Volt Will Cost GM About $750 Million To Develop

In a plan General Motors submitted to Congress recently, we found out that the Volt will cost them about $750 million to develop before it is finally completed. Developing a hybrid, electric, or in the Volt's case an extended range electric vehicle (fancy for plug in hybrid), is very costly. The Volt uses a new engine platform, plus the batteries have to be developed and go through extensive testing. Making things worse for GM, the Volt will not be profitable for the first few years.

Link: AutoblogGreen

UPS Goes Electric

UPS, the major delivery chain, has two all electric vehicles operating in New York City. You can spot the difference because there is no radiator grille on the front, and the side panel says "Zero Emission Electric Vehicle." When the truck's drivers was asked about the truck, he said it had a 15 mile range. AutoblogGreen has a few pictures of the truck, including the front and side panels. No more details are available right now as to if this program will be expanding.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Treehugger's 17 Electric Cars You Should Know About

Treehugger, one of my favorite green websites, published a story today called "17 Electric Cars You Must Know About," many of which we have covered here on Electric Cars Now!, including GM's EV1, Mitsubishi's iMiev, and BYD's E6. The story has pictures and a short description of most of the cars. Head on over to Treehugger with the link below to check out the full story.


Link: Treehugger

Chrysler Electric Car 3 To 5 Years Away

Dodge Zeo Concept

Chrysler might not have had the best first quarter this year, with sales plummeting 22%, but here is some good news. Nick Cappa, a Chrysler spokesperson, said in an e-mail to the Detroit Free Press that they are "...planning on product within three to five years," and that product being an electric car. This comes at a time when GM hopes to have their Chevy Volt on the road in 2 years, Toyota working on a plug-in version of their Prius hybrid, and a variety of small electric car makers such as Tesla and Miles are working on their own electric sedans.

Nick Cappa also said; "If you want to go ahead and make everything a full hybrid system, fine, but what if you can turn everything into a range-extended vehicle and take it beyond the 2020 campaign for 35 miles per gallon? The new technology ENVI is developing could do that." ENVI is Chrysler's unit working on developing electric drivetrain.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Mercedes To Go Petroleum Free By 2015 (Yes, You Read That Right)

Mercedes-Benz F700 Concept

This is something that I think is very amazing. By 2015 (only 7 years away!) Mercedes-Benz plans to have no cars that run on petroleum. Instead, they will use batteries, fuel cells, or biofuels.

Mercedes is currently testing cars that run on alone on batteries, and cars that run on fuel cells. They hope to launch both at the beginning of the decade.

This is great news, but the sad truth is that most cars will still use gas by the time 2015 rolls around.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Electric Car News From London!

We have some new electric car news fresh out of London!

1. The City of London has been doing a free parking for electric car parking program for some time now, but that program is coming to an end. The City of London is "...concerned that the free parking has encouraged car use instead of the use of public transport, walking and cycling and does not consider this to be desirable in the highly congested traffic conditions prevailing in the City." It's too bad that a terrific program like this has to end. Click here for link.
   
2. London's Metropolitan Police Service (known as the Met) is testing a new program involving all electric smart cars. The smart car, known for its small size, recently came to the U.S. in a gas powered version. The electric smart, pictured above, can go 70 miles per charge at a top speed off 60 m.p.h. The two test cars that will be deployed in Central London and Heathrow Airport, are said to get the equivalent of 300 m.p.g. Click here for link.
   

Everything Chevy Volt - News Roundup From The Past Month

You might have noticed that during the past month there were no posts, so we thought we would do a few summary posts, to inform you what you missed while we were away.

1. AutoblogGreen reports that the gas tank on the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt will be less than originally announced 18 months ago. The car originally had a 12 gallon gas tank with a total of 640 mile range, now it is expected to have an 8 gallon tank with a 300-360 mile range. Click here for link.
2. GM announced that the price of $30,000 originally expected for the Volt won't be a reality, unless there are major tax breaks. Click here for link.
   

Sorry for not posting the past month, but were back in business!

Thank You To The Newsbreak Times!

Our editor and publisher, Mitchell Handler, recently had the honor of posting an editorial for an article on The Newsbreak Times. The editorial was for the article "Bush Administration Refuses to Regulate Greenhouse Gases", which focuses on the Bush administration's lack of action when it comes to global warming.

The Newsbreak Times, which is run by Michael Cheung, has been an Electric Cars Now! affiliate since the beginning. The Newsbreak Times is updated regularly, and each post is viewed by hundreds. Find the article here.

Solar Panels Coming To A Prius Near You

*Please Note: The above picture is Car and Driver's rendered speculation of the next generation Prius and is NOT official from Toyota.*

Toyota has announced that the third generation Prius, to be unveiled next year at the Detroit Auto Show, will have a solar panel option. The solar cells won't significantly charge the battery, but they will be able to power accessories, like the air conditioning. This would also slightly increase mileage.


Link: AutoblogGreen

"Revenge Of The Electric Car" WIll Eventually Becoming To A Theatre Near You

Hopefully you have seen the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car?", if you haven't hopefully you have read our page about it. Well, Chris Paine, the director of that movie, is preparing his sequel, tentatively title "Revenge Of The Electric Car". The movie right now is scheduled for a 2009 release.

It is not clear what it will the movie will focus on. "Who Killed The Electric Car?" focused on the death of GM's EV1, so it is possible the new movie will focus on Chevy's Volt.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Everything Mitsubishi iMiev - News Roundup From The Past Month

You might have noticed that during the past month there were no posts, so we thought we would do a few summary posts, to inform you what you missed while we were away.

1. Mitsubishi's iMiev electric car (pictured above) sounds promising, at least in Japan. The company announced that the retail launch could be in 2010 with 2,000 units, and as many as 10,000 in two years. There was no word on availability here in the States. Click here for link.
2. Mitsubishi has launched a micro site for its iMiev, which can be found here. (Link found via AutoblogGreen)

Sorry for not posting the past month, but were back in business! Stay tuned for more of these summary posts coming soon!

Everything Tesla - News Roundup From The Past Month

You might have noticed that during the past month there were no posts, so we thought we would do a few summary posts, to inform you what you missed while we were away.

1. An orange Tesla Roadster (pictured above) was found in a Richmond, CA parking lot. While a few of the Roadsters have been delivered to owners, this one is most likely a prototype. Click here for link.
2. If you plan on getting an electric car with a long range, plan on getting a high capacity outlet. Tesla says their Roadster could take up to 30 hours to charge with a standard living room outlet. Click here for link.
3. While California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was paying a visit to Tesla, we learned that they will be receiving special tax breaks from the state of California. We also found out that the Tesla sedan, codenamed "Model S" will go on sale for about $60,000 with a 225 mile range. No availability was announced. Click here for link.

Sorry for not posting the past month, but were back in business! Stay tuned for more of these summary posts coming soon!

Japan Post Office Goes Electric

The Japan Post Group has announced that they want their delivery cars to be all electric as soon as possible. Major Japanese auto makers such as Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Nissan all have plans for electric cars to be available in 2010. The Post also said that they will start testing hybrid vehicles. Above, the Mitsubishi iMiEV is pictured.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Here's Your Chance To Offset 350 Pounds Of Carbon Free!

Please note, this badge is not clickable. To get your badge, use the link below, or click on the badge on the right side of the blog.

You may notice something new on the right side of the blog. If you didn't, it looks like the badge above. So what is so special about this badge? Well by putting this badge on your blog, Brighter Planet will offset 350 pounds of carbon. That is equal to not using your car for 2 weeks, or 100 light bulbs being turned off for a day. To get your badge, click the link below, or click anytime on the badge on the right side of the blog (please note, the above badge is not clickable).

Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge

No Volt For Under $30k (Probably, That Is)

You may have read our story the other day about an electric car from GM, possibly the Volt, that was supposed to available for under $30,000 and before 2010. Well, we hate to be the party poopers, but it isn't going to happen, at least not without Congress's help.

AutoblogGreen reports that to make the car "less financially painful" for the automaker and the customer, a tax break from Congress would be needed. Ideally, the tax break would need to be about $7,000. There has been a debate for a while to make a tax credit for plug in hybrids, and just last week the House Of Representatives passed a plug in hybrid tax credit bill, but the White House is expected to veto. Hopefully, something will happen when there is a new President next year.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Car Profile: Triac (Highway Capable For Under $20k)

This is the first time we are talking about the Triac here at Electric Cars Now!. The Triac, pictured above, is a three wheeled electric car. Although it classifies as a motorcycle, you do not a special license, a class C drivers license will do.

The car is highway capable and is able to reach speeds of up to 80 m.p.h. and can go up to 100 miles per charge, more than enough for daily driving. The car will also take 5 hours to charge. When it comes to safety, the Triac uses the same steel cage technology in race cars.

Finally, the price. This car will cost $19,995. Not $100,000, not even $50,000. Yes, a highway capable electric car for under 20 grand.

It will become available in July.

Link: Green Vehicles home page
Triac Spec Sheet

UPDATE #2: RAV4 On eBay Goes For Over $89,000

We brought you this story the other day about an all electric Toyota RAV4 up for sale on eBay. Other RAV4's have sold for almost $70,000, so this one could be a new record. The car had 30 bidders with 55 total bids. The final price the car sold for was $89,200. AutoblogGreen theorizes that it sold for so high because of the included wall mounted charger, new spare tires, or maybe $4 a gallon gas. Find the link to the final eBay page below.

UPDATE: The winner of this auction has withdrawn their bid. AutoblogGreen has this quote from the bidder:

"I am sorry about the bid my husband placed on this item. He thought he retraced it but I guess he didn't. He has a brain tumor and can't see real well. Could you please offer this item to the next highest bidder? Thank you for understanding."

Just so you know, there is another RAV4 EV up for sale on eBay. At the time this post was updated, it was currently at $51,100.



Link: eBay via AutoblogGreen

Chevy Volt To Be Under $30,000 By 2010?

Forbes is reporting that:

General Motors Corp. aims to start selling electric cars for less than $30,000 each by 2010, earlier than planned, chief executive Rick Wagoner told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an interview.

AutoblogGreen points out that this might not be talking about the Volt. Although it is possible it is, GM is also planning to release a plug-in version of their Saturn branded VUE, a small SUV. It is unclear which car is meant.

Link: Forbes via AutoblogGreen

AMP Vehicles Making the Saturn Sky Electric

Advanced Mechanical Products, also known as AMP, will convert the Saturn Sky sports convertible to all electric power. They are currently taking pre-orders for the 300 cars they will produce. The total price of the car and conversion will come to about $50,000. The car will be able to go 150 miles per charge, at a max speed of 90 m.p.h. It will also be able to go zero to sixty in under six seconds.

AutoblogGreen also reports that AMP has plans to convert a Saturn SUV and Saturn sedan to all electric power.



Link: AMP via AutoblogGreen

14 Year Old Goes Way Above And Beyond To Support Electric Cars

Hopefully you have seen the film "Who Killed The Electric Car?" or at least read our page about it. Well, 14 year old Liza Stoner from Minneapolis was influenced by the film to do something extraordinary. This summer, she will bike from her home to Washington D.C. to deliver a petition calling for Congress to take action.

Her ride is supported by the Fellowship for Renewal, which "supports youth led initiatives and young activists who aim to inspire a call to action by creating awareness and understanding of environmental and social injustices through extraordinary physical endeavors." She has a petition you can sign to support her, and a website about her adventure, both can be found on the links below.

Liza, you have a 100% support from Electric Cars Now! Good Luck!


Links: Petition
Ride For Renewal via AutoblogGreen

Get Your Electric Car On eBay!

Up for sale today on eBay, the site were you auction off anything you want, is the all electric Toyota Rav4 EV. As of 6:43 P.M Pacific standard time on May 19, 2008, the car is at a $26,000 so far, but with six days left, it could go higher. The 2001 model EV has under 50,000 miles on the batteries. The home charger and 2 new tires are included.

As you know by reading the "Who Killed The Electric Car?" page of our site, many EV's were crushed. The ones crushed were by GM, not Toyota.


Link: eBay Motors via AutoblogGreen

New Subscription Service!

Electric Cars Now! is proud to announce our new subscription service. Are you too busy to check Electric Cars Now! regularly? Why not have the stories we publish sent to your inbox? With our new subscription service, you can! When you sign up for free, we will send you the latest news stories as soon as we publish them. Click the subscription link on any page to sign up.

Chevy Volt Is Meeting Expectations

The Chevy Volt, which we have talked about before, has been meeting or exceeding the battery range GM wants it to, or 40 miles per charge. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz says:

It is reliably meeting its objectives. Even with a rough calibration, even with the wrong drive unit, the wrong body, etc. etc., it has been hitting its 40 miles on electric power.

The article, from GM-Volt.com, says that Lutz is more confident in the November 2010 deadline they have for the Volt to be in showrooms. The full article can be found below.


Link: GM-Volt

A Plug-In Hybrid Without A Plug?

After reading the title about the post, you might think that the car I'm about to talk about is a regular hybrid, but it's not. This plug less plug in hybrid has removable batteries. The car was designed by MIRA, a "a design, development & certification consultancy in the UK". MIRA designed it with three removable batteries. AutoblogGreen gives some reasons why its a good idea:

This scheme has a few benefits, especially for those individuals who do not have access to an outlet where they park, as the batteries can be moved to a better location. Also, those batteries could be used in other applications, for instance as power when you're camping or for other outdoor applications like quads or electric bikes.

The program is being tested in a Skoda Fabia, which before the batteries were added got 39 miles per gallon. With the batteries it gets 64 miles per gallon, a 61% improvement.

Head over to AutoblogGreen with the link below for the press release and full info.

Link: AutoblogGreen

Chart Shows What You Already Knew

Click the picture for an enlarged view

For those doubters out there, or those who like to say told you so to their friends who are doubters, we give you this chart, as seen on EcoGeek.org. It shows that plug in hybrids, even if they receive their power from coal plants, are still much more efficient that conventional gas cars. Please note, by clicking on the picture, it is enlarged and you can see the text better. Read the full article, the link is below.



Link: EcoGeek

UPDATE: TH!NK Will Sell Electric Cars In America

You may have seen our story the other day about how Norwegian electric car maker TH!NK, is starting operations in America. Well, EcoGeek, has confirmed it, and they claim that a $25,000 electric car will have a top speed of 65 miles per hour, and a range of about 110 miles per charge. It will of course be emission free. It will be tested with companies at first, but sometimes in 2009, sales should go public.

Link: EcoGeek

We Now Have A Forum! - And Other Fixes

Electric Cars Now! is back and better than ever! We have more new posts, new quotes, and now a brand new forum! The forum can be found by clicking the "Forum" link on the navigation bar at the top right of every page on the blog.

When in the Forum, please only discuss relevant topics, such as global warming, the environment, electric cars, and the Electric Cars Now! site. The forum will be moderated, and there is a zero tolerance policy for profanity. If the forum gets out of control, we will shut it down.

Click here to have fun in the new Forum!

Also, we have done some bug fixes here on the site. For example, we have fixed some missing pictures on the "What Is Available Now?" page, and the "Who Killed The Electric Car?" page.

Thanks for visiting Electric Cars Now!

Happy Earth Day!

Today, April 22, is the 38th Earth Day! To help you go green, why not visit some environmental friendly sites today:

• Treehugger
• TIME Magazine's List of Top 15 Green Blogs
• Green Daily
• Green Daily's Earth Day Page

The above links will be posted on the "Links" page, for easy, everyday access, because everyday should be Earth Day!

Also for Earth Day, we have updated the Quotes, which is located on the middle of each page of the blog on the right side, under the Search bar.

Happy Earth Day from Electric Cars Now!

*Please Note: Electric Cars Now! is not affiliated with the above sites, and the content on the above sites does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Electric Cars Now! staff. Electric Cars Now! is not responsible for the content on the above sites.*

London's Taxi Cabs Go Green

London is famous for their iconic black taxi cabs. Sadly, those cabs have always used a very harmful diesel fuel. Now one of the largest of those taxi makers, Manganese Bronze, has plans to produce an electric version. Business has been bad lately because some cities are refusing to buy the diesel versions due to the emissions.

The cars will be produced in China, have a top speed of 50 miles per hour, and a distance of 100 km per charge. The car is expected to cost £30,000 more than the diesel, but running costs will be significantly less.

Link: AutoblogGreen

Paris Courier Company Uses Electric Scooters

When you need something delivered across the city you call a courier company. Usually, they will deliver in a van, car, or maybe a scooter. Lungta, a Paris courier company, will deliver your packages, up to 100 kg, to anywhere in Paris using electric scooters. Lungta says the service produces 40 times less carbon dioxide than using a diesel van. Prices are decent as well, running from £10 to £40, or about $20 to $80.

Link: AutoblogGreen

New Contact Info

Electric Cars Now! is back and better than ever! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email us at: electriccarsnowinfo@gmail.com

And we will get back to you as soon as possible! This email address can be found at the bottom of every page in the blog.

*PLEASE NOTE* We will no longer be using the Yahoo! email address we previously listed.

TH!NK Coming To America

UPDATE: Please click here for more info.

The electric auto maker from Norway, TH!NK, is coming to the U.S. TH!NK makes small electric cars. Here is some info from the TH!NK website about the TH!NK City Electric Car:

TH!NK city demands very little of you. In fact, not much more than a mobile phone. Just an overnight power top-up, and it’s ready to go in the morning. It can travel up to 200 kilometres (124 miles) in city driving on a fully charged battery, with a top speed of 100km/h. It is fun, clean and simple.

There are no dates on vehicle availability.

Link: AutoblogGreen

BYD Unveils an Electric Car

You might have seen our posts recently (here and here) about the Chinese automaker BYD's new plug in hybrids. Well, now BYD has introduced a fully electric crossover! The E6 was recently unveiled at the Beijing International Auto Show, and Treehugger has some specs:

So far, all we know is that the E6 will be a 5 seater with an acceleration of 0 to 100 kph of around 10 seconds. Top speed should be top speed of 160 kph (100 mph), and the battery pack, which is located under the rear passenger seats, will be based on BYD's own lithium-ion iron phosphate technology. Range per charge is expected to be 300 km (186 miles).

But most impressive of all:

"BYD projected the battery had a life of 2,000 cycles, for a lifetime range of about 600,000 km (373,000 miles)"

The link below has a picture of the spec sheet.

Link: Treehugger

BYD Introduces Another Plug In Hybrid

BYD, the Chinese battery maker that unveiled the F6DM plug in hybrid, has introduced another plug in hybrid. The F3DM is a smaller version of the F6DM, which is similar in size to Toyota's Camry. The F3DM is comparable in size to Toyota's Corolla. Details are few on this car, but it looks good. It can go 100 miles per charge on electricity alone, but for longer drives, a gas engine kicks in.

Treehugger has this to say about the batteries:

The F3DM uses BYD's self-developed iron batteries, which the company said could be recharged for more than 2,000 times and can power the car to run over 600,000 miles. The car equipped with BYD's batteries can travel as long as 100 miles after one charge, much longer than the 25-mile duel model vehicles offered by other automakers.

BYD's chairman says they hope to bring a plug in hybrid to Europe within 3 years.

Link: Treehugger

China's Biggest Battery Maker Unveils a Plug In Hybrid

BYD is China's biggest battery maker, but has recently entered the auto market. If you have a cellphone or MP3 player, you probably have a BYD battery.

There first move into the auto world, is the F6DM plug in hybrid. The mid-size sedan can go 62 miles alone on electricity and 267 miles when the gas engine kicks in. The F6DM should be available the second half of this year, with a fully electric F6E in 2009.

Treehugger has some more info about the batteries:

What makes the F6DM and F6E special is the battery pack: the lithium iron phosphate battery is said to be safer, less expensive, without heavy metals, completely recyclable and should be rechargeable to 70% in 10-minute at special charging stations. It can also be recharged more slowly with a home charging station, of course.Currently BYD has no plans to sell the car outside of China.

Will the F6DM beat GM's Chevy Volt as the first production plug in hybrid? Only time will tell.

Link: Treehugger

CARB Does it Again

The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, has yet again cut the number of zero emission vehicles, or ZEV's, required that the automakers produce. Instead of 25,000 ZEV's to be produced between 2012 and 2014 as the 2003 revision to the mandate had said, that number dropped 70% to 7,500. Many had feared that number could have been a 90% drop.

However, a silver lining has been found. While 100% electric cars have taken a massive hit, automakers are now required to produce 66,000 plug-in-hybrids. This was not part of the original mandate.

Links: AutoblogGreen, and AutoblogGreen

The Death Of The Electric Car.....Again?

On March 27, 2008 the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, will vote once again on the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate. The mandate, which began in 1990, was put in place to regulate the number of ZEV's on the road. When the bill first started, automakers such as GM, and Toyota began to make electric cars. In 2003 when the bill was changed, the number that the automakers needed to produce drastically dropped, and the major automakers completely scrapped production of electric cars. For more information, please visit the "Who Killed The Electric Car?" portion of this site.

Wired.com reports:

Under a proposal pending before the Air Resources Board, state regulators would slash -- from 75,000 to as few as 27,500 -- the number of zero-emission vehicles automakers must build between 2012 and 2017. Under the changes, the big automakers could put fewer than 2,500 nonpolluting cars on the road in the next four years. That's only 300 more than Tesla Motors plans to produce in the next two.

I guess we will just have to see how the board votes tomorrow....

Wired.com Link

Retired - EDIT

All good things must come to an end eventually, and sadly Electric Cars Now! is one of them. Our editor no longer can find time to publish daily in his busy schedule, and will not be able to continue publishing. The non-blog pages will remain open as long as the Google Pages site stays active.

We are currently working on developing a site about the environment in general, but do not yet have an opening date. Please visit fightgw.blogspot.com for the latest information.

Thank you loyal visitors for reading Electric Cars Now!

EDIT

Electric Cars Now! is happy to announce that we will begin reposting! Our editor has been able to squeeze a little time out of his busy schedule for something he feels is very important to our society, that being zero emission vehicles. Stay tuned for new posts soon!