EVpulse

The future of fill-er-up! ECOtality Blink

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:06:00 +0000

(Video interview with Andy Hooper, Director of Business Development for frog design).

Ever hear of frog Design? No? Well, have you ever seen the Apple ][c or original Mac? The Wega TV (owned by Sony)? The Yamaha frog 750 motorcycle concept? Are you familiar with Logitech, NeXT, the Sun SPARCstation, the Acer Aspire, Lufthansa, Dell, Microsoft, MTV, Yahoo (*deep breath in*)? Ah man, there are just to many to mention right here.

Well, frog Design is back on the case with their new design for the ECOtality Blink charging station. ECOtality was searching for a solution that was simple, friendly and intuitive and I think they've hit the nail on the head. With the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf hitting the roads very soon the infrastructure needs to be in place to promote the progressing flood of electric vehicles.

The two biggest factors in the expansion of electric vehicles are increasingly affordable vehicles and consumers shaking their "range anxiety" and they go hand in hand. The more comfortable consumers are with their performance, the more likely they are to buy electric vehicles. The more vehicles they buy, the lower their price gets and the faster their technology grows... increasing their range, lowering their prices, etc, etc. For more information, check out frog Design's blog DesignMind.

Dislike your hike? You'll like the YikeBike!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:46:00 +0000

Sorry for the Seuss inspired headline... I'm at home with the kids today. If you've gotten this far, then you're about to find out about one of the most unique and practical, portable electric transport designs to date. Take a genius, like Grant Ryan, driven by a desire to outdo the Segway; give him five years of R&D resources and you end up with one of Time Magazine's Best 50 Inventions of 2009; basically an electric mini-farthing that is the smallest, and lightest (<22 lbs) electric folding bicycle available in the world.

Built with some of our favorite exotics and cutting edge technologies (carbon fiber composites, low-cost nontoxic nano lithium iron phosphate batteries, Hi-vis LED headlights and indicators, electronic anti-lock braking) the YikeBike has a top speed of 15.5 MPH (average bicycling speeds) and range of 6.2 miles per 40 minute charge. Translation? You will own the downtown city streets on this baby. My home-to-downtown commute would be pushing the limits of the YikeBike, but now I could park in the cheap spots, whip this baby out of the trunk or off of my luggage rack and race to the office... Better yet! Ride it to the bus stop, fold it up (20 seconds) climb aboard and just ride to the office from the downtown stop (last mile commuter usage). Oh, if you don't have 40 minutes for a full charge, you can get an 80% charge (5 miles) in just 20 minutes (while you're grabbin' a quick lunch somewhere).

If you've got $136.00 you can put down a reservation and be one of the proud, early adopters of one of these marvels of engineering (after you've paid the remaining $4,300). If you're one of the first 100 to pre-order, your production model should be ready for deliver from New Zealand by this Summer. Parts are arriving as we speak and remember, early adopters make it possible for game-changers like the YikeBike to reach mass production and who knows what sort of effect that will have on congestion and pollution in America or the world! Not to mention all the geek-points you'll get around the office.

You can follow the YikeBike's progress on Twitter and via the YikeBike blog.

The BMW C1 is back... TO THE FUTURE!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:08:00 +0000

We've been getting LOTS of excited emails on this HOT scoop from green.AutoBlog's Jeremy Korzeniewski. He's got a full line of pretty images and some details on the possible return of the BMW C1 in the form of the C1-E concept. My first response is "PLEASE be more than just a concept!" followed shortly by a "PLEASE come to the USA!".

I'm pretty sure BMW is going to hold this card until we see some battery tech improvements coupled with a couple of years of skyrocketing gas prices. The C1 was a GREAT, proven feat of engineering from a safety standpoint. There were only few minor flaws with the old design; slightly poky performance, a tad bit top-heavy & wind prone and a hefty sticker price. The only MAJOR flaw from BMW was hoping that UK safety departments would bend the rules to allow C1 commuters to ride without a helmet... that never passed, so charging people the extra loot and not offering a solution for helmet hair proved fatal to the C1, living only two years before vanishing from showroom floors.

Thanks to Grant and Fred for being the first two to serve up that fresh scoop!

I'd love to experience the return of the dream (as seen below)

I may end up having to settle for THIS instead.

An old icon meets a new movement - The Honda EV-Cub

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0000

To go with our deep-fried Snickers donut and triple shot of organic wheatgrass this morning our friend Akisan gives us this to munch on... the Honda announcement of their plans for the 41st Annual Tokyo Motor show (Oct 24 - Nov 4). There's the normal amount of car and motorcycle stuff, but buried in that list of sportbikes, cruisers and cars is a special little treat... the EV-Cub concept. See it there in the image? Right there in the middle next to the Honda omnidirectional segway styled unicycle the UX-3? All clean and white and red? We're probably still two or three battery technology generations away from them actually producing the EV-Cub, but it's nice to imagine.

The EV-Cub concept is part of Honda's HELLO! (Honda Electric mobility Loop) Zone at TMS 2009, which features many of Honda's latest green technological developments including zero CO2 vehicles powered by solar and hydrogen generated electricity.

Another electric scooter concept on display was the EVE-neo (below), which looks like it's ready for the road. Details on this baby are scarce at this time, but we're certain to have more specs and photos in the coming weeks.

Honda says to also expect the PCX 125 to show up as well as "other" items. We'll keep you posted! Arigato once again to Aki for the scoop!

The electric car floodgates have been opened!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Wow! Today Obama is announcing $2.4 billion in electric car funding to help the U.S. become a leader in plug-in vehicles. You can read Jim Tankersley's whole story here, but in summary, $1.5 billion alone will go toward producing advanced batteries and an additional $500 million would fund drive train R&D for electric cars. The remaining $400 million would purchase and support thousands of electric vehicles to serve as demo models.

They estimate this set of grants will blossom into tens of thousands of new manufacturing jobs right here in the good ol' US of A.

Now, I hope they give these grants to light weight, hungry, up-in-comers like Aptera and Tesla and not just blow it to cover bonuses for the CEOs at the old bailout shops (I'm talking to you GM and Chrysler... you've already gotten your $100+ billion in bailout money, so I'm already expecting something special from you. How about a car that runs on carbon from the atmosphere and spits out ice-cold bottled water from the exhaust pipe? Chop-chop!)

Berlusconi arrives at G8 in a green machine

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:35:00 +0000

(No, not THIS green machine, but the one you see in the video.)

What happens when Ducati starts making electric vehicles (the Eco Buggy)? They get Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to arrive at the G8 summit in one, that's what. Check out Hayley Platt's report (seen above).

It's no 2 ton, bullet-proof Bugatti limo, but it get's the job done, eh?

Vectrix tightening the belt a bit

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:39:00 +0000

Today, Michael Boyle, CEO and President of the Vectrix Corporation sent out a memo to their current dealer base informing them of "recent changes to our field staff and internal corporate support organization". It appears that, like most other vehicle manufacturers, Vectrix is implementing a cut back strategy to protect itself in the current economic environment. With Vectrix marketing a more expensive scooter in these times of $2 a gallon gas, I imagine Vectrix has felt the post 2008 gas spike like no other scooter manufacturer even with the increased green awareness the country is feeling.

Despite the cutback announcement, Vectrix went on to reassure current dealers that they will continue to receive the same high level of support from the company during these lean times, and that dealers should continue to keep they're eyes out for the new VX2

Vectrix is still actively seeking new dealers around the country. We're hoping they can hang in there at least until after the current oil glut runs dry and demand begins to pick back up.

Vectrix expands its line-up with 2 new scooters!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:44:00 +0000

(The flagship VX-1, introduced in 2007 get's some new graphics)

(The VX-1E is the economy version of the VX-1 at $8,495)

(The VX-2 is expected in June with an MSRP of $5,195)
Images courtesy of our friends at Ripley Radio. Thanks a bunch!

Vectrix has come out the gate at today's NY Motorcycle Show with a pair of new zero emission scooters for 2009. Today's electric vehicle market has experienced some what of a whiplash from the roller coaster oil market. Fortunately for them, the oil coaster is slowly climbing another hill. Will it touch the $3.00/gal mark again? Who knows? But Vectrix, the green leaders in the scooter field, are ready to roll when they do.

Here's the press release (I've trimmed it up a bit and sprinkled on a tiny bit of feedback):
New York, N.Y. - January 18, 2009 - Vectrix Corporation (www.vectrix.com), the world leader in Personal Electric Vehicles, has debuted its entry-level VX-2 and the VX-1E urban commuting model at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Alongside the flagship VX-1, the new models round out the company's family of electric vehicles, which will help make 100 percent electric vehicles available to a broader consumer base.

VX-2 is a smaller and more compact electric equivalent of a 50cc internal combustion engine (ICE) bike with a weight of 429 pounds (whew, power of a Yamaha C3 with the weight of a Yamaha Majesty) , a wheelbase of 54.5 inches and seat height of 29.9 inches. It features a 40-50 mile range (hey! That's pretty good!), 30-mph speed capability (Ewwww, I wish it was 45), a 48V/20A battery charger that plugs into a standard 110V/220V outlet and safe, near-silent operation.

"It's the perfect choice to replace cars for short urban trips," said Mike Boyle, Vectrix CEO. "The shortest car trips are the most damaging in terms of global warming, air pollution and our dependence on foreign oil."

Available in green, blue, red, yellow and white, VX-2 is expected to arrive at dealers in June 2009 with an MSRP of $5,195.

Another new addition to Vectrix's family of Personal Electric Vehicles, VX-1E uses the same platform and drive train as the original VX-1, yet features a lower price point and a more urban commuter driver profile with slightly less acceleration and top speed. VX-1E is expected to arrive at dealers in April, and the MSRP is $8,495.

As part of the company's drive to make electric vehicles available to a wider range of consumers, Vectrix also plans to announce a new line of accessories for its VX-1 and VX-1E—including a lower, narrower seat to accommodate riders with smaller frames.

"One of the most important new accessories in the 2009 catalogue is an optional seat that is significantly lower and shaped to give riders with a smaller frame the ability to place both feet on the ground at each stop," Boyle said.

Other new options include a sport windshield about 7 inches lower than standard for riders who like the feel of wind in their face, and a winter windshield nearly 9 inches wider than standard that offers additional protection from wind and insects. Lastly, a new center stand offers more convenient parking and raises the rear tire off the ground for easy tire maintenance.

Vectrix's original Personal Electric Vehicle, the VX-1, was first introduced in 2007 as an eco-friendly, zero emission and powerful alternative for commuting and recreational needs. The 2009 VX-1 will have refreshing new graphics in four colors: white/burgundy red, white/metallic silver, white/sapphire blue and white/acid green.

The VX-1 weighs in at 515 pounds, has a 60-inch wheelbase and 30-inch seat height. It is highway legal, with a top speed of 62 mph, acceleration from 0-50 mph in 6.8 seconds, and an average range of 30-55 miles on a single charge.

All vehicles in the Vectrix family are 100 percent electric — no gas, no oil and no emissions — and feature minimal maintenance and simple operation. In 2008, Vectrix saw 321 percent growth in its distribution network, and now has the largest dealer network of any electric vehicle in the country.

"The success of the Vectrix dealer network shows consumers are ready for new commuting alternatives," Boyle said. "Vectrix appeals to men and women of all ages, and our new accessories make the VX-1 available to everyone looking for good clean fun."

About Vectrix Corporation
Vectrix Corporation was formed in 1996 to develop and commercialize zero emission vehicle platform technologies focused on two-wheel applications. The single focus of Vectrix has been to provide clean, efficient, reliable and affordable urban transportation. Vectrix two-wheel zero emission vehicles currently are being marketed to consumers and government fleets. Vectrix Corporation has headquarters in Middletown, R.I., engineering and test facilities in New Bedford, Mass., sales offices in the UK and production facilities in Wroclaw, Poland.

Toyota now officially in the "Segway" business for 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:20:00 +0000

Our friend Aki in Japan gives us this scoop. Toyota has announced that they will be selling 25 of the Toyota Winglets in 2009 to be used in large factories, parks and airports. The price is around $3,500 US and it will weigh 22lbs. Don't look for large scale production until around 2010. Go here for the story on MSN Japan.

Gocycle - Proof that humans have aquired alien technology?

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:40:00 +0000

Ok, I wouldn't go THAT far, but KKL's Gocycle (not to be confused with the GoBike) is definitely pushing the envelope of electric bikes... just go to the home page to get an idea of what I mean. Very slick! I actually enjoyed exploring the bike bit-by-bit except for the uncomfortable feeling I got when they demonstrate how to replace the battery pack. I dunno, it just seems a bit obscene.

As you dig deeper into the bikes design you'll find it's built on a mountain of new patents, another example of pushing the envelope. Founder, Richard Thorpe, has spent over half a decade designing his electric hybrid dream bike and it looks like its time has finally come.

One thing Richard said that cracked me up was when he admitted to applying "some tactical useage of the power button" to pass up other full-pedal powered cyclists. Now, that sounds like something I would do. Bonus points for Gocycle.

From what I read on the website, it looks like they've been selling Ideal Bike manufactured prototypes since September of 2008 (a couple of months ago) and there are even a handful here in the USA even though the offical US distributorship hasn't gone into play yet. The first 200 prototypes are already done and avaiable for purchase. No word on when mass production will kick off, but I would imagine soon.

With an MSRP expected to be less than $2000, what do you get? You get the 2008 Taipei International Cycle Show award winner, garnering first place for excellence in design in the Best Complete Bicycle and Best Innovation categories. Not bad, eh? So, how about "the goods"... the actual bike? Let's look.

The Gocycle is an electric bike composed of injection moulded magnesium and fiberglass. Injection moulded magnesium? I had no idea you could even do that, but the result is a bike the weighs just 36 lbs. What's more is the fact that you can break the bike down and store it in a hard case the size of an overhead piece of luggage. Where does this technology come from?

The Gocycle will haul up to 220 lbs and is powered by both a pedal powered 3-speed sequential gearbox (completely enclosed for ease of maintenance) and a 250 Watt micromotor. Give her a full 3.5 hour charge and you are ready to hit speeds of up to 18 mph (30 if you have a racing battery) and cover distances of between 6-20 miles depending on how much pedaling you do. That should be plenty for most urban dwellers who work in the city.

The Gocycle stops with an integrated floating mechanical disk brake. The seat and handlebars are adjustable. She has a rear shock absorber and the front suspension can be upgraded. There are some cool luggage accessories available as well. I'd say that KKL has most definitely done their homework with this little project.

I have high hopes for this baby and wouldn't mind having one in my garage now. Sure I'd love to see it go 35 miles at 35 mph, but it's just a matter of time before they gain the tech to make that happen.

New solar cell material achieves almost 100% efficiency, could solve world-wide energy problems

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:12:00 +0000

(The singularity is near! Looks like Nike might have their BTTF Hyperdunk shoes done in time for the 2015 release date after all!)

This is one of the most important advancements in green tech to ever reach your eyes... and we can thank a computer accident for it! That's right, it seems researchers at Ohio State University have accidentally discovered a new solar cell material that is capable of absorbing all of the sun's visible light energy, theoretically giving the potential for a near 100% efficiency rating and totally blowing the 61% efficiency managed by previous science experiments, out of the proverbial water.

Don't look for this technology to be mass produced anytime soon, but barring any unforeseen anomalies in Y2K12, you might just see these in time to power up your flying car and auto-lacing sneakers. w00t!

Go to TGDaily to read the whole article.

Elmoto inches closer to production

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:36:00 +0000

(The sexy and sturdy looking Elmoto HR-2 as captured at Eurobike by Ian Collins (c)2008)

There's tons of excitement around developments in the light-electric-motorbike arena. The highly anticipated Ultramotor A2B is currently available in U.S. shops and the front/rear hub driven Elmoto is hot on its trail making it through another round of prototyping and appearing with updates at the 2008 Intermot in Cologne.

Rumors say the Elmoto will be making her rounds in the U.S. sometime in the middle of 2009. I can't wait to give her a test ride. Twin 250W brushless hub motors? And if you get the W500plus edition (Lithium-Ion) we're looking at speeds of over 37 mph and a distance of nearly 43 miles all that in a 110 lbs package and an operating cost of 70¢ per charge.

If you want to see the Elmoto booth and lots of great product shots, check out this flickr slideshow. You can also keep your finger on the pulse of the Elmoto on the Electric Motorcycle Forum here. They even get responses from Elmoto founder Oliver Wittke!

Expect to see the finished product sometime after April with a price of around $5400 USD. LOVE THE COLORS!

eROCKIT has a new prototype for the October show set

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:04:00 +0000

(eROCKIT 4.2 is ready for her closeup at Intermot Cologne)

The serial hybrid, electric bike from eROCKIT has undergone some prototype updates bringing her one step closer to retail. Serial hybrids are powered by an electric engine with batteries that are normally charged by a low powered gas engine, much like the Chevy Volt. What makes the eROCKIT interesting is that the batteries are charged with pedal power!

I love the small size and the fact that she can reach 50 mph! I think they are really on to something. Now if they could just get the price down to 1/3rd of the current listing of $34,800 USD. Yeah, I flintched too. But, understand that this is the handbuilt, start-up pricing. Stefan Gulas hopes to produce 10 units for 2009. About the price, Stefan says this (rough translation):

"You'll note that I am not building these machines for mass production, these aren't like cheap electric scooters or clothing from China, but a quick piece of jewelry that doen't need fuel and can save you time and money at the gym."

Well, that'll be one piece of bling that I'll have to pass on. Not that I don't love it! To read a Google translation of the press release go here.

Carbon Nanotube Supercapacitors May Replace Clunky Car Batteries

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:21:00 +0000

(Source Gizmodo)
Carbon nanotubes are one of the surprising new carbon supermaterials,
and it looks like their application in supercapacitors may have a role
in replacing clunky old car battery tech. Scientists at the University
of Texas at Dallas have invented a technique to make supercapacitor
"paper" made from randomly tangled carbon nanotubes embedded in a
polymer. Both chemical batteries and capacitors store electrical
charge, in differing ways, but nanotech supercapacitors could store
more energy in a smaller space, without the dangers associated with
chemical systems. Potentially excellent news given the rise of the
hybrid car. Better yet the new technique is "easily scalable for device
fabrication on an industrial scale," so it might end up in real
products sooner rather than later. [Physorg]

Electric MINI spotted in Munich, expected at 2008 LA Auto Show

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:51:00 +0000

(Source: Engadget via caremagazine.co.uk)

Check it, Cooper fans -- that electric MINI we've been sporadically hearing about is for real, and we've seen the spy shots that prove it. Car
has hosted up a slew of non-blurry (gasp!) snaps of the eco-friendly
whip cruising around Munich, and just in case the complete absence of
an exhaust pipe wasn't evidence enough, maybe the "Hybrid Test Vehicle"
decals will make you a believer. Also of note, we're now hearing that
the car is on track for a 2008 Los Angeles motor show appearance, which
jibes quite well with the purported summer 2009 US launch.

Rise of the Roboscooters

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:15:00 +0000

(Photo source: ScooterInsight.it)

Great news from SYM! The foldaway electric Roboscooter, joint designed with MIT Media Lab and NEXT Consortium, is about to become more than a prototype. Check out this bit of background from CENS.com .

Motorcycle makers in Taiwan have been forced to brainstorm, besides relying on filling OEM orders in rosier times, to come up with creative ways to effectively compete in the increasingly harsh global arena, especially with players in emerging economies ready to reduce costs and margins to paper-thin levels. One recent example of the local makers` innovative attempt is the prototype RoboSooter, a compact and foldable electric scooter.

Three major participants in the joint RoboScooter project recently demonstrated the ingenious foldable scooter in Taiwan, after its global premier at EICMA 2007, the 65th International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan, Italy.

The main backers of the RoboScooter include Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. (SYM brand), the second-largest powered two-wheeler (PTW) maker in Taiwan; Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Creativity Laboratory, who aims to generate, evaluate, demonstrate ideas by tapping in-house mechanisms and intensive interactions with industry; and MIT Media Lab, a globally-famous research unit at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology devoted to integrating multimedia and technology.

Look for commercial production to begin Q3 2009! What's so good about the Roboscooter? I think this quote puts it best:

SYM president Huang said that his company, being given significant innovative input by joining NEXT Consortium, decided to design a personal transport ideally suited for increasingly crowded streets, parking lots, worsening pollution, and spiraling fuel prices. "The RoboScooter fits the bill: it is a personal urban transport," Huang said, "which is not only foldable, compact and electric but also an easy link between private and public transportation systems."

The goal for the production unit is to cut the gross weight down to 88lbs with a top speed of 31mph and a max distance of 37 miles... all for under $2000. BRING IT ON, SYM! Click on the CENS.com link above for more info and photos.

Plug-in Prius demoed today in London

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:43:00 +0000

Here's a piece from one of my old favorites, Engadget:

If you've been hoping to get your hands around the wheel of one of those eco-friendly plug-in Priuses (Priuii?), maybe it's time to bite the bullet and finally move to the UK... just like you've been telling all your friends you're going to do one of these days. According to a report, Toyota is gearing up for the first trials of the ultra-high-MPG car starting tomorrow at an event in London's Hyde Park. An invite mailed to select members of the media (British media, we assume) states: "the purpose of our UK trial is to evaluate not only vehicle performance, but also the electrical infrastructure required, as well as driver behaviour and expectations. The results will play a key role in preparing for the future commercialisation of Plug-in Hybrid technology." So if you've ever wanted to watch one of these planet-huggers race silently around a British landmark, here's your chance.

Affordable, Powerful Electric Scooters Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:52:00 +0000

Here's a story (source) from Ariel Schwartz at CleanTechnica.com:

PowerGenix has developed a nickel zinc (NiZn) battery that has 35 percent higher power and energy density than a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery (used in hybrid vehicles), but is half the cost of a lithium-ion battery.

This is great news for scooter fanatics, who right now are forced to choose between cheap scooters with lead-acid batteries and expensive scooters with powerful lithium-ion batteries.

A bike or scooter using the PowerGenix’ NiZn battery has enough energy to run errands or commute to work— but comes with a cheaper price tag than the lithium-ion powered Vectrix and Zero motorbikes

PowerGenix recently inked a deal with Houston based Veloteq to produce scooters using their NiZn battery. Look for the scooters to be marketed initially in Europe and the US next year.

The first Veloteq product will be unveiled later this month, at the Las Vegas Interbike convention Booth #5981. PowerGenix is based in San Diego, Calif.

I believe this is the first of MANY new battery tech developments you can expect to see over the next couple of years. No word on whether or not Veloteq went through the trouble of hiring talented designers to build a scooter with visual appeal and advanced handling or just settled for cramming the batteries into tired old Chinese gas-scooter bodies like so many others. I guess we'll find out in 20 days. Oh wait...

They settled. Zero and Vectrix might have expensive scooters, but at least the look good and handel well.

Tata Motors has high hopes for their new strain of electric car

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:35:00 +0000

New Delhi: Domestic auto major Tata Motors on Wednesday unveiled the electric version of their passenger car "Indica". Tata says that they would distribute their harvest of "Indica" to dealers locally in about two years, without disclosing the price of this green machine. They expect sales to be smokin' and hope it will releave stress on their current oil demand and have a relaxing effect on their economy; possibly helping people sleep at night.

Tata Motors will have to hash out the details on if or when they will bring their stash of new electric cars to America, but they will surely be welcome in California.

Original story found in India's Business Standard site.

Chevy Volt ready for its big screen debut as an Autobot!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:55:00 +0000

Out in Long Beach, California, they are shooting footage for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Besides Ironhide, the GMC Topkick C6500 that gets about 6 mpg was a welcome addition from Chevy, the Volt.

It's not that far from the original concept seen in this video. A poll on the site gm-volt.com shows that 65% actually prefer the production version over the concept version.

The cool thing about the Volt is that it's a plug-in hybrid that goes up to 40 miles on a charge (half the range of the EV1), but also has a "range extender", which is basically a small combustion engine used to generate a charge for the batteries bringing it's distance to 360 miles per fill up. We're not expected to see it until the end of 2009. Expect 10,000 units for 2010 and upwards of 60,000 units for 2011! The price tag is a moving target, but I'd be willing to bet it will settle at $38,995 when it's all said and done.

Here's the original video. About halfway though is where the Volt shows up. She looks pretty roadworthy.

Major discovery from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:00:00 +0000

The "solar solution" is dependent on two major developments. One is the mass production of very cheap, very efficient, and very sustainable solar cells. Nanotechnology developments will make that happen soon. The second development is a very cheap, very efficient, and very sustainably built energy collection system for tapping into that energy collected during the day. Dr. Daniel Nocera has a breakthrough on this part of the solution and shares his findings in this video from MIT>TechTV.

Thanks to Susan for submitting this Pulse. If you want to read the whole story from the MIT news office, go here.

Electric assist bike sales gearing up for a big 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:03:00 +0000

(Emma Vandore rides her electric bike in the streets of paris. Source Shanghaidaily)

Here's some interesting numbers on the international side of electric bikes. This story from Shanghai Daily shows huge growth in the e-bike market in the coming year... mostly for Europe, but there's even mention of market growth in the USA up from 10,000 units to possibly over 100,000 units. Here's a bit from the news article.

More than 10,000 electric bikes were sold in France last year, up from 6,000 in 2006, according to the Conseil National des Professions du Cycle, an association of bike professionals.

Elsewhere in Europe, sales of power-assisted bikes in Germany this year are expected to double the 60,000 sold in 2007, while in the Netherlands, sales of electric bikes increased from 45,000 in 2006 to 89,000 last year. Sales there are estimated to reach 121,000 this year.

The figures in the Netherlands compare with 10,000 units sold in the vastly larger United States in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. However, other sources say sales figures are had to come by and the total US sales could be well over 100,000.

Advances in technology - which has led to lighter batteries capable of running for 40 to 80 kilometers - means electric bikes are competing with scooters and motorbikes.

Electric bikes cost almost nothing to run or maintain and for the daredevil rider offer additional benefits: no helmet, no registration, and no license.

Jean-Paul Massot, a 30-year-old teacher who commutes 8 kilometers to work each day in Paris, says he's willing to pay up to 1,500 euros (US$2,200) for an electric bike - an amount which could get him a gasoline-powered scooter.

"But I don't want to pay for gasoline," he said. "And scooters are polluting and noisy."

Hear THAT ScooterScoop? Polluty and noisy! ;)

Sexy electric bikes finally coming to America - Ultra Motor A2B

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:54:00 +0000

(She's even sexier with the saddle batteries mounted on the back)
The newest e-ped (electric motor / pedal hybrid) from Ultra Motor (UK) is on the horizon. The A2B is ready for the US market and should hit dealers in just a couple of weeks.

No driver’s license necessary, just charge the A2B, unplug it, turn the throttle and enjoy the ride. The A2B can travel at speeds up to 20 miles per hour, without pedaling. Or, if riders feel like some exercise, they can use the pedals to increase their speed and distance. The A2B travels 20 miles on a single charge and riders can use a secondary battery to travel up to 40 miles without re-charging. w00t!

For commuters and “short trippers,” the A2B is designed to carry the goods – computers, groceries, flowers or gear. Baskets and side bags are available separately for purchase.

Ultra Motor is a leading force in the innovation of personal mobility. With state-of-the-art technology manufactured in Taiwan and a design team in Germany, Ultra Motor is paving the way with emissions-free smart transport solutions for the global urban market. The company’s global headquarters are in London, and its US operation is based in San Francisco, California.

For more information or to find out where to buy yours go to www.ultramotor.com/usa

Oh! One more interesting fact from their press release:

Increasing challenges are making urban transportation more costly and time-consuming: the Texas Transportation Institute reports that gridlock costs the average peak period traveler almost 40 hours a year in travel delay and wastes an annual 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline, which has climbed to more than $4.00 a gallon. In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that nearly half of all trips are less than three miles. The A2B is a clean, gasoline-free transportation alternative for the thousands of short trips Americans take every day.

Amazing!

The sound of silence from ZeroMotorcycle

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:42:00 +0000

I've been looking for some high quality video to show me what an electric dirt bike sounds like and now I've seen it, er heard it... or not heard it maybe, whatever. Check out Zero Motorcycle's video gallery HERE.

The only thing that bothered me a little bit was the Mini-Moto championship. Watching these silent dirt bikes zoom around the track with a silent audience was like watching Mike Tyson fight in Japan. Eerily quiet. Though the nature riding shots are cool... all stealthy and stuff.
Best Application: Off-road ninja transportation

Smart to bring the electric version in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Steve G.) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:57:00 +0000

Treehugger got "first dibs" on this story that reveals the 2010 Electric Smart. It's a move that we should have seen a long time ago, but with technology moving so fast I can understand the reason for the hold up. No one wants to be financially committed to a technology when a newer, better and cheaper technology is right around the corner. The only thing hold ME up is the reported $30,000 price tag! Maybe I'd better wait for the Yo Smart electric.