Green Concept Cars News & Blogs

Although the accompanying press release was palpably light on specifics, Nissan has released this concept sketch of a future all-electric variation of its new conventionally-powered NV200 commercial van that just went on sale in various world markets and will be heading to the U.S. next year. Unlike its baseline counterpart, the NV200 EV is destined to get its own unique styling that's heavily influenced by Nissan's LEAF EV, which will also arrive at dealers here sometime in late 2010. While the automaker didn't confirm any powertrain details, it's expected the NV200 EV's motivation will come from some variation of the basic battery-electric package used in the LEAF, an 80kW (108 hp) electric motor powered by an advanced compact Lithium-ion battery...
This week, President Obama signed a bill that makes fuel-efficient three-wheeled vehicles eligible for supplemental development assistance through loans from the Department of Energy (DOE). Prior to its passage, only manufacturers of four-wheeled vehicles qualified for consideration to get a chunk of the $25 billion available under provisions of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program (ATVMIP). Terms of this new legislation -- which specifically came in the form of an amendment authored by Representative Brian Bilbray (R-California) and Representative Adam Schiff (D-California) attached to a previously passed energy appropriations bill -- extend consideration to include all "fully enclosed vehicles that are capable of...
Not to be outdone by Lamborghini's recent investment in an advanced composites lab at the University of Washington, Volkswagen has announced its own $5.75 million outlay to underwrite a new joint effort at Stanford University aimed at accelerating all types of automotive-related technologies. Officially the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL), it will complement VW's Electronics Research Laboratory, which also is located in Palo Alto, California. Volkswagen has been working with Stanford since 2005 when the two created an autonomous Touareg called "Stanley" that went on to win the DARPA Grand Challenge and followed it up in 2007 with a hands-free Passat entry dubbed "Junior" that took second spot in the annual Defense Advanced...
Joined by Vice President Joe Biden and Delaware's Governor Jack Markell, fledgling plug-in hybrid entrepreneur Henrik Fisker announced that his firm has signed a letter of intent to purchase the shuttered GM assembly plant in Wilmington for $18 million and turn it into the new home of Fisker Automotive's Project NINA. When an additional $175 million in modifications and upgrades are completed, the facility will turn out a new line of more affordable mainstream plug-in hybrid sedans to complement the high-profile Karma luxury model that will be made by Valmet in Finland and go on sale here next summer. Fisker says the still-unnamed Project NINA vehicle, which is due to start production sometime in 2012, will cost under $40,000 after federal tax...
General Motors has launched a contest to help determine what it will call the "signature" exterior color of the new Chevrolet Volt when the car goes on sale late next year. GM describes the paint -- which will be exclusive to the Volt -- as "silver with an emerald hue," and is asking the public to suggest a fitting name that will round out an exterior palette that already includes Black, Silver Ice Metallic, Cyber Gray Metallic, Crystal Red Metallic and a premium White Diamond Tri-Coat. Full details regarding the competition can be found at chevroletvoltage.com, but the basics call for entries to be accepted from now until the morning of November 4, at which time a team at Chevy will pick three finalists. According to Maria Rohrer, director of...
RSS
Get Adobe Flash player
  advertisement  

Green Car News & Blogs

Manufacturers
Green Technology and Topics