Clean Fleet Reporthybrid & electric cars smart charged with renewable energy
Nissan LEAF Electric Car Attracts over 100,000 Potential Buyers
The Nissan LEAF will be the first to put over 10,000 freeway-speed electric cars on the road. It is a pure electric. This sleek 5-door hatchback seats five. My wife and I completed the online reservation for Nissan LEAF SL including our $99 refundable deposit. The electric range is 100 miles on the U.S. EPA LA4 city drive cycle. $32,780 or $349 on a 3-year Nissan Lease for the LEAF, plus serious tax breaks, puts this electric car in the reach of many drivers.
Ford Electric Car for 2011
My test drive of the new Ford electric car for 2011 demonstrated that Ford is building a BEV that millions will want. The Ford Focus EV prototype provided a quiet and smooth drive for a prototype. A common platform is planned for compact vehicles ranging from engine drives, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric. By 2020, these vehicles could represent up to 25 percent of Ford’s production – that’s up to 2 million cars annually with electric drive systems and advanced battery packs.
Ener1 Takes Stake in Electric Vehicle Maker Think Global
Ener1 took the lead among a group of investors that plans to inject $47 million of equity funding into Think Global, the Norwegian electric vehicle producer. Ener1 Chairman and CEO Charles Gassenheimer stated, “Ener1 and Think have collaborated for years on systems development, and today possess a unique ability to bring together category-leading technologies in a fully integrated platform, to suit a wide variety of vehicle applications.”
Intelligent Electric Vehicles and Smart Grids
The smart electric vehicle is symbiotic with the smart grid. The new freeway-speed electric vehicles will also be smart electric vehicles (SEV). They will be smart about using energy inside the vehicle so that it can go 100 miles between charges. The SEV will be smart about navigation options that consider your preferences. The smart gird will be used to encourage cost-effective off-peak charging.
Toyota Plug-in Prius Sales will Jump in 2012
Toyota will start volume manufacturing of the Plug-in Prius in 2012 according to Reuters. 2012 manufacturing of 20,000 to 30,000 Toyota Prius PHEV are expected. In 2012, Toyota will also start selling the less expensive 2-door FT-EV, a pure battery electric vehicle. In the U.S. in 2012 Toyota will face intense EV competition with Nissan, Ford, and dozens of innovative younger companies such as Tesla.
Ford Grabs Market Share
If you are working at Ford, it looks like the downturn in auto sales is ending. In June, sales fell only 11 percent over a year ago. Oil prices have doubled – fuel economy is back in. Ford helps at the pump with new EcoBoost technology and hybrid technology. “In 10 years, 12 years, you are going to see a major portion of our portfolio move to electric vehicles,” Ford CEO Alan Mulally stated.
New Cars that Already Meet 2016 Fuel Economy Standards
President Barack Obama announced that automakers must meet average U.S. fuel-economy standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. This will be an exciting opportunity for automakers that already deliver vehicles that beat 35.5 mpg such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Mercedes Smart Fortwo. You can buy these gas misers today.
Biofuel Industry Hopes to Recover with Next Generation Fuels
Scientists know how to make fuel from prairie grasses growing on marginal land. They know how to make fuel from fast growing trees with root systems that extend 25 feet into the ground, sequestering carbon emissions and enriching the soil. The problem is making cellulosic and algal fuel in large quantities at costs that compete with fuels from petroleum such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
2010 Cars Deliver Performance and Fuel Economy
Test drives reveal that 2010 hybrids and other fuel efficient vehicles deliver better performance and fuel economy. Drives include the Honda Insight, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and the MINI Cooper Convertible.
Top 10 Low Carbon Footprint Cars (and one SUV) for 2009
The Clean Fleet Top 10 Low Carbon Footprint Passenger Vehicles include the expected (Prius) and the unexpected (an SUV). The vehicles are generally gas misers (in one case a CNG miser). Some are roomy midsized sedans and one is the king of legally parking where none of the others qualify.
