Electric

  • BMW ActiveE

    Electric cars are a unique slice of the automotive world. At once futuristic and yet the technology of today, wrapped in the politics of environmental consciousness and foreign oil dependency, EVs have a milieu all their own--and that extends to the way we talk about them. Especially when you're the CEO of a company that just launched a brand centered around EVs. Thus we reach the present predicament for BMW North American chairman and CEO Jim O'Donnell. In a recent Detroit News interview, O'Donnell spoke frankly, saying EVs weren't right for 90 percent of the public at their current battery...

  • Luxgen Neora Concept
    Luxgen Neora Concept Shows Futuristic Tech

    Electric cars are creeping more and more into not just our collective awareness, but our driveways and garages. But even so, there's a whole generation of technology and integration yet to occur before we see mainstream EVs and the passenger experiences we've imagined. The Luxgen Neora gives us a...

  • Google and DOE map of alternative fuel locations
    Need To Charge Your Electric Car? There's A Google Map For That

    Despite the best efforts of some in the auto industry to keep electric cars off the roads, they're back. Given the current state of technology, the EV's revenge will likely be slow and steady, but most experts agree that electrics are the future of transportation. There are, however, several...

  • 2012 Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Concept, New York Auto Show, April 2011
    Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Concept: 2011 New York Auto Show Live Photos

    Easily one of the strangest concepts on show at this week’s 2011 New York Auto Show, Nissan’s Leaf Nismo RC was made even stranger by being presented bathed in blue light. Described as ‘Purpose-Built Prototype’, the Leaf Nismo RC essentially wraps the zero-emissions...

  • BMW EVolve app
    New 'EVolve' App From BMW Decides Whether You're Ready For An EV

    Electric vehicles and other alt-fuel rides are big news these days. Tech fans and green enthusiasts can't wait to get their hands on 'em, while others think that hybrids and their eco-friendly kin are part of a vast communist conspiracy. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, there are many...

  • 2011 Audi A3 Sedan e-tron Concept
    Audi A3 Sedan e-tron Concept: 2011 Shanghai Auto Show

    Audi has already given us a preview of its next-generation 2013 A3, as well as a future electrified e-tron variant using the shell of the current model. Now the automaker has combined these two elements, forming the latest A3 Sedan e-tron Concept, which has made its world debut today at the 2011...

  • BMW ActiveE

    If you're looking to jump on the latest advanced powertrain bandwagon, it won't be all that expensive: the BMW ActiveE is going on lease this fall for $499 per month on a 24 month contract with $2,250 due at signing. Only 700 will be available, so competition for the cars will be fierce. The ActiveE lease program is also only coming to New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, and Boston, plus some in Connecticut, so if you're not in one of those places, you're out of luck. Don't fret too much, however, as the data gleaned in this test program will be used to inform...

  • Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Concept
    Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Concept: 2011 New York Auto Show

    Nissan is combining two very different elements from the automotive world for its latest concept, which is set to debut this week at the 2011 New York Auto Show. Described as ‘Purpose-Built Prototype’, the all-new Nissan Leaf Nismo RC essentially wraps the zero-emissions drivetrain and...

  • Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell
    Mercedes-Benz Partners With Bosch For Full Scale Production Of Electric Drivetrains In 2012

    The parent company of Mercedes-Benz, Daimler, has signed a deal with automotive parts supplier Bosch to expand their long-standing partnership and cooperate in the development and production of electric drivetrains that will eventually feature in a number of new production models. The two industry...

  • Frank Weber
    BMW Confirms Appointment Of Key Chevrolet Volt Engineer Frank Weber

    BMW has confirmed it’s poached GM’s former head of product planning, Frank Weber, to fill the role of head of vehicle architecture and integration at the luxury automaker. Weber, a key engineer in the development of the Chevrolet Volt and its Voltec range-extending electric drive...

  • 2013 Audi A3 leaked official sketches
    Next-Gen Audi A3 Will Feature Six Different Powertrain Types

    Audi’s next-generation A3 is scheduled to hit showrooms in the second half of next year, in both sedan and hatchback bodystyles, and depending on which market you live in, you may eventually be able to opt from up to six different powertrain types when selecting your model. No, we’re...

  • 2011 Audi A3 e-tron prototype
    Audi A3 e-tron Prototype Joins The Fold

    Audi is showcasing the potential of its ‘e-tron’ electrified vehicle technology in virtually its entire lineup, with the A3 hatchback finally join the fold of the automaker’s next-generation vehicle prototypes. Just a few weeks back we saw the highly advanced A5 e-tron quattro...

  • Elon Musk

    In the ongoing battle between Tesla and Top Gear, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has finally spoken, comparing the BBC’s popular automotive television program to a Milli Vanilli concert. That’s right, the music band whose Grammy award was revoked when the lead performers admitted they didn't actually sing. While speaking to The Detroit News, Musk goes on to describe Top Gear as “completely phony” and once again highlights the fact that the script for the ‘review’ of the Tesla Roadster on Top Gear was already written before the cars were even delivered for...

  • BMW and Brilliance 5-Series plug-in hybrid prototype
    BMW And Brilliance 5-Series Plug-In Hybrid: 2011 Shanghai Auto Show Preview

    As we first reported several months ago, BMW and its Chinese partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. has developed a new plug-in hybrid version of its 5-Series, revealed today ahead of its debut in just a few weeks at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. The vehicle is classed as a prototype and...

  • Top Gear logo
    Top Gear Responds To Tesla Lawsuit

    Following last week’s shock announcement that Tesla is suing BBC’s Top Gear for libel and malicious falsehood stemming from a review of its all-electric Roadster, Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman has released insight on the topic coming from the show’s side. Due to the...

  • 2011 Kia Naimo Concept
    Kia Naimo Electric Car Concept: 2011 Seoul Motor Show

    Making its world premiere at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show today is the all-new Kia Naimo, an electric crossover concept penned by the automaker’s design team in South Korea and characterized by its simple lines and muscular stance. The simple overall design is accentuated by a number of striking...

  • Tesla versus Top Gear
    Breaking: Tesla Sues BBC's Top Gear For Libel And Malicious Falsehood

    Tesla is no stranger to lawsuits, having been on both the receiving end and acting as instigator in several nasty cases in the recent past. The Californian electric car startup is now at it again, this time taking on the formidable forces of the BBC, more specifically the network’s Top Gear...

  • Artega SE electric sports coupe
    Artega SE Electric Coupe: 2011 Geneva Motor Show

    The last we heard of German start-up Artega and its Henrik Fisker designed GT sports coupe, the company had just started building and selling a limited run of its cars, which at the time were available exclusively with a 300 horsepower V-6. At this past week’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Artega...

  • 2011 Smart Forspeed Concept live photos

    Lately, the Smart brand has been focusing more on electrified vehicles, releasing its Smart Fortwo Electric Drive minicar and following this up with concept versions of an electric bike and scooter. Now, at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Smart has unveiled its Forspeed electric roadster concept. Despite its name, this is no speedster, however. Designed more for short city jaunts, the Forspeed features a rear-mounted 40 horsepower electric motor with a 7 horsepower overboost function. It has a top speed of 75 mph and a driving range of about 84 miles. Enjoy the gallery of live images and then hit...

  • Rolls Royce Phantom Experimental Electric 102EX live photos
    Rolls-Royce Phantom Experimental Electric 102EX Live Photos: 2011 Geneva Motor Show

    Silently cruising in a seemingly impregnable fortress of fine leather, sensuous wood and hand-built steel and glass is the ultimate goal of the hyper-luxury automakers like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, so it's not surprising at all that an all-electric Rolls-Royce Phantom was trotted out in front of...

  • Rolls Royce Phantom Experimental Electric 102EX
    Rolls-Royce 102EX Electric Phantom Prototype: 2011 Geneva Motor Show

    There have been reports about Rolls-Royce developing an all-electric version of its Phantom luxury sedan for several years now, the latest with newly appointed CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes admitting such a car would be good idea. Old-world charm, resolute styling and blue-blooded buyers may not be...

  • EDAG Light Car Sharing Concept
    EDAG Light Car Sharing Concept: 2011 Geneva Motor Show

    German engineering and design firm EDAG has rolled out the latest concept in a growing line of design studies based on its ‘Light Car’ philosophy, a fundamental design for cars that are able to communicate with one another via a system of organic LEDs. Back at 2009’s Geneva Motor...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf
    Consumers Want Simpler Gadgets; How About Simpler Cars?

    They say that the simple things in life can bring the most pleasure. Though not everything simple automatically brings happiness to your life, there's certainly a joy to be had from machines and gadgets that operate with economy of movement. A recent survey by Accenture has revealed that more than...

  • Smart Forspeed Concept
    Smart Forspeed Concept: 2011 Geneva Motor Show

    Following on from its Escooter electric two-wheeler concept at last year’s Paris Auto Show, Smart has rolled out a new open-top ‘speedster’ based on the brand’s Fortwo Electric Drive minicar. The new vehicle is called the Forspeed and it’s scheduled to make its world...

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