Zap! Unveils New Low Speed Electric Van

Zap!, the electric car maker best known for the Xebra (the three wheeled electric car), has introduced a new electric van. The Zap! Shuttle is a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) which means that it can only go low speeds. For $14,700 you will receive a 5 passenger van with 108 cubic feet of storage and the ability to carry up to 900 pounds. It has a six hour charge time from a standard 110 volt outlet that will take you 30 miles. The car will be on display starting Saturday at the National Automobile Dealers Association conference. Also at the conference Zap! will unveil the Alias, their highway capable electric car. More details on the Alias will be released at the conference.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Sadly Predictable: GM May Not Have Enough Money To Make Converj

The recently announced Cadillac Converj, which we covered yesterday, may never find your local dealership. With the financial mess at GM, they're is a chance that there won't be enough research and development money to go around (the Volt is getting top priority). GM's Bob Lutz has said that a final decision has not been made.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Just For Fun: Tesla Roadster Hot Wheels

The Tesla Roadster, the $109,000 all electric sports car, has been made into a Hot Wheel thanks to Mattel. AutoblogGreen was able to get two of them and they have a picture gallery. While the real one may not be in your future any time soon, these would be neat to have.


Link: AutoblogGreen

iMiEV Fleld Testing Begins in Europe

The Mitsubishi iMiEV electric car will begin field testing later this month in Europe. Up until now the media has been able to do test drives, but this is the first field tests. Out of a dozen test vehicles, five will go to England, the rest Holland, Norway and Spain. Mitsubishi has not yet decided if they will bring the car to America.


Link: AutoblogGreen

Cadillac Converj, An Upper Class Chevy Volt

The car you see above is the Cadillac Converj. It was introduced at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and features the same platform as the Chevy Volt, but with a distinct Cadillac design. The car has the same 40 mile all electric range as the Chevy Volt, and it also has a range extending gas engine. With GM's current financial situation, it is unclear when you will find this car in your local dealership.

Link: AutoblogGreen

Electric Smart Car Coming To U.S. In 2010

SmartUSA president David Schembri spoke with AutoblogGreen at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show about the electric version of the popular Smart car. The smart ed (for electric drive) is scheduled to start limited production in the U.S. in the second half of 2010 with series production in 2012. The car is currently undergoing testing in Europe, but none in America. There have been over 20,000 gas powered smart's sold in America since their introduction about a year ago.

Link: AutoblogGreen

Five Electric Cars You Can Buy In 2009 (And a note to readers)

Note to readers: I'm very sorry I have not published an article in over a month. The holiday time has been very busy, and I just never got around to posting. I am trying to get back into the habit of posting starting with this post. To make it easier for you, you can sign up for free weekly email alerts by clicking the "Subscribe" on any page of this website. As always, I want to know what you think. Click the "Feedback" on any page of this website or just send us an email to the email address on the bottom of each page. Also, if you have an idea for an article or a page we should make, please send it through either one of those methods. Thank you for reading!

AutoblogGreen has compiled a nice list of 5 electric cars you can buy in 2009. The list includes purely electric cars only, and sadly are not practical for most people (I know I can't afford the $100,000+ Tesla Roadster, available now), but it's still a good start. Hopefully we will see the list double in 2010.

Link: AutoblogGreen