Over the course of the next two years, the British government, as announced by transport secretary Lord Adonis, has announced that they’ll be installing a whopping two thousand electric car “charging points” over the next two years.

First to benefit from the new additions will be Gateshead and Newcastle, and the word is that the charge points will be located near shops and other public thoroughfares, likely because that’s where people are mostly likely to be driving their electric cars to.  In an interesting move, some of them will also be placed curbside and in parking lots (park and juice up…now there’s an idea.).

Some of them will be free to use, while others will require an annual subscription fee to access, and hopefully everyone will know which is which well in advance to prevent any misunderstandings.  I can just see people pull up to a charge point with their battery on  low just to discover that they’ve pulled up to a subscription-only point.

Of course, since the subscription includes unlimited use, hopefully good Samaritans will be along to provide a little extra juice in cases like that.  But still–this is a pretty bright idea whose time has more than come.

Tags: charge point, Electric, electric car, free for use, great britain, subscription

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What is it about steering wheels lately that makes so many concept cars nervous?  This is the second time that I’ve seen a concept car refuse to use a steering wheel, but rather some other device.

Today we’re talking about the Peugeot BB1, a tiny, sprightly little runabout that uses handlebars instead of a steering wheel and offers room for three.

It’s actually almost more of an enclosed moped than it is a car, but in an urban environment, this tiny little dynamo is probably worth its weight in gold.  Of course, when I see a tiny little electric car like this, my first thought is, inevitably, how does it perform on snowy or icy roads?  When you’re getting drifts that’ll fill your shoes when you step in them, do you really want to be stuck in the super-green car that can’t bust a drift, or do you want hot throbbing gas engine love to burst you out of that bank?

But still…I look at these and I find myself at least impressed. Nice work, Peugeot.

Tags: Electric, electric car, enclosed vehicle, moped, Peugeot, Peugeot B11

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I’ve seen some weird concept cars writing here, but I think I might have found the (literally!) high-water mark for weird in the Tang Hua Detroit Fish.

Designed as part of what can only be described as an insane quest to create an “iconic” car for China, the Detroit Fish comes standard with a 3.5 kilowatt electric motor and lithium ion battery pack, which allows it to go about seventy five miles and achieve a whopping top speed of roughly 24 miles per hour.  This means, of course, it’s yet another city cruiser--long-range commuters need not apply.

When pressed, its designer had this to say about the enormous yellow nightmare of a car: “There will be no Chinese national cars of significance if the Chinese spirit is absent from their design.”

But you’ve got to give him credit for trying–they were gunning for “distinctiveness” and distinctiveness they got.  Will anyone actually drive this massive fish?  I call it unlikely.

Tags: battery pack, Chinese, chinese car, Electric, lithium ion, Tang Hua Detroit Fish

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The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the Toyota FT-EV II is that, indeed, this tiny, sprightly little electric buggy does not in fact have a steering wheel.

In fact, such twentieth century concepts such as a steering wheel and pedals have been replaced in favor of instruments and controls designed to take advantage of wireless information, allowing the car to, on a limited level, DRIVE ITSELF.  And check this out:

The car might, for example, recommend music, movies, and other content based on what it knows about the preferences of the driver and passengers. It remains connected to the Internet whenever it is switched on, and connects to its users’ home networks to download data on its operations.

All this is awesome, of course, but how does it DRIVE?  Well, pretty well, actually–turns out the car gets fifty miles on a battery charge with a top speed of sixty miles per hour.  This means, of course, the car is going to be best suited for urbanites, as opposed to people who actually have to drive any distance to get where they need to.

Being a concept, no one’s got any firm release date yet, but if they do go into production, we’ll be sure to tell you.

Tags: battery, Concept, concept car, Electric, electric car, Toyota, Toyota FT-EV II

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You know, I’ve taken a look at my car more than once and, despite the fact that it gets a decent twenty eight miles per gallon highway, I’ve said that most of the time, I don’t need the whole car to do things.  I live maybe five miles from the nearest post office.  Almost ten from the nearest video store and about twelve from the movie theater.  Don’t get me started how far I have to go for a decent plate of Olive Garden.  I can’t just walk or bicycle everywhere, but I don’t need the cargo space my car affords half the time.

But the boys at BMW have apparently heard my lament, because they’ve come up with the half-car, half-motor scooter C1-E.  This all electric vehicle doesn’t require a helmet to drive (at least in Europe) because of its roll cage and reinforced front nose.

I doubt you’ll be able to get this in the US any time soon, but it’s still pretty awesome, either way.

Tags: BMW, BMW C1-E, Car, Electric, electric car, electric scooter, scooter

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It’s the king of the hill as far as gas sippers go, kids–the Toyota Prius is still, for at least two years running now, the best vehicle as fuel efficiency goes outside of a horse-drawn hay wagon.

But there have been plenty of changes to the 2010 model–changes in horsepower, in fuel use style, in gear shifting, and plenty more.  You may not be aware of this, but the user manual for a Prius weighs in at over six hundred pages.

So if it’s a hugely fuel efficient vehicle you’re wanting, then the Toyota Prius is absolutely the car for you.  But be prepared– you’ll have a lot to learn about this buggy before you can even drive it any length.  After all–if you don’t relish the possibility of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere because you were driving in EV mode when you really wanted Eco mode, then you’ll definitely need to hit the books first.

Tags: Electric, fuel effciiency, hybrid, Prius, Toyota

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The most expensive part about owning an electric car easily has to be the battery.  These highly advanced units go trough a lot of wear and damage over a year, and eventually lose their charge, requiring replacement.  But this isn’t the biggest problem–it’s having to replace these expensive units when the previous model can no longer be recharged.

Thus, Nissan has a plan in mind for its new line of electric vehicles–to lease the batteries out at the cost of about a hundred and fifty bucks a month.  That way, when the old battery dies, you can get a replacement for as long as you’re under the lease program.

This of course doesn’t really help Nissan owners all that much anyway–most people spend less than a hundred and fifty bucks a month on gas anyway, so offering to effectively hike people’s fuel bill isn’t a bellringer for sales.

Tags: battery, battery leasing, Electric, electric car, Nissan

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It seems that Auto Express recently sat down with an anonymous spokesperson who told them that Rolls-Royce is in fact working an all electric version of this iconic Phantom. There aren’t many details regarding the fabled car but reports suggest that it will feature a very large lithium-ion battery (similar to the ones found in the BMW’s Mini E) along with a range extender (as found in the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept).

Now before you get too excited and started whipping out your Black AmEx, make note that this is just a rumor which means we won’t put my stock in it until we hear official word from Rolls-Royce or anyone involved.

Tags: all electric, Electric, phantom, rolls-royce, rumor

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Seriously.  You ask any two car companies what the future of the electric car looks like and both will, with a straight face, give you two totally different answers and insist in the most strenuous fashion available that the other company is represented by a series of lying bastards who wouldn’t know the future of the electric car if it crawled up their pant legs and started licking them.

Some insist that there have been no major changes in technology.  Others claim that’s so much crockery and there HAVE been major changes, especially in battery technology.  Some claim that electric cars will never catch on anyway because they’re too quiet.  Too quiet?  How does THAT happen?  Well, for all my readers who live out in the country you know what the biggest threat to driving at night is–car-deer collisions.  Animals will be constantly running out in front of these electric cars because they CAN NOT HEAR THEM COMING.

For every solution, there’s a whole new set of problems.  And nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than with the electric car.

Tags: battery, battery technologies, battery technology, Electric, electric car, Tesla

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BMW is really looking to blur the boundaries between the present and the future with they new Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept hybrid vehicle. As you can see from the above picture this car features a super futuristic design with glass gullwing doors and other components making for an ultra light vehicle.

Under the hood is a 356 hp diesel/electric engine capable of 590 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 155 mph. To car is to pull power from regenerative brakes that will juice 98 lithium polymer cells making for a range of ~31 miles on electricity alone.

Chances are we’ll see more of BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show which is right around the corner.

via press

Tags: BMW, diesel, Electric, hybrid, vision efficient dynamics concept

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Tesla has today released a whole slew of images feature their their Model S in action. As you can see the car looks beautiful, event though that was already.

You can check out the rest of the shots in the gallery below and then begin the long wait until Q3 2011 for a chance to get your hands on the vehicle. If you can afford it, that is.

via egmcartech

Tags: all electric, Electric, ev, Model S, Pictures, Tesla

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The entire world is moving towards a greener community, most importantly on the auto side of things. To help things along a bit Ontario will soon announce that they will be giving tax incentives of up to $10,000 for those who purchase a plug-in vehicle.

Don’t get too excited as these reports aren’t confirmed but a program like the abovementioned is sure to be instated soon. In comparison, the US currently offers up to $7,500 worth of incentives for those who purchase a plug-in vehicle in the States.

Let’s hope that all of this will help the auto community move towards more energy efficient cars. Perhaps one day we will even be able to phase out our dependence on oil.

Read (CTV)

Tags: America, Electric, hybrid, Ontario, Plug-in, tax cut, tax incentive

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Although German independent vehicle manufacturer Karmann closed its doors late last month as the company heads towards bankruptcy, latest reports say the move may not be final. Karmann has reportedly signed a $14 million deal with Volkswagen to assist with the development and supply of the VW’s future electric vehicles.

This info was first reported by Germany’s Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung, which claims that Karmann will use the funds to organize a restructured company with 1,600 employees. Neither Karmann nor VW has yet to confirm the reports, but there is a strong chance the two companies could join forces

Tags: Electric, German, independent, Karmann, vehicle manufacturer, volkswagen, VW

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The E-Rod electric roadster is the newest creation from German design firm Mileworks. Scheduled to go on sale Spring 2010, the new E-Rod has an advanced electric powertrain with a twin motor design churning out 230hp and 2,100Nm of torque. This twin motor design allows one motor to power each axle, which in turn provides four-wheel-drive capability.

A 32kWh battery is said to give the vehicle a range of over 120mi (200km) and uses a typical 240V and a 10-16amp European household power outlet so charging times should not take longer than 12 hours. This 1,000 pound retro-styled roadster that seats two will accelerate from 0-100km/h in five seconds and can reach a top speed of 200km/h. Full production details are  not yet confirmed, but Mileworks hopes to build 1,500 examples of the E-Rod next year and price it under $84,000

Tags: E-Rod, Electric, German, Mileworks, roadster, two-seater

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McDonalds hasn’t decided to start selling gas, especially with the nasty economy. But the company is thinking about your car. Actually I bet McDonalds is considering ways to determine how to get you to spend as much time as possible inside their restaurants. How will they do that? Well it looks like while you eat, your electric car is going to receive its precious energy free of charge in McDonalds’s parking lot. The first restaurant to offer this incentive is located in Cary, NC, and it will be able to charge your electric car starting July 14th. Ric Richards had this to say:

The networked grid-friendly charging stations are a perfect complement to the many innovative green features of the restaurant. Our customers will have a dedicated place to park and recharge their vehicles. McDonalds is enabling a better environment for future generations by supporting zero-emissions transportation infrastructure, through the use of the ChargePointSM Network.

Will such a move convince you to purchase your first electric car? Will you eat more at McDonalds after that?
(more…)

Tags: Alternative Energy, charging station, Electric, mcdonalds

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