Electric Car Blogging

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, BMW

We’ve heard consistent rumors since last year that BMW was considering entering the tiny car market with a new electric car. This entire time, BMW was to decide on the fate of the city EV by the end of the year, and it seems that they have. BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the Bavarian automaker will indeed go smaller, though we are not so sure it will wear the blue and white badge. Rather, the new vehicle could wear the Isetta badge made popular on microcars from the past. “It’ll be a car with a completely new look, with two engines available. One will be a very efficient combustion engine and the other will be a purely electric model,” says Reithofer. Speculation is that the electric model will get over 200 miles per charge. We don’t know what internal combustion engine is slated for the Isetta, but BMW has plenty of experience with small and efficient engines from its Motorrad division. We like the way this is going.

[Source: Autocar]

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

At the beginning of this year, we first reported on the RoboScooter, which at that time was still a concept. The two-wheeler was designed through a collaboration of three companies including SYM, the second largest scooter manufacturer in Taiwan and a highly reputable company. According to recent reports, SYM has big plans for its electrically-driven scooter and hopes to see the machine on public roads in Taiwan sometime in the second half of next year. Powered by a lithium ion battery and hub motors, there would be no pollution coming from the scooter and the machine would cost mere cents to operate per mile. Plus, the aluminum-intensive structure would ensure light weight and easy handling, making the RoboScooter seem perfect for smaller urban settings. The manufacturer also sees the possibility for the easy replacement of batteries, greatly extending the range. While there’s no telling if this machine will ever make it to the U.S., it is expected to cost NT,000 - about ,968.

[Source: CENS via The Scooter Scoop]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Legislation and Policy, USA

Part of the Electric Drive Transportation Association’s (EDTA) reason for being is to convince lawmakers to support electric-drive vehicles. That’s what those May radio spots were about and that’s what EDTA president Brian Wynne will be doing next week when he testifies before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on “the current state of vehicles powered by the grid and the prospects for wider deployment in the near future.” If you’re interested in how the EDTA views plug-in, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles in the currenty energy policy debate, you can listen on on the Committee’s website starting at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, September 16th (we have our own plans for that particular moment) and check the EDTA’s website for prepared testimony sometime before the hearing begins.

[Source: EDTA]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Pacific Region

Now that Tesla has tested the waters, some other not-as-well known companies have announced that they, too, would like to explore the electric supercar waters. Bolwell, makers of the Nagari revival in Australia, are the latest to throw their names into the ring. Like Tesla, the company is reportedly not interested in going the hybrid route - just as well considering that making two distinct sources of power work together is pretty tough, even for the big auto manufacturers. So far, no word on where the company would propose to get its motors or batteries. This fact, in addition to the fact that the firm’s first model, which will be powered by a V6 internal combustion engine sourced from Toyota, has not yet gone up for sale, means that it could take a little while to see an Nagari EV on the streets. Oh well, we are never against the idea of more electric carmakers.

[Source: Auto Fiends]

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

“Make hay while the sun shines ‘cuz we’re on our way and we’re bringing some serious rain,” is the message Honda and Yamaha are sending to the new electric motorcycle companies that have been springing up like daisies. Only one of the two long-established Japanese brands has shown off battery-powered concepts in the recent past and neither has offered any for sale to the public. This has allowed new start-ups like Vectrix to begin establishing a strong presence. No more. Well, in a year or two, no more. Maybe.

Honda and Yamaha have reportedly both set launch dates for electric motorcycles. YaMoCo is looking at 2010 to offer a bike with 50cc-like performance with a 100km (62 mile) range. Not too impressive, but it’s a start. HoMoCo Honda, for their part, is targeting a model for a 2011 launch that is suited for the Japanese postal service who are said to be moving their 90,000-strong bike fleet to electric power. Lithium ion seems to be their battery chemistry of choice for the Japanese firms. While not seemingly overwhelming in the performance department, we suspect the two may be able to offer their wares at very competitive prices.

[Source: Reuters]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep

Chrysler’s co-president continued to talk up his employer’s plans for electrically-driven vehicles this week at a media luncheon in California. Press told the gathering that he had driven three different producible prototypes of plug-in hybrid vehicles recently. The vehicles have been developed by the new ENVI unit that was established in late 2007 specifically to work on electric vehicles. According to Press, the vehicles can accelerate from 0-60 mph in four seconds and have a range of over 300 miles. Press hasn’t said when these vehicles would be built, but earlier this summer, company officials indicated a 3-5 year timeline to produce such vehicles. If so that would put the company at least 1-2 years behind the expected launch of the Chevrolet Volt and a potential plug-in version of the Toyota Prius. For production, it’s likely that the performance of the cars would be dialed back significantly in order to increase electric range although a higher-performance Dodge vehicle is not out of the question.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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

GM Europe president Carl-Peter Forster said again this week that the company would launch E-Flex-based extended range EVs on the European market in 2011, about a year behind the Volt launch in North America. In his remarks, Forster referred to both petrol- and diesel-powered ER-EVs, although the last time we checked with GM they said they had no plans yet to produce diesel-powered E-Flex vehicles. The Opel/Saturn Flextreme concept that the company displayed at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show used a diesel engine in place of the gas/E85 engine from the Volt. GM Europe plans to offer both Chevrolet and Opel branded E-Flex cars. Forster also told reporters that GM wil start building actual prototype Volts with production intent hardware this month and hopes to have 50 cars completed by the end of the year.

[Source: Reuters]

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Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Lexus, Canada

At last year’s Targa Newfoundland, driver Mark Lachapelle brought his Lexus GS 450h — yeah, that’s a hybrid — home 18th overall, and sixth in his division. This year he’ll return to the 2,200-kilometer race which runs over six days through the central and eastern part of the island.

The 339 hp Lexus is the only one of last year’s hybrid contestants to return, and is kitted for duty with just a safety cage, performance exhaust and upgraded shock absorbers. Slotted into the modern division, this year’s race will pit the Japanese hybrid against big bore Americana: among other competitors, Ralph Gilles and Karen Wagner are scheduled to drive a Dodge Challenger SRT in the same class.

Targa Newfoundland runs from September 13-20, and if you want to keep up with the action in a timely manner, check out Autonet.ca. For you French speakers, go to the French version of Autonet.ca, or PassionPerformance.ca.

[Source: Lexus]

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