electric cars

Fisker Buys Old GM Plant to Make 'Project Nina,' a $40K EV for Families

Kit Eaton — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:24:10 -0400

We've gotten excited about Fisker's Karma electric car before--it's dashingly attractive for an eco-friendly vehicle. But Fisker will only make a big dent in carbon emissions if it makes a family car. Which it will now do in Delaware.

Can the U.S. Become the EV Battery Leader?

Chris Dannen — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:53:47 -0400

Many of our most promising electric cars have parts--or entire assemblies--being built in China. But when it comes to the most important (and most expensive) component, EV companies may turn to American manufacturers.

Fisker Gets $528 Million Government Loan for Karma, Project NINA

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:37:29 -0400

Tesla Lawsuit Drama Ends as Five Company Founders Emerge

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:42:31 -0400

After months of squabbling, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk and founder Martin Eberhard have finally made up.

Renault Pitches 3-Minute Marvels

Kelsey Keith — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:33:49 -0400

The four vehicles in Renault's proposed Z.E. Concept category, which debuted last week at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (Frankfurt Motor Show), add a dose of space-agey design in the electric car arena.

Zzzzzap, Whrrrr, or Pshzzzzzz. How Should Electric Cars Sound?

Kit Eaton — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:53:06 -0400

Sci-fi film makers have for years had to solve a tricky problem: How should electric cars sound? Nissan's facing a similar problem for its real e-car, and turned back to Sci-fi--its Leaf EV will sound like those in Blade Runner.

Siemens' Electric Chopper Looks Like an Ultrasound Device

Cliff Kuang — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:31:29 -0400

Will Portugal Become a Leader in the Electric Car Industry?

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:16:17 -0400

Coming Soon: A Lithium-Air Battery with Storage Capacity to Spare

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:17:16 -0400

Lithium-air batteries are a strong candidate for electric car energy storage, but they face a major hurdle: internal clogging due to solid byproducts. It's an issue that has prevented li-air batteries, which offer 10 times the storage capacity of lithium ion batteries, from hitting the bigtime. But researchers at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have a solution.

Nissan Intros iPhone App, Automated Driver, and Scented A/C While G.M. Makes Coffee

Dan Macsai — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:17:16 -0400

Nissan has been innovating in overdrive. Last week, we wrote about its still-developing electric vehicle, which will charge wirelessly like a Sonicare toothbrush. And this morning, the Tokyo-based automaker announced four new developments: Forest-scented A/C, an automated turn assistant, a brand-new EV, and a remote-control iPhone app. With no major auto shows on the horizon, it's a bizarre time for Nissan to tantalize the blogosphere. But we'll buzz along anyway.

Renault Unveils Prototype Be Bop Z.E. Electric Car: The Shape of Things to Come?

Kit Eaton — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:01:37 -0400

Renault just pulled the covers off its technology demonstrator Be Bop Z.E. all-electric car. It's going to tour Europe to show off its cleverness, and its drive train will actually end up in future Renault EVs from 2011 onwards.

Smart Electric Vehicle Recharger Defends the Grid While Saving You Money

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:10:02 -0400

Electric vehicles are about to explode in popularity, with car companies as diverse as Ford, Tesla, Fisker, and Toyota working on bringing new models to market in the next few years. But with the growth of these vehicles comes a problem: how can everyone in, say, New York City plug in their cars at night for recharging without overloading the electrical grid? The Smart Charger Controller may provide a solution.

The New Great Race - - Tesla versus Clarity

Terry Tamminen — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:28:36 -0400

Listening to battery enthusiasts wax poetic about the Tesla recently - - and seeing a few of them appearing on the streets of west Los Angeles - - I began thinking about the old Tony Curtis film “The Great Race” (remember every time he smiled, there was a shiny sparkle of superiority that gleamed from his teeth?). The roads and Holiday Inns have improved dramatically since the period depicted in the movie, but the idea of testing the claims of exciting new technology at the dawn of a new transportation age is very much the same.

U.K.'s Bee.One 3G Enabled Electric Car Won't Cost Much

Kit Eaton — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:27:28 -0400

Electric cars are clearly all the rage: a new U.K. start-up company is getting its Bee.One electric vehicle ready, scheduled to hit the roads sometime around 2011. But unlike many other EV cars out there, the One is going to be as cheap as chips.

Electric Vehicle Makers Agree on a Universal Standard Plug for Charging

Kit Eaton — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:31:01 -0400

A suite of big-name manufacturers including Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, Fiat, Toyota, and Mitsubishi, have agreed on a common standard for the plugs used for charging electric vehicles. According to German energy company RWE, the plug will be a three-point (live, neutral, earth) arrangement that uses a fixed 400V supply. Daimler, maker of the upcoming electric Smart car, has already begun a pilot scheme with RWE in Berlin (pictured).

Detroit Electric and Proton to Beat Tesla S to the Electric Car Finish Line

Kit Eaton — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:25:46 -0400

Tesla's Model S stole many a headline during its launch last week. But when it comes getting an all-electric sedan onto the market, Tesla's time in the limelight may be brief: Proton and Detroit Electric are planning on putting an electric family car on the market much sooner than Tesla will.

Mercedes Hybrid F-Cell Roadster Kicks It (Very) Old School

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:31:27 -0400

New Lithium Battery Charges in Seconds, Could Revolutionize Electric Cars

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:55:05 -0400

MIT has been keeping us on our toes recently. First we heard about robotic farmers tending to fruit and vegetable plants, and now researchers at the venerable university have re-engineered lithium ion batteries to charge at lightning-fast speeds. Picture this: cell phones that charge in seconds, and electric cars that charge in five minutes.

25 Ways to Jump-Start the Auto Business Index

Fast Company staff — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:01:43 -0400

The debate about the declining state of the American auto business has played out like the world's worst sitcom.

25 Ways to Jump-Start the Auto Business

Fast Company staff — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0400

Photograph by Fisker Karma

Life-saving ideas from genomics whiz J. Craig Venter, Pimp My Ride star Xzibit, the GEICO gecko guy, the founder of Zipcar, Cisco's smart-garage guru, and more.

1. Let President Obama Take the Wheel

$4 Gas

A Green Pimp My Ride: Ree-V Converts Cars to Electric

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:26:37 -0400

EDAG's Light Car is a Tiny, Eco-Friendly KITT

Kit Eaton — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:00:31 -0500

Electric vehicles are hot news at the Geneva Motor Show this year, but EDAG's new concept vehicle is standing out from the crowd by taking a chunk of inspiration from the new Knight Rider--the car's exterior is a user-configurable display screen.

Swiss Unveil Electric Car that All Electric Cars Should Be Like

Kit Eaton — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:57:10 -0500

Forget the Aptera, forget even the Tesla: the Rinspeed iChange is what electric-powered vehicles should be all about. For two simple reasons...firstly it's one sweet piece of design engineering, and secondly its main control unit is an iPhone.

It's Electric! San Francisco Testing Electric Vehicle Recharging Stations

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:35:08 -0500

This morning at 10 A.M., San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed his commitment to a sustainable future for transportation.

Newsom announced the installation of three plug-in hybrid electric vehicle(PHEV) charging stations in the city.

Car Charging Stations at the Ready--In Israel

Linda Tischler — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:33:07 -0500