterday. Complete Story Giving the Volt Some Nips and Tucks(October 30) - NY Times - The Volt was first shown as a concept car in 2007, and last month a production version was displayed on G.M.’s 100th birthday. Both designs were the work of a team headed by Robert Boniface, a mild-mannered Ohio native who was charged with shaping a car to be aerodynamic but space efficient, exciting but not intimidating. The car had to look like a dream, but be real. Complete Story Why China May Save The Electric Car(October 30) - Forbes - Asia's emerging economies will be buying a massive number of automobiles in coming decades. Odds are, the lion's share of them will run at least partially on electricity. At least that's what investors and manufacturers, from GM to Warren Buffett, think. Complete Story Toyota announces natural-gas Camry hybrid(October 29) - Consumer Reports - The first alternative-fuel car of the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show has already been announced; Toyota will combine natural-gas and hybrid power in its CNG (compressed natural gas) Camry hybrid concept. Complete Story Plug-in Toyota Prius Hybrid Test Drive: Is 100 MPG Possible with A123 Systems Hymotion Kit?(October 29) - Popular Mechanics - Prius owners can turn their cars into plug-ins today with a $10,395 L5 plug-in conversion module from Hymotion. Plug-ins allow owners to charge their batteries with a household electrical outlet overnight, then drive on electrical or mostly electrical power until the battery is depleted. Complete Story UPS to Roll Out Hydraulic Hybrids(October 29) - Wired - Proving that Brown can go green, UPS placed an order for seven hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles to be introduced between 2009 and 2010. Wait, what's a hydraulic hybrid? Complete Story Chrysler ends hybrid adventure before it can begin(October 29) - LA Times - The troubled automaker said Tuesday that it would discontinue production of its Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen hybrid sport utility vehicles at year-end, when the company shuts down the Delaware plant that makes the two trucks. Complete Story The Tesla 4 Door Electric Car(October 28) - California - The Model S, an all-new 4-door 5-passenger zero-emissions luxury sedan powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. Unlike the Tesla Roadster, which is built in partnership with Lotus in the U.K. and based on a stretched Elise platform, the Model S will ride on a platform developed by Tesla. Complete Story Top eight electric scooters(October 28) - CNN - Maybe you want to save the planet. Maybe you want to save a little more from your pocketbook each month. Or maybe you just spent a romantic break in Paris or Rome and loved how good those stylish Europeans looked zipping about congested streets on their scooters. Complete Story Electric Car Reva to Have Increased Production(October 28) - India - The manufacturer of the electric car Reva is planning to increase the production of their car. The company is planning to increase the production six times to meet the growing demands in the domestic as well as the overseas market. The company plans to open a new plant in 2009 to hike its manufacturing capacity to 30,000 cars annually. Complete Story UK Charges Electric Car Industry With £100M(October 27) - NY Times - The UK Department for Transport announced today that, as part of the country’s plan to reduce emissions, the government will be putting £100 million ($155 million) into electric car research, development and deployment. The program will make the UK a better place for electric cars, but there’s no word yet if Better Place is bidding on the projects. Complete Story A Look At 2009 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid(October 26) - Auto Racing - The Vue 2 Mode Hybrid is pretty self-explanatory: it’s a Saturn Vue, and it’s the first non-GMT900 ride to get the 2 Mode hybrid setup. It’ll slot above the existing Saturn Vue “light” hybrid in the lineup, targeting drivers who desire fuel economy on par with the four-cylinder hybrid, but want more power and/or towing capacity. Complete Story Neither Obama or McCain Understand How to Tackle the Oil Crisis(October 25) - Washington DC - Obama’s regularly promised remedy for gasoline consumption is to ensure that 1 million plug-in hybrids are on the road by 2015. That prodigious lack of awareness towers over the bitter facts of national oil consumption. Complete Story Ultracapacitors for electric cars looking more likely(October 24) - NY Times - According to most experts’ expectations for electric cars, the vehicles will be fueled mainly by batteries. But there’s a dark horse competitor for energy storage: ultracapacitors, devices that store energy in an electric field. Three companies, Apowercap Technologies, Eestor and Maxwell Technologies, looking increasingly likely to commercialize that technology. Complete Story 2009 Toyota Prius Follow-Up Test and Video (October 23) - Edmunds - As a gainfully employed adult living outside Mom's jurisdiction, we are not obligated to eat four servings of vegetables per day, balance our checkbook or drive hybrid cars like the 2009 Toyota Prius. However, we're not above the occasional weekend of clean living. Complete Story EPA Releases 2009 Fuel Economy Guide: Prius, Jetta TDI Among Class Winners(October 23) - Motor Trend - The most fuel-efficient vehicle out of all the categories for 2009? That would again be the 2009 Toyota Prius, defending its title from last year with a 48/45 city/highway mpg rating. Complete Story Move over, Prius: Avion pushes 110 mpg(October 23) - College Times - In 1979, two college friends decided to design and build a lightweight sports car -- the Avion -- and in 1986, set the Guinness World Record in fuel economy, averaging 103.7 miles per gallon. Complete Story 2001 Toyota RAV4 EV RAV4 on EBAY(October 22) - Expires on 12:54PDT. Full re-charging takes about five to six hours and provides an approximate maximum driving range of 126 miles. In most “real-world” driving conditions, however, actual range will be about 100 miles. EBAY Listing Aptera-Wingless Flight(October 22) - ECOWorld - Just north of San Diego, sits Aptera, a small company of 15 engineers and fabricators who have produced a sleek, 3 wheel hybrid vehicle of the future. Complete Story Honda Developing Hybrid Motorcycle (October 22) - PC Magazine - Honda Motor Co., the popular automaker and world's leading motorcycle manufacturer, is developing a gas-electric motorcycle that would use a hybrid drivetrain similar to the one in the forthcoming Honda Insight and could be available within two years, Autopia reports. Complete Story KTM Builds A Race-Ready Electric Motorcycle(October 22) - Wired - The competition-ready ride features a lithium-ion battery that provides 40 minutes of riding time "under race conditions" and can be charged in just one hour, according to Hell for Leather. Complete Story The DIY Electric Motorcycle(October 21) - Inhabitat - For inspiration in his project, Kyle turned to the good folks at Wheel Experience Boulder. He chose to base the vehicle around a beat-up 1986 Kawasaki Ninja ZX 900 - the only working components were the the tires, frame and suspension, which happened to fit his plans perfectly well. Complete Story Gas Price Drop Could Kill the Electric Car, Again(October 21) - US News - But there is some worry that a drop in the price of gasoline could set back progress toward alternative energies in the automotive market. Complete Story Hybrid Buses Coming to Kanawha Valley (October 20) - West Virginia - Many large metropolitan areas have used hybrid diesel- electric buses since the late 1990's, and their use is increasing as the technology improves. Complete Story ‘Mini E’ All-New Pure Electric Car Announced(October 19) - eFlux - The rumors have finally been confirmed. Mini has manufactured, and is going to publicly unveil next month at the Los Angeles auto show, their new ‘Mini E’ model. Complete Story Will a Tax Break On Hybrids Skid to a Stop?(October 19) - Washington Post - Five years ago, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors enacted a personal property tax of a penny per $100 of assessed value on hybrid cars to encourage the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles and to support clean-climate initiatives. Complete Story Video: Aptera and Fisker Karma electric cars(October 18) - 60 Minutes - In our final selection of clips from US news show 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl takes a look at a couple of the more unusual electric cars under development in the US today. Complete Story Next Chevy Volt may double battery power but Eestor vows more(October 17) - Right now, the Chevy Volt promises 40 miles of travel without using a drop of gasoline. But GM has partnered with some battery manufacturers who aim to double that range by integrating carbon nano-fibers into the lithium-ion batteries. That’s incremental though compared with Eestor’s claims that its ultracapacitor will power a car for 300 miles per charge. Complete Story Technical Details of Reva – Electric Car from India(October 17) - The car is powered with Lithium-ion batteries and an AC electric motor. The car is comfortable for two passengers and the back space is best for cargo. It reaches a top speed of 50 miles per hour. Complete Story Electric car manufacturer hit by financial crisis(October 16) - Florida - But the Californian company – which makes electric cars, including a $100,000 convertible which can reach speeds of 125mph – yesterday admitted it was losing money and said it would be cutting jobs and scaling back expansion. Complete Story Breakthrough Innovator Awards: Celebrating Innovation in Science and Technology (October 16) - Popular Mechanics - Aptera is introducing a line of ultra-high-mileage eco-cars to be priced around $30,000. The company radically reduced weight and drag, turning to a three-wheel design to create comfortable, real-world vehicles -- ones that pass standard car safety tests. Complete Story ZENN plugs into Quebec(October 16) - Canada - Quebec is the first to have a crack at the zero emission, no-noise plug-in automobile. A three-year provincewide pilot project allows the sale of low-speed vehicles, and ZMC has obtained a license to enable direct customer sales from its factory in St-Jerome, Que. Complete Story The Phiaro: Another Three-Wheeled Car(October 16) - GreenTech - Japan’s Phiaro has concocted a three-wheeled, two-seater car that tilts like a motorcycle, which is pretty similar to the VentureOne. In fact, the two cars are based around the same technology initially devised by a company in the Netherlands. Complete Story Cheaper, better battery for hybrids(October 15) - Australia - CSIRO researchers based in Melbourne have developed a new type of lead-acid battery to replace the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries environmentally-friendly hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius use. Complete story Prius Diary, Part VI: Made in America(October 15) - NY Times - Just a few years ago, the site for Toyota’s newest plant here was little more than a big, hilly, wooded stretch of farmland. Now, it’s a giant construction zone, and in two years, Blue Springs — just down the road from Tupelo. Complete story Toyota makes a meaner, greener Prius(October 15) - An upgrade from 1.5 litre engine to a 1.8 litres will improve the Prius’ performance. Other reported changes include a top speed of 120mph up from 106mph and a few inches added to the width and length. Complete story China's BYD to Begin Selling Electric Car Next Month(October 14) - Wall Street Journal - A Chinese company best-known for making cellphone batteries says it is on the verge of launching the country's first mass-produced electric car and may also have lined up its first large purchase order. Complete Story Hybrid Technologies Inc. Demos Lithium Power Vehicles at 2008 ALT Expo(October 14) - MarketWatch - Hybrid Technologies provided over 75 test drives of its popular LiV(TM) FLASH, an electric version of the BMW Mini Cooper, at the ALT Expo where it received rave reviews from drivers. Impressed by the power and performance of the vehicle, the eco-friendly crowd found the vehicles a solid solution to today's fuel crisis and transportation options. Complete Story Reva – The Electric Car from India Sets Foot in Europe(October 14) - Reva is currently available in Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and Norway as Reva G-Wiz. Reva’s product development program sources its input from its worldwide customers’ feedbacks as they have completed nearly 50 million km of driving. Complete Story Three wheelin'(October 13) - Boston - ZAP cars produce zero emissions and cost just pennies per mile to run. So why are they illegal in Massachusetts? Complete Story Oreva: India's Cheapest Electric Car (October 13) - Oreva Super, an electric car which could just be the country's first one lakh car, made by the Ajanta Group, a Saurashtra-based clockmaker, is planning to give serious competition to the Tata Nano. Complete Story Big jump in Vectrix electric scooter sales(October 12) - Vectrix, the Middletown company that makes high-end electric scooters, ended its fiscal year with sales of $6.7 million, up from $800,000 in fiscal 2007, the company said in an “update” to its financial results. Complete Story ZPower Silver-Zinc Batteries to Offer Longer Run Time Than Lithium(October 12) - EVWorld - Up to 40% more run time than traditional lithium-ion batteries. And with recent improvements in battery cycle life, silver-zinc batteries achieve 200 + cycles at 100% discharge and thousands of cycles at intermediate discharge. Complete Story A homemade electric car(October 12) - But this isn't some store-bought electric vehicle. It's home-made. Kelly, a builder and musician, bought a 1997 Volkswagon Jetta for $1,000 from a local auto dealer last spring and spent the whole summer converting it from gas to electric power. Complete Story Electric motorcycle hits the streets in California(October 12) - Gizmag - While we still have some time to wait before affordable mass-market electric carsElectric car like the Chevy Volt hit the market, there's other options available if you want to swap the petrol station for the power point to handle your daily commuting - like this $8000 electric motorcycle from Electric Motorsport. The GPR-S goes between 35 and 60 miles. Complete Story Do electric and hybrid cars make sense in Bermuda?(October 10) - Smart cars, electric scooters, electric vehicles and hybrids have still not gone mainstream here. This is unfortunate because Bermuda continues to struggle with traffic congestion, traffic emissions, and high fuel costs. Complete Story Honda may undercut Toyota with hybrid(October 10) - Washington Times -Honda Motor Co. may price its new Insight gasoline-electric car lower than Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius hybrid, as it tries to boost sales of hybrid cars by ninefold. Honda aims to sell the Insight for about $18,970, President Takeo Fukui said at a recent press conference at the Paris Motor Show. Complete Story
Dodge shows off Durango Hybrid Dodge(October 10) - Detroit - Like a proud father - which, in a sense, is exactly what he is - Abdullah Bazzi, manager of hybrid engineering for Chrysler, is showing off the 2009 Dodge Durango Hybrid. Complete Story San Jose approves electric car plant, green building standards(October 9) - California - San Jose will be home to Tesla Motors' new electric car manufacturing plant under a deal the city council unanimously approved Tuesday. Complete Story Automakers Warn Against Using Hybrids as Taxicabs(October 8) - Fox News - Two of the world's largest automakers, Toyota and Honda, have issued outright warnings against using their hybrid passenger vehicles as commercial taxicabs. In addition, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Nissan, have refused to certify the crashworthiness of their hybrid New York City taxicabs as modified with mandatory partitions. Complete Story "60 Minutes" - The Race For The Electric Car(October 7) - CBS - Lesley Stahl reports on the race to develop and produce a viable electric car being waged between Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Detroit auto executives. Complete Story on Video Could EEStor Be Real?(October 7) - IStockAnalyst - there is a potentially disruptive battery technology known as an ultracapcitor that is being developed by a rather secretive but apparently well financed company called EEStor in Texas. It would store and then generate enormous quantities power compared with existing batteries, be capable of re-charging very rapidly, and hold a virtually infinite number of recharges. Complete Story 2010 Toyota Prius May Offer Sportier Performance(October 6) - US News and World Repot - It was considered a major accomplishment when, with the second generation Prius, Toyota made the car feel almost like a normal car to drivers. Rumors now say, however, that the 2010 Toyota Prius may well have more spunk. Complete Story Bailout Gives Tax Credits to Bike Commuters, Electric Cars, Renewable Energy(October 6) - USNews -Three new measures that will aid green consumers passed through Congress as part of the massive bailout bill last week. Here’s the rundown: Complete Story Plug-In Hybrids Aren't Coming — They're Here(October 5) - Wired - Everything about Alison Gannett is green, from her straw-bale house to her solar-powered appliances. But when you're as serious about curbing carbon as she is, a mere hybrid won't do. That's why she spent $35,000 to install an extension cord on her Ford Escape Hybrid. Complete Story Congress Throws Cash At Plug-In Hybrids(October 4) - Hybrid Cars - The $700 billion bailout bill signed by President Bush yesterday includes tax credits up to $7,500 for US buyers of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Only one such vehicle—the Tesla Roadster—is on sale today, and volume production by other makers will not start for at least another two years. Complete Story Electric motorcycle aims to set records(October 5) - Fosters - Long and low, black and orange. A wasp carapace forged from steel. Five hundred horsepower. Ten-inch-wide rear tire. From zero to 60 mph in less than a second. Nearly 170 mph in a quarter-mile. KillaCycle. Complete Story '60 Minutes' reporting on electric cars this Sunday(October 5) - Cnet - Lesley Stahl reports on the race between Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Detroit auto executives to develop and produce a viable electric car. Complete Story Honda Insight hybrid to be cheaper, if dealers cooperate(October 4) - California - The thrust of the new Honda Insight hybrid -- which debuted in Paris this week as a near-production concept -- is to "bring hybrid vehicles into a price bracket where a broader range of people can afford them," says the press materials. Complete Story Electric cars shine at Paris auto show(October 3) - AP - As the race to offer the first commercially viable electric car charges up, automakers hoping to cash in on environmental concerns displayed a slew of models at the Paris Motor Show on Friday. Complete Story Toyota finally plugs in the Prius(October 2) - Paris - After much badgering by DIYers and energy activists, Toyota relented and built a plug-in version of its Prius hybrid, showing it off at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Complete Story Pininfarina designs an electric car(October 2) - Cnet - As configured, the car has a range of 150 miles and an electronically limited top speed of 80 mph. It's not exactly fast, with a 0 to 37 mph time of 6.3 seconds. Complete Story ZENN and the art of driving(October 2) - Canada - I'm behind the wheel of a ZENN (Zero Emission No Noise) car, a Canadian-made electric vehicle that spares the atmosphere up to six tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. Complete Story Aptera Rollout Getting Closer(October 1) - California - You have probably heard the rumors about Aptera moving into a new building. Well, they're true! And, we're just days away from the big move. Complete Story
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