Car Blog Green » electricvehicle

Wheego Whip electric vehicle now available for pre-order, Friendzee included

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:03:00 +0000

RTEV is ready to take your order for a Wheego Whip low-speed electric vehicle. This sub-$19,000 NEV features remote keyless entry, air conditioning and an mp3 stereo system as standard. The Whip will be available in white, red, blue, black, or silver. Deliveries are scheduled for this May and the Whip should qualify you for a 10 percent federal tax credit on the purchase price. The good news? “When the Whip is eventually certified and sold as a full speed car, the Federal Tax credit will be $7,500.” So, the Whip’s 60 mph capability might someday be usable here in the States. And, should you buy a low-speed Whip today and want to upgrade to the faster car later, Wheego will make you a deal. “The trade in value of your LSV Whip will be the net purchase price of your car less 2% for every month that you have owned your car. And you will receive a $7,500 federal tax rebate when you buy the full speed Whip.” Cool. Also, this is not a smart fortwo , no matter what it looks like. If you’re interested in getting a Whip, feel free to convince a friend to buy one, too. Wheego offers a referral program called “Wheego Friendzee” that will give you and your friend $250 if you both buy. To learn more about the Wheego Whip, click here . [Source: RTEV] Continue reading Wheego Whip electric vehicle now available for pre-order, Friendzee included Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle) Wheego Whip electric vehicle now available for pre-order, Friendzee included originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

Excerpt from:
Wheego Whip electric vehicle now available for pre-order, Friendzee included

It’s Friday: one teeny, tiny question about the Watchmen movie

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:58:00 +0000

So, there’s this Watchmen movie coming out today in the U.S. Maybe you’ve seen the hype. Until a few weeks ago, I knew absolutely zero about the plot or the characters or anything. But, because I’d heard such good things about the original comic, I thought I should Car Blog Greenit through once before the movie comes out, otherwise if I ever do Car Blog Greenit, my experience will be tempered by the film’s visuals. Anyway, while I was reading it, two panels caught my AutoblogGreen-tuned eye. Back in the mid-1980s, when Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were working on the book, they used a passing reference electric vehicles as a type of future technology that was bypassed by a new teleportation ability that one of the characters, Dr. Manhattan, finds himself able to perform. The Miami Herald says that director Zack Snyder has made a good movie “while still slavishly following its plot, practically panel by panel.” So, one thing I’ll be watching for is to see if this tiny little tidbit from the comic pages has made the leap. I’ll admit, sometimes this job affects my life in very odd ways. Enjoy. Auto Blog: Etc. , EV/Plug-in , AutoblogGreen Exclusive It’s Friday: one teeny, tiny question about the Watchmen movie originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

Car Blog Greenmore here:
It’s Friday: one teeny, tiny question about the Watchmen movie

Automobilwoche editor: widespCar Blog Greenelectric cars will take 15 more years

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:02:00 +0000

The long wait for the electric car (remember, they’ve been “just around the corner” for over 100 years ) will continue. That’s the verdict of Automobilwoche editor Guido Reinking, who wrote an article this week that predicted that we won’t be getting serious numbers of electric cars on the road until, get this, 2025. All of the fancy prototypes, he says, won’t mean squat until consumers get behind EVs in a big way. Reinking then makes the fairly absurd argument that just because there are studies that show that 46 percent of all motorists want electric drive cars, we can’t trust that number because studies that showed that people liked Toyota hybrids and the VW Lupo but those models didn’t gain a 46 percent market share. He then tops himself with this: Greenpeace has calculated that each of the 50 electric Minis tested in Berlin emits 133.5 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven, because the electricity used to recharge the vehicles’ batteries is generated by coal-burning power plants. That’s 29.5 grams more than the Mini Cooper D. In the US, where 450 Minis Es will soon take to the road, the estimated carbon dioxide emission is expected to be even higher. Look, I’m totally OK with saying that electric vehicles are not really “zero emission” unless you’re using renewable energy, but c’mon. Automaker CO 2 emissions numbers are based on what comes out of the tailpipe. If Reinking wants to count what happens before the energy/fuel gets to the car, then he needs to add in all the CO 2 that is generated by producing and shipping the fuel for the Mini Cooper D. EVs have their problems, and they are certainly not magic rides that will make everything perfect. But mistakes (or intentional muddying of the waters) like what Reinking does here don’t help. Although, maybe this is exactly what Reinking needs to make sure he’s right about that 2025 date. For more on the long wait for electric vehicles, see our 2006 post on the history of EVs and the gallery below. Gallery: 1967 Popular Mechanics electric car article [Source: Automotive News Europe (subs req'd)] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Green Daily Automobilwoche editor: widespCar Blog Greenelectric cars will take 15 more years originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

Car Blog Greenthe original:
Automobilwoche editor: widespCar Blog Greenelectric cars will take 15 more years

Electric cars prove ideally suited for Detroit taxi service … in 1915

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:56:00 +0000

The New York Times has taken a look at the suitability of electric vehicles for use as Detroit taxis compared to gas and “other” vehicles. Needless to say, the Times found the EV to be a very good option for the low speed urban duty cycle typical of a modern cab. Compared to gas powered cabs, pulling juice off the grid was very cheap making for low operating costs which are critical to cab profitability. The maintenance costs are also lower, due to the relative mechanical simplicity. Passengers also preferred the electrics for their smooth acceleration and low noise compared to gas cabs. Passengers were surprised to learn they were in electric vehicles, expecting them to be much slower. When this particular article was published, there were already more than 600 electric taxis running in Berlin, Germany (compared to 1,600 gas versions). The biggest American operator of electric cabs, according to the report, is Detroit Taxicab and Transfer company. The company even installed chargers at cab-stands to keep the cars ready to go. According to the Times, the electric may not be able to compete with gas cars in all applications but for urban cab service, EVs definitely work. The article was published in 1915. [Source: New York Times ] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in Electric cars prove ideally suited for Detroit taxi service … in 1915 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

See the original post:
Electric cars prove ideally suited for Detroit taxi service … in 1915

Darryl Siry prognosticates on the coming year in EVs

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in Ex-SVP of Tesla Darryl Siry is speaking out again, this time with his assessment of where he thinks the EV industry will be going in the next 12 months. 2009 will undoubtedly be an important year for manufacturers participating in the segment. With a new administration now ensconced in Washington, the atmosphere is likely to be far more biased towards environmentally-friendly rules and regulations. At the same time, the economic environment and political reality will also mean a bias toward preservation of existing jobs and creation of new ones. The first batch of loans from the $25 billion fund being administered by the Department of Energy will be awarded soon and Siry expects the bulk of the cash to go to established automakers to help preserve both jobs and their viability. Another trend that Siry expects to accelerate this year is equity investments by automakers into battery makers. Companies like Ford that don’t have such partnerships have already seen their existing hybrid capacity constrained by limited battery supplies. Check out the rest of Siry’s predictions at his own blog [Source: Darryl Siry ] Darryl Siry prognosticates on the coming year in EVs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

More:
Darryl Siry prognosticates on the coming year in EVs

Instructable of the Day: 48-Volt electric bicycle

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:03:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , On Two Wheels Click above for a gallery of the EV Board Tracker Electric bicycles are becoming more and more common as people see a need to get themselves and little else from one place to another. Bicycles are an excellent way to travel in any case, and now that electric motors, controllers and batteries are becoming more widely available, cyclists are taking it upon themselves to create their own zero-emissions transportation solutions. Take, for example, this Instructable , which shows how to take a beach cruiser-style bicycle and transform it into an EV. There are kits available to convert normal bikes into electric machines, but this is a bit more complex than that. The result is something that resembles an old board track motorcycle that’s capable of hitting speeds of 50 miles per hour for around a hour using 48-volts worth of batteries. We love the arrangement of the components on the frame, which make the machine appear as if it’s powered by a V-Twin engine. See a video of the machine in action after the break. Gallery: Instructable: Electric Board Tracker [Source: Instructables ] Continue reading Instructable of the Day: 48-Volt electric bicycle Instructable of the Day: 48-Volt electric bicycle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

Car Blog Greenthe original:
Instructable of the Day: 48-Volt electric bicycle