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  • 2011 Nissan Leaf

    On August 31, 2010, Nissan opened the ordering process for its 2011 Leaf, and over the follow months has gradually extended the initial markets on the West Coast and Tennessee to include a wider geography. The ordering process for the 2011 Nissan Leaf is unlike that for almost any previous new car. Nissan has received compliments for accepting orders at the corporate level, working directly with end customers, and then--after the order was initiated at the corporate level--letting the customer picked a dealer where they would pick up their 2011 Leaf. Dealers competed to get Leaf orders sent...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf, Nashville, October 2010
    Is The 2011 Nissan Leaf The Truly Invisible Electric Car?

    After three weeks of using our new 2011 Nissan Leaf for most of our local commuting, it has a valued and important place in our two-car family. We appreciate the driving economy and features of the car. But it has been shocking how little notice the car has received. As one of the first half-dozen...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevy Volt, with charging station visible; photo by George Parrott
    2011 Nissan Leaf vs 2011 Chevy Volt: Strengths & Weaknesses, By The Man Who Owns Both

    Many comments are appearing on the internet taking enthusiastic positions for either the new 2011 Chevy Volt or the 2011 Nissan Leaf. It seems most readers are in one "camp" or the other. In our household, after studying the technical strengths and features of both cars as they moved from concept...

  • Are Public Charging Stations Really Needed for EV Deployment?

    There's been a lot of discussion and consideration given to the topic of public charging stations for electric vehicles. The old "chicken verses egg" conundrum is called to mind as auto makers and politicians seem to fumble around without really knowing what to do and where to allocate funds. Will...

  • Three-seat, three-wheeled electric vehicle in traditional Japanese style, photo by Kyodo Photo.
    What Wacky Forms of Electric Tourist Transport Can YOU Invent?

    It must be Friday, when the silly stuff comes up. According to Japan Times, in the Kansai region of Japan, four companies have got together to produce a new vehicle which they hope will capture the hearts and minds of eco-minded visitors needing a way to get around the ancient cities of Kyoto and...

  • Hawaii
    Hawaii: Island Paradise for Electric Vehicles As Well As People

    You'd be forgiven for thinking Hawaii is the center of the electric vehicle universe. Wednesday, Nissan announced it would be one of the first markets for the 2011 Leaf electric vehicle. Then yesterday South Korean manufacturer CT&T signed a deal with the state's governor, Linda Lingle, to...

  • Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car at quick charging station

    At the moment, drivers of cars from the  2011 Mitsubishi i-MiEV to the 2010 Mini E are struggling to achieve the official mileage-range figures. So far, only Tesla's 2010 Roadster seems to be able to deliver on its range promises, and that's just when driven conservatively. Why are we hearing so many tales of stranded EVs that couldn't reach their claimed mileage? Do car companies exaggerate their ranges, or are there other forces in play? Manufacturers' range-per-charge claims are as tough to tie down as fuel economy figures. They're often obtained under laboratory test conditions, with...

  • President Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton: Feds Should Subsidize Buyers' Switch to Electric Cars

    Former President Bill Clinton recently visited social network digg.com  for a special Earth Day interview that touched on electric-vehicle policy and legislation. He answered user questions about many ecological and environmental topics--including third-world development and global warming--as...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf prototype
    Covering Electric Cars: Is It Really THAT Hard For the Media?

    If you pay attention to the so-called mainstream media, you could be forgiven for thinking that electric vehicles are alien technology, rather than cars with plugs. Though happy to cover natural disasters; governmental coups, and the latest celebrity gossip, pretty much any reporter seems...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius
    2010 Toyota Prius Sales Up 50 Percent Over Last April

    Toyota Motor Sales announced yesterday that its U.S. sales of new cars were up 24.4 percent over the previous April, during the worst of the economic meltdown. Despite recent months--during which a lawsuits have rained down on Toyota for unintended acceleration and brake related safety concerns...

  • Aptera 2e during Automotive X-Prize handling tests, from Consumer Reports video on YouTube
    Aptera Grits Its Teeth, Glosses Over Auto X-Prize 2e Handling Issue

    Optimism is a useful thing for a startup company, maybe even a requirement. But the April newsletter from Aptera Motors, which is struggling to launch its ultra-aerodynamic three-wheeled electric vehicle in the face of delays and funding constraints, smooths over some crucial handling issues with...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf
    Will Nissan Have a Smaller Electric Car For Sale After the Leaf?

    Rumors are flying that Nissan is preparing a subcompact electric vehicle to compete directly with cars like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and it may even be made in China. The rumors are unconfirmed: word of mouth from inside a partner company of Nissan. But given the number of pre-launch reservations for...

  • 2012 Tesla Model S

    Last month was was a pretty great one for mainstream automakers planning to deliver plug-in vehicles. Publicity a-plenty, state and Federal grants announced, pricing revealed. The message from Detroit and Japan is clear: If you like it then you shoulda put a plug on it ... But with so many of the big guns launching plug-in vehicles, what hope do small EV and PHEV companies have in future months? Within a year, we'll be able to choose among some really impressive plug-in vehicles. Within five years, expect most major manufacturers to be offering some form of plug-in--all with excellent service...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show
    With Initial EV Prices High, Is Conversion an Option?

    Early this week, Mitsubishi announced that the U.K. purchase price of the 2010 i-MiEV would be a hefty £33,699 ($50,465). With prices for plug-in vehicles on the high side for the foreseeable future, is conversion a better solution for drivers who don't want to wait to plug in? Granted, the...

  • Aptera 2e development prototype at company offices in Vista, California
    Wait A Month For Details of 2e Electric Car, Aptera Says

    On Friday, Aptera held its first online Town Hall Meeting--a chat among eager followers and some of the Aptera marketing team. Their intent, according to the opening spiel,  was to "reduce some of the mystery around the company and open our supporters and depositors up to some of the great things...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf prototype
    Nissan Ups Ante With U.K. Factory For 2011 Leaf Electric Car

    Nissan has upped the ante on its bid to become the world's leading electric-car maker, by announcing a third global factory for production of their 2011 Leaf electric car. The small northern U.K. city of Sunderland will become the third site across three continents to be tooled up to build the...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt pre-production prototype, January 2010
    Making EVs is Easy; Making GOOD EVs Is Hard, and Costly

    We're now well and truly on the road to plug-in vehicle nirvana, with the 2011 Nissan Leaf, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and various other plug-in and electric vehicles due to hit the market within the next couple of years. But there now seem to be hundreds of car companies, enthusiastic business...

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