Smart car goes electric

100 Smart Fortwo Electric Drives are being leased to people in London and the west Midlands, part of a larger government scheme that will see 340 electric vehicles loaned out and data on their usage collected.

Read and see more here.
With thanks to Peter F.

Nissan's new Leaf sells out in US, Japan: Ghosn

The first year of production of Nissan's new electric car Leaf has been sold out, the head of the Japanese automaker, Carlos Ghosn, said Tuesday.
"We have 13,000 orders in the US and 6,000 orders in Japan," Ghosn said at a news conference in Detroit, the US auto industry capital.
Ghosn said that all of the US orders had come from individuals and not from government entities, whereas some orders in Japan were for municipal fleets.
"I don't think we're going to have a problem marketing and selling these cars for the first two or three years," the Nissan president and chief executive said, adding that tax incentives had made the car very popular in California.
The Leaf -- an acronym for Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family -- is billed by Nissan as the world's first mass-produced electric vehicle with zero emissions.
The first deliveries are set in December in the United States and Japan.
The car, which has a top speed of more than 90 miles (140 kilometers) per hour and is powered by a lithium battery, will go on sale in Portugal and the Netherlands in December, and in Britain and Ireland in February 2011.
Read full story here.

Miles ahead

My sister in Seattle spotted her neighbour taking delivery of one of these:
Miles ZX40S
From their website: "At Miles Electric Vehicles, we believe in the power of positive change and are working to make a sustainable difference that will benefit the environment today and for generations to come.
Not only are our zero emissions all electric, low speed vehicles ideally suited for fleet and neighborhood driving, but they also set the category standard for safety, comfort, quality and value. For the average commuter, MILES is developing a highway speed model, the MILES XS500, which will meet most daily transportation needs while preventing CO2 emissions."

What is this car?

The picture on the left accompanied a story "Behind the wheel of the plucky Think City electric car" on the CTV website. The article describe the Think City electric car as a two-seater. Why then four doors?
The photo on the right is a Think City car from the Norwegian manufacturer's official website. Sure don't look like the same car to me. Question is, what is the car on the left?

2010 New York Preview: Are GM’s EN-V concepts the future or folly?

Toronto Star - John LeBlanc
As a follow up to last year’s two-seat Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility concept developed with Segway, Government Motors brought to last year’s New York auto show, the U.S. automaker has released details of a trio of new Electric Networked-Vehicles (EN-V) concepts for this year’s Big Apple show media days, scheduled for next week.
This time around, GM teamed with its Chinese manufacturing partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), for its trio of show cars.
GM says “they represent three different characteristics that emphasize the enjoyable nature of future transportation: Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh).”
In addition to being shown in New York next week, the concepts will be showcased from May 1 through October 31 at the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.
The EN-V concepts, two-seat electric vehicles—that weigh less than 500 kg and about 1.5 metres in length—were designed to “alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow's cities.”
GM’s press release ominously predicts that “by 2030, urban areas will be home to more than 60 percent of the world's 8 billion people.”
GM’s Blade Runner-like projections aside, do you think the automaker, using our tax dollars, should be playing around with cars that won’t see the light of day for 20 years, if ever?
Or should GM stick to trying to make more competitive Chevys and Cadillacs?

Electric two-seaters are traffic beaters

By Michael Bettencourt - Globe and Mail

Almost invisible among all the flashy hybrid supercar concepts at this year's Geneva auto show was the Smera, a super-skinny electric car from French start-up Lumeneo that underscored a growing presence of such tandem two-seaters at major auto shows this year.
The Smera looks like a Smart given a giant squeeze from both sides - the passenger sits behind the driver, leaving a vehicle that's just a touch wider than a typical front seat.
The idea behind it is also an extension of the Smart's vision - that most cars typically carry only one person at a time, and therefore are much larger than they need to be for commuting.

Read full article here.

Russia’s richest oligarch wants to launch a city car

So you own the New Jersey Nets and you have a few billion in assets. And you’re Russian. What do you do next?
You start a line of $12,000 city cars designed to look sort of like the Smart car but more Slavic. The oligarch, Mikhail Prokhorov, is investing $141 million in the Yarovit Motors plant and will create a hybrid or electric vehicle.
From the images it seems you’ll be able to dock your phone into the car and use it as a read-out, something decidedly futuristic. However, considering the success thus far of Russian-made vehicles (the Lada comes to mind) I’d be worried about the generally salability of these things.
View Source: Crunch Gear

Driving home in a future winner?

Less wheels,less size and gasoline free – at least somebody is thinking outside the box

By Mark Richardson

Is this the future of personal transportation?
The Triac electric commuter, seen here at the Detroit auto show, is the brainchild of Mike Ryan, president of California-based Green Vehicles, a two-year-old company with 15 staff so far.
It's a three-wheeler, which classifies it as a motorcycle and so gives it automatic access to almost every High Occupancy Vehicle lane. So it's a speedy commuter.
(I say "almost" because the Ontario Ministry of Transportation refuses to accept its mistake and still prohibits motorcycles with a single rider in the HOV lanes. I believe it's the only jurisdiction in the entire world to be so dumb.)
Being officially a motorcycle also means that there's no crash testing needed, which saves Green Vehicles a pile of start-up cash.
But because the driver is completely enclosed, the West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington don't require its operators to wear a crash helmet or even have a motorcycle licence. After all, it has a steering wheel and pedals for the power and brakes.
Ryan wasn't sure about laws in the other states, or Canada.
The two-seater, $25,000 Triac can travel at up to 130 km/h for up to 160 km on a five-hour charge.
There are four on the road now and 16 more spoken for. Ryan wants to make 1,000 a year. Don't look for them in Canada anytime soon.
Source: http://www.wheels.ca/

iPhone fizzles at Toronto Autoshow

To Toronto Autoshow where a girl on the smart stand has been hired to take competition entries on an iPhone. After two failed attempts she gives up. We can enter the competition via the web at home, but the system fails to take our entry. We'd like to win the smart car, a prize celebrating the tenth anniversary of the car, but our chances are slim it seems.
The show is generally very quiet on the Thursday, particularly in the Skydome, and experienced stand staff point to reduced attendance and less "buzz" compared to previous years. Every manufacturer is trying to adopt a green pose but with little real justification. For example the Saturn Astra needs a diesel option, like its European counterpart. Hybrids and EVs were everywhere, but you have to wonder about the potential market for these cars. The third-generation Toyota Prius was on show with a Pontiac Aztec like rear-end. I've yet to be convinced that the Prius has ever turned a profit. An example of the electric car trend is the Mitsubishi MiEV shown below.

Words and pics by RLT.

Nissan Nuvu

ROLLE, Switzerland (Sept. 9, 2008) - A world premiere of a futuristic concept car and of an all-new production car, as well as a heavily revised version of an existing model will be the stars of Nissan's 2008 Paris Motor Show.
All the stars of the show share a philosophy of tackling the reality of mobility in and around the city, today, tomorrow and in the more distant future.
Nissan's vision for the future of urban transportation is encapsulated in Nuvu, literally a 'new view' of the type of car we will be driving in the middle of the next decade. Compact - it's just 3 meters long - Nuvu is a concept vehicle with unique 2+1 seating. It is aimed at urban dwellers who don't want to compromise on their personal freedom or their comfort, yet who appreciate that there is a need for a dramatic change in the way we move around our cities.
Nuvu is an electric vehicle, is agile, easy to drive and even easier to park. Nissan has already announced plans to introduce an all-electric car in Japan and the US in 2010 and to mass-market it globally in 2012. Nuvu is not that car, though it does share some of the technology that will feature in the planned production vehicle.
Nuvu incorporates a witty representation of Nissan's green credentials: across its all-glass roof are a dozen or so small solar panels. Shaped like leaves on a branch, the power they generate is fed to the battery using a 'tree trunk' within the car as a conduit. Nuvu also uses natural, organic and recycled materials within the cabin.
Nuvu is compact on the outside yet roomy on the inside. Built on a unique platform, it sits on a wheelbase of 1980 mm but is 1700 mm wide and 1550 mm tall to create a large and airy cabin.
Read more here.

Electric vehicles spark at Paris car show

PARIS (AFP) — Carmarkers rolled out a slew of electric models at the Paris motor show Friday, with a view to filling dealer showrooms by 2012 when new European legislation on curbing emissions kicks in.
About a third of the new models presented at the show are "clean cars" that use "a little or a lot of electricity," said Francois Roudier of the French carmakers' group CCFA.
Big names like Germany's Daimler and lesser known entities such as France's Heuliez have shown all-electric models here, hoping to cash in on both the new regulations and consumer fears over soaring oil prices.
Some are still prototypes, like Renault's ZE Concept, which the company describes as a "socially-responsible vehicle," while others are already well into the test phase, like Daimler's Smart car, which is currently being trialed in a rental scheme for companies in London.
Carmakers are in a rush to get their models onto the market before new European Union legislation kicks in in 2012.
Read full story here.

Smart Fortwo ED: It’s a total shock – I love it

To her surprise,Vicki Butler-Henderson gets a huge buzz from the new Smart
I’ve never been a fan of the Smart car, not least because it doesn’t like to be spelt with a capital S. I’ve been a snob about its short, stubby shape for a decade but I’ve just turned 180 degrees and am sold on this electric version – though just this version, I hasten to add.
At long last it’s okay to be seen driving a car that’s attached to a plug, and it’s so of-the-moment that it turns you a pleasant shade of green.
It makes perfect sense if you live in a town peppered with electric recharging posts and if you favour Prada over passengers (it’s got as much room inside as a tumble dryer).
Nobody in or out of the car would suspect that it lacks an internal combustion engine as you hoof it away from the lights, and up to 30mph it doesn’t let the side down.

Read full story here.

No oil required

Renault's new electric Megane unplugged in Israel. More in The Economist.

Car firm using wind for power

By Steve Larner

One of just half a dozen vertical axis wind turbines in the country has been installed at Mercedes- Benz UK in Milton Keynes. The 20 metre tall turbine is specially designed for urban spaces with its unique helical design and carbon fibre blades.
The electricity generated in one year will be enough to power an electric smart car for 30,000 miles – that translates into the same amount of electricity to power two average-size homes or boil water to make 50,000 cups of tea.
At its base will be three charging points for the electric smart or other electric vehicles.
Wilfried Steffen, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK, said the company was taking the lead by installing the energy saving technology.
"We hope to inspire other local companies to do whatever they can to reduce their carbon footprint," he said.
Read full article here.

Electric smart from NASCAR country

An electric smart from Hybrid Technologies in Mooresville, North Carolina is the prize in a contest at Sam's Club.

Brown Goes Green

UPS to Use ZAP Electric Car and Truck Fleet for Deliveries
PETALUMA, CA -- (November 13, 2007) -- It will be a green holiday this season for United Parcel Service (UPS), who rolled out a small parcel delivery service this week in Northern California using 42 electric cars and trucks from ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP).
UPS rolled out an electric car and truck fleet from ZAP this week to help with small parcel deliveries in dense urban communities. The move was made to reduce fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions.
The UPS branch in Petaluma, California has leased an initial fleet of 42 ZAP Xebra® electric city cars and trucks for their small parcel deliveries. This is the first time that UPS has used electric city-speed vehicles for this purpose.
Small parcel deliveries are becoming more challenging for the trademark big, brown UPS delivery vans, which is why UPS is using the electric city cars and trucks to handle small parcel deliveries. The ZAP vehicles lessen fuel consumption and reduce automotive emissions produced by current delivery vehicles. Drivers will be monitoring their electrical usage to carefully analyze cost-savings and emissions reductions.
Read full story here.

It’s Electric: the CityEl Trike

By Nick Kurczewski

Looking like a prop from a campy science fiction movie – where everyone wears pastel-colored jumpsuits, and every computer looks like an 8-track player mated to a Lite Brite – the CityEl city car somehow can’t help but make you smile. At the very least, it will cause most people to grab their camera and start snapping photos. It certainly had that effect on me when I happened upon one on the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Compared to many other European cities that face ever increasing traffic and congestion problems, the City of Copenhagen has recorded a measurable decrease in automobiles in the city center since 2003. Copenhagen prides itself for having safe, wide, and very well marked bicycle lanes. It seems to be one of the few cities where bicycle rental locations outnumber Starbucks. Copenhagen also boasts an extensive train, subway, and bus system.
In these green-thinking urban surroundings, it should come as no surprise to stumble upon a car like the CityEl. This three-wheeled, single-seat and electric-powered oddity began life in Denmark. Produced from 1989 to 1995, it was initially labeled the MiniEl. The car I came across happens to be from this original run of cars. Production has since moved to Kitzingen, Germany, where the outwardly identical CityEl is manufactured at a rate of 150-200 per year. In total, over 5,500 MiniEl and CityEl trikes have been sold since 1989.

Read full story here.

Hybrids and Small Cars Staging a Comeback

Toyota, Ford, DaimlerChrysler Hyundai Ante Up; Sour Grapes from GM

By Joe Benton ConsumerAffairs.Com April 5, 2007

Hybrids and other small cars are staging a renewed assault on America's shores as consumers come to the realization that high gas prices are here to stay.
New Toyota Priuses are jamming dealer lots as the Japanese automaker's supply catches up with demand but sales are inching up as well, along with the price of gas. Ford, meanwhile, is working on a plug-in hybrid as DaimlerChrysler looks farther down the road with the Smart ForTwo minicar and Hyundai pins its hopes on diesels.
And GM? Out of synch with just about everyone else, it's complaining about proposals to increase fuel mileage.
It's been a long time coming but hybrids and smaller cars are carving out a growing market share.
California and the Washington, D.C. are the two hottest Prius markets in the country and there are ample supplies of the little car available. Hundreds of the cars languish in Washington-area dealerships poised to take advantage of the next sudden rise in gasoline prices.

Read full story here.

Chinese electric car not so smart

Posted on December 17th, 2006 by John Pospisil
They say that intellectual property laws are getting better in China, but you have to wonder when you hear stories like this one. Shandong Huoyan Electromobile, a small Chinese car maker, has been forced to halt production of its City Spirit, a tiny two-seat electric car, after DaimlerChysler threatened to take legal action because the City Spirit looked too much like its Smart car.According to a report on Autoweek, Shandong Huoyan Electromobile used a toy model of the Smart to inspire the design of the City Spirit. The cars were exactly the same length and many components, such as the grill and rear window, looked identical.
While Smart is powered by a three-cylinder petrol or diesel engine, the City Spirit was powered by a electric motor. Price was an even bigger difference, with the City Spirit costing 4200 Euros in Europe, or about about half the price of the Smart car.
Read more here.

Forfour has new lease of life as a smarter hybrid

A British-built diesel-electric hybrid prototype has been shown to government ministers in London this week.
The Zytek demo vehicle, based on the Smart Forfour 1.5 CDI, meets the government's Ultra-Low Carbon Car Challenge, emitting just 85g/km of carbon dioxide, well under the ULCCC target of 100g/km, and with a combined fuel economy of around 88mpg.
Zytek has been supported by the Energy Savings Trust, part of a £5m government-funded initiative to develop low-carbon vehicles. The ULCCC criteria state that eligible cars must be production-feasible within eight years, and be priced at commercially-feasible levels, as well as retaining all the space, safety equipment and expected features of their 'normal' equivalents.
Read full article here.