Saturday 31 July 2010

Electric cars: Considering a Volt or Leaf? Lease it.


President Obama in electric car
By taking the wheel of a gleaming black Chevy Volt and driving all of 10 feet Friday, President Obama may not have convinced anyone to buy into the auto industry's new experiment.

But he did drive home one point: Mass-produced electric cars are coming. Soon.
This fall, the Volt and Nissan's Leaf will face off with dueling plug-in technologies. Next year, Ford, Toyota, and just about every other major manufacturer are likely to unveil their own electric cars. Is it time to consider buying one?
The new generation of plug-in cars come with all sorts of unknowns. How good is the technology? Will the batteries last? Will people want an expensive electric car (the Volt) that can replace their current vehicle? Or a cheaper specialized version (the Leaf) with a more limited range?
Perhaps the biggest risk of all is that gasoline prices would fall, making electric motors more expensive to run than conventional combustion engines.

Read this news @ http://www.evhub.in/news/170#170

Toyota teams up with Tesla to electrify Rav4

Toyota and electric vehicle upstart Tesla Motors will work together to develop an electric version of Toyota's Rav4 medium SUV, with plans to begin selling it in the US in 2012.
Tesla already is working on the electric power system for the Rav4. The electric carmaker has built one prototype for testing and plans to deliver a fleet of them for Toyota to evaluate later this year.
The companies announced a partnership in May to develop and build electric cars at a recently closed automotive factory in the San Francisco Bay area.
Tesla, which last month began selling shares to the public, said it hoped to drive down the cost of electric vehicles so they become within reach of mainstream buyers.
Toyota has said it was investing US$50 million ($70 million) in Tesla, with the electric car company buying the New United Motor Manufacturing factory, known as Nummi, in Fremont, California, where the Tesla Model S electric sedan will be built.

Soon, used electric car batteries to generate cheap household power

Owners of electric cars might soon be able to use their old car battery to run their household electricity, according to a leading Japanese automaker.
Nissan”s senior vice-president of product planning, Andy Palmer, said the company – which is set to launch its Leaf electric small car in Australia in 2012 – is working on a business model whereby people use their old electric vehicle battery to generate cheap household power.

SEOUL TO INSTALL OVER 100 EV CHARGERS TO PROMOTE ECO-FRIENDLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to install more than 100 EV charging points until the end of this year.
"We are establishing advanced operation system to compete with EV charging infrastructure established in other advanced cities," said Director Lee In-Keun for Air Quality Management Division at the government.
In an effort to promote the use of the eco-friendly vehicles, the city government is working to secure enough parking spaces to accommodate minimum two electric vehicles and at least one charging station at each of Seoul 25 district ("gu") offices.
In recognition that lack of EV charging facilities is the biggest challenge in promoting the eco-friendly vehicle, the city government, on May 28, signed a joint agreement with three large Seoul-based retailers.

All about green cars - and not just expensive ones

I love how my Tesla goes from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. All right, technically, it's not my Tesla since it costs $109,000, but it was for 15 minutes Friday.
I had a chance to test-drive the all-electric car, courtesy of Tesla Store Chicago. The two-seater sports roadster resembles a vintage Porsche with one big exception - it runs on a 990-pound battery with a 245-mile range per charge.
It's an odd experience driving a car with a single-speed gearbox, meaning you don't feel the gears shifting, but it's easy to get used to. The Tesla has a regenerative brake system that kicks in when you ease off the accelerator, which slows down the vehicle eliminating the need for excessive pumping.
And the 0 to 60 feature? As good as a roller coaster.
Tesla's coming out with a sedan priced around $50,000 in 2012 with similar features - I can just see the acceleration factor coming into play at the mall parking lot.
Typical buyers range from collectors to sports car fanatics to people who want an alternate fuel vehicle, Tesla Store Chicago General Manager Dustin Krause said.

EVCA.OB - NASA Showcase Electric Vehicles, CLNE - Expands the Use of Natural Gas - StockHotTips.com

EVCARCO (OTC.BB:EVCA) NASA's Kennedy Space Center held a series of events to showcase electric vehicles and electric drive Systems. The events fell along side Earth day events such as the Beach cleanup as well as educational programs. EVCA, a Texas based Corporation which manages several electric vehicle brands, provided the latest electric vehicles to NASA staff. The event allowed NASA staff to learn about electric vehicles and their advancements. The program showcased the latest in mature, all electric vehicle technology, innovations in renewable energy concepts, and market ready alternative fuel technology.

EVCA and NASA-KSC transportation department showcased the following vehicles: -NEV- Wheego All Electric Vehicle, produced in California- Production model -Highway Speed- Lithium Smart car- Prototype -Tazzari-Zero All Electric Lithium Powered Italian Roadster- Production model -UTV-Mil Spec Vehicle- Prototype EVCA provided a delegation to discuss the advances in the electric car market such as: -CTO, Technology expert Eduard Prous -COO, Operations expert Scott O'Neal -Strategy expert, Richard Griffiths For full article: CLICK HERE ________________________________________ Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE) Legislation being introduced in the US Senate by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and intended for introduction in the US House of Representatives by Ways & Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin (D-MI), will benefit the deployment and use of natural gas vehicles and fuel in the United States, according to CLNE.