Hybrid and ZEV car prices could rise by up to $4,000 as battery technology fails to keep pace with dwindling federal tax credits, Toyota has warned, despite aggressive targets for low-emission cars in the US. Development of cheaper, more power-dense batteries are likely to bring down the cost of building cars like the Prius, Toyota’s […]
As environmentally-friendly concepts go, Nissan’s Infiniti EMERG-E is definitely more in the BMW i8 camp of performance first, rather than the meek eco-boxes that can give EVs a bad name, and we’ve been lucky enough to grab a test drive of one of the two working cars in existence while at Nissan 360. While most […]
A new Tesla trademark registration for the “Model E” has prompted speculation that the company’s much-anticipated low-cost electric car will launch under that name, following the Model S and upcoming Model X crossover. Filed on August 5, the “Model E” application – for “automobiles and structural parts therefor” – comes well in advance of the […]
The Tesla Model S‘ all-electric infrastructure is being credited with a heck of a lot more than top-notch energy efficiency. Because of the design, the vehicle lacks a large gasoline engine block up front, boosting the “crumple zone” and ultimately saving lives during an otherwise deadly crash. As a result, the sedan scored a combined record of 5.4 stars during a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test. That figure is higher than the maximum published rating of 5 stars, but Tesla received a more comprehensive report detailing actual results. The Model S also earned high marks with its rear-crash, side-pole-intrusion and rollover tests. Additionally, the lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time, and it never has in a Roadster or Model S — the same can’t be said for certain competitors.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: Tesla
Assuming you’re small enough to fit comfortably, owning the cheap EV of your dreams could soon become a reality. Chevy recently cut the Volt’s price and, as of this week, the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive is available for less, too. Specifically, it’s $139 per month on a three-year, 30,000 mile lease that includes its “battery assurance plus” program, an $80 per month option for purchasers. However, to get that special rate, you’ll have to put $1,999 down and sign paperwork either in California, Oregon or along the East coast. If you’d rather buy outright instead of leasing, Daimler’s compact division has incentives for you, too. In addition to any tax breaks you get from the state and or federal government, the company is knocking $5,010 off the ED’s already low $25,000 sticker price. It’s finally looking like your payments could match the electric two-seater’s diminutive stature.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Autoblog (1), (2)
What good is an EV racing league like Formula E if there’s no way to watch it? Not much, which is why the FIA has reached a deal making Fox Sports the official Formula E broadcaster. The agreement gives Fox a US exclusive for TV coverage as well as a mixture of exclusive and non-exclusive rights (including online content) in over 80 regions. We won’t know if Fox is truly ready for the job until the first Formula E race begins in September 2014, but it won’t be hard to tune in.
Filed under: Transportation, HD
Source: Formula E
Tesla’s four-door Model S has been trickling into North American garages for a couple of years now, and it seems that production has ramped up enough to finally begin deliveries internationally. Starting today, Model S buyers across various ponds will begin to see stock appear. As seen above, the action is starting in Oslo, Norway, where that guy in the driver seat looks particularly charged up about the parade that awaits. Sorry. It seemed funnier in the moment.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Tesla (Twitter)
Wireless charging might seem perfectly suited for smartphones and tablets, but the city of Gumi, South Korea is putting the tech to use with something a little larger: buses. A pair of Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) motorcoaches, which recharge by driving over specially-equipped asphalt, are now running a public transportation route in the city, and it’s said to be the first network of its kind open for regular use. Rather than stopping periodically to jack in, coils on the coaches’ underside pick up power through an electromagnetic field created by road-embedded wires. Currently, the vehicles have a roundtrip journey of 24km (roughly 15 miles) when completing their stops.
Since the system operates so long as 5 to 15 percent of the path is electrified, there’s no need to rely on a completely rigged-up highway. What’s more, the solution is only triggered by passing OLEVs, which means that normal cars can share the same street. If this all sounds familiar, that’s because the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has been hammering away at the technology for several years. Now that it’s made it this far, the city has plans to add ten more buses to its fleet by 2015.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: ExtremeTech
Source: PhysOrg
Now that BMW’s i3 production car has broken cover, the German company has moved onto arguably more exciting things: namely throwing the BMW i8 around a track in France for some performance testing. Shown off in Spyder concept form back at the LA Auto Show in November 2012, the slinky hybrid borrows the plug-in eco-friendliness […]
While the price of a Model S may have increased ever-so-slightly, EVs for the rest of us are starting to become reasonable propositions. GM, for instance, has announced that next year’s Chevy Volt will be listed at $34,995, knocking $5,000 from the current list price. Of course, you’ll still have to pay an $810 handling fee on top of that, but federal and state incentives could cut the cost down to $27,495 — which might make you think twice about that i3.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Daily Tech
Source: GM
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
