Hasta La Gadget!

Despite the fact that the United States government is pushing hard for drivers to adopt electric vehicles and hybrids, most drivers are sticking with traditional automobiles. One of the big reasons that many drivers are staying away from electric vehicles is because the charging infrastructure in the United States is still very poor in most areas. That means that electric vehicle drivers are stuck operating their cars only within range of their home or offices where they can plug-in.

Nissan has announced it is teaming up with NRG Energy to try and triple the number of electric vehicle fast chargers in the Washington DC area. Nissan plans to install at least 500 quick charging stations in the area over the next 18 months. Nissan and its partners estimate that right now 160 fast chargers are available for public use across the United States.

Nissan says that there are no fast chargers available for public use in Washington DC. Adding more fast chargers in the Washington DC area will allow drivers to increase how much they drive their electric vehicles according to Nissan. Nissan plans to install fast chargers including a network of 40 eVgo Freedom Station sites across the city.

Each of those sites will have a Nissan fast charger able to provide EVs like the LEAF with an 80% charge in under 30 min, it’s unclear if the charters will support only Nissan EVs. Nissan says that it currently operates fast charger networks in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and other locations around the country. Nissan’s plan will cost approximately $150 million.

[via Nissan]

Nissan plans to triple available electric vehicle fast chargers in Washington DC is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The electric vehicle market isn’t exactly booming. The vehicles tend to cost significantly more than gasoline-powered alternatives and many consumers worry that they won’t have enough driving range to take care of all of their business. Ford has been having a difficult time selling its new Focus electric vehicle called the Focus EV.

To help get buyers interested in the electric vehicle, Ford has announced significant discounts of over $10,000 for people who lease the electric vehicle. Consumers who opt for a three-year lease can now get $10,750 off the lease price. The catch is that the significant discount does include the $7500 government tax credit.

If the buyer happens to be in a position to pay cash, Ford has dropped the base price for the Focus EV by $2000. A $2000 base price drop is for cash purchases only. Interested buyers who don’t want to lease or pay cash can also be a special 1.9% financing deal on the electric vehicle through Ford Motor Credit.

Ford’s 36-month lease gives buyers 10,500 miles a year and costs $285 per month. People who lease do have to pay $930 at signing. The cash purchase price for the Focus EV is $37,995. Whether or not the new discounts will spur buyers to come in and purchase the vehicle remains to be seen. Ford sold only 685 Focus EVs in 2012.

[via Detroit News]

Ford offers big discounts on Focus EV is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’re well aware Toyota and BMW are pretty good pals, but details of their ongoing study sessions on green vehicle tech have been vague thus far. The trickle of information continues, and today the companies met to autograph more bits of paper and clasp hands for the camera. New binding agreements were signed to reaffirm deals inked in March and June last year, and their research into next-generation lithium-ion batteries has been expanded to cover the lithium-air kind (hopefully, they are less flammable). Work on making vehicles lighter continues, and they expect to complete development of an inclusive fuel cell system by the distant target of 2020. Expect to see some fruits of BMW and Toyota’s labor before then, though, as they intend to “define a joint platform concept for a mid-sized sports vehicle” by the end of the year. Don’t get too excited — we imagine that jargon means we’ll be privy to a few bits of artwork and some inspirational words come the deadline. If you’d like to know more about the evolving partnership, check out the source links below.

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Via: Phys.org

Source: BMW (1), (2)

We’ve seen the Model X in the flesh before, at its showy unveiling last February at which Tesla CEO Elon Musk turned up to show off the “Falcon Wing” rear doors and the rather… compact seating arrangement that makes room for three full rows of short-legged human beings. Here in Detroit at NAIAS the 2014 model year car is making another appearance, doors open and interior fully-functional. We couldn’t resist hopping in there to check out the 17-inch multi-function touch panel. Largely the same as that in the Model S, the panel lets you manage climate control, navigation and, yes, do a little web surfing too. It’s all demonstrated in the video after the break.

Continue reading Tesla Model X SUV hands-on (video)

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Nissan has confirmed a new version of the Leaf electric car will launch this year, a cheaper model to lower the cost of entry to EVs, though the car company is yet to announce actual pricing. The new Leaf S – which will go on sale alongside two more feature-packed variants of the car – should hit showrooms in February, Nissan says, with the primary compromise being the absence of a new fast charging system.

That 6.6kw charging system will be a standard option on the top two tiers of Leaf – known as the Leaf SV and Leaf SL – and should significantly reduce the time it takes the get the car juiced up and back on the road. In fact, the updated charger is expected to roughly halve charging time in comparison to the 2012 Leaf, the batteries of which can be filled in around seven hours.

Those who opt for the cheapest 2013 Leaf will have to pay extra for the fast-charge system, part of Nissan’s cost-cutting for the new car. It will be produced in Nissan’s Tennessee plant, with the batteries manufactured in a nearby facility. Options will include a more premium interior with more advanced infotainment systems.

Range for all three variants will be improved over the models on sale in the past two years, as Nissan tries to be more competitive against popular rivals like Chevy’s Volt. The Japanese company sold under 10,000 Leaf cars in 2012, half of its target amount.

Cheaper Nissan Leaf confirmed to spur 2013 EV sales is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.