Prius Slows Traffic, Focus Electric, 2012 BMW 3-Series: Car News Headlines

It turns out that ending HOV lane privileges for the Toyota Prius in California is slowing traffic, according to a new study. That might be a good thing for pedestrians, as the Ford Focus Electric won't have a built-in noisemaker. Kids won't care, however, as long as they're in a safe car seat--find out which to avoid at FamilyCarGuide.

Yanking the Prius from HOV lanes is slowing California traffic.

The 2012 BMW 3-Series was just unveiled this morning.

Not all child booster car seats are equal--find out which to avoid.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric won't come with a pedestrian noisemaker.

Sunday is National Plug-in Day.

Carmakers are cutting content to keep prices low.

Hyundai and Kia top owner loyalty ratings.

GM's CUE system could revolutionize the way we interact with cars.

Audi is expanding its cylinder-on-demand technology to more cars.

Are high-tech police cars causing distracted driving accidents?

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2013 Chevrolet Spark Mini-Car, Electric Version Confirmed For U.S.

2013 Chevrolet Spark minicar unveiled in Detroit, October 2011

Newsletter Stay up to date on car reviews, buying guides, articles and more Chevrolet announced this morning that its Spark mini-car will be coming to the U.S., as will a battery electric version called the Spark EV. The car will be the smallest offered by the brand in America, and will make its debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The non-electric Spark will be powered by a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 83 horsepower. Both manual and automatic transmissions will be offered. Despite its small size, Chevy says it will offer more room inside than other mini cars, including the similarly-sized Fiat 500. It will also come with a five year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and available OnStar equipment.

As GM's first all-electric car since the vaunted EV1, the Spark EV will arrive in 2013, about a year after the standard Spark, starting in California and expanding to other "select U.S. and global markets," according to GM. Chevy says the car will be best suited to urban drivers and those with short commutes, hinting that its A123 [NSDQ:AONE] nanophosphate lithium-ion battery pack will provide enough power only for short- to medium-range trips. For more details on the Spark EV, visit GreenCarReports.

Both cars will be available with Chevrolet's MyLink infotainment, which includes Pandora and Stitcher internet radio. Bluetooth, upgraded interior and exterior appearance options, and other packages will also be made available.

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Volvo begins production of C30 Electric

New Cars Home

Learn more about new cars with our extensive collection of overviews, specifications, and pictures.

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Nissan Electric Car The Nissan Leaf

Find out about the Nissan Electric Car. The Nissan Leaf is the first of the practical electric vehicles...one that you can afford.

Unlike the electric cars of the 90s like the GM EV-1, the Leaf is being sold directly to consumers.

Unlike the Tesla Roadster, the Leaf's price tag is in line with traditional vehicles.

Unlike the Chevy Volt, the Leaf completely eschews internal combustion power, even as a backup. The Nissan Leaf is the first of a long-promised wave of usable, practical electric vehicles.

So, is it really the car that will finally replace the combustion engine?

The Good

The Nissan Electric Car, The Leaf is a real car. It has air conditioning, heating, and power everything. Unlike many hybrids, the brakes feel normal and the rear seat folds down.

The car is also able to do some things regular cars can't. Without a combustion engine, the car is quieter than most luxury vehicles. Electric motors make peak torque at 0 RPM which means power is always instantly available and hill climbing ability is better than a diesel. The transmission is just one gear, so there's no shifting to deal with. It takes 8 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph, but the power is so effortless that it feels faster. Best of all, traditional maintenance like oil changes and tuneups aren't needed with an electric motor.

The Bad

The Nissan Leaf is the first electric vehicle on the U.S. market to offer fast charging, combine high voltage lines with careful battery monitoring to recharge the vehicle in about an hour. However, Nissan decided to use the Japanese ChaDeMo system. It looks like the SAE Stage 3 charging system will be come the fast-charing standard in North America limiting current buyers to quick-charge stations at a handful of Nissan dealerships.

Range is only 100 miles. Although drivers will be able to charge their vehicles nightly to prepare for commutes, road trips are out of the question.

The Leaf is built at Nissan's Yokohama plant, which was damaged in the recent earthquake. The company had planned to expand the availability of the car by adding production to their factory in Smyrna, Tennessee at the start of 2012, but production delays mean that current reservations may no be fulfilled until this comes on-line.

The Verdict

The Nissan Electric Car. Is it a direct replacement for gas-powered cars? No. However, for most people who need a second car it is ideal: Comfortable driving along with low fuel and maintenance costs make for a vehicle that's worth buying on more than its green credentials.

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Electric Cars Coming To A Government Near You

It’s no secret that the current administration had planned to replace aging fleet vehicles with electric ones, since President Obama is a big proponent of electrifying the federal fleet. Reports of a 100-unit electric vehicle purchase have been circulating for the better part of a year, and we now know what those vehicles will be, where they’re going and what the government hopes to learn by rolling them out.

The General Services Administration will be buying 101 Chevrolet Volts, 10 Nissan Leafs and 5 Think City EV models, with delivery not taking place until 2012. This gives the GSA time to get a charging infrastructure in place, and gives both Chevrolet and Nissan time to catch up on consumer demand for their electric vehicles.

The vehicles will go to 20 government agencies in five cities, including Detroit, Washington, D.C., San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Agencies getting the electric vehicles include all branches of the armed forces, the Veterans Administration and the Energy Department. In support of the rollout, the government is expected to install some 100 charging stations at federal buildings in California, Washington, D.C., and Michigan.

The purchase decision was made after reviewing a wide range of electric vehicle choices. The administration specified that the vehicles had to be built in America, and all three will qualify by the time of delivery. Chevrolet currently builds the Volt at their Hamtramck plant in Michigan, while the Think City EV is built in Elkhart, Indiana. Nissan Leaf models are currently imported from Japan, but Nissan is scheduled to begin production of the Leaf in Tennessee next year.

The electric car purchase is part of the administration’s plan to cut dependence on foreign oil. Hybrid vehicle purchases for the federal fleet have doubled in the past two years, and the president has stated that all federal vehicles purchased by 2015 would use fuel-saving “advanced technology." An executive order even calls for the federal government to reduce gasoline consumption by 30 percent among federal fleet vehicles by 2020.

[The Detroit News]

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Top Gear's Electric Car Stunt, Ferrari Crash: Car News May 13, 2011

BBC's Top Gear is at it again with electric car stunts. After already having its fun with the Tesla Roadster, Top Gear was caught filming a dead Nissan Leaf. We can't wait to see the electrifying footage. [AllCarsElectric]

Furthering our notion that a campaign for saving the Ferraris is needed, another Ferrari 458 Italia has been crashed. At this point we've lost count of the Ferrari casualties. We take a moment to remember this prancing horse. [MotorAuthority]

Seriously, are cars to blame for fatties? #YouTellUs [SocialCarNews]

While the Treasury Department could get rid of GM stock as soon as May 22, a new report says it will likely hold onto the stock until August when the second-quarter reports are in. [TheCarConnection]

The Feds now want to mandate up to 63 mpg by 2025. But what does this all mean for you? We break it down. [GreenCarReports]

The Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was caught on video when a Lada failed to start numerous times. This isn't the first time we've seen Putin in an obscure Russian car, and it's probably not the last. [TheCarConnection]

Reports are coming in that the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class will spawn multiple body styles. While a coupe is new to the S-Class name, it'll really just be replacing the CL-Class, but a convertible would be a completely new model. [MotorAuthority]

One of our fans needs a new people mover with three rows of seats, and good gas mileage. Of course being a fan, they asked for our advice. In the end we found quite a few choices that meet their requirements. [GreenCarReports]

New reports show that April saw record-high used-car prices. This of course isn't a great thing for automakers who want to be moving new metal. In the long run it also might not be such a great thing for car dealers. [TheCarConnection]

Last but not least, Saab. While Saab's future is certainly cloudy right now, that didn't stop us from driving the new 2011 9-4X Aero. [MotorAuthority]

View the original article here

Nissan Electric Car The Nissan Leaf

Find out about the Nissan Electric Car. The Nissan Leaf is the first of the practical electric vehicles...one that you can afford.

Unlike the electric cars of the 90s like the GM EV-1, the Leaf is being sold directly to consumers.

Unlike the Tesla Roadster, the Leaf's price tag is in line with traditional vehicles.

Unlike the Chevy Volt, the Leaf completely eschews internal combustion power, even as a backup. The Nissan Leaf is the first of a long-promised wave of usable, practical electric vehicles.

So, is it really the car that will finally replace the combustion engine?

The Good

The Nissan Electric Car, The Leaf is a real car. It has air conditioning, heating, and power everything. Unlike many hybrids, the brakes feel normal and the rear seat folds down.

The car is also able to do some things regular cars can't. Without a combustion engine, the car is quieter than most luxury vehicles. Electric motors make peak torque at 0 RPM which means power is always instantly available and hill climbing ability is better than a diesel. The transmission is just one gear, so there's no shifting to deal with. It takes 8 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph, but the power is so effortless that it feels faster. Best of all, traditional maintenance like oil changes and tuneups aren't needed with an electric motor.

The Bad

The Nissan Leaf is the first electric vehicle on the U.S. market to offer fast charging, combine high voltage lines with careful battery monitoring to recharge the vehicle in about an hour. However, Nissan decided to use the Japanese ChaDeMo system. It looks like the SAE Stage 3 charging system will be come the fast-charing standard in North America limiting current buyers to quick-charge stations at a handful of Nissan dealerships.

Range is only 100 miles. Although drivers will be able to charge their vehicles nightly to prepare for commutes, road trips are out of the question.

The Leaf is built at Nissan's Yokohama plant, which was damaged in the recent earthquake. The company had planned to expand the availability of the car by adding production to their factory in Smyrna, Tennessee at the start of 2012, but production delays mean that current reservations may no be fulfilled until this comes on-line.

The Verdict

The Nissan Electric Car. Is it a direct replacement for gas-powered cars? No. However, for most people who need a second car it is ideal: Comfortable driving along with low fuel and maintenance costs make for a vehicle that's worth buying on more than its green credentials.

View the original article here

Electric carmarker Wheego delivers first LiFe EV today

Friday, Apr 22nd, 2011 @ 2:44 p.m.

Chevy’s Volt and Nissan’s Volt have both been on the market for several months now, but they are now joined by a third electric option from a little-known source, Wheego.

Wheego is an American automaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, which produces an all-electric vehicle known as the LiFe, of which it delivered its first copy to a customer today, which fittingly, is Earth Day. That first Wheego LiFe went to Kevin and Asma Henry who live in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia.

“The delivery of our first Wheego LiFe electric car culminates four years of research and development, and is perfectly timed to support President Obama’s Energy Plan,” said Mike McQuary, CEO of Wheego Electric Cars.

The LiFe is a fully highway-capable electric two-seat car that can travel up to 100 miles on a full charge thanks to a 115 volt lithium-ion battery pack that can either be charged in a standard 120V outlet, a 240V outlet, or any of the J1772 standard charging station outlets. Pricing starts at $32,995 before the $7,500 federal tax credit, or any possible state credits, making it price competitive within the segment.

The LiFe comes standard with passenger airbags, anti-lock brakes, power windows and locks and has available air conditioning. Available colors include red, white, blue, black, silver and green.

View the original article here

Tesla Vs BBC: Top Gear Planned Dead Electric Car Shot Before Test

Source: AllCarsElectric.com

Believe it or not, most of what you watch on television is scripted. 

What you may not know is that some shows which appear unscripted, like the BBC’s infamous Top Gear, are also scripted word for word. Everything from the banter between its three middle-aged hosts to its madcap challenges and car reviews has been meticulously planned, before any filming takes place. 

Two years ago, Tesla Motors found out what that really meant when its duo of 2008 Tesla Roadsters were doomed to a biased and unrealistic depiction on screen before the film crew even unpacked their equipment or TopGear presenter Jeremy Clarkson had stepped on set. 

In documents released as part of Tesla Motor’s libel claim filed against the publicly owned British Broadcasting Corporation earlier this week, the Californian automaker detailed the negative script delivered by Clarkson while reviewing its Roadster, alleging that the infamous scene showing four members of the TopGear crew pushing a supposedly drained Roadster into a hangar was completely staged. 

The court documents, filed in the U.K. detail how Tesla’s former U.K. Director of Sales and Marketing expressed concern to the producers of the show after seeing a script on the day of the shoot before filming had even begun. 

Describing everything from the car being filmed ‘running out of charge’ to the host’s conclusions of “It’s just a shame that in the real world, it absolutely doesn’t work.”, the Tesla employee reportedly confronted the show’s researcher who agreed that filming the $109,000 sportscar being pushed into a hangar having run out of charge was not acceptable, noting “We don’t want to be sued”.

Without Tesla's knowledge the shoot went on regardless with the script being stuck to rigorously. It wasn’t apparent until after the initial airing of the show in December 2008 just how many false accusations had been made by the motoring entertainment show about the car's performance and reliability.

In addition, the show is alleged to have made false claims about both cars loaned to them for the shoot, including the implication that both cars were rendered unusable after spirited driving.  These claims are refuted in the court documents, detailing testimony from a Tesla engineer present on set on the day of filming. 

Since the initial screening of the episode on U.K. television, the episode in question has been screened worldwide, placed on Internet video sharing sites such as YouTube and even sold in TopGear DVD Box Sets.

It is this continued disregard for Tesla and its cars which has caused the automaker to sue, 2 years after the initial show aired. 

If successful, Tesla will win a court injunction preventing the BBC from airing the show in future on its own or syndicated networks as well as preventing the broadcaster from ever repeating such allegations. 

Tesla should note however, that scripted or not the multinational, multimillion-dollar Top Gear franchise has a reputation for homophobic, nationalistic, xenophobic stereotyping, many of which it has dodged in the past by claiming it nothing more than an entertainment show. 

Will such a claim work this time? We hope for Tesla’s sake that it won’t. After all, since Top Gear's former Stig Ben Collins came out of the electric car closet as a fan of the electric sportscar we think Tesla may just stand a chance of winning. 

[Tesla]

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Electric Car Factory: Think Sets Up Shop In Indiana, RV-Land

Source: GreenCarReports.com

Quick, name the electric cars currently on sale. Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and ... ummmm ... oh, yeah, Smart Electric Drive.

Now name the ones built in the States. Hmmmm. Volt, right?

Think about it

Yes, but you've missed out on one--in both categories. It's the Think City, which is now being assembled in Elkhart, Indiana, from kits imported from Finland. It will gradually be localized to source more components locally over the next two years.

GreenCarReports visited the Think assembly plant after the Detroit Auto Show in January, and we've been a bit negligent in writing up our impressions. Here's your tour guide to one of the few electric-car factories in the United States.

We spent several hours at the plant on a snowy winter day and spoke at length with manufacturing director Karl Turner. Think, the longstanding, small, but feisty little electric-car company, has big plans for its U.S. assembly arm.

'RV capital of the world'

The large factory we toured had previously been a Philips Products plant that made windows for recreational vehicles.

RV makers are clustered throughout the region, which is called "the RV capital of the world." Before Think arrived last October, the factory had been empty for a year.

Initially occupying just 65,000 square feet, the company expects to use the full 205,000 square feet when manufacturing is up to speed in a year or two. Fully 175,000 sq. ft. of that will be devoted to actual vehicle assembly.

Think hired its first employee October 4, and when we visited, it had 27 workers, assembling about 20 cars a day on a single shift.

'Good notion' of first 300 sales

As of our visit, Think had built 260 cars, and Turner projects a total of 2,500 Think City models will be U.S.-built during 2011.

Early buyers include the Indiana State Parks Department, which bought 15, along with Duke Energy in Plainfield, Indiana (10 cars), and Indianapolis Power & Light (4 cars).

"We have a good notion" where the first 300 cars will be sold, said Turner, with soft commitments from a number of buyers.

PHOTO GALLERY: Think City assembly plant, Elkhart, Indiana

Think is waiting to be approved for the U.S. General Services Administration schedule of plug-in vehicles for government agencies. Because it is domestically produced and meets certain targets, the company feels it has a good shot at that approval.

The factory's theoretical capacity is as many as 60,000 cars over three shifts.

Battery plant nearby

Think located its factory in Elkhart  because the Ener1 plant that fabricates its lithium-ion battery cells is only 2.5 hours away, minimizing transport of the completed 600-pound, 22-kilowatt-hour battery pack.

Assembling the pack in the U.S. alone saves roughly $2,000 on costs, Turner said proudly.

Phase One: cars minus batteries

The first stage of manufacturing ramp-up, from October to January, brought semi-completed cars known as gliders to the factory on pallets--similar to the process for the Tesla Roadster. Each standardized shipping container held four palletized Think vehicles.

There, the battery packs were installed, trim and interior elements were unwrapped and installed, and the cars were tested for quality, performance, and other criteria.

Production during Stage Two, from the end of January until July, expanded beyond the battery pack to include installation of the complete powertrain, made up of the electric traction motor, power electronics and other circuitry, and certain wiring.

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Screw Gas, Drive A Drill-Powered Electric Suicide Trike

Source: AllCarsElectric.com

We're all familiar with alternative lifestyles, but the EX electric tricycle looks like an attempt at an alternative deathstyle. Concocted in the mind of Nils Ferber and realized with the aid of a pair of Bosch drill/drivers, this is an EV for the motorist with a Rube Goldberg fetish and a death wish.

Even the description of how to drive the vehicle is frightening: "The driver controls the vehicle with brake and gas handles and by tilting the back wheel with its body." It tilts the back wheel to turn the EV. It puts the lotion in the basket.

Other key features extolled by Nils Ferber: "The headlong position gives you an exiting [sic] driving experience," and "Steering with the spine-shaped joint is very different from holding a steering wheel or handle bar. You have to use your whole body to lift and bend the vehicle." The icing on the cake is the aesthetic description: "A skeleton with its organs was the inspiration for this design."

Unfortunately, the screwdriver powertrain is only good for 18 mph--though even that marginal amount of speed is sure to feel fast given the layout, proximity to the ground, and spindly construction.

Anyone willing to be the skinsuit for this murder machine?

[Nils Ferber]

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Video: Rolls-Royce 102 EX Phantom Electric, Geneva Motor Show

Source: GreenCarReports.com

An all-electric Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Just think about it: If the engineers do their jobs properly, the occupants should sense absolutely no difference in the near-silent, creamy smooth surge of power that wafts them from estate to yacht, or factory to mansion.

And now we have video, courtesy of Rolls-Royce itself, whose CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös discusses the 102 EX Phantom Experimental Electric concept that was unveiled this week at the Geneva Motor Show.

The car will embark on a year-long world tour once the show closes, with the company showing the car to owners, prospects, enthusiasts, and members of the media globally.

The goal is simply to learn whether the electric Phantom provides all the qualities that are expected of a Rolls-Royce, without compromise.

The video is below, with other coverage including live photos of the 102 EX Experimental Electric on the show floor and more video as well.

[Rolls-Royce]

+++++++++++

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