It’s no surprise that the media has been having a field day with the story of Fisker Automotive’s apparently terminal troubles. “Pissing away taxpayer money on useless boondoggles” was one of the more charitable descriptions of the situation to be found over on the rightward side of the dial. Even more neutral observers noted the… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Clean Cars"
President Obama pushes research into EVs and other advanced transportation technologies
In a speech at the Argonne National Laboratory, President Obama proposed a new Energy Security Trust Fund to invest in research into post-petroleum transportation technologies, including electric vehicles. The plan sets aside $2 billion over 10 years from royalty revenues paid to the federal government by oil and gas producers. The government collects more than… Read more »
Smith Electric Vehicles: the long haul and the short end of the stick
Smith sees a bright future in electric trucks on the horizon, but must wade through a sea of speculation to get there. All Smith Electric Vehicles Corp. wanted was a long-term growth strategy that would let the company scale up production of its all-electric, zero-emission medium-duty trucks at the same time that it beefed up… Read more »
Study: Oregon EV industry worth $266 million
Portland State University’s Northwest Economic Research Center (NERC) has released a new report that examines Oregon’s rapidly growing electric vehicle industry. This traditionally green state saw the opportunities in EVs as early as 2009, and established a public-private partnership called Drive Oregon to support the nascent industry. Today Oregon boasts an impressive “EV cluster,” which… Read more »
Honda Accord PHEV becomes first car to meet California’s new emissions standard
When fully in force in 2025, the new set of regulations is expected to reduce smog-causing pollutants by 75 percent from current levels, and greenhouse gases by 34 percent.
Three of a kind: PolyPlus reaches for 1,500 Wh/kg
After decades of patent-protected breakthroughs, PolyPlus stands poised to make its first commercial move from its trio of power-dense battery technologies: lithium-sulfur, lithium-water, and lithium-air. It’s a balmy, 95-degree August day in the nation’s capital, but Steven J. Visco, PhD, the CEO, CTO, and co-founder of PolyPlus, sits in the climate-controlled comfort of the White House… Read more »
Fleet of 50 BYD electric minicabs to start trials in London
Chinese automaker BYD and London minicab operator greentomatocars have signed a memorandum of understanding calling for BYD to supply 50 e6 electric vehicles to greentomatocars, which operates about 300 minicabs in Cool Britannia’s capital (“minicabs” are ordinary cars used as cabs, as opposed to the city’s famous diesel-powered black taxicabs). The new zero-emission taxis are… Read more »
Saab reborn as EV maker
National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS), a consortium of Swedish and Chinese stakeholders, has finalized its acquisition of Saab, including the rights for the Saab 9-3, the Phoenix platform, and the manufacturing plant, test and laboratory facilities in Trollhättan, Sweden. The new company will be solely dedicated to development and manufacturing of EVs. NEVS majority… Read more »
Rio to host all-electric Formula E Championship
The Federation Internationale de Automobile (FIA) has reached an agreement with the city of Rio de Janeiro to host the first Formula E Championship, featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy, in 2014. At a recent meeting the city’s Mayor declared the proposed urban track near the Gloria Marina “spectacular.” Promoting the event will be Formula E… Read more »
EVs to the rescue of the French auto industry
French President Francois Hollande has proposed a package of measures to revive France’s auto industry by encouraging the production of environmentally-friendly vehicles. The government will strengthen the reward-penalty system for the environmental impact of cars that has been in place since 2008. The incentive for EVs will increase from €5,000 to €7,000, and from €2,000… Read more »