News
Renault shows off the Kangoo Be Bop Z. E. in three new videos
If you count yourself as a fan of the shortened Kangoo that will become the be bod Z.E., Renault's first widely available electric vehicle, this post is for you.
Future for plug-in cars linked to electric utilities
Under pressure to deliver sharply higher fuel economy in coming years, U.S. automakers are deepening ties with electric utilities as rechargeable cars move from the drawing board and head toward the dealership.
E.P.A. Allows California Emissions Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency has granted California’s long-sought request to tighten tailpipe emission regulations, a key step in the Obama administration’s plan to make cars across the nation more fuel-efficient.
Fed loan will help Nissan build battery plant in Tenn.
A big chunk of the $1.6 billion loan that Nissan North America received from the U.S. government will pay for a lithium ion battery plant.
Renault to offer test drives in Be Bop Z.E. electric vehicle
Renault is planning to release its first production electric vehicles in early 2011, but drivers around Europe will soon get a chance to try out electric "motoring" with the be bop Z.E. Come 2011, production electric versions of the Kangoo and the Megane will go on sale in Europe and Israel (as part of the Better Place program). Renault is also planning an electric city car and a variant of Nissan's dedicated EV for 2012.
What the Energy Bill Really Means for CO2 Emissions
With a razor-thin margin of just seven votes, the House of Representatives on Friday evening passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act — the first bill to put a fixed and declining cap on U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions.
Ford, Nissan Among First to Tap Loans for Retooling
The Obama administration is expected to disclose that Ford Motor Co., Tesla Motors Inc. and Nissan Motor Co. will be among the first beneficiaries of a $25 billion loan program created by Congress to help auto makers retool their factories to produce advanced-technology vehicles.
Nissan Focuses on Electric Cars
Nissan Motor Co. said it aims to produce more than 100,000 electric cars per year in the U.S. by 2012, part of the auto maker's plan to mass-market a lineup of zero-emission vehicles world-wide in coming years.
Renault’s EV Features A Swappable Battery
The car, which is based on the Megane sedan (pictured) and called the Fluence, will place the battery behind the rear seat. An opening under the car will allow the Better Place swap station to remove and replace the battery in about the time it takes to fill a car with gasoline. We’ll see the car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, according to Israel’s Globes Online.
Automakers are busy designing electric cars, but who’s making the batteries?
California-based company Better Place has developed a battery-switching technology that could overcome a key obstacle to the adoption of electric cars -- their reliance on frequent, long stops for recharging.