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Driving Growth – How Clean Cars and Climate Policy Can Create Jobs

dblo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:57:22 +0000

Reducing America’s dependence on imported oil will not only enhance our national security, but it will create substantially more jobs than continuing on our current path of waste and unsustainable resource use.

Reengineering the U.S. automobile fleet to use energy more efficiently will require new investments in advanced technology, increasing demand for skilled labor. Instead of presenting a [...]

Japan: Report: Nissan Leaf priced at U.S. $38,500+ in Japan

dblo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:52:19 +0000

Interest in, and “pre-orders” for, the Nissan Leaf remains high, but a report from the Japanese newspaper the Mainichi Shimbun might put a damper on things. Apparently, the price for the all-electric car in Japan will be somewhere between 3.5 million and 4 million yen, which is about $38,667 to $44,191 U.S. at today’s exchange [...]

Will the Tata Nano EV Revolutionize Electric Cars?

dblo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:48:16 +0000

NEW YORK (TheStreet) — One of the more intriguing exhibits at the 80th Geneva auto show, which began last week, was the electric version of the famously inexpensive Tata(TTM) Nano. Like its predecessor, the Tata Nano Electric Vehicle (EV) [pictured above] is compact, yet big enough to fit four people. Some consider it best-suited to [...]

Japan/Europe: Nissan may join Renault-Daimler tie-up talks: report

dblo — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:42:33 +0000

(Reuters) – Japan’s Nissan Motor (7201.T) would consider joining a potential alliance between its French partner Renault (RENA.PA) and Daimler (DAIGn.DE), the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.

Deals | Inflows Outflows | Japan

Shares of Renault and Daimler rose on Tuesday on media reports that the two car makers were in talks [...]

Japan/UK: UPDATE 1-Nissan to build Leaf electric car in UK-sources

dblo — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:38:35 +0000

LONDON/PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) – Japanese auto group Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) is to build its Leaf electric car in Britain, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Wednesday.

An announcement on the investment will be made in London on Thursday. A Nissan Europe spokeswoman declined to comment.

Carmakers worldwide are investing large sums [...]

BYD Scales Back Its Electric-Car Plans, Morning Post Reports

dblo — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:55:48 +0000

By Bloomberg News March 16 (Bloomberg) — BYD Co., the Chinese carmaker backed by Warren Buffett, has given up a plan to mass produce electric cars in China by the middle of this year, the South China Morning Post said.

The company will make 100 E6 electric cars to be used as taxis in the city [...]

USA: Quantum Technologies Reports Fiscal 2010 Third Quarter Financial Results

dblo — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:52:06 +0000

Press Release Source: Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. On Monday March 15, 2010, 8:00 am EDT IRVINE, Calif., March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq:QTWW – News), a leader in the development and production of advanced propulsion systems, energy storage technologies, and alternative fuel vehicles and applications including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, [...]

USA: Aptera to hold press conference on future outlook next month

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:54:47 +0000

Back in November, Aptera gave an extended leave to a significant portion of their workforce including many in high ranking positions. The move drew speculation and criticism of the company as well as future doubts. The three-wheeled Aptera 2e has been delayed due to funding issues and a full makeover during the prototyping stages which [...]

USA: California’s New $5,000 Electric Car Rebate

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:48:16 +0000

If you were thinking about buying an electric car in California, this will be welcome news:

Rebates of up to $5,000 per light-duty vehicle are available for individuals and business owners who purchase or lease new eligible zero-emission or plug-in vehicles until the funding runs out. Certain zero-emission commercial vehicles are eligible for rebates up to [...]

Nissan plans to build 500,000 electric cars by 2012

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:46:28 +0000

The head of Nissan-Renault, Carlos Ghosn, is bullish about the prospects of the Leaf all-electric vehicle.

The Leaf faces no real competition as it enters the market, and Nissan will have the largest capacity to manufacture new vehicles of all the companies trying to bring an electric car to the market, Ghosn said.

While it plans to [...]

Japan: Firms set up electric car charging body

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:43:32 +0000

Mar. 16, 2010 (The Yomiuri Shimbun) — Automakers, electric power companies and other firms set up an association Monday to promote the use of quick-chargers for electric vehicles and standardize charging methods to promote the uptake of such vehicles.

By taking the lead globally on standardized charging methods, CHAdeMO Association aims to set the pace [...]

China/USA: BYD to Set up Car Headquarters in California

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:39:32 +0000

BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu said the company would set up sales headquarters in California, USA during the year. If the market is favorable, BYD may consider setting up car factory at local place.

It is reported that BYD plans for the sale of E6 pure electric vehicles in the United States in the second half of [...]

USA: ECOtality, Inc. to Present at the Roth Capital Partners 22nd Annual OC Growth Stock Conference

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:32:06 +0000

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ECOtality, Inc. (OTCBB: ETLE), a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, announced today that the Company will be presenting at the Roth Capital OC Growth Stock Conference on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. (PDT) in Laguna Niguel, California.

Jonathan Read, ECOtality’s President and Chief Executive Officer, will provide an update on [...]

New Self-Assembled Silicon-Carbon Nanocomposite Anodes for Li-ion Batteries Offer More Than 5X The Reversible Capacity of Graphite Anodes

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:10:11 +0000

This scanning electron micrograph shows carbon-coated silicon nanoparticles on the surface of the composite granules used to form the new anode. Source: Georgia Tech. Click to enlarge.

Researchers have developed a new high-performance anode structure for lithium-ion batteries based on silicon-carbon nanocomposite materials. Produced via large-scale hierarchical bottom-up assembly, the material contains rigid and robust [...]

USA: Charging Ahead: Electric Vehicle Rollout On Track In NW

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:04:31 +0000

The West Coast is about to take part in the biggest rollout of electric cars and charging stations in the world.

The first mass-market electric cars go on sale in greater Seattle and Oregon’s Willamette Valley at the end of this year. Pollsters are finding high interest in the Northwest in electric cars.

If [...]

Smarter Chargers for Electric Vehicles

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:01:55 +0000

The devices could help stabilize the grid, and make charging electric cars cheaper.

By Kevin Bullis Monday, March 15, 2010

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Digg this Add to del.icio.us Add to Reddit Add to Facebook Slashdot It! Stumble [...]

Japan: Carmakers, Tepco link to plug electric cars

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:59:55 +0000

Toyota and three other Japanese automakers together with a power utility have set up a group to promote electric vehicles by standardizing recharging machines and marketing the technology abroad.

Get out the volt: Mitsubishi Motors Corp. President Osamu Masuko (left) and Nissan Motors Co. Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga walk past a model of a recharging [...]

Japan Companies Team Up For Standard On Electric Cars

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:56:46 +0000

On Monday, Japanese auto giants and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) joined forces to set up a common system to recharge electric cars, with the hopes to create a global standard.

The growth of the electric vehicle sector has brought questions over whether zero-emission cars or the networks of recharging stations should come first.

Toyota, [...]

USA: Saft Invests U.S. Department of Energy Grant, Breaks Ground on Lithium-Ion Battery Factory in Florida

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:52:52 +0000

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, March 15, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Saft, world leader in the design and manufacture of high-tech batteries, celebrated the groundbreaking of its lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery manufacturing plant at Cecil Commerce Center in Jacksonville today. The factory will build advanced Li-ion cells and batteries for military hybrid vehicles, aviation, smart grid support, broadband [...]

MEGTEC Pilot Line primed to speed cost-effective, custom development of Li-Ion batteries battery electrodes for hybrid and electric vehicles

dblo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:37:01 +0000

DE PERE, Wis. – (Business Wire) With the Li-Ion auto battery industry still in its infancy and numerous, similar-yet-unique technologies and processes under development, MEGTEC Systems, Inc., a global leader with a proven track record in coating and drying solutions for advanced materials, now offers leading-edge Pilot Line capabilities for Li-Ion systems. The line with [...]