Search Results Found For: "VW diesel"

European EV sales – a very different selection from the US

The US and European auto markets differ in several significant ways, so it’s not surprising that the sales figures for the various plug-in models available look quite different across the water. One of the biggest differences is size. We Americans love our pickups and SUVs, while Europeans love cute little cars that would be laughed… Read more »

Q&A with Ian Wright: The CEO of Wrightspeed on Tesla, gas turbines and electric trucks

Ian Wright is originally from New Zealand. He came to California in 1993, where he happened to be a neighbor of Tesla founder Martin Eberhard. He worked with optical switching systems at a company called Altamar Networks until it went out of business, then decided he wanted to start his own company. Eberhard and his… Read more »

Golf GTE plug-in hybrid to debut in Geneva

Volkswagen will present its new Golf GTE plug-in hybrid at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show. This is a significant milestone for the European automotive market, as the Continent’s most popular model line will now be available with a range of powertrains (gas, diesel, CNG, PHEV and fully electric). The Golf GTE has a 1.4-liter,… Read more »

AMP Electric Vehicles: From car converter to truck OEM

The unusual journey of AMP Electric Vehicles has positioned it to become a leading OEM producing alternative-fuel vehicles for the medium-duty market. Seven years ago, AMP Electric Vehicles was founded on the idea of converting passenger vehicles – originally designed with an internal combustion engine, gas tank, and related components – to electric drive. The… Read more »

Tesla takes aim at rear-view mirrors

The latest automotive icon that Tesla is setting out to smash: side mirrors (wing mirrors to our British friends). Eagle-eyed EV watchers may have noticed that the original concept of the Model X had no mirrors, and neither does Volkswagen’s diesel hybrid spaceship, the XL1.  According to John Voelcker of Green Car Reports, the rear-view… Read more »

Supercars, hybrids and EVs take the stage in Geneva

At Geneva’s enormous Palexpo convention center, it’s obvious we’re not in Detroit – there’s hardly a pickup truck in sight, and the wine and coffee are flowing freely. Reflecting Europe’s colorful collage of cultures, a vast variety of vehicles from hybrids to EVs to seven-figure super-sports cars are spinning on the turntables.  Europe is just… Read more »

Find your niche: Balqon Corporation targets short haul drayage tractors

Electric vehicles (EVs) have their partisans and detractors. Supporters see the be-all and end-all transportation solution, while opponents argue the technology is too young. Somewhere between the two extremes lies the truth: today’s commercially available EVs have strengths and weaknesses compared to internal combustion engine (ICEs). The strong points include lower operating costs and lack… Read more »

The eDart: My 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger electric conversion

Who does not want to relive their youth? Theoretically, driving one of the mid-70s muscle cars is a great idea: lots of leg room, big power, and of course nostalgia. In Ontario, Canada, you even have the advantage that such cars are, by necessity, exempt from the emission tests. Of course, that assumes you do… Read more »