8.4.2010
The California Energy Commission has awarded Zero Motorcycles a $900,000 grant to begin development of a new advanced compact electric powertrain project. Additional matching funds from the city of Santa Cruz and other contributors increases the amount to more than $1,840,000.

8.4.2010
When it goes on-sale in 2013, BMW says that its all-electric Megacity Vehicle (MCV) will retain the hallmark driving characters that make a BMW a BMW.

7.1.2010
Keeping in line with its Silicon Valley computer software heritage, Tesla’s newest electric sports car is named like a new version of software: the Roadster 2.5.

6.3.2010
Ford has announced that it is teaming up with Coulomb Technologies to install battery chargers in the homes for some of Ford’s first electric vehicle owners.

5.26.2010
Nissan broke ground today on a new manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tennessee that will produce the lithium-ion batteries for the upcoming LEAF. Nissan also announced that it will retool its existing Smyrna plant, which is adjacent to the new battery facility, to manufacturer the zero-emission, all-electric Nissan LEAF beginning in 2012. The LEAF plant will be capable of producing 150,000 electric cars annually.

5.21.2010
Tesla and Toyota have announced that they will cooperate on developing electric vehicles and parts, including collaborating on developing production systems and engineering.

5.14.2010
Nissan has announced that the general public will be able to make reservations for the all-electric Nissan LEAF zero-emission vehicle on May 15. For consumers, this is the first step in securing a place on the list to purchase or lease a Nissan LEAF.

Tesla Roadster

5.6.2010
In a recent PolkView article published by R.L. Polk & Company, author Stephan Gallon takes a good, long hard look at the state of the electric car business and who is going to be buying the electric cars of tomorrow.

5.6.2010
Al Unser Jr. will drive for the ZAP Alias team as it competes in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-PRIZE (PIAXP).

5.5.2010
Nissan has selected Hawaii as one of the initial launch markets for all-new, all-electric Nissan LEAF, with deliveries expected to begin in early 2011.

Nissan has announced that it will begin taking reservations for the all-electric Nissan LEAF beginning today. The vehicle will begin arriving in dealerships in December and should be widely available in early 2011.

Jackie Stewart called the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in Munich, Germany “The Green Hell.” Many race car drivers include it among the most challenging, toughest and most dangerous tracks in the world. At this famed German track, BMW recently completed a test of the all-electric MINI Electric E Race, a modified race-spec version of the standard MINI E.
 

Volkswagen E-Up! concept

Volkswagen and Audi have announced aggressive plans for electrification of their model lines over the coming years. Volkswagen is just now launching its first production hybrid with Touareg and will add three more mainstream models in the next four years. Audi is also launching two hybrids and both brands are bringing a range of battery electrics to market.
 

Denise Gray

General Motors director of global battery systems Denise Gray is leaving the automaker to join a California based battery start-up company. Gray's new employer has not been announced yet, but her last day at GM will be March 5, 2010. Gray has lead battery development at GM since December 2006.

Mercedes-Benz F800 concept

Mercedes-Benz will unveil a new concept next week at the Geneva Motor Show that previews both the next generation CLS sedan and an upcoming plug-in hybrid powertrain. The F800 Style concept is designed on a flexible platform that can also support a purely electric fuel powertrain.
 

Ford Transit Connect Electric

Ford unveils two new versions of its Transit Connect small van at the Chicago Auto Show. The Transit Connect Electric that was announced at this show one year ago is now approaching production late this year with a powertrain supplied by Azure Dynamics. The second is a taxi variant with optional natural gas or propane fuel systems.

 

Audi e-Tron Detroit showcar

At the Detroit Auto Show today, Audi unveiled a new electric sports car called the e-Tron Detroit Show car. The new concept is significantly shorter than the similarly named concept that appeared the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009 and may be based on the platform of the Volkswagen Bluesport concept that appeared in Detroit in 2009.

2012 Ford Focus

Ford is unveiling the all-new third generation Focus at the North American International Auto Show this week and under the "One Ford" strategy put in motion by CEO Alan Mullaly it will again be a global design. After launching in late 2010 with a four cylinder gasoline engine, a battery powered Focus Electric will be added to the lineup in 2011.
 

Chevrolet Volt battery pack line

Three years to the day after the public debut of the Chevrolet Volt concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, General Motors rolled out the first "production" battery pack from a new factory in Brownstown, MI. The plant site that was announced in August 2009, now has production equipment in place and will begin building packs that will be retrofitted into the existed pre-production vehicles as well as going into the upcoming production verification vehicles.
 

OnStar Mobile application for Chevrolet Volt

General Motors plans to leverage its well established OnStar vehicle communications technology when it launches the Chevrolet Volt at the end of 2010. The OnStar team has worked with the Volt development team to create mobile phone applications that will help Volt drivers maximize their electric driving capacity.
 

Hyundai Blue-Will PHEV concept

Hyundai is debuting its first plug-in hybrid vehicle at North American International Auto Show. The Blue-Will concept is an all new vehicle that may also preview an upcoming dedicated hybrid vehicle from the Korean automaker. The Blue-Will is claimed to be able to get 40 miles of electric only driving from a full charge of its lithium polymer battery pack.
 

BMW ActiveE concept

BMW is using the 2010 North American Auto Show to unveil the second phase of its Project i electric vehicle program. The follow up to the current MINI E fleet test will be based on the Active E concept. The new concept is an electrically driven version of the current 1 series coupe.
 

Paolo Ferraro

A lineup of Chrysler executives took the stage in Auburn Hills to outline, the company's plans for the next five years. The tie up with Fiat will allow Chrysler to significantly upgrade its powertrain lineup by adding small engines from Italy, dual clutch gearboxes and new diesel engines. Powertrain SVP Paolo Ferraro didn't give any specific timing for the introduction of diesels to the US market but did emphasize that after-treatment systems would allow Fiat diesels to meet US and EU emissions standards.
 

Bob Carter

Toyota group vice president and general manager Bob Carter told media in Detroit that Toyota would introduce a battery electric vehicle in 2012. The company also has plans to introduce a fuel cell vehicle by 2015 if an adequate hydrogen fueling network has been established by that time. Carter emphasized that automakers need to be honest with consumers about the capabilities of alternative fuel vehicles to avoid consumer disappointment.

Frank Weber and the Chevrolet Volt

Frank Weber, vehicle line engineer for the Chevrolet Volt program is returning to Germany in December to take up a leadership position at Opel. Before Weber leaves Detroit, he and successor Doug Parks will participate in a live web-chat hosted here on Green Fuels Forecast today at 4pm EST. GM engineers recently completed a three day 1,200 mile drive with eight pre-production Volts and next month will hold the first media drives of the car in conjunction with the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Ford Transit Connect BEV

Ford has reconfirmed that it will launch a battery electric version of its new Transit Connect compact van in 2010. However it will partner with Azure Dynamics to produce it, rather than Smith Electric Vehicles as announced last February.
 

Fisker Karma

Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Automotive, Jack Markell, Governor of Delaware and Vice President Joseph Biden were on hand today to announce the purchase of a closed General Motors plant. Fisker Automotive will use the plant to build a second higher volume plug-in hybrid sedan for introduction in late 2012.
 

Takanobu Ito with the Honda FCX Clarity and EV-N concept

New Honda CEO Takanobu Ito used the Tokyo Motor Show as a platform to introduce a new dedicated hybrid sports coupe and a battery electric city car. However, Ito remains firmly convinced that hydrogen fuel cells will be the best long-term solution to full function zero emissions vehicles.
 

Carlos Ghosn with the Land Glider concept

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan CEO announced at the Tokyo Motor Show that in the next few years the Japanese automaker would be producing at least three and possibly four battery electric vehicles. Today's announcement follows four EVs that Ghosn revealed for Renault at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show.
 

Brian Wismann on the Brammo Enertia

Back in 2007, Brammo Inc started work on creating a new line of electric motorcycles. The first of those is the new Enertia power-cycle which is now in production. Brammo is riding a pair of these bikes from Detroit to Washington DC to promote electric transportation as well as its new product.
 

Volkswagen Golf TwinDrive

Volkswagen is currently in the process of building a 20 car fleet of plug-in hybrid Golfs for a field test in several German cities. Green Fuels Forecast had the opportunity to learn more about the new cars and evaluate the TwinDrive Golf in Germany this week.
 

Audi e-Tron concept

Audi has confirmed that it will proceed with production of the battery powered electric sports car it showed as a concept at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. The concept dubbed the e-Tron should go on sale in low volumes in 2-3 years.
 

Toyota FT-EV II concept

At the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, Toyota will join its Japanese automaker counterparts in showing a new plug-in electric vehicle. While the FT-EV II is strictly a concept for now, something similar will likely to come to market within the next several years.
 

Honda CR-Z 2009 concept

Honda has released a preview of the new hybrid and electric vehicles that it will display at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. The CR-Z is an update of the concept of the same name that debuted two years ago while the EV-N is a small plug-in EV with a design inspired by the 60s era N360.
 

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept

BMW unveiled its first two production hybrid vehicles along with a more efficient diesel 3-series at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. However, the star of the BMW stand is the new Vision EfficientDynamics concept, a high-performance plug-in hybrid/diesel concept sports car.
 

Volkswagen E-up! concept

Volkswagen is using the Frankfurt Motor Show to highlight two new high efficiency concepts that are destined for eventual production. The L1 is the latest development of a tandem two seater concept that consumes only 1 l/100km. The E-up! is a battery powered version of the automaker's upcoming New Small Family mini-cars.

Audi e-tron concept

Audi has unveiled a number of new green production and concept vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Among those are flex-fuel and clean diesel variants of the A4 and an battery powered concept based on the R8 sports car.
 

Just two weeks after announcing plans to introduce a new mid-size crossover based on the outgoing Saturn Vue for Buick, GM has canceled the vehicle. A conventionally powered version was to be launched in the second half of 2010 with a plug-in hybrid variant coming in 2011. Instead GM will move the plug-in hybrid program to another vehicle that will be launched at roughly the same time the Buick was expected to debut.

Ford Focus BEV prototype

At a Ford conference on vehicle electricification in Dearborn, the automaker announced that it has developed an intelligent vehicle to grid communications system. The system will allow the vehicle to communicate with the electrical grid to optimize vehicle charging.

Chevrolet Volt battery pack

General Motors continues its news blitz this week with the announcement that the battery pack plant for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt will be located in Brownstown Township MI, southwest of Detroit. The plant will assemble the packs using the lithium ion cells provided by LG Chem of South Korea.
 

pre-production Chevrolet Volt

General Motors is currently in the midst of building a fleet of pre-production Chevrolet Volts that will be used to complete development and validation of the extended range electric vehicle. A group of media were taken through the pre-production operations facility this week and given an opportunity to ride in one of the IVER prototypes with chief engineer Frank Weber.
 

Chevrolet Volt

During a press conference this morning Fritz Henderson, General Motors CEO announced that the Chevrolet Volt is expected to get a composite fuel economy rating of 230 mpg in urban driving. The number is based on a draft EPA testing methodology for extended range electric vehicles.

2011 Buick PHEV crossover teaser

Following the announcement that General Motors would introduce a plug-in hybrid crossover badged as a Buick in 2011, Green Fuels Forecast spoke with Larry Nitz, director of hybrid powertrain development. Nitz shared some additional information about may be the first mainstream production plug-in hybrid.
 

teaser shot of 2011 Buick CUV

General Motors announces that the plug-in hybrid SUV it has been developing as a Saturn Vue on since late 2006 will finally go on sale in 2011 as a new Buick model. Since GM is selling the Saturn brand to Roger Penske, it has opted to re-make the Vue as a compact crossover for Buick, one of its four remaining brands. LG Chem has been selected to supply the lithium ion cells for the new vehicle.
 

Chevrolet Volt

The United States Department of Energy will award $2.4 billion in grants to help fund manufacturing of advanced batteries and electric drive components as well as deployment in the US. Over $1 billion of the total will go to projects in economically depressed Michigan where a number of companies have announced plans to build lithium ion batteries for the auto industry.
 

Nisan LEAF electric car

Nissan unveils its new dedicated electric car that will go into production in 2010 with the name LEAF. The compact five seat LEAF is powered by lithium ion batteries and is expected to have a range of approximately 100 miles per charge. The LEAF will initially be built in Japan with additional capacity to be added in about 2012 at the Smyrna TN plant. Nissan has not announced pricing but has indicated it would be priced under $30,000 in the US market.
 

Nissan will be unveiling the production version of its upcoming electric car August 2, at the grand opening of its new headquarters in Japan. In the run up to the unveiling, the automaker is showing off a second generation prototype and has launched a microsite that provides a teaser image of the new car.
 

Yoshimi Inaba

New Toyota North America President Yoshimi Inaba has reiterated the company's position that pure battery electric vehicles are unlikely to be mainstream in the near future. Speaking to a group of media in Detroit, Inaba-san maintained that while it is working on electric vehicles, Toyota's emphasis will remain on hybrids for now.
 

Tesla Model S

Tesla Motors, got a significant boost this week with the approval of its application for low cost loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. During a conference call following the announcement, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO indicated that he expects the automaker to be profitable within a month however, sales of its first product, the Roadster appear to be lagging with the poor economy. Tesla also plans to stick with the same laptop cell technology through at least the Model S program.
 

Ford Focus EV platform

US Energy Secretary Dr Steven Chu announces that the first applicants for the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program have been approved. Ford, Nissan and Tesla Motors will all get low interest loans from the US Department of Energy to help retool factories to build electric vehicles and advanced batteries.
 

Renault and French power utility EDF have reached an agreement on a power-line communications strategy for electric vehicles. Two way communications will be a necessary component of making widespread adoption of plug-in vehicles a viable alternative.
 

General Motors this week officially inaugurated its new Global Battery Systems test lab. The new battery test facility is located at the automaker's Warren, MI tech center and is claimed to be the largest and most advanced facility in the United States.
 

Mitsubishi i-MiEV

This week Mitsubishi became the first major automaker to launch series production of a new generation electric vehicle powered by a lithium ion battery pack. The automaker will begin deliveries of the i-MiEV to commercial and government fleets in July before starting retail sales in April 2010.
 

Coda EV sedan

Miles EV announces that it will establish the new Coda Automotive brand for its full speed electric vehicles. The first product will be the Coda sedan. Coda plans direct sales of the $45,000 four door battery powered car starting in the fall of 2010.
 

Miles Electric Vehicles has already been selling Chinese built low speed electric vehicles in the US market for several years. In 2007, the company announced plans to introduce a full speed electric car which should finally arrive in 2010. The new full speed EV will get new branding to separate it from the Miles branded low speed EVs.
 

BYD F3DM

Volkswagen and China's BYD sign a memorandum of understanding to investigate possible partnerships for future hybrid and electric vehicles that use lithium ion batteries.
 

Daimler AG announced this morning that it will acquire a 10 percent equity stake in American startup Tesla Motors for an amount described as in the double digit millions. Daimler and Tesla will continue to work together on developing electric drive, battery packs and battery management systems. Daimler will also provide engineering and component support to Tesla for its own vehicles.
 

Chevrolet Volt powertrain development prototype

More than two years after first unveiling its concept for an extended range electric vehicle, General Motors is now giving members of the media their first opportunity to actually drive prototypes of the Chevrolet Volt. Green Fuels Forecast drove a Chevy Cruze with the Volt's electric powertrain at the GM Technical Center in Warren MI
 

Chrysler electric minivan

Chrysler announces that it will build and provide 250 battery powered mini-vans to the US Postal Service. The first four units are being handed over to the post office on April 22 in honor of earth day. The vans will be used by the post office for a variety of duties including daily home delivery.
 

One of the key elements to making plug-in vehicles a viable mainstream option is a standard charging interface. The Society of Automotive Engineers regularly works to define industry standards and the J1772 charging plug standard is expected to be finalized by fall 2009.
 

Raser electric Hummer H3

At the Society of Automotive Engineeers World Congress today, Raser Technologies has unveiled its experimental electric Hummer H3. The electric Hummer uses a extended range drive train similar to the architecture used for the Chevrolet Volt and is claimed to deliver up to 100 mpg depending on the drive cycle.
 

In a bid to recover some of the tens of thousands of automotive industry jobs lost over the past several decades, the state of Michigan has awarded $543 million in tax breaks to four different advanced battery manufacturers. The money is being used to incentivize the companies to build factories in the state that will produced lithium ion cells and packs for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Over the past year as General Motors financial condition has steadily worsened, virtually every product program at the automaker has been canceled or delayed save one. Over that time the company has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to the Chevrolet Volt. For now at least GM won't be getting any money from the Department of Energy to help fund that development.
 

Lou Rhodes and the Dodge Circuit prototype

Just eighteen months ago Chrysler announced the formation of its ENVI division to lead its development of electric drive vehicles. Lou Rhodes, president of ENVI along with executive engineer Doug Quigley discussed Chrysler's EV programs which actually began two years before the launch of ENVI.

Tesla Model S

In Santa Monica California today, Tesla Motors has revealed its long awaited follow up to the battery powered Roadster. The Model S is a five passenger, hatchback sports sedan that also runs exclusively on battery power. The car is currently planned to go into production in 2011, however, that depends on Tesla's ability to raise the money to complete development and build a factory.

Aptera 2e

One of the more eagerly anticipated alternative fuel vehicles of 2009 is the Aptera 2e. The tear-drop shaped two seater has drawn nearly as much attention for its sci-fi appearance as its powertrain. Marques McCammon, Chief Marketing officer for Aptera spoke with Green Fuels Forecast about the vehicle and safety concerns over its configuration.
 

The Nissan Renault Alliance has announced another partnership to promote the proliferation of electric vehicles in the coming years. The latest tie-up brings the Franco-Japanese automakers together with regional governments in the Tucson Arizona area. Scottsdale, Arizona based ECOtality will also be participating in the project to promote the build-out of a public charging infrastructure.

Magna Steyr Mila EV Concept

Magna Steyr, the contract manufacturing unit of Magna International reveals a concept named Mila EV at the Geneva Motor Show. The concept is based around a platform specifically optimized for electric and hybrid drive systems.
 

Mitsubishi iMiEV

Mitsubishi and Peugeot announce a collaboration that will lead to the introduction of a French badged electric car based on the iMiEV. The Peugeot branded EV will be produced in Japan by Mitsubishi for introduction in late 2010 or early 2011.

2010 Ford Transit Connect

Ford announces that it will partner with Britain's Smith Electric Vehicles to produce a battery electric version of its Transit Connect van for the US market in 2010. The Transit ConnectBEV will be Ford's first production electric vehicle with a lithium ion battery pack and will be offered to commercial and government fleets.

Rick Wagoner announcing Volt battery production

As the 2011 inches closer to production late in 2010, General Motors engineering staff is growing increasingly confident that the battery pack for the ground breaking car will last the life of the vehicle. General Motors engineers have developed management strategies that they hope will insure optimal performance and durability.
 

Going into 2008 Tesla Motors was hoping for some stability as it looked to begin customer deliveries of its electric Roadster and move onto its second model. Unfortunately continuing technical issues were followed by turmoil in the financial markets and more upheaval in the executive suite. A year later CEO Elon Musk sat down with Green Fuels Forecast to discuss the state of the business.
 

Fisker Karma S concept

Henrik Fisker came to Detroit this week for the North American International Auto Show to unveil the production version of his Karma plug in hybrid sport sedan. At the same time Fisker unveiled a concept for the second car his company plans to produce a 2-door hard top convertible called the Karma Sunset.  Video of our discussion with Henrik Fisker is embedded in the story.
 

Ford Focus EV development prototype

Ford made news at the North American International Auto Show week by announcing it would build both a battery electric commercial van in 2010 and a battery electric car the following year. The company brought two powertrain development vehicles to the show that members of the media were able to take for short drives near Cobo Center.
 

Chevrolet Volt battery pack

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner today announces that the automaker will be assembling the battery packs for extended range electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt at a new factory in Michigan. General Motors will own and operate the plant and use lithium ion cells supplied by South Korea's LG Chem.
 

Cadillac Converj Concept

Cadillac unveils a new Cadillac concept coupe today at the North American International Auto Show using the extended range electric vehicle powertrain from the Chevrolet Volt. The Converj concept is a compact coupe that provides a much more aggressive and premium look on what is now called the Voltec architecture.
 

Mercedes Benz Concept BlueZero

Mercedes-Benz reveals the new Concept BlueZero at a media reception the evening before the official opening of the North American International Auto Show. The compact concept is believed to be a preview of the next generation B-class hatchback and features a modular electric drive powertrain.
 

Dodge Circuit EV

Chrysler's ENVI division continues to work on its electric vehicle programs as it debuts a fourth model at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Jeep Patriot EV is an extended range electric vehicle like the existing Wrangler and Chrysler Town and Country EVs. An updated version of the Dodge EV is also debuting as the Dodge Circuit.
 

A123 Systems li-ion cell

Massachusetts based A123 Systems has applied for $1.84 billion in loans from the US Department of Energy to finance the construction of factories to build automotive lithium ion batteries. If A123 gets approval for the loans, it hopes to have sufficient capacity to build batteries for 5 million hybrid vehicles annually by 2013.
 

Chargepoint Smartlet

Electric vehicle drivers in San Jose CA have a new option for "fueling up" their vehicles when parked. Coulomb Technologies has put its first public Smartlet charging stations into service in downtown San Jose.
 

Fisker Sunset concept

Fisker Automotive will be debuting a new concept alongside the production version of its Karma sports sedan at the North American International Auto Show this month. The concept called Sunset will likely use the same powertrain as the Karma and is believed to have a convertible body style.

At next months North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota will unveil a new battery electric concept vehicle alongside the new 2010 Prius hybrid. Toyota has not revealed any details of the new concept yet.

Th!nk City EV

Norwegian electric car manufacturer Th!nk is suffering from a cash crunch causing it to halt operations. Th!nk is asking the Norwegian government for an emergency cash infusion to help continue production along with additional funds to facilitate a planned expansion in 2009.

Mercedes Benz BlueZero concept

Mercedes-Benz will reportedly introduce an electric vehicle concept dubbed the BlueZero at January's North American International Auto Show. The BlueZero's design is also believed to be a preview of the next generation B-Class hatchback.
 

Ford Escape plug-in hybrid

The CEOs of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are heading back Washington this week to make their case for a bridge loan to get through the current financial crisis. Ford is the first to publicly release its survival plan including the release of an electric van in 2010, an electric sedan in 2011 and plug-in hybrids from 2012.
 

2009 MINI E

BMW reveals the first stage of its Project I electric vehicle development program at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Following the official unveiling Green Fuels had an opportunity to take a short drive around downtown LA in the new battery powered MINI.

Nancy Gioia introduces the 2010 Fusion Hybrid

At the Los Angeles Auto Show Ford introduces its second generation hybrid platform for the Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans.  Following the unveiling Green Fuels Forecast spoke with Nancy Gioia, director of sustainable mobility technologies for Ford about the new hybrids, the company's plug-in hybrid test program, and batteries.

Fisker Karma

Fisker Automotive is moving ahead with plans to begin producing an extended range plug-in hybrid sports sedan in late 2009. The California startup announces a deal to purchase engines for the Karma PHEV from General Motors. Fisker will use the 2.0L turbocharged and direct injected EcoTec four cylinder to propel the Karma after its 50 mile electric range is depleted.

MINI E

At the Los Angeles Auto Show BMW reveals the lithium ion battery powered battery powered MINI E. The company has built 500 of the plug-in electric cars that it will lease to customers in the Southern California and New York City areasbeginning in January 2009. The cars will be used by BMW to gain real world experience with battery powered vehicles.

The pre-production Fisker Karma

Fisker Automotive will open a new engineering and development center in Pontiac, MI to help bring its premium plug-in hybrid sports sedan, the Karma, to life.

2011 Chevrolet Volt

A report on an automotive website late Thursday night that cash flow problems at General Motors would cause a delay in the Chevrolet Volt program has been categorically denied by company officials.

the MINI E

BMW's electric MINI E will debut in two weeks at the Los Angeles Auto Show with only 500 examples  available for lease beginning early in 2009. A online report today confirmed by MINI USA says the battery powered MINI will cost $850 per month for a one year lease.

A Better Place prototype Renault

Better Place, the electric vehicle infrastructure startup founded by Shai Agassi, is planning to import some American built converted electric vehicles to Israel for initial tests of its charging network. The cars are likely to be equipped with batteries from A123 Systems - a Massachusetts-based company that recently received an equity investment from Ofer Holdings, which also is a Better Place investor.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has committed to personally ensuring that all current orders for the company's battery powered Roadster are fulfilled in spite of  a cash crunch at the Silicon Valley startup. Musk publicly announced that he would personally invest enough money in the company to keep it running in spite of reports that the company is down to only $9 million in cash.

The four-cylinder, 2.2L i-DTEC

While supporting increased efficiency requirements, Honda executives sounded less than thrilled with the structure of the new  rules during a conference call this week to discuss automotive fuel economy. John German acknowledged that the regulations will lead to higher vehicle costs to pay for new technology that is needed. On the technology front, Honda is persuing a number of fronts including hybrids, CNG, and biofuels but remained non-commital on plans to introduce its diesel engines to the US market in 2009.

The annual Specialty Equipment Marketing Association show in Las Vegas is generally the province of tuned and hot-rodded vehicles with big wheels and wild paint jobs. One of the more interesting vehicles making its debut this year is an electrically driven Ford F-150 pickup truck created by PML Flightlink. Using a quartet wheel motors, the battery powered pickup truck has over 600 hp and 2,000 lb-ft of torque with a 100 mile estimated range.

The 2008 Lexus LS600h

A New York City company has launched a new Website that allows users to rent hybrid limousines through a network of over 200 agencies world wide. In addition to online rentals, ElectriCar.com will be donating a percentage of its revenues toward carbon offsets and research into wireless electrical power transmission.

Tesla Roadster

Silicon Valley based electric car startup Tesla Motors has found itself caught up in the recent turmoil in the world's financial markets. The company this week announced a shuffle in the executive suite, layoffs and delay to its next vehicle program.
 

MINI E

BMW releases details on its new battery powered MINI E that will debut at November's Los Angeles Auto Show. The electric drive MINI was first announced by MINI officials in early July of this year. BMW is currently in the process of assembling 500 examples that will be leased to commercial and private customers beginning in mid-2009.

Chrysler LLC executives said they're undecided on which of the new electric vehicles will be the first to launch into production or which company will supply the batteries. But Frank Klegon, VP for Product Development, did acknowledge that the A123 Systems "is one of the players" that has been involved in development of the initial prototypes.

Chrysler Electric Vehicles

Chrysler LLC, which began 2008 with the unveiling of a trio of electrically driven concept vehicles, announces four models targeted for production beginning in late 2010. The battery powered vehicles include an electric only sports car, and a pair of extended range electric vehicles all with lithium ion batteries along with a newly redesigned neighborhood electric vehicle.

Honda Insight Concept

As with other recent auto shows, the Paris Motor Show coming up in early October will again feature a wide array of fuel and emissions saving concept and production cars from around the world. New hybrid cars will be appearing from Honda, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Citroen, Peugeot and others will share the stage with new diesels from General Motors, Volkswagen and Subaru. Flexible bio-fueled vehicles and electrics will also be rolling out in the city of lights.

2011 Chevrolet Volt

As General Motors enters its second century facing the biggest financial crisis in its history, it unveils the production version of the car that it hopes will represent a newbeginning . Sixteen months are unveiling the Chevrolet Volt as a concept, the production design is unveiled at General Motors centennial celebrations.