Last week, BMW’s EV work hit a stumbling block when MINI E testers started noting a drastic loss of range. With winter temperatures setting in all across the country, some drivers saw range drop by as much as 50 percent. Ouch. That’s bad news for BMW and EV hopefuls everywhere, but the German carmaker says its learning volumes from the MINI E program in general, and...

When it comes to building a proper race car, few platforms offer a better starting point than a Lotus Seven replica. Evidently, that immutable law of motorsports translates to EV racing, as a group of guys under the Westfield Sportscars banner has created a new EV designed to go head to head with other electron-swilling racers in the EV Cup. Powered by two electric motors...

Reports were all over the internet last week of a potential debut for a hybrid power train from Ferrari. The rumors indicate that the system will debut at the Geneva auto show in the early part of next year and will mimic the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that was so disruptive in the world of Formula 1 this year. For those unfamiliar with the mechanics of KERS,...

KANDI Coco vs Peel P50 Thinking “green” is all about thinking efficiency. That’s why it irks me when Cadillac released a hybrid Escalade. Really? That’s like introducing a 5-foot diameter low-fat cookie. It won’t taste good, and you sure as hell won’t lose any weight. Getting off the diet comparisons, one obstacle car manufacturers have...

While electric car production here in the United States is dragging its heels, the electric motorcycle segment is heating up in a big way. There’s a new addition to the two-wheeled electric crowd, this time from Electric Moto Corporation – a California-based manufacturer. The company’s debut bike, the EMAX 72DS, packs hardware good enough to make it a serious competitor...

Reports coming out of  Automotive News this morning suggest that Chrysler will be introducing an electric version of the Fiat 500 minicar at the Detroit auto show. This would mark the first appearance of Fiat vehicles at a US auto show since Chrysler was purchased by Fiat earlier this year. While AN’s sources did not confirm that this indicates a move to begin...

In 2007 Toyota won the Tokkachi endurance race in Japan using a hybrid race car based on the company’s legendary Supra. To put it bluntly, the Supra HV-R GT made history, giving validity to the idea of an alternative power train in a racing application. Powered by a 4.5 liter V8 putting out 473 hp combined with a brake energy regeneration and drive system, which...

The Detroit Auto Show is just a few weeks away, and already manufacturers are beginning to preview their wares. It’s clear green cars and trucks will dominate this year’s gathering in the great white north, with BMW and Volvo showing off EVs that look remarkably production ready. BMW’s decision to join the EV race is something of a surprise considering how hard...

In keeping with the theme of my sensible story about E85 yesterday, I thought I would share this piece of news that is coming out of Autocar’s online news section this morning. Kepler motors, a California-based startup founded by water and land world speed record holder Russ Wicks, has debuted its first project at the Dubai motor show this week. Dubbed the Motion,...

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: nothing fosters vehicle research quite like a little healthy competition. The organizers of the world’s first electric motorcycle racing series, the TTXGP, have just announced a new league just for electric cars. Called the EMXGP, the series is designed to take place on regular city streets. Which locality gets the honor of...