Chevrolet may be proud of its World Green Car of the Year award for the Volt, but it was Nissan who took even bigger honors taking home the World Car of the Year Award for 2011 for the Leaf electric car. The Volt wasn’t even in the running for the more prestigious World Car title,...
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The RC in Nissan Leaf NISMO RC stands for “Race Competition.” It is not a RadioShack product. And the electric Leaf has been fettled by Nissan’s motorsport division NISMO to do battle on the track. Doing battle against…we don’t know yet. The Leaf RC is an engineer’s lab experiment, a “rolling laboratory” for the mainstream...
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Nissan has announced a ‘service campaign’ for all 5,300 of its Leaf electric cars to fix a software glitch that has been reported to prevent the car from starting. In total roughly 500 vehicles in the U.S. are affected by the service bulletin – which isn’t technically a recall because it’s not safety related. Nissan...
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Rumors had indicated that Nissan would unveil the next-generation Versa at the New York Auto Show this week, but no one saw this coming. Above is a lone image of what the Japanese automaker is calling the Leaf NISMO RC (Racing Competition). Yes, a Leaf race car! Build by Nissan’s NISMO racing division the car...
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Almost a year ago General Motors first showed off the Volt MPV5 (above), hinting that it would build a Voltec-powered extended range electric car designed for families. Now comes word that GM has filed for trademark protection on the name ‘Crossvolt’ indicating that this is a name being considered for the new model that is...
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Think electric vehicles aren’t sporty enough to tackle the vaunted Laguna Seca? Speed Ventures doesn’t think so. For the third year in a row, they’re offering EV owners the chance to drive the world-famous race track, compete against each other, and even win a trophy. Refuel 2011 is open to all EVs, including electric motorcycles...
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However, given the current high profile of environmental issues, it has been converted to run on pure electric power as part of the brewery’s Green initiatives program.
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Ford has released a list of 25 cities in the United States that it labeled “electric vehicle-ready”, with the 20 initial roll-0ut markets for the Ford Focus E.V. listed, as well as 5 other cities, Baltimore, Dallas, Hartford, Honolulu and Charlotte. Ford declined to rank the cities, instead listing them in alphabetical order, but said...
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The Chevrolet Volt has been named “Best Engineered Vehicle of 2011” by SAE International’s Automotive Engineering International (AEI) magazine. SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. For a group of engineers to name a car the “best engineered” is prestigious...
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A program initiated by General Motors CEO Dan Akerson meant to cut $10,000 from the cost of the Chevrolet Volt is well under way, according to a report by the Detroit News. “We have a cost reduction plan all the way through 2020 and Generation 3,” said Alan Taub, vice president for global research and...
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General Motors has recently lost one of its star engineers who had been largely responsible for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel and Vauxhall derivatives. According to Automotive News Europe, Opel executive Frank Weber was accepted into BMW, and will answer directly to Klaus Draeger, BMW’s head of research and development. The external hiring from a competitor...
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When it comes to electric vehicles and hybrids, often we see cute little city cars, sensible family cars, and super-expensive sports cars. Well, for something a little different, how about a macho-looking truck ready to back up its image with action. Available as an all-electric, series hybrid or CNG V8-powered model, the Bremach USA-developed T-Rex...
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The Nissan Leaf has been afflicted with problems starting, an issue which has apparently been identified as originating with the car’s air conditioning system. Nissan remains unsure whether this is a software glitch or a larger issue related to the physical part. The company won’t issue a recall, since the safety of the vehicle is...
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Audi is reportedly preparing to release its all-electric e-tron drivetrain in an A3-based platform, possibly within the next couple of years or so. The entry-level hatch is to get 130 horsepower, and 199 lb-ft torque from its under-hood electric motor. Juice is supplied via mid- and rear-mounted li-ion battery packs adding up to 26.5 kWh...
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As electric vehicle numbers increase, charging stations are expected to as well, but at this point there are comparatively few high-output charging facilities in most regions of the country. This week, the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) said it has noticed a growing trend for RV parks to offer their already existent...
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The Think City electric car is to go on sale for $36,495 by the end of the summer this year. This is about $2,500 more than it estimated last year for the two-seater, and $3,715 more than the larger Nissan LEAF. The price does not include a $7,500 federal tax credit, or potential state and...
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The Chevrolet Volt has been reported as averaging fuel economy high enough to see 1,000 miles between trips to the gas station. “A sample of our early Volt customers suggest that they drive 1,000 miles before they fill up the gas tank,” said vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, Tony Posawatz, at a conference...
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For the second year in a row, while competing against alternative-fuel cars and hybrids, an all-electric Tesla Roadster has won the Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally. Former F1 driver Erik Comas was chosen by Tesla to compete in the 800-km (497-mile) rally against more than 100 competitors. It ended Sunday, and included sprints on the...
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Apart from their limited range, another objection to electric vehicles is that they take hours to recharge a depleted battery. Recently Siemens announced that prototypes of a high-powered electric vehicle charger promise to make filling a typical EV battery inside of 60 minutes. The first 22-kilowatt (kW) CP700A chargers are being rolled out through the...
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Gas prices are getting higher and Chrysler would like to sell you its Fiat 500 EV that uses no gas for $10,000 below cost. What’s the catch? No catch, except its cost could be three times higher than a $15,995 gasoline-powered version. Citing the high price of developing an all-electric city car, Chrysler Fiat CEO...
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The initial slow start to the Chevrolet Volt rollout sped up in March with sales of more than twice the number than were sold in January and February combined. Sales of 608 Volts plus 321 in January and 281 in February now make 1,210 total. This is not a lot compared to 18,018 Cruzes sold...
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BMW’s in-development electric car, the i3 has been confirmed as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with a mid-mounted electric motor. It is expected to be for sale by 2013. Its motor support platform was developed in house and made mostly of carbon fiber. The motor will be positioned ahead of the rear wheels, and the serviceable battery...
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While Lotus is best-known for its light weight sports cars, the automaker’s engineering division is earning a reputation for green technology. One of the most recent projects to come out of Lotus Engineer is a range extender engine that works similar to the one found in the Chevy Volt. The 1.2-liter 3-cylinder powerplant makes 47-hp...
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A team of Georgia Tech students has put together a dual-battery, solar-powered Audi TT to compete later this year in the World Solar Challenge in Australia. One of the car’s batteries is charged by solar panels, and energizes power brakes, windows and steering. The second battery puts out 120 volts which is directed to an...
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