US official: China could lead in electric vehicles Sep 30, 2009
General Motors Corp. and other U.S. automakers are developing electric cars and GM and an Indian partner announced plans last week for a small model to be sold in India. Sandalow also held talks with Chinese officials on cooperation in promoting energy efficiency, solar power and technology to capture carbon dioxide from burning coal and the next steps for a joint clean energy research center announced in July. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
EPA to adjust wild MPG claims Sep 30, 2009
The concept of judging fuel efficiency on electric cars by the "miles per gallon" they consume is dying a slow death ... Automakers are closely watching because the decision will greatly affect marketing campaigns for their electric cars. (AZCentral -- Business)
Nissan to invest $1B in electric car plants in Nashville region Sep 26, 2009
At full production, the plant is to build 150,000 electric cars a year and create 1,300 jobs for the region ... At the recent Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany, Toyota s executive vice president handicapped the growth potential of electric cars. (Nashville Business Journal, TN)
Electric vehicles light up Paris Motor Show Sep 26, 2009
Mitsubishi, meanwhile, talked up its i-MiEV electric cars with lithium batteries and about 100-mile range. For all the enthusiasm for pure EVs and plug-ins, the notes of caution came from the two companies with the most experience in electric-assist mobility, Honda and Toyota. (FOX61, CT)
HOT: SMALL COMPANY BACKED BY GORE GETS $500M FED LOAN... Sep 26, 2009
In June, the DOE awarded the first $8 billion from the program to Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., and Tesla, which are all developing electric cars. Some companies that have been turned down for loans from DOE say they did not get much feedback from the department about their applications. (The Drudge Report)
Will the 'Smart Grid' Be Safe Enough? Sep 26, 2009
The new grid would also anticipate the possible widespread adoption of new technologies, such as plug-in electric cars, which could in turn reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The major hurdles are not technical, according to Locke. (Fox News)
Chrysler trying to refit Fiats so they sell in US Sep 26, 2009
Automakers offer new electric cars at Frankfurt. Sales have plunged, General Motors Co. has emerged from bankruptcy and Chrysler has been taken over by Italy's Fiat. (Fresno Bee -- Business)
Ghosn, Immelt see future for electric cars Sep 25, 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters) A world where electric cars running on clean power is getting closer, corporate leaders said Thursday, the same day that shares of an electric car battery maker surged in their first day of trading ... Ghosn said Thursday that unlike earlier electric cars, current battery technology is more advanced, making electric cars as cost-efficient as gasoline-powered cars ... He said a huge public investment is not necessary to bring electric cars to the mass market. (USA Today -- Autos)
* Saudi Arabia opens its first co-ed university Sep 25, 2009
With more than 70 green spaces, gyms, clinics, spacious residential districts and staff driving around in electric cars there is no reason to leave the campus, which is based far away from the prying eyes of the religious police. KAUST is run by state oil company Aramco, which has a similar liberal enclave at its headquarters in Dhahran on the Gulf coast. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
California getting five sites for charging electric cars Sep 25, 2009
If you own an electric car with a practical range of about 200 miles like a Tesla roadster and you really, really want to make the 430-mile trek between Los Angeles and San Francisco, you'll be cheered to know a bank and an electric charging outfit are combining to make the trip a little easier. and are installing electric car charging stations in four of the bank's parking lots in central California. (USA Today -- Money)
A123 Systems Goes Public With a Splash Sep 25, 2009
A123 lost out on the contract for the Volt but was picked to build batteries for Chrysler's next generation of electric cars. Founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists, A123 lost more than $40 million in the first half of this year. (ABC News -- Wire)
IPO fuels prospects of battery makers Sep 25, 2009
29 in the first day of trading yesterday, a strong performance that signaled investor confidence in the future of electric cars. The company raised about $380 million in its initial public offering of stock, well above its original estimate of a minimum of $250 million. (Boston Globe)
Greens Vs. Solar Sep 24, 2009
Will the swith to electric cars also put a strain on the electrical grid and capacity. How safe is our grid from EMP, or any thing else electrical for that matter. (Investors Business Daily)
The Deadly Silence of the Electric Car Sep 24, 2009
But if electric cars are to be equipped with sound, there is little agreement over what the sound should be, how loud it ought to be and whether manufacturers should be allowed to create their own distinctive audio tracks ... Officials with the National Federation of the Blind, which has pressed the safety issue with automakers and regulators, have advocated that electric cars make sounds similar to those of gas-powered cars ... There is some concern that if a variety of noises are permitted,... (CBS News)
New Findings Could Help Hybrid, Electric Cars Keep Their Cool Sep 24, 2009
to help commercialize the advanced cooling system using microchannels for electronic components in hybrid and electric cars ... 16, 2008) Researchers are helping to develop new rechargeable batteries that could improve hybrid electric cars in the future ... 29, 2007) Hybrid electric cars need much better batteries--and A123, a plucky Massachusetts startup, says it's got them. (Science Daily)
Charging-station network built along 101 Sep 24, 2009
Like all electric cars, Tesla's $109,000 roadster is limited by its range - about 250 miles. So a solar power company and a Dutch bank have teamed up to build five recharging stations for Teslas along Highway 101 between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Leading the way Sep 23, 2009
We would all be driving fuel cell and electric cars now but instead, we have the government killing the fuel cell and electric cars projects and for what purpose. What does big government want. (BBC News -- Americas)
Sustainability: It's Not About Light Bulbs Sep 23, 2009
The owner of a McDonald's franchise made news recently by opening an eco-friendly restaurant in Cary, N.C. It has energy-efficient refrigerators, low-flow toilets, tables made from sunflower seeds, and even recharging stations for electric cars. This McDonald's () is surely going green. (BusinessWeek)
U.S. loans Fisker $528.7M to make electric cars Sep 23, 2009
7M to make electric cars - USATODAY.com ... 7M to make electric cars. (USA Today -- Money)
Debate begins about fuel ratings on electric cars Sep 23, 2009
By Gil Cohen Magen, Reuters. ETV Motors chief technology officer Arieh Meitav, center, stands in a laboratory at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv on July 16, 2009. (USA Today -- Money)
Hydrogen Cars Are Still Coming Sep 23, 2009
Amid all the hype about electric cars, it was a surprise to hear Daimler Chief Executive Officer declare that hydrogen fuel cells, not batteries, are the ultimate way to move beyond oil ... Electric cars will probably be commercially available sooner than hydrogen cars, and they certainly enjoy higher public awareness. (BusinessWeek)
NC Transit District Receives $2M Federal Grant Sep 22, 2009
Among the proposals were solar panels on maintenance facility roofs, carport solar panels at transit centers that would shade vehicles while generating electricity and powering up electric cars, and installation of panels along railroad rights-of-way, Kelleher said. Copyright 2009 by City News Service. (TheSanDiegoChannel.com, CA)
Raining checks Sep 22, 2009
If A123 is a new name to your ear, you haven t been paying attention to the hype over electric cars and hybrid autos. Many people believe A123 s lithium-ion technology is going to be a hit in the auto industry, though the company s batteries are already used in consumer products such as power tools and have applications in electric power grids. (Boston Globe)
Clunkers program even helped sell Hummers Sep 22, 2009
Theres a buzz over electric cars at the international motor show. more photos. (MSNBC -- Politics)
France's carbon tax: Taming the carbonivores Sep 22, 2009
Until then, a far greater incentive to reduce fuel consumption may turn out to be a quite separate plan expected to be unveiled next week for a generous cash subsidy to buy electric cars. Readers' comments. (The Economist)
Renault to sell electric vehicles Sep 20, 2009
Agassi estimated that the market share for electric cars could be "more than 15 per cent in the countries where Better Place is established.". 2009. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
East German Trabants back as electric cars? Sep 19, 2009
East German Trabants back as electric cars ... Schindler also hopes electric cars will be subsidized by the German government in some form in the future. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Repairing a hybrid doesn't have to cost a lot Sep 19, 2009
While some cars may be appealing because they are better for the environment or great on gas savings, for the average driver some fully electric cars may not be worth the cost to purchase or maintain. A new lithium ion battery pack for the fully-electric Tesla Roadster - with a sticker price of 101,500 - costs around 36,000. (Fairfax Chronicle, VA)
* Europe to choose dozens of cities for smart electricity grids and insulation Sep 18, 2009
The project envisages 25 to 30 smart cities X highly insulated cities that glean energy from their waste and the sun and wind overhead and channel it down to the electric cars, trams and buses in the streets below. These Smart Cities will be the nuclei from which smart networks, a new generation of buildings and alternative transport means will develop into European wide realities, it said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
An Electric Transatlantic Divide? Sep 18, 2009
Electric cars have been a big part of the Frankfurt Motor Show, which opened this week ... Electro-mobility, electric and hybrid cars, are very much the window of the future," she said, according to the San Francisco Examiner. "But one can't hold their breath for electric cars now. (Slate)
Clinton Says Obama May Prevail on Health Care With Some Republican Backing Sep 18, 2009
When were ready to put electric cars on the market, we could do the equivalent of cash for clunkers for the electric cars, he said, referring to the governments recent vehicle trade-in program. I like cash for clunkers just because it put the car people back in business. (Bloomberg -- US)
Another plug Sep 18, 2009
Plans are under way to bring electric cars to the masses, however, with most carmakers at the Frankfurt motor show displaying concepts to illustrate how they see the future ... "Normally, when they hear a car they fly away last minute," says the man from Sixt, the car rental firm that handles the German energy company RWE's fleet of electric cars, during the Tesla drive in Frankfurt ... Pigeon lives lost may seem trivial when compared to electric cars' potential to slash vehicle emissions and... (BBC News -- Technology)
Era of the family sedan fades in the rearview Sep 17, 2009
Theres a buzz over electric cars this week at the international motor show. more photos. (MSNBC -- Business)
House Considers Green Vehicle Research Sep 17, 2009
The bill would push the government to team up with companies and universities to research technologies such as batteries for hybrid vehicles, electric cars, hydrogen fuel cells and infrastructure for the electric grid. Congress is expected to provide funding for the program later. (KWTX.com, TX)
Chinese car maker BYD aiming to zoom past Toyota Sep 17, 2009
Automakers offer new electric cars at Frankfurt ... The race is on among the world's auto companies to make electric cars go farther on a single charge, bring the price down to compete with gas-powered vehicles, and give drivers more places to recharge them than just the family garage ... Renault introduced no fewer than four electric models, while Tesla, the only company producing and selling purely electric cars, handed over the keys to its 700th all-electric vehicle, a blue Roadster Sport, to... (Fresno Bee -- Business)
Cleantech: Selfishness Sells Sep 16, 2009
The poster child for cool and performance is , maker of ultrahip electric cars ... Better Place while getting Renault () to build electric cars that would be sold on the cheap. (BusinessWeek)
Carmakers Plug In At Frankfurt Auto Show Sep 16, 2009
Electric Cars Counted On To Boost Auto Industry ... Industry observers and the public will focus on advances in electric cars and hybrids, and for improvements that might bring the vehicles into the mainstream ... "Like in hybrids, the Japanese are ahead of the Germans in electric cars," he said. (KSBW 8, CA)
world Oil use to rise in 2010 - Opec EU Intel appeals R1.1bn fine GERMANY Opel job losses cloud car show Sep 16, 2009
With 10 500 jobs at loss-making Opel set to be slashed, the battered global motor industry is looking ahead to a future for electric cars. "We most probably can't avoid a plant closure" at Opel, General Motors Europe president Carl-Peter Forster said. (Business Report, South Africa)
Several in Europe's auto sector looking for recovery Sep 16, 2009
French car company Renault said meanwhile that it would would begin making the first of a series of electric cars next year, and would team up with German power group RWE to develop a network of charging stations for them. "Renault is coming today with a breakthrough," Renault boss Carlos Ghosn said as he presented the new electric models. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Comment: Green Gaadi Sep 16, 2009
The goal should be top make more electric cars with greater incentives for consumers and producers, as well as feeding grids with more power from renewable resources as per the objectives stated in the National Action Plan on Climate Change ... Electric cars could hold the key to friendly automobile emissions. (India Times, India)
* Automakers showcase electric cars Sep 16, 2009
Automakers showcase electric cars ... Other automakers are bringing their vision of electric cars to Frankfurt, too, including Renault, which has four new models planned for the show; a hybrid Mercedes B-Class, called the F-Cell, which sports a fuel cell and an electric motor; and the first plug-in version of Toyotas Prius hybrid, featuring a battery that can be charged from a household outlet. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Doctors warn on climate failure Sep 16, 2009
"Even without climate change, the case for clean power, electric cars, saving forests, energy efficiency, and new agriculture technology is strong. "Climate change makes it unanswerable. " Written by Lord Michael Jay, who chairs the health charity Merlin, and Professor Michael Marmot of UCL, the editorial argues that there are plenty of "win-win solutions" available. "A low-carbon economy will mean less pollution. (BBC News -- Africa)
Renault Chief Ghosn Says Future of Electric Autos Hinges on Oil Above $70 Sep 16, 2009
Sept. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Chief Executive Officer said the future of electric cars depends on a rebound in oil prices that may boost sales of the battery-powered vehicles hes spending 4 billion euros ($5 ... Renault pledged yesterday to sell 100,000 electric cars by 2016 in Israel and Denmark, the first two countries to hire the Paris-based companys U.S partner Better Place to roll out nationwide networks of battery-charging and swapping stations ... Ghosn is pitting electric cars from... (Bloomberg -- UK)
Carmakers' Cash-for-Clunkers Hangover Sep 16, 2009
Virtually all have prototype electric cars, such as Volkswagen's subcompact E-Up. unveiled at an evening gala with top management Sept. 13. (BusinessWeek)
Toyota: Price Tag Will Slow Electric Cars Sep 16, 2009
Leader in Hybrid Cars Thinks Expense of Batteries will Keep Electric Cars from Penetrating Mass Market for Another Decade ... But Toyota, the leader in hybrid cars, thinks that the high cost of the lithium ion batteries will keep electric cars from penetrating the mass market for another decade ... Toyota says that the cost of the batteries will keep people from buying their electric cars. (CBS News)
State pension fund turning green Sep 15, 2009
ALBANY -- The massive state pension fund is taking its first steps into the world of investing to fight climate change, both in the stock market and with a Silicon Valley equity fund betting on electric cars, solar power and waste recovery. More than a year after state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the three-year, $500 million Green Strategic Investment Program, half of the money has been used. (Albany Times Union)
Automakers offer new electric cars at Frankfurt Sep 15, 2009
Industry observers and the public will focus on advances in electric cars and hybrids, and for improvements that might bring the vehicles into the mainstream ... Like in hybrids, the Japanese are ahead of the Germans in electric cars, he said ... Large parts companies like Robert Bosch, for example, are behind the curve in batteries and electric cars, compared to the Japanese, he said. (MSNBC -- Business)
Supplying the Brains for Electric Cars Sep 15, 2009
Green Technology September 15, 2009, 3:01AM EST. A communication system from startup Better Place lets drivers know how far their batteries will take them and where to find a fresh charge. (BusinessWeek)
Marchionne Managing Chrysler Means Having Five Mobile Devices in Backpack Sep 14, 2009
He needs to stage a revolution at Chrysler and turn it from a maker of light trucks to a maker of passenger cars and probably electric cars, said , a credit analyst at Societe Generale SA in Paris. has focused on small cars. (Bloomberg)
Clear road ahead? Sep 14, 2009
But arguably, an even more important model than the Astra on the Opel stand will be its Ampera plug-in petrol electric hybrid which points the way towards a future where electric cars are set to become ever more important ... There are also clear signs that electric cars and petrol-electric hybrids are becoming desirable for wealthy drivers, with Mercedes launching an S-class hybrid and BMW displaying a similar version of its 7-Series, and Audi bringing electrics to its R8 supercar. (BBC News -- Business)
Tom Friedman Hails China's One-Party Autocracy Sep 14, 2009
China's leaders, he reported, are "boosting gasoline prices" and "overtaking us in electric cars, solar power, energy efficiency, batteries, nuclear power and wind power." All, of course, in the cause of reducing carbon emissions, which so many luminaries assure us are bound to produce global warming and environmental catastrophe. As Jonah Goldberg, author of the scholarly bestseller "Liberal Fascism," notes, "This is exactly the argument that was made by American fans of Mussolini in the... (Townhall.com)
Will electric cars be a success in India? Sep 13, 2009
GM's Spark looking to ride on Reva's technology- Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times. GM's Spark looking to ride on Reva's technology12 Sep 2009, 0714 hrs IST, Nandini Sen Gupta, ET Now. (India Times)
Say no to offshore drilling Sep 13, 2009
Progress is occurring overnight in the development of practical electric cars. Efforts to promote wind and solar power are progressing as well. (Herald Online, SC -- Opinion)
Can the Future Be Built in America? Sep 12, 2009
At a time when the U.S. is desperate for new sources of growth, Bridgelux and hundreds of other startups that represent the best hope for a manufacturing renaissance find it almost impossible to achieve scale in the U.S. It's troublesome because these companies are launching a blizzard of innovative products that promise to disrupt entire industries, including tiny diodes that could reshape the $100 billion global lighting business, fuel cells to power electric cars, and thin, flexible TV... (BusinessWeek)
Berkshire Hathaway's Wertheimer Wants Warren Buffett to Take Trip to Japan Sep 12, 2009
Buffett agreed in 2008 to buy a minority stake in the Chinese maker of electric cars, in a deal that has generated a paper profit of more than $1 billion for Berkshire. The manufacturer of the worlds first mass-produced plug-in hybrid has surged sixfold in the past 12 months of Hong Kong trading. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
To the Moon: Elon Musk's High-Powered Visions Sep 12, 2009
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX is plunging his money and skills into revolutionary ventures to drive consumers into electric cars and someday colonize Mars. By. (BusinessWeek)
Battery maker sets terms for IPO Sep 11, 2009
1 million in federal stimulus money to build a plant in Michigan where it plans to make batteries for electric cars. Chrysler s new line of electric vehicles will use A123System batteries, the company said in April. (Boston Globe)
What now for the carmakers? Sep 11, 2009
Its Opel Ampera, a plug-in electric car with a range-extending petrol engine (named Chevrolet Volt in the US), will fit neatly in with the government's plan to have a million electric cars on the road in a decade, rising to four million by 2030. Not only is it likely that much of this development will be funded by the German government, and supported by energy companies operating wind farms and nuclear power plants; it will also require manufacturing capacity. (BBC News -- Europe)
* World News Quick Take Sep 10, 2009
5 million to phase in the use of electric cars over the next two years, with US$2. 1 million going into recharging points. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Goodbye dirty dragster Sep 10, 2009
Far from the fury of traditional race-tracks, spectators got a glimpse of the future as they watched electric cars rev up, and silently bomb off around the Mason-Dixon Dragway ... Such meets are helping electric cars shed their old-fashioned, stuffy image as the preferred vehicle for those who don't mind moving at a snail's pace ... "People laugh at electric cars and say they are golf carts, but they're not," said Jo Reyes, 43, from Maryland, a former Ferrari mechanic who now builds electric... (iAfrica.com)
Communists may create those well-paying green jobs Sep 10, 2009
It is not an accident that China is committed to overtaking us in electric cars, solar power, energy efficiency, batteries, nuclear power and wind power. Chinas leaders understand that in a world of exploding populations and rising emerging-market middle classes, demand for clean power and energy efficiency is going to soar. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Roads made of solar panels may solve energy crisis Sep 9, 2009
Solar Roadways plans to develop its idea to allow the energy produced to be channelled into the national grid, as well as sold to drivers of electric cars on the roadside. "This feature-packed system will become an intelligent highway that will double as a secure, decentralised, self-healing power grid which will enable a gradual weaning from fossil fuels," the company said in a statement. (India Times, India)
A green bigger Heathrow? Sep 9, 2009
" Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement How local authorities monitor Heathrow air quality Rail alternative The government made other announcements to win over green critics, including the idea of a high-speed rail line. This is strongly backed by the Conservatives as an alternative to expansion of Heathrow - but the government sees it as additional. Hundreds of homes in Sipson will be bulldozed if the runway is built No money was allocated for the rail line... (BBC News -- Europe)
Germany's elections: Not yet in Angela Merkel's bag Sep 8, 2009
The proposed means are less daring: state agencies should buy electric cars, for example. Like all parties, the SPD wants to invest more in education, but it is honest enough to call for higher income taxes on the rich to help pay for it. (The Economist)
Reva Launching Two New Cars at Frankfurt Sep 7, 2009
LONDON, September 7 /PRNewswire/ -- At midday on Wednesday 16th September 2009 Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) will be unveiling two new M1 classified electric cars at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) ... Today, REVA is selling, or being test marketed, in 24 countries worldwide and has the largest deployed fleet of electric cars on the market with over 3,000 EVs on the road and more than 70 million kilometres of user experience. (PR Newswire)