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McCain: Electric car 'vital' to oil independence
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — Washington allies haven't always been easy to come by for U.S. automakers, but Republican presidential candidate John McCain told General Motors Corp. employees Friday that reviving the struggling industry would be of utmost importance in his administration.
"The key, integral, vital part of our ability to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil will be directly related to that sign over there," McCain told an invitation-only town hall meeting at the GM Technical Center in Warren, pointing to a sign for GM's first plug-in electric car, the Chevrolet Volt.
"I wish you every success, and I want to help in every way," he said.
Organizers added seats and risers to accommodate at least 500 people in GM's Design Dome. The Macomb County technical center north of Detroit employs nearly 17,000 people and is where GM is designing the Volt.
Before the town-hall meeting, the Arizona senator toured the facility with GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner and other company executives. McCain examined and got into a model of a Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid-electric car GM says it plans to have on the market by 2010.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: George W Bush | California | Arizona | Detroit | Michigan | Barack Obama | North America | John McCain | Environmental Protection Agency | United Auto Workers | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | General Motors Corp | Warren | Chevrolet Volt | Macomb County | GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner
McCain has called for incentives for next-generation vehicles and the need to move to new technology such as the Volt.
Wagoner told McCain members of the Volt development team "are pushing the time envelope," an apparent reference to the deadline to get the Volt to showrooms within two years.
The GM officials also showed McCain a cutaway mock-up of the Volt's power system and innovative battery that would let it drive about 40 miles without using any gasoline.
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — Washington allies haven't always been easy to come by for U.S. automakers, but Republican presidential candidate ... more -
who killed the electric car?
This 2 minute version of the documentry shows us ho GM had an electric car the would have helped us ween off of foreign oil & GM killed the idea by CRUSHING all the cars, none exist..... Also shows why Bush's hydrogen cell is not a good idea. This 2 minute version of the documentry shows us ho GM had an electric car the would have helped us ween off of foreign oil & ... more
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17 Electric Cars You Must Know About
Since it's 'death' the electric car seems to be under a race for revival.
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Toyota to build Prius in US, stops truck production
"The company said Thursday it will start producing the Prius in 2010 at a plant it is building in Blue Springs, Miss. Toyota already builds a hybrid version of the Camry sedan in Kentucky, but this will be the first time the Prius, which has been on sale for more than a decade, will be built outside of Asia." -MSNBC
Toyota is also planning on temporarily stopping US production of its trucks and large SUVs because of declining demand. The plants will either temporarily close or build hybrid SUVs instead.
This is great news both for the environment and for our economy. It will ultimately result in more jobs for Americans and strengthen the "green-collar" job market. This is evidence of our economy's shift in the right direction.
What do you think? "The company said Thursday it will start producing the Prius in 2010 at a plant it is building in Blue Springs, Miss. Toyota already b... more -
"Tesla to supply Mercedes-Benz with lithium-ion batteries?"
"...in addition to the announcement of the Model S and Elon Musk's promise of a sub-$30K electric car in four years, word on the street is that the company's inked a deal with Daimler AG to supply it with lithium-ion batteries for upcoming electric cars. Daimler's CEO has said the company was open to leasing battery tech to get out an electric Smart by 2010 and it's rumored that the German marque is looking to ditch gas entirely by 2015, so going to Tesla, which has been working on battery tech for some time, isn't a totally out there proposition. Just a rumor for now -- given Tesla's generally-prickly relationships with others, we'd wait for an official announcement before getting too excited about a Roadster-powered SLR, but it's certainly intriguing."
written by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 11:34PM on Endgadget.com "...in addition to the announcement of the Model S and Elon Musk's promise of a sub-$30K electric car in four years, word on the stree... more -
Akron men convert cars from gasoline to electric using store batteries
AKRON -- While most drivers don't even want to know how much they pay per mile to drive these days, two Akron men know exactly how much: three cents.
That's how much Larry Williams and James Weirick pay for the electricity to drive their 1994 Honda after replacing the gasoline engine with 6-volt batteries they purchased at Wal-Mart. AKRON -- While most drivers don't even want to know how much they pay per mile to drive these days, two Akron men know exactly how muc... more -
Tesla Will Supply Mercedes-Benz With Batteries For Electric Cars
The German car maker plans to make electric versions of its A- and B-class vehicles, as well as its Smart cars as soon as 2010.
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VW rolls out a sweet plug-in hybrid
Volkswagen's been toying with hybrids for awhile and got electric-vehicle advocates in a lather over the diesel-electric Golf it unveiled a few months ago. Now the company's promising a plug-in hybrid by 2010 and the German government's written a big check to make it happen.
"While the e-motor on a typical hybrid model just supplements the combustion engine, the exact opposite is true on Twin Drive," Winterkorn said during the car's unveiling in Berlin. "Here the diesel or gasoline engine supplements the e-motor."
Volkswagen's been toying with hybrids for awhile and got electric-vehicle advocates in a lather over the diesel-electric Golf it unvei... more -
Electric SUV can go 40 miles for $1 - US auto makers uninterested
"Edward Furia says the electric car technology his Bellevue-based firm, AFS Trinity Power Corp., has developed could end the United States' dependence on oil.
AFS Trinity's prototype sport utility vehicles can go 40 miles on a single charge from a standard electric outlet, at which point a gas-powered engine takes over. The SUVs reach top speeds of 90 mph on the highway -- and accelerate without a hitch, as Furia demonstrated while speeding Monday on Westlake Avenue North.
Gov. Chris Gregoire will take one of the firm's two working prototypes on a test drive Tuesday.
"They can go 40 miles for a dollar, for a dollar," Furia shouted, referring to the cost of power.
One problem, though: No automaker has agreed yet to license AFS Trinity's technology, so it isn't commercially available.
"I've gotten as far as I wanted to," Furia said, adding that AFS Trinity has worked on the technology for the past four years. "Do I want to be a car company exec? No way."
Furia, AFS Trinity's chief executive officer, said he wants major car makers in the U.S., Asia, and Europe to license his company's technology and build cars that use it.
So far, discussions with U.S. automakers are "preliminary"
"They have nibbled; they haven't bitten," he said. But he said foreign car makers have pursued the firm's technology "aggressively."
Still, he said, there is a "lot of institutional resistance" in the U.S.
After all, to choose just one example, he said, an electric car would need little maintenance -- a big moneymaker for car manufacturers". "Edward Furia says the electric car technology his Bellevue-based firm, AFS Trinity Power Corp., has developed could end the United St... more -
Evolution Shift - Futurist Blog » Blog Archive » The Electric Car – An Update on t...
"A year ago, when GM announced the Chevrolet Volt as a pure plug-in it basically had the announcement arena to itself. The good news is that now both Toyota and Nissan have announced plans to introduce electric cars to the mass market in 2010." "A year ago, when GM announced the Chevrolet Volt as a pure plug-in it basically had the announcement arena to itself. The good news ... more
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Tesla opens first dealership in Los Angeles
We knew Tesla had plans to open up dealerships in some of the, how should we say, more affluent markets in the US, and according to the company its first dealership and service center will be opened in one of the richest neighborhoods in the States,...
[Via Engadget] We knew Tesla had plans to open up dealerships in some of the, how should we say, more affluent markets in the US, and according to th... more -
Long-awaited electric sports car rolls out
After several years of development, the Tesla Roadster -- with sleek lines like a Ferrari or Porsche and a sticker price of $109,000 -- moves from the drawing boards to the market next week when Tesla's first store opens. It's near the University of California, Los Angeles, in the city's tony Westwood neighborhood, where Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Hollywood practically intersect.
The car goes from 0 to 60 mph in just under four seconds and tops out at 125 mph. It goes 225 miles on one charge and can be fully recharged in 3½ hours, which Tesla officials say should allow most people to drive it to work and back and recharge it at night like a cell phone.
After several years of development, the Tesla Roadster -- with sleek lines like a Ferrari or Porsche and a sticker price of $109,000 -... more -
Think: Norwegian Car Company Announce Plans For Affordable E.V. In U.S.
Norwegian electric carmakers Think have announced plans to manufacture and sell their reasonably priced, eco-friendly cars here in the U.S.
The company has partnered with two leading clean-tech venture capital firms, RockPort Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins, Caulfield and Byers, to form Think North America. The new venture was announced at the 2008 Fortune Brainstorm Green Conference held in Pasadena, California (April 21-22, 2008). The aim of the invitation-only event is to bring industry leaders together to discuss the impact and opportunities presented by the green-movement.
Think North America hope to have their first vehicle, the Think City, in production in the U.S. sometime in 2009. It is likely that the company will be based in Southern California, and that cars will be assembled locally. The electric car, which is currently only available in Norway, is a 100% emission free, battery-powered vehicle. Made of 95% recycled material, it has a top speed of 100 km (65 miles) per hour and can drive up to 180 km (110 miles) on a single charge.
The Think City "is a mass-market vehicle," said Kleiner managing partner, Ray Lane . "Our desire is to be selling 30-40-50,000 of these cars in a couple of years." The two-seater cars, which can be fitted with additional rear seats intended for children, will retail for under $25,000.
Think was founded under the name Pivco (Personal Independent Vehicle Company) in Oslo in 1991. Ford acquired the company in 1999, but sold its stake in 2003 around the same time that General Motors dropped the now mythical EV1, after California passed legislation significantly backtracking on its ZEV (zero-emissions vehicle) mandate. In March of this year General Electric announced an alliance with Think at the Geneva Motor Show, investing $4 million in the EV company, and a further $20 million in A123 Systems, who will manufacture the car's batteries.
Interestingly, in Norway, Think offer a "Mobility Pack" lease program for the car's batteries. Under this business model, Think own the batteries and charge a monthly fee in exchange for a full maintenance, service and replacement plan. They promise to "take responsibility for battery performance throughout the cars life span" for a fee of around 200 EUR (approx $290), which also covers insurance and electricity costs. The move is intended to give customers peace of mind, and maintain the car's re-sale value. It has yet to be announced if a similar program will be available for North American customers. Norwegian electric carmakers Think have announced plans to manufacture and sell their reasonably priced, eco-friendly cars here in the... more -
Th!nk to bring electric car to U.S.
We've been down this electrified road before. But the Norwegian firm Th!nk (as it likes to spell itself) has announced yesterday that it will introduce its Think City electric car in the U.S. by the end of next year.
The battery-powered Think City has a range of up to 110 miles on a single charge, with a top speed of about 65 mph, company officials say. It will be priced under $25,000.
This would be groundbreaking. Tesla's sports car may have pioneered the resurgent electric car in the U.S. But that vehicle costs $100,000 and only about 300 will be built per year. We've been down this electrified road before. But the Norwegian firm Th!nk (as it likes to spell itself) has announced yesterday that ... more -
When Green Cars Collide: Tesla sues green car rival Fisker
Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. filed suit against the designer it hired to create the look of its electric hybrid sedan, saying it used ideas and information it gained during the process to create a rival sedan.
San Carlos-based Tesla filed the suit Monday in San Mateo Superior Court accusing Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler of of fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract.
Irvine-based Fisker Automotive Inc. styled the interior and body of Tesla's WhiteStar sedan in 2007.
Fisker, who has also provided designs for BMW, Aston Martin and other carmakers, was paid about $800,000 by Tesla, the suit says, and alleges that Fisker provided substandard designs and created a six-month delay, then incorporated its best designs into Karma, the Fisker hybrid-electric sedan.
Fisker Automotive Inc. has received more than $10 million from Menlo Park-based Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer, and in January unveiled the Karma.
The four-door plug-in hybrid premium sports sedan will have a starting price of $80,000. Initial deliveries of the Karma will commence in the 4th quarter of 2009 with annual production projected to reach 15,000 cars. Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. filed suit against the designer it hired to create the look of its electric hybrid sedan, saying... more -
Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car? is a 2006 documentary film that explores the birth, limited commercialization, and subsequent death of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the 1990s. The film explores the roles of automobile manufacturers, the oil industry, the US government, batteries, hydrogen vehicles, and consumers in limiting the development and adoption of this technology.
It was released on DVD to the home video market on November 14, 2006 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Who Killed the Electric Car? is a 2006 documentary film that explores the birth, limited commercialization, and subsequent death of th... more -
Ecospot: The brightest future
The brightest future can come from the greatest source of light, the sun! Exciting things are coming with the help; of the sun like plugin hybrids that can commute electric all week and go hybrid on the weekends with 100 mpg! These batteries can give power back to the grid during daylight after loading up on solar at night they can plugi into transfer stations during the day like bees taking honey back to the hive, sweet! It's time to think solar! The brightest future can come from the greatest source of light, the sun! Exciting things are coming with the help; of the sun like pl... more
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Live like the Jetsons for £15,000
A Californian company, Aptera, Greek for "wingless flight" has put together this little package of joy. At only $30,000 this all electric lady magnet is sure fired hit - or has this company got its wires crossed?
Theres a video on the link A Californian company, Aptera, Greek for "wingless flight" has put together this little package of joy. At only $30,000 this all elect... more -
Electric car -- made in the U S A!
If America could get it into production with a price tag average Americans could afford, it would be a step in the right direction. I drive to work alone. If I could afford one, I would buy it. Working toward affordability would be a wonderful goal. If America could get it into production with a price tag average Americans could afford, it would be a step in the right direction. I... more
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Electric Car
