Hasta La Gadget!

Need to pick up a foursome of Detolf display cases? Better know a pal with a pickup, bub. Unless, of course, your nearest IKEA happens to be one of ten situated in Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. The famed furniture retailer has just nailed down a partnership with ECOtality, with a smattering of its western US stores to host Blink electric vehicle charging stations. Each of the sites be evaluated for feasibility and installation needs, and we’re told that the first stations should become operational this fall. The pilot program is currently set to last through December of 2012, but we’re guessing it’ll end up surviving quite a bit longer — after all, it was already tough enough to resist a weekly trip to this place. Now? Swedish meatballs just become a daily affair.

Continue reading Select IKEA stores to host Blink electric vehicle charging stations, Volts now suitable for furniture pickup

Select IKEA stores to host Blink electric vehicle charging stations, Volts now suitable for furniture pickup originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 05:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony must be smelling dolla dolla bills in the EV-charged streets because the company just announced its intentions to fab lithium-ion batteries for the cars mid-decade. The statement, made from its plant in Motomiya, hinges on a future market flush with consumer demand for the earth-friendly autos, and could see the construction of several dedicated factories. Given the Japanese company’s recent history eating bits of competitor dust (hello Wii and iPod), we understand its forward-facing desire to become king of this Li-ion hill. But the mega-electronics maker isn’t placing all of its batteries in one fuel-source just yet — it’s “also [considering] developing batteries for gasoline-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids” — should they win the green energy popularity contest. While we applaud the company for encouraging adoption of the environmentally-friendlier tech, we’d much rather see them make batteries for this bad boy from tomorrowland.

Sony eyes electric car future, wants to soon sell you Li-ion batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to Automobile, Nissan is winning the race to put the most electric cars in American driveways, selling 3,875 Leafs in the first six months of 2011, while Chevy only managed to put 2,754 Volt keys in the hands of consumers. This is despite Nissan suffering a month long manufacturing setback following the tsunami that struck in March. Chevy has had its own delays, having closed the Volt plant five weeks ago for upgrades that will allow it to pump out more vehicles. Lets not forget though, the Leaf starts at about $8,000 less than its American made competitor and, when it comes to weaning us off gas and putting us behind the wheel of tech-packed cars — there’s no shame in being number two. Perhaps GM will have better luck with that cheaper, shorter range version it’s been contemplating.

Leaf sales outpacing the Volt, winning the fight for American garage space originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Better Place continued on its quest of global EV-battery-switching domination, Tuesday, bringing its special drop-and-swap charging solution to the fine folks of Gladsaxe, Denmark. An automated robot arm ceremoniously traded out the battery in a Renault Fluence Z.E., marking the beginning of a nine-month roll out across the country. The aptly titled Battery Switch station is the first of its kind in Europe and the first of 20 to be installed in Denmark. It was a monumental occasion, to be sure, one that could have only benefited from a performance of Michael Jackson’s Heal the World as sung by Danish humanoid (and ladies’ man) Geminoid-DK. Full PR after the break.

[Thanks, Tesoo]

Continue reading Denmark lands Europe’s first Better Place EV battery swapping station

Denmark lands Europe’s first Better Place EV battery swapping station originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A supercharged Chevrolet Corvette may have been all the hotness back in 1996, but times and tastes change and now people are all about the electric boogaloo. Today we get to witness one modern man’s transition into this brave new world, a Wayne Bickley from California, who has gutted his crow-black ’96 Corvette and replaced the messy internal combustion setup with a set of 18 XS Power XP1000 batteries, a DC electric motor, and his own clutchless six-speed transmission. The end result doesn’t really look much different, but its 20-mile “spirited driving” range and 85mph top speed will surely feel different and it does also sound very much like something from the future. Check out this modernized Chevy on video after the break.

Continue reading 1996 Corvette converted into a 2011 electric odyssey (video)

1996 Corvette converted into a 2011 electric odyssey (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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