It's pretty easy to see more than just a passing resemblance between the new Izis from Wallyscar, which is now being shown at the Paris Motor Show, and another famous vehicle. Like the original off-roading Willys, the Izis features body-on-frame architecture and a very small gasoline engine. In the case of the Izis, that engine comes from Peugeot and displaces 1.4-liters, good enough for 75-horsepower, just a bit more than the 60 horses of the classic Willys Go Devil engine.

The Izis is street-legal in Europe, as its Peugeot engine is fully Euro 4-compliant, though the vehicle has a Euro NCAP rating of only two stars. It also has a very short wheelbase and sits well above the ground. Early Jeeps with similar dimensions were more than a bit 'tippy' on the street, as were some early Jeep-like cars from Suzuki and Daihatsu. Having never piloted in Izis, we can't really comment on how it handles, but we bet it'd do rather well off the beaten path.

An electric version is also said to be available. No information on specifications are provided other than a suggested electric-only range of 90 kilometers, or about 56 miles. That's plenty for some fun-in-the-sun off-roading or for daily transportation for city-dwellers.


[Sources: AutoMotoPortal, Wallyscar]

If you want an electric car with some serious style, you could either fork over a ton of dough for an electrically-converted DeLorean or you could convert an older muscle car of some sort. We advise the latter. Take the early '70s Chrysler A-Body, like the Plymouth Duster, for example. It's relatively lightweight, has lots of room for batteries and has the easy-to-convert front engine, rear-wheel drive architecture with a full frame. Perfecto! And, you can even see an example of the work done rather nicely in a blog format.

Electricity storage comes by way of 26 six-volt Trojan T-125 batteries wired up to deliver 156 volts to the Netgain Warp 9 DC motor. A Logisysystems controller is capable of sending 550 Amps to the motor, which should make this machine move pretty smartly. The original three-speed manual transmission has had its clutch and flywheel removed and the motor is mated up. Batteries are now being installed. Check out all the progress here.


[Source: Electric Mopar via CarDomain]

Optimal Energy is the latest company to announce that they are unveiling a new electric car at the Paris Motor Show this year and it's one that should definitely impress. Coming all the way from South Africa, the Joule may very well be the world's most practical electric car to date as well as one of the more stylish. Although it has been shown to a handful of journalists there haven't yet been any published photos but it has been described as "an uncluttered mix of a Renault Scenic and a Citroen Picasso." The Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, had a chance to drive it last week and he called it "simply gorgeous." If that's not convincing enough, consider that the designer of this compact 6-seater is Keith Helfet who, while he worked for Jaguar, impressed many sets of eyes with the XJ220 and the F-Type Concept.

Of course, when it comes to all-electric cars, the range is of utmost importance and the head of the company, Kobus Meiring, has said that two lithium ion battery packs will move the Joule for 400 km (248 miles). Plugged into a 220 volt power source, a full charge is achievable in 7 hours. The body, said to be a mix of plastic and composites, sits on a steel space frame and is described as spacious and versatile. It has taken the company over two years to reach this point and it hopes to begin production by the end of 2010. If they can achieve the targeted retail price of R200,000 ($24,618), they should have a real winner on their hands. We'll be watching.

[Source: IOL]

Now that Tesla has tested the waters, some other not-as-well known companies have announced that they, too, would like to explore the electric supercar waters. Bolwell, makers of the Nagari revival in Australia, are the latest to throw their names into the ring. Like Tesla, the company is reportedly not interested in going the hybrid route - just as well considering that making two distinct sources of power work together is pretty tough, even for the big auto manufacturers. So far, no word on where the company would propose to get its motors or batteries. This fact, in addition to the fact that the firm's first model, which will be powered by a V6 internal combustion engine sourced from Toyota, has not yet gone up for sale, means that it could take a little while to see an Nagari EV on the streets. Oh well, we are never against the idea of more electric carmakers.


[Source: Auto Fiends]

click above for more of Eberhard and his Tesla Roadster

By describing the cost to charge an electric vehicle as "squishy," Martin Eberhard begins a post on his Tesla Founders Blog on the right foot. Seriously. That's because it's a very difficult question to answer and it totally depends on where you live, what company your power is coming from and when you charge it. There are other factors too, such as what, if any, alternative sources you have and how much power you usually use on an average day. To help explain all of these little details, Eberhard has made a spreadsheet based on Northern California's rates from Pacific Gas and Electric.

After doing all the math, Martin figures that it costs him 3.6 cents per mile to run his Roadster. That's more than he initially figured but still just a small fraction of what it would cost to run on gas. For instance, at $4.00 a gallon, a car that gets over 40 miles per gallon would still cost double per mile to operate. Of course, YMMV. To help figure it all out, Martin suggests that you create your own spreadsheet and share it with the rest of the class.


[Source: Tesla Founders Blog]

Click the Dodge Zeo for a high-res gallery

As has become the custom in recent years, Chrysler unveiled a trio of concept vehicles at last January's Detroit Auto Show. This years designs all had one thing in common: electric drive. The Jeep Renegade and Chrysler EcoVoyager were both range extended EVs while the Dodge Zeo was a pure battery electric design. This month, Chrysler is finally launching sales of its first hybrids but co-president Jim Press told a media gathering on Tuesday that three new electric drive prototypes would be shown to dealers at a meeting later in September. Press didn't give any indication of when the vehicles would go on sale but did say that plug-in hybrid vehicles are the first priority with new platforms being developed with electrification in mind. Press also told the Motor Press Guild meeting that Chrysler still has access to the Daimler's technology and that the company is working with several different battery suppliers.



[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

The Pininfarina / Bollore electric car project was said to be "going as planned" despite the tragic death of Andrea Pininfarina. who was overseeing the operation around which the Italian design company was being financially restructured. Addressing a press conference, Bollore head Vincent Bollore attempted to calm any fears saying, "We are in the condition to produce at industrial levels." Paolo Pininfarina was chosen to replace his brother and also reaffirmed the company's restructuring intentions last month.

Pininfarina buiilt the BlueCar (pictured above) for Bollore battery subsidiary Batscap in the recent past to showcase the firm's energy storage solution. Although the BlueCar never went into production, it seems Bollore is serious about this new project to the extent that it is already attempting to secure large amounts of lithium from one of the world's richest reserves of the mineral in Bolivia. A Bollore executive told reporters at today's conference that they would begin taking orders for the car next summer. The company is estimated to be capable of producing about 10,000 batteries a year. If everything is truly on schedule we should expect to see the new design at the Paris Motor Show in October. We hope it's a little sexier than their previous collaboration.

[Source: Reuters / Usine Nouvelle]

One of the last electric car hold-outs has announced they will finally be jumping on the zero-emission bandwagon. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe let slip today in Tokyo future plans for just such a vehicle. Skimping on the details he said only that they would be mass produced and go on sale sometime in the early "2010s." Geez dude, throw a dog a bone, would you? Luckily Toyota Executive Vice-President Masatami Takimoto was able to offer more plot clues. "We consider electric vehicles as one of the candidates for sustainable mobility, [but] for the time being the most realistic approach is to use the electric vehicle for short-distance travel," He maintains that, given the limitations of modern battery technology, the next Toyota EV would be a small commuter type vehicle. Hopefully, it will bigger than their previous small electric car of that type, the eCom. We also hope they aim for more range than the 120 miles their RAV4EV got with NiMH batteries, although that range was certainly plenty for a lot of drivers.

[Source: Bloomberg / Business Week]

It was only last April that Audi was saying that it had no plans for an electric car (EV) in the immediate future. It's possible they're operating under a different definition of "immediate future" than us or maybe they have just changed their minds because, according to Car Magazine Online, Audi has unofficially said it will offer an electric version of the Volkswagen up! when they become available, possibly before 2011. In terms of vehicle development lead times that sure sounds like "immediate future" to us! Of course, it is conceivable they may be as just as flaky with their EV plans as they have been with their Q5 and Q7 hybrid programs. If there are more up! production delays, Audi may may a plan B. According to another bite-sized article in Car Magazine Online, Audi is also considering reviving its A2 (R.I.P. 2005) with an aluminum space frame (ASF) and stuffing it full of batteries. With all Audi's indecision though, a more sure bet may be Volkswagen making an electric Volkswagen.

[Source: Car Magazine Online]

Click above for more high-res shots of the Electruck

Back in the '70s (when the Big 3 were really the Big 4), American Motors flirted a bit with electric vehicles. Perhaps their greatest successes came from the Jeep side of the ailing brand. Known internally as the DJ-5E and to the outside world as the Electruck, the E-Jeep used a 20-horsepower compound wind DC Motor made by Gould. That same company provided the batteries, an odd set of two 27 volt lead-acids which were later replaced by the Postal Service with Eagle-Picher batteries. Capable of hitting 40 miles per hour for up to 29 miles, the USPS got plenty of use out of the three-doored wrong-side drive EVs.

Over three-hundred-fifty electric Jeeps were sold to the U.S. Postal Service along with five sent across the border to Canada. Out of those five, only one is known to still exist and it now being lovingly restored by its current owner. The car is expected to be shown afterwards, so keep your eyes open for this unique piece of history in the next few months. Click here for plenty of information and to track the progress of the build. Thanks for the tip, Glen!


[Source: Electric Jeep]

Back in the day, the Ford Pinto was most famous for the occasional gas tank explosion when involved in a rear-end collision. When you design a car with that kind of feature engineering flaw and then combine it with doors that jam shut in the same type of crash, people are going to talk. Nowadays, there's a Pinto in Alaska with fire-orange paint developing a reputation for a exploding off the drag strip starting line that's got people talking. This pony lacks a gas tank so you know all that smoke must be coming from the tires, though the lack of a screaming V8 might try to fool your senses. The car is owned by the president of the Alaskan chapter of the Electric Vehicle Association, Mike Willmon, and can tear up a quarter mile of tarmac in as little as 12.576 seconds and tops out at 127 mph. Yeah, we've seen faster cars too, but we're talking Pinto here! You can get lots of details on the rig at its EV Album page then sit back and watch the electric streak dubbed "Crazy Horse" take on a few "gassers" after the jump.

[Source: Anchorage Daily News / YouTube]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsuibshi i MiEV

Once again showing how important automakers see the lithium ion battery is an announcement from Yuasa and Mitsubishi that their joint venture battery plant needs to be much larger than originally planned. In fact, the two companies have quintupled planned output before a single battery has even been manufactured. Mitsubishi is expecting high demand for its upcoming i-MiEV electric car, which should go on sale in Japan sometime in 2009. We wonder how much impact Japan Post's plan to use an all electric fleet had in this decision.

At the outset, the plant will cost about 4 billion yen ($36.94 million) and be able to produce enough packs for 10,000 EV's. By 2012, an additional 10 billion yen ($92 million or so) will have been spent to double that capacity. In order to make room for a plant this large, Yuasa is said to be searching for a new site in Japan.


[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

In the wake of a new lithium ion battery joint venture, Bernd Bohr, CEO of Bosch is not concerned that automakers will try to keep battery production in house. In an interview with German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Bohr was asked about the fact that several automakers including Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan are involved in their own joint ventures for lithium batteries. Bosch is investing $300-400 million in a venture with Samsung to produce automotive lithium batteries. Bohr feels it will take 10-15 years for lithium batteries to become dominant so the company still has the opportunity to come to the forefront of the technology and play a leading role. While the Samsung will start with Korean production Bohr intends to eventually expand to other locations as well. By the time lithium batteries become mainstream in electric vehicles, Bohr expects the energy density to increase by a factor of 3-5 times. With Bosch's experience in power tools and appliances the company already has plenty of in-house motor technology that they are now applying to hybrid and electric drive systems. By 2015 Bohr expects hybrids to account for about 2.5-3 million vehicles annually with another 800,000 battery electrics.

Before electrics take over the world though, Bohr expects diesel engines to pick up another five points of market share taking 28 percent of the global market by mid-decade. In spite of elevated diesel prices right now, Bohr believes that diesel will be the only way to meet coming CO2 emissions standards and taxes in the near to mid-term. According to Bohr investments are being made to increase diesel refining capacity that will alleviate the price pressures by 2010. Bohr mentioned that HCCI engines could appear in production before 2015 which will also help reduce consumption and emissions. Bosch is also focusing on large volumes of the most cost-effective methods such as auto start-stop systems which are expected to be on 50 percent of European cars by 2012.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]

Carlos Ghosn has some harsh-sounding words for alternative vehicles which still use some form of oil for their operation -- think current hybrids and future extended-range electric vehicles. "I want a pure electric car. I don't want a range extender. I don't want another hybrid. It's not going to be zero emissions in certain conditions. It's going to be zero emissions." Sounds like Ghosn is taking a little shot at today's hybrids like the Toyota Prius and even Nissan's own Altima, which uses technology licensed from Toyota. Also under fire from the Nissan chief would be the next generation of green cars like the Chevy Volt. Intriguingly, Ghosn also claims that Nissan's electric vehicles will be profitable right from the get go, unlike many other impending alternatives... again, the Volt.

Another interesting tidbit revealed by Nissan's head honcho is the fact that the EV's his company sells in America will have the ability to travel 100 miles before being depleted, while Europeans will only require half that range.

[Source: The New York Times]

The Japan EV Club drove a Mitsubishi i MiEV and a Subaru R1e from Tokyo to Hokkaido in the week before the G8 summit, for their "Challenge and Charge" event. Now they are sharing stats about the cars' electrical consumption and CO2 emissions and comparing them to a (presumably) typical Japanese gasoline car.

The poster in the photo summarizes the EV stats for the entire trip of 858.7 km ( = 533.57 miles):

* 85.65 kWh used
* 35.12 kg CO2 to produce the electricity ( = 77.43 lbs.)
* Fuel cost: 1,713 yen ( = $16.94)

In comparison, on the bottom of the poster are a gasoline car's stats:

* 75.3 liters used ( = 19.89 gallons)
* 174.6 kg CO2 produced by the ICE ( = 384.93 lbs.)
* Fuel cost: 12,956 yen ( = $121.34)

Thanks to Yanquetino for the tip, translation, everything.
[Source: Japan EV Club]