At the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, South Korean automaker CT&T unveiled two new electric vehicles on Tuesday, both which are scheduled to go into production in the second quarter of this year.

While the vehicles are not approved for regular roadway driving in the States, and are classified as low-speed vehicles (LSV) by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they offer a variety of advantages, such as energy-efficiency, less pollution and a much quieter ride, unlike gasoline-powered vehicles.

While low-speed electrics have smaller, less-expensive batteries and can be good vehicles for specific uses, they are still costly to own, no thanks to the expense of the battery.

Curt Westlake, marketing director for CT&T, said at Tuesday’s unveiling:

“Until the battery technologies get to the point where batteries are affordable, full-speed electrics are going to be expensive.”

On Tuesday at the auto show, CT&T offered up a sharp looking, very light blue 2-seat roadster, known as the C Square. While Westlake wouldn’t talk price, he did reveal that the C Square has a top speed of 93 mph and can travel 155 miles on a single charge, getting its’ power from a lithium-polymer battery pack.  Joe White, the company’s chief operating officer in America, has stated publicly that the C Square will set you back roughly $50,000 - or less than half the price of the electric Tesla Roadster.  Click here for short video.

The second CT&T vehicle is the eZone Plus, a 2-seat car specifically designed for drivers to run about in larger cities downtown. The eZone Plus can reach speeds up to 45 mph with a range of 75 miles. Reps for CT&T say plans to design and build a 4-door version are in the works.

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Filed Under: Auto Shows, Eco Friendly, General, Korean Automakers, LSV, electric cars, electric vehicles, ev, golf carts, transportation

The Crayola colored Kandi COCO, an all electric, plug-in low speed vehicle that can be driven on streets with speed limits under 35 MPH, is receiving $4,435 in Federal tax credits, while the state of Oklahoma has kicked in an additional tax credit of 50% of the sales price, or $5,299. The Kandi COCO has a retail price of about $10,995, so if you buy one in Oklahoma before December 31, 2009, it can be yours for almost a steal – or about $865.00.

While you can’t drive it on the highway, and it doesn’t go over 45 miles per hour, it’s being compared to the smart fortwo in the states, which I find interesting since the only thing I can truly find comparable might be the size and the amount of time it takes to fully charge.  The COCO goes 40-60 miles on one charge and takes about 5-6 hours to fully charge using a 110 volt.   

There are some distinct advantageous though, as they’re no doubt great for people who own motor homes and want the flexibility of having a small car in tow. I think those who live in retirement communities might also find these little gems handy to scoot around in, too. They could probably be useful on college campuses, as well as film studios and practically anywhere transportation is needed in a smaller, less congested traffic area.

For less than the cost of a big screen TV, you can own a brand new set of wheels. Imagine a Kandi COCO under the Christmas tree this year – or not.

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Filed Under: Eco Friendly, General, LSV, electric cars, electric vehicles, ev, golf carts, smart, transportation

Calling all college students - Nissan wants you!

On Monday, Nissan announced the launch of the Nissan LEAF Zero Emissions Student Competition, which allows university and college students to express how the Nissan LEAF has inspired their outlook towards a zero-emissions future. 

Winners receive a $500 scholarship.

The contest kicks off at the University of Southern California campus, which is the first university stop on the Nissan LEAF Zero Emissions Tour.

Those interested in participating can visit Nissan’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/nissan) and click on the Green 2010 tab. One student from each of the participating universities will be selected as a winner based on the creativity, relevance to the theme and originality of their entry response. The winning students – which will be named at the end of the Nissan LEAF Zero Emissions Tour - will receive a $500 scholarship.

The nationwide tour, which began in Los Angeles, will make stops in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering the opportunity for everyone to learn more about Nissan LEAF and the benefits of zero-emission driving.

Tour details can be found at www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car.

The Nissan LEAF Zero Emissions Student Competition is open to all students attending one of the participating universities in the Nissan LEAF Zero Emissions Tour. For a list of participating universities, full contest details, rules and eligibility requirements please click on the Green 2010 tab on Nissan’s Facebook page. 

 More information on the Nissan LEAF and zero-emission mobility can be found at www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car and www.nissan-zeroemission.com.

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Filed Under: Autos, Eco Friendly, General, Green, Nissan Leaf, Zero Emissions, nissan, transportation

Fisker Automotive announced on Tuesday that it has selected the Wilmington Assembly plant in Wilmington Delaware to build plug-in hybrid cars. Fisker executives made the announcement inside the facility and were joined by Vice President Joe Biden, Delaware Governor Jack Markell when the announcement was made.

The plant will support Fisker Automotive’s Project NINA, the development and build of an affordable, family-oriented plug-in hybrid sedan costing about $39,900 after federal tax credits.

Production is scheduled to begin in late 2012. Fisker Automotive anticipates Project NINA will ultimately create or support 2,000 factory jobs and more than 3,000 vendor and supplier jobs by 2014, as production ramps up to full capacity of 75,000-100,000 vehicles per year. More than half will be exported, the largest percentage of any domestic manufacturer.

Fisker Automotive has signed a letter of intent with Motors Liquidation Co. (MLC), formerly known as General Motors Corporation, to purchase the Wilmington plant for $18 million after a four month  evaluation period.  An additional $175 million will be spent to refurbish and retool the factory over the next three years with funding coming from the conditional loan of $528.7M, which the Department of Energy awarded the company in September.

The company’s first car, the Fisker Karma, will be the world’s first production plug-in hybrid when it goes on sale this summer at retailers in the United States and Europe.

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Filed Under: Autos, Eco Friendly, Fisker Karma, General, electric cars, electric vehicles

Have you ever visited one of those gas stations that have TV shows playing in the pump?  Many of them are based off of the Gas Station TV program and now Toyota USA is teaming up with Gas Station TV to offer consumer-generated TV events for the Prius Neighborhood show.

“It is easy for people to submit their local event details for potential airing on Gas Station TV. The Prius Neighborhood daily segments direct people to http://event.gstv.com/. Once the local event information is submitted to the Web site, it is reviewed and built into the local events listing rotation at the pump and becomes searchable by zip code on the web site.”  Source: PR Newswire

Obviously, we live in the age of social media and events will not only be broadcast on Gas Station TV but also posted to the @GSTVevents Twitter page.  Additionally, you will be able to become a fan of Prius Neighborhood on Facebook.

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Filed Under: Eco Friendly, toyota

Many green motoring enthusiasts use public transportation to help reduce their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions so I like to report about eco-friendly mass transit items from time-to-time. Mercedes-Benz has just announced that their new Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid city busy will begin service in June.

“An exceptional feature of the Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid is its outstanding environmental friendliness in normal operations. The bus emits absolutely no pollutants while in motion, and is also virtually silent. This makes it particularly ideal for use in highly congested inner cities and metropolitan areas. The Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid is thus the next logical step on the path to zero-emission public transport, which Daimler had already announced it would take, and it will thus play a major role in future mobility systems.” (Source: Daimler)

The busy will make its debut in early June at the UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition in Vienna, Austria.

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Filed Under: Eco Friendly, Europe

News on upcoming electric vehicle initiatives is not just limited to the United States, Europe and Japan; Australia is jumping on the map with a planned electric vehicle network. Better Place, a United States-based company, is collaborating with AGL (an Australian power company) and Macquarie Capital to raise AUD $1 billion for an electric vehicle network.

This new partnership has its eyes on building EV networks in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane; the power for these networks will come from a renewable energy source via AGL.

“Under the plan, the three cities will each have a network of between 200,000 and 250,000 charge stations by 2012 where drivers can plug in and power up their electric cars. The points would probably be at homes and businesses, car parks and shopping centres….

In addition, 150 switch stations will be built in each city and on major freeways, where electric batteries can be automatically replaced in drive-in stations similar to a car wash.” (Source: AFP)

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Filed Under: Australia, Eco Friendly, electric vehicles

Although Subaru does not currently have a hybrid vehicle available for purchase in the United States, they are committed to providing an environmentally-friendly auto making process as well as working on several different hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

In discussing Subaru’s green-friendly focus, Chairman, President and CEO of Subaru of America, Inc Kunio Ishigami says “Subaru always has been and will continue to be committed to safeguarding the natural environment that so many of our customers avidly enjoy. We will continue to make … [environmental] technologies a priority in our product development, manufacturing and business process.”

The Subaru Clean Plant
Subaru’s dedication to thinking green starts with the Lafayette, Indiana manufacturing plant.  This location was the first of its kind in the auto industry to be declared a zero landfill plant.  Everything used in the manufacturing process is reused and/or recycled.  The plant has received numerous awards and designations over the last three years.

Subaru Smartway Vehicles
Subaru has several models that qualify as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) as well as meet the state of California’s Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (SULEV) regulations.  Certain models of the Legacy, Outback and Forester can be purchased as a PZEV.  These three models have also been listed in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Vehicle Guide.

Subaru B5-TPH
Although Subaru does not currently have a hybrid on the market, they are making strides to have one available in the next few years.  The Subaru B5-TPH is a concept car that will be a gasoline/electric hybrid as well as a crossover between a sport wagon and an SUV.    The all-wheel drive concept will utilize Turbo Parallel Hybrid (TPH) that runs a 2.0 liter, four-cylinder engine.  The model is expected to seat four and will use a manganese lithium-ion battery pack.

Subaru/Toyota Alliance
Toyota is unquestionably the leader in the hybrid car market.  Subaru has created an alliance with Toyota to help develop their first market-ready hybrid car.  Although there are no specifics available yet, according to a report on Motor Authority, “Subaru is not afraid of Toyota’s influence - the company will remain a separate entity with its own design style and its own products. But that’s not to say that the two companies won’t be sharing technologies and resources.”

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Filed Under: Eco Friendly

If you’re a Green Motorist and are going out-of-town on vacation or business, do not despair.  You can still do your part and rent a hybrid or high fuel efficiency car.  Most of the major national rental car companies as well as many regional brands offer hybrid rentals in some of the larger markets.  The rental car companies have seen the increased demand for hybrids and have added these green cars to their rental fleet. 

The Hertz Green Collection

In a magnificent branding move, Hertz offers the Toyota Prius as part of the Hertz Green Collection.  Although the Prius is only available in a select few markets, Hertz has also added several high fuel-efficiency vehicles to its Green Collection.

Enviro-friendly travelers seeking to rent a car in a non-Prius Hertz area are invited to try the Ford Fusion or the Corolla or Camry by Toyota.  These three vehicles offer a spacious yet fuel-efficient car for the more conscientious traveler.

Budget’s Trio of Hybrids

Budget Rental Car offers the popular Toyota Prius as well as the Nissan Altima Hybrid in some of their markets.  These hybrids offer drivers up to 60 mpg plus the benefit of reduced fuel emissions.  Although the fees are a bit higher than a comparable non-hybrid, the increased cost is not cost-prohibitive.

Budget currently has the highest availability of hybrids with a Toyota Prius or a Nissan Altima available in 47 different states.  To find out if Budget offers hybrid rentals in your area, check out the Budget U.S. Hybrid Locations page.

Avis’ Hybrid Rentals

Continuing the trend towards the Prius hybrid, Avis also offers its customers the ability to rent a Prius hybrid.  The Prius is considered a compact hybrid and thus a bit small for families traveling so Avis has expanded its hybrid fleet to include the full-sized Nissan Altima hybrid sedan. 

The Altima is currently only available to renters in certain California markets.  The Prius can be rented in parts of California, Portland, Seattle, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia and New York City. 

As the nation’s demand for hybrid options increases, rental car companies will be answering.  More rental car companies will offer hybrid choices in more locations throughout the United States.

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Filed Under: Eco Friendly, Fuel Efficient, nissan, toyota

Think City has dubbed their EV, the urban electric car. This small and sporty little ride is fast (speeds up to 65 MPH), nice looking, long lasting (110 mile range while fully charged), and fuel efficient. Check out the standard (and optional) specs below on this car which originated with Ford, and then was sold off to the Norwegians. Currently in development, the Think City electric car, is slated to be available in the US in 2009. Also stop on by Gas 2.0 and check out the comments section of the post written on the Think City, in which commenters raise good questions.

Standard Equipment on The Think City

• 2 front airbags
• Disable key for passenger airbag
• ABS brakes
• Regenerative brakes
• Power steering
• Central locking
• 4kW electric heater
• Electric windows and mirrors
• 2 loudspeakers and aerial
• Mind Box (to be introduced during 2008)

Optional Equipment On The Think City

• Air conditioning
• Pre-heat timer
• Electrically heated windscreen
• Full length sunroof
• Radio CD
• Radio with MP3
• Radio CD with MP3, USB, Bluetooth
• Navigation & Multimedia System
• Winter tires
• Alloy wheels - set of 4
• Steel wheels - set of 4
• Roof rack
• 2 + 2 children seats (including 3-point seat belts)

The Think City electric car is set to debut in the US in 2009, with a retail price of under $25,000. What comments do the Think City EV spark in you? Share them below.

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Filed Under: Autos, Eco Friendly, Think City, electric cars, electric vehicles, ev