As far as official info goes, it is anyone’s guess, but anonymous sources have said Henrik Fisker is working with Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li in one of two potential bids to keep Fisker Automotive’s name alive. Henrik Fisker abruptly left the company he co-founded six years ago i...
Porsche’s plug-in 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid sedan can go from 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds, has a top speed of 167 mph, all-electric speed of 135 mph, and does an honest-to-goodness 54 mpg when it has to. This was the average returned by 42 auto journalists who sampled the car on a 28.7 km ...
Since 1999, ultra-lightweight design has been playing a central role with Audi’s Le Mans prototypes (LMP). Audi said that materials, such as CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), harbor major potential for optimizing weight. “In the space of 15 years, we’ve also achieved major progr...
After two years of on-the-ground testing the Ricardo-engineered Fuel-Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) has proven to be as good as the simulation models projected. The analysis released May 23 proves that when compared to the US military’s regularly outfitted M1151 HMMWV, th...
ECOtality, Inc. has announced the summer launch of Blink HQ, its new family of electric vehicle (EV) charging products for the home. The Blink HQ suite of products is adding two new programmable Level 2 home chargers to consumers’ charging options; the first to launch is a 30-Amp home...
ChargePoint and National Grid unveiled May 22 the first of what will be many electric vehicle charging stations funded through a $1 million award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The ChargePoint EV charging station, which can charge two cars...
China has been pushing the production and adoption of electric vehicles and is set to continue doing so. By 2012, 25 pilot cities had promoted 27,432 new energy vehicles totally within two years after the subsidy policy was implemented, including 23,032 ones used in public services an...
The Nissan Leaf has won the Environment Award at the 2013 Fleet World Honours awards at a ceremony held at The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall. The Leaf fended off competition from rival electric and hybrid manufacturers to win one of the most significant UK fleet awards. The Fleet W...
Among these are the question whether Tesla has become a darling of the public and media and is getting off easy while garnering lots of free publicity. Or, are state and national level auto dealer associations trying to strong-arm poor aspiring Tesla and its ideals intended to better ...
Improvements in lithium ion (Li-ion) battery technology are helping to accelerate the worldwide market for electric vehicles (EVs). In the last few years, most automakers have shifted from nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries to Li-ion batteries. This shift represents a major endorse...
The editors of Kelley Blue Book selected the 2013 Prius v and the 2013 Avalon for their list of 10 Best Family Cars. The list is compiled annually by KBB.com editors to highlight vehicles that address unique family specifications and situations, and offer innovation. “Our annual list ...
General Motors launched its “moon shot” Chevrolet Volt in December 2010, has made greater or lesser year–over-year improvements to essentially the same product, and the 2014 model will be more of the same. This was indicated when GM announced two new colors for 2014 – Ashen Gray Metal...
Volvo’s V60 Plug-in Hybrid, the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid, is proving successful sales-wise. Volvo Car Group (Volvo) is now ramping up production by 90 percent. It is doing so earlier than anticipated to keep up with the demand. The increased demand, especially in Holland, B...
Mercedes-Benz is on the eve of launching a new generation of its new flagship sedan, the S-Class, and has announced this new generation will be available in different hybrid versions. As with every generation before it, customers expect the new S-Class to set standards across the boar...
Elon Musk who has already committed to personally to guaranty resale values for Model S buyers is again putting his money where his mouth is. The maverick CEO and Tesla co-founder intends to purchase $100 million worth of common stock announced as being made available for public sale ...
Backed by Warren Buffett, BYD is short for “Build Your Dreams,” but the Chinese electric car maker has dreams of its own, such as dominating the world, or at least local markets. Previously the company has projected it will become “China’s No. 1 automaker by 2015 and the world’s leadi...
The Ford Fiesta was Europe’s best-selling small car in March and for the first three months of 2013, according to the latest figures from JATO Dynamics. European customers bought Fiestas at a rate of one every 100 seconds during the first quarter for 2013 – 41,600 in March, and 77,800...
As Nissan seeks to get the word out that EVs can make sense now, it is expanding its quick charger network in a shared initiative with Car Charging Group, Inc. The initial goal will be to deploy 48 super-quick, high-voltage DC chargers in California and strategic places on the East Co...
Auto West BMW was awarded “The Most Sustainable BMW Dealership in the World” title at this year’s prestigious BMW Sales Excellence Award Ceremony, held at the iconic BMW Museum in Munich, Germany. This highly esteemed award recognizes dealerships worldwide who are paving the way for a...
Dana Holding Corporation announced that it has recently received two grants totaling $3 million from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to develop technology to improve thermal management systems for battery systems in electric, plug-in hybrid-electric, and hybrid-electric vehicles. “Th...
General Motors has posted a video showing yet another potential advantage offered by the pending 2013 Chevrolet Cruze turbo diesel over the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. At least that’s the hope, because the competitive advantages appear to possibly be mixed with disadvantages as well, such a...
A 2010 Honda CR-Z has hit the landmark of clocking up 100,000 miles in just three years. The car is part of a UK-based ten-strong fleet made up purely of Honda hybrids, also including Jazz and Insight models, which has racked up an amazing half a million miles since 2010. The fleet is...
The new 2013 Honda Civic Sedan has received the highest possible overall safety ratings from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This is good news for a car that is known to be one of the most popular s...
Although it’s true automakers have improved average miles delivered per gallon to meet government fuel economy mandates here and around the world, between 1980 and 2006, efficiency for U.S. market vehicles increased only around 15 percent. Not so great you say? Perhaps, but while thos...
Fisker’s debacle is making a lot of noise both in automotive and in financial circles. After weeks of analysis by PrivCo’s staff of attorneys, accountants and financial analysts, PrivCo released yesterday its timeline detailing Fisker Automotive’s “Road To Ruin,” supplemented by never...
There are several types of hybrid systems and one receiving much behind-the-scenes attention by automakers and top-tier suppliers that’s projected to begin proliferating en masse within a few years is the “micro hybrid” system. This is a cost-effective means of electrification that au...
Yesterday Bosch Automotive Service Solutions introduced Power Max, the automotive industry’s first Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station with a price point of less than $450. According to Bosch, the Power Max will retail for roughly half the cost of current EV charging stations, offe...
Consumer Reports just-released Model S road test says it may be the best car it has ever tested, but the publication cannot recommend it. While the review gushes with praise for the car that “takes everything you know about cars and stands it on its head,” keeping to a tradition of co...
At the 34th International Vienna Engine Symposium, the international automotive supplier Continental presented future “clean power” solutions that it will be offering between now and 2020, aimed at making vehicles more efficient and environmentally friendly while also offering strong ...
Tesla has hired Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer of Vehicle Engineering, Chris Porritt, to be its Vice President of Vehicle Engineering. Tesla said Chris is a world-class leader and automotive engineer who established Aston Martin’s Vehicle Engineering team from the ground up and used hi...
