Monday, November 30, 2009

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, LA Auto Show





At 6:30 pm PST (9:30 pm EST) this evening General Motors is hosting a panel discussion on the importance of consumer incentives in order to stimulate demand for plug-in vehicles. Andrew L. Shapiro, President & Founder of GreenOrder will be moderating the discussion that will discuss issues like HOV lane access for plug-in vehicles, tax incentives and public charging stations. The panel will consist of Andy Campbell, Senior Energy Advisor, California Public Utilities Commission, State Senator Leland Yee (SF 8th District, author of legislation for CA HOV lane access for plug-ins),

Mark Duvall, Electric Power Research Institute, and Brent Dewar, Vice President of Chevrolet. You can watch a live video webcast of the event after the jump.



[Source: Chevrolet]

Continue reading Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read more...

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, LA Auto Show





At 6:30 pm PST (9:30 pm EST) this evening General Motors is hosting a panel discussion on the importance of consumer incentives in order to stimulate demand for plug-in vehicles. Andrew L. Shapiro, President & Founder of GreenOrder will be moderating the discussion that will discuss issues like HOV lane access for plug-in vehicles, tax incentives and public charging stations. The panel will consist of Andy Campbell, Senior Energy Advisor, California Public Utilities Commission, State Senator Leland Yee (SF 8th District, author of legislation for CA HOV lane access for plug-ins),

Mark Duvall, Electric Power Research Institute, and Brent Dewar, Vice President of Chevrolet. You can watch a live video webcast of the event after the jump.



[Source: Chevrolet]

Continue reading Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, LA Auto Show





At 6:30 pm PST (9:30 pm EST) this evening General Motors is hosting a panel discussion on the importance of consumer incentives in order to stimulate demand for plug-in vehicles. Andrew L. Shapiro, President & Founder of GreenOrder will be moderating the discussion that will discuss issues like HOV lane access for plug-in vehicles, tax incentives and public charging stations. The panel will consist of Andy Campbell, Senior Energy Advisor, California Public Utilities Commission, State Senator Leland Yee (SF 8th District, author of legislation for CA HOV lane access for plug-ins),

Mark Duvall, Electric Power Research Institute, and Brent Dewar, Vice President of Chevrolet. You can watch a live video webcast of the event after the jump.



[Source: Chevrolet]

Continue reading Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, LA Auto Show





At 6:30 pm PST (9:30 pm EST) this evening General Motors is hosting a panel discussion on the importance of consumer incentives in order to stimulate demand for plug-in vehicles. Andrew L. Shapiro, President & Founder of GreenOrder will be moderating the discussion that will discuss issues like HOV lane access for plug-in vehicles, tax incentives and public charging stations. The panel will consist of Andy Campbell, Senior Energy Advisor, California Public Utilities Commission, State Senator Leland Yee (SF 8th District, author of legislation for CA HOV lane access for plug-ins),

Mark Duvall, Electric Power Research Institute, and Brent Dewar, Vice President of Chevrolet. You can watch a live video webcast of the event after the jump.



[Source: Chevrolet]

Continue reading Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST

Live Video: Plug-in ready panel discussion from Los Angeles 6:30pm PST originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal

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Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show


2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback - Click above for high-res image gallery



The Fiesta Movement, Ford's campaign to introduce the little global Fiesta car to the U.S. market, kicked off at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and will end this week during the LA Auto Show with, what else, a party. Oh, and the official unveiling of the 2011 North American version. We got a sneak peek of the Fiesta earlier today that it now seems was incorrect, based on these new pictures found buried on Ford's website.



The U.S.-style three-bar grille is thankfully not present in these official pics, though the hatch and sedan do wear different grilles (we like the hatch's version better, for what it's worth). The rest of the car remains as good-looking as the Euro-spec version ever did, and the interior will be a big draw for this car - along with solid MPG numbers, of course. For those of you who hoped Ford would bring the Fiesta over from Europe pretty much intact, it appears your wishes have been granted. We'll have all the details from LA right soon.







[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal

0 comments

Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show


2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback - Click above for high-res image gallery



The Fiesta Movement, Ford's campaign to introduce the little global Fiesta car to the U.S. market, kicked off at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and will end this week during the LA Auto Show with, what else, a party. Oh, and the official unveiling of the 2011 North American version. We got a sneak peek of the Fiesta earlier today that it now seems was incorrect, based on these new pictures found buried on Ford's website.



The U.S.-style three-bar grille is thankfully not present in these official pics, though the hatch and sedan do wear different grilles (we like the hatch's version better, for what it's worth). The rest of the car remains as good-looking as the Euro-spec version ever did, and the interior will be a big draw for this car - along with solid MPG numbers, of course. For those of you who hoped Ford would bring the Fiesta over from Europe pretty much intact, it appears your wishes have been granted. We'll have all the details from LA right soon.







[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal

0 comments

Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show


2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback - Click above for high-res image gallery



The Fiesta Movement, Ford's campaign to introduce the little global Fiesta car to the U.S. market, kicked off at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and will end this week during the LA Auto Show with, what else, a party. Oh, and the official unveiling of the 2011 North American version. We got a sneak peek of the Fiesta earlier today that it now seems was incorrect, based on these new pictures found buried on Ford's website.



The U.S.-style three-bar grille is thankfully not present in these official pics, though the hatch and sedan do wear different grilles (we like the hatch's version better, for what it's worth). The rest of the car remains as good-looking as the Euro-spec version ever did, and the interior will be a big draw for this car - along with solid MPG numbers, of course. For those of you who hoped Ford would bring the Fiesta over from Europe pretty much intact, it appears your wishes have been granted. We'll have all the details from LA right soon.







[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal

0 comments

Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show


2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback - Click above for high-res image gallery



The Fiesta Movement, Ford's campaign to introduce the little global Fiesta car to the U.S. market, kicked off at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and will end this week during the LA Auto Show with, what else, a party. Oh, and the official unveiling of the 2011 North American version. We got a sneak peek of the Fiesta earlier today that it now seems was incorrect, based on these new pictures found buried on Ford's website.



The U.S.-style three-bar grille is thankfully not present in these official pics, though the hatch and sedan do wear different grilles (we like the hatch's version better, for what it's worth). The rest of the car remains as good-looking as the Euro-spec version ever did, and the interior will be a big draw for this car - along with solid MPG numbers, of course. For those of you who hoped Ford would bring the Fiesta over from Europe pretty much intact, it appears your wishes have been granted. We'll have all the details from LA right soon.







[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal

0 comments

Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show


2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback - Click above for high-res image gallery



The Fiesta Movement, Ford's campaign to introduce the little global Fiesta car to the U.S. market, kicked off at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and will end this week during the LA Auto Show with, what else, a party. Oh, and the official unveiling of the 2011 North American version. We got a sneak peek of the Fiesta earlier today that it now seems was incorrect, based on these new pictures found buried on Ford's website.



The U.S.-style three-bar grille is thankfully not present in these official pics, though the hatch and sedan do wear different grilles (we like the hatch's version better, for what it's worth). The rest of the car remains as good-looking as the Euro-spec version ever did, and the interior will be a big draw for this car - along with solid MPG numbers, of course. For those of you who hoped Ford would bring the Fiesta over from Europe pretty much intact, it appears your wishes have been granted. We'll have all the details from LA right soon.







[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal

0 comments

Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show


2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback - Click above for high-res image gallery



The Fiesta Movement, Ford's campaign to introduce the little global Fiesta car to the U.S. market, kicked off at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and will end this week during the LA Auto Show with, what else, a party. Oh, and the official unveiling of the 2011 North American version. We got a sneak peek of the Fiesta earlier today that it now seems was incorrect, based on these new pictures found buried on Ford's website.



The U.S.-style three-bar grille is thankfully not present in these official pics, though the hatch and sedan do wear different grilles (we like the hatch's version better, for what it's worth). The rest of the car remains as good-looking as the Euro-spec version ever did, and the interior will be a big draw for this car - along with solid MPG numbers, of course. For those of you who hoped Ford would bring the Fiesta over from Europe pretty much intact, it appears your wishes have been granted. We'll have all the details from LA right soon.







[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal

0 comments

Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show


2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback - Click above for high-res image gallery



The Fiesta Movement, Ford's campaign to introduce the little global Fiesta car to the U.S. market, kicked off at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year and will end this week during the LA Auto Show with, what else, a party. Oh, and the official unveiling of the 2011 North American version. We got a sneak peek of the Fiesta earlier today that it now seems was incorrect, based on these new pictures found buried on Ford's website.



The U.S.-style three-bar grille is thankfully not present in these official pics, though the hatch and sedan do wear different grilles (we like the hatch's version better, for what it's worth). The rest of the car remains as good-looking as the Euro-spec version ever did, and the interior will be a big draw for this car - along with solid MPG numbers, of course. For those of you who hoped Ford would bring the Fiesta over from Europe pretty much intact, it appears your wishes have been granted. We'll have all the details from LA right soon.







[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Fiesta gets another early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias

0 comments

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, USA





Our sleuthing colleagues over at The Truth About Cars have dissected electric car maker Zap's latest 10-Q filing, and they unearthed the following little tidbit: "The decrease of $1.5 million (in revenue) is primarily due to the phase out of our three wheeled Xebra vehicle with reduced selling prices."



We can't say that we're particularly shocked that Zap has found it difficult to continue moving its little three-wheeled Xebra contraption, especially with discretionary spending money in such short supply these days and reasonably-priced hybrids flooding the used car market. Perhaps even more damning for Zap, though, is the admission that it is doing "less work on the development of the Alias prototype vehicle."



Whatever the future has in store for Zap in 2010 and beyond, one thing is for sure: there will be no shortage of press releases to let us all know what's (supposedly) going on behind closed doors.



[Source: TTAC]

Not-so-shocking admission: Zap kills Xebra, slows development of Alias originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read more...

Nissan expects to double battery energy capacity by 2015

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Nissan


2010 Nissan Leaf - Click above for high-res image gallery




If the ranges offered by the upcoming Nissan and Renault electric cars aren't as long as you'd like, you'll be pleased to learn they should double by 2015. Nissan is just about done developing an energy storage cell that has twice the capacity of their current batteries. Focusing their research efforts on the positive electrode, they have added cobalt and nickel to the manganese they already use which yields them a (breathe) lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode battery or, if you like, NMC for short. This would only be marginally good news if the cost of the new power pack also doubled but we're assured that this is not the case. The manufacturing process is quite similar and the expensive cobalt is used quite sparingly so the outlay should be close to that of their current chemistry. This all fits in with Nissan's electric vehicle introduction strategy.



Nissan isn't the only company developing NMC either. Other battery-makers working with the same materials are said to include Panasonic, Sanyo, Hitachi, GS Yuasa, Samsung, EnerDel, Kokam, Evonik/Litarion, Enax, and Imara. With such a dramatic increase only a few short years away, we can't help but wonder how this may effect attitudes towards battery leasing models in the near term. Relieve our curiosity with your comments after the break.









[Source: Green Car Congress]

Nissan expects to double battery energy capacity by 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: 2011 Chevrolet Volt charges toward production

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, AutoblogGreen Exclusive


2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery



Three years ago this December we first walked into a Manhattan conference room for a background briefing on a new concept being developed by General Motors for the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. Earlier that year, the release of a documentary called Who Killed the Electric Car made the then largest automaker in the world the subject of some well deserved criticism for its handling of the end of the EV1 program. The movie and announcement of the all-electric Tesla Roadster lit a fire under GM to get back into the plug-in electric vehicle game.



What we saw that day in NYC was a description of a new powertrain architecture then dubbed E-Flex. GM folk on hand that day included vehicle line executive Tony Posawatz and former VP for environmental affairs Beth Lowery. They explained that among the biggest lessons learned from the EV1 program were that range anxiety and lack of practicality would make a car like EV1 nearly impossible to sell in the mass market. The engineers went back to the drawing board to address those issues and came up with the extended range electric vehicle, or ER-EV. The Volt concept was approved for production mere months after it was revealed at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. At this week's LA Auto Show, GM is publicly showing the production intent version of the Volt. Before that, however, we were among the first to drive a Volt with its range extender running. Read all about it after the jump.






Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Quick Spin: 2011 Chevrolet Volt charges toward production

Quick Spin: 2011 Chevrolet Volt charges toward production originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan expects to double battery energy capacity by 2015

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Nissan


2010 Nissan Leaf - Click above for high-res image gallery




If the ranges offered by the upcoming Nissan and Renault electric cars aren't as long as you'd like, you'll be pleased to learn they should double by 2015. Nissan is just about done developing an energy storage cell that has twice the capacity of their current batteries. Focusing their research efforts on the positive electrode, they have added cobalt and nickel to the manganese they already use which yields them a (breathe) lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode battery or, if you like, NMC for short. This would only be marginally good news if the cost of the new power pack also doubled but we're assured that this is not the case. The manufacturing process is quite similar and the expensive cobalt is used quite sparingly so the outlay should be close to that of their current chemistry. This all fits in with Nissan's electric vehicle introduction strategy.



Nissan isn't the only company developing NMC either. Other battery-makers working with the same materials are said to include Panasonic, Sanyo, Hitachi, GS Yuasa, Samsung, EnerDel, Kokam, Evonik/Litarion, Enax, and Imara. With such a dramatic increase only a few short years away, we can't help but wonder how this may effect attitudes towards battery leasing models in the near term. Relieve our curiosity with your comments after the break.









[Source: Green Car Congress]

Nissan expects to double battery energy capacity by 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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