World's Fastest Electric Superbike Bonneville 2011 [video]

Run 6 of 6 for Lightning Motorcycles @ Bonneville en-route to becoming the fastest electric bike in the world in its class. This was a "video run" as the camera was right in front of the riders face. There was some side wind (notice the bike is leaning) but the camera was angled a bit so it looks worse than it was.

The previous run was faster at 218.6 mph and is the first electric motorcycle to go over 200 mph. Check out the black and orange markers on the sides of the track. They are 1/4 mile apart.

By the way, only $0.18 worth of electricity was used on this run.

TRANSLOGIC: AC Propulsion's Electric Car Technologies [video]

The Translogic web TV series take Tom Gage CEO of AC Propulsion for a drive to talk about how ACP are driving the commercialization of electric vehicles worldwide.

Disassembling a Toyota RAV4 EV battery pack [video]

We recently found a Youtube based TV series called ElectricThrust that focuses on EVs.

The RAV4 EV is an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 SUV produced by Toyota. With only 800 left on the road today, they were quickly dying off; That is, until Toyota teamed up with Tesla to mass produce these vehicles by 2012.

Clint, along with battery guru Derek Barger from Click High Tech Systems LLC, Broke into this EV to find out why it is starting to lose its "pep" With over 130,000 miles tacked onto it's battery pack the Rav4 is still running considerably well!

The most recent 'episode' was uploaded 8 months ago and their URL is dead so this series may be DOA but we will keep you posted on any new episodes.

Cadillac announce ELR Extended Range Electric Vehicle [video]

Cadillac has officially announced plans to build a production version of the Converj concept.

Development of the ELR is just underway, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced later.

The Cadillac ELR will feature an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s energy is low, the ELR seamlessly switches to extended-range mode to enable driving for hundreds of additional miles.

“The concept generated instant enthusiasm,” said Don Butler, vice president-Cadillac Marketing. “Like other milestone Cadillac models of the past, the ELR will offer something not otherwise present – the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving.”

Cadillac selected the name ELR to indicate the car’s electric propulsion technology, in keeping with the brand’s 3-letter international model naming convention.

The Converj Concept sparked the idea of combining the desirability of a grand touring coupe with electrification, said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design.

“There’s no mistaking it for anything but a Cadillac, an aggressive, forward-leaning profile and proportion showcases a uniquely shaped, modern vision of a personal luxury 2+2,” Welburn said.

Cadillac will reveal another new concept car on Thursday, Aug. 18, at a special event prior to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Cadillac also recently announced it will add two new vehicles to its product lineup in 2012, the XTS large luxury sedan and an all-new luxury compact sedan codenamed ATS.

BMW i3 EV caught being filmed for a commercial [video]

Youtuber jprothe saw the BMW i3 Electric Vehicle being filmed today on Wacker Drive in Chicago.

The i3 is built around a new chassis concept called LifeDrive, which divides the vehicle into sections for Life, the passenger compartment, and Drive, the powertrain and battery. For the i3, the bottom half of the car is the Drive section, and is made mostly of lightweight aluminum; the Life passenger compartment sits on top and is built from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Employing these lightweight materials keeps the i3's weight down to just 2750 pounds. The Nissan Leaf, for comparison, tips the scales at 3366 pounds.

The Audi urban concept - a completely new kind of concept car

The Audi urban concept is a 1+1-seat, ultra-light car for congested urban spaces. The technical study, which will be shown at the Frankfurt Auto Show (IAA) 2011, does not fit under any of the conventional categories - the Audi urban concept combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept.

Porsche Hybrids Then And Now [video]

When you think of Porsche, you think of power, performance...and hybrid technology? Perhaps not, but from the Semper Vivus to the Panamera S Hybrid, Porsche has actually been in the hybrid game longer than any other major car manufacturer -- over 100 years to be exact.

Fisker Karma Test Drive around Santa Monica [video]

Take a drive in the 2012 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid with professional driver Kyle Shields.

Borrowed from the Fisker Santa Monica dealership, Shields explains the appeal of the car while driving the streets of Los Angeles.

Fisker began deliveries of the car last month. The 2012 Karma is powered by a 20kW lithium-ion battery which sends current to two electric motors that develop a total of 408 PS (300 kW / 402 hp) and 1,300 Nm (959 lb/ft) of torque. 0-100 km/h is achieved in 5.9 seconds, while top speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).

The plug-in Karma can travel up to 80.5 km (50 miles) on electricity alone. A turbocharged 2.0-liter petrol engine acts as a generator to recharge the battery, extending the range up to 483 km (300 miles). Average fuel consumption is 2.4 liters/100km (98 mpg US) and CO2 emissions are just 83 g/km.

How It Works: The All-Electric Ford Focus [video]

Ford have released a short video animation of The Focus Electric. The car runs exclusively on a 23 kWh battery, which means it never needs a drop of gas.

- Powered by a 23 kwh high-voltage, lightweight lithium-ion battery system.
- Regenerative Braking captures energy during braking and recycles it to recharge the battery.
- Charges with the available 240-volt charging station or standard 120-volt convenience cord

Electric Raceabout In-Car Lap of the Nürburgring [video]

Electric Raceabout have posted a video on You tube of their all wheel drive EV prototype setting a time around the Nürburgring.

Developed by the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, the Raceabout features a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and four electric motors which are fed by a 32 kWh lithium-titanate battery. This setup gives the car an output of 272 PS (200 kW / 268 hp) and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque, which enables it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in six seconds and hit a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).

Tesla Model S Alpha track testing [video]

From enhancing performance and tuning the suspension to quieting the interior and optimizing efficiency, Tesla engineers are applying knowledge gained from Alpha testing as they begin building Beta vehicles. Get a sneak peek at the first footage of multiple Model S Alpha sedans having fun together on the track.

Fully Charged | Top Gear | Eco Rally | episode 27 [video]

A run down of recent events and a brief report form this years ECO rally.

Green Overdrive: The Fisker Karma [video]

In the latest episode of Green Overdrive, Katie Fehrenbacher gets the full sales pitch on but no test drive of the first delivered Fisker Karma series hybrid electric vehcile.

The BMW i3 EV Concept & i8 Hybrid Concept [video]

More promotional video of the i3 EV Concept & i8 Hybrid Concept provided by BMW.

BMW Shows Off Electric Concept Cars [video]

BMW AG on Friday presented two concept cars for the first generation of electric vehicles to be launched under its new sub-brand i starting in 2013, and said it will invest in a company named Parkatmyhouse, which offers a service to rent out private parking space via Internet or smart-phone application.

The upcoming i3 “will mark the launch of the first volume-produced car featuring bodywork largely made of carbon,” BMW research and development chief Klaus Draeger said during a presentation in Frankfurt.

BMW didn’t elaborate on the expected annual sales volume, but Chief Financial Officer Friedrich Eichiner noted that in terms of earnings per vehicle the new cars will contribute to the company’s targeted earnings before interest and taxes margin range of between 8% and 10%. Making electric cars economically viable despite expensive components such as the battery is a key challenge for the global auto industry.

The world’s largest luxury-car maker by sales volume will initially launch two new vehicles under the new sub-brand, the BMW i3 and the BMW i8, which will be launched in 2013 and 2014, respectively, and built at BMW’s German plant in Leipzig. The i3 will be a purely electric powered car for urban areas. The i8 will be based on the plug-in hybrid sportscar concept BMW Vision EfficientDynamics.

The new sub-brand is the outcome of BMW’s Project i, a task force established in 2007 to explore future mobility concepts and one of the Munich-based firm’s most important think tanks. It is a cornerstone of BMW’s plan to expand in the field of alternative drivetrains and green technology, making cars more environmentally friendly to comply with tightening emission regulations world-wide.

In November, BMW said it will invest around €530 million and create more than 1,000 jobs, together with its joint-venture partner SGL Carbon SE, as part of its plan to launch the new megacity vehicle and start producing carbon fiber components to reduce the vehicle’s weight.
Both companies forged a U.S. joint-venture to produce carbon fiber in Moses Lake, Wash.
BMW has named SB LiMotive, a joint venture between Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. and Robert Bosch GmbH, as the battery supplier for the new car. The battery is a key component for electric vehicles as it determines the range and performance of the car.

Fully Charged episode 26 Renault Fluence ZE [video]

An announcement about the series and a short drive in the Renault Fluence ZE

GM engineer gets 3,108 mpg in his Chevy Volt [video]

In a bit of tongue-in-cheek marketing, GM blog has posted a video showing the dash display of a Chevy Volt leased by General Motors Battery Systems Engineer Andy Oury.

Showing the Volt's maintenance mode, which cycle the fuel and lubricate parts of the vehicle if the engine hasn't been used, the dash display also shows the vehicles lifetime MPG numbers of 1554.1 Miles range having used just 0.5 Gallons of gasoline. This is a good illustration of the main advantage of a plug-in as opposed to a non-plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

Note: The 2011 Chevy Volt has an EPA-estimated 35 miles on a single charge; EPA-est. 93 MPGe [electric]; 35 city, 40 MPG hwy [gas]. Actual range varies with conditions.

TRANSLOGIC get to sample the EPIC 232se Electric Sport Boat [video]

Aol's Translogic web TV series get the chance to put the EPIC 232se electric sport boat to the test with World Champion wakeboarder Jeff Weatherall.

Nissan to invest $68M to add Leaf motor production to US plant [video]

Nissan Americas today confirmed that, starting in early 2013, it will produce the electric motor for the Nissan LEAF at its Decherd, Tenn., powertrain assembly plant.

Preparation of the plant for electric motor production, facilitated by U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program loan funds, will include addition of a new assembly line and will create up to 90 new jobs.

When the new assembly line is completed, the plant will have the capacity to produce up to 150,000 electric motors annually for Nissan LEAFs, which will be built at the company's assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn.

"Nissan's Tennessee operations are paving the way to a zero-emission future for everyone," said Bill Krueger, vice chairman of Nissan Americas. "By delivering motors for the first mass-produced electric vehicles manufactured in the United States, our Decherd plant will play a vital role in making zero-emission mobility a reality for American consumers."

The work to support the electric motor assembly line represents the fifth addition to Nissan's Decherd operations, which began production in 1997. The new assembly line will be located within the existing facility using 100,000 sq.-ft. of available floor space, and will feature highly automated, state-of-the-art equipment including wire winding machines, magnetization and magnet insertion equipment, varnishing and hot press equipment and test equipment.

Today, the 1.2 million sq.-ft. Decherd plant produces engines and components for Nissan vehicles built in North America, and also houses engine casting and forging operations. The plant currently has the capacity to produce 950,000 engines, 1.1 million crankshaft forgings and 192,000 cylinder-block castings annually.

Nissan will produce the Nissan LEAF and the batteries that power it at its Smyrna manufacturing complex. The advanced, lithium-ion battery plant is on track to be operational late next year at approximately the same time LEAF production is targeted to begin in Smyrna.

Autocar drives the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC [video]

Autocar's Colin Goodwin had the rare opportunity to test drive the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC prototype racer around "Britain's fastest racing circuit" Goodwood.

However, Autocar's selection of a test driver who starts complaining the moment he gets in the car and who is a fan of "piston engines" spoils the video.