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Toyota had said its all-electric RAV4 would be ready to tour the California streets at some point “late summer,” and with the warmest of seasons coming to an end, the Japanese company’s declared September 24th as the date the SUV will go on sale. What’s more, today’s press release reveals the RAV4 EV boasts a brilliant 103-mile range and 78 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent), which, as Autoblog points out, makes this the first non-Tesla-branded EV with an EPA rating of 100-plus miles. If all that is still not enough for you to shell out the $50,000 (not counting rebates and tax credits, of course), Toyota dealers are expected to offer a 36-month lease option for anyone in The Golden State who prefers a shorter-term commitment.

Continue reading Toyota RAV4 EV hits California roads on September 24th with 103-mile range

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Toyota RAV4 EV hits California roads on September 24th with 103-mile range originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As things seem to be incredibly promising at Tesla Motors’ California headquarters, the situation for a competitor on the other side of the world is growing quite grim. Artega, which reached our hearts at the Geneva Motor Show just last year with its beautiful all-electric SE sports car, has filed for bankruptcy after failing to sell the company to “an Asian investor.” Meanwhile, Artega will continue the search for business partners, and will keep running its German operation with 34 employees. The news is disappointing to say the least, especially with Tesla’s Roadster dropping from production in 2011. Hit up the source link below for a (German-language) explanation, directly from Artega.

Artega fails to sell auto business, files for bankruptcy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes’ plans for a B-Class E-Cell Plus plug-in hybrid might headed for a change of direction. Take this all with a spoonful of NaCl, but looks like an all-electric powertrain made by none other than Tesla will be installed in the EV. As Autoblog Green notes, an anonymous spokesperson has reportedly claimed that the system switch-up is being made due to economics — higher rebates and incentives are possible for zero-emission vehicles in the EV’s US target market. No technical details were given on the new powertrain, but the original idea was to have a Volt-like 138-horsepower electric powerplant for the B-Class compact, with a 67-horsepower gas engine backing it up. At the very least, a collaboration between the two companies would make sense, since the Stuttgart automaker is effectively a five percent stakeholder in Tesla. So if you’ve been holding out for an EV with the Merc touch, check the source for the details.

Mercedes reportedly scraps hybrid plan for B-Class E-Cell Plus EV, going all-in on electrons with Tesla originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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