By Ted Berner

GTwildfire

A company called Planar Energy has developed a solid state electrolyte for lithium batteries which is inexpensive to produce and is intended to replace the lest stable liquid electrolytes currently in use. This technology also yields extended capacity–which translates into extended range for EV’s.

It is time for auto makers to wake up and smell the coffee. The point is not just to make the batteries bigger, as Toyota wants to do. And most consumers will not accept recharging measured in hours. The Electric Vehicle is not a fad, worthy of planned obsolescence or strategic retirement. It’s time to jump in with both feet–they’re designing advanced vehicles, so they might as well make sure the battery technology is advanced enough to make the best of them. A battery that packed more punch would go a long way to increase the marketability of cars like the Volt and the Leaf, whose paltry ranges barely give you enough for an afternoon’s worth of errands. Read more about the new battery technology here.

By Steve Little

SouthernGuy8503

The 2011 Chevy Volt has been a long time coming, but Chevrolet has been taking pre-orders for its new electric for the better part of a month now. Though there have been reports of dealer gouging, the Volt is offered at the official site for $350 a month with $2500 down. Or purchase for as low as $33,500 after the $7,500 tax credit. The Volt is so far only available in the major markets of New York, New Jersey, D.C., Michigan, Texas, California, and Connecticut. It’ll be interesting to see if and where it gains traction–what are your thoughts, does Chevy have a winner? More pics below the jump.

Continue reading "Chevy Volt Ready For Pre-Order" »

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

It’s a 1976 912 packing 85 3.3v lithium ion batteries. They power a NetGain Warp11 DC motor, which puts go to the wheels via an original Porsche 5-speed transmission. Built by Sunshine State Restorations in consultation with the Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association. The overall effect? An ultra-clean classic EV. See more…

Continue reading "Electric Beauty: Porsche 912 EV at SEMA" »

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Hard to believe, but someone out there has already gotten tired of their new Tesla. One of the electric roadsters has shown up on eBay! It’s got around 500 miles on the clock, and the seller wants $100K. Maybe they oughtta wait until gas prices go up again to sell it…

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

I’ve always had this silly crush on Dodge Omnis and I’m also totally into EVs, so imagine the love when I ran over to ogle this Omni that I spotted in a Safeway parking lot, only to find that it was a fully electric vehicle. Luckily the owner Bruce and his little daughter Rachel were just finishing up their grocery shopping and offered to drive me around the block. How cool to ride in a vintage EV! Just like in the movies, it runs completely silent except for a bit of tire noise and a futuristic-sounding whirrrr of the traction motor. Being one of the typical 80s EVs, the Omni is packed with several pallets of lead-acid batteries (adding 1000 lbs to the car’s weight, Bruce said–hope it’s running some bigger brakes). It was converted to electric when new by JMJ Electric Corporation–one of the many conversion companies that churned out plug-in electrics in the wake of the last oil crisis (check out my previous blogs on Jet’s Escort and Omni conversions, the ‘Lectric Leopard, and Solargen’s AMCs). Bruce’s Omni is mint, and in the two years he’s owned it, he said it’s never required more than the expected wear-and-tear maintenance–and of course, he hasn’t paid for a drop of gas. Go below the jump for a peek under the hood.

Continue reading "Vintage EV Watch: JMJ Dodge Omni!" »

By Ryan Porter

IN-N-OUT Editor

While Rob was out at Detroit partying it up and having a blast I told him that he had to do one thing for me.  I made him promise to check out the smart fortwo ED or simply said, the electric smart car.

In reality the smart fortwo ED won’t be much of a change from my smart but I’m crossing my fingers that the transmissions works a little smoother.  For those of you who don’t know the smart’s tranny feels about like a 2-speed powerwheeel but either way the smart rocks! I think every CarDomain member needs one!

GM-Volt.com is reporting that a Volt mule is being taken to Washington, DC for Rick Wagoner to pilot around as he approaches Congress for loan guarantees today. The mule will have a Cruze body, giving the General the opportunity to showcase its forthcoming very small car. Wagoner reportedly made the bulk of the trip in a Malibu Hybrid.

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

The Progressive X PRIZE, a race to build a functional 100 mpg, 100 mph-capable vehicle, is getting some serious traction at the SEMA show this year. This ’85 Blazer, built by Physics Lab of Lake Havasu, is powered by dual electric motors and draws some of its power from regenerative shocks—energy is generated every time they bounce, and it’s then stored in an accumulator under the truck. The Blazer retains its original 4WD drivetrain, and is heavy as hell—it started life at around 5500 lbs, and currently tips the scales at over 7000. Right now it tops out at 80 mph, and needs to gain the 20 that’ll make it a true contender for the prize.  But owner Jim Stansbury wouldn’t have it any other way: part of his mission with this project is to prove that plug-in EV technology is possibe even with a heavy vehicle. It’s some pretty innovative technology he’s working with, and he’s had to do it on a serious budget, funding a lot of the project with personal savings. The next step, in addition to gaining speed, is to figure ways to harness solar-thermal and waste heat to help power the motors. The Blazer is a work in progress, and Jim’s only got until September to finish it. See more pics after the jump, and check out his site.

Continue reading "X PRIZE Contender: Electric Blazer At SEMA!" »

Well it’s officially October, and it looks like the weather in Seattle has noticed. It’s cold, drizzly and gray, and it’s likely to stay that way for a while. That’s the Emerald City for you. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Want a plug-in electric car, but don’t feel like waiting for the Volt to drop? Well, if your don’t mind hacking up a new Prius, there are plenty of kits available to help you make it fully electric. Of course, none of them are cheap. Wired
• When I heard that Ford wasn’t going to bring the Ka to the States, I was more than a little curious as to why. After all, doesn’t it seem like a really good time to launch a small, gas-sipping car? But after seeing the success of the Fit and the Yaris, it looks like the Blue Oval might be reconsidering. Freep
• Jeremy Clarkson hates the Chrysler Sebring. And whether or not you agree with him—personally, I have a hard time believing that the Sebring is actually "the worst car in the entire world"—this review is a pretty funny read. Times Online
• Audi has admitted that it won’t be able to hit its US sales goals for 2008. The company was looking to move 100,000 cars this year, but with Wall Street’s meltdown hanging like a black cloud over North America, it’s not going to happen. Auto Observer
• CarDomain has partnered with CR4, a site where engineers discuss the latest news. Some of our blog posts are appearing there, and since you know those are bound to be awesome, head over and check out the rest of their content! CR4 

Is it possible? Is it believable? Or is it just the old smoke and mirrors? Working with technology similar to that of the Chevy Volt, a company called Raser Technologies is developing a solution for achieving better mileage in new pickup trucks such as the Chevy Silverado and Ford F-series that are already on the market. Raser has announced that it will have a 100 mpg pickup and a 100 mpg SUV in testing with Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s vehicle fleet in the near future. Equipped with a 200 kW electric motor, Raser’s concept hybrid truck will run on electricity for its first 40 miles, after which a gas motor kicks in to recharge the lithium-ion battery. Since most truck owners typically use their vehicles for commuting and recreation for trips of less 40 miles, they’d benefit hugely from the opportunity to save gas. It’s especially good news for the many companies that rely on trucks for their business, which are increasingly struggling under the massive fill-up costs for their work vehicles.

Miles Electric Vehicles, one of the startups using Raser’s symetron technology, is offering a low-speed "work truck," but none of its specs are all that convincing. While it has a decently-sized bed, the ZX40ST is only indicated for tasks like landscaping and "light hauling", and with a top speed of 25 mph, I don’t think they’ll exactly be flying off the dealer lots, literally or figuratively.

Clearly, the Raser system is still in its infancy, but the idea of a successful independent EV solution is cool. Here’s hoping that this company does well and doesn’t get gobbled up by the major automakers.