Tesla Inside - To learn from each other and co-create

While Tesla is currently not producing electric vehicles by the thousands like Toyota, Tesla is recognised as one of the most players in the ekectric car market; more car manufacturers are opting for a little <a href="http://www.myhev.com/drive-train/drive-train-–-tesla-inside">Tesla Inside</a>, not just in the cars they produce, but also in their organisation.

Tesla's electric jitters: Tesla's electric jitters | The Economist
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2010/12/teslas_electric_jitters

Tesla may well have a mountain to climb before it can become a volume carmaker, but some in the industry seem to think it knows how to wire up a battery well enough to get there.

Tesla pushing Toyota to be faster, better when it comes to electric cars
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/12/28/tesla-pushing-toyota-to-be-faster-better-when-it-comes-to-elect/

According to Greg Bernas, Toyota’s chief engineer for the joint RAV4 venture, “We are learning from each other… Hopefully we can collaborate to improve our (development) process in the future (by adopting the flexibility of Tesla).”

(via Instapaper)

- Roelof

Drive safe, drive sustainable

Electric car conversion by ACPropulsion — everyday driving of a real EV

A nice example of a converted VW Golf to an electric vehicle and a nice video from Youtube describing the details of this '2nd generation' EV.

Check out the video on YouTube:

Electric car conversion by ACPropulsion — everyday driving of a real EV | Web Ink
http://www.webink.org/electric-car-conversion-by-acpropulsion-everyday-driving-of-a-real-ev/

While the Tesla might be considered the third-generation EV1, the Red Car could be considered the second-generation, perhaps a test article among that pack, and thus has a place in automotive history.

(via Instapaper)

Merry Christmas!

- Roelof

Drive safe, drive sustainable

Good, Clean Fun With a Home-Brew EV Go-Kart

Just skip all the discussions on how sustainable an <a href="http://www.myhev.com" >electric vehicle</a> can be, also focus on the sheer fun they can provide! Due to better torque of the electric motor, they are excellent for racing too, which is also illustrated by Fortin's project where he constructed a battery powered cart.

Good, Clean Fun With a Home-Brew EV Go-Kart
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/good-clean-fun-with-a-homebrew-ev-go-kart/

“It handles great, corners great and has a tight turning radius,” Fortin said. Top speed is 40 mph. Due to the limited range and suspension, the ZKart has stayed mostly on pavement. However, he said that a few jaunts on fire roads have been a gas, and without using a drop of the stuff.

(via Instapaper)

- Roelof

Drive safe, drive sustainable

Hybrid Vehicle - Fuel cell buses for Tokyo

Tokyo has implemented hybrid buses in their public transport systems, a nice hybrid vehicle fueles by hydrogen. The ambition is to promote sustainable transport on the crowded streets of Tokyo; they even added two hydrogen fueling stations in the mix.

Fuel cell buses hit the streets of Tokyo - Autoblog Green
http://i.green.autoblog.com/2010/12/22/fuel-cell-buses-hit-the-streets-of-tokyo/

The project is part of Tokyo’s shift to get alternative fuel sources moving more vehicles on the city’s roads. The government hopes that this demonstration project will lead to further adoption of fuel-cell vehicles and create a society that relies heavily on hydrogen as a major power source, thereby reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Hat tip to Roy!

(via Instapaper)

- Roelof

Drive safe and sustainable

Electric Vehicle - Tesla catches Christmas spirit, gives away hundreds of Roadsters

A very nice touch from electric vehicle maker Tesla, giving Christmas presents to its clients, how's that for awarding client loyalty?

Tesla catches Christmas spirit, gives away hundreds of Roadsters - Autoblog Green
http://i.green.autoblog.com/2010/12/20/tesla-catches-christmas-spirit-gives-away-hundreds-of-roadsters/

Seems Tesla Motors has caught a bad good case of Christmas fever. You know, that infectious spirit of giving that’s been known to strike ‘round about this time of year. In spite of being busy making deals, preparing the Tesla factory and watching the stock price shoot up, Tesla has still found time to remember the people who have helped get it where it is today – the Roadster-buying customers. And to share the good cheer, Tesla is giving them yet another Tesla Roadster.

(via Instapaper)

Check out the video on YouTube:

- Roelof

Drive safe and sustainable

Electric Vehicle - 6 Myths Every Investor Should Know About Electric Cars

This article I came across is aimed at investors, but this is also helpful for people who are in doubt how good an electric vehicle really is. In the end, buying a car is an investment, not just for your family (budget), but also in the environment.

6 Myths Every Investor Should Know About Electric Cars
http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/electric-car-myths/1359

End the tax payer support for oil and electric vehicles, and see which sells the best. I’ll give you a hint: When 87 Octane hit $4.00 a gallon, car buyers were paying above sticker price to get their hands on a Prius, Toyota’s hybrid superstar which now gets 50 miles per gallon.

What do you think will happen when we hit $4.00 a gallon again?

(via Instapaper)

- Roelof

Drive safe and sustainable

Hybrid Vehicle - How to build a hybrid engine

A really nice video showing you how the engine of a hybrid vehicle is made. Not only limited to cars, but the hybrid can (ofcourse) also be used for airplanes, boats abd trucks.

Have a nice weekend!

- Roelof

Drive safe and sustainable!

Hybrid Vehicle - Why you should buy a hybrid

A nice article on why you should buy a hybrid vehicle; a lot of people (wrongly!) assume buying a hybrid vehicle makes no business sense, but in the long run it may prove to be a very sensible investment. It even is versatile enough that whatever the outcome of technical developments and the case of "who will win?" (the hybrid or the electric car), you still have a large benefit.

Why you should buy a hybrid, Part 1 - Hybrid Cars and Plug-in Vehicles - Hybridcarblog
http://www.hybridcarblog.com/why-you-should-buy-a-hybrid-part-1/

If you have any worries about foreign oil dependence, buy a hybrid. It’s not about doing your part, it’s about saving money. Again, when gas hits $7.00 nobody will be laughing at your hybrid purchase.

(via Instapaper)

- Roelof

Drive safe and sustainable

Hybrid Vehicle - KERS will give McLaren an edge in 2011

More news from the Hybrid vehicle change in the Formula 1; Button believes McLaren will have a competitive edge over the other teams with the (re)introduction of the KERS system. I can't wait to see these changes in effect, but also wonder: would a hybrid vehicle be able to overtake its petrol equivalent in a similar/easy way like the Formula 1 cars?

KERS will give McLaren an edge in 2011: Button | Electric Vehicle News
http://electric-vehicles-cars-bikes.blogspot.com/2010/12/kers-will-give-mclaren-edge-in-2011.html

Jenson Button is convinced McLaren will have an advantage over Red Bull and Ferrari at the start of the 2011 season thanks to KERS. The Kinetic Energy Recovery System was introduced in 2009 in attempt to aid overtaking

(via Instapaper)

Drive safe and sustainable!

- Roelof

Hybrid Vehicle - Volkswagen considering F1 Future

Following the recent changes in the Formula 1 to a hybrid vehicle event, it seems that Volkswagen is indeed interested to participate in this motorised sports event. The biggest European car manufacturer is interested after the change in the vehicle requirements; smaller engines and a bigger role for KERS like systems.

<a href="http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/36323.html">Source: ESPN</a>

Electric Vehicle - Tesla Inside for BMW as well

Tesla is getting a firmer grip in the Electric Vehicle market every day. This announcement by Benz Insider explains why the concept of Tesla is so attractive for other manufacturers to adopt: cost. Soon there will be Tesla Inside on a few more brands.

Source: Benz Insider

Hybrid Vehicle -

Earlier on I wrote on the changes that were discussed for the Formula 1, it appears they have decided to go with the changes for these new hybrid vehicles as they will now be officially labeled from 2013 on.

The goal is not perse to green the Formula 1, but this will drive the teams to design energy efficient systems that can still perform equally well. In a similar fashion to the space industry, technologies that are designed for this new Formula 1 may well find their way in your (future) vehicle.

Source

Electric Vehicle - "I'll be back!"

The electric vehicle is back. For revenge. In a local cinema near you soon. Go check out the trailer and have a nice weekend!

Report: VW design chief says new Microbus is in the cards - Autoblog

For all you retro fans out there; there are plans to bring back another classic from the VW bloodline and it might just become an electric vehicle this time. The plans concern the VW "hippy van".

Similar to the new Beetle this looks like a well done modern overhaul of the old design, spacious and comfy looking. It is expected to hit the market around 2012 and currently discussions are going on to decide on a power train. My guess is it will either be electric or hybrid, perhaps both types will be available even.

Source

Drive Train - Toyota announces the Solid State battery

A nice achievement from the Toyota lab: they developped the prototype of a solid state Lithium based battery for an electric vehicle, the holy grail in the drive train according to some.

The new design allows for more power to be stored and less weight to be carried along. On top of it, the battery is also said to be more stable. When the conventional lithium based batteries exceed a certain temperature, they boil and are irreversibly damaged. When the solid state Lithium is in its ideal state it can manage higher power flows more easily. Get us more of those batteries I'd say!

<a href="http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20101122/187553/">Source </a>

Drive safe and sustainable!

Charging - A Charge at no Charge

London has installed the first charging points where people can recharge their EV batteries for free! A nice demonstration they are taking the EV introduction seriously and want to fight the CO2 pollution in the city.

Part of the power used for charging is generated by solar panels, enhancing the sustainable aspect of the project, more to follow?

Source

Drive Train - Siemens shaves 30-40% off!!

Some nice news from Siemens on their Ecotram project, where they loojed at the drive train and the HVAC in particular.

Their system consists of smart controllers and proper insulation and can potentially reduce the HVAC power consumption by up to 10%.

"

According to the partners participating in the project, it should be possible to reduce energy consumption for HVAC systems by at least 10%. The objective is to develop a simulation model for the optimization of a tram’s climate control systems.

"

Source

BMW & Siemens to make public transport more sustainable

Siemens and BMW are going to design the new lightweight and recyclable subway car for Warsaw. The new public transport system in the Polish capital, which goes by the name of the 'Siemens Inspiro', will be 97.5% recyclable and are much lighter than the conventional subway cars. Lighter subway cars not only reduce the energy consumption of use, but will also cause less wear and tear on the tracks and thus reduce maintenance costs. 

The new Inspiro tram designed by BMW and Siemens

Source

Hybrid Vehicle - Norwegian Hydrogen Highway

Some nice news for hybrid vehicle owners in Norway, or people aspiring to become one: the Danish company H2 has added to the "Hydrogen Highway" in Norway, allowing people with a hydrogen fueled hybrid vehicle to fill up their vehicle with hydrogen.

A nice example in Norway which will probably be followed by other stations completing the highway, just in time before the big car manufacturers will roll out their hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles within a few years.

Drive safe and sustainable.

Source

Electric Vehicle - How to make a Leaf

For the weekend, a nice video on how the electric vehicle the Nissan Leaf is manufactured. A nice display of a quality production line for this nice car:

Electric Vehicle - Leaf Electric Car In Japan with 200 km range

The Nissan Leaf is the most covered electric vehicle these days, it is being rolled out in many countries for the next few months. So far nothing new. What a surprise to read that there is also a 200km range version, instead of the presented 160km one.

Will there be more ranges available later on?

Electric Vehicle - Electric Airplane Sets New Speed Record

Nice news from the people from the land of electric flight: a new speed record is set with these special electric vehicles. The French  pilot flew the electric airplane (a Cri Cri from EADS, the mother company of Airbus) and achieved 162 miles per hour. 

It is good to see electric flight taking off like this, achieving nice speeds and knowing that they will increase their field of application; currently they can only fly for about an hour or two, so don't expect big commercial airlines to pick this form of flight up soon. However, it is gaining popularity in the flight school industry and for the same reasons it might even be commercially attractive for parachutists.

Read the full report on the speed record here

Electric Vehicle - Trex1

A very nice electric vehicle in the shape of a 4x4 truck! It can scale nice offroad tracks and with the 100 kWh battery pack and 150 kW motor (continuous power) it has a range of 200 miles.

The last nice fact I'll share here is it runs using low voltage. Where normal high performamce vehicles run at voltages around 400 Volt, this truck runs at a lot lower voltage. The main benefit of this is the overall lower cost of the electrical parts and thus a cheaper vehicle. Go check out the link below:

http://bioage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef013489a67a31970c-popup

Sent from my iPhone

Electric Vehicle - Taxi!

A nice electric vehicle has been kept under the radar, or at least I didn't notice it before, but the electric Vito apparantly entered the Future Car Challenge as a taxi. I've read about the electric Vito earlier, but had not seen the application as a taxi for seven persons before. Go check this out.

It's a nice spacious looking van fully electric, the original article can be found here.

More taxi news came from New York, they are looking to replace their uber-famous yellow cabs with a new model (still yellow though). Some nice entries are popping up, though I'm missing an entry from the Vito ;-)

More information on the other competitors, among which a nice entry from a Turkish manufacturer I had not heard from before. New York's future taxi service will probably stay yellow as it is, but will also become greener. You can help New York choose their cab of the future through the link in the original article here.

Electric Vehicle - The art of Hypermiling

I came across this nice little video explaining the concept of hypermiling (applies to both an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle). The man in the video achieved 65mpg by altering his driving habits just mildly and driving conciously to get him more miles per gallon.

To read more on hypermiling tips and the background, visit this post.

Electric Vehicle - The VW Golf Blue E-Motion

From the LA autoshow comes the news from VolksWagen, on their new electric vehicle. It is the popular VW Golf model with an electric drive train. The critics are enthusiastic, the only real downside being its planned release date in 2013. Other than that, a nice car to look forward to:

Electric Vehicle - To Maximize Your Range, Think of Eggs

When I think of eggs, I think of a nice breakfast. However, the people of Wired think of maximizing the range they can drive with their EV. In their opinion, when driving an electric vehicle for the first time, there are either two options:

- You drive very carefully in order to get the maximum out of your battery charge

- You push down the pedal and get the maximum speed and torque experience possible with your EV

I always thought there would be people in between as well, but apparently there is not ;-) Anyway, have a look at what else they have to say, it's a nice read.

Drive safe,

Roelof

Electric Vehicle - Tesla Inside Toyota/Daimler/?

In a recent interview Elon Musk, CEO of the electric vehicle company Tesla, mentioned Tesla is indeed interested in having their technology licensed by car manufacturers such as Toyota, Daimler and perhaps others. It all makes perfectly sense ofcourse, this concept of Tesla Inside will help Toyota and Daimler to implement top of the line battery and electric drive train technology, while also providing a platform for Tesla to make a name.

The question remains; who is next? There is a big chance there will be Tesla Inside the Toyota RAV4 EV, the Daimler A-Class E-Cell, and the Daimler Vito is also seen with Tesla technology. 

Full article: here.

Electric Vehicle - Revenge is seeking fans

Without a doubt the most popular film on an electric vehicle is the movie "Who killed the electric car?", featuring the famous EV1. Since it's been a while now, it was time for a follow up. Chris Paine has scheduled the sequal ("Revenge of the Electric Car") to appear early next year, but currently his team is holding the trailor ransom. The trailer will only be released when their facebook fan page has hit 10.000 fans, quite a unique stunt as far as I know of.

Facebook Page

I want to break free

Checking out a rather old channel of a guy from New Zealand how converted his car to an electric vehicle. While his 25 (!) video uploads of the process in doing this conversion contain a wealth of information and tips, there was one in particular I wanted to share with you:

A nice touch on the sound track too ;-)

- Roelof

Hybrid Vehicle - Airborne Fuel Cell

This week saw the news of an UAV powered by a fuel cell near Moscow. It was "just" a small model and the flight only lasted several minutes, it was a nice feat from the P.I. Baranov Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) in Russia. Once more an electric vehicle that is extending the borders of its application, further tests and research will result in longer flight times powered by hydrogen.

More information can be found here.

Electric Vehicle - Update from Tesla Inside

Toyota and Tesla have released a few teasers from their RAV4 EV plans, the "old" electric vehicle from Toyota with a Tesla drive train. It seems they have not chosen for "Tesla Inside", but instead went for "Powered by Tesla" instead. Fair enough.

Will have to wait some more till the 2010 LA Auto Show for more, or perhaps Toyota and Tesla are dropping more teasers on the web before the event. Stay tuned!

Source: AutoBlog

Electric Vehicle - The SUV of electric bikes!

At first the electric bicycle was picked up by older people who liked the assistance of this powered electric vehicle. It was quickly discovered by lots of other people as well and it really increases your range on your bicycle. This bicycle I saw today however is quite an odd one and inspired on the mountain bikes or all terrain bikes.

With super wide tires it can cruise on sand and without pedalling it can get up to 32 km/h (20 mph) with its 600W engine. A small lithium based battery is said to have enough for one hour of cycling after which it charges for three hours. Behold the "SUV of the electric bikes" and read more using the link below:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/11/get-around-gridlock-hanebrick-electric-bike.php

Electric Vehicle - How the MB E-Cell works

Just came across this nice video from Mercedes Benz TV on their new electric vehicle; the E-Cell. It details on how it works and provides few other nice insights as well.

Also note the 200km range, the battery which is located in the floor and the 70kW motor to power the vehicle.

Audi A2 drives 605km, fully electric!

A converted Audi A2 was driven from Munich to Berlin, completing the long trip on a single charge. The distance in itself is quite a feat for an electric vehicle, especially on a single charge and it is even claimed to be:

 an electric vehicle world record of sorts

The converted Audi A2

However, I think the biggest feat performed here was not that they used a 115kWh battery to do it (compared to a Nissan Leaf's 24kWh that is HUGE in capital letters). The best thing is they used batteries so compact that they did not have to compromise the room for passengers or trunk space. Even a bigger wow is that they are able to fast charge the 115kWh battery in 6 minutes!

Check out the full article at:

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/27/converted-audi-a2-claims-new-electric-vehicle-distance-record-3/

Drivetrain - Fuel Cells: Are they really coming?

Fuel Cells have been around for quite some time now, they were for example used in the US Space Program as the batteries of that time were too heavy. There have been quite a few good examples of the adoption of a fuel cell in the drive train of a hybrid vehicle, but so far the big car manufacturers are still testing and adjusting their prognosed dates. For now the date they will launch a fuel cell hybrid is set around 2012 (or after that ofcourse).

Without going into the discussion wether a fuel cell powered vehicle is 'better' than a pure electric vehicle, I think the main reason for the car manufacturers to go into the fuel cells would be that it is harder to obtain and own battery technology. Fuel Cells are around, but the companies producing them are still relatively small making it expertise that is cheaper to purchase.

We'll just wait and see when the Fuel Cell car rolls out of the factory, in the meantime check out what Volvo, Mercedes and BMW for example are doing with their Fuel Cell programs:

Volvo:

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/30/volvo-to-set-the-standard-in-the-electric-vehicle-segment-fue/

BMW:

http://www.fuelcellinsider.org/2010/10/bmw-making-fuel-cell-news-again/

Mercedes:

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/07/mercedes-benz-now-taking-orders-for-b-class-fuel-cell-vehicle/

Electric Vehicle - Ready for take off!

Last week I mentioned how the people of Wired had found an electric vehicle of a special kind: an electric airplane. While that one was just an ultra light type of aircraft, it appears there is quite a market to fill the sky with electric vehicles. Flight Schools seem to be an ideal spot to introduce electric flight. The current battery allows for about 90 minutes of flight while the average lesson takes a lot less, so the reduced range of the electric airplane is not really a problem. Also being able to charge/refuel at a lower cost, going electric makes a lot of sense in a market like this.

Seeing the flight schools getting enthusiastic about it, I'm wondering if the driving schools are paying any attention. The average driving lesson can easily be covered with any electric vehicle available at the moment and it will cut fuel costs dramatically. 

The article at Wired can be found here.

Electric Vehicle - Tokyo has Tesla Inside!

Last monday Tesla opened up the dealership from where they will be selling their popular electric vehicle to Asia. From now on people in Asia can also experience what it is to drive the Tesla Roadster and in the future the S Model.

Which cities are next to have Tesla Inside?

Electric Vehicle - The sky is the limit?

The people at Wired have taken a ride in a very special electric vehicle: an airplane! Now it is actually "just" an ultralight, but electric flight has to start somewhere, right?

Flying will never be the same once this gets broadly used; no more noise, vibration or fumes from the engine! Just the sound of the air passing the plane and the soft whine of the electric motor. It sounds like how most people describe a ride in an electric car, though a tad more spectacular ofcourse since it is up in the air. No room for range anxiety here mind!

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/wired-flys-e-spyder-electric-plane/

Electric Vehicle - DDW

DDW in this case is for the Dutch Design Week and they have some very nice electric vehicles on their show this week still. If you are able to go and visit the show in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, drop by and take a look at some very cool concept cars from Citroen, Renault and Peugeot.

http://www.atcentre.nl/events/105-atc-design-on-wheels.html

Solar Roads - Power on the go

The concept of the Solar Road has won the Ecomagination Challenge, securing them a nice check to help with their startup. For those that have missed out on what a Solar Road is; it is a road with solar panels integrated into it. A clever idea that allows the road to act as a generator and provide power. 

Currently they are working on the glass plate that is the top layer, a challenging task as the properties that are needed:

- Transparancy to allow the sun light to pass through

- Strength to be able to support vehicles

- Traction to allow cars to drive safely on glass

Getting this power to your electric vehicle could be done for example by means of induction, another technology that is getting a lot of attention.

Electric Vehicle - Microsoft Plug and Play

Microsoft announced plans to have their software (embedded) in your electric vehicle. It does seem to make sense, having the media streams controlled by the experience from Microsoft. Music, maps, traffic information and entertainment is what they have been doing for a long time now. They also have experience with plug and play, which is very much applicable to an an EV ofcourse. Just be sure to avoid car-crashes doubly so, having to reset your car on the highway after a "B.S.O.D."is the last thing you will want to do.

All in all it makes perfectly sense for Microsoft ofcourse to enter this market, especially since a lot of car manufacturers have displayed a lot of connecticity options for iPhones and other smart phones, like BMW for example with it's Mini scooter.

Reference:

Microsoft News

Electric Vehicle - Killer Apps

With the electric vehicle making more appearances on the roads near you, there are also a lot of options on the vehicles which use the smart phone for a variety of things. The Volt and the Leaf have special apps, the Smart ForTwo will have one and also BMW has a lot of funcionality integrated on your smart phone. 

Varying from monitoring the battery status of your car to pre-heating it in the winter, it all becomes possible with these electronic devices. As this article puts it;

Smart phones? They’re the killer app for any electric car.

And it is just a matter of plug and play really, or (unless you are using inductive charging) unplug and drive. 

http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1050519_ready-for-your-electric-car-dont-forget-the-smart-phone?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+AllCarsElectric+(All+Cars+Electric)

Tesla - Soon inside a car near you?

Yesterday I posted on Tesla working together with Toyota on a new RAV4 EV and with Mercedes with the new A-Class E-Cell. There are however a lot more places where Tesla is looking to co-create and help others out with their technology. Perhaps "Tesla Inside" is not such a bad way to put it; has Tesla learned this lesson from the other Silicon Valley giant - Intel?

The FCCC Delivery Van is another example of Tesla-Power. With more vans like that to follow, urban deliveries are bound to get a lot more environmentally friendly, less polluting and quieter. And there was also news of the SmartForTwo which features the popular technology, though there are talks going on with Evonic (a Daimler JV)

Who is next in line to get powered by Tesla?

Drive Train - Tesla Inside?

Last week brought news on the drive train of Tesla being integrated into the Mercedes Benz E-Cell (the converted A-Class). This week there is news of Toyota also signing a deal with the Tesla to help them out with a new version of the RAV4, the famous electric vehicle of Toyota. Who will be the next car manufacturer to call in Tesla for help and get a "Tesla Inside" sticker?

 

For more information on the deal with Toyota, visit the link below to an article on Green Car Congress:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/10/toyota-to-pay-tesla-about-60m-to-develop-electric-powertrain-for-rav4.html

 

 

 

 

Hybrid Vehicle - Volvo's busses

Volvo is increasing its importance in the market of the hybrid vehicle. Besides their plans to roll out a range of electric vehicles (for example the C30), they are also gaining momentum in the hybrid bus market. The Volvo 7700 model was already quite popular from the start in Europe (150 orders from start), but will also be used in Mexico in order to battle the pollution.

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/11/volvo-extends-hybrid-bus-trials-to-mexico-brazil/

Electric Vehicle - Are you ready for one?

Here's a nice article I came across on how to tackle range anxiety with an electric vehicle. All it takes is your normal car, so there is no need to buy an electric vehicle. Just get a pen and paper (or iPhone, or whatever you would like to take notes with) and give this strategy a go.

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/08/good-idea-dept-treat-your-gas-guzzler-like-an-electric-car-to-s/

Electric Vehicle - Mercedes

Mercedes has started to manufacture their electric vehicle, the E-Cell. It is basicly a converted A-Class car where the batteries are conveniently stored under the floor boards, lowering the centre of gravity and most likely increasing driving performance. They have also started to take orders for their F-Cell vehicle, a converted B-Class which runs on a fuel cell. Finally their investments in fuel cell research are starting to pay off.

 

I'm looking forward to hear more of these developments, also from the other car manufacturers ofcourse!

 

E-Cell:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31349_7-20018367-282.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

 

F-Cell:

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/07/mercedes-benz-now-taking-orders-for-b-class-fuel-cell-vehicle/

 

 

Electric Vehicle - The Stig

Nice video that came to my attention in the media, Ben Collins (aka the ex-Stig) driving the new Nissan Leaf. Funny to see the man from Top Gear talk so enthusiasticly on an electric vehicle.

A totally video in his Stig days with another electric vehicle; the Tesla: