First unveiled at this year’s Geneva Auto Show, the Land Rover Electric Defenders were produced to research how an all electric all terrain vehicle would work in real-world test scenarios. The first Electric Defender from the project has been assigned to duty in the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. The 110 series pick-up will pull… Continue reading Land Rover Electric Defender impressive test results
Volkswagen E-Up! priced from €26,900 ($34,500 USD) which makes it almost triple the price of the gasoline powered Up! For those following the E-Up!, most were expecting the price to be around €16000. Along with the price, Volkswagen released these specs: 0-62 mph (0 to 100 km / h) in 12.4 seconds top speed of… Continue reading Volkswagen E-Up! price announced and it’s too high
This time, it’s a German blog AutoKarma.de that posted these spy pictures. A reader of the blog, Marcus Engert, was out and about in Leipzig, Germany, where the BMW i3 is in its pre-production phase. While there isn’t really much new in these photos, there are some good closeups that show the interior as well… Continue reading BMW i3 interior spy shots from Leipzig
Back in March, Chevy reps said the Spark EV would be on sale by July if everything went according to plan. Here we are, 2 weeks to July, and Chevy has shipped 2014 Spark EVs to at least 2 dealerships in California. That means shipments are on there way to other dealerships, and likely to… Continue reading 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV now available at some dealerships
As the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle market continues to grow, more and more companies are starting to offer electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). Commonly referred to as electric vehicle charging stations, electric charging point, and even sometimes by the scientifically correct EVSE, these devices supply electric energy for the recharging of the… Continue reading Wondering what EVSE will work for you? We’ve created a chart for that.
Back in March, Audi announced the A3 E-tron Sportback would go on sale in Europe some time in 2014, with the US to follow. Now, Audi says the A3 E-tron Sportback will reach volume production before the end of this year, becoming the first premium compact vehicle with plug-in hybrid technology. The Audi uses basically… Continue reading Audi A3 E-tron to enter production this year, ahead of schedule
Chevrolet announced pricing for the Chevy Spark EV today. The new 2013 Spark EV 1lt has an MSRP of $27,495 before tax incentives. After the full $7500 federal tax credit, the total price is $19,995 which includes the $810 destination freight charge. The pricing announcement puts the Chevy Spark EV almost $1000 cheaper than the… Continue reading Chevy Spark EV as low as $19,995 after incentives
Bosch Automotive Service Solution has now started offering it’s Power Max electric vehicle charging station which is the industries first level 2 stations that costs less than $450, and almost half the cost of other 240-volt EVSEs on the market. Formerly called SPX Service Solutions, Bosch Automotive Service Solutions has supplied more than 16,000 EV… Continue reading Bosch PowerMax will be cheapest level 2 EV charger
Researchers at MIT claim to have a breakthrough HVAC system that needs very little energy to run. This system will first be testing by Ford in the Focus Electric in the next year or two. Funded by a $2.7 millioin grant from Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, the system uses materials to store a… Continue reading Range-saving breakthrough in heating to be test in Ford Focus Electric
Last month, Mitsubishi had to halt production of its i-Miev and Outlander PHEV after a battery pack caught fire and another overheated causing the Outlander plug-in inoperable. The batteries in the Outlander PHEV, and in some of the Mitsubishi i-Miev electric vehicles are made by Lithium Energy Japan.Lithium Energy Japan is owned by a joint-venture… Continue reading Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV battery problems have been identified
Currently, the Audi A1 E-tron is just a prototype. After announcing the vehicle back in 2010 at the Geneva Motor Show, Audi has been testing the A1 E-tron in Munich. This year, Audi plans to expand the testing to the German regions of Bavaria/Saxony, Berlin-Brandenburg and Baden-Wurttemberg. Officially, the A1 e-tron is not scheduled for… Continue reading Audi expands testing of A1 E-tron
Last month, Mercedes Benz confirmed that the next generation C-Class will have a hybrid version as part of the C-Class fourth generation line-up. The new generation is expected at “the end of next year or the beginning of the year after [2015]” according to Peter Schmidt, the product development manager at Mercedes Benz. Now, in… Continue reading Mercedes Benz C-Class plug-in hybrid confirmed
Recently, at the Geneva Motor Show, Chevrolet and Cadillac Europe President Susan Docherty introduced the Spark EV to Europe. The Spark EV will be somewhat limited in its initial roll-out, but first deliveries are expected about a year from now. In the first quarter of 2014, Chevy plans to get the Spark EV into select… Continue reading Chevy Spark EV set for 2014 in Europe
The boxy-but-cool looking Volkswagen E-Co-Motion debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Featuring a modular underfloor drive unit that consists of a battery, motor and gearbox that can be paired to different cab and/or body configurations, Volkswagen’s concept could be a hint that the compact electric Nissan E-NV200 will have some market competition. The Volkswagen… Continue reading Volkswagen E-Co-Motion concept from Geneva
Oxford University in the UK is testing out a driverless version of the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle controlled from an Apple iPad mounted on the dashboard. The Leaf is guided by a low cost system that uses cameras and lasers hidden in the body of the car to gauge its surroundings. The iPad flashes and… Continue reading Self driving Nissan Leaf controlled by ipad
Yesterday Honda sent out an email blast titled ‘Fit EV now on both coasts.’ Last year, the Honda Fit EV was initially launched in Oregon and California markets. Since then, drivers of the Fit EV have “experienced its exceptional range, short charge time, and practical interior.” The Honda Fit EV is rated at 118 MPGe,… Continue reading Honda Fit EV now available on East Coast
At Volkswagen Electronics research Laboratory earlier this month, executives revealed the company’s plan for electric vehicles. “We want to become the leader in electrification,” said Dr. Rudolf Krebs, Volkswagen Group chief officer for electric traction. Although Volkswagen’s gasoline powered vehicles have become more efficient, they aren’t efficient enough to meet the new environmental goals set… Continue reading Volkswagen Electric Vehicle chief wants to lead in electrification
Later this year, Volvo will start selling the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. In anticipation of the launch, Volvo is busy improving on its Volvo On Call smartphone app specifically for the V60 PHEV. Volva On Call is a free download and includes features such as remote door locking, vehicle location devices and… Continue reading Volvo V60 plug-in comes with improved app
