EV News from Jan-Mar 2009 -- Electric & Hybrid Cars

Tom Hanks and His Electric Cars

World’s Top 10 Fastest Electric Cars(March 30) - Think a Ferrari is fast? Watch one get schooled below.
Electric cars are no joke. Yes, it’s true that many EVs are small, ungainly-looking oddities, but the other end of the spectrum—the realm of high-performance supercars—might surprise you. Complete Story

Detroit Electric resurrected as $25,000 electric car(March 30) - Detroit Electric will offer a compact four-door, based on an existing Proton model, with a range of 110 miles, for between $24,000 and $26,000. An extended-range option will go 320 kilometers, or about 200 miles, and cost $4,000 to $5,000 more. The company also plans to make a hatchback. Complete Story

Zenn Motor Still Waiting on EEStor(March 29) - Zenn Motor’s first highway-speed electric car, the cityZenn, is still on the way, but it may take a bit longer to get to market than originally planned, thanks to the slow moves of its energy storage partner EEStor. Zenn said this week that it’s waiting for the ultracapacitor technology from EEStor and doesn’t expect an initial introduction of the car until late 2009. Complete Story

2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid Superstar Shines Brighter(March 28) - But get this: in my road testing of the new Prius, I managed 69 m.p.g. That happened on a 34-mile route of mostly stop-and-go driving, at an average speed of 27 m.p.h. A journalist who drove the same route averaged even better — 74 m.p.g. — although he admitted to driving so far below the speed limit on public roads that he considered himself lucky to have survived. Complete Story

Tesla rival Fisker to sell electric cars in Sunnyvale(March 26) - Price Family Dealerships plans to open showrooms in Sunnyvale, Sacramento and San Francisco to sell the $88,000 plug-in hybrid Karma made by Fisker. Complete Story

New Honda Insight Hybrid Much Cheaper than Prius(March 26) - Honda has finally announced pricing for its 41 mpg Insight LX hybrid, the company's five-passenger, five-door powered by a 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor. The car will start at $19,800, which undercuts the Prius by several thousand dollars as expected. Complete Story

TESLA UNVEILING SEDAN THIS WEEK(March 25) - Electric car maker Tesla Motors will be showing off its latest model later this week. It's the Model S, which is a more practically priced electric sedan. According to the Associated Press, Tesla expects the Model S to cost less than $50,000 after a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles. Complete Story

Toyota aims to keep lead in hybrid market with new Prius(March 24) - Toyota Motor Corp. aims to maintain its lengthy lead in the gas-electric hybrid car market and drive itself out of the current auto slump amid the global recession as it will release in mid-May a new Prius with its mileage improved by about 10 percent from the current model. Complete Story

Is $2.4 Billion For Obama's Electric Cars Plan Enough?(March 23) - During a visit to the Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center in California yesterday, President Obama addressed how the $2.4 billion outlined in the stimulus fund to get more electric vehicles on the road is going to be spent. Will his idea actually work? Complete Story

Tata Electric Car Sales Will Be Limited to Norway(March 23) - Tata Motors on Monday said that it plans to launch indigenously-developed electric Indica in Norway later this year. The electric Indica would be launched in the later-half of this year in Norway, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata told editors after announcing the booking date for their small car, Nano. Complete Story

Department of Energy opens electric car stimulus programs(March 23) - The Department of Energy has begun accepting applications for two electric vehicle programs funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Complete Story

Ford Hybrid Offers Ford Plug-In Electric Solutions(March 21) - Ford Motor Company has announced an aggressive plan to bring Hybrid electric cars more quickly to the market during the next four years. The plan introduces new fuel efficiency solutions for cars and will offer the next-generation hybrids. The company expects to have a new hybrid electric van by the year 2010. Complete Story

Think Electric-Powered Vehicle Enters Netherlands Market(March 21) - Electric vehicle manufacturer Think has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deliver up to 500 TH!NK city electric-powered vehicles this year to ElmoNet, a subsidiary of Mobility Service Netherlands. Complete Story

Electric car from Nissan will be sold here in '10(March 21) - Nissan is partnering with San Diego Gas & Electric to sell its new all-electric car here next year. The automaker will show off a prototype of the car to people who manage fleets for large companies, universities and municipalities at the Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego today, though the company insists the way it drives is more important than the way it looks. Complete Story

How Hybrid Cars and Plugin Hybrid Vehicles Work(March 20) - Increasing concerns about the environment and petrol prices are driving the market for Hybrid Electric Vehicles or HEVs. The advantage of HEVs is that they combine the benefits of petrol or diesel engines with electric motors. Complete Story

Full Ford Hybrid Credit Expires March 31(March 19) - The hybrid tax credits that have already expired for Toyota and Honda are still in effect for other automakers, including Ford — but not for long. Ford, which just celebrated the production of its 100,000th Escape Hybrid, is seeing its full credit expire at the end of the month. Complete Story

Toyota to Take on Honda Insight With New Hybrid, Nikkei Reports(March 18) - Toyota Motor Corp. plans to develop a new hybrid car costing less than 2 million yen ($20,436) to compete with Honda Motor Co.’s Insight, Nikkei English News reported, without saying how it obtained the information. The new model will be as much as 30 percent cheaper than Toyota’s Prius hybrid car, which starts at 2.33 million yen, Nikkei reported.

Toyota hybrid car sales touch 1 million(March 17) - It took seven years for Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, to sell 500,000 hybrids in the US, but has taken just two years to sell the next 500,000, the Japanese company said in a statement. Complete Story

2010 Honda Insight Prices Revealed. Guess What, It’s Affordable(March 16) - Honda’s new Prius fighter and protector of the environment is set to go on sale will go on sale March 24 with a MSRP of $19,800. That’s $2,200 less than the current Toyota Prius. Complete Story

A Hybrid’s Niche? The Masses, It Hopes(March 12) - That is particularly true in the automotive category, in which brands known for sensible pricing — Hyundai, Kia, Subaru — have recently been outperforming more expensive competitors. So the timing may be right for a hybrid car with a suggested retail price starting under $20,000 — the first in the American market in that price range. Complete Story

Swedish Solar Car Runs on Fool's Gold(March 10) - Swedish supercar builder Koenigsegg brought a model of its solar-electric Quant concept car to the Geneva Motor Show and said the production model would have a range of 300 miles and a recharge time of less than 20 minutes. Complete Story

Man steers to solar-car mileage record(March 10) - From stem to stern across the continent, skirting blacktop and blue highway in his oddball little electric car, Marcelo da Luz has devoted the last eight months of his life to following the sun. Complete Story

Nissan to Trial Fast Charge Electric Car Network in Arizona(March 10) - Nissan have announced plans to roll out a ‘fast charge’ electric car network in Arizona, capable of topping up batteries in as little as 10-15 minutes. Complete Story

Is This What BMW Electric Cars Will Look Like?(March 10) -Magna, collaborating with the German car giant on future electric car technology, unveiled the the MILA EV at last week’s Geneva Motor Show. The concept is a lightweight three-door hatchback featuring a detachable power module that includes batteries and electric drive motors. Complete Story

UA Solar Race Car Returns to Energy Expo(March 10) - A solar car built by University of Arizona students will be on display during a sustainability expo that is featuring cars and trucks manufactured by the likes of Chevy, Ford and Volkswagen that have been converted into fuel-efficient vehicles. Complete Story

Jobs Stay a Priority in Kentucky With Electric Cars From ZAP(March 9) - Schneider acknowledged ongoing talks with Franklin-based ZAP Motor Manufacturing Kentucky led by CEO Gary Dodd and his new management team to build and assemble several of ZAP's best-selling electric vehicles. Complete Story

Hybrid Car Prices Drop as Low Gas Prices Continue(March 6) - Remember last summer when people were on waiting lists to buy new Toyota Prius hybrids? Even used hybrids were selling close to what a new one would cost. When gas was in the $4 a gallon range, hybrid was the way to go. Complete Story

Honda CR-Z: Hybrid sports car(March 6) - The CR-Z, which stands for Constant Renaissance Zero (!), is the natural successor to Honda's popular CR-X sports hatchback. Honda hasn't released any concrete details about specifications or performance, but we're praying the powerplant is something more potent than the 1.3-litre engine used in the Insight and Civic ranges. Complete Story

Nissan aims to launch luxury diesel hybrid in 2010(March 5) - Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) unveiled on Tuesday a concept car under its Infiniti luxury brand that it plans to adapt for production as a hybrid car twinned with a diesel engine for the European market next year. Complete Story

Lightning Hybrids today announced that it will unveil the prototype of its hybrid vehicle(March 5) - The car, a four-seat sports sedan, will average 100 miles to the gallon (biodiesel) and will be able to go 0 to 60 in under six seconds. It has a unique clamshell door that opens upward to allow for superior aerodynamics. Complete Story

Fisker could move quickly on low-cost car(March 5) - Fisker Automotive Inc, a builder of luxury plug-in hybrids, could develop a lower-cost high volume small car quickly if it receives Department of Energy loans, its founder said on Wednesday. Complete Story

Electric cars center stage at Geneva(March 4) - GM's troubled Adam Opel GmbH subsidiary presented the lithium-ion battery powered hatchback Ampera on Tuesday at the Geneva Motor Show, where electric-powered vehicles emerged as one way to persuade environmentally aware consumers to buy new cars during the global recession. Complete Story

Tesla electric sports car coming to Canada(March 4) - California electric-car upstart Tesla Motors Inc. said today it has started taking orders for its Tesla Roadster from Canadian customers willing to pay the hotrod's luxurious price tag. Complete Story

Brandon High Electric Car Club Pulls Off A Shocker(March 4) - Teacher Vic Nieves surveyed the scene in his classroom at Brandon High, where a dozen students - revved up and raring to race - swarmed around a 9-foot-long electric dragster suspended on a lift. Complete Story

Wheego Begins Taking Electric Car Orders(March 3) - WHEEGO ELECTRIC CARS, one of the first companies to deliver a full line of recreational and street electric LSVs, today announced that it is taking reservations for its first car, the Wheego Whip, which will begin shipping in May. Complete Story

MIT team chases sun in World Solar Challenge(March 2) - Calling any vehicle Eleanor is a bit cheeky, considering that it evokes the image of brawny Ford Mustangs made famous in the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds." In this case, it may even be ironic, since the car the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team is referring to is solar-powered, rides on three wheels, and tops out at 90 mph. Complete Story

Neil Young Confirms New, Electric Car-Inspired LP “Fork in the Road” Due April 7th (March 2) - When Neil Young began playing nine new songs a night towards the end of his 2008 tour it became apparent a new album was in the works. Today it was confirmed that Fork in the Road, a theme record about Young’s Linc Volt electric car project, will come out April 7th. Complete Story

2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid Electric Car Technology Exposed(March 2) - The eagerly awaited details of the 2010 Toyota Prius are slowly emerging. We already provided an overview of the car after it was revealed at the Detroit Auto Show. Last week, we were in Napa Valley, where Toyota released technical details what will make this vehicle hum. Complete Story

Nissan Plans to Launch Mass Market Electric Cars in Europe Next Year(March 2) - It's most likely Nissan and Renault will lease at least the batteries to consumers, if not the entire car and battery system. Andy Palmer, head of Renault-Nissan's global electric vehicle business unit, thinks leasing the batteries will make the cost of electric vehicles essentially the same as conventional gas or diesel cars. Complete Story

Toyota Prius Touring best value vehicle, Consumer Reports says(February 27) - Consumer Reports magazine has rated the Toyota Prius Touring edition as the best value among more than 300 vehicles it tested, the non-profit organization reported Friday. The value ranking, assessing bang for the buck, is based on road-test scores, five-year owner-cost estimates and predicted reliability ratings. Complete Story

Honda hybrid hot: production hike planned for Insight(February 27) - Sales of the Honda Insight won’t begin for another two months, but the Japanese manufacturer is already planning to increase production of its new hybrid sedan. Complete Story

Enterprise adds 5,000 hybrid rental cars nationwide(February 27) - Enterprise, Alamo, and National rental car brands today announced that they've added 5,000 hybrid rental cars to their fleets. Enterprise now has 7,000 nationwide, while Alamo and National now have 2,000 between them.   Complete Story

NYPD Blue Goes Green with Hybrid Cars(February 27) - The next time you get arrested in New York City, you might find yourself in a brand new NYPD hybrid vehicle. The police department is getting ready to deploy 40 Nissan Altima hybrids in the next two weeks. While some NYC cops already drive around in hybrids, this is the first time that the cars will be used on patrol. Complete Story

New Tesla S electric car will win on looks(February 27) - The new electric saloon car from Tesla due be unveiled on 23rd March 2009 looks set to be as stylish as it is green. Increases in environmental awareness and the cost of fuel have not altered the fact that the appearance of a car is still a huge influence on its popularity – a fact that has not helped many electric cars, which are about function first and foremost.  Complete Story

$25 Billion to Promote Electric Cars Is Untouched(February 27) - The Energy Department has $25 billion to make loans to hasten the arrival of the next generation of automotive technology — electric-powered cars. But no money has been allocated so far, even though the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan program, established in 2007, has received applications from 75 companies, including start-ups as well as the three Detroit automakers. Complete Story

Ex-Ford engineer builds electric Mustang--so why can't Ford?(February 27) - Kurt Neutgens is hoping to sell you an electric Mustang for just over $75,000. A few years ago he quit his mechanical engineering job at the Ford Motor Company and founded Plug-In Motors. Complete Story

Warren Buffett Invests into Electric Car Manufacturer(February 25) - A subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway makes a sizable $230 million investment in a Chinese battery company that develops green eco-friendly electric cars. Complete Story

Mt. Hood will host electric car races(February 24) - Electrathon America is a race, all right, but the event won't include any engine cranking. Instead, racers will speed around the track using small electric cars. Centennial High School students designed, welded and built the cars, which are 5- to 6-feet long and hold one driver.  Complete Story

BenZhou Group Introduces High Speed Electric & Hybrid Scooters(February 23) - Until now the biggest problem with the electric scooters was the low speeds and long charging times, both of which are solved in the High speed (2000w - 3500w giving over 70kph speed) with Lithium batteries (under 90 min charging time). The Hybrid Scooters range from 500w/50cc up to 3500w/150cc, with our own EPA/DOT/EEC Certifications. Complete Story

Zero Motorcycles Helps Deliver Tax Credits for Electric Motorcycles(February 22) - Zero Motorcycles, the leading electric motorcycle manufacturer, today announced the company's upcoming line of street legal electric motorcycles will be eligible for the just passed 10% Federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles. Complete Story

A Mission to Build the Fastest Production Electric Motorcycle(February 21) - Mission Motorcycles did also say it is going to be fast; somewhere in the 150mph range is what they are aiming for. Interesting, 150 miles per hour...150 miles per charge. Complete Story

Killacycle sets New World Record at Bandimere 7.890 second(Old Story) - The KillaCycle, ridden by Scotty Pollacheck, made drag racing history AGAIN at Bandimere. 7.89 seconds @ 168 MPH is a new official National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) record and makes KillaCycle® the world’s quickest electric vehicle of any kind in the quarter mile! This was the very last run down the strip for this season at Bandimere. Complete Story

2010 Prius faces stiff competition(February 20) - More than Camry, more than Corolla, more than any other vehicle Toyota sells in the world, the Prius is the one car that symbolizes Toyota and Toyota's future. Toyota may not have intended to become the hybrid company, but like it or not, that's what has happened and it's all thanks to the Prius. Complete Story

Chery Unveils Plug-in Hybrid, Trumps GM Volt’s Range(February 21) - Chery Automobile Co., China’s largest maker of own-brand cars, unveiled its first plug-in hybrid, touting a range more than twice as far as General Motors Corp.’s planned Volt. The S18 can travel as much as 93 miles using just its batteries. Complete Story

Stimulus package to bring NFTA more hybrid buses(February 21) - The $787 billion federal economic stimulus package will literally hit the ground running in the Buffalo area via funding for 40 new hybrid buses. Complete Story

Battery cost holding back hybrids and EVs(February 21) - "Should Uncle Sam provide billions in loans and grants to a promising but unproven business? Or should the government wait for the market to sort things out before it backs a US company?" Complete Story

Review: Saturn’s hybrid SUV digs a big hole for itself(February 20) - If the Saturn felt as solid and as well built as it appears, we wouldn’t have a problem here. From the exterior, the Vue Hybrid is attractive and on paper, a hell of a car. Complete Story

S.F. unveils electric car charging stations(February 19) - The City of San Francisco unveiled three new electric car charging stations at City Hall, Wednesday, that car-share services can use to power their cars. Public charging stations will be available to City CarShare and ZipCar vehicles as well as the plug-in hybrid cars now part of San Francisco’s municipal fleet. Complete Story

Chery Auto unveils first self-made electric car(February 19) - China's Chery Automobile said on Thursday it has rolled out its first self-developed electric car, becoming the second home-grown car maker to tap potential demand for clean energy cars. The model, known as S18, is capable of going as far as 150 kilometers on electricity when fully charged, with a maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour. Complete Story

ZAP Cheers Electric Car Tax Credits in Stimulus Act(February 18) - Officials from ZAP say the Stimulus Act signed into law by President Barack Obama yesterday carries a provision in which buyers of its electric cars and trucks can receive a 10 percent tax credit up to $2,500. Complete Story

Subaru Electric Car G4e(February 17) - Subaru G4e is a concept car based on the R1e (2 seat, 40kwh battery, 104kph, 80km range) proof of concept. However, the G4e has all the makings of a real car, rather than just a concept, with a 200km range on a single charge. Complete Story

GM working with EEStor for Volt(February 16) - GM is actively looking for even better solutions for the Volt's electric power train, the independently run GM-Volt blog got Denise Gray, GM's Director of Advanced Batteries, to talk about GM's interest in the company EEStor, and whether the Volt will use EEStor technology. Complete Story

Fort Worth entrepreneurs try to make electric cars a thing of the now(February 16) - With President Barack Obama’s environmentally friendly administration in place and every major automaker promising to build alternative-powered vehicles, it would seem that the day of clean automobiles may be close at hand. Complete Story

Volkswagen and Toshiba to develop electric car(February 15) - Car manufacturer Volkswagen and electronics giant Toshiba have signed a letter of intent to cooperate on the development of electric vehicles.
The two companies will work on electric drive units and power electronics for Volkswagen’s planned small family electric cars. Complete Story

Tesla CEO: Federal loan for electric-car plant could come soon(February 12) - Tesla Motors said its long-awaited $450 million loan from the federal government could come as soon as this summer, a crucial factor in its plans to build an electric-car factory in California. Complete Story

Plug-in Hybrids Roll On, in Stimulus Package(February 11) - The president’s plans were supported by the Senate's compromise economic stimulus bill that includes tax credits for buyers and manufacturers of plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as $2 billion in direct grants for battery development and manufacturing. It also includes a tax break for new-car buyers and money for the federal government to buy plug-in hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles. Complete Story

Hybrid repair expenses roughly equal to non-hybrids(February 11) - It's no longer true that hybrids cost more to fix than regular cars. It used to be that way - up through 2006, the cost of fixing a hybrid was about 8% above the non-hybrid average. But now things have evened out, and there's no advantage one way or the other. Complete Story

Free Parking Ends for Hybrids in LA(February 11) - Almost a year ago, the council approved an ordinance allowing drivers with a state Clean Air Vehicle decal on their vehicle to park at city meters at no cost. Less than a week after that approval, however, the council moved to reconsider the issue in light of the city's financial problems. Complete Story

Ford Bringing All-electric Transit Connect Van to U.S.(February 9) - High on the business plans for American automakers are electric vehicles. Advances in electric vehicles were a key component of the business plans of the manufacturers that received billions in aid from the federal government. Complete Story

New electric car from Reva in May(February 9) - Electric vehicle maker Reva Electric Car Co. said it would launch a new model powered by advanced battery technology this 2009, reports The Economic Times. The carmaker also said that it will set up its second manufacturing plant in the country with installed capacity of 30,000 vehicles. Complete Story

Nissan suspends electric vehicles plans as financial losses are announced(February 8) - Nissan, famous for manufacture of green cars such as the Note and Micra; has announced a series of recovery actions. This includes the suspension of its GT2012 midterm business plan which would have seen the introduction of a pure electric vehicle in the U.S. and Japan by 2010 and then a mass-market of electric vehicle globally in 2012. Complete Story

Electric Car With 700 HP(February 7) - Britain’s The Lightning Car Company (kudos to their marketing firm for coming up with a great name) has thrown its hat into the ring with the Lightning GT. Its 700 HP engine will take it from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds.   Complete Story

Lotus Primed To Enter Electric Car Market(February 8) - Envied worldwide for producing feather-lite supercars just itching to be made into electric torque monsters (even Tesla has borrowed heavily from the Lotus parts bin), Lotus has indicated it wants to enter the world of exotic electric cars itself - perhaps even as soon as late 2009. Complete Story

First Aptera Electric Cars Roll Out: Vehicle of the Future? (February 6) - Electric cars have gotta be the way of the future with their clean emission-free engines...but are they all going to look as strange as the tricycle-wheeled Aptera? Complete Story

Honda sees Insight hybrid below $20,000 in U.S.(February 5) - Honda Motor Co wants to price its new Insight hybrid car below $20,000 in the U.S. market, a top executive said on Thursday. Complete Story

Ford Inks Deal for Plug-In Hybrid Batteries(February 4) - Ford Motor (F) says it will have plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in showrooms in 2012, promising 30 miles on battery power before the gasoline engine kicks in.Ford plans to underscore that promise with an announcement here today that it has contracted for lithium-ion battery cells with Johnson Controls-Saft, a U.S.-French joint venture that manufactures the batteries in France. Complete Story

Wal-Mart testing new hybrid trucks for its fleet(February 3) - Wal-Mart Stores said on Monday that it will test two new types of hybrid trucks and two types of trucks powered by alternative fuels as the world's largest retailer tries to make its trucking fleet more efficient. Complete Story

Toyota Prius Hybrids Faced Bleak Sales in China(February 3) - Prius, a gas-electric hybrid designed by Japan's largest automaker Toyota Motor Corp., reached a sales volume of just 899 in China in 2008, lower than the 1,000 goal for the full year, according to the China National Passenger Vehicle Association. Complete Story

ZAP Alias Electric Car to Compete for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE(February 2) - NY Times - The ZAP Alias is a 100% plug-in 2-seater capable of freeway speeds that will compete in the alternative category of the PIAXP, which was formed to encourage creativity in vehicle designs. The alternative class requires only two seats and an effective cruising range of 100 miles. Complete Story

All May Not Be Lost for the American Car(February 2) - NY Times - It’s not news that Detroit is in the ditch, battered by both a frightful economy and self-inflicted woes. General Motors and Chrysler have already tapped Washington for $17.4 billion in emergency loans to avoid bankruptcy, and given the plight of the American auto industry that looks like a first installment of taxpayer funds. Complete Story

Ford's electric car project charges ahead(February 2) - For months, Ford Motor Co. and Magna International Inc. had been talking about an electric vehicle. In September, executives at the Canadian supplier told Ford they had a surprise. They pulled up in Dearborn in a Ford Focus they had bought and converted to battery power on their dime, without Ford's knowledge. Complete Story

Is it Karma? Is the Fisker Karma the Hybrid Car Answer?(February 1) - For months, Ford Motor Co. and Magna International Inc. had been talking about an electric vehicle. In September, executives at the Canadian supplier told Ford they had a surprise. They pulled up in Dearborn in a Ford Focus they had bought and converted to battery power on their dime, without Ford's knowledge. Complete Story

2010 Prius pushes average to 50 mpg(January 30) - The Japanese automaker’s executives are confident that the third-generation gas-electric Prius, which promises a city-highway average of 50 miles to the gallon, will maintain its spot as the top-selling hybrid in the United States. Complete Story

Ford hybrid owners to get tax credit up to $3,400(January 30) - Consumers who order or purchase a new 2010 hybrid vehicle from Ford Motor Co. by the end of March are eligible for a tax credit, the company said Wednesday. Purchases or orders of new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids made by March 31 will qualify for a $3,400 credit on their 2009 tax returns. Complete Story

Testing the Plug-In Prius(January 30) - Conversion kits are already available to turn a Toyota Prius into a plug-in. You can have a lithium-ion battery installed in your Prius, plug it in at night, and get even better gas mileage. Complete Story

Toyota FT-EV Full Electric Car For Commuters(January 29) - This tiny hatchback is still in the concept stage for the time being, but Toyota is targeting an American launch of the all-electric commuter car by the year 2012. The Toyota FT-EV is being touted as a BEV or “battery electric vehicle.” Sharing its platform with the iQ urban commuter vehicle, the FT-EV runs purely on electricity. Complete Story

ZENN Motor posts 52% rise in sales(January 28) - Electric minicar maker ZENN Motor Co. Inc. has reported an annual loss of $7.7 million as revenue increased 52 per cent over the previous year to $3.5 million. ZENN reported sales of 246 cars during its financial year ended Sept. 30, up from 160 in the prior year. Complete Story

Solar cars still a way off(January 27) - Toyota's third-generation Prius, due at dealerships this spring, will have an optional solar panel on its roof. The panel will power a ventilation system that can cool the car without help from the engine, Toyota says. Complete Story

World's Fastest Car Goes Electric(January 26) - The guys at Shelby SuperCars, having taken down the mighty Bugatti Veyron to claim the title of fastest car on the planet, are challenging Tesla Motors for electro-supremacy with an EV it promises will put down 1,000 horsepower. Complete Story

All electric car Aptera 2e in production(January 26) - California will soon be home to a production version of the Aptera 2e. The futuristic, all-electric, highly aerodynamic car will go on sale only in California for starting at $25,000, will have a range about 100 miles on electric alone. Complete Story

ZAP to Unveil Alias Performance Electric Car at NADA(January 25) - The ZAP Alias is a stylish, 100% electric, 2-seater capable of freeway speeds. ZAP indicated the mass-production version of the Alias is targeted to be priced under $35,000. In 2009, ZAP plans to produce a limited number of hand-crafted, Signature Series Alias roadsters. Complete Story

A123 Systems to Build Major US Lithium-ion Battery Production Facilities(January 24) - Today A123 has broken its pre-IPO silence with a major announcement. The company has said it plans to invest $2.3 billion in building US battery factories, with the first one expected in southeast Michigan. Complete Story

Dealing With Realities of an Electric-Car Fleet(January 23) - The global auto industry has yet to agree on a standardized shape for the connectors that will replenish the batteries of electric cars, though the Society of Automotive Engineers has been working on standards for such a plug for more than two years. Complete Story

Toyota Debuts Certified Used Hybrid Program(January 21) - As automakers continue to think up innovative programs to lure in consumers during hard times, Toyota on Tuesday announced it was rolling out a certified used hybrid program that provides added inspection and warranty coverage on its vehicles. Complete Story

Ford's Hybrid Chief Charges Forward(January 21) - Hybrid cars are a tough sell these days. Low gas prices have made it easy for consumers to get back in their gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utility vehicles. Complete Story

Ford Unveils New Hybrid Electric Vans(January 21) - Ford has announced an aggressive plan to bring Hybrid electric cars more quickly to the market during the next four years. The plan introduces new fuel efficiency solutions for cars and a new battery electric commercial van by the year 2010. Complete Story

Mercury Mariner Hybrid(January 20) - We were intrigued during a visit to New York City by the large number of Ford Escape Hybrid taxis plying the streets of Manhattan. Complete Story

The New Honda Insight(January 19) - First of all, if you take a look at the pictures of the new Honda Insight on the stand in Detroit, one thing stands out: it looks just like a Prius. Same short, sloped nose, same little wheels, same chunky back. Complete Story

Advanced car battery makers seek juice from stimulus plan(January 18) - The National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture intends to ask the U.S. government for as much as $2 billion in grants and loans during the next five years to jump-start the American lithium ion industry, while creating thousands of jobs in the process. Complete Story

Electric cars move closer to your garage(January 18) - CNN - At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and MINI showed the world what electric vehicles of the future will look like. And the future of driving looks fun. Complete Story

NYC Gets Ten Mini E Electric Cars(January 17) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at the beginning of the year that city employees would be eliminating 700 city-owned cars, including Toyota Prius hybrids and Ford Escape SUVs, in an effort to reduce traffic and air pollution. Complete Story

Warren Buffett-Backed Electric Car Makes Detroit Debut(January 16) - China's BYD Auto's e6 all-electric automobile made its Detroit debut today, with an assist from the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary MidAmerican Energy Holdings. Complete Story

Valence: Electric Buses and Trucks First, Cars Later(January 15) - How can a somewhat small company break into the electric car market? By starting with less glamorous things like hybrid delivery vans, says Valence Technology CEO Bob Kanode. Complete Story

Toyota steps up hybrid push with new Prius(January 14) - Toyota Motor Corp on Monday unveiled its third-generation Prius hybrid, the world's top-selling "green" car, targeting U.S. sales of 180,000 units in the first 12 months and 400,000 globally in 2010. Compete Story

Honda Unveils a Cheaper Hybrid Challenger to Toyota’s Top-Selling Prius (January 14) - Honda is showing its new Insight hybrid, which looks remarkably similar to the Prius, at this week’s North American International Auto Show. It is smaller and less fuel efficient than the Prius, but it is expected to sell for as little as $18,000, about $4,000 less than the Prius. Compete Story

China enters the 'green car' war with BYD e6 plug-in hybrid that goes 249 miles on electric power(January 14) - Is it real? The answer to that question will determine whether an obscure Chinese automaker will step in and win the green-car award from the high-profile Toyota Prius hybrid and the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.   Compete Story

Fisker shows off a stylish hybrid(January 14) - Fisker, which showed off a concept hybrid sports car last year, came back to the Detroit Auto Show this year to show off a new concept along with the production version of its Karma model. Compete Story

Cadillac Converj electric car is what the Chevy Volt should have looked like(January 13) -When GM pulled the curtains back on the final production version of the Volt, most people were stunned... that the original sleek concept design had morphed into such a boring blob. GM seems to have realized its mistake, judging by the unveiling of the plug-in Cadillac Converj at the Detroit Auto Show this week. Complete Story

E-car startups try to compete with major companies(January 13) - California-based Tesla Motors Inc. and Fisker Automotive are displaying cars at the North American International Auto Show this week, grabbing attention with sleek electric-drive vehicles that combine environmentally friendly chic with sports car sex appeal. Complete Story

Army goes electric with new Chrysler vehicles(January 13) - The Army on Monday received the first of 4,000 electric vehicles that it plans to lease for use on bases, a deal the military says is the largest acquisition of such vehicles in the U.S. and comes as automakers are touting electric technology. Complete Story

Chrysler Plans Electric Car Push in 2010(January 12) - In a bid to make a splash at the Detroit auto show, Chrysler LLC said it expects to start producing an electric car in 2010. The company, however, revealed few details that normally come with such announcements, such as what type of vehicle it will make – or its name. Complete Story

Toyota to build electric town car, plug-in hybrids(January 12) - Toyota Motor Sales announced an expanded commitment to electric vehicles on Saturday, disclosing plans to manufacture an all-electric city car by 2012 and a wider fleet of gas-electric hybrids. Complete Story

Ford plans small electric car in 2011(January 12) - Ford Motor said on Sunday it planned to introduce a small electric car in North America in 2011 as part of a plan to introduce electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles over the next four years. Complete Story

Electric car maker seeks federal loan(January 9) - Integrity Automotive LLC, the Shepherdsville-based company created to produce ZAP brand electric vehicles, is seeking a $200 million loan from the federal government to help the venture get off the ground. Complete Story

Aptera Electric Car Available in “Volume” by October 2009(January 9) - The all-electric, three-wheeled 2e weighs in at around 1,500 pounds due to high-strength composite construction, has a small fraction as much aerodynamic drag as a Prius, goes 100-120 miles with a top speed of 85-90mph, and boasts normal car safety features, impressive crush test results, and crash testing. Complete Story

Electric Car Woes: Aptera Delays, Odyne Dies and Battery Makers Seek Loans (January 9) - The startup carmaker, based in Vista, Calif., had aimed to start delivering the 2e (previously called Typ-1) by the end of 2008. After surveying its customers a few months ago, Aptera realized it had overlooked adding features that typical drivers have come to expect. Complete Story

An Electrifying Ride In The Chevy Volt (January 8) - I spent part of Wednesday afternoon tooling around GM's tech center in a "mule" version of the Volt. When I hit the gas, the acceleration was instant. Like all electric cars, the torque and response from the car is immediate. The Volt will deliver the same performance you would get from a car with 250 horse power. Complete Story

Solar Powered Prius: Not Just Yet(January 7) - That was the conjecture when a Japanese newspaper reported last week that Toyota is secretly working on just such a vehicle for a product launch in some indefinable future.  Complete Story

‘Juiced’ hybrids - Entrepreneur taps into market for modifying green machines(January 7) - With hybrid vehicle popularity on the rise, a whole new breed of cars is hitting the mainstream. That hot-rodder’s spirit, coupled with a tech-geek mentality, makes a certain type of alternative car owner seek to individualize, enhance or reengineer his or her vehicle. Complete Story

2010 Lexus RX 450h: Luxury in a hybrid SUV(January 7) - Although the Toyota Prius got all the hybrid hoopla, Lexus showed that a hybrid could be powerful and luxurious with the RX hybrid SUV. Complete Story

Production Photos of Euro-Spec Honda Insight Hybrid Leak(January 7) -Following the leak of a Japanese brochure, more photos of the European-spec 2009 Honda Insight have surfaced, showcasing the hybrid in motion, some exterior details, and interior components. The exterior photos don’t tell us much more than we already know, but the interior shots allow us to see Honda's Ecological Drive Assist System in action. Complete Story

New Cadillac SRX expected to get hybrid option(January 7) - GM is expected to offer a Volt-like series hybrid setup in a future Cadillac, and the donor car will more than likely be the next-generation SRX crossover, says Autoweek magazine.   Complete Story

The 10 Biggest Cleantech Victories of 2008(January 5) - Electric Vehicles On the Horizon: The high price of gas this summer (which has since dropped) spurred large auto makers to declare electric vehicle plans, while startups also moved aggressively into the market. Complete Story

BMW’s Electric Mini Cooper Beats GM to Test Drivers’ Green Zeal (January 5) - BMW is signing up green-minded drivers to test an all-electric Mini Cooper with two seats, just enough storage space for a gym bag, and a range of only 120 miles before recharging, all for triple the cost of the gasoline-powered model. Complete Story

Japan races to build a zero-emission car(January 5) - Mitsubishi's electric car now runs 160 kilometres (100 miles) on one charge, which takes 14 hours when using a conventional 100 volt outlet on the wall, or 30 minutes to charge 80 percent of the battery using a special quick charger. Complete Story

Electric Car Drives 32,000 Miles On Solar Power(January 4) - A new electric car that is solar-powered has traveled 32,000 miles through 38 countries. The vehicle gave rides to about 1,000 people and can travel up to 55 mph. Complete Story

Boring Electric Car Gets 100 Miles Per Charge; Goes 85 MPH; Still Due 2010(January 3) - Instead of investing in a gorgeous new design, Miles had just picked a workable, practical five-seater sedan already in production in China, and adapted it into an electric vehicle, designed it to stay below $40,000 before subsidies. Complete Story

End of Life Approaching for Many Prius Battery Packs(January 2) - Battery pack transition may not be as problematic as some would believe, though The Toyota Prius debuted in 2001 and since has been the hottest seller in the hybrid car market. Despite the recent downturn in hybrid sales, and a sharp drop in Prius sales, the vehicle remains very significant. Complete Story

2010 Toyota Prius Preview — With Blue Men(January 1) - Finally — a good look at the coming 2010 Toyota Prius. Not just a taillight or a window switch, but a good, slow pan around the whole car while jazzy piano music plays (”Something’s Coming” by Leonard Bernstein, naturally) and the Blue Man Group plays with a boomerang. Complete Story

Ford Hybrid Emphasizes High Mileage(December 30) - With gas prices below $2 a gallon, it would seem an inopportune time for the Ford Motor Company to introduce a hybrid sedan. But at 41 miles per gallon in city driving and 36 miles per gallon on the highway, Ford is confident that its Fusion Hybrid will make an impression in the marketplace. Complete Story

The 10 Biggest Cleantech Disappointments of 2008(December 27) - There was a lot to cheer about in the cleantech sector in 2008: record investment levels, a U.S. president-elect that supports clean power, and the extension of tax credits for renewables. But there were a lot of missed opportunities this year, too, as markets crashed, fundings were delayed and technologies hit hurdles. Complete Story

Electric-Car Battery Makers Seek Federal Funds(December 27) - In the race to make the lithium-ion batteries that will run the electric cars of the future, the United States is losing to Asian countries, and start-ups and big companies need to band together to build a lithium-ion battery industry in the United States, says Jim Greenberger. Complete Story

Electric cars coming soon to a road near you(December 26) - Tom Gage is a patient man. As chief executive of AC Propulsion, he's watched the ebb and flow of electric-car momentum for more than a decade. Complete Story

Ford Fusion Hybrid Delivers Most Efficient Electric Car(December 24) - Car makers such as Ford are beginning to tackle gas prices while meeting consumer demand. Ford has unveiled its new 2010 Fusion Hybrid electric car which is the most fuel efficient mid-size car on the market. The new Fusion has a 41 mph certified rating. Complete Story

Will 2009 see the return of the electric car?(December 24) - Every generation thinks it has discovered sex, and every generation thinks it has discovered electric cars – until they realise their limitations. So says a car industry sceptic, quoted in The Sunday Times. Complete Story

Toyota to debut small, battery-powered 'city car' concept(December 23) - Responding to consumer concerns about volatile energy prices and government regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Toyota wants to produce a small "city car" with a limited driving range but with an affordable price tag of about $20,000, analysts say. Complete Story

Mitsubishi i MiEV Nominated for 2009 Green Car Vision Award(December 23) - Mitsubishi Motors' i MiEV electric car was selected by the Green Car Journal as one of five nominees for its 2009 Green Car Vision award, an honor that recognizes one vehicle that best envisions the future of transportation. Complete Story

Readying America for the Volt(December 21) - Interestingly, she also appears to suggest that the Volt, when it is released, may initially be sold only in selected regions of the country, presumably to help GM more closely monitor the vehicle in customers hands. Complete Story

Enterprise to rent hybrids(December 21) - Four Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations in Houston have been designated hybrid branches, where customers can choose from gas/electric vehicles including the Honda Prius, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Ford Escape. Complete Story

Eestor granted patent(December 20) - Energy storage developer EEStor Inc, a key partner of Canadian electric car maker Zenn Motor Co (ZNN.V), has secured a U.S. patent for its battery, its chief executive said on Friday. Complete Story

US Tech Firms Team to Juice Up Electric Car Batteries(December 19) - A collection of over a dozen U.S. technology companies are collectively asking the government to help subsidize the development of the domestic lithium ion battery industry. Complete Story

Auto Execs Say Divert Bailout to Support Electric Car Companies(December 18) - Two veteran automotive executives, H. Dennis Kammerer and Rodger L. Cornish, say electric car pioneer ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP) is already building all-electric models and the US government should offer support to companies who are already building plug-in transportation. Complete Story

Chrysler Sticks to Ambitious Electric Car Plans(December 18) -Troubled American auto giant still hopes to produce new electric vehicles in the next few years. Also see the Auto X Prize teams. Complete Story

Electric-car maker Think hits brakes(December 17) - Reuters reported on Monday that Think CEO Richard Canny held a news conference where he said that the company needs up to $29 million in loan guarantees.
It plans to reduce staff by at least 50 percent and stop production with an eye toward restarting in the first quarter of next year, the report said. Complete Story

First Manned, Hydrogen-Powered Flight (March 2008) -Boeing announced that one of its pilots recently took to the air in an airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This marks the first time a manned aircraft running on fuel cells has ever successfully completed a flight, though robotic drones have done so in the past. Complete Story

A Silent Electric Plane(December 16) - Popular Science - In August, at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Randall Fishman’s ElectraFlyer-C made a virtually silent pass over the audience at a mere 200 feet. Complete Story

Next Generation Plug-in Hybrid Car Tested in Florida(December 15) - Pierce Jones, a researcher with the university's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is working with North Carolina companies Progress Energy, Advanced Energy and Duke Energy to test a Toyota Prius modified to use electricity delivered through a regular household electrical outlet. Complete Story

BYD to Introduce China's First Electric Car(December 15) - Wall Street Journal - A Chinese auto maker plans to unveil the country's first homegrown electric vehicle for the mass market, at least a year ahead of similar efforts around the world. Complete Story

It takes a village to sell an electric car(December 15) - Cnet - Auto industry executives say they will couple their first mass-market electric cars with a big dose of community outreach, with the hope of making the new generation of vehicles more desirable and convenient to consumers. Complete Story

Tesla Roadster: Six Times More Efficient Than The Average Sports Car(December 14) - Auto Racing Daily - The Tesla is an electric car based on the Lotus Elise but with an electric motor. The Tesla is six times more efficient than the average sports car while producing only 10% of the pollution. Complete Story

Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO: Three-fold Proof of the Everyday Practicality of Zero-emission Vehicles(December 13) - The Auto Channel - Mercedes-Benz is showing the way ahead in environmentally responsible electromobility by presenting its near-series Concept BlueZERO at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Complete Story

Environmentally friendly car is purely ZENN-ful(December 13) - The electric ZENN car, which stands for zero emissions, no noise, is a European -built diesel car that is converted with an electric engine in Canada. The vehicle has six 12-volt lead acid batteries. Complete Story

Neil Young charged about electric car(December 12) - Young is charged up about this. He’s making a film about his re-engineered Linc Volt, due out next year. With Johnathan Goodwin, the engineer behind his car, he started a company aimed at winning the Automotive X Prize - a $10 million challenge to develop a 100-miles-per-gallon vehicle by 2009. Complete Story

Ford Fusion Hybrid Posts Prius-Like MPG Numbers(December 11) - US News - Ford claims the Fusion hybrid will get at least 39 mpg city/ 37 mpg highway when the EPA numbers are calculated in the coming weeks," Autoblog notes. But a group of auto writers was invited to Los Angeles to test drive the car recently - and every single one of them beat those estimates easily. Complete Story

Low Gas Prices, Troubled Economy Slow Toyota Prius Sales(December 10) - Remember this summer, when a new Toyota Prius hybrid would cost you $25,000 and your first-born? Well, the acknowledgment of a year-long recession and rock-bottom gas prices have turned demand for the most fuel-efficient car in the country upside down. Complete Story

Dodge charges up the EV prototype(December 9) - We have some stealthy spy shots of a rolling prototype of the Dodge EV, an all-electric two-seat sports car that is part of the electric-car blitz Chrysler says it will start in 2010. Complete Story

Jungle Motors Now Converting Toyota Prius into High Mileage Plug-In Hybrid(December 9) - Jungle Motors, which has been converting gasoline-powered Porsche 911s and Chrysler PT Cruisers into clean, green commuter cars, is now offering its latest conversion: a Plug-In Hybrid modification for the Toyota Prius. Complete Story

2009 Cadillac Escalade 4WD Hybrid review(December 9) - : The concept of a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is something of an anachronism, but it's still fascinating. Still, there's an increase of 8 mpg over the non-hybrid, so that's a plus. Complete Story

Test drive: Zap's new electric car(December 8) - The dealership showcased various models of Zap's new three-wheel electric car, a four-wheel small truck, an electric scooter and even an electric bicycle. Complete Story

Hybrid Sales Decline as Gas Prices Decrease(December 8) - They've been the it cars for the last few years, but drivers appear to be falling out of love with hybrids. Gas prices are driving people to car dealerships, but not to go green. Complete Story

Crazy-looking Fiat Phylla electric car has solar panels for charge assist(December 7) - Is this a real electric vehicle or a clown car? It's as real as a prototype can get, put together by Fiat and a few other designers, all of whom must have a substantial sense of humor. The Fiat Phylla is an 80-mph electric car that takes between 3 and 4 hours to charge from a regular wall socket.   Complete Story

Why EEstor Hooked Up With Zenn(December 5) - We’ve always wondered why, if high-profile Texas energy storage startup EEstor has such disruptive technology, it did an exclusive deal with small Toronto-based electric automaker Zenn Motor Co. for small- and mid-sized cars. EEstor’s energy storage technology can supposedly provide 10 times the energy of lead-acid batteries at one-tenth the weight and half the price, and move a car 400 kilometers after a 5-minute charge. Complete Story

Infinite Power raises $13M to ramp thin-film batteries(December 5) - CEO Ray Johnson told the Cleantech Group that IPS is now operating the world's first facility for volume manufacturing of solid-state, rechargeable thin-film batteries, capable of producing millions of devices a year. Complete Story

150MPG ExtremeHybrid: The Real Deal(December 4) - EVWorld - AFS Trinity’s problem is their Extreme Hybrid™ drive system seems just too good to be true. 150 miles per gallon in an SUV platform that, at its best, might normally be expected to do one-fifth that number just isn't credible in many people's minds. Complete Story

Hawaii Endorses Plan for Electric Cars(December 3) - NY Times - The State of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Electric Company on Tuesday endorsed an effort to build an alternative transportation system based on electric vehicles with swappable batteries and an “intelligent” battery recharging network. Complete Story

Bay Area seeks to become electric-car capital(December 2) - CS Monitor - The mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose announced an ambitious public-private partnership last week to develop a $1 billion network of charging outlets for electric cars. Complete Story

Why electric cars have stalled(December 2) - CNN Money -The Wrightspeed X1, a sports car whose three-second acceleration from 0 to 60 makes it one of the fastest autos in the world, is also super-clean: It's powered by an electric motor and gets about 170 mpg. Complete Story

2008 Monthly Electric Car News
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