Hasta La Gadget!

Despite General Motors’ problems, the company has affirmed, reaffirmed and swore on its life that the Volt would hit the highway in 2010 come hell, high water or insolvency. That said, we reckon coming through on that vow is going to get a lot tougher without a few more billion from the United States Energy Department. You see, GM had applied for $10.3 from the entity, and $2.6 billion of that was to be set aside for building the all-electric sedan and two derivatives of it (as well as a third hybrid model, we’re told). Unfortunately for it, all that cheddar is being held up due to its inability to pass a “financial viability test in order to simply survive.” Not surprisingly, GM is assuring the world that the government’s final decision won’t stop the Volt from going on sale this November, but it also said that bankruptcy wouldn’t be needed just a few months ago. Ahem. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

Filed under: Transportation

GM’s request for Energy Department funds on hold, Volt looks really afraid originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It isn’t exactly providing a whole lot of details just yet, but Mitsubishi has confirmed at the New York Auto Show today that its i-MiEV electric vehicle will indeed be making its way to the U.S., and sometime “before 2012.” Interestingly, according to AutoblogGreen, that delay apparently isn’t due to any hang-ups with the vehicle itself (it’s hitting roads in Japan this summer), but rather whether battery-maker GS Yuasa can scrounge up enough lithium-ion batteries to keep up with demand. It also looks like the car that eventually hits the U.S. won’t be exactly the same as the model bound for Japan and Europe, with the i-MiEV name likely the first thing to go. Of course, there’s no official word on a U.S. price just yet, but the car, which boasts a range of around 100 miles on a single charge, should be selling for the rough local equivalent of $30,000 when it hits Europe and Japan.

Filed under: Transportation

Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV electric vehicle officially headed to the US originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With Tesla struggling to make ends meet — let alone become a thriving, profitable automaker during a time when all people want are non-gas-powered vehicles — we have to say that Sigma Motorworks has its work cut out for it here. According to head of operations Matias Gorfinkiel, the Sigma GTE is “a test bed for a commercial high performance sports model that [it] will bring to market by early 2010.” Autoblog reports that most of the vehicle is based on Ford’s storied Mustang, with its front and rear differentials coming directly from Ford and the GTE cockpit ripped straight from an older model Pony car. If all goes well (which isn’t likely, honestly), it’ll provide around 100 miles per charge and could hit upwards of 145 miles per hour; of course, finding the funding to put this thing together is another matter entirely, so don’t go placing a pre-order via some Nigerian-based sister site just yet.

[Image courtesy of AutoblogGreen]

Filed under: Transportation

Sigma Motorworks developing EV based on Ford Mustang originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you didn’t already have enough electric and plug-in hybrid cars on your shopping list for next year, make sure you add pair of offerings from the reborn Detroit Electric to the running. The company (which, naturally, isn’t based in Detroit) has already announced a partnership with Malaysian automotive group Proton (owner of Lotus, responsible for much of the Tesla Roadster’s underpinnings), and the two are now providing a few details of the offerings set to launch throughout next year in Europe, China, the UK, and the US. Two versions of the e63 model will be available, seemingly distinguished only by how far they can go before stranding you. The so-called “city range” model is rated for 112 miles to a charge and will sell for under $26,000, while the “extended range” version pushes that distance up to 200 miles — and the price up to $33,000. MSRP for that radical ZAP Alias the company has been teasing you with for years? Nowhere to be found, naturally.

[Via Financial Times]

Filed under: Transportation

Proton and Detroit Electric detail their forthcoming rechargeable offerings originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Motors has officially unveiled its highly-anticipated, all-electric Model S sedan, hours after a few leaked photos appeared on the Internet, the New York Times reports.

The Model S will cost $49,900 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. It weigh about 4,000 pounds in full production trim when it hits the U.S. market in late 2011. It will also rip off 0-60 runs in 5.6 seconds, and be able to carry a 50-inch plasma TV with the rear seats folded down.

Inside, a 17-inch touchscreen LCD dominates the center console with Pandora Radio, Google Maps, and 3G cellular broadband. All-wheel-drive will be available as an option.