Toyota RAV4 News
-
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 electric Porsche's resemble other cars, such as Lamborghini models and even iconic Porsche racing cars, such as their electric 962 with over 2,600lb-ft (3,500Nm) of torque. The company, which is named EvPorsche, is hoping to compete against companies such as Tesla that are already producing their own...
-
Honda developing electric motorcycle for 2010Honda 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...
James Martinez -
Pininfarina exits contract building, focusing solely on electric vehiclesThis 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...
Alex Kaufmann -
Toyota announces battery-powered FT-EV concept for Detroit Auto ShowA 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...
Nelson Ireson -
Renault-Nissan announce EV project for SwitzerlandSwiss electric utility company Energie Ouest Suisse (EOS) and Renault-Nissan today announced they are working together to develop solutions for zero-emission mobility in Switzerland through the promotion of electric vehicles and the establishment of a battery-charging network. Under a Memorandum of...
Jeremy Weber -
GM's Project Driveway fuel cell program rolls past 500,000 miles next weekWith 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...
Ralph Hanson -
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 largest utility provider to build a grid of charging stations by 2012. The central premise of Project Better Place is to build the infrastructure necessary to support electric cars, while cooperating with the carmakers to help facilitate their arrival - a sort of 'if you build it, they will come'...
-
BMW launching 50-car Mini-E test fleet in BerlinTest 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...
Nelson Ireson -
Porsche buys a Tesla Roadster for competitive researchResearching 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...
Alex Kaufmann -
'Project i' to spawn more vehicles beyond Mini-EBuilt 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...
Alex Kaufmann -
Renault-Nissan announces Oregon to host EV pilot programNissan'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...
Ralph Hanson -
Nissan electric car will require batteries to be leasedPreviously 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...
Kenneth Hall -
The Federal Government has already approved a number of different tax breaks for electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, but now California's CARB is getting in on the act in a more direct way - offering a $5,000 rebate to purchasers of qualifying electric vehicles. A confirmation letter received recently by Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard shows that the Roadster is one of the qualifying vehicles. The news, revealed on Eberhard's blog, includes an image of the letter from Fueling Alternatives, an agency of the CARB and part of California's Center for Sustainable Energy. The rebate...
-
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 -
2009 production date for Pininfarina B0 EVPininfarina first announced plans to design and build its own electric vehicle when it debuted the striking Sintesi fuel-cell concept vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. The Italian design firm and coachbuilder was to partner with France’s Bolloré Group to source the advanced lithium-ion...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
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 -
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 -
2009 Toyota RAV4 priced from $21,500 in the U.S.Toyota today announced U.S. pricing details for its 2009 RAV4, which starts from $21,500 and runs as high as $27,810 for a Limited-trim model equipped with four-wheel drive and a V6 engine. According to Toyota, the base price for the RAV4 will remain unchanged from its predecessor and "Extra Value...
Alex Kaufmann