Hertz to offer electric Smart cars for rent

The Hertz Corporation, the world's largest general use airport car rental brand, has entered into a joint partnership with Smart USA to bring smart fortwo electric drive vehicles to Connect by Hertz car sharing and Hertz Rent A Car locations inNew York, Washington DC, and San Francisco. 


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GE Demonstrates “Electric Bus of the Future”

Global Research, the company’s central technology development arm, announced a significant breakthrough that could help accelerate the electrification of bus fleets, delivery trucks and other larger, heavy-duty vehicle fleets.

The GE team successfully demonstrated a dual battery system on a zero tailpipe emissions hybrid transit bus that pairs a high-energy density sodium battery with a high-power lithium battery. To view a video of the bus being test driven, -click here-.

While significant advances in battery technology have been made, further reductions in the size and cost of batteries will be needed to enable the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. GE researchers believe a dual system with high power and energy storage capacity could achieve the optimal electric driving range and acceleration requirements at a more practical size scale and cost for larger vehicles. The research is being done as part of a $13 million research project GE is engaged in with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium, funded under the National Fuel Cell Bus Program.

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Nissan launches electric vehicle site for children

Yokohama, Japan – Nissan has launched An Electric Vehicle in Our Home, a Web program for children, on its Nissan Zero-Emission site.

The site is designed to educate elementary school children about the reality of global warming and the merits of zero-emission electric vehicles. The program features unique characters, easy-to-follow information about electric vehicles and a zero-emission society, photos, graphics and film.

The site can be found at Nissan.

Source: http://www.canadiandriver.com/2010/12/07/nissan-launches-electric-vehicle-site-for-children.htm

Questions remain for ease of electric car roll-out

Electric car buyers, carmakers and air quality officials are energized about the flurry of vehicles hitting the market in the coming months, but some worry that gaps in public charging and what the cars will do to local utilities could make for slow going.

Behind all the buzz about the Chevy Volt and the long list of buyers for the Nissan Leaf -- along with other cars and trucks coming to market in the next two years -- car dealers, electric utilities and air quality officials say the first few months might be a bumpy ride.

"There are all kinds of challenges," said Steve Badgett, deputy general manager of Riverside Public Utilities. "I probably spend 10 to 15 percent of my time addressing auto challenges with the electric supply."

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Everything you ever wanted to know about the Chevy Volt

The Chevrolet Volt starts arriving in buyers' driveways in limited markets outside of Michigan this month, but some confusion remains about everything from how the Volt works to why General Motors is building it.

That's not good for a vehicle that must prove it's not a gimmick to fulfill its mission: be an icon and transform the image of GM.

Today, the Free Press answers your Volt questions:

QUESTION: Can people come and take a tour of the plant and watch the Volt being built? Is there an education center about the Volt? -- reader John C. Tyrrell

ANSWER: The Detroit-Hamtramck plant where workers assemble the Volt will have interactive, educational displays in its lobby next year. GM is also planning a reservation-based tour program for the public that will start next year.

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CHINA PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE FORUM March 10&11 2011, Shanghai, China

China Plug-In Electric Vehicle Forum 2011 with the main theme of "Improving Infrastructure & Facilitating Industrialization", organized by Genesis Resourcing Consulting China, to be held on 10 & 11, March, 2011 at Pudong Ramada Plaza Shanghai, China. This two-day conference and exhibition will gather 200+ EV OEMS, Utilities, Charging Infrastructure Developers, EVs Charging Equipments, Technologies and Solutions Providers, Regulatory and Standards Bodies, Battery Technologies Providers, Components Manufacturers, Application Developers, Consulting and Investing Companies, Research Institutions and Associations to create win-win business models for China EV charging infrastructure economy.

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Electric Vehicles Get Government Incentives

Good news to Indian electric vehicles industry, the ministry of new and renewable energy on Monday announced a 20 per cent financial incentive on the ex-factory price of electric cars and scooters sold in the country.

As the expectations soar in the camps of Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles in India. The firm anticipates a 100% growth for Rs 95 crore incentive scheme offered by the Indian government on electric vehicles. Under the scheme every electric car sold during this 11th Plan in the next two years will be eligible for incentive. The government has announced this incentive scheme, as a part of 11th five year plan.

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Mitsubishi reveals the "I" electric vehicle at the 2010 L.A. Auto Show

LOS ANGELES -- Mitsubishi Motors renamed its MiEV electric vehicle to be called simply "I." It was introduced on the second media day at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. The "I" is a five-door hatchback electric car with a range of 100 miles in Japan or 75 miles in the United States. It was launched for fleet customers in July 2009 and on April 1, 2010 for the rest of the public. Sales in the U.S. should begin in November 2011 with a starting price of $30,000, before any state or federal incentives. The "I" is equipped with a 64 hp permanent-magnet motor.

The Mitsubishi MiEV concept was first introduced in 2006. The production version came out in 2009. The name remains the same in Japan and in Europe, however it was shortened to just the "I" for the United States and Canadian markets, powered by MiEV technology.

"This car can be charged three different ways, there's also three different driving modes," said Laura Arbios, a product specialist at Mitsubishi Motors. "You can charge on a 110-outlet, a 220 or a 440 direct current. The 110 gets you a charge in about 12 hours, 220 gets you a charge in about six, the DC gets you an 80 percent charge in about 20 minutes."

The "I" is a completely electric vehicle. It has no on-board charger or gas tank whatsoever. That also means it produces zero emissions.

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Utilities thrilled and worried about electric cars

New York • The first mass-market electric cars go on sale next month, and the nation’s electric utilities couldn’t be more thrilled — or worried.

Plugged into a socket, an electric car can draw as much power as a small house. The surge in demand could knock out power to a home, or even a neighborhood. That has utilities in parts of California, Texas and North Carolina scrambling to upgrade transformers and other equipment in neighborhoods where the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are expected to be in high demand.

Not since air conditioning spread across the country in the 1950s and 1960s has the power industry faced such a growth opportunity. Last year, Americans spent $325 billion on gasoline, and utilities would love even a small piece of that market.

The main obstacles to wide-scale use of electric cars are high cost and limited range, at least until a network of charging stations is built. But utility executives fret that difficulties keeping the lights on for the first crop of buyers—and their neighbors—could slow the growth of this new niche.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression," says Mike Rowand, who is in charge of electric vehicle planning at Duke Energy.

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Automakers to Roll-Out EVs in the US Market

American carmakers have laid out big plans to launch electric vehicles or EVs in the US market by next month.
The world's second largest automaker General Motors announced it will launch sales of its first EV vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt in December.
Volt won the title of "2011 Green Car of the Year" at the LA Auto Show.
The vehicle is capable of running up to 64 kilometers on a single charge and once its battery power is depleted it would operate its internal combustion engine to supply electric power to travel up to 480 kilometers.

Read full news @ http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=109343&code=Ne2&category=2

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New study has bad news for electric vehicle makers

Automakers who have invested in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids may have difficulty selling those products in the UK, according to a study released today.
Technology and services company Bosch's survey entitled, 'Driving Green Britain' discovered only five per cent of motorists planning to buy a new car would consider green credentials.

When asked to rank what was the main influence behind their purchase decision, 63 per cent of motorists surveyed said that price was the most important factor, closely followed by 56 per cent who said vehicle size was also influential. Motorists ranked design, style, brand and safety ahead of a car’s environmental impact, saying that green vehicles are just too expensive.

Impact for automakers
Withimpending release of green vehicles, the results of this study couldpose concerns for automakers. Nissan willrelease its EV, LEAF in the UK early next year along with Toyota’sexpected release of the Prius Plug-in EV later in the year. 

Peter Fouquet, president of Bosch in the UK, said that consumer attitudes provide a challenge for companies that want to invest in green automotive technologies.


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Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Nissan Electric Cars At LA Auto Show

posted by MOTHER NATURE NETWORK

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Written by Jim Motavalli
LOS ANGELES — I love L.A., and not just because of that Randy Newman song. If you ignore the traffic snarls, the smog and the crime, you can find great neighborhoods, incredible food trucks, amazing music — and a very high state of green awareness.
Believe it or not, although I’m a regular in Detroit, this is my first Los Angeles Auto Show, and I decided to come because the bill of fare was irresistibly green. And the show lived up to its billing — I was immersed in cutting-edge electric vehicle programs for two full days that left me drained. It will take a while to sort it all out, but here are a few vignettes from the floor:

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Electric vehicles seen as sliver of 2020 market

(Reuters) - Automakers around the world are pouring money into developing a slate of hybrid, plug-in and electric vehicles, but pure EVs are expected to make up just a sliver of the global auto market in a decade's time.

Pure electric vehicles-- which do not have an internal combustion engine and are plugged in to recharge-- will make up around 5 percent of the global auto market by 2020, some auto experts said.

Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has a more bullish projection of 10 percent. Other industry insiders, like Ford Ford Motor's (F.N) Derrick Kuzak, say that percentage will be far smaller.

"The business model doesn't compute," BorgWarner Inc (BWA.N) CEO Timothy Manganello said at the Reuters Global Autos Summit. "The more these guys make electric vehicles, the more money they are going to lose."

Manganello projects pure electric vehicles will make up between 2 percent and 5 percent of the overall market by 2020, potentially including some range-extended vehicles.

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Seoul public transport to shift to electric vehicles

Seoul, November 19 - Seoul city aims to switch half of its buses and taxis to electric power and set up recharging facilities throughout the capital over the coming decade.

The measures are part of plans announced by Mayor Oh Se-hoon to transform Seoul into a leading green-car city.

They include providing 120,000 electric cars by 2020, switching 50 percent of public transportation and 10 percent of automobiles to battery-only electric vehicles, and establishing 110,000 charging stations across the city.

Read full news @ http://www.eco-business.com/news/2010/nov/19/seoul-public-transport-shift-electric-vehicles/

Electric sports car roars into Japanese market

California-based electric sports car manufacturer Tesla has roared into the Japanese market with the opening of its first dealership in Asia.

The company's showroom is in the swish Minami-Aoyama district of Tokyo and opened earlier on November 12. And there has been a high level of interest in the first week of business, according to the company. And that is even more impressive given the number of high-performance vehicles that Japanese companies produce. Thanks to Nissan and Mitsubishi, Japan is a global leader in electric vehicles.

"There has been a lot of interest since our grand opening and we even sold several vehicles at the opening party," said Shin Io, sales manager for Tesla Japan.

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Electric cars run on coal, partly

Environmental groups and power companies are touting the benefits of emissions-free electric vehicles as a way to cut pollution in Texas.

But do electric vehicles, especially in Texas where much electricity is generated with coal, simply move emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack?

"The electricity grid is a mix of generation technologies, some dirty and some clean. With electricity generation that tends toward dirtier feedstocks (like coal), you get fewer emissions benefits from electric vehicles," said Luke Tonachel, senior analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

About 37 percent of Texas power comes from coal, according to July data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state's grid operator.

But even charged with power from dirtier sources, electric cars are cleaner than today's average vehicle and on par with the cleanest hybrids, Tonachel said.

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Toyota to Sell Plug-In Hybrid for About 3 Million Yen

Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp. will sell a plug- in hybrid model for about 3 million yen ($36,000) in Japan and introduce 11 regular gas-electric cars by the end of 2012 as the company aims to keep its position as the leading maker of the vehicles.

Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, will introduce the plug-in hybrid in Japan, Europe and the U.S. from early 2012 and plans to sell 50,000 of the vehicles a year, it said in a statement today. The carmaker will also add two electric vehicles including a model based on its iQ compact that can run 105 kilometers (65 miles) on a single charge, the company said.

Automakers are under pressure from governments, customers and environmentalists to sell fuel-efficient vehicles that producer fewer or no emissions amid concerns over global warming. Toyota, which introduced its Prius hybrid more than a decade ago, faces increased competition as companies such as Nissan Motor Co. and General Motors Co. add electric models that run longer distances on battery power alone.

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L.A. Auto Show: Alternative-fuel vehicles in spotlight

Rival Japanese automakersToyota MotorCo. andHonda Motor Co.unveiled prototypes of upcoming electric cars as alternative-fuel vehicles took center stage Wednesday at the start of the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Amid buzz aboutGeneral MotorsCo.'s multibillion-dollar initial public offering, major automakers scrambled to show off their latest electric car offerings to hundreds of reporters gathered for a preview of the annual event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The show opens to the public on Friday.

In their global debuts,Hondashowed off the concept for its Fit EV as well as the platform for a plug-in hybrid.Toyotapreviewed its second-generation battery-powered RAV4, whileJaguarteased show attendees with its sleek C-X75 hybrid-electric concept car – a vehicle that will likely never be commercially produced.

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Eco-friendly production vehicle to lead the way into the automobile's next century

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the company's more than 35 years of involvement in advanced electric vehicle development, Mitsubishi Motors has unveiled its first all-electric production vehicle bound for the North American market.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101117/LA03265)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101117/LA03265)

Based on the very popular gasoline-powered "i" minicar in the Japanese market, this roomy and practical four-door 2012 model serves as the basis for the new 100% battery-powered Mitsubishi "i" for the North American market. The zero tailpipe emission "i" will be the first North American production vehicle to be powered by Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) technology – cutting edge drivetrain engineering that will serve as the basis for future ultra-environmentally-friendly vehicles from the company. Gone are conventional automotive systems including a gasoline engine, transmission and a fuel tank, having been replaced by advanced components including a lithium-ion battery system, electric motor and an efficient battery charging system in the all-new "i". This electric vehicle has already proved itself a viable and reliable form of transportation as Mitsubishi has been selling the car in its home market since the summer of 2009; production has already commenced for the European-spec i-MiEV, with deliveries beginning later this year.  

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Electric cars are charging into the marketplace

Stalled for nearly a century, electric cars are about to move into the fast lane when the first of a new generation of vehicles reaches dealer showrooms next month.

Every major automaker plans some sort of electric or plug-in hybrid offering over the next several years, a wave of competing technologies reminiscent of the beginning of the automobile age.

General Motors Co. this month will start shipping its Chevrolet Volt, which uses a gas engine to generate electricity when the batteries run out. It will be available for sale in December. By year's end, Nissan Motor Co. will launch its Leaf, which is powered only by batteries. Ford will come out with an all-electric version of its Focus compact car next year.

Many of the new generation electric vehicles will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Other alternative-fuel vehicles, such as Honda's hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, also will be showcased.

"Electric vehicles are finally real and not an R&D project," said Mark Sogomian, a partner at Ernst & Young.

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