Coda Automotive, known for their upcoming sedan electric vehicle, has expanded their business by announcing a new venture called Coda Energy. The spinoff business unit will specialize in building stationary energy storage systems. All the knowledge gained by Coda while designing and developing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles has lead them directly into the grid...
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After an extensive two-month investigation into the Chevrolet Volt’s fire related incidents, the U.S. safety regulators of the National Transportation Safety Administration have announced that the case is closed. The conclusion: the Volt’s plug-in hybrid battery pack does not pose a significant fire risk following a crash. According to NHTSA’s statement, the organization “does not...
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The BMW ActiveE, or electric 1-Series, is finally available for lease, though there aren’t many up for grabs. We originally expected this to happen last year, but BMW delayed releasing their electric car until now to streamline the delivery process. The first unit has already been delivered and there are only 700 available in total, meaning anyone...
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The Nissan Leaf just got a little greener. Nissan is exploring ways on how to reuse the electric car’s lithium-ion battery packs once it can no longer power the emissions-free car. Partnering with ABB (a power and technology group), 4R Energy and Sumitomo Corporation of America, Nissan is looking for second-life storage applications for lithium-ion...
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After every auto show there’s normally a lull in new product news as media and PR folks alike decompress. That won’t be the case with this year’s Chicago Auto Show, however, with the reveal of electric car maker Tesla’s new crossover the day after the Chi-town press day. The reveal won’t be anywhere near Chicago...
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In anticipation of the launch of its new Model S electric luxury sedan later this year, Tesla has been busy expanding its retail network to meet supply. “We added six new stores in the U.S. last year, four in the last quarter,” said George Blankenship, VP of sales and ownership experience, speaking during a conference...
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk held an emergency conference call today to address concerns after news broke of two key executives leaving the company last week, sparking a 19 percent decline in the electric car maker’s stock value. Addressing investors and media, Musk apologized for how the news came across and denied accusations that Tesla was...
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Mercedes-Benz debuted the B Class E-cell extended range electric concept car at last year’s Geneva Auto Show, and it looks like it will now be pushed into production for the U.S. market. The German luxury automaker has decided against the sale of the B-class in the U.S. for now, but Joachim Schmidt, Mercedes global sales boss said...
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Officially, Toyota will tell you that the future is in hybrid powertrains. But unofficially, well, they’ve built an electric sports car, which was revealed at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. Based on the chassis of a Toyota Sera (a rare sports car built from 1990-96), the TES-ERA EV shares that car’s gullwing door concept, though...
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Stock values for the Palo Alto, California based Tesla Motors took a nose dive after the official announcement of two executives would be leaving the company. A couple of months before Tesla plans to launch its all electric Model S sedan, Ricardo Reyes, a spokesman for the company, announced the departure of two individuals who were involved...
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The world’s first luxury electric car, the Fisker Karma, is currently on display at the one of the world’s most famous department stores, Harrods in Knightsbridge, London. The Karma will be on display throughout the busy winter sale period until February 4th, 2012. Those interested in purchasing a Fisker Karma will be connected with international...
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Electric powered vehicles have long faced challenges in battery cell packaging and the difficulties of maximizing range optimizing weight and placement. In the past, nickel-metal hydride cells failed to store enough energy to propel an EV any more than 100 miles and required a lengthy recharge after the battery depletes. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) does improve the...
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For the last number of years, automakers have been pushing gas-electric products at auto shows across the world. However, according to researcher LMC Automotive, hybrid sales in the United States have slowed last year to 2.2 percent compared to 2.4 percent in 2010. Mike Jackson, chief executive of auto retail chain AutoNation Inc., said that...
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Infiniti knows sexy. Their cars have flowing curves that look right at home next to car show babes, a set of golf clubs or a well-manicured lawn. That’s why it really was a tease when they released photos last October of their new extended-range electric sports car. The company is still playing coy about the...
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As with all new products, analysts are quick to analyze its success after its first year of sales. When Nissan reported that its Leaf electric vehicle sales tallied 9,674 units last year, industry analysts claimed that the poor sales number proved that a market does not exist for electric propulsion. CEO Carlos Ghosn saw differently,...
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Recently, Chevrolet Volt fire hazards resulting from compromised battery cells have been under particular scrutiny by the NHTSA. Addressing the issue, GM has been informing Volt owners to bring their vehicles back to dealerships where steel plates will be fitted to increase protection surrounding the Volt’s lithium-ion batteries. At an interview yesterday during the 2012 Detroit Auto...
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The Volvo XC60 is getting a makeover for 2012, but not in the looks department. Aesthetically it will remain the same, but the power plant in the Volvo is getting quite an upgrade. There are many ways that Volvo is trying to improve fuel economy with this new hybrid system. The XC60 will be run by a...
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Hollywood comedian John Lovitz was on hand in Detroit to help launch the Smart For-Us pick-up concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show today. Smart might have struggled with sales here in the USA with their fortwo model, but globally this eco-minded brand sold over 100,000 units in 2011. To capture the American...
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As it’s name suggests, the E-Bugster relies on pure electric power for motivation, in this case an 85 kW (114 hp) electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack. Projected range is over 100 miles according to VW, while three charging options are available.
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Nissan is trying to stay at the forefront of the rapidly-progressing electric vehicle market by announcing a plug-in version of their compact van today at the Detroit Auto Show, the e-NV200. “A potential game changing vehicle in its segment, the battery capacity will support a driving range similar to the Nissan LEAF, while payload and...
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The rumors of Volkswagen bringing an electric concept to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show are true as VW revealed its E-Bugster Concept today. The all-electric Beetle features a three-inch chopped roof and 20-inch wheels, giving us that hot rod look we expected. VW integrated their Blue-e-motion electric drive unit to the current generation Beetle, giving...
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Those heading to the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and/or the 2012 Detroit Auto Show may want to recycle their plastic bottles while at the convention center. Ford and Unifi will be collecting plastic water bottles constructed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from the two shows and will recycle them to make the Repreve seating material...
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Rumors are brewing that Volkswagen will be heading to this year’s Detroit Auto Show with a surprise debut in the form of an all-electric concept. It is believed that the concept will be based on the current generation Beetle, but has been modified similarly to Volkswagen’s Ragster Concept that debuted back in 2005. The 2005...
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The Tesla Model X is something of an enigma, but thanks to some tweets that went out last month it sounds like it will be faster than a Porsche Cayenne and roomier than an Audi Q7. Once again, thanks to internet chatter we’ve got some more information on this hum-dinger of an SUV. A member...
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