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EV/Plug-in


Bringing Skinny Back: Tango electric production to restart?

Until the Tesla Roadster came along, most electric cars were odd looking, to say the least. Near the top of the list of peculiar EVs you'll find the Tango. This tandem two seater looks like a Japanese Kei car that got stuck in a bagel slicer. It's creator, Rick Woodbury, stopped building Tangos after 11 were completed. But, if you lust after one of these babies, fear not. He is apparently ready to restart production of the three-foot wide car that can slip down between the cars in adjacent lanes like a motorcycle. The market for such ... Read more →

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Renault will build Twizy EV in Spain Sam Abuelsamid

Renault announced today that its Valladolid, Spain plant will become the home of a new electric vehicle based on the Twizy Z.E. concept that was show at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The ...

Zytek teams up with Gordon Murray for T.27, an all-electric version of the T.25 Sebastian Blanco

Zytek Automotive has worked on electric drivetrains for the Smart ED and the Mercedes F1 KERS system. This week, Zytek announced a partnership with Gordon Murray Design for a new all-electric city ...

It's Friday: Swedish automatic PHEV charging prod gets a big WTF? from us [w/VIDEO] Sebastian Blanco

Is it too harsh to say that the Trinnovator is a solution without a problem? At the very least, we don't think that a flexible, extendable prod coming out of the front bumper of a plug-in car and ...

Nissan releases official sketch of NV200-based electric commercial vehicle Jeremy Korzeniewski

Nissan has electricity on the brain. The Japanese automaker is readying its opening salvo in the alternative propulsion wars in the form of the Leaf compact hatchback. Carlos Ghosn, though, ...

Mission (sorta) Accomplished: Shocking Barack Tour ends [w/VIDEO] 7 days ago on Autoblog Green

After retracing the Detroit-to-DC bailout-begging route taken earlier this year by auto execs, two intrepid souls dispatched by electric motorcycle maker Brammo have finally successfully accomplished their "Shocking Barack" mission. Sort of. While the dream of personally presenting the POTUS on ...

Ford to partner with Azure Dynamics on Transit Connect BEV 7 days ago on Autoblog Green

Ford announced a change in direction today for its Transit Connect BEV program. Azure Dynamics will be partnering with Ford on bringing its first new electric vehicle to market. Last February however, the automaker announced that it would be working with Smith Electric Vehicles to produce the ...

GM CEO: electric cars require teamwork; hydrogen cars 10x more expensive than Volt 7 days ago on Autoblog Green

New GM CEO Fritz Henderson has some good words for his competitors. Surprised? It's all in an effort to make sure that plug-in vehicles get the help they need to become cost competitive. Henderson spoke with the Washington Post and said that costs are the big problem holding back electric cars. ...

Aptera officially resubmits application for DOE loan 7 days ago on Autoblog Green

Not that it comes as a shock or anything, but word comes from Aptera (by way of Green Car Advisor) that it has officially resubmitted its application for DOE loans. The hopeful manufacturer of three-wheeled electric vehicles had previously submitted an application for funds from the DOE's ...

Ford dismisses battery swaps 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

One of the favored concepts among many electric vehicle proponents (and, most prominently, Better Place) is replaceable battery packs as a means of "rapid refueling." However, aside from Nissan-Renault, no other major automaker has expressed any interest in the idea in the near term. Even Nissan ...

Zero-emission Proterra electric bus comes to Capitol Hill 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

Altair Nanotechnologies has not had a completely successful string of events these last few years. They lost more money than expected in 2007 and were not always embraced by the investment community. But there was good news, too, like some government spending and a deal with Phoenix Motorcars ...

Mitsubishi iMiEV wins Japan Automotive Hall of Fame's "Car Technology of the Year" Award 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

Mitsubishi was one of the first and most aggressive of the major automakers to jump back into the battery electric vehicle fray in recent years. The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has honored the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and in particular its MiEV OS control system as Car Technology of the Year. For a ...

President signs bill expanding ATVM program to three wheelers 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

When congress established the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) program in the 2007 energy bill, it explicitly said that it applied to making cars that come under the federal motor vehicle safety standards. Those safety standards apply only to vehicles with four or more wheels, ...

Toshiba to build second plant for automotive lithium batteries 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

Toshiba, like most other battery manufacturers, has decided that the market for automotive grade lithium ion cells is going to be huge in the next decade. As a result it has decided to build a second factory dedicated to automotive battery production in Kashiwazaki, Japan. The new 355,000-square ...

Electric motorcycle revolution means business not-as-usual 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

Looking back, 2009 may be seen as the year that electric motorcycles began their rise to market dominance. If that is to happen, the start-ups in that sector will have to be successful in the execution of their various business models. What they are trying to do with the motorized two-wheeler is ...

STUDY: Market share for plug ins, hybrids set for huge growth by 2013 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

Reports that hybrid vehicles would continue to be popular are nothing new and seem to be coming true. But a new study by NextGen Research paints a picture that might be a bit too rosy. Maybe. Components used in electric and hybrid vehicles will see a huge growth spurt in the coming years, ...

A123 Systems partners with IHI to sell lithium batteries in Japan 8 days ago on Autoblog Green

A123 Systems has garnered plenty of attention for its lithium ion battery technology over the last several years, mostly here in the United States. The Massachusetts-based startup has now formed a partnership with IHI to market its batteries in Japan, a market that already has a number of domestic ...

Mitsubishi to work with Netherlands government on EV promotion 9 days ago on Autoblog Green

Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors, paid a visit to the Netherlands this week to meet with prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende on the subject of electric vehicles. Mitsubishi recently delivered a production iMiEV to the Dutch embassy in Japan for use there. The Dutch government ...

REPORT: Tesla gets creative $28 million tax incentive in California 9 days ago on Autoblog Green

While not every state offers as big a rebate on the Tesla Roadster as Colorado does, there is a federal tax credit of $7,500 available to people who buy the electric sports car. Drivers aren't the only ones that various governments want to help in getting electric vehicles on the road. Tesla ...

GM-Volt founder stranded, learns why EVs take so long to bring to market 9 days ago on Autoblog Green

Over the last several years, many of the fans of battery-powered vehicles here on ABG have asked quite vociferously why it's taking companies like General Motors so long to bring cars like the Volt to market. Many of you seem to think you can convert an existing platform and have it on the ...

REPORT: BYD still having technical troubles with plug-in cars 9 days ago on Autoblog Green

One of BYD's problems is that it F3DM plug-in hybrid is not exactly super popular. Another, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, is that the upcoming e6 all-electric car – due to go on sale of the U.S. next year – is currently "rough" and "squishy." These are the ...

PEV 2009: 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe hybrid on display 9 days ago on Autoblog Green

At the Business of Plugging In expo in Detroit last week, attendees were treated to a bit of history in the shape of the 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe. This car was moved by both a set of batteries that powered an electric motor and a gasoline-drinking 4-cylinder internal combustion ...

Tata envisioning big sales of Indica Vista EV? 9 days ago on Autoblog Green

Could it be that Tata is expecting to move lots of Indica Vista EVs when they bring them to the market, beginning with Norway later this year? If the tea leaves are being read properly, then yes. A short press release from the American offices of the South Korean battery maker Energy Innovation ...

Bright Automotive announces eSolutions, army plug-in hybrid contract 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Bright Automotive is proud of the work they've done on the IDEA van, but the company has always intended to make the vehicle just one method of bringing greener transportation to the masses. As we learned from Bright's VP Corporate Strategy, Michael Brylawski, the company will also offer plug-in ...

Joe Biden reveals Fisker's future plans: sedan, coupe and crossover in the works 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Earlier this month, Fox news was ripping Fisker Automotive apart and Fisker fought back. Yesterday, as the start-up automaker announced it will buy an old GM plant in Delaware, everyone was all smiles when Fox reporter Gary Gastelu interviewed CEO Henrik Fisker about the plant and confirming ...

Lotus now offering the Evora chassis to other automakers 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Back in the 90s, shortly after Lotus introduced the original Elise, the company made it known that platform was designed to be easily adapted to different applications including different powertrains. Any companies that were interested in a platform for a niche products using its own powertrains ...

Axon Automotive unveils plug-in hybrid 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Axon Automotive has once again shown off its pre-production plug-in hybrid, this time at the Milton Keynes Science Festival. Two versions of the lightweight city car are planned, the first using a small-bore gasoline-fed engine that's purported to deliver 83.3 mpg U.S. (100 mpg or 2.8 l/km in ...

Mavizen releases another revealing teaser of TTX02 electric bike 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Teasers... generally the small, grainy, purposely-blurred or otherwise difficult to decipher images don't give away very much and are used to generate excitement for a new product before its official announcement. Usually, it takes a keen eye to pull out any detail from the resulting wreckage. Such ...

REPORT: Generation Y will "redefine" automotive market, trends green and big 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Were you born somewhere between 1976 and the early 1990s? Are you the child of a so-called Baby Boomer? If so, you, like me, are a member of Generation Y. So, what does that mean? Well, nothing really, but it's a convenient way to classify a large chunk of the American population... and we ...

Tesla Roadster runs 313 miles on a charge in Global Green Challenge 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

It's no secret that how you drive has as much – or more – influence on a vehicle's efficiency than any technology. Case in point is this week's Global Green Challenge in Australia. Simon Hackett shipped his 2008 Tesla Roadster down under for the event and proceeded to set a new world ...

Production Aptera 2e leaked again on forum 10 days ago on Autoblog Green

Just about a month ago, a rendering of what appears to be the final production-spec Aptera 2e showed up at apteraforum.com. As interesting as that image was, it only showed the futuristic machine from the rear three-quarter view, leaving us to wonder what changes had been made to the front ...

Officially Official: Fisker buys GM's Wilmington Delaware plant 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

In Wilmington, Delaware this morning, Governor Jack Markell was joined by Vice President Joe Biden and Henrik Fisker for the official announcement about the purchase of General Motors' closed plant there. Fisker will re-tool the plant to build a new, more affordable plug-in hybrid sedan to slot ...

PEV 2009: David Cole explains why adding plugs to cars is anything but simple 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

David Cole is the chairman of the Center For Automotive Research. As such, he is deeply connected to the industry and played a big role in organizing the Business of Plugging In expo in Detroit last week. We've talked with Cole in the past, and caught up with him at the expo to hear what the ...

Tokyo 2009: Yamaha EC-f channels Xbox, blurs definitions 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

It's certainly not a motorcycle, and we'd have a tough time convincing ourselves that it's a scooter, too. Regardless, we think the Yamaha EC-f, which is currently on display at the Tokyo Motor Show, sports a distinctive look and plenty of cool features. According to Yamaha, the lack of "exhaust ...

PEV 2009: Henrik Fisker explains how his company will be profitable, plans for 2010 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

With his company about to announce its first U.S. plant in Delaware, CEO Henrik Fisker was in high spirits and high demand at last week's Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit. We were able to pull the busy man aside for a few minutes to ask for more information on how his company plans ...

SABA Motors to offer sub-$50,000 Carbon Zero roadster 11 days ago on Autoblog Green

Looks like Silicon Valley is home to yet another start-up electric car company, this one with an eye to bring a roadster to market with a low-$40's price tag. That's Chevy Volt and Coda EV country! SABA Motors is just a few short weeks from finishing its first prototype and plans to compete next ...

Is Chrysler's ENVI electric vehicle program dead or just working quietly? 12 days ago on Autoblog Green

Ever since the latest "new" Chrysler emerged from the ashes of chapter 11 bankruptcy court last spring, it has been ominously quiet on the product front. In late June, the company scheduled and then canceled its annual "What's New" product preview for the media. In fact the only news of any note ...

REPORT: BMW to focus on premium, upmarket EVs 12 days ago on Autoblog Green

BMW is known for offering premium automobiles and motorcycles here in the United States, so it comes as little surprise that the German automaker would plan to produce premium electric vehicles as well. According to Autocar, those electric vehicles, which are currently being developed under ...

Quick Spin: Myers Motors NmG - redefining fast and small for the future 12 days ago on Autoblog Green

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Myers_Motors_NmG_Redefining_Fast_Small_Car_For_The_Future'; It's ironic that the NmG we got to take for a spin during the Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit last week might be the last one-seater that Myers Motors ever makes. The company is getting ...

Reinking: electric cars "could threaten some manufacturers' survival" 12 days ago on Autoblog Green

Electric vehicle pessimist – or realist, depending on your POV – Guido Reinking is back with another critical look at EVs. Earlier this year, Reinking wrote that it'll take 15 more years for electric cars to become widespread; this time his target is explaining how EVs hurt the auto ...

Better Place and DSB to pilot electric car sharing for train travelers 13 days ago on Autoblog Green

Will trains and cars become the voyaging version of peanut butter and chocolate? Perhaps. Better Place is partnering with DSB, Denmark's largest rail service provider, to offer an electric car sharing service at its train terminals. The project will begin next year with a pilot program at the ...

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