Electric Cars
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For some time now there’s been a battle raging between politicians, advocacy groups and the electric car industry over compulsory noise-makers in electric cars. Now the latest twist comes courtesy of Ford, which has announced that its 2012 Ford Focus Electric will initially ship without any on-board pedestrian alert systems. The reason? Ford’s bosses say noisemakers just aren’t needed. At the moment, legislation is making its way through Congress to mandate that all plug-in vehicles and hybrids be fitted with artificial noise-makers to alert pedestrians that an quiet car is...
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Why Offer Electric Cars? Because They Sell More Gasoline CarsAmidst supposedly slow sales--actually limited mostly by low production--one benefit to automakers of offering electric cars has nothing to do with cars that plug in. Not only do electric cars attract radically different buyers to the brands that offer them, they also help sell conventional...
John Voelcker -
Nissan Drops 2012 Leaf Charging Station Price. Is It Cheap Enough?Yesterday, Nissan announced that it had reduced the price of its official 2012 Nissan Leaf home charging station to make it more affordable to Leaf drivers. But while Nissan has dropped the price of a standard supply and installation of the Nissan-branded Aerovironment charging station from $2,200...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
At Heathrow, 'Free' Electric-Car Charging Costs $78.50 Per DayLondon's Heathrow Airport provides charging stations for electric car drivers. Accessing them, however, requires parking in the airport's most expensive lot.
Kurt Ernst -
Chevy Spark EV: Four Times The Electric Range? RLY? Errr, NoWe love our readers, because they often have eagle eyes far more acute than our own. Take, for instance, Neal Riley. Reading our article on the 2013 Chevrolet Spark launch, which included official confirmation of the news on the all-electric Spark EV model that we broke last night, he asked: If the...
John Voelcker -
7 Makers Adopt Standardized Electric Car Charging In EuropeThe rumblings of dissent in Europe about different electric car charging standards could now be drawing to an end. For the past few years fans have been worried that electric cars could have a mobile phone-like situation with different plugs for every different manufacturer and different charging...
Antony Ingram -
The EPA's MPG equivalent (MPGe) ratings for electric cars aren't the simplest of things to understand, worked out through a series of different calculations. When an electric car gets 350 MPGe to the more well-known 2012 Nissan Leaf's 99 MPGe rating though, you know it must be something special. That something special is the Edison2 electric car, first seen in non-electric form competing in the Automotive X-Prize. You might not actually want to drive it but in EPA certified testing the Edison2 managed an equivalent of 347 miles per gallon in city driving and thanks to its ultra-aerodynamic...
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GM To Start Work on Next-Gen EN-V Electric Pod Car ProgramIt's been a big morning for General Motors, with news coming left and right from its big media event in Detroit to celebrate Chevrolet's 100th birthday. In addition to confirming the 2013 Chevy Spark minicar and its all-electric Spark EV model, GM has announced a new Trailblazer sport-utility...
John Voelcker -
GM Officially Confirms 2013 Chevy Spark Minicar, Spark EV Electric VersionGeneral Motors has just officially, finally confirmed news that this site has previously reported: The 2013 Chevrolet Spark minicar will be launched in the first half of next year An all-electric Spark EV model will be offered in selected regions of the U.S. and other markets New front-end styling...
John Voelcker -
2012 Tesla Model S To Use Panasonic Lithium-Ion Battery CellsWell, this one's not a big shock: Tesla Motors announced yesterday that its 2012 Model S electric sport sedan would use Panasonic lithium-ion cells in its battery pack. Panasonic is one of several companies that have invested in Tesla, and the two companies had announced in 2009 that they would...
John Voelcker -
GM's First New Battery Electric Car: 2013 Chevrolet Spark EV To Launch In U.S.GM [NYSE:GM] had hoped to announce its latest green vehicle tomorrow morning, at a nice, orderly, staged press event to celebrate Chevrolet's 100th birthday. But one of its hometown papers jumped the gun and broke the news: The largest domestic car company will launch a small battery electric...
John Voelcker -
Nissan Develops 10-Minute Rapid Charger For Leaf Electric Car[EDIT: Since publishing this story, it has come to our attention that this story is indeed about storage technology, not charging technology. We're investigating our sources to try and better understand the advancement made in Japan] The time it takes an electric car to fully recharge from empty...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Despite reports that it won't offer battery electric cars, Hyundai might just be working on a plug-in car after all, says German website Auto Motor und Sport. A month after Hyundai unveiled the 2012 Elantra Touring (known as the i30 in other counties), Auto Motor und Sport reports that the Korean automaker is working on a plug-in hybrid variant of the compact hatchback for the European market. Citing anonymous company sources, the publication claims the compact is being developed to compete directly with the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, due to go on sale in the U.S. early next year...
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2011 Zero DS Electric Motorcycle: First Ride ReportIf you read last week’s review of the 2012 Zero S, you’ll know that we’ve recently visited the headquarters of Zero Motorcycles in Scotts Valley, California. Five years ago, Zero started off as a firm producing electric motocross bikes that could compete on equal grounds in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Mitsubishi i Just Wants To Be Normal, Goes On Road TripThe town of Normal, Illinois is no stranger to electric cars. Home to one of Mitsubishi’s factories, the town became home to a 1,000 strong electric vehicle test fleet earlier this year. Then in July, town officials announced residents would get an additional purchase incentive worth an...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Daimler And BYD To Birth Electric-Car Love Child This SpringThe electric car being jointly developed by Daimler and BYD for the Chinese market is expected to debut in prototype form next April.
Kurt Ernst -
First 2011 Nissan Leaf Electric Car Delivered To CanadaO Canada, you've given the world so much: Keanu Reeves, Celine Dion, Pamela Anderson Lee Ritchie Salomon, poutine. Now, the world -- or at least Nissan -- is giving you something in return: your very first 2011 Nissan Leaf. The vehicle was purchased by Ottawa resident Ricardo Borba and delivered by...
Richard Read -
2011 Nissan Leaf Outside U.S.: More Expensive, More FeaturesIn the past year the 2011 Nissan Leaf has launched in many different countries across the world, from Japan through to Ireland and Australia to Canada. But while you probably know the Nissan Leaf’s sticker price varies from country to country, you may not know there’s a few subtle...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
It's conventional wisdom that more electric cars will be sold in California than in any other state. Some estimates say Californians will buy more plug-in cars than the next five states combined. But California has roughly 25 million vehicles on its roads, so while the absolute numbers are high, it won't be the state with the highest percentage of electric cars. Which state will see the single greatest penetration rates of electric cars, as a proportion of total vehicles on its roads? Care to guess? According to Pike Research, the answer will be Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, D.C. (technically...
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GM Makes 2012 Volt Production Line Tweaks, Delays 2nd ShiftEarlier this year, General Motors announced that it would start a second shift at its Detroit-Hamtramck factory some time towards the end of 2011 to meet its production goals for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt. But on Friday the company announced that it was shelving plans to introduce a second shift...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
DC Fast Charging: Mitsubishi Says You Can Do It Every DayThe 2012 Mitsubishi i batteries will retain 80 percent of their original charge after ten years—and that includes a consideration that the battery might be frequently quick-charged.
Bengt Halvorson -
Fisker Planning Midsize Plug-In Crossover: ReportFisker is planning to build a midsize crossover on its Nina platform, and the vehicle will be positioned against the upcoming Tesla Model X.
Kurt Ernst -
BREAKING: EVCup Unplugs 2011 Racing Season, Blames CompetitorsThe organizers behind the 2011 EVCup have just announced that its 2011 season has been cancelled, with further racing events held off indefinitely. Launched back in January last year, the EVCup promised all the thrills and spills of gasoline-fueled car racing, without any of the noxious gasses or...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
No, 2012 Ford Focus Electrics Don’t Have Roof-Mounted Solar PanelsBack in August, Ford announced that it would enter into a partnership with solar panel firm SunPower to help 2012 Ford Focus Electric owners install photovoltaic solar panels on their houses, which could let them power their cars from solar energy. Called “Drive Green For Life”, the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield