Aug 17

Third generation Smart Fortwo ditches Tesla powertrain, gains two wheeled cousin

Posted in: bike, Cars, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili
Time and tide wait for no man, folks. Nearly nine months after delivering the first electric Fortwos to snuggie-toting yanks, Daimler’s gone and announced its faster and longer-lasting successor. It’s not an entirely new car mind you, rather an extensive under the hood nip and tuck that replaces the Tesla powertrain with a more potent unit sourced from EM-motive. Up 34 horses from the previous model, the 74 horsepower EV now scoots from 0-60 in a “lively” 13 seconds — a vast improvement over the 23.4 second (!) time of its predecessor. It’s got a larger 17.6kWh battery pack too, which increases range a smidge to 87 miles. And this isn’t another EV trial: it’ll be produced in volume and sold (not leased) in 30 countries at an undisclosed price.

Joining the revised city dweller is the matching Smart Ebike. The electrically assisted bicycle gives meat bags a choice of four levels of laziness as it propels them 60 miles between charges. At €2,900 (or around $4,000) it’s no bargain, but you didn’t think transportational color coordination came cheap, did you? Expect more on both come September when they are officially unveiled at IAA Frankfurt, but our friends at Autoblog Green have plenty of pics for your perusal at the source below.

Continue reading Third generation Smart Fortwo ditches Tesla powertrain, gains two wheeled cousin

Third generation Smart Fortwo ditches Tesla powertrain, gains two wheeled cousin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 14

Take a spin in Tesla’s Model S this October, if you can get past the velvet rope

Posted in: automobile, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, tesla, Today's Chili

Tesla’s been showing off its Silicon Valley-bred saloon for months now, from the touchscreen-laden console to the mechanical bits beneath its shapely skin. We even got a spread of a road going Model S last month, and this October a lucky few will get to cruise in some beta test cars at Tesla’s factory in Fremont. These beta versions are “over ninety percent” of what the production Model S will be, and after the ride, the chosen get to tour Tesla’s manufacturing facility. We plan on being there when the new EV is put through its paces, so stay tuned for our impressions of the Model S this autumn.

Take a spin in Tesla’s Model S this October, if you can get past the velvet rope originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo doesn’t believe in electric cars, Santa Claus (video)

Posted in: electric car, ElectricCar, ev, hybrid, Today's Chili, video
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo doesn't believe in electric cars, ghosts (video)

As saucy as some of them may be, today’s electric car is definitely a novelty. Still, it’s not too hard to imagine a future where the majority of autos run on electrons — whether they’re pushed from batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. Not everybody’s down with that idea, and one of those EV detractors is the incredibly suave Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo. We recently had a chance to chat briefly with the man who said — in no unequivocal terms — that there is no electric Ferrari coming:

You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don’t believe in electric cars, because I don’t think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment. But, we are working very, very hard on the hybrid Ferrari. This should be the future, and I hope in a couple of years you can see it.

So what’s next for the brand of the prancing horse? A hybrid, of course, which we’re guessing will be more Porsche 918 than Toyota Prius. Still, ruling out EVs in the future seems perhaps a bit… restricting, but keep in mind Luca did say this was only his policy.

Continue reading Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo doesn’t believe in electric cars, Santa Claus (video)

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo doesn’t believe in electric cars, Santa Claus (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 11

Ford teams with SunPower, offers EV owners $10,000 solar charging system

Posted in: car, Cars, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Ford, solar, solar power, SolarPower, Today's Chili

We might not know how much Ford’s expecting for the Focus Electric, but it’s already put a hefty $10,000 price tag on one of its accessories. The company announced today that it has teamed with SunPower to offer purchasers of the upcoming Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi a 2.5-kilowatt rooftop solar system. That setup will apparently provide “enough renewable energy production to offset the energy used for charging” cars that log 1,000 miles per month (about 30 miles per day) or less. If $10,000 is just a little too rich for your blood, there’s always Best Buy’s $1,500 budget-friendly charging station. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Ford teams with SunPower, offers EV owners $10,000 solar charging system

Ford teams with SunPower, offers EV owners $10,000 solar charging system originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Nissan’s Android app lets you charge your Leaf from afar, puts the ‘ease’ in EV

Posted in: Android, android market, AndroidMarket, app, charger, charging, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, green, sales, smartphone, Today's Chili
If you happen to be both a Nissan Leaf owner and an Android user, you’re in luck today, because the automaker has just released an official app that could make your life a little easier. With Nissan’s tool, you’ll be able to monitor your electric vehicle’s battery life and estimated driving range directly from your smartphone, which you can also use to remotely charge your Leaf, or start its air conditioning. It may not be the most groundbreaking app ever, but it definitely offers some welcomed convenience to Nissan’s growing base of EV drivers. Yesterday, the company confirmed to Autoblog Green that Leaf sales “crossed the 10,000 mark a couple weeks ago.” Exact figures are hard to come by, due to Japan’s summer holiday, but Nissan says it’s 100 percent certain that the milestone was crossed. Next up: world domination.

Nissan’s Android app lets you charge your Leaf from afar, puts the ‘ease’ in EV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 04

Gone in 43 seconds: Tesla’s Model S gets teased on the track (video)

Posted in: car, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, tesla, Today's Chili, video

We’ve already seen a short bit of footage of a single Model S on the road, and now Tesla has released an even briefer video of not one, not two, but three vehicles on the track for some alpha-level testing. No, they’re not racing (at least not on the video), but it certainly looks like they’re ready for one. See for yourself after the break, and look for things to improve further from here — Tesla says it’s now already applying what it’s learned from the testing to its forthcoming beta vehicles.

Continue reading Gone in 43 seconds: Tesla’s Model S gets teased on the track (video)

Gone in 43 seconds: Tesla’s Model S gets teased on the track (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 03

Nissan’s ‘Leaf to Home’ system sends power back to your house or the grid

Posted in: electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, power, Today's Chili

The Nissan Leaf may look like a car, but it turns out it will soon also be an emergency power generator on wheels. The automaker just took the wraps off its new “Leaf to Home” system in Japan this week, which promises to let you send power stored in the car back to your house in the case of an outage, or even back to the grid (letting you charge the car during off-peak hours and profiting when demand is high, for instance). Of course, that also requires more than your basic charging station (this one ties directly into your home’s electricity distribution panel), and it’s not quite ready for consumer use just yet — Nissan expects it to be available in Japan by April of next year.

Nissan’s ‘Leaf to Home’ system sends power back to your house or the grid originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 26

Fisker Karma boss nabs first set of keys, s’pose we’d do the same

Posted in: electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, luxury, Today's Chili

In an old-fashioned display of corporate introversion, the keys to the first production Fisker Karma will be handed not to a real customer, or a profile-raising celeb, or even to a good cause. Nope, they’ll be whisked straight into the silky pockets of Ray Lane, chairman of the board of directors at Fisker Automotive. Unless it’s an entirely empty publicity stunt and he has to hand the keys right back, lucky Lane will be driving home this afternoon in a luxury EV with a 300-mile range and 125MPH top speed. The rest of us, however, will have to wait til October — and cough up $95,900.

Fisker Karma boss nabs first set of keys, s’pose we’d do the same originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 06:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Nissan expands Leaf’s US availability, makes seat warmers standard

Posted in: car, Cars, electric, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili

Hey Leaf owners — that’s right, all 4,000 of you — it looks like Nissan took your complaints feedback to heart and is making a few standard additions its EV auto line. Prospective owners of the yet-to-be delivered 2012 models can look forward to the inclusion of a DC fast charge port that’ll have your roadster 80 percent juiced in under 30 minutes and some cold weather features — like heated seats and a battery warmer. The Japanese carmaker also announced plans to expand availability of the auto to Illinois and parts of the southeastern US, and will open reservations to the general public once existing orders are fulfilled. So that’s the good, now are you ready for the bad? These electric hatchbacks are getting a new, higher MSRP that takes the SV trim level model to $35,200 and the SL to $37,250. It’s an entirely reasonable price to pay for warm buns and, hey, you’re saving the planet.

Continue reading Nissan expands Leaf’s US availability, makes seat warmers standard

Nissan expands Leaf’s US availability, makes seat warmers standard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 19

Six Fisker Karmas roll off the production line, coming soon to a city near you

Posted in: electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili

It’s been months since the first Fisker Karma came forth from the factory, and in the time since, the sleek saloon’s production timeline experienced a delay or two along the way. Yet, here we are, and the next six production Fiskers have finally been constructed. Unfortunately, those with open wallets will have to wait to get one of the elusive EVs, as the sextet of Karmas is bound for a nationwide barnstorming tour — so that the masses may caress the car’s curvy lines and perhaps take one for a spin. Details are scarce regarding the test drives, but OC Metro reports that 44 fortunate cities and 3,000 people will get to cruise in the performance EV over the next three months. Now that’s some good Karma.

Six Fisker Karmas roll off the production line, coming soon to a city near you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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