After reports last week that Toyota has already begun building a prototype electric car using Tesla battery technology, it now appears that that Tesla is also engaged in the prototype process. The American manufacturer of electric sports cars has announced that by the end of the month it will deliver two prototype models to Toyota...
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Toyota has already begun building an electric vehicle prototype using Tesla’s battery technology confirms company CEO Akio Toyoda. The comments were made during a meeting with journalists in Nagoya, Japan. That news does not, however, mean that a production EV will make it to market combining Tesla’s innovation and Toyota’s reputation for quality and its...
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Hybrid cars are a huge hit in California and for a number of reasons. The first reason you might think of is the that citizens of the fine state are concerned about the environment. And while that might be true, there’s also a more self-serving reason, namely, that the California DMV issues 85,000 “Clean Air...
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In case you couldn’t get enough of the new SLS AMG E-Cell, the folks at Mercedes have releases a huge selection of incredible images of the electric supercar. Delivering 526-hp and a 0-60 mph time of just 4.0 seconds the SLS AMG E-Cell is bursting with batteries, which are placed in the front firewall, center...
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BMW has just released the first teaser sketches of its Megacity electric vehicle, which it claims will be the first mass-produced car to use complete carbon fiber construction. That’s right, not only will the body panels be made of the light-weight carbon fiber weave, but so will the entire structure. Up until now, the only...
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While Volkswagen has no plans to bring its small Up! mini car to the U.S., we will get the planned electric version of the urban commuter. The folks at Automobile Magazine claim VW is planning to introduce the E-Up! in select U.S. markets in 2013 – possibly badged as the Up blue-e-motion. That same year,...
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Despite never turning a profit and selling as few as just 1,000 vehicles, Silicon Valley electric car maker Tesla Motors has raised $226 million in an initial public offering. Even more amazing is the fact that Tesla was able to generate such investment in the midst of a still shaky economic recovery that has seen...
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Glass’s Guide, car valuation experts from the UK have studied the long-term ownership costs of EVs, such as the forthcoming Nissan Leaf (shown, above.) The news isn’t looking good. Glass’s reports that after 5 years of ownership, EVs will retain only about 10 percent of their value, as opposed to the 25 percent residual value...
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American electric car maker Tesla is about ready to launch its IPO and go from a small niche market automaker to possibly a large international electric vehicle powerhouse. But in order to make hat next big step CEO Elon Musk needs money, and lots of it. So before he opens up his company to the...
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Mercedes has just unveiled a new fully electric and emissions-free version of its SLS AMG flagship supercar, delivering 526-hp and a 0-60 mph time of just 4.0 seconds. To achieve this impressive output, the SLS AMG E-Cell is bursting with batteries, which are placed in the front firewall, center tunnel and behind the seats. This...
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Audi has been hard at work on it’s E-Tron electric sports car, and it’s paying off, with new plans to deliver the car to market ahead of schedule. According to a report by Car & Driver, the E-Tron will arrive in 2012. The vehicle won’t be for sale, however, but for lease. Lexus recently announced...
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With the production Chevy Volt set to debut later this month and sales to start by the end of the year, General Motors is announcing that up to 4,400 early adopters could receive free home charging stations. Its not GM that will provide the charging stations, but rather the U.S. Department of energy, with two...
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General Motors is preparing to announce at the end of the month that its revolutionary Chevy Volt is complete. According to a Micky Bly, GM’s executive director for electric vehicles, the American automaker is planning a big event some time in June. Currently, GM is making last minute adjustments to the car’s software, and recently...
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The end goal for most venture-capital financed start-ups is to issue an IPO and help get some money into the hands of those investors brave enough to give the company money at the early stages. Tesla Motors, perhaps the first Silicon Valley car company(and headed by Elon Musk, a former dot-com executive), is about to...
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It looks as though Tesla’s IPO filings with the SEC may have been intended to draw attention away from the company’s recent tie-up with Toyota. In those filing Tesla commented that while there is an intention between both automakers to work together towards building a new electric car, “we have not entered into any agreements...
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It seems as though the biggest issue facing electric cars isn’t the big bad oil industry, but rather over zealous mileage claims by the manufacturers that build them. As Nissan prepares to launch its new Leaf EV, the company is sticking to its claim that the vehicle will be able to achieve 100 miles on...
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Ahead of any possible legislation requiring electric cars and hybrids to come equipped with noise-makers, Nissan is announcing the introduction of what it calls the ‘Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians’ system for its new Leaf electric vehicle. The system finds a balance between driver comfort and alerting pedestrians of an approaching vehicle. The “sine-way sound...
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It appears as though last month’s much-touted tie-up between Toyota and American electric car maker Tesla Motors was more of a publicity stunt than the start of a brave new electric world. In a recently filed IPO statement to the SEC, Tesla says that while there are a lot of good intentions to work together...
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Nissan sure knows how to target future customers for the Nissan Leaf. At Steve Jobs’ keynote speech this week, the Apple CEO unveiled the new 4th generation iPhone, and what product made a prominent appearance to display the new iAd system? Why, the Nissan Leaf, of course! The Apple demographic is probably more open to...
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A new 400-horsepower sports car is in the works at BMW, but if you ask executives at the German car company, they’ll tell you that the most promising new product is at the other end of the spectrum. Speaking at a meeting in London, Ian Robertson a BMW board member told Inside Line that they...
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With BMW set to launch its revolutionary Megacity electric mini car in the next few years, there’s now word that the new sub-brand could include more models – like an electric sports car. In an interview with AutoCar, BMW’s sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson admitted to as much, commenting that the Megacity brand won’t...
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Let’s get ready to ruuuuuuuummmmbbble. Reports from various blogs say that the Nissan Leaf will tip the scales at 3,500 pounds, the same as its arch rival, the Chevrolet Volt. While the Volt is a plug-in hybrid, with a gas engine and battery pack, the Leaf is a true electric car, with no internal combustion...
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As quiet as ninjas, hybrid and electric cars can be just as deadly. But while ninjas sneak up on you quickly, hybrid and electric vehicles are most likely to get you at low, parking lot speeds. According to a report that came out last fall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), hybrids tend...
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Is the Nissan Leaf set to overtake the Toyota Prius as the green-status-symbol of choice? According to market research sponsored by Nissan, a fair number of consumers who have put down deposits on the new Nissan Leaf electric car are current owners of the Toyota Prius hybrid, and are looking to take their outward love...
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