Ford will significantly expand its lineup of 40 mpg or better models in 2012, launching not only the new C-Max Hybrid and Energi plug-in hybrid, but also the new Focus Electric. The Focus EV, says Ford, is expected to achieve a miles per gallon equivalent (mpge) rating of 100, besting the Nissan Leaf by a...
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Ford has announced it expects its upcoming C-Max Hybrid multi-activity vehicle to achieve an average fuel economy rating of over 42 mpg, exceeding the rating of the recently released Toyota Prius v. In addition, the C-Max Energie electric vehicle will top the Prius plug-in hybrid’s electric only mode rating of 87-mpge (miles per gallon equivalent)....
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Volvo says it plans to build just 1000 V6 Plug-in Hybrids for 2012, all will be aimed exclusively at European customers and all of them will be finished in just one exterior color; Electric Silver.
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The JDM Mazda Demio models currently under test, sport a 70 kW electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack that adds approximately 220 lbs in extra weight. Fujinaka says the goal was to offer a zero tailpipe emisisons vehicle that delivered comparable performance to the regular 1.5-liter gas engined Demio.
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Last week we brought you a story about Aperta employees boorishly smashing the remaining shells of their 2e electric vehicle, including quotes from their disgruntled former CEO, Steve Fambro. You may wonder how things went so wrong. If you haven’t been following the Aptera saga, or if you don’t know what Aptera is, this is a good...
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Last month, GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the Chevy Volt’s fire hazards after the electric vehicle suffered collision. As investigations continue, GM’s Opel react by announcing the delay of Ampera deliveries throughout Europe until a solution to the defect is found. An Opel spokesman explains that Opel is, “not currently delivering the cars...
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In the 1960’s there was the muscle-car wars, and in the 1980’s it was all about who can sell the most minivans. Now its time for the green-car wars, to see who can sell the most plug-in hybrid or fully electric cars. The two biggest rivals at the moment are the Nissan Leaf and the...
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In its annual Outlook, ExxonMobil discusses the future of global energy demands and consumption and in this year’s edition, ExxonMobil believes that half of the vehicles on the road in 2040 will be hybrids. We personally believe hybrids will rule the road long before 2040, especially when you have vehicles like Lincoln‘s 2012 MKZ Hybrid...
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In light of the Volt post-crash fire disaster, GM announced that they are seeking out batteries that are less volatile for their upcoming 2013 Chevy Spark electric car. GM will be switching to a phosphate-based lithium ion battery from A123 Systems Inc. that are less likely to burn than other lithium chemistry, according to the...
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Amp Electric Vehicles announced that they’ll be heading to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show with a new electric vehicle based on an iconic American SUV. What SUV Amp has electrified this time around is not known, but recently they debuted their Mercedes-Benz ML, so it might not be a far reach to anticipate a Jeep...
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While Chevy‘s Volt is having to battle some major negative press, Nissan‘s Leaf is celebrating its first birthday with over 19,000 owners who have given the world over 32-million gas-free miles. To celebrate its first birthday, Nissan employed the assistance of electrical sockets to sing the Leaf its birthday song. Dubbed “Singing Sockets”, the video/commercial...
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is flatly denying any wrongdoing around the time it took to release data suggesting the Chevrolet Volt might catch fire. Earlier this week reports surfaced that Volts suffering severe crashes might be at risk of catching fire. GM hasn’t released an official statement explaining the phenomenon, but information...
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Ahead of the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Honda invited a group of journalists out to its Twin Ring Motegi race track facility for an information download on its future engines and transmissions, as well as a chance to get behind the wheel of some of the new products. Unfortunately, seat time was too minimal for...
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w If it seemed space-aged to charge your cellphone wirelessly a few years ago, what do you think of doing the same thing with your car? Nissan and Mercedes-Benz are playing with the idea, and showing off what they have so far. The Mercedes B Class E-Cell concept may make use of the technology in the...
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Nonetheless despite the highly publicized battery fires, reportedly caused by coolant leaking and then crystalizing to cause electrical shorts, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (which reported no fires as the result of its own crash testing) has no plans to change the five-star crash rating it awarded the Volt earlier this year.
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Maybe the staff at Aptera watched the printer-smashing scene in Office Space too many times and felt like taking some frustration out on inanimate objects. Whatever their reason the video footage of their antics is creating a stir. Last Sunday we reported that Aptera, the environmentally focused startup responsible for building funky-looking 3-wheeled EVs...
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General Motors is moving closer to a solution for the fires that occurred in Volts after crash testing earlier this year. Fox News reported yesterday that, according to an unnamed source, fires sparking inside Chevrolet‘s lauded green car might be caused by coolant crystallizing on the car’s battery after a crash, leading to a short...
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If you were one of the unfortunate kids who never got a Power Wheels for your birthday, you might be in luck thanks to Smart. No it’s not a joke, though it is just a concept car. Smart sent out a press release today detailing its new For-Us pickup truck. With the most serious face...
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The Chevrolet Volt was a big part of the restructuring deal General Motors had with the Obama Administration, when it applied for bail-out money. Now that the vehicle is here, it is not without its problems. Sales of this plug-in hybrid have not been great, and these days, everyone is talking about the recent crash-related...
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It’s been one year since the Nissan Leaf hit North America, and to celebrate, the automaker is going to expand this EVs availability into new U.S. markets. If you live in Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, you’re in luck – Nissan has re-opened reservations and has begun taking orders for the...
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Despite GM recanting their statement that they’d buy back Chevy Volts from concerned customers, a couple dozen have come forward requesting buy backs of their plug-in hybrids. The buy back statement originally came from GM CEO Dan Akerson, but GM’s PR department stepped in by backpedaling on that offer. Nonetheless, after receiving a couple dozen...
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Joan Claybrook, a former adminstrator at NHTSA believes part of the reason for the delay was the “fragility of Volt sales.” Yet she also believes that “NHTSA could have put out a consumer alert, not to tell them [customers] for six months makes no sense to me.”
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You won’t have to wait until the end of next year to own the Mitsubishi i EV anymore thanks to whopping dealer demand. Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko decided to move the nation-wide U.S. release up by six months from the original date to June 2012. The company also plans to release another electric vehicle by...
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“We have sold 20,000 LEAF models [worldwide]. This is as much a win for Nissan as it is for our customers,” he said. Besides winning the JCOTY title, the much hyped LEAF has also garnered 2011 World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year awards.
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