Zenn plans autumn ’09 launch of EEstor-powered cityZENN EV(March 31) - Canada - The EEStor Electricity Storage Unit is projected to offer up to 10 times the energy density of lead-acid batteries at the same cost, and one and a half to two and a half that of lithium-ion batteries at 12-25% of their cost.  Complete Story  
 
Utilities jump on board to plan for plug-in hybrid cars(March 28) - USAToday - In a sign of accelerating progress on plug-in hybrids — the 100 mpg vehicles you can't yet buy in showrooms — electric utilities quickly are linking with automakers and tech companies to develop "smart-charging" technology that controls when and how fast a vehicle is recharged.  Complete Story 

Fisker Karma All Electric Sports Car has fake engine sounds speakers(March 30) - California - I wouldn't say that this completely defeats the purpose of buying an all electric car, but isn't it kind of strange that they've decided to pipe fake engine noises into the Fisker Karma?   Complete Story 

7,500 emission-free autos are mandated by 2014(March 28) - California - Air quality regulators dramatically reduced the goal for emission-free vehicles in California yesterday, but for the first time they required automakers to sell a new generation of plug-in hybrid cars.  Complete Story
 
THINK - the electric car that's finally worth a plug(March 28) - UK - A new electric car is going on sale in the UK later this year. It's called the THINK and is made in Norway by a company of the same name. The THINK can be charged from a normal domestic socket and will apparently run for 124 miles in city conditions on one charge.  Complete Story

Nissan’s “Denki Cube” Electric Vehicle Concept Brings Distinctive Spirit into Play in New York Auto Show Debut(March 27) - New York - The lithium-ion battery-powered Denki Cube electric vehicle concept, which will be on public display at the Nissan exhibit at Jacob Javits Convention Center, was created to draw attention to Nissan Motor, global environmental efforts. It also serves as a preview of Nissan’s future small car strategy for the North American market, which includes plans to sell a redesigned gasoline-powered, next-generation Cube at Nissan dealers in the United States beginning in 2009.  Complete Story

E-bikes offer fun, flashy, earth-friendly transportation(March 27) - Arizona - For those students who want to support ASU's move toward sustainability by trading in their fossil-fueled cars for something a little more eco-friendly, here is one more option: e-bikes.  Complete Story 

PowerGenix: The Nickel-Zinc Challenger(March 27) - New York - Following the introduction of the silver-zinc battery as if on cue, rechargeable nickel-zinc batteries are here to challenge nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal-hydride for high power-density applications. "We're focused on nickel-zinc for its inherent safety, non-toxicity, and power-density," says Dan Squiller, CEO of PowerGenix and the company behind the new battery.  Complete Story

Plug In America - All-Electric Car Guide(March 26) - California - In an all-electric car, high performance batteries store cleaner, cheaper, domestically produced electricity, and an electric motor provides propulsion with zero emissions. In a plug-in hybrid, more batteries than a conventional  hybrid allow local all-electric, zero-emission driving with an internal combustion engine for longer distances.  Complete Story

Real Electric Car Featured in Star Trek Movie(March 26) - Red Orbit - The Aptera electric car is so futuristic-looking, it's been seen on the set of the new Star Trek movie. The Aptera was designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle, and later as an extended range electric vehicle.  Complete Story
 
Mercedes sees electric-car progress(March 24) - USAToday - Mercedes-Benz says it will have a demonstration fleet of practical, if small, electric vehicles on the road in two to three years.  They're expected to run 80 miles or more on lithium-ion batteries the German automaker is developing. Complete Story

Honda's Fukui: Nickel battery is best bet for hybrid(March 24) - Wired News - The technology is too unreliable, according to CEO Takeo Fukui. Nor does it have the durability of nickel-metal hydride power-packs. Honda released the Civic Hybrid on the Korean market last year and will unveil a smaller hybrid car sometime next year. Complete Story

Subaru's Electric Microcar Already in the US(March 24) - New York - Even though the Subaru R1e Concept is just now hitting the streets in Japan, there is already a pair that have made it to US soil. So what should we expect from Subaru's electric vehicle? Complete Story

Tips on converting a gasoline car to electric(March 23) - Seattle - It appears that my previous post on the electric conversion class got a lot of interest. I have been asked several questions; the main one being "can I convert my car?"  Complete Story

Subaru shows off electric car(March 22) - New York - The R1e has a range of 50 miles (80 kilometers) and can post a top speed of 65 mph (104 kph). It can charge to 80 percent capacity in 15 minutes using a dedicated charger, or be fully charged overnight with a regular domestic outlet. Complete Story

X Prize dangles $10 mln for fuel-efficient car(March 21) - New York - "A new X-Prize for ultra fuel efficient cars has been announced. The winning car must 'carry four or more passengers and have climate control, an audio system and 10 cubic feet of cargo space. They also must have four or more wheels, hit 60 miles per hour in less than 12 seconds and have a minimum top speed of 100 miles per hour and a range of 200 miles. Those that qualify will race their vehicles in cross-country races in 2009 and 2010 that will combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance.'" Complete Story

Study of risk of hybrid cars to blind pedestrians(March 21) -Maryland - Concerns from blind people that super-quiet hybrid vehicles pose a safety danger to pedestrians who can't see has gotten the attention of Maryland lawmakers. Complete Story

2008 Lexus LS 600h L Hybrid Sedan(March 21) - California - The LS 600h L not only serves as the flagship vehicle for the Lexus brand, but also stands out as the ultimate hybrid sedan, featuring the ultra-quiet Lexus hybrid engine. The engine is perhaps the most technologically advanced gas-hybrid system available in today's automotive marketplace.  Complete Story

Plug-In Hybrid Cars Touted as 'Game-Changing Technology' (March 21) - ABC News - Ford Escape Hybrid Plug In. Ford's experience with Hybrid technology in the ground-breaking Escape Hybrid is combined with new advancements in High-Voltage Lithium-Ion batteries to create the new Ford Hybrid Escape Plug-In, an SUV which achieves up to 120 mpg for the first 30 miles following a full charge. Complete Story

GM prepared to lose money 'for years' on hybrid Chevrolet Volt(March 20) - MarketWatch -  GM is preparing to lose money "for years" on its Chevrolet Volt, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Wednesday, The Detroit News reported in its Thursday editions. Speaking at the New York International Auto Show, Lutz said it was a mistake that GM didn't beat Toyota to market with hybrid vehicles, adding that GM won't make that error again, even if it means losing money on initial Volt sales. Complete Sales

GM's Lutz: 80% of vehicles must be hybrid by 2020 to reach goal(March 20) - Detroit -  Four out of five General Motors Corp. vehicles sold in the United States will have to be hybrids by 2020 in order to meet the federal fuel economy rule of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Wednesday.  Complete Sales

Electric Tara Tiny is worlds cheapest car at only $2450(March 18) - India - Welcome to the world’s cheapest car at only $2450, yes the car called the Tara Tiny will be replacing the Tata Nano. The price is amazing at 99,000 Indian Rupees ($ 2450) and runs on electricity. Complete Story

Tesla Motors gets rolling with Roadster production(March 18) - UK - Tesla Motors, the Silicon Valley electric-car start-up, said Monday it has begun "regular production" of its first car, the 2008 Roadster. The car is being assembled at a Lotus factory in Hethel, England. Tesla said it has taken more than 900 deposits for the $100,000, two-seat, zero-emissions Roadster.  Complete Story

Plug In America Urges Gov. Schwarzenegger to Restore Electric Car Mandate(March 18) - California - Plug In America, the organization leading the nation’s electric vehicle movement, today called upon Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to live up to his vow to “turn back the clock on pollution” by urging California air regulators to revive their historic Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program immediately.  Complete Story

100-year-old model for electric car coming back(March 18) - Michigan - To promote itself, Detroit Electric--a new joint venture between Zap and China's Youngman Automotive Group--plan to release a limited number of cars based around the Detroit Electric, an electric car produced by the Anderson Electric Car Co. in the early part of the 20th century.  Complete Story

Mitsubishi shows off tiny electric car(March 18) - Japan - The company's upcoming minicar offers up to 100 miles of driving on a single charge. Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Motors said today that it would display two of its new electric minicars at the 2008 New York International Auto Show.  Complete Story

ELECTRIC SLIDE: All-electric car Aptera cruising into California(March 18) - Meet the Aptera Typ-1, the all-electric car out of Carlsbad that looks like the future, where everyone's wearing jumpsuits and has numbers as last names and crystals embedded in their palms that turn black on Lastday.  Complete Story

Hybrid Technologies Introduces LiV WISE Electric Car(March 17) - Pricing just below $40 thousand, the company expects LiV WISE City Car to perform as well as a gasoline fueled vehicle with a driving range of 90-120 miles and speeds in excess of 75 mph. Complete Story

Electric Cars Hit Bureaucratic Wall in Canada(March 17) - Canada - A Canadian manufacturer is crying foul over federal rules blocking its low-speed car from residential streets -- but government officials say that there is no conspiracy to kill the electric car. Complete Story
 
Mercedes-Benz developing 100% electric car(March 17) - We have recently learned, from a source close to Mercedes Benz and its Research Center in Stuttgart, that the Daimler AG is working on a vehicle “which will revolutionize the luxury auto market,” as they put it. Complete Story

GM to road test Volt battery packs in July(March 14) - Canada - In an interview with Reuters, Lutz also said that GM may not name a battery supplier for the Volt's next-generation lithium-ion power supply until the second half of the year. "We were hoping to do that in the first half," he said when asked when GM would name a battery supplier. Complete Story

US Senate plan would boost funding for auto battery technology(March 12) - Michigan - A budget plan moving through the U.S. Senate this week would boost funding for battery technology crucial to developing plug-in hybrid vehicles. Supporters want about $250 million to help manufacturers build advanced batteries that are considered the key to plug-in hybrid vehicles and the Chevrolet Volt being developed by General Motors Corp. Complete Story
  
Guess Who Hopes to Help Power New Hybrid Cars(March 11) - Wallsteet - Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest gasoline refiner, wants a piece of the hybrid-car market.  Complete Story

GM To Use Lithium-Ion Batteries In 2010 Hybrids(March 11) - IT Report - General Motors Corp. says it will launch a new wave of mild-hybrid vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries in 2010, marking its first use of the advanced battery technology. The rollout will start in North America and eventually extend globally across various GM brands with total annual volumes exceeding 100,000 vehicles.  Complete Story

Oil Tops $109 a Barrel, ZAP Dealer Shows Only Electric Car at Twin Cities Auto Show(March 11) - CNNMoney -  The sedans and trucks range in price between about $11,000 and $12,000 and are designed to keep up with city-speed traffic up to 40 MPH. Complete Story

ZAP Launches Sale of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Car, Tests Show up to 120 Miles per Gallon(March 10) - CNNMoney -  In tests these systems increased hybrid fuel economy up to 120 miles per gallon in the city and up to 90 mpg on the highway. The cost for the conversion ranges from $24,000 to $36,000 depending on the vehicle and size of battery pack.  Complete Story

Reva G-Wiz i(March 10) - Times -  Reva has exported about 1,000 of its G-Wiz electric cars to the UK. London now has more privately owned electric cars than any other city in the world, and celebrity devotees include Jonathan Ross, Kristin Scott Thomas and Bamber Gascoigne.  Complete Story

Bush Promotes Use Of Electric Car To Reduce Oil Consumption(March 6) - Washington - President Bush urged the use of electric cars Wednesday to decrease use of oil, which would consequently lead to a decrease in demand of oil.  Complete Story

The Great Electric Car Battery Race(March 5) - At a breakfast in New York last week, Jim Press, vice chairman and president of Chrysler LLC made the startling announcement that every single new Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep is being engineered so that it can be adapted for a gas-electric hybrid powertrain. Complete Story

Nissan to launch electric car in US in 2010(March 5) - AFP - Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday that Nissan would launch an electric car in the United States in 2010, which would be introduced to the global market by both brands two years later.  Complete Story

Tesla: Little electric roadster that could(March 4) - USAToday -  A little roadster that goes into regular production in two weeks is already electrifying the auto industry. It's not about promises that the Tesla will deliver pin-you-back-in-your-seat acceleration — 0 to 60 miles per hour in a Ferrari-like 3.9 seconds — or its sexy appearance.  Complete Story

GM says it has lithium-ion batteries for hybrids figured out(March 4) - USAToday -  General Motors will begin mass production in 2010 of hybrid vehicles that use lithium-ion batteries and, in many cases, small-displacement turbocharged gasoline engines. The combination will allow the automaker to use the hybrid system on any size vehicle it produces.   Complete Story

Continental is Daimler’s lithium-ion battery supplier(March 4) - Auto Industry -  Continental’s director Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann has now announced, “This marks an important breakthrough for Continental as supplier of battery systems. In the next few years we will be launching production of further lithium-ion energy storage devices for mild- and full-hybrid and electric-powered vehicles.”  Complete Story

A123Systems wins patent for nanomaterial battery tech(March 4) - North Carolina -  A123System's lithium ion batteries are already in use in certain products in the DeWalt and Black & Decker power tool lines, and is now moving into automotive applications, officials said. Complete Story

Designing the Cars of the Future(March 4) - Businessweek -  For example, you might know Continental Automotive Systems as a maker of tires, but you probably don't know its role in the development of next-generation hybrids, diesels, lithium batteries, stability control, and wireless connectivity technologies for automobiles. Complete Story

Hungarian automotive firm to build electric car in Austria (March 3) - EarthTimes -  Hungary's Brixxon Elektromos Auto is to build its new electric car in Austria due to economic uncertainty and unfavourable manufacturing conditions in Hungary, the business daily Napi Gazdasag reported Monday. The company has signed a lease contract for a plant in Weiz and will begin production on May 1 this year. Complete Story