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

Zero Motorcycles recently announced that its all-electric Zero S will be on display during this year’s WIRED Store in New York City from November 21 through December 27.

This is WIRED magazine’s fifth annual holiday store, which features all the latest cutting-edge products.

A Zero S will be featured in a special green section curated by Entourage star Adrian Grenier and Peter Glatzer of SHFT.COM.

The Zero S, which was developed to be aggressive in urban environments, integrates revolutionary technology with innovative motorcycle design. Instant acceleration and a lightweight design combine to form a power-to-weight ratio that increases the motorcycle’s range and handling abilities.

Those interested in going for a demo ride on a Zero S in New York can schedule it using Zero’s website at http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/locator/.

The WIRED Store is located at 415 West 13th Street between 9th Avenue and Washington Street in Manhattan’s Meatpacking/Highline District.

Hours are from 12pm to 9pm Wednesday through Sunday, and closed Monday and Tuesday.

You can also visit the WIRED Store on line by visiting http://www.wired.com/wiredstore.

For more information on Zero Motorcycles, visit http://www.zeromotorcycles.com.

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Filed Under: Motorcycles, electric vehicles

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

Lucky consumers in New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles have been participating in the MINI E pilot project for two months now. 450 private customers as well as employees from municipalities, colleges, utility companies, non-profits, and commercial organizations have been testing the vehicle and MINI USA has just released feedback from these trial participants.

“The feedback and data provided by these early users is valuable because it comes from real-world, everyday use and not some laboratory experiment,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. “Whether it’s coming from the UC Davis research, consumer blog sites or from direct feedback to our company, this trial is giving us an important insight into the practicalities of using an electric powered vehicle in this country.” (Source: PR Newswire)

Each of the MINI E trial participants has a charging station installed in their garage. Charging times range from three to five hours on the 220-volt 32-amp system of two to three hours with the 48-amp system.

The MINI E’s claims of a 100-mile range per charge are holding up in the trial. One focused driver managed to eek out 141.2 miles on a charge, but as with anything related to driving ranges, your mileage may vary!

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Filed Under: electric vehicles

Fans of the Chevy Volt know that GM has been pushing to break the 100mpg barrier. General Motors wants a 100+ mpg official EPA rating on its $40k+ Chevy Volt. The latest news from GM, who is emerging from bankruptcy, is that the Volt has achieved 230mpg in a city setting.

This figure is a bit different from the fuel efficiency rating used with non-electric vehicles. The EPA has created a new set of fuel efficiency guidelines (in draft form) that is specific to extended range electric vehicles like the Volt.

“The EPA guidelines, developed with guidance from automakers, figure that cars like the Volt will travel more on straight electricity in the city than on the highway. If a person drives the Volt less than 40 miles, in theory they could go without using gasoline.” Source: MSNBC

The EPA has not confirmed this 230mpg claim and it will be some time before the official EPA ratings are released. Although it would be great to see the first commercially mass-produced 100+ mpg vehicle on the market, I still question how well the Volt is going to sell. The $40k+ price tag is prohibitive for many American consumers. Additionally, reports are that GM will be selling the vehicle at a loss, even with this luxury vehicle level price.

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Filed Under: chevy, electric vehicles

I’ve written about the prospect that 2010 will be the year of the electric car. Now that 2010 is nearing, one major automaker has announced its plans to bring a full electric vehicle to the market next year. Nissan is planning to release the LEAF in Japan, the United States, and Europe. This is great news as most of the EV or highly fuel-efficient vehicles end up with a Japanese-only launch. Nissan is spreading the love and allowing those of us in the States to get behind the wheel of an affordable EV next year.

Affordable is an important part of the Nissan LEAF. The Chevy Volt has a large following but with an expected price tag of $40,000 +, it is out of the price range of many Americans, especially given the current economy.

Key characteristics of the LEAF include:

1) Zero-emission power train and platform
2) Affordable pricing
3) Distinctive design
4) Real-world range autonomy - 160km (100 miles)
5) Connected Mobility: Advanced intelligent transportation (IT) system

The vehicle is a mid-sized hatchback that will seat five adults. Sounds like the Prius is going to have another competitor. Prior to the release of the Honda Insight, media had dubbed the vehicle the Prius-killer. As the June 2009 and July 2009 auto sales figures show, the Insight definitely didn’t kill the Prius.

However, the LEAF is an electric vehicle and not a hybrid. It has zero emissions…it will be able to drive 100 miles…it may end up being the real Prius-killer. Time will tell.

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Filed Under: electric vehicles, nissan

Zipcar provides car-sharing services in cities across the United States and the United Kingdom. Additionally, the company operates on more than 100 university campuses across the nation. The company has recently announced plans to launch electric vehicle pods.

“While EVs are showing great promise, and increased manufacturing capacity is projected in the coming years, large-scale consumer adoption appears to be limited by two key concerns — the lack of widespread availability of charging stations and limited battery range. These two issues may curb the allure of EVs to the mainstream consumer audience for some time. However, with an average trip-duration of just under four hours and less than 25 miles, more than 95 percent of Zipcar trips would fall within the range of an EV, meaning EVs are ideally suited for early, large-scale use in Zipcar’s car sharing platform.” Source: PR Newswire

The EV pods will be using the Citroen c1 (a French vehicle) and a plug-in version of the popular Toyota Prius Hybrid. For more information, or to locate a Zipcar pod in your area, visit Zipcar.com.

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Filed Under: electric vehicles

Right now, conditions are prime for new automakers to enter the market. Admittedly, that statement sounds a bit odd as Chrysler and GM are in bankruptcy and automotive sales are down across the board. However, these new automakers are coming in to the industry without legacy costs and with products that the market needs. One new automaker is Coda, which has spawn off from Miles Electric Vehicles.

“The Hafei chassis rides on a 102.2-inch wheelbase with a 175-inch overall length. The sedan seats five adults in a pinch. The company says the sedan will have a real-world range of 90 to 120 miles, with a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of less than 11 seconds. The car is governed to a top speed of 80 mph.” Source: Automotive News

The vehicle will come with an expected $45,000 price tag but will likely be eligible for significant federal and state tax credits. If you don’t live in California, though, you won’t be in the market for the new Coda EV as the initial launch will be limited to California.

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Filed Under: electric vehicles

The UK power grid is prepared for the expected surge in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Several companies are testing plug-in hybrids in the area including smart and MINI. The positive news about the British power grid comes after a research study by Ricardo UK Ltd, Jaguar-Land Rover, E.ON and Amberjac Project.

“The study marks completion of the first stage of the REHEV project and has focused on a range of vehicle charging scenarios and levels of market penetration in order to predict the likely increase in national energy usage. Four vehicle fleet charging scenarios were simulated, comprising uncontrolled domestic charging, uncontrolled off-peak domestic charging, ’smart’ domestic charging and uncontrolled public charging throughout the day - for example, by commuters who recharge their vehicles while at work. Charging was assumed to be single phase AC as this is the most likely near-term solution, but the study also considered fast charging scenarios as for a large number of vehicles the energy demanded over a time period is likely to be the same and distributed evenly.” (Source: PR Newswire)

The State of California is also preparing for the likely surge in the next few years. For more on that state’s readiness, read California Prepares for Plug-Ins.

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Filed Under: electric cars, electric vehicles