Electric Cars

At the recent Frankfurt Motor Show Renault unveiled several electric concept vehicles.  One vehicle, the Fluence ZE, is expected to see production numbers possibly exceeding 100,000 units per year.  Producing 100,000 EVs costs a significant amount of money, but the Spanish government has stepped...

According to Zero Motorcycles, both their Zero S and DS electric bikes have been issued a Certificate of Conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency and are now set to take to the roads.  According to the EPA, the Zero S and DS are said to achieve an astounding equivalent of 455 mpg and...

 A U.S. National Research Council report released on Monday concludes that in North America at least, "For electric vehicles to become a major green alternative, the power fuel mix has to move away from coal, or cleaner coal technologies have to be developed...". According to Jared Cohan, chair of...

Per the press release on Th!nk's website dated August 27, 2009, seen here, production of the Th!nk City EV will resume, but will be built by Valmet Automotive.  Both Ener1, American supplier of Th!nk's battery pack, and Valmet Automotive, intended assembler of Fisker Automotive's Karma, have...

In the summer of 2008, amid staggering gas prices, Central Michigan University (CMU) invested $23,000 into an electric vehicle. Just over a year later, the school is requesting a refund, citing the vehicle's poor performance in cold weather. The EV in question is believed to be a Miles ZX40ST Work...

Compact Power, the company responsible for supplying battery cells for the upcoming Chevy Volt EREV, announced that it hopes to supply its own fully assembled battery packs in the near future. According to Compact Power CEO Prabhakar Patil, the company has its eyes on a goal of supplying fully...

Unless you live under a box you're aware that Toyota is currently riding high in the green-tech Olympics on the strength of the all-conquering Prius.    In the U.S. alone the Prius sold almost 160,000 units last year.  Overall Toyota sold 240,000 hybrids in the U.S., while Ford and Honda are...

Here in the United States where a typical commute exceeds 15 miles, range anxiety is at the forefront of the electric vehicle discussion. The residents of the island of Terschelling, in the northern Netherlands, needn't worry about such things. Their 12 miles of paved roads represent less than a...

Updating a story we have been covering for awhile regarding three wheel vehicles and their classification as either cars or motorcycles, Congress has now voted and passed a bill that will classify 3 wheel vehicles such as the Aptera 2e as cars.  You can read previous articles by clicking here...

The first time I started an electric car, I wondered the same thing everyone else wonders their first time: Is it on? Did it start or stall out? It’s so quiet! Near-silent electric vehicles have been decried by advocates of pedestrian safety, and although there’s no data to suggest electric...

By voting 80 to 17 to approve a compromise bill allocating $33.5 billion to fund energy and water projects, the U.S. Senate yesterday also redefined what qualifies as an "automobile". Once President Barack Obama signs the measure, a vehicle with only three wheels can--for the purpose of allocating...

Starting at 3:30 pm Eastern time, two big names in the plug-in vehicle field will be participating in a live web chat fielding questions from everyone. To take part in the web chat, click here. Felix Kramer, founder of California Cars Institute and Tony Posawatz, line director for the Chevy Volt...

Toyota is certainly known for it's clean running hybrid lineup of vehicles including the popular Prius and has been awarded for their efforts.  According to the recent findings of Clean Green Cars, Toyota is now the cleanest automaker in the UK. The award is based on CO2 emissions of an...

The production version of the Pininfarina designed Bluecar EV was displayed at the Geneva Auto Show this year.  CEO Silvio Pietro Angori confirmed that production is on schedule and this vehicle is set for its debut in 2011.  According to Angori, the company has tallied 6,000 pre-orders.  As...

The e2 Seems To Be Aimed Squarely At Tesla

As you may remember from previous articles, our Editor in Chief Lyle Dennis took delivery of his Mini E electric vehicle many months ago now.  The journey with the vehicle, though mainly enjoyable, has had a few setbacks including lack of a proper charging receptacle at home, initial range...

 California has long led the way in terms of high-tech and green energy, so what better place than San Diego to demonstrate the first SunPod Plug-N-Go electric vehicle charging station?  As the name suggests, the station is solar-powered and pre-fabricated, ready to use once it’s set up. It’s...

When Nissan rolls out its electric Leaf in late 2010, it will only be available in select cities throughout the U.S.  The initial launch is limited to those cities that have formed agreements with Nissan and can provide the infrastructure required for the electric vehicle.  By 2012, Nissan hopes...

Smith Electric Vehicles, maker of the Newton plug-in electric delivery truck, began production at its diminutive plant in Kansas City.  The Newton, plug-in electric is one of only a few electric vehicles built within the United States. The plant where construction of the Newton takes place is a...

Chances are, you know someone who drives a gas-electric hybrid, like the iconic Toyota Prius, or you’re driving one yourself.  Prius owners haven’t had to change their habits to enable them to re-fuel their cars. They re-fuel the same way they always did, at traditional gas stations. They just...