Electric

Today’s news of Fiat's decision to acquire up to 35% of Chrysler has taken the automotive world by storm. What might such an alliance portend for Chrysler? What could Fiat possibly derive from the union? And how might you, the car enthusiast, feel about the whole thing? History is always a...

Toyota used last week’s Detroit Auto Show to unveil its new FT-EV concept, a compact urban runabout based on the iQ minicar and powered by an all-electric drivetrain. The carmaker also used the Detroit event to announce plans to launch an urban commuter ‘battery-electric vehicle’...

California’s Fisker Automotive has unveiled the production version of its Karma plug-in hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show today, just 12 months after the car was shown in concept form at last year’s show. With only minor design enhancements made to the exterior of the original concept...

Fisker's Karma plug-in hybrid sedan may be one of the most attractive designs to take electricity to four wheels, and it now has a stablemate. Today Fisker revealed the new Karma Sunset convertible concept at the Detroit Auto Show. The car was teased by the company last week via an enigmatic photo...

Toyota has announced that it will display its new FT-EV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, while also confirming that it will launch an urban commuter ‘battery-electric vehicle’ (BEV) by 2012. The world's largest carmaker also revealed that it will start consumer trials of a fleet...

A company based in Florida has found itself an interesting niche in the automotive world - converting Porsche models into electric vehicles that combine sports car handling ability with the economy of a battery-powered electrical motor. On top of this, the company also specializes in making their...

Honda announced today that it will be developing an electric-powered motorcycle, with sales of the bike expected to begin some time next year. The news will be pleasing for those of you who remember Honda's electric moped concept that was unveiled back in 2004 but failed to see production. Honda's...

This year has been a hard one for a lot of people, companies and industries. It has been an especially tough one for Pininfarina, losing its CEO, Andrea Pininfarina, to a traffic accident in August. Today news is breaking that the company has decided to end its stint as Italy's last contract...

With a half-century of car-building experience for both the road and track, the UK's Ginetta is now setting its sights on a truly modern goal: a high-performance electric vehicle. Details on the car remain closely held, but the car's first development steps are already underway. The G50 is...

A cryptic press release from Toyota today revealed that a new battery-powered concept car would make its global debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Speculation as to what the concept might be has already taken hold of the motoring press, but a few hints gathered from Toyota's recent remarks could...

With all that's going on in Washington lately, the slow economy and a general apathy or even hostility toward the automotive industry, it's nice to see a technological bright spot on the horizon. While it's not a ground-breaking or earth-shattering development, General Motors' fuel cell test fleet...

Detroit's carmakers aren't the only ones that need some help in the down market. Smaller manufacturers, especially startup and mid-sized electric vehicle companies, are in tight spots as well. Tesla is in need of a cash infusion to build its Model S sedan, and now Wrightspeed, the company behind...

Shai Agassi's Project Better Place has gone on an expansion spree of late, enveloping two new sites in the U.S. and one in Australia in addition to the previously announced locations in Denmark and Israel. Now the initiative is moving its plans to Hawaii, working with the governor and the state's...

Test markets for electric cars are popping up all around the globe as various carmakers and start-up projects work to lay the groundwork for more widespread adoption of the next-generation propulsion systems. The latest new market to be announced by BMW is the Berlin fleet of Mini-E EVs that will...

Researching the products of competitors, even to the point of purchasing and then carefully analyzing each piece, is a common practice in the auto industry, especially so at the bleeding edges of performance and technology. Porsche's purchase of a Tesla Roadster is therefore unsurprising, except...

Built in six months from start to finish, the Mini-E project is a remarkable example of just what can be done when bright minds are given the leeway and resources to create a modern EV from an existing platform. But at its root, the Mini-E still only a conversion of a combustion-engine vehicle, not...

Nissan's electric vehicle (EV) involvement in Project Better Place programs in Denmark and Israel, plus test fleets in its home market of Japan will be joined by a new agreement with the state of Oregon and the Portland General Electric Utility according to an announcement made by Carlos Ghosn, CEO...

General Motors revealed the production version of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt this September as the highlight of its centennial celebration, but until now no official photos of the interior have been released. Today the company revealed what the car will look like to its occupants, and though the vast...

Previously we reported on Nissan's electric car, which it plans to release in several markets in 2010 followed by global roll out in 2012. But the expensive nature of the battery technology means that Nissan will be selling its electric cars without batteries - requiring the consumer to lease the...

The Fisker plug-in hybrid saloon has officially been revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Click here for all the details and images. Fisker Automotive has confirmed today that Finnish independent vehicle manufacturer Valmet will build the upcoming Karma plug-in hybrid saloon, having first...