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Fiat has been teasing details around its next electric vehicle, the Fiat 500e, expected to arrive on Californian shores sometime in 2013. The new car – which will make its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show kicking off on November 30 – will feature some aesthetic differences from the regular gas-powered model, with the burnt orange of the promo car Fiat is using in its teaser being offset with matte white detailing around the mirrors and  lower front grille.

The electric car also has different sills, while inside there’s push-button drive selection and matching white and orange trim. Of course, the real differences are going to be under the hood, though Fiat is yet to confirm anything about the powerplant.

According to an announcement back in 2010, the 500e would use battery technology from shuttered firm A123Systems, which sold its assets to JCI back in October. Somewhat ominously, Fiat execs have previously suggested that they are only making the electric car because of California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle program, which demands EV options from manufacturers selling in scale in the state, and have admitted that they could well be taking a hit of roughly $10,000 on each car sold.

Fiat-owned Chrysler currently lacks an EV of its own, lagging behind rivals in the US market. The company’s efforts at frugal motoring have so far centered around refining gas engines, such as those found in the Dodge Dart.

Fiat 500e teaser previews 2013′s must-have EV is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’ve heard previously about GM’s and others’ plans to recycle and reuse electric vehicle batteries after they’ve outlived their automotive usefulness, and it looks like one of those possible solutions is making some considerable headway. GM and ABB, a company focused on power and automation technologies, have announced that they’ve successfully demonstrated an energy storage system built from five used Chevy Volt batteries, which would be capable of providing two hours of backup power for three to five average homes. As the companies note, while they’re no longer suitable for use in an electric vehicle, the average end-of-life battery has only used up about 30 percent of its charge, the rest of which can go a long way in other applications (especially when a few of them are paired together). Of course, this is all still just at the demonstration stage, but ABB’s Allen Burchett says this demo is an example of “how fast this research concept is turning into reality,” and that the next step is to test out how the system will actually work on the power grid.

Continue reading GM and ABB repurpose used Chevy Volt batteries to provide home backup power

Filed under: Misc, Transportation

GM and ABB repurpose used Chevy Volt batteries to provide home backup power originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla’s Model S roadster has nabbed Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year award, making it the first electric car to garner the prize. The EV was voted in unanimously by the publication’s judges while beating out the formidable likes of BMW, Porsche and Lexus. In announcing the award, the editors proclaimed the vehicle to be sporty, efficient, spacious and “as smoothly effortless as a Rolls-Royce.” Meanwhile, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk opined that gaining the prize over the gas-burners was a “critical step towards the widespread adoption of sustainable transport.” Now all the automaker needs to do is ramp up production and it might start to generate cash as well as awards.

Continue reading Tesla Model S electrifies Motor Trend judges, unanimously voted 2013 Car of the Year

Filed under: Transportation

Tesla Model S electrifies Motor Trend judges, unanimously voted 2013 Car of the Year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A lot of places suffered the wrath of Sandy as it collided with the East Coast last week, but one manufacturer in particular was left with quite a mess to clean up after Sandy had passed. Fisker says that 300 of its Karma electric vehicles were destroyed by Sandy as they sat in a New Jersey port. Fisker sells each one of those Karmas for about $100,000 here in the States, so Sandy managed to destroy a lot of really expensive product when it made landfall.

Luckily, Fisker thought ahead and had each and every Karma insured. The cars were destroyed when the port flooded, though some of the Karmas actually caught fire when the saltwater shorted their batteries. The wind from Hurricane Sandy made things worse, spreading the fire to other cars. In the end, 16 Karmas had caught fire, but Fisker says there weren’t any explosions.

Even though having 300 cars destroyed is a pretty big loss, Fisker says it probably won’t suffer too much of a financial setback and that this shouldn’t cause any immediate problems with stock in the US, since there already cars in the States waiting to be sold. All in all, it sounds like Fisker will be relatively okay despite the fact that Sandy destroyed 300 completed and ready-to-be sold Karmas.

Fisker hasn’t been having the best of luck lately. Earlier in the year there were reports of Karmas randomly catching fire, and it wasn’t too long ago that we heard of one of Fisker’s manufacturing partners running out cash and selling off assets. Fisker could really use a pick-me-up right about now, but at it least it sounds like the company dodged a very expensive bullet when Sandy came to town.

[via Wall Street Journal]

Fisker hit hard by Hurricane Sandy is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Let’s face it; electric vehicles aren’t exactly selling well. There a lot of reasons for this, one of the biggest being the fact that electric vehicle cost significantly more than a comparable gasoline vehicle. Another major reason is range anxiety.

That hasn’t stopped some the world’s most popular luxury and sports carmakers from showing off pure electric concepts and production vehicles. One of the most interesting and sporty electric vehicles that we’ve seen was the Audi R8 e-tron. Of these vehicles for internal of valuation, but has canceled plans to make production versions for sale to the public.

Part of the reason the Audi has abandoned plans to produce a production version of the electric R8 comes in the form of changing priorities partially attributed to new R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer. When he took over the electric R8 e-tron is one the project is said to have made the cut with Audi.

Another major reason for the elimination of the electric vehicle is said to be a limited range of the vehicle. As a carmaker, Audi is shifting away from electric vehicles to plug-in hybrids. The plug-in hybrid makes a lot more sense for many consumers because it offers the same range as a gasoline vehicle with fuel savings. Audi currently plans to produce plug-in hybrids of several of its vehicle models including the A1, A3, A4, A6, and Q7.

[via Wired]

Audi abandons all electric R8 e-tron is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.