Germany

  • Dieter Zetsche

    It may only be two weeks since Germany’s Chancellor Merkel announced that her government would help bring 1 million plug-in vehicles to the roads of Germany by 2020 but her bold goal is already being dismissed as impossible by the very automakers her Government is planning to help. Enter Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche. Talking to the German Bild newspaper earlier this week Zetsche was far from welcoming of the German government’s electric vehicle program, which includes $1.4 billion investment in electric vehicle research and development. Why? It lies in the lack of purchase subsidies...

  • Porsche Boxster E electric car prototype
    Porsche Boxster E Electric Sports Car A Hit At 2011 Michelin Challenge Bibendum

    The Michelin Challenge Bibendum is an annual event run by the French tire company aimed at promoting the development of sustainable mobility. At this year’s event in the German capital of Berlin Porsche rolled out its Boxster E electric car prototype, revealing a few more saucy details about...

  • 2011 Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-Cell battery electric vehicle (Europe only)
    Germany Aims To Lead Electric Car Revolution, Doubles Funding

    You may think that China is already on its way to becoming the world’s electric car leader thanks to its extremely large potential consumer market and industrial revolution, but it turns out Germany is also after the same accolade. In a move which aims to develop as many as 1 million plug-in...

  • 2011 Wheego Whip LiFe at 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show
    Tough To Be Wheego: Germany Crushes Electric Car From 'Hand-To-Mouth' Startup

    It's hard to start a car company. Really, really, really, really, really hard. Which is why little Wheego Electric Cars is having a tough time of it at the moment. Last week, CEO Mike McQuary told industry trade journal Automotive News that the company was "living hand-to-mouth" and that its first...

  • eRuf Porsche 911 prototype
    Ruf To Start Trials Of Electric Porsche 911 Prototypes This Year

    Electricity and high-performance cars may or may not mix, depending on your frame of reference, but whether you're a Tesla fan or Formula 1 devotee, it's easy to agree that a hybrid or all-electric Porsche would be a welcome creation for sports car and EV fans alike. Porsche blew us away last year...

  • General Electric GE WattStation charging
    Electric Cars And Roaming: Following The Cell Phone's Lead?

    If you use a cell phone, you'll be more than familiar with the concept of roaming. It allows you to continue using your cell phone when your home network isn't available, thanks to collaborations between networks in different countries. Now, it appears a similar concept may be heading towards the...

  • Opel Meriva electric vehicle, to be tested in Germany as part of MeRegioMobil program, 2010-2011

    Last summer, Karl Stracke, the vice president of global vehicle engineering of General Motors, said the company planned to test three battery-electric vehicles in different global regions. This morning, the company's Opel unit announced that it would test a fleet of Opel Meriva small minivans converted to electric power in Germany. Opel is launching the test in conjunction with German power company MeRegioMobil. GM didn't specify the size of the electric Meriva fleet. Goal: Electric cars as energy storage With leisurely acceleration and a mere 40-mile electric range, the fleet of MeRegioMobil...

  • 2009 Mercedes-Benz Vision S500 Plug-In Hybrid Concept
    Frankfurt Auto Show: Plug-In Hybrid Mercedes S-Class Concept

    Every other year, Mercedes-Benz unveils a "Vision" concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show that points the way to cars it will launch in future years. This year's concept car looks just like a standard 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Instead, it's the mechanical parts that are remarkable: It's a...

  • 2011 Volkswagen Polo Three-door
    Preview: 2011 Volkswagen Polo

    Back in March, VW confirmed it would sell the Polo in the US in 2011. The five-door hatchback model was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, and now Volkswagen has released details of the three-door hatch as well. US details to come It's like that VW will also offer a four-door...

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