Electric Cars
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The Tokyo Motor Show is now well underway, but before doors opened to press and public we were allowed a sneak preview of one of its stars. Nissan's BladeGlider Concept is one of the most striking electric vehicles we've seen in years, and one of the most exciting too--and we can now, via Motor Authority, bring you a full photo gallery. In a world where many drivers are either completely unaware of the benefits of electric cars or highly suspicious of them, cars like the BladeGlider can help raise their profile--and make them seem much more desirable. Inspired by Nissan's work on the...
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Tesla Fires: NHTSA Will Probe, Warranty To Cover Fire Damage, Ride-Height TweakIt's been quite a month for Tesla Motors and its CEO, Elon Musk. In the wake of three fires in Model S electric luxury sedans, a tsunami of media coverage about those fires, and a falling stock price--which may or may not be directly related--the company went on the offensive yesterday. MORE: Tesla...
John Voelcker -
Many Consumers Still Unaware Of Electric Car IncentivesMany regular readers will be aware of all the federal and local financial incentives and other benefits associated with running a plug-in car. You're in a tiny minority though, according to a new survey--which suggests 95 percent of the population is completely unaware of electric vehicle...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Green Car PreviewCar enthusiasts will get a real treat over the next few weeks as both the Tokyo Motor Show and Los Angeles Auto Show release scores of new models into the wild. We've already brought you our preview of the Japanese show so now it's time to unearth all the LA launches. Here, tiny kei cars and fuel...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Tokyo Motor Show: Green Car PreviewThe 2013 Tokyo Motor Show is almost upon us. And while the Los Angeles Auto Show might hold more relevance for the U.S. market, Tokyo's offerings can never be discounted entirely. Weird and wonderful some may seem but many feature the kind of technology we'll soon be seeing in our road cars. And of...
Antony Ingram -
2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Drivers Can Opt For Solar Charging ServiceBMW's first full-scale production electric car isn't a vehicle done by half measures. It's uniquely styled, features high-tech carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction and the minimalist interior is awash with sustainable materials. BMW thinks its customers might want to continue that...
Antony Ingram -
There it was, on the always-factual pages of the New York Post: George Clooney hates Teslas. On Monday, the tabloid published an article focusing on Clooney's comment at the very end of a recent Esquire interview that he'd been "on the side of the road a while" in his Tesla Roadster. Clooney owned not only one of the first Tesla owners--he reportedly sold his Roadster, serial number 0008, last year--but has also bragged in the past about owning a Tango, a tandem two-seat electric car that's only half as wide as a conventional car. With characteristic understatement, the Post writer noted that...
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Battery Lessor For Electric Renault Zoe Can Halt Recharging RemotelyDigital Rights Management, or DRM, is either the scourge of the digital age or a necessary evil to ensure people who create content get paid for it--depending on who you believe. It's essentially a collection of technologies that determines how you can use digital content or technology after you've...
Antony Ingram -
Bio Batteries: Researchers Use Viruses To Improve Electric-Car Energy Storage (Video)Researchers at MIT say that a benign virus could be the next step in improving lithium-air battery technology. Viruses typically have negative connotations--think seasonal flu or malicious files sent to your computer--but biological technology is an increasingly important research topic and one...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan's Ghosn: We'll Miss 2016's 1.5M Electric Car Sales TargetRenault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has admitted the companies will miss out on his original electric car sales targets...and by quite some margin. Ghosn has previously said that the two companies would be on track to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2016. But like so many other electric vehicle...
Antony Ingram -
Plug-in Electric Car Sales in Canada, Oct 2013: Tesla-Volt Rivalry ContinuesThe Chevrolet Volt and Tesla Model S have jockeyed for the Canadian sales crown since the latter's arrival in Canada. October marked the 20th consecutive month that either the Chevy Volt or the Tesla Model S was the top-selling Canadian plug-in electric vehicle. In the 10 months for which we have...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Workers Burned In Industrial Accident At Tesla Motors PlantThree workers have suffered burns in an accident at the Fremont, California assembly plant, where Tesla Motors builds its Model S electric car. According to the company, a low-pressure aluminum casting press failed on Wednesday afternoon, spilling hot metal onto the workers. All three employees...
Antony Ingram -
Unless your name is Brinks, you rarely hear the words "armor" and "car" mentioned in the same sentence. But two recent widely-publicized fires in the Tesla Model S electric car have put the spotlight on how its battery pack is protected from severe impacts underneath the car. MORE: Tesla Fires: What We Know, And What We Need To Find Out Both fires were caused by high-speed collisions with road debris, which apparently struck the underside of the cars, where the battery is located under the floorpan. (A third fire in Mexico came after such a violent collision that a gasoline car may well have...
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Tesla's Elon Musk: Model S Fires Overhyped, Car Is SafeRecent fires of Tesla Model S electric cars aren't worrying the company's CEO, Elon Musk--at least publicly. In a recent CNBC interview (via Forbes), the Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] founder said reports of the fires were little more than an overreaction by the press--and that Tesla's cars are still...
Antony Ingram -
Finding Alternative Fueling Stations? DoE Has An App For ThatThe DOE has made its Alternative Fueling Station Locator into an app.
Stephen Edelstein -
What's Next For Chinese-Owned Battery Maker A123?When battery maker A123 Systems went bankrupt, it seemed to be just one in a long line of failed energy startups--albeit one with some high-profile customers. Stalled battery production after A123's bankruptcy is considered one of the main catalyst's for Fisker's litany of struggles, while...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive: Teaser Video Emerges From CompanyThe Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive is expected to hit U.S. showrooms in Spring 2014.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Kia Soul EV: Target Range Of 120 Miles, More DetailsThe 2015 Kia Soul EV will be the first all-electric car sold by Kia outside of Korea.
Stephen Edelstein -
General consensus is that Cadillac's range-extended ELR coupe is too expensive. At $75,995, they may have a point--that's a lot of extra dough for a car based on the $34,995 Chevrolet Volt. So the best thing to do to draw attention to the ELR would be to make it cheaper, right? Not exactly. At $89,500, the 2014 Saks Fifth Avenue ELR--developed in collaboration with the upmarket department store chain--takes an overpriced car and turns it into a ludicrously-priced one. You'd have to really want the extra exclusivity of the Saks tag to pay that sort of money for Caddy's greenest offering. You...
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Grading Canada's Progress In Plug-In Electric Cars So FarModern electric cars went on sale three years ago, and now we're starting to see assessments of their progress from a variety of perspectives. Last year, WWF Canada (the panda people, not the professional wrestlers) set a goal of having 600,000 electric vehicles on Canadian roads by 2020 – or...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Mitsubishi To Offer 20 Percent Plug-In Cars By 2020?Mitsubishi's relatively low U.S. sales reflect the theory that its best models aren't to be found in its volume range; this is a company offering its best in more niche-market products. That means sporty Evolution models to appease performance fans, gas-sipping models like the Mirage and the firm's...
Antony Ingram -
Eight States With Big ZEV Plans Meet With Automakers, FedsA coalition of eight states hope to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025.
Stephen Edelstein -
Next Toyota Prius Plug-In To Have 10 Miles Of Electric Range: Here's WhyYou never know what you may find if you read through public comments on government proposals. That's how we found a broad hint that the next version of the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid will have a continuous all-electric range of at least 10 miles. Remember that the current car, which the EPA rates...
John Voelcker -
2014 Zero SR Electric Motorcycle Boosts Power, Range: VideoThe needs of electric motorcycles are very different from those of electric cars, and it's leading to a quite startling pace of development in the electric two-wheeler market. Nowhere is this illustrated better than in the 2014 Zero SR, the latest bike from one of the best-known electric motorcycle...
Antony Ingram