Clean Fleet Articles

General Motors Working on 32 Plug-in Hybrid and Electric Cars

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A General Motors executive recently told a small group that GM is working on 32 electric car derivatives all based on Voltec, the Chevrolet Volt’s electric drive system. Voltec is GM’s architecture and roadmap for a number of exciting vehicles future vehicles with electric drive systems. Volt demand is strong. In 2012, global production capacity is expected to be 60,000 vehicles with an estimated 45,000 to be delivered in the United States.

Prius v Test Drive Hybrid SUV with Best MPG

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Prius v test drive, review, and detailed specifications of the new larger Prius that will shake-up the crossover SUV and wagon market when it goes on sale starting at $26,400, about $3,000 more than the classic Prius. The iconic Prius Liftback is not going away. Prii is now a family of four, with the Prius v being the largest. Prius v delivers 42 MPG, sailing past other SUVs, crossovers, and wagons.

Oakland Airport Adds 15 Charging Spaces for Electric Cars

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I silently guided my Nissan LEAF into space 14 reserved for electric cars at the Oakland International Airport (OAK). Already plugged in to other spaces were Chevrolet Volts, Tesla Roadsters, a converted Prius plug-in hybrid, and a Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Supporting the 15 preferred parking spaces were eight Coulomb ChargePoint Dual Level 2/1 Charging Stations.

Our Promising Future of Electric Cars Powered by Renewable Energy

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The cleanest solutions to global warming, air pollution and energy security are wind, water, and solar power (WWS). As Dr. Mark Jacobson walks me through the numbers of his, Dr. Mark Delucchi, and their teams’ multi-year study, the renewable energy solution stands out as the clear winner. Wind power has been doubling in capacity about every three years. It’s now over 200 GW; in 3 years it will be over 400 GW. 36 U.S. states generate enough wind power to replace one or more coal or nuclear power plants.

Hertz Brings Nissan LEAF Electric Car Sharing to New York

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Thanks to Connect by Hertz Car Sharing, cars can be used by the hour for special trips, loading up during weekly shopping, or heading out of the city. Those hourly cars can also be electric such as the Nissan LEAF or Chevrolet Volt. Connect by Hertz is adding the LEAF to Manhattan’s Seward Park Co-op. In an effort to make electric cars a viable option for its residents, Seward Park has installed four Coulomb Technologies networked charging.

Shell uses Hydrogen Pipeline for Fuel Cell Cars from Toyota, Honda and Mercedes

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Shell announced the opening of a new demonstration hydrogen station in Torrance, California, the first in the US to have hydrogen delivered to the site directly from an existing underground pipeline. GM successfully piloted 100 Equinox fuel cell vehicles during its Project Driveway. Toyota is planning to test 100 new fuel cell SUVs as it prepares for 2015 commercialization. 200 of the new Mercedes-Benz B-Call F-CELL are being put into use.

The Promise of Electric Vehicles – Save Gas, Save the Planet Excerpt

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Tom Hanks has supported improving the environment for years both with words and actions such as driving electric vehicles. “I still have a Toyota RAV4 EV and never spent a penny on gasoline for it,” he said. Happy with his Toyota EV, he added a second electric car. Many other people are experimenting with conversions to electric. The most notable are hybrid owners. Hundreds own electric vehicles in this university town. The city’s parks and recreation department saves money using EVs that displace expensive gasoline cars and trucks. The university is a major user of electric vehicles.

SDG&E Charges 1,000 Electric Cars with Smart Grid

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San Diego Gas and Electric may be the world’s first utility to smart charge 1,000 electric cars through a smart grid. This electric utility, which services 3.4 million people, has been installing an extensive electric vehicle charging infrastructure, expanding its electricity generation to 33 percent renewable, and implementing a smart grid. In many ways, the three initiatives support each other. Over 200 Nissan LEAFs and Chevrolet Volts are charging by using the utilities smart grid.

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