Ahead of the Geneva show, BMW has unveiled their first electric vehicle, the ActiveE: a 1-Series coupe that’s good for 170 horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque, and 100 miles on a single charge. This gives the ActiveE a 0-60 time good for nine seconds. And BMW says the batteries can be fully charged in four...
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As we anticipate the launch of the Scion iQ here in North America, parent company Toyota is preparing to introduction an all electric version of the mini-car in Europe. Set to debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March, the car uses a lithium-ion battery located under the floor. As a result it doesn’t take...
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The Porsche Boxster E will begin trials in Germany, marking the German sports car maker’s first foray into performance EVs. With the Boxster’s chassis dynamics firmly established, the 240 horsepower electric-powered roadster should provide formidable competition to cars like the Tesla Roadster. Porsche says that acceleration is comparable to the Boxster S, which can sprint...
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One of the big advantages of an electric car is the lack of routine servicing they require. With only the battery and electric motor present, consumables like fluids, filters, belts and the like are obsolete. Ford is making this a big selling point for their upcoming Focus Electric, as it released a list of 25...
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Nissan will show their ESFLOW electric car concept at the Geneva Auto Show, a vehicle that has more in common with the Tesla Roadster than Nissan’s compact Leaf EV. While the Leaf is based on a traditional car chassis, the ESFLOW is a clean-sheet design, that uses two motors in the rear wheels to allow...
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BMW is looking for an alternative to traditional purchasing options for their upcoming MegaCity urban vehicle, as the high cost of developing substantially new technology may result in the vehicle becoming prohibitively expensive for consumers. Among the projects being considered are a car-sharing service similar to the one operated by Daimler for their Smart car...
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An estimated 14,000 taxpayers claimed $37 million in tax credits meant for buyers of plug-in or electric vehicles, while attempting to pass of vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Camaro and “golf cart” as worthy of the credit. Among the most ignominous offenders were 88 prisoners and IRS employees who attempted to claim the credits....
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The Obama Administration has made a significant effort to increase the number of electric cars being produced, but according to a new report by Indiana University it won’t meet its goal of getting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. The report indicates that the current ‘production intentions’ of automakers won’t result in...
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Volkswagen is planning to spread the platform love with its new Up city car, with Czech subsidiary Skoda being the first VW division to get the tiny car, with a SEAT-branded version to follow. Packaged as a three-door five-seater, a 1.0L gasoline engine and a 1.2L diesel engine will be offered, with an all-electric version...
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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Mate Rimac decided to follow that old saying, revolutionizing his 1986 BMW 3-Series after popping the motor during a track day in Croatia. Instead of giving up on the car, or just shoving in another power plant, Rimac had a crazy idea: “I pulled the engine out of...
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Now, it would appear that instead, future US bound Minis will get a line of 1.5-liter three-cylinder engines and possibly a plug-in hybrid powertrain. As far the latter is concerned, Mini will partner up with Getrag to produce it and this will likely be a plug-in system, designed to extend the vehicle’s range on electric...
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The Chevy Volt works as a car and as a green transportation solution, but as a business case it’s less sound. Helped by massive tax incentives to make the $41,000 entry price a more attractive number to consumers, GM insists demand for the car is strong, repeatedly announcing new plans to up production numbers. That,...
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Mazda has just announced that starting next year it will begin leasing an all electric versions of its new Mazda2 sub-compact. Few details are available, but the EV will have a driving range of 200 km (124 miles) and the lease program will be offered to government agencies and fleet customers in Japan. This expansion...
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If you drive an electric car, you may be a little hesitant to take it out for an extended drive. That means taking the scenic route is out. Or does it? If you’re planning to do some sight seeing along the coastal ranges of Washington and Oregon in your electric car, you’ll get a boost...
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Car companies pay close attention to the Middle-East market, but it’s usually in relation to high-priced exotics and luxury cars. So it comes as a big surprise to hear that Volkwagen might be launching a concept car at the upcoming Qatar Motor Show that will consume only 1-liter of fuel to travel 100 km. That...
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Mitsubishi‘s American plant will transition from making less-than-thrilling cars like the Eclipse and Endeavor SUV to producing vehicles for the global market. The transition will occur in 2014 as part of its new business plan. The vehicles will share a common platform with the Lancer compact car and Outlander crossover. Along with the Eclipse and...
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If you are the extraordinarily wealthy parent of an over-indulged child that loves pre-WWII race cars, then boy do we have something for you. Audi is showing off a miniature Auto Union Type C race car that uses electric power for motivation. Audi already sells a 1:2 scale Type C as a pedal car, but this version...
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Here at the AutoGuide office, we are quite fond of the Tesla Roadster. We like its battery technology, its range, and most of all its amazing performance. It certainly has shown us a glimpse of the future, and thankfully its not boring. However, the Roadster model is quite expensive and impractical and Tesla is aware...
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Gordon Murray’s most famous project so far has been the McLaren F1. But if the legendary South African designer has his way, his next project will be the one that forms the basis of his legacy, and the T.27 electric city car may just make it after passing a European market crash test with flying...
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A report from Britain’s Autocar magazine is claiming that BMW‘s Megacity electric car will exceed the Nissan Leaf’s sticker price of £23,350 (or about $37,000 USD) due to both the advanced technology used on the Megacity and BMW‘s premium positioning. The Megacity will have a number of groundbreaking features; an aluminum chassis that will resist...
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With the Nissan Leaf now finally on sale here in North America, the Japanese automaker is already exploring electric car concepts for the future. Unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon, the Nissan Leaf Aero Concept looks at future EV styling with a low-slung aero kit and some custom wheels that keep air moving around...
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Speaking just a day after Toyota officially announced the expansion of the Prius hybrid into a whole lineup of vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show, General Motors CEO Daniel Akerson has confirmed the Chevy Volt will follow a similar path. Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress, Akerson said both a hatchback and MPV version...
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Although Toyota has been hyping their new Prius MPV for months, Ford‘s announcement of not one, but two hybrid minivans is sure to take the wind out of Toyota’s sails (no pun intended). The C-Max Hybrid and Energi (Ford’s name for the plug-in variant) will be 5-seaters only, and use a lithium-ion battery pack, considered...
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As part of Ford‘s “One World” plan, a single platform will be used across all markets worldwide. While we reap the benefits with the all-new Focus and C-Max, there can be trade-offs when different markets require different attributes in a vehicle. With the Ford Vertrek Concept, unveiled today at the Detroit Auto Show, the Blue...
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