Hasta La Gadget!

No matter how hard Nissan tries to convince folks that driving an EV won’t leave them stranded on the side of the road gagging for electricity, that pesky range anxiety issue continues to permeate discussions about electric cars. So, what else to do but strap an EV charger on roadside service vehicles? The Japan Automobile Federation is trialing just such a scheme, with a Nissan-built prototype service truck helping to top up electrified transporters that have ended up bereft of juice at an inopportune moment. The trial’s gotten its start in Kanagawa Prefecture this week, which, incidentally, happens to be using a Nissan Leaf as its governor’s official car. So, even if you do figure out a way to use up your Leaf’s entire battery, you get the comfort of knowing you’re riding like a governor and that the good men in orange jumpsuits will be there to take care of your problemo.

Continue reading Japan trying out roadside service vehicles capable of charging EVs, soothing range anxiety

Japan trying out roadside service vehicles capable of charging EVs, soothing range anxiety originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’re looking at an unlikely picture: two Tesla EVs on the same street. The Silicon Valley carmaker is hoping to become more mainstream, however, when it releases its Model S sedan next year to complement the exuberantly expensive Roadster 2.5. Tesla has just released photos of the latest, nearly production-ready build of the Model S to whet our appetites. The shots reveal a couple of sleek cosmetic changes to the front bumper and body panels, but mainly we’re just happy to see the S rolling on schedule. Oh yes, and there’s another glimpse of the 17-inch infotainment console, which Auto Evolution now reports will be accompanied by built-in 3G. Sounds dandy, but that $57,400 starting price had better include a data plan. Man, who are we kidding?

[Thanks, Lucian]

Tesla Model S is almost production-ready, does photo shoot to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retire your oxen and sell your wagon, the Oregon Trail just went electric. Okay, not the real, historic Oregon Trail, but a respectable 150-mile stretch of Interstate Five. The Oregon Department of Transportation is teaming up with AeroVironment to dot an undisclosed number of 480-volt Level 3 chargers between the California / Oregon state border and the Willamette Valley area as part the West Coast Green Highway initiative. The project aims to cover the entire I-5 corridor with electric vehicle chargers, spanning from the tip toe of the Golden State, all the way up to Washington’s hat. Oregon’s leg of the project should be ready for drivers this fall, making roadtrips to the Beaver State accessible to EV owners — dysentery free. Hit the break for dry, but factual press release.

Continue reading AeroVironment to light up I-5 with EV chargers, add ‘Oregon Trail’ to the Green Highway

AeroVironment to light up I-5 with EV chargers, add ‘Oregon Trail’ to the Green Highway originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Tesla Roadster 2.5 gets 119 MPGe rating from EPA, still as expensive as ever (updated)

Tesla Roadster 2.5 gets 119 MPGe rating from EPA, still as expensive as ever (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The rapture has come and gone, but the Maker Faire powers on. Despite warnings of a May 21st doomsday, folks came out in droves for the annual celebration of all things DIY, and we were there to bring you the best in homespun inventions. This year’s Maker Faire was light on robots and big on corporate sponsorship. Among the giants supporting the little guys were Google, ASUS, and HP, but El Goog’s presence extended beyond its dedicated tents. The new Android ADK was big with at-home tinkerers this year, spawning a number of little robots and at least one DIY alternative.

Perhaps no other trend proved more pervasive than 3D printing, however — every time we turned around there was another MakerBot or RapMan pumping out everything from statuettes of attendees to cutesy salt shakers. There were robotic building blocks, a Heineken-themed R2-D2, DIY drones, custom keyboards, and a ton of repurposed gadgets, but it was an arena of destructo-bots, tucked away in the farthest corner of the San Mateo County Event Center, that really blew us away. We came away sunburned and bedraggled, but lucky for you, we did all the dirty work so you don’t have to. To see what made this year’s Maker Faire, hop on past the break for a video of our favorite DIY finds.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Continue reading Maker Faire 2011, in pictures: Arduinos, Androids, and angry robots (video)

Maker Faire 2011, in pictures: Arduinos, Androids, and angry robots (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 May 2011 17:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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