Indiana-based EV start-up Bright Automotive will cease operations this week after failing to secure a federal loan to finance the production costs of its Idea plug-in hybrid delivery van. The Idea, which Bright unveiled back in 2009, is a purpose-built PHEV aimed at commercial and government fleets. GM had invested $5 million in Bright. Bright’s… Read more »
Photo: 2012 Karma with Henrik Fisker, left, and Bernhard Koehler, right. Fisker Automotive announced Tuesday that automotive wise man Tom LaSorda has been appointed CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board, with full responsibility for day-to-day operations. Thomas W. LaSorda (no relation to the erstwhile Dodgers manager) is a seasoned auto industry exec, with 30… Read more »
On Monday, the opening day of TED2012, Audi presented the battery-electric Audi A3 e-tron pilot program, which will be implemented in select cities of the U.S. as a part of the company’s e-mobility driver experience for premium car buyers. Why the slow roll out? We asked Brad Stertz, Audi’s corporate communications manager. “Our program is… Read more »
In electric mode, the Prius Plug-in has a top speed of 62 mph, a range of 11 miles, and an efficiency rating of 95MPGe.
The Chinese city of Shenzhen announced this week that it will deploy an additional 1000 electric buses and 500 electric taxis, all manufactured by Chinese automaker BYD.
Envia Systems announced today that a test sponsored by ARPA-E has verified the company’s impressive claims for its new battery cells. Envia’s prototype juice boxes have achieved an energy density of 400 Watt-hours/kilogram – the highest ever recorded for a rechargeable lithium-ion cell. We’ll leave the hyperbole to the marketing folks, and settle for a… Read more »
Upcoming models that will use Panasonic cells include the Fusion and C-Max hybrids, as well as the Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi PHEVs.
If the government wants us to save energy, the logical first step is to lead by example and improve the efficiency of its own operations. The federal vehicle fleet, the largest in the country, offers an obvious opportunity for big savings. Over the past two years, the General Services Administration (GSA) has doubled the number… Read more »
AeroVironment, Inc. announced Friday that Mitsubishi has selected the company as an authorized supplier of EV home charging systems.
Johnson Controls has made a couple of potentially major advances in EV battery technology, which it will be displaying at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. A Ford Transit Connect Electric van powered by a Johnson Controls lithium-ion battery will be available for test drives. Johnson’s new prismatic storage cells are designed to require less installation… Read more »
