The Greenest and Meanest Cars for 2015 – No “Mr. Fusion” DeLorean on the List Yet!

Modern cars have come a long way from their gas guzzling roots and with our consumer priorities becoming ever greener each year– ratings and rankings are more important to car manufacturers than ever.  The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 18th annual environmental ratings for vehicles on its newly launched website greenercars.org, which provides an online database containing vehicle environmental scores for models from the year 2000 to present. Ranked number one in the list of top twelve green cars is the third generation of the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive.  The only conventional gas fueled car to make the list is the Mitsubishi Mirage (renamed Space Star) landing in tenth place.  The rest were either plug-in electric vehicles or hybrids.  Aptly named by ACEEE as the Greenest and Meanest lists, here are rankings:   Greenest List: 1 Mercedez-Benz Smart Fortwo Elec. Drive Convertible / Coupe 2 Chevrolet Spark EV …
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  • March 3, 2015
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BMW New Sporting Hybrid: “Concept Active Tourer Outdoor”

by Nino Marchetti via Earthtechling BMW, even as it prepares to debut the i3 as its first ever electric car under its i brand, continues to tinker with concepts envisioning the use of green vehicle technology in different scenarios. It previously brought to public light the Concept Active Tourer, a plug-in hybrid crossover, and now refines this design study in the form of the Concept Active Tourer Outdoor. Described by BMW as a “fresh route to combining sporting aesthetics and style with sustainable drive technology, compact dimensions and functionality,” the Active Tourer Outdoor’s drivetrain system marries a transversely mounted 1.5-litre petrol engine with front-wheel drive with an electric motor that offers total system output of over 140 kW/190 hp. Performance specifications of this hybrid are fairly decent, going to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under eight seconds and hitting a top speed of around 200 km/h (125 mph). Average fuel consumption comes in under 2.5 litres per…
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  • July 17, 2013
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Why We Need to Fight for Tesla

I spent last weekend driving a Tesla Model S from Washington DC to Atlantic City and back. Never before in my life have I driven a car that has started so many conversations. People were gathering around the car as it was parked at the supercharging station in Delaware. "Is this a Tesla? I heard about this car on the news. Can I get a look inside?" Photos were snapped. A woman chimed in, "I saw one of these last week in Virginia and I followed it just so I could check it out." Heads were turning and tongues were wagging. On Wednesday, Tesla made headlines when the company wired nearly half a billion dollars ($451.8M) to the Department of Energy, repaying their full loan with interest nine years early, and becoming the only American car company to have fully repaid the government. As a race car driver, my opinion on the performance of the vehicle is this: The Tesla Model S is a masterpiece. With incredible power from the moment you touch the accelerator (no need to build u…
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  • May 27, 2013
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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…
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  • October 29, 2010
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Sustainable Mobility Comes to US With Dedication of Nissan LEAF Production Site

Nissan today broke ground on the project that brings Nissan LEAF production to the United States. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction on a manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tenn., that will produce the lithium-ion batteries that power the Nissan LEAF zero-emission vehicle. The all-electric Nissan LEAF will be produced at Nissan's vehicle assembly facility in Smyrna beginning in 2012. Nissan LEAF and battery production will create up to 1,300 jobs when the plants are operating at full capacity. The battery plant, one of the largest vehicle battery manufacturing plants in North America at 1.3 million square feet at full capacity, will be capable of producing 200,000 advanced-technology batteries annually. It will be located adjacent to the vehicle assembly plant, which will be retooled to accommodate production of Nissan LEAF and will be capable of producing 150,000 electric cars annually. "Nissan is committed to affordable, susta…
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  • May 26, 2010
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