Electric Car Blogging

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels, USA

If you have a fondness for super sweet electric motorcycles, are creative with a computer and harbor your own vision of what a green world looks like, then perhaps you should submit an entry into the “Creativity for a Greener World” contest being held by BOXX Technologies and sponsored by AMD. To celebrate their 10th year at SIGGRAPH 2008, the Austin-based designer and manufacturer of high-performance workstations and render nodes for digital content want you to send them a 2D, 3D or animation that represents your vision of a greener world so they can give their favorite entry a very cool limited edition Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle. A prototype of the bike will be on display at their SIGGRAPH 2008 booth this week if you’re in that area and want to check it out. The winner will receive one at the very first bikes off the line once production kicks off. If this sounds like opportunity knocking to you, hurry because the contest ends on the 22nd of this month.

So what does digital art, BOXX or AMD have to do with the Brammo Enertia? The lithium-powered two-wheeler was designed using an APPEXX 4 super workstation powered by four Quad-core AMD Opteron processors and stands as an example of what can be achieved through technology to create a greener world. The zero-emissions bike is capable of more than 50 mph and has a range of about 40 miles. If you don’t have the time to get creative and win one, you can always get one the old-fashioned way and buy it. You can get the aluminum-framed Enertia Standard with injection molded plastic body panels and fenders and vinyl seat for ,995 or go whole hog, so to speak, and get one of 99 serialized Enertia Carbon Limited models with carbon fiber body panels and fenders and a stylish leather seat for ,995. If you decide to have a go at winning one, we wish you good luck!

[Source: BOXX Technologies]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily, Th!nk (Think), USA

Click above for more high-res shots of this custom Th!nk NEV

Ever since at least the 1950’s, car culture has included modifying vehicles for added performance and style. With the dawn of the fully electric car, there are some contingents that are all ready considering how best to eke more from the first generation of electric vehicles, like the original Th!nk NEV. Considering that the speed of a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle is strictly controlled, there’s not a whole lot that can be done (legally) to increase their performance, but style is another matter entirely. A California company by the name of Electric Car Warehouse has taken a Th!nk NEV from a few years back and added new wheels and tires along with some other stylish duds. Take a look at the gallery below for the end result.

For reference, a NEV is a vehicle that is 4-wheeled, has a top attainable speed in 1 mile of more than 20 mph and not more than 25 mph on a paved level surface, and has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of less than 2,500 pounds. Thanks for the tip, Jerry!

[Source: Electric Cart Warehouse]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA

For the past few years the little Xebra from ZAP! has pretty much had the American three-wheeled electric truck market cornered. However, those days of “dominance” may soon be numbered if the Buckshot from Green Vehicles proves to be as capable as they suggest it is. In fact, since they say that they have been getting “tremendous interest” from different businesses, including a request for a demo from the United States Postal Service, we wonder if it might not make the Xebra truck extinct. Like the Triac that the company is also bringing to our shores, the Buckshot boasts a 20kw brushless AC motor powered by 23 kWh of LiFePO4 batteries with the a custom battery management system (BMS) and regenerative braking. The top speed is said to be 60 mph (the website says 45 mph, so it may be speed-limited) with a range of 80 to 90 miles (at 45 mph). It’s heavy duty suspension is advertised to handle a total vehicle load of 1 ton and there are optional cargo configurations. When is it coming? Hit the jump for more.

[Source: Green Vehicles]

Continue reading Will Buckshot kill the Xebra?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mercedes Benz, SMART

Daimler’s R&D boss Thomas Weber has been speaking bullishly about the company’s plans for electric drive vehicles. In an interview with German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Weber said that Daimler would be building several hundred electric vehicles by 2010, and ramping that up to 10,000 by 2012. Prototype lithium ion powered Smart ForTwos and Mercedes A-Class should appear next year with low volume production starting the following year. Daimler is already testing battery powered Smart ForTwo EDs in the UK and is now planning to expand that pilot program to Berlin and possibly Paris and Rome. The current Smarts have a 60 mile range and Daimler research shows that 80 percent of Europeans drive less than 30 miles a day. There was no mention of US testing of the electric Smart in spite of earlier reports that the car could be field tested in Southern California in 2009. Weber says that Daimler is also continuing development of fuel cell vehicles.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM

Click for high res images

ABC news has just posted another video discussing the Chevy Volt. As expected, it’s basically a puff piece with nothing particularly earth shattering being revealed as far as technical details. Car and Driver editor Csaba Csere expresses his skepticism that GM can make the Volt happen on target. However GM exterior design executive director Michael Simcoe does peal back the cover off the latest production styling buck and reveals some new details. Compared to the version that we saw in the studio back in December, the current version doesn’t appear dramatically different but GM has refined some details. The shape of the lower edge of the headlight cluster has changed with a step up in the middle and the trailing section with the turn signals now being narrower and stretching further back. In a side view, it’s clear that the whole nose is now far more sharply swept back than the concept. As we saw in December the whole Chevrolet signature grille area is now closed off with all air coming through the opening below the bumper. There is also a prominent splitter that didn’t exist on the concept. Even with the cover on the buck, it’s apparent that the car retains the up-swept belt line and high rear deck of the concept but the green house is significantly taller. The increased rake of the windshield compared to the concept is also apparent in the side view as are the more subdued fender flares. We’ll be getting our definitive view of the Volt soon enough but for now we’ll just have to keep settling for these teases. You can check out the video after the jump. Thanks to Jacob for the tip!

[Source: ABC News]

Continue reading Fresh views of the production Chevy Volt revealed in ABC news video

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Car Buying, Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Green

If you’re already stretched paper thin under the financial weight of a thirsty, expensive vehicle, getting out of it for something more fuel efficient might seem like an unattainable dream. Fear not, the smarties over at Consumer Reports have rightly pointed out that since depreciation accounts for nearly half of the cost of a car during its first five years of ownership, buying a used miser is the best way to save money and resources.

The usual suspects top CR’s lists; both the under ,000 and ,000-,000 categories are dominated by Toyota and Honda products. Honda’s Insight is deemed the zenith of ,000 sippers, with the ‘01-’02 Prius right on its heels. For the higher-price category, the first two slots are occupied by the Prius, and Honda’s Civic Hybrid takes the next two seedings. Rankings are based on CR’s own fuel economy tests, done with a flow meter and repeatable drive cycle, and overall assessments of the vehicle’s quality and reliability likely play big roles in how the list was compiled. It is also noted that older vehicles may be missing out in some more modern features like stability control and side-curtain airbags, but that may be more of an issue for the under ,000 set, which stretches back to vehicles from the late 1990s. Hybrids might be tough to secure right now, especially for a reasonable price, but going used might allow you to ease your consumption while dodging a high-buck purchase to do so.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, SUVs, Green, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen

We knew last month that the Jetta TDI was qualified for the tax credit. Now, word is out that all of the new-generation clean diesels for Volkswagen (TDI) and Mercedes-Benz (Bluetec) will be joining the elite handful of vehicles that qualify for a federal alternative-powertrain tax credit. Formerly reserved for just hybrid vehicles, the diesels have been designated as advanced lean-burn-technology vehicles that meet the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit standards of the IRS. The credits vary based on the vehicle. In the case of Mercedes, the ML320 qualifies for 0 while the GL320 is good for ,800. If diesel still isn’t your thing, the IRS has also qualified several Ford hybrids as eligible too. Of those, the highest credit (a sweet ,000) goes to those consumers who take home an Escape or Mariner two-wheel drive hybrid crossover.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Supercars, Lexus, Rumormill

Click above for high-res gallery of the Lexus LF-A concept.

Lexus sales have been down every month so far this year, which may be due in part to its SUV and crossover-heavy lineup. It also seems that Toyota’s luxury division doesn’t quite have redesigns of its sedans ready yet. According to Automotive News, the automaker’s smallest car, the IS, won’t be redesigned for another few years. While the SC coupe/convertible is set to go the way of the Dodo, expect to see a coupe and convertible iteration of the IS sometime soon. Some sales help is also likely forthcoming from the Lexi-fied version of Toyota’s next-gen Prius.

In a blow to high-performance sedan lovers, however, the rumored GS-F performance edition of the marque’s rear-wheel drive mid-size sedan has been put on hold with fears that the sinking economy will shrink the market for gas-guzzlers too much to make it worthwhile. In more bad news, the 0K-plus LF-A supercar is also being delayed, reportedly in part for failing to meet its desired performance targets. Could that have anything to do with the recent Nissan GT-R and Corvette ZR-1 ‘Ring lap times? You bet’cha.

[Source: Automotive News]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments