Auto news and reviews from Car Buyer's Notebook.com: Electric Archives

June 8, 2008

Video: Bob Lutz on the Volt Test Mule

By Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman

This week we announced that the GM Board has approved the Chevrolet Volt program. Yes, development work has been going on in earnest, but now it’s official. In fact, recently, at GM’s Milford Proving Ground, I drove an official “engineering development vehicle” with the 16-kwh lithium-ion battery pack we’ve been testing for our E-Flex System and I have to say – pun half-intended – it was electrifying.

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Video: General Motors Exec Buys Vectrix Scooter

General Motors electric car champion Bob Lutz has upped his personal commitment to battery-powered transportation with the purchase of an electric scooter.

The GM vice chairman has bought a Vectrix scooter that uses a nickel metal hydride battery pack to give it a range of 45-60 miles and a top speed of about 60 mph. Watch the video of Lutz taking delivery of the scooter.

For more scooter news, read ScooteringUSA.com

June 5, 2008

Finnish Co-Op Seeks to Electrify Corollas

A Finnish start-up is trying to aggregate over 500 customers to sign up for Toyota Corollas that will be turned into all-electric vehicles -- the theory being that a bulk order will make the cars as affordable as traditional gas models.

While the effort sounds honorable, it's a little short on specifics, such as who is actually going to be doing the conversions, but we understand this is essentially an attempt to create interest first, and flesh out the details later.

June 3, 2008

GM will build the Chevy Volt Electric Car

GM has approved funding to build the Chevy Volt electric vehicle, and confirms that it will come equipped with still experimental lithium-ion batteries. GM expects the Volt to be in showrooms by the end of 2010.

June 2, 2008

Think to export electric vehicles to US in 2009

Norwegian company Think has announced plans to export an all-electric car to the United States in 2009.

The model, known as City, should sticker just under $25,000; it reaches a top speed of 65 miles an hour and can drive up to 110 miles on a single charge. The company hopes to sell as many as 30,000 to 50,000 units a year in the U.S.

May 27, 2008

New Audio Podcast About the Electric Car

SUDBURY, Mass. -- If you keep up with the news, you have likely seen more and more stories on electric vehicles or "EVs," perhaps with unfamiliar jargon such as "fuel-cells," "BEVs," and "ZEVs." What does it all mean for the consumer?

Bo Bennett, an Internet entrepreneur and author of the book "Year To Success," has begun what he refers to as a "mission to inform the American public on the benefits of the emerging technology of electric cars in a non-technical and entertaining way."

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May 22, 2008

U.S. DOE and GM Select 17 College Teams For "EcoCAR" Competition

Washington - The U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors and Natural Resources Canada today announced the 17 teams selected to participate in EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge, a collegiate vehicle engineering competition set to begin in the Fall of 2008.

EcoCAR will challenge university engineering students across North America to re-engineer a Saturn VUE to achieve improved fuel economy and reduced green house gas emissions, while retaining the vehicle's performance and consumer appeal.

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Challenge X Crosses the Finish Line

By Beth Lowery, Vice President, GM Environment, Energy & Safety Policy

Today I had the privilege of waving the checkered flag at the final Challenge X finish line.

The Mississippi State University Challenge X team with its Chevrolet Equinox

This is the second time in my life that I’ve been an official at an important race. Two years ago, I was the Official Starter at the GM FlexFuel 250 at Daytona International Speedway, which opened the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

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May 21, 2008

Honda CEO Outlines Aggressive Hybrid Strategy

Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has outlined an aggressive hybrid strategy for the company, aiming to sell 500,000 units per year of four hybrid models by early next decade.

Honda's plan calls for a dedicated hybrid vehicle based on the design of the company's FCX Clarity hydrogen car, that will debut as a five door hatchback. Honda plans to put the new hybrid on sale next year in in Japan, North America and Europe and projects annual global sales of 200,000 units.

In addition, and this came as a bit of surprise, Honda plans to make a hybrid version of the popular Fit subcompact, as well as the CR-Z SUV. The company will also roll out a reconfigured Civic hybrid.

Honda Expanding FCX Clarity Leasing Program

EcoCAR: The Next Competition from DOE and GM

EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge is a new national collegiate competition series that kicks off in the Fall of 2008.

Sponsored by the DOE and GM as well as Natural Resources Canada and others, EcoCAR will challenge university engineering students across North America to design and build advanced propulsion solutions that are based on the vehicle categories from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) regulations.

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Mississippi State Students Win GM and DOE Challenge X 2008 Competition

Washington, D.C. -- Mississippi State University, for the second consecutive year, has earned top honors in General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy's Challenge X student engineering competition.

Over the past nine months, the 2008 Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainability competition challenged 17 university teams from the U.S. and Canada to reengineer a Chevrolet Equinox that employs advanced powertrain technologies.

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GM Partners with Discovery Channel on Planet Green

New York, N.Y. General Motors and Discovery Communications today unveiled a multifaceted GM advertising sponsorship of Planet Green, the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle network coming to 50 million homes beginning June 4.

For GM, the partnership includes premier sponsorship of the network's landmark series "Greensburg," various vehicle and program integrations, short-form content and an online component.

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May 20, 2008

Nissan and NEC lauch joint battery operation

TOKYO – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., NEC Corporation, and its subsidiary NEC TOKIN Corporation, today announced that its joint-venture company – Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) – has begun operations. AESC’s start of operation follows the announcement of the joint-venture in April 2007.

AESC will focus on the development and mass production of advanced lithium-ion batteries for a wide range of automotive applications from hybrids, electric vehicles to fuel-cell vehicles.

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May 19, 2008

Nissan to start battery making operation

Nissan is teaming up with NEC to manufacture lithium ion batteries, starting in 2009, that the automaker hopes to use in an all-electric vehicle in plans to bring to market in 2010.

Lithium ion batteries are considered the best practical measure for powering electric vehicles, as they hold a charge longer than nickel-metal hydride batteries that are currently used in hybrid vehicles.

To date, reducing the excessive heat produced by lithium batteries has proved to be the biggest scientific hurdle. General Motors is also working on lithium research for their proposed Volt electric hybrid car, and it appears that the winner in this tech race is going to be the one that reaches a significant breakthrough first.

May 16, 2008

General Motors Powertrain Europe opens doors for Tech Show

Turin/Italy -- GM Powertrain Europe’s comprehensive Tech Show provides answers about how cars will be propelled in the future.

As part of the global GM Powertrain organization, GM Powertrain Europe has global responsibility for small diesel engines, diesel control systems, small gasoline engines and manual transmissions. Its footprint encompasses 15 facilities in 7 European countries, employing 9,000 people and producing on average more than 17,000 engines and transmissions per day.

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