Electric
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Tesla's lawsuit, filed against rival hybrid-electric carmaker Fisker in April for design theft and 'poor work', has come to an end in arbitration. Unfortunately for Tesla, which sought to stop Fisker from proceeding with its Karma luxury plug-in hybrid sedan, Fisker has come out on top, with the arbitrator calling the evidence "overwhelming." Tesla is unhappy with the result, but continues to focus on building its cars and meeting production goals, says vice president of marketing Darryl Siry. The tussle over design rights hasn't impaired either company's ability to keep forging ahead with...
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Report: GM picks Volt battery supplierJust a month or so ago, the automotive world spent a frenzied several weeks feeding over the production Chevrolet Volt, unveiled for General Motors' centennial. This week a major step forward in the car's march to full-scale production was made in the selection of a supplier for the battery, though...
Nelson Ireson -
Rolls-Royce CEO: electric Phantom 'would be ideal'Old-world charm, resolute styling and blue-blooded buyers may not be the first things one mentally associates with electric-powered cars, but Rolls-Royce CEO Tom Purves thinks the combination makes perfect sense. Instantaneous torque, quiet operation and urban propriety all work in favor of an...
Kenneth Hall -
Australia next to join project Better PlaceIsrael and Denmark have already started work to build the first nationwide infrastructures designed to support electric cars. Now Better Place has announced Australia will become the third - and most geographically challenging - nation to join the program, at an estimated investment of $676...
Kenneth Hall -
Microcar releases the M.GO electric city carFirst sighted at the Paris Motor Show earlier this month, the Microcar M.GO Electric is an all-electric city car with the proportions of the Toyota iQ or Daimler Smart ForTwo, but offering up to 87mi (140km) of driving range on batteries alone. Powered by a rechargeable battery pack that takes less...
Kenneth Hall -
Venturi Reveals Second-Generation Eclectic EVVenturi has taken a major step closer to mass producing its all-electric Eclectic urban runabout, revealing the second-generation model for the first time along with information about establishing a new factory in France. The Eclectic was first shown off in concept form at the 2006 Paris Motor...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The flotilla of cars and concepts unleashed at the Paris Motor Show this week has largely been about vehicles that we'd seen coming for some time or design concepts that won't be seen for years, if at all. Seeking the middle ground, Volvo has taken the opportunity to reveal its plans for a micro-hybrid drive car due in 2011 and updates about its turbo family of engines. The DRIVe concepts at Volvo's booth previewed what the company will be doing to enhance its current lineup for efficiency and low emissions, but the future of the company lies in more advanced technology. Launching down the...
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Venturi And Michelin Build All-Electric Volage ConceptVenturi is most widely recognized for its all-electric Fetish, a compact Roadster similar to the Tesla Roadster that is still in development and is due to hit the streets in June of next year. The company, which is based in Monaco, has now presented a new electric concept in the form of the Volage...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Renault announces new Fluence sedan for 2009, electric plug-in expected by 2011Just yesterday Renault hinted at its intention to build a mass-produced electric vehicle with its Z.E. concept, and now the French manufacturer has confirmed that they will launch a lower-medium sedan next year with an electric variant arriving in 2011. The new sedan will go by the name 'Fluence'...
Kenneth Hall -
DuraCar to show all-plastic QUICC! EV at Paris Motor ShowIn a world first for a Dutch carmaker, DuraCar will feature a world premiere at the Paris Motor Show this week. Suitably, the car that's being launched is not an ordinary car: its body and chassis are made entirely of plastic, and all of its power comes from electricity. Called the QUICC! DiVa, the...
Nelson Ireson -
Heuliez plans to unveil all-electric concept in ParisFor anyone unfamiliar with Heuliez, it is a French specialty manufacturer that builds a number of niche vehicles and Body-in-White rolling chassis structures for several major carmakers. More recently Heuliez has been building folding hard-top roofs for the likes of Peugeot and General Motors, but...
Alex Kaufmann -
First impressions: 2010 Chevy VoltThe 2010 Chevy Volt was just unveiled ten days ago at GM's 100th Anniversary celebrations in Detroit, but it's already beginning to tour the country. Its first stop after Detroit was GM's 2009 Collection event at the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas, Texas, to which MotorAuthority was invited. While...
Nelson Ireson -
Showing its commitment to clean and efficient motoring both on and off the road, Chrysler has unveiled a prototype plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the Jeep Wrangler SUV. Designed with the full capability of the legendary off-road vehicle, the new prototype still promises an electric-only driving range of up to 40 miles and a 400 mile range when using the internal combustion engine. Chrysler’s plug-in vehicles feature a similar powertrain to General Motors’ E-Flex system, which underpins the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. Called a ‘Range-Extended’ vehicle by Chrysler, the...
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Pininfarina plans concept electric car for ParisAt last year's Geneva Motor Show, Pininfarina revealed its Sintesi fuel-cell vehicle, a skillful and attractive concept that showed the legendary coachbuilder was still at the cutting edge of design. This time around, the company is planning to try its hand at an electric vehicle, marrying...
Nelson Ireson -
GM working on family of Volt-like carsGeneral Motors' 100th anniversary celebrations were capped with what the company thinks is the crowning achievement of its first century in business, and the guiding light for the start of the second. But that's not stopping them from moving right past it to the next new thing - a family of...
Nelson Ireson -
Tesla building new assembly line and HQ in San Jose, CAAn all-new $250 million facility located in the heart of Silicon Valley will host Tesla's assembly-line, R&D and headquarters as it ramps up for production of its all-electric Model S luxury sedan. The site will occupy 89 acres in San Jose, California and when fully operational, will employ about...
Nelson Ireson -
Nice Reveals Giugiaro-Designed MyCar Electric MinicarThe Nice (No Internal Combustion Engine) electric car company has taken the wraps of the third electric car it plans to debut at this week’s London Motor Show. Already we’ve seen the scissor-door sports car concept and the Ze-O MPV, and now we have an all-electric minicar designed for...
James Martinez -
Tesla Using Dodge Magnum Bodies To Disguise Model S Test Mules?Just as General Motors has been driving Volt powertrains around Detroit in last-generation Malibu sedans, so the latest reports indicate Tesla may be testing its Model S sedan under Dodge Magnum wagon skins. While the corporate connection isn't as clear, the argument for something unusual going on...
Nelson Ireson -
Monaco’s Venturi Automobiles has displayed the latest version of its Fetish electric roadster at today's Top Marques Monaco and revealed new production details about the car, which is due to hit the streets in June of next year. Venturi has managed to boost output of the car’s electric motor to 300hp (225kW) and 380Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque while also lifting its efficiency to 92%. At the same time, engineers have also managed to shave off 30kg from the original prototype, bringing the car’s new kerb weight to a relatively low 950kg. Most of the savings have come from...
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GM's Plug-In Volt ConceptThe Chevrolet Volt concept sedan is General Motors' answer to the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] has been slammed for shutting down its EV1 program, but the Volt gives us a peek at what's in store for us over the next decade. The Chevrolet Volt is a...
Ralph Hanson -
Venturi's Solar-Electro Hybrid AstrolabVenturi never ceases to amaze us with their eco-friendly creations. In addition to the already unique Eclectic and Fetish, we now have the world’s first commercially-available electric-solar hybrid in the form of the Venturi Astrolab. The car, which resembles a rolling wing with four wheels...
Ralph Hanson -
Wind And Solar-Powered Venturi EclecticSitting alongside its Fetish sibling on the Venturi display at the Paris Motor Show is the self powered Venturi Eclectic. Touted as an autonomous energy vehicle, the Eclectic can be powered independently of any natural energy reserves. It’s powered by a small 22hp (16kW), 50Nm electric motor...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Paris: Venturi Fetish Electric CarMonaco’s Venturi Automobiles has displayed the latest version of its Venturi Fetish electric car at the Paris Auto Show. Hot on the heels of the fast-selling Tesla Roadster, Venturi is promoting the benefits of its own electric roadster. Its 31 batteries provide the electric motor with a peak...
Ralph Hanson -
Wrightspeed X1: The Electric Ariel AtomWe've come across news of the Wrightspeed X1, essentially a fully electric Ariel Atom that can put most supercars to shame. The lightweight roadster uses a 3-phase AC induction motor with 236hp. One of our favorite characteristics of electric cars is that they have 100% torque (182 ft. lbs)...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran