autos Archives - Green Businesses

GM, Honda to Partner On Fuel Cell Technologies

by Nino Marchetti of EarthTechling The race to develop fuel cell vehicles for what automakers hope will be an interested consumer audience has mildly been heating up of late. Hyundai, for example, has been for the most part at the forefront as some of its production ready vehicles are now in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark to be used there in a municipal fleet. Now word comes GM and Honda are teaming up to collaborate on next-generation fuel cell technologies. The two automakers are no slouches when it comes to capital investments in the fuel cell market, ranking No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in total related patents filed between 2002 and 2012, with more than 1,200 between them. This collaboration will find the companies sharing expertise, economies of scale and common sourcing strategies. GM and Honda said they will also work “with stakeholders to further advance refueling infrastructure, which is critical for the long-term viability and consumer acceptance of f…

GE Buying ‘Tens of Thousands’ of EVs

By Chuck Squatriglia for Wired Autopia It makes sense that a company called General Electric would be bullish on cars with cords. But even by that standard the company is diving into the deep end, with what it says will be the biggest order ever placed for electric vehicles. Of course, almost any order would be the biggest order, but CEO Jeffrey Immelt isn’t screwing around. Speaking in London yesterday, he said GE will order “tens of thousands” of electric vehicles in about a week, a move that is sure to jump-start the nascent EV market as automakers like Nissan and General Motors bring the cars to showrooms later this year. The plan makes sense for several reasons. First and foremost, General Electric builds the equipment that provides one-third of the world’s electricity, so of course it will do everything possible to promote the technology. GE is moving quickly into the EV space, building charging stations and working with A123 Systems to develop batteries. Acco…

Chevy Volt Team Announces: Order Yours Today

By Tony DiSalle Chevrolet Volt Marketing Director Starting today, you can take part in history by placing your order for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. This moment is the culmination of several years of around-the-clock, steadfast work and I know I speak for the entire Volt team when I say we couldn’t be more excited! For those of you looking to be among the first to own a Volt, simply locate and contact a participating Chevrolet dealer in Volt launch markets at GetMyVolt.com. Once your order is placed, a Volt customer advisor will contact you to answer questions and keep you updated on the progress of your order. We’ve also pulled together a team of Volt advisors who, beginning today, will be available at 1-888-VOLT4YOU (1-888-865-8496) to answer general questions. The Volt will initially be available to customers in California, New York, Washington, D.C., Texas, Michigan Connecticut and New Jersey, but will be available nationwide in about 12-18 months from start of produ…

Tesla Motors Confident in an Electrifying IPO

With only ONE operable prototype of it's new sedan, 12 dealerships and NO final design or manufacturing process, Tesla Motors still has high hopes as it offers public shares for the first time tomorrow. more from CNNMoney.com staff writer David Goldman: Tesla Motors will offer up its shares to the public for the first time on Tuesday, testing investors' faith in a company that has proven it can make functional and stunning electric cars but has never had a profitable quarter. PayPal founder Elon Musk's seven-year old auto company lost $55.7 million last year and $260.7 million since its inception. The company has performed so poorly from a financial standpoint that Musk recently said he lost his entire personal fortune on Tesla. But investors are giddy about the Palo Alto, Calif.-based automaker's initial public offering, prompting Tesla on Monday to increase the number of shares it plans to offer by nearly a fifth to 13.3 million. (more…)