Fisker Automotive announced today that former Chrysler head Tom LaSorda will replace the company’s namesake, Henrik Fisker, as the new CEO. Fisker first called LaSorda to join the team as an observer and to assess the company as a whole. After two months of evaluation,He asked LaSorda to become CEO. Fisker meanwhile announced his intent to “build...
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Audi is bringing an all-electric A3 to the U.S. Exciting as that may be, only 17 of them will make their way across the ocean. At the annual TED conference in Long Beach, Calif., Audi CEO Johan DeNysschen revealed plans to bring 17 A3 e-trons Stateside as a trial to see what type of reaction the...
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Official images of the Pininfarina Cambiano concept car have been revealed ahead of the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show. According to Pininfarina, the Cambiano concept was approached with, “great attention to the environment, both as to the engine and as to the materials’ choice.” Engine wise, the Cambiano is a range extended electric vehicle with...
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Following up on Tesla’s battery problems, we got a chance to talk to Toyota about the upcoming RAV4-EV. Toyota has been working closely with Tesla in developing their electric crossover. We were curious to see if the issue that is now worrying owners of Tesla Roadsters will be a problem with Toyota’s vehicle as well....
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The dawn of a new era is upon us with electric vehicle charging and it appears that Swedish automaker Volvo wants to help streamline the recharging process for owners out in public looking for juice for their EV. The project, titled Electric Vehicle Intelligent Infra Structure (ELVIIS) is being kicked off with the help of...
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The term “bricked” is often used with smartphones and other devices that can become completely unusable and are essentially, well… just a brick. To hear that terminology being used by an automaker is a little disconcerting, especially when that automaker sells cars that cost over $100,000. If the battery is ever completely discharged in a...
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Making its way to the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show will be Rinspeed’s Dock + Go creation, an innovative yet strange concept that will leave some scratching their heads. The Swiss-based tuner is marketing the Dock + Go as a backpack on wheels but is also a detachable range-extender for electric cars. The product essentially...
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There’s not a lot of mystery in the auto industry. Automakers release info on cars before they debut, and with leaked info and spy photos, even then, there’s often little that’s unknown about a new model before it arrives. And then there’s this… a mysterious German electric vehicle spotted testing in Northern Europe. In fact,...
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Some may remember in 2009, Daimler purchased a 10 percent stake in Tesla for the joint development of a Smart EV. Once again, Tesla and Daimler will once again collaborate on a new project, this time an electric Mercedes-Benz. Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings report revealed details regarding its role as the full powertrain supplier for a...
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One of the great perks of becoming an automotive journalist is the opportunity to get behind the wheel of practically any new car on the market, whether it be the latest Porsche or a Pagani Huayra. However, Tesla has chosen not to oblige. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk during an announcement last night, no...
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Things might get a lot sweeter in 2013 for folks considering a “new technology car,” as they’re being called at the White House. President Obama’s 2012 fiscal year budget apparently includes a provision for increasing the federal tax credit from $7,500 to a more substantial $10,000. The subsidy hasn’t been passed yet, but if it...
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A dream team of ten engineers and tech experts have assembled at the UK-based Lola-Drayson to develop an extremely innovative all-electric race car. This electricity powered car is aiming at a top speed of 320 km/h or 200mph. While that seems like an astronomical number, this actually isn’t the ultimate goal of the electric racer. According...
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Why get an electric car when new gas powered vehicles are getting such high marks for fuel efficiency? According to a survey by KPMG, the rising standard of efficient gas engines is going to lead to minimal sales of electric vehicles. KPMG’s 13th annual Global Automotive Executive Survey found that, although electric engines are a...
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An interesting study has just been released by the University of Michigan which compared the average fuel efficiency of vehicles made in 2012 compared to those manufactured in 2008. According to the report, there has been a 2.8-mpg improvement for cars (including station wagons) and a 1.6-mpg for light trucks (including pickups, minivans, vans, and...
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The all-electric Tesla Model X will debut today at 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time at Tesla’s design studio in California. Mere hours before the official unveil Tesla founder and CEO, Elon Musk tweeted a new teaser photo which shows off what are being called the Model X’s falcon wing doors. The new picture doesn’t give...
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Today Nissan announced its list of concepts that will bow at the Geneva Auto Show next month. There are two world premiers in the group, the Invitation and one other that the company is keeping closely guarded. The Invitation, which from what we can tell is a lot like a cooler version of the Versa, will...
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Infiniti has announced that its upcoming plug-in hybrid sports car concept will be called the Emerge-E. Using a gasoline range-extended to add power and range to an electric powertrain, this will be the first such system used in an Infiniti product. The “advanced sports car concept” will also be the first Infiniti to use a...
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Just when CAFE loosened standards and lowered from 56.5 MPG to 54 MPG by 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has decided to propose new and more stringent conditions for automakers that sell cars in California. The California Air Resources Board will not only enforce CAFE, but will also require at least 15.4 percent of...
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The Lincoln MKZ concept that debuted in Detroit earlier this month gave us an olfactory tingle in more than one place after the display started inexplicably smoking in front of us much to its presenter’s chagrin. Despite all that, the MKZ wasn’t the hottest Lincoln design to make the scene. Instead, the car that’s still capturing...
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While small cars have had a difficult time catching on in North America, it seems as if cars in the UK market could never be small enough. A group of businessmen in the United Kingdom decided to resurrect the Peel brand and are now taking orders for both the Trident and P50 models. 0-60 times...
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Citing complex certification processes, Fisker Automotive has cut its sales target for the plug-in hybrid electric Karma once again. Initially set at 15,000 units for 2012, in November the American start-up automaker headed by renowned automotive designer Henrik Fisker shopped the forecast to 12,000 units in November. Now Fisker has reduced that goal once again,...
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After a half a decade of build-up, sales of the Chevrolet Volt are not going as planned. With a targeted goal of moving 10,000 units in its first full year on sale GM moved 7,671, leading to speculation that the American auto giant won’t be able to meet its lofty forecast for 60,000 sales in...
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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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