Electric Cars

Best 2011 Electric Cars at LA Auto Show this November

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The best electric cars for 2011 will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November. Featured will be plug-in cars that can be ordered and delivered in 2011 including the Nissan LEAF, the Chevrolet Volt, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Coda, and Fisker. Also displayed will be hot electric cars and concepts for 2012 and beyond. SUV drivers that want to go electric will be excited to see the new aerodynamic 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV, the result of Toyota’s partnership with Tesla.

Electric Car Charging and Sustainable Parking with integrated Wind Power

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Greenway Self-Park is Chicago’s new 11-story parking structure is the world’s first to combine integrated wind power, electric car charging, and two car sharing services with plans to offer electric cars. Beautifully integrated into the structure is a 12-paired array of vertical turbines, located on the southwest corner of the garage, designed to harvest energy 24/7 in this famous “Windy City.” Greenway car sharing partners include iGo and Zipcar which plan to expand their offerings of electric cars and plug-in hybrids.

Electric Cars Get A+ on Window Sticker

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When you go shopping for a new car it is useful to see a quick summary of fuel economy, how much you might save in fuel over 5 years, and the price. Now that people are web surfing faster, moving with purpose through auto shows, and scanning car lots with speed, the EPA is proposing adding grades “A” to “D” on window stickers. Pure battery-electric cars would get an “A+.” In my day, I had to work for every “A,” there were no incompletes, and I had to walk 5 miles daily to school in the snow. The idea of no “F” means that no gas guzzler will be left behind.

Better Place Moves Ahead with 100,000 Electric Cars

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An entire nation will be covered in 2011 with electric car charge stations. One car company has received a non-binding order for 100,000 electric cars. The company managing the entire project is Better Place, headquartered in Silicon Valley USA. Israel is the nation that desperately wants to end its dependency on oil from hostile neighbors. Renault is the French company supplying up to 100,000 vehicles. The advanced lithium-ion batteries are made by AESC, a joint venture of Nissan-NEC.

Ford Focus Electric Cars from New Green Michigan Plant

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Ford’s new Focus Electric Car and Plug-in Hybrid will be built in one of the auto industry’s greenest manufacturing plants. Ford is working with Detroit Edison to install a 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic panel system at Michigan Assembly. Clean Fleet Report predicts that in 2012 an all-new Ford Focus family will be offered with choices that include a gasoline-sipping EcoBoost engine, a Focus Hybrid, a Focus Plug-in Hybrid, and Focus Electric.

Think City EV Test Drive

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The THINK City EV for the U.S. is a 2 seat, 2-door hatchback. THINK got adequate acceleration on city streets, even in its range extending Eco mode. My brief test drive did not include steep hills or entering a freeway. Acceleration did not come close to my Mitsubishi iMiEV test drive; on a freeway, I would have acceleration concerns. THINK already has 1,700 of its new generation EVs on the road in northern Europe. As THINK prepares for U.S. manufacturing, it is in discussions with a number of U.S. fleets.

5,050 Electric Car Charging Stations for SF Bay

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The San Francisco Bay Area will add over 5,000 electric car charging stations (EVSE) in the next 2 years and continue as one of the nation’s leading areas for electric cars. The Bay Area’s 7 million people live in cities that have adopted hybrid cars, like the Prius, faster than in 99 percent of America. The San Francisco Bay Area already has about 8,000 electric cars on the road from Tesla Roadsters to Prius Plug-in Hybrids to light EVs limited to 25 miles per hour. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors approved $5 million to support further development of a regional electric vehicle charging infrastructure program in the Bay Area.

Enterprise Orders 500 Nissan LEAF Electric Cars

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Enterprise Rent-A-Car will be renting the Nissan LEAF electric car next year in key locations. In January it will start taking delivery of the LEAF with plans for 500 by the end of 2011. This is the first phase of its plans to offer electric vehicles (EVs) at select offices throughout its neighborhood network of more than 5,000 U.S. locations. I had breakfast with Lee Broughton, director of sustainability for Enterprise Holdings, which owns and operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car, National Car Rental, and WeCar Sharing. Enterprise Holdings owns and operates the world’s largest fleet of passenger vehicles.

Chevrolet Volt – Test Driving Extended Range Electric Vehicle

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My test drive of the Volt demonstrates this plug-in hybrid is a winner. I settle behind the steering wheel, feel comfortable in the bucket seat, and am impressed with the display behind the wheel, and the 7-inch navigation screen. While driving, I was able to try the three modes of the car with a push of the button. In Normal mode, the Volt always stayed in the quiet electric mode that gives this 4-door sedan a 40 mile electric range before engaging its 1 liter gasoline engine to provide 300 extra miles of range, depending on driving conditions. In Sport mode, the Volt goes 0 to 60 in 8 seconds.

Nissan Leaf – Test Driving the New Electric Car

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I shift the LEAF into its normal drive mode, touch the accelerator and start driving down the San Jose streets. The car is always silent. It only has an electric motor, therefore I never hear the sound of a gasoline engine. The 5-door, 5-seat compact hatchback has plenty of room. Sitting behind me is an electric utility executive who is 6”5”. I did not need to move the driver seat forward; his legs are not pressing against my seat. If the car had 4 people his size, it would be a 4-seater, not 5. On our both of the split back seats can be lowered to carry lots of cargo, be it luggage, work equipment, or everything for your favorite sport. This beautiful car is ready for order and delivery.

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