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It accelerates with a big husky twist of its electric motor. Actually, you can even chirp the front tires if you push the go-button hard enough — very unlike a golf cart. It corners confidently and brakes crisply and, if it’s no Ferrari, it certainly won’t embarrass itself on the 110 Freeway, otherwise known as the Pasadena Grand Prix. Read More...
Indianapolis-based battery maker EnerDel is tied closely to the Th!nk electric car company – which has yet to bring the car to the U.S. market – but they’re also looking beyond the next generation of plug-in electric vehicles. EnerDel has announced a new partnership with Smart Grid Leader and the U.S. Department of Energy to use EnerDel batteries in five separate one-megawatt power system out in Portland, Oregon that can supply energy to up to 400 homes for an hour during peak load times. The batteries in the system will use the same core chemistry that is used the EnerDel’s batteries “designed for the emerging new generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.” This is the second time we’re hearing about this PHEV system (first mentioned here), but we still don’t know details about which company EnerDel is working with. We like that EnerDel is testing the same chemistry in cars and home power storage, since it’s almost a given that the big packs from plug-in cars will be used to stabilize the grid once they’ve served their vehicular purpose.
Source: autoblog.com Read More...
A small town in Maryland is setting a precedent in eco-friendly road construction, breaking ground this week on one of the greenest streets in the nation.
The tiny port town of Edmonston in Prince George’s County is billing the thoroughfare as the greenest on the East Coast. The road will help clean and filter toxic storm water pollution that drains into rivers, and eventually into Chesapeake Bay.
“What we’re hoping to do, from top to bottom, is build a street that is completely environmentally sustainable, ” said Edmonston Mayor Adam Ortiz.
Ortiz says the blueprint incorporates native tree cover to cool off the streets, wind-powered street lights that use high-efficiency LED bulbs, and pedestrian and bicycle access
Source: m.cnn.com Read More...
Connecticut: start your engines. Read More...
Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) — Nissan Motor Co. is developing a lithium ion battery for electric vehicles that can store electricity at double the current capacity, the Nikkei newspaper reported, without saying where it got the information. Nissan aims to equip electric cars with the battery by 2015, the paper reported. Read More...
In 20 years, all cars on the road will be electric, Warren Buffett told college students visiting Omaha recently. Read More...
Nissan Motor Co. said it will weigh plans to make all-electric cars in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, as the Japanese automaker steps up its electric-vehicle activity in China’s fast-growing car market.
A senior Nissan executive disclosed the possible factory plans Sunday at a ceremony in which Nissan and its Chinese joint-venture partner Dongfeng Motor Co. signed an agreement with the Guangzhou government to set up an electric-car program – part of Nissan’s global effort to help accelerate use of all-electric cars.
Under that agreement, Nissan’s second with a Chinese city, the Japanese company will work with the city government to study ways to promote “zero-emission” cars such as the Leaf, which Nissan plans to start test-marketing in the U.S. and Japan late next year and in China in 2011.
Source: blogs.edmunds.com Read More...
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (November 13, 2009) ” Following receipt of a $95 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and successful negotiations between Saft, the state of Florida, and the city of Jacksonville, construction will soon begin in Jacksonville for the lithium-ion (Li-ion) factory of the future.
The total estimated cost of the project is around $200 million, and it will bring roughly 279 jobs to the area during the next six years.
Florida is stepping onto the world stage as a major marketplace for advanced energy technologies, said Governor Charlie Crist. We are excited about Saft establishing their lithium-ion factory in Florida, and we look forward to their being a part of Florida’s renewable energy future.
Source: tech.groups.yahoo.com Read More...
Some of the highest hopes to curb oil use rest on solutions like the “plug-in hybrid” car, which is supposed to stretch a single gallon of gasoline for more than 200 miles. But that supercar won’t be on the road in large numbers for years. In the meantime, there is always the old option of improving the mileage of the regular car’s internal-combustion engine.
Which approach is likely to make the biggest difference to the environment?
Tweaking the regular car.
Raising the average fuel economy of gasoline cars around the world to 36 mpg from 26 mpg will likely save more than six times as much oil in 2030 as rolling out enough plug-in hybrids to constitute 7% of the global auto fleet. That data come from BP PLC, an oil company with a stake in the success of gasoline powered cars, but the findings agree with other studies.
Source: online.wsj.com Read More...
It may be early 2010 before a Korean company decides on where to locate its sales office and production/distribution plant in the Pittsburgh region.
Officials of the Seoul-based CT&T Co. Ltd. have already viewed at least 10 sites that can accommodate their operation, but have not made a decision.
CT&T is the world largest maker of golf carts and electric vehicles. It plans to open 40 regional plants across the United States that will build and sell its two-seat “neighborhood” electric vehicles.
“I believe they would like to set up operations near the Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh campuses,” said Dennis Davin, director the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development.
Source: pittsburglive.com Read More...
There are plenty of things about driving to make your blood pressure rise: screaming kids in the back, crappy songs on the radio, rising gas prices, idiot drivers who don’t know what they’re doing and need to get off the phone and keep their eyes on the road and…
Whew, sorry, got a little hot under the collar there. Anyway, researchers from Egypt just published a study in BMC Physiology identifying another ubiquitous aspect of driving that could be making drivers angier: gas fumes. The scientists exposed some rats to fumes of leaded gas (which you can still buy in Egypt) and others to unleaded, but both groups became more prone to chattering their teeth, arching their backs, and biting.
Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com Read More...
Motorists who find it hard to get parking in Wellington could have an easier job in the future if they switch to electric cars.
Next week, Wellington City Council will consider paving the way to encourage residents to switch to electric cars, which could entail installing chargers on the streets and designating the best parking spots for their exclusive use.
The recommendation to invest $50,000 on a pilot project to make electric cars more attractive is one of the ideas contained in a draft 2010 climate change action plan.
The plan will be considered by the strategy and policy committee next week, and cost $680,000 to implement
Source: stuff.co.nz Read More...
TOKYO, Nov 26, 2009 (Kyodo News International – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — MMTOF | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating — Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. said Thursday they have jointly delivered four units of Mitsubishi Motors’ new-generation electric vehicle i-MiEV to the principality of Monaco.
The i-MiEVs are being leased via a subsidiary of the trading house Mitsubishi. Monaco plans to promote electric vehicles through the use of the i-MiEVs by local community service organizations, including post offices.
The four units were delivered on the basis of an accord signed in March between Monaco and Mitsubishi Motors and two Mitsubishi group companies in Europe on fleet testing of the electric vehicles, they said.
Source: tradingmarkets.com Read More...
HOUSTON – (Business Wire) Highlighting that electric vehicles can come in many shapes and sizes, Reliant Energy, an NRG Energy company (NYSE: NRG), teamed up with the Houston Texans and electric vehicle manufacturer Aptera to bring Aptera’s prototype electric vehicle to Houston for Monday Night Football.
Texans fans had the opportunity to experience the Aptera 2e before the game at Reliant Stadium and learn more about what NRG and Reliant are doing to expand the adoption of electric vehicles in Houston and across Texas.
Source: earthtimes.org Read More...
Live Vehicle Demonstration Area Read More...
HONG KONG, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Chinese car and battery maker BYD Co Ltd (1211.HK) said late on Thursday its nine month earnings rose 201 percent due to strong car sales in its domestic market as it benefited from Beijing’s supportive measures.
BYD, 10 percent owned by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N), posted a net profit of 2.34 billion yuan ($342.8 million) from January to September, up from 777.8 million yuan the previous year.
This is the first time the company reported its nine-month results.
Source: reuters.com Read More...
Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) — Sony Corp. is in talks to find customers for rechargeable car batteries, an industry that the Japanese electronics maker plans to enter to help the company revive earnings.
Sony is in talks to supply “several companies” with lithium-ion car batteries, Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka told reporters in Tokyo today, declining to identify the potential customers. Yoshioka on Nov. 19 said Sony plans to spend 100 billion yen ($1.15 billion) researching and developing rechargeable batteries, including for electric cars.
The Tokyo-based maker of Bravia televisions last week identified car batteries, 3-D electronics and network services as three new businesses that will spur Sony’s growth. Demand for rechargeable car batteries is projected to surge as automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co. increase production of electric and gasoline-electric hybrid models.
Source: bloomberg.com Read More...
DOWNEY, Calif. — This city that once helped send men rocketing into the space now wants to help earth-bound motorists to become more fuel efficient.
Downey’s City Council has approved an agreement aimed at luring Tesla Motors’ electric car manufacturing plant to the former site of a NASA plant that helped develop the Apollo program and the space shuttle fleet.
“Not only will it bring money to the city, it will establish us as a leader in electric car and green technology production,” Mayor Mario Guerra said of the unanimous approval Wednesday.
The city is pinning hopes that the car factory could bring $21 million in city revenues over 15 years, create about 1,200 jobs and help revitalize its reputation as Southern California’s high-tech hub.
Source: google.com Read More...
HONG KONG, Nov 06, 2009 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) — GELYY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating — Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. (SEHK: 0175) will extend its cooperation with Yulon Group to the electric vehicle field. Both sides will ink an agreement during the visit of Geely Board Chairman Li Shufu to Taiwan in late November 2009.
Yulon’s subsidiary Hua-chuang Automobile Information Technical Center Co. Ltd. (HAITEC) has developed electric vehicles based on Geely’s car model Panda, which will be sold to Mainland China as earliest as next year.
Previously, Yulon remodeled Panda into Tobe-branded mini cars, which will hit the Taiwan market at the end of 2009. The company has established a subsidiary especially responsible for the sales of Tobe.
Source: tradingmarkets.com Read More...
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