2008 January EV News -- Electric & Hybrid Cars

Electric Scooter of the Week Video

Aptera's Super-MPG Electric Typ-1 e: Exclusive Video Test Drive(Jan. 30) - PopularMechanics - Three hundred miles per gallon and a Jetsons-style look are enough to get anyone excited. But ever since the word got out on it last month, Aptera’s innovative Typ-1 three-wheeler has been the target of relentless theorizing and conjecture across the Web. Complete Story

The Air Car Preps for Market(Jan. 30) - Technology Review - A French-designed car that's propelled by compressed air and claims speeds of more than 60 miles per hour is expected to go into commercial production as early as this summer, although skeptics of the technology aren't holding their breath. Complete Story

Fisker's $80K Plug-In Hybrid to Be Made in Detroit?(Jan. 29) - Wired - Fisker Automotive, flush with cash from one of the biggest names in venture capital, may build its $80,000 plug-in hybrid in Detroit and use lithium-ion batteries made in British Columbia. Complete Story

Ford's Electric Explorer(Jan. 29) - Businessweek - Ford Motor Company is aggressively advancing plug-in hybrid technology through two different applications on research demonstration vehicles as a way to help improve the functionality and durability of lithium-ion battery packs and the future commercialization of plug-in hybrid technology. Complete Story

Bollore, Pininfarina JV electric car to start sales from December 2008(Jan. 29) - Forbes - The electric car being developed by Bollore and Italy's Pininfarina will be sold on the internet as well as through a network of local distributors, from December 2008, Les Echos reported. Complete Story

Tesla receives government waiver for electric sports car(Jan. 29) - Forbes - The federal government has given Tesla Motors a three-year waiver that allows the San Carlos electric-car maker to sell its Roadster without advanced, occupant-sensing air bags. Complete Story

First Drive: 2008 Tesla Roadster(Jan. 23) - California - So how fast is the Tesla Roadster really? In a few seconds, we're gonna find out because framed by its porthole-size windshield is a deliciously straight stretch of Skyline Boulevard, a knockout snake of a road we've never heard of before in the coastal hills above San Carlos, California. Complete Story

A tenfold improvement in battery life?(Jan. 23) - CNet News - Stanford University researchers have made a discovery that could signal the arrival of laptop batteries that last more than a day on a single charge. The researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to give rechargeable lithium ion batteries--used in laptops, iPods, video cameras, and mobile phones--as much as 10 times more charge. Complete Story

An electric Jeep? It must be Detroit(Jan. 23) - Michigan - The Detroit debut of the two-seater Renegade is bucks the trend of electrically powered vehicles being geared towards town driving and has been developed specifically as an off-road tool. "With an electric motor powering each axle, the Jeep Renegade concept is designed for a ‘hang on and have fun experience." Complete Story

Israel electric car project aims to wipe out oil(Jan. 22) - Israel today announced backing for Project Better Place, intended to switch motor transportation from oil to electric, and by a massive coincidence one of the project's prime movers, Shai Agassi of Better PLC, was evangelising at the DLD (Digital Life, Design) show in Munich. His objective, he says, is to "take one country off oil in a way that is repeatable." Complete Story

Chrysler Unveils Electric Car w/ 64kWh Li-ion Secondary Battery(Jan. 22) - The Dodge ZEO runs 250 miles (approx. 402km) for one battery charge. The manufacturer of the battery has yet to be announced, Chrysler said. The schedule for the commercialization is not decided, either. The name "ZEO" stands for "zero emission operation." Complete Story

GM Says Volt Is Still On Schedule(Jan. 22) - Detroit - General Motors (GM) engineers said Monday that they are still on track to produce the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid by 2010, but that unforeseen problems with the battery or powertrain could push the introduction back to a later date. Complete Story

Electric car to hit city roads soon(Jan. 20) - India After Ratan Tata's dream car Nano, it is now time for another revolution, an electric car. The electric car, developed by IIT-Bombay, is named 'e-on'. Complete Story

Prius plug-in displays battery of good points(Jan. 18) - USAToday - Seventy-one miles per gallon. That's what the trip computer read after a 4-mile loop through downtown and a short freeway blast in a prototype of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid. Complete Story

Ford, Toyota, GM get charged up for hybrid plug-ins(Jan. 17) - USAToday - Major automakers say they can have plug-in hybrid vehicles in showrooms within five years, offering big increases in fuel economy for what they hope will be modest price premiums. Complete Story

America's Rapidly Vanishing Hybrid Car Tax Credit(Jan. 17) - Detroit Free Press - But if you get a little tempted -- and maybe remember hearing something about generous tax breaks for hybrid cars and trucks -- pay close attention to what you're buying. Buyers of the most popular Toyota hybrids no longer get a tax credit. And the Honda hybrids won't come with the hefty tax deals that they used to have, either. Complete Story

Dodge ZEO Electric Concept Car Offers Sports Car Performance(Jan. 16) - Detroit - The 2008 Dodge ZEO—Zero Emissions Operation—concept vehicle is a four-passenger, all-electric, “2+2” sport wagon that embraces the bold, emotional characteristic of the Dodge brand. With its 23-inch wheels-to-the corners, heroic proportions and muscular forms, the ZEO exhibits a new youthful breed of muscle-machine interface. Complete Story

Detroit's 'green' vehicles are peek at future's cars(Jan. 16) - Detroit - Most of what's on the floor at this year's North American International Auto Show still runs on fossil fuel and spews some level of pollutants into the atmosphere. But automakers have plenty to show that gives at least a glimpse of a cleaner, greener future. Complete Story

Toyota to test hundreds of plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2010(Jan. 14) - Michigan - Toyota Motor Corp. plans to test hundreds of plug-in hybrid vehicles with fleet and commercial customers worldwide by the end of 2010, company executives said Monday. The Japanese automaker is working on the necessary lithium-ion battery technology and is partnering with Panasonic to mass produce the batteries and produce its first plug-in. Complete Story

GM Says Saturn Vue Could Be First Viable Plug-In Hybrid(Jan. 14) - Michigan - General Motors Corp. (GM) plans to be the first auto maker to offer regular production of a plug-in hybrid vehicle, saying that the plug-in version of the Saturn Vue Green Line SUV could be manufactured as soon as 2010. Complete Story

Bricklin strikes deal in hybrid car project(Jan. 13) - Canada - Clean power technology developer Electrovaya has struck a deal to provide batteries for vehicles to be produced by a firm headed by Malcolm Bricklin, creator of the legendary Bricklin sports car. Complete Story

3-wheeled Aptera aspires to car-pool lane(Jan. 11) - USAToday - Bored working as an engineer for a biotech company, Steve Fambro began to dream of a better way to get to work. Why not design a fuel-efficient car that would allow a single driver onto California's car-pool lanes? Complete Story

Tesla ousts 3 top executives(Jan. 11) - San Jose, CA - Three senior executives and more than a dozen other employees have been ousted by Tesla Motors as the Silicon Valley electric-car company struggles to get its much-delayed roadster to market. Complete Story

Lockheed Martin Signs Agreement with EESTOR for Energy Storage Solutions(Jan. 11) - Texas - Lockheed Martin has signed an exclusive international rights agreement to integrate and market Electrical Energy Storage Units (EESU) from EEStor, Inc., for military and homeland security applications. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Complete Story

Faith, determination helping Ohio man make electric commuter car(Jan. 9) - AP - Making an electric car that drivers can use to commute to work hasn't been easy for Dana Myers. Still, he's putting his faith and his money into the project. Complete Story

ZAP to Preview Electric Car Made for iPod at Macworld January 15-18(Jan. 8) - Fox News - ZAP says it will be designing its cars to include a head unit made for the iPod. ZAP cars would play music from the iPod through the car speaker system as well as recharge using the ZAP Recharge-It-All made for iPod battery system. Complete Story

2010 deadline for Chevrolet Volt is firm(Jan. 8) - Detroit - General Motors Corp. is "holding tight" to a 2010 deadline for building the plug-in Chevrolet Volt electric car, even though it has had only two months of battery tests, vice chairman Bob Lutz said Monday. Complete Story

Future of Nickel Battery Markets Look Bright(Jan. 8) - EVWorld - This Frost & Sullivan research titled World Nickel Battery Markets provides in-depth analysis of market revenues, unit shipment analysis and detailed market analysis of world nickel battery market, highlighting the drivers and restraints for the market. Complete Story

Porsche Creates Hybrid Panamera(Jan. 8) - Dubai - Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, will also be building a hybrid drive version of the new Panamera. This four-door Gran Turismo with sporting driving dynamics so typical of Porsche will boast the proven components featured in the Cayenne Hybrid entering the market at the end of the decade. Complete Story

Pininfarina to develop a 100 pct electric car(Jan. 8) - Forbes - In December, Bollore said it will create a 50-50 joint venture with Pininfarina to develop a 100 pct electric car, to be marketed under the Pininfarina brand. Complete Story

New Saturn Vue hybrid will set new bar(Jan. 6) - Detroit - A new gas-electric Saturn Vue hybrid will leapfrog models like the Toyota Highlander hybrid to become the world’s most fuel-efficient V6 SUV when it goes on sale late this year, General Motors promises. Complete Story

Subaru's Electric Car On Sale Next Year(Jan. 6) - Subaru, best known for their quirky all wheel drive vehicles will be selling a pure electric vehicle microcar by 2009 called the R1e, a vehicle that it has developed with the Tokyo Electric Power Company. Complete Story

Super-Charging Lithium Batteries(Jan. 4) - Technology Review - Existing lithium batteries can enable battery-powered electrical vehicles to travel hundreds of miles on a charge, prompting a race among major automakers to demonstrate that the batteries are safe and durable enough for mass marketing. Complete Story

Tesla Motor's original plan back in place(Jan. 4) - New Mexico - Tesla Motors' plans for a West Side manufacturing plant are back where they started. The San Carlos, Calif., electric car company plans to move forward with the 155,000-square-foot assembly plant it planned when announcing its intentions in February. Complete Story

Third-generation G-Wiz electric vehicle launched(Jan. 3) - GoinGreen has announced the release of the latest incarnation of its G-Wiz range. Known as G-Wiz i, the emission free electric vehicle (EV) that has a certified top speed of 50mph, a range of up to 48 miles per charge and improved acceleration to 30mph. Complete Story

2007 Electric and Hybrid Car News