I’ll be the first to say I’m totally bummed that I’m not at the LA Auto Show.  I personally like the LA Auto Show because it’s filled with the ultimate luxury cars and it has this overarching "green" theme that brings out people like the Governator and Antonio Villaraigosa, the Mayor of Los Angeles.  But what’s with the whole preview before the actual media day.?  Mini decided that they needed to show off their all new Mini E a day early so they threw a nifty party on top of the Beverly Wilshire.  I guess it goes with out saying that being regular old media nowadays doesn’t cut it, you have to be on the real inside to get the first look!  For more photos check out Edmunds Straightline.

Given the huge amount of instantaneously-available torque that the performance electric cars generate, the results of these 800-ft. runs aren’t all that surprising. Still, it’s interesting to see Dodge’s new EV take on some of the more respected members of the company’s own product line, even if neither of the cars is being particularly flogged on during the two exhibition runs. I wonder how the EV would do against an SRT-10 Viper. More at the LA Times blog.

This isn’t the first electric Porsche we’ve had in the blog, but it’s probably the fastest. Ruf worked with Calmotors of Camarillo, California, to develop an all-electric powertrain for the Porsche 997. Road & Track got a chance to drive an early prototype and came away pretty excited about it. Their driving impressions remind me of my Tesla Roadster test drive. Basically, batteries weigh a lot, and an electric car will never sound quite as good as a combustion-engine car with a burly exhaust note. But they are still extremely cool. Read the full story at Road & Track.

Continue reading "E-Ruf" »

While I’m not going to be forking over any deposit money just yet, Veturi says its hyper-futuristic Volage Concept will see production in 2012. The chassis and bodywork will be constructed from carbon-fiber, and it will be powered by small electric motors inside each wheel. Pretty trick, no? More over at Jalopnik.

Electric cars and hybrids are all the rage right now, and with gas prices still pretty high it’s no wonder that we’re looking at other alternatives. Jen blogged last month about bringing back the EV1, and though I’m surprised that GM is so cold on the idea, I guess a lot their reluctance has to do with fear of undermining the Volt.  Aside from the overpriced Tesla, the one-off AC Propulsion eBox and a handful of in-city EV’s that can’t do much over 30 mph, there just hasn’t been anything that exciting or attainable among the EV offerings.

Hopefully Chevy’s Volt will begin to change that landscape, but it looks like it’s going to have some electrifying competition by the time it comes to market. Ian Wright’s Wrightspeed X1 could be hitting showrooms at around the same time. No word yet on pricing or availability, but these sweet rides are definitely generating some buzz. According to the FAQs, the Wrightspeed may be recharged at either 120 or 220v, reducing charging time. And unlike today’s hybrids, the Wrightspeed is a battery-only car with no gas motor whatsoever. Ian Wright, formerly of Tesla Motors, left the company in 1996 to pursue this venture, and it appears his dream is close to being realized.

The only question is, how much higher will its price tag be than the $65,000 of the gas-powered Atom on which the X1 prototype was based?

Toyota is kicking butt with the Prius, Chevy is working feverishly on the Volt, so Nissan decided they better do something, and quick. Yesterday they trotted out their electric EV-01, powered by lithium-ion batteries, which they claim will be in showrooms in 2010. They also continue working on hybrid technology, and showed off a new Infiniti G35 hybrid. No word on a hybrid or electric GTR. Full press release after the jump. Source: MSNBC.

Continue reading "Nissan Jumps on the Electric Car Bandwagon" »

Electric cars have long been anticipated as the next step in the evolution of the automobile, but attempts to market them haven’t yielded much, and their future has swung uneasily between fantasy and reality. In sci-fi literature and film, it was largely expected that in the 21st Century, we’d all be zooming around in electric—if not flying—cars, and since it’s 2007, you’re probably wondering what it would be like to get behind the wheel of one. Well, wonder no longer, the wry smile on will.i.am’s face says it all. "It’s like driving a Lambo without gas," he said. "It’s fast, homie. Funny that last time we were on Hummer. Now, I’m on an electric car."

Continue reading "will.i.am: A Shock to the System" »

Like a page right out of the script for Tokyo Drift (know-nothing white guy who gets showered with cars, tires, and money by strangers for absolutely no reason at all), actor Matt Damon somehow managed to get handed a prototype Tesla in which to tool around LA. Are we jealous? Yes. A writer from Autofiends caught up with Damon outside a Studio City coffee shop, where actor explained that the light blue roadster is an earlier prototype with the 2-speed tranmission—the one that’s been giving Tesla so much trouble that they decided to throw it out and scramble together a new driveline for production cars. And yes, only the high gear works, so off-the-line accelleration is kind of flabby. Despite all this, Damon says he’s still gonna get one for the permanent collection. And meanwhile, The Truth About Cars considers Matt Damon’s endorsement to be a sign of Tesla’s imminent demise. Click below the jump for all the pics!

Continue reading "Matt Damon! How Come He Gets A Tesla?" »

Most of the time, saying something will go from zero to 30 in nine seconds isn’t really something one would be inclined to advertise. But when said vehicle is an exceptionally rare electric car built under a military contract in the ’70s, it’s seems worth mentioning. To be honest, I’d never heard of Unique Mobility’s Electrek until I saw this eBay auction, and while the styling of the vehicle is unquestionably weak—what were they aiming for, an uglier version of the Gremlin?—it’s pretty cool that regenerative braking was being applied during the malaise era, and the 75MPH top speed seems pretty reasonable. Full text of the auction and more pics after the jump.

Continue reading "eBay Find: Unique Mobility Electrek" »

Yep, we all know that electric cars aren’t anything new. They actually did pretty well during the early years of the last century, especially when gas prices skyrocketed during WWI—sound familiar?—until various forces conspired to squeeze them out. This hot-rodded Detroit Electric has survived, but its electric motor and reputed 80-miles-to-a-charge lead-acid battery have not. The seller’s got a V6 in the aluminum-bodied ride, which he insists is "great on gas mileage." Bet he’s sorry.