2011
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With BMW slowly revealing further details of their upcoming Megacity EV and teasing us with the 2009 MINI E, and Mercedes-Benz giving us the A-Class E-Cell, it was only a matter of time before rival Audi hit the roads with their own small EV. Revealed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March, their A1 e-tron concept is the third of Audi's e-tron concepts to wow motor show crowds, the other cars being based on their R8 supercar and upcoming TT-sized R4. Munich Trial And now, Audi has plans for a fleet of the new A1 e-trons to hit the streets in Munich with 20 vehicles up and running by the...
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Mobile EV Charger: Cure For Range Anxiety Or Unnecessary Extra?Earlier this week Swiss-based Nation-E announced the Angel Car, a vehicle which the company says will aide stranded electric cars with flat battery packs. Designed to help alleviate the range anxiety many commentators cite as the major hurdle to widespread EV success, the Angel Car is only a phone...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Report: Next-Gen Nissan GT-R May Go Electric To Remain ViableThe development and launch of the current R35 Nissan GT-R was an epic achievement for the Japanese automaker. After all, Nissan was able design and engineer a sports car capable of outperforming exotic supercars with pricetags twice as high or more, as well as make it seat four adults in relative...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fisker's $30M Parts Order Puts Karma Back On TrackPlug-in hybrid/electric vehicles are no strangers to the vaporware syndrome: a product is announced, promised to be the best ever, raises funds, then fails to materialize--or does so at an incredibly slow pace. But Fisker's Karma looks set to defy the odds if a new $30 million parts order for the...
Nelson Ireson -
More Hyundai EVs: Korean Maker To Show Electric SUV In 2011Not a week after Hyundai announced its plans to launch the i10-based BlueOn electric subcompact in 2012, the South Korean manufacturer has announced its plans to launch another all-electric vehicle by the end of 2011. The new EV is said to be based on a small cross utility vehicle (CUV) that...
Antony Ingram -
How Much Electricity Will Your EV Use? So Cal Edison AnswersHow expensive is an electric car to charge? It’s a question we get asked a lot by our readers, keen to know just what the impact of electric car ownership will have on their pocket books. With gasoline cars it’s really easy to keep track of fuel costs. Filling up at the gas station is a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Back in the pre-Internet dominated world of journalism, news stories were passed down from tip-offs, official press releases and the wires service. But in the twenty-first century, things are done a little differently. And occasionally, we see something pass by on Twitter that makes us perk up and take note. Toyota has just announced on its twitter stream that the 'Toyesla' RAV4 EV, the Toyota/Tesla lovechild of the reborn Toyota RAV4 EV will be debuted at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, this November. The tweet, posted from @toyota read: "Toyota and Tesla will debut the RAV4-EV at the 2010...
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2011 Lexus CT 200h Gets 42 MPG EPA-Rated Combined Fuel EconomyWhether it's the rather bland styling or the underwhelming stats, the 2011 Lexus CT 200h hasn't achieved much in creating buzz in the headlines. In fairness, hybrid power, low emissions and claims of high fuel efficiency don’t mean much without the all important EPA-rated fuel economy figures...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM Steps Up Their Small Car Game With the 2012 Chevrolet AveoPrevious models of the Chevrolet Aveo have been a little bit of a disappointment out in the American marketplace. The original was small, had some quality issues and really just wasn’t the much fun to putt around in. The redesign gave the car a boost in the looks department, but really still...
Jonathan McGrew -
2011 BMW M3: M Drive Available Without the ExtrasBMWs aren’t for the everyday driver, they are a drivers car or at least that is what their heritage has been built on for decades. Some would say that the company took a step in the “Ultimate Driving Machine” category when they introduced the iDrive system. Most of that had to do...
Jonathan McGrew -
$2,500 Tax Rebate For Electric Vehicles In TennesseeJoining the rebates already available in states like California, Georgia and Oregon, Tennessee has now announced it will offer a $2,500 tax rebate to the first 1,000 EV buyers in the state. The annoucement will be great news for residents with deposits down for the 2011 Nissan Leaf, Tennessee being...
Antony Ingram -
Just Who Is A Typical 2011 Nissan Leaf Buyer? We Find OutAre you one of the 19,000 people in the U.S. who has ordered a 2011 Nissan Leaf? If you are then you might be surprised that Nissan knows you a little better than you may think. Talking with Edmund’s InsideLine, the automaker has finished its definition of an average Nissan Leaf driver. How?...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
If nothing else, the new, post-bankruptcy General Motors is quicker moving than the old one. The latest proof? GM Ventures, its venture-investment arm, has quietly invested $3.2 million in Sakti3, Inc. Founded in 2007 and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the company develops "next-generation" solid-state lithium-ion battery cells. Thus far, Sakti3 has received funds from Khosla Ventures, the venture capital firm founded by noted Silicon Valley entrepreneur Vinod Khosla, who focuses much of his investing on green-tech but has historically been skeptical of the potential for electric vehicles...
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Nissan Bears All, Embraces NFL Season With Eco-Hugging Leaf AdIt’s the start of the football season in the U.S, and that means millions of viewers watching the games in their own home. Which translates to millions of eyeballs watching television ads during the game. In short, NFL mid-game adverts are big-buck affairs. Automakers know that, and have...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Ready to Drive a Nissan Leaf? Check For A City Near YouWhen someone says 2011 Nissan Leaf the first thought that comes to my mind is ‘when can I drive one?’ This isn’t an uncommon question among consumers either, but Nissan has the answer. Starting October 1st, Nissan will be conducting their first public test-drives of the 2011...
Jonathan McGrew -
2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: First DriveWhen your lead-in to a first-time-ever hybrid sedan is a North American Car of the Year trophy winner, things are probably okay in your world. That's Lincoln's world right now, where the brand is embarking on a complete renovation that will include 7 new or refreshed vehicles in the next four...
Martin Padgett -
2012 Chevrolet Aveo: Paris Motor Show Production Version PreviewThe current Chevrolet Aveo never set the world on fire. It filled its place in rental-car ranks and the third-car slot of suburban driveways, but no one ever really got passionate about it. If General Motors has anything to say about it, that's going to change. The production version of the 2012...
John Voelcker -
Coda's Electric Sedan Says 'Aloha' To Hawaii Next YearCoda announced today their plans to roll out their all-electric sedan in Hawaii in the third quarter of 2011, positioning the car to battle the Nissan Leaf in a market that suffers from some of the highest gas prices in the country. In May, Nissan singled out Hawaii as a target market –- the...
VentureBeat's GreenBeat -
The 2011 Fiat 500 will go on sale in less than six months, but the company is still hard at work roadtesting pre-production versions for North America. The latest proof is this photo of a Fiat 500 development prototype being road-tested outside Las Vegas, in the hot weather of Nevada. Our reader KJ Elias sent it to us after snapping the photo out the window. According to Elias, the 2011 Fiat was wearing a manufacturer license plate from Michigan (the state only issues one plate per vehicle) and traveling at more than 70 miles per hour. "We saw a small convoy of three 500s on I-15 north of Las...
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Nissan Intends To Sell Leaf EV In The Land Of OilIf you think that manufacturers have a hard time making EVs appeal to consumers who have got used to over a hundred years of fossil fuels, then feel grateful you aren't in Carlos Ghosn's shoes. The Renault and Nissan chief is visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the hope of establishing a...
Antony Ingram -
Ten Things We'd Like To Tell Automakers About EV PublicityAutomakers have had it tough over the past few years. An economic downturn, consumers looking for ever-fuel efficient vehicles and everyone clambering to make it to marketplace first. But just what do automakers need to keep in mind when advertising their first electric vehicle. We assume that any...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive: Quick DriveIt's fair to say that Smart haven't had quite the success they were probably hoping for in the U.S. with their diminutive Fortwo. Gambling on consumers 'downsizing' due to spiralling fuel prices, the initial rush to own the tiny city car has slowed to a trickle. Not only that, but recent research...
Antony Ingram -
New Chevrolet Cruze Ad Spots Get Familiar Tool Man VoiceThe Chevrolet Volt isn’t the only car on the horizon for GM; it is also not the only car that has been anticipated for quite a while. The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is supposed to be quite the step up from the compact cars GM has produced in the past. It has been rated with top safety (more here)...
Jonathan McGrew -
Forget Smart Phone Connectivity, EV Returns To Simple PleasuresDoes the 2011 Nissan Leaf leave you feeling uninspired? Does the 2011 Chevrolet Volt appear too aggressive? Is the 2011 Tesla Roadster just too sporty? Do you long for classic looks, big wheels and great all-round visibility? This weekend an electric car will be sold at an Indianan auction house...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield