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Europe: BMW confirms Chinese 5-series e-car

Confirmation has been given by BMW themselves regarding the launch of their new plug-in hybrid version of the 5-series at Shanghai motor show event scheduled next month.

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BYD to launch green-technology vehicles, products at North America International Auto Show


Chinese automotive and green energy technology manufacturer BYD unveils plans to launch US-ready green-technology vehicles and products at the North America International Auto Show from 10 to 23 January 2011.

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USA: ECOtality Unveils “Swiss Army Knife” of Telecom for Electric Car Charging


Will a pair of simple shapes — a circle and a square — become the iconic symbol of smart charging for electric vehicles, the way a box topped with a pitched roof is instantly recognized as a house? That’s the hope of electric vehicle charging infrastructure developer ECOtality and industrial design firm Frog Design. On Tuesday at the Plug-in 2010 Conference in San Jose, Calif., ECOtality unveiled what it’s calling Blink smart charging stations for electric vehicles, including designs for residential and commercial installations.

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USA: The TRIAC three-wheeled electric vehicle competes with regular gas-powered cars on performance and price

Electric vehicles promise advantages for the environment in terms of reducing local emissions along with advantages to the hip-pocket in respect to running costs. Unfortunately at this stage of the game, the catch is the premium price tag which places EVs outside the reach of the majority of drivers. Electric vehicle manufacturer, Green Vehicles is attempting to address this problem with its US$24,995 TRIAC three-wheeler.

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Japan: Mitsubishi champions $10,000 electric-car subsidy


JAPANESE car maker Mitsubishi wants the Federal Government to reward buyers who opt to buy for the company’s new electric car.

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China: Chery Auto to launch electric car QQEV this month

Shanghai, December 4 (Gasgoo.com) Chery Auto is set to unveil its own electric vehicle QQEV at the end of this month, sina.com said yesterday, citing a company executive. The car will be priced at 40,000 yuan ($5,860) to 50,000 yuan.
The electric car will hSourcave a speed range of 60-70 km/hour. It will take about eight hours to recharge the fuel cell and the electric cars can run for more than 100 kilometers between two charging sessions, said Fang Yunzhou, an executive of Chery’s new-energy auto branch.

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Taiwan: Geely, Yulon Jointly Produce Electric Cars

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

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Japan: Five Lean, Mean, and Green Electric Vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show

It’s almost time again for the Tokyo Motor Show, Japan’s biennial auto show that is famous for showcasting the latest and greatest concept cars. This year’s show doesn’t take place until October 24, but we’ve caught a sneak peek at some of the incredible green rides that will be on display – read on for our favorite electric vehicles from this year’s show!
Source: inhabitat.com

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Europe: Daimler to deliver electric smart cars by year end

Two of the leading players in the race to develop a mainstream electric vehicle moved a step closer to production this week.

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UK/Japan: First electric police cars roll onto Britain’s streets

A police force is to become the first in the country to operate an electric patrol car.
West Midlands Police will be taking to the streets of Birmingham in Mitsubishi all-electric MiEV city cars from December.
The £30,000 car has a range of 100 miles from a full battery charge

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USA: Sustainability Across America

The current economic climate has been nothing short of brutal for many eco-designers, but where there are challenges, there are also opportunities for growth.

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USA: Lithium Mobile Power 2009

Lithium/carbon monofluoride batteries are known to have the highest theoretical specific capacity among all commercially available primary lithium batteries. These batteries are being developed by the Army to reduce the size of current BA-5590 battery packs for soldier portable power sources. The main problem with Li/CFx batteries is the low power capability and the initial voltage delay, which are related to the intrinsically low electrical conductivity of CFx material and the slow kinetics of Li-CFx cell reaction. In order to improve the power capability of such batteries, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory attempted two approaches: (1) thermal treatment of CFx material in the presence of an organic compound or carbon back as an additional carbon source to form carbon subfluorinate that is known to have better power capability, and (2) use of a LiBF4-AN/BL electrolyte in which the reactivity of metal lithium with AN is suppressed while the substantially high ionic conductivity remains.

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Japan: Report: Nissan to Debut Three Electric Cars in August

Nissan is preparing to debut three electric vehicles on August 2nd, one of which is expected to be a made-in-the-USA crossover. Nissan has already said that it plans to build an electric car at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant in the near future.

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Drive Report: 2010 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Car


Last week, we wrote that the smash success of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is leading the company to plan five additional electric cars.

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Japan: Japan Hot Stocks-Mitsubishi Motors up after electric car report

Shares of Mitsubishi Motors ( MMTOF.PK – news – people ) Corp gained 3.9 percent to 188 yen after the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday that the automaker aims to begin selling electric vehicles priced at around $31,150 in 2012 in an effort to counter cheaper electric-gasoline hybrid cars.
Source: forbes.com

China: BYD to sell F3DM car to individual users in Sept

Shanghai, June 16 (Gasgoo.com) BYD Auto said yesterday that it has decided to sell its F3DM electric car to individual customers starting September this year, Beijing Times reported. Before that time, the F3DM sedan is sold only to corporate customers.

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Canada: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (“CBC”), “National” TV Program, Showcases Electrovaya’s Batteries and Electric Cars

Source: cbc.ca Video feed.

Japan: Testing the Market for All-Electric Cars

As Japan’s top automakers, Toyota and Honda, battle it out for supremacy in the hybrid car market, Japan’s smaller car companies are taking a different eco-car road. Mitsubishi Motors on June 5 presented its zero-emissions i-MiEV — Japan’s first fully electric vehicle (EV) for the global market. Production of the egg-shaped vehicle, which has a range of 99 miles (160 km) on a single charge, kicked off this week; fleet sales will start in Japan next month and the car is expected to reach U.S. buyers by the end of next year. Tooting its own horn, Mitsubishi is calling the new i-MiEV “a pioneer to open the door to the next 100 years.”
Source: time.com

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Subaru to sell electric Stella next month

The Stella EV stores electricity in a lithium ion battery pack, powering a 47 kilowatt motor. Range is only about 56 miles, with a top speed of 62 mph. Subaru claims a recharge time of 15 minutes at a quick charging station, or 5 hours at a 200 volt AC outlet, which are typical numbers for current technology.

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Mitsubishi shows production electric car, announces pricing

Unlike Subaru, which will only sell 170 Stella electric cars, Mitsubishi is planning on producing 1,400 i-Mievs for corporate and government lessees. The i-Mievs will go for 4,380,000 yen, or about $45,300 at current exchange rates. Japanese buyers of the i-Miev would qualify for a $14,300 subsidy for electric vehicles from the Japanese government.
Source: cnet.com

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Japan: Mitsubishi Motors Begins Mass Production Of I MiEV -Kyodo


KURASHIKI, Japan -(Dow Jones)- Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (7211.TO) began mass producing its egg-shaped i MiEV electric vehicle Thursday at its factory in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, as it prepares for the launch of the zero-emission car in July, Kyodo News reported.
The Japanese automaker has received robust orders exceeding 2,000 units, mostly from electric power companies, officials said. The 4-seat minicar will be sold mainly to corporate customers in Japan next month and to the general public in 2010.
The company plans to roll out the i MiEV later this year in U.K., Hong Kong and other territories in which the driver’s side in a vehicle is on the right. It aims to introduce a car with left-side steering in other parts of Europe at the end of 2010 and in the United States after 2010.
Production is targeted at 1,400 units in the current business year through next March, 5,000 units in fiscal 2010, and about 15,000 units in fiscal 2011.
Mitsubishi Motors, which sank into the red for the first time in three years in fiscal 2008, ended in March, has poured its resources into developing the electric car, while its bigger rivals – Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. – went for electric-gas hybrid models.
The company hopes the electric car will help revive its auto sales, which have been battered amid the global recession.
“Today is a historic day,” Eiji Kato, general manager of Mizushima plant, said at an opening ceremony attended by about 150 factory workers involved in making the i MiEV. “We will work towards the day when the entire world will associate electric vehicles with the i MiEV.”
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Source: easybourse.com

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India: Electric car to hit roads in Sept: Ratan Tata

Motors will have an electric car in the market by September
this year.

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USA: Tesla recalls electric Roadsters

Electric car maker Tesla Motors said today it is recalling all 345 of its Roadster sports cars produced before April 22 so they can be inspected for a possible suspension problem.

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Lithium Energy Japan Building Second Li-Ion Plant for Mitsubishi i MiEV


Nikkei. Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture between GS Yuasa Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. (earlier post), plans to construct a battery factory in response to Mitsubishi Motors’ plans to boost production of its i MiEV electric vehicle.
Source: ecofreindlymag.com

USA: Jay Leno on Aptera (video)


Source: jalenosgarage.com

Berkshire’s Munger Backs BYD’s Revolutionary e6 Electric Car

* Top Speed: 100 mph
* Range: 249 miles
* Horsepower: 268
* Torque: 406
* 0 to 60 mph: 8 seconds
* Energy Consumption: 18 kwh per 62 miles.
* Battery materials are fully recyclable based on BYD’s proprietary technology.
* 50% charge in 10 minutes
Source: seekingalpha.com

Mitsubishi warns fleets to move fast for electric model

Mitsubishi is expecting huge demand for its new i-Miev electric model, and is urging fleets interested in running one of the four-Seat fully electric models to express their interest quickly to avoid missing out.
Source: businesscar.co.uk

USA: Pictures of Aptera visting Palo Alto, Google, and San Franciso


Source: flickr.com

USA: Chrysler Unveils Electric Minivan for US Postal Service

Chrysler is celebrating Earth Day by unveiling an electric minivan… that you won’t be able to buy (yet). They’re making them for the US Postal Service, and so far 4 out of an eventual 250 have been built. The electric minivan is based on the Chrysler Town & Country EV that we wrote about last year, and the powertrain will be very similar except that the USPS version is a non range-extended version because postal routes generally are only around 20 miles
Source: tgreehugger.com

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UK: Electric car company announces first all-electric production car

The Citroën C1 ‘ev’ie’ goes on sale today priced from £16,850. It is capable of 60mph and has a 60-70 mile range when fully charged. The C1 ‘ev’ie’ takes around 6-7 hours to charge from a normal domestic socket.
Source: verdictioncars.co.uk