Electric Cars
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Despite lower-than-predicted sales of its Leaf battery electric hatchback, Nissan is pushing ahead with its aggressive electric-car program. At the Guangzhou Auto Show yesterday, its Chinese partner unveiled its own plug-in electric car, the Venucia E30. And, surprise, surprise, it looks just like a Nissan Leaf--with a garish plastic "grille" over the charging port on the nose. As seen in China Auto Web, the electric Venucia E30 has the same bodywork, dimensions and specifications, floor-mounted lithium-ion battery pack, and 80-kilowatt electric motor as the current Nissan Leaf. The E30 is...
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2014 Chevrolet Spark EV Priced At Less Than $32,500Chevrolet has released more details on its 2014 Spark EV, ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Along with official photos of the electric Spark, Chevy is hinting at a price "below $25,000 with incentives", meaning a pre-incentive price of under $32,500. That puts the pre-incentive price more or less...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Ford Fusion Energi Pricing: Higher Than Chevy Volt After IncentivesWere you expecting the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi to undercut its nearest rival, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt? If so, you might be in for a surprise. Ford has announced an entry-level price of $39,495 for the Fusion Energi in SE trim. That's $350 more than the Chevrolet Volt's starting price of $39,145...
Antony Ingram -
European Conflict Continues Over Incompatible Electric-Car Charging StandardsEurope may have its own single currency and be subject to many of the same laws, but for electric car owners the business of charging isn't as simple. European Union countries still have no standardized charging format, and auto industry specialists consider it the main hurdle to EV adoption in...
Antony Ingram -
Rejected For Loans Tesla Got, Inflatable Car Firm Sues DoE 3 Years LaterOh, those DoE loans. They arose in the recent U.S. presidential debate--not just once or twice, but three times--and continue to generate debate. So here's more fuel for the fire: A company rejected three years ago for loans is now suing the DoE. Its proposed product? An inflatable electric car...
John Voelcker -
GE To Add Ford Plug-In Hybrids To Fleet Of Volts, Other Electric CarsGeneral Electric is adding a large fleet of 2013 Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids to its growing fleet of plug-in and electric vehicles. The 2,000 Energi models will join GE's existing fleet of Chevrolet Volts and other plug-ins. The deal is Ford's largest delivery of plug-in vehicles so far. For...
Antony Ingram -
General Motors' venture capital arm GM Ventures has invested for the second time in Proterra Inc, an electric bus maker. The Greenville, South Carolina company makes the EcoRide, a battery-electric bus that achieves the equivalent of 24 mpg in a diesel-engined bus. Proterra's EcoRide can also be fast-charged in only ten minutes, and has a range of 40 miles. The Detroit News confirms that GM Ventures and six other companies have invested a total of $23 million into Proterra, which will go towards increasing delivery of the EcoRide to new customers and markets. Proterra now has seven transit...
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Tesla Model S Price Increase Coming, But For New Buyers OnlyMuch of economics is simple: Makers of desirable, popular products can raise their prices--to some degree. One example: Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] confirmed in a blog post yesterday that it would raise prices on its 2013 Tesla Model S all-electric sport sedan in the next two or three weeks. But...
John Voelcker -
Injunction To Shut Tesla Store Denied In MA, Dealers To Fight OnScore one for startup carmakers trying to do things differently. Last Friday, a judge denied a request by the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association for an injunction that would have shut down the Tesla Store in Natick, which opened on September 28. If the dealers' request had been...
John Voelcker -
2012 Tesla Model S: Consumer Reports Joins Chorus Of Praise (Unofficially)It isn't easy to impress Consumer Reports. Fisker Automotive knows this better than most, after its Karma range-extended sedan was savaged by the magazine earlier this year. In contrast, the 2012 Tesla Model S looks to have gone down rather well, CR describing it as "a revelation". High praise...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Car Revealed In Japanese TrimNissan has revealed detailed specifications of the Japanese-market 2013 Leaf. The updated car, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. early next year, features a host of minor upgrades. The changes are aimed at attracting a few more customers than the current 43,000 who have taken the plunge, since...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Los Angeles Auto Show: Green Car PreviewWith the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show just around the corner, the world's carmakers are gearing up to show off the latest and greatest green vehicles. And in common with several recent motor shows, L.A. will have some significant launches and unveilings, whether you're interested in regular efficient...
Antony Ingram -
Much publicity, high hopes, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been devoted to the Better Place electric-car service. Now, with an apparent dearth of Israeli customers to sign on the dotted line, the company is turning over its management. Deputy CEO departs The latest defection is deputy CEO Moshe Kaplinsky. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported his resignation last Thursday. Kaplinksy had run Better Place Israel since 2008, and was promoted just last month to deputy CEO of the entire Better Place company. In an e-mail to employees, he said he had been considering the move for a long...
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Will San Diego Go Back To The Future With New 'Electriquettes'?Wicker might not be your first choice of construction material when designing a vehicle, but the world was a very different place in 1915. If you lived in San Diego at the time, the sight of an Electriquette silently whirring past may have been quite familar. The wicker-bodied electric vehicles...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Fiat 500e First Photos: Los Angeles Auto Show PreviewFiat has released the first few images of its 500e, the electric version of the 500 city car. The vivid orange machine is set to debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, which starts later this month. The car will ditch the regular 500's 1.4-liter gasoline engine for a battery-electric drivetrain...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan CEO Admits 2012 Leaf Sales Goal Won't Be ReachedFor many months, Nissan has said it would sell 20,000 Leaf electric cars in the U.S. by next March. Sales rates didn't seem to support that, and now Nissan has conceded that it won't happen. CEO Carlos Ghosn said that number "would not be reached," in an interview on Bloomberg TV in Mexico City...
John Voelcker -
New Onstar App Lets Chevy Volt Drivers Compete On Electric MilesIt happens already: Chevy Volt owners compare their lifetime electric miles, how long they've driven without using gasoline, and their lifetime gas mileage. Now Chevrolet is formalizing the competition, with plans to release a mobile phone app that lets owners register and compete with each other...
John Voelcker -
2014 Chevy Spark EV Prototype Electric Car: First DriveAs GM's first battery electric car since the EV1 of the 1990s, there's more riding on the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV electric minicar than its size would indicate. The company maintains the electric Spark is not just a compliance car, but a fully developed product to be sold not only in California...
John Voelcker -
During the development phase of the Fisker Karma, the automaker established a temporary technical center in Pontiac, Michigan, in order to be closer to automotive industry suppliers and experienced engineers. In the spring of 2010, as the Karma approached finalization, Fisker shut its Pontiac tech center, choosing to preserve capital for the car’s launch. Now, some two and a half years later, Fisker is once again shopping for real estate in the Midwest. This time around, Fisker plans on opening a permanent technical center, initially tasked with completing the design of the Fisker...
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GM To Concentrate On Plug-In Electric Cars, Downplay HybridsGeneral Motors has narrowed its portfolio of future technologies, and will focus on plug-in and electric vehicles over the coming years. The company will build on the success of its Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, an area where it leads its competitors, while downplaying more...
John Voelcker -
Saab 9-3 Convertible May Return As An Electric Car, Hints ConsortiumThe Swedish-Chinese consortium currently controlling Saab could be set to resurrect the firm's 9-3 Convertible model as an electric car. In an effort to get the defunct carmaker back on its feet, the National Electric Vehicles Sweden (NEVS) consortium wants to re-introduce several old models to...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla Model S Buyers Face Year-End Deadline: $7,500 At StakeMore than 13,000 people have put down deposits to join the waiting list for the Tesla Model S electric sports sedan. Each of us eagerly awaits delivery of our much-decorated, cutting-edge car. But as 2012 winds down, several hundred of us at the front of the queue are especially antsy. It's not...
David Noland -
BMW Shows Off i3, i8 In New York On 'Born Electric' TourNot only is BMW talking about its commitment in its plug-in car plans, it's putting that confidence on display, too. The BMW i 'Born Electric' world tour has just kicked off in New York City, putting the company's electric and plug-in products on display for all to see. Running for a week in...
Antony Ingram -
Stretch Nissan Leaf Electric Limo For Sale On eBay: What Would You Pay?Want a Nissan Leaf but disappointed that you can't take more of your friends along for the ride? Or don't have space for champagne flutes? The Nissan Leaf limo for sale on eBay could be just the thing to meet your needs. If you think the concept of a Nissan Leaf electric limo sounds familiar, then...
Antony Ingram