Speaking for the first time publicly at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche’s new CEO, Michael Macht, said that the Stuttgart automaker is “considering and working hard on an electric-powered sports car that would meet the high demands of the Porsche brand.”

“I am also convinced that one day Porsche will have an electric sports car in its line-up,” said Macht. He cautioned that so far the available battery technology is not “sufficient to meet Porsche’s strict requirements.”

Macht said that Porsche engineers are working hard on improving battery technology and that “an electric sports car would therefore only make sense for Porsche if it offers performance and a cruising range similar to that of current sports cars in the market.”

“We are therefore taking the first step in this direction with a full hybrid – in the Cayenne, the Panamera and maybe in the not too distant future also in a racing car or a production 911. Why not?,” he said.

Source: eGMCarTech

Fisker says that its 403-horsepower Karma high-performance luxury hybrid will average an impressive 67 mpg in the combined cycle and it will emit just 83 g/km of CO2. The automaker says that the extra-green sedan will cost about $0.03 per mile to operate.

Fisker had a production-ready version of its Karma high-performance hybrid-electric sedan on display at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Though not quite a series production model, the Karma on display was significantly closer to production than the concept car shown previously. Ultra-luxurious inside and out, the Karma is aimed at well-heeled enthusiasts looking to use a little less fuel.

The Karma’s styling is modestly tweaked from the concept car and the interior is considerably better finished. Every surface is covered in hides with a rubbery finish – good for cornering, bad for entry/exit. Fisker showed the Karma with two sets of golf clubs in the trunk, further illustrating its no-compromises intent.

Production is expected to begin in mid- to late-2009. The company says it is sold out of the $87,900 (base price) through mid-2010.

Source: LeftLaneNews

It's been seven months since Tesla first announced its intentions to build the Roadster Sport, a higher performing version of its standard electric sportscar, and the Silicon Valley-based automaker has finally offered up some real high-res images of the EV along with a bevy of details on what makes the Sport extra special.

First and foremost, the Sport's hand-wound electric motor adds a bit more oomph to the already quick Roadster, taking off two-tenths of a second in the rush to 60 mph (it now checks in at just 3.7 seconds). Also included are bare carbon fiber hood louvers and rear spoiler, a push-button transmission selector to replace the aluminum shift knob and a central touch screen that displays estimated range along with the total number of oil barrels saved over a fossil-fueled automobile.

Source: AutoBlog

If you have recently been curious as to what that number 23 next to a smiling, cutesy electrical outlet meant, the secret is now out. The cryptic ad campaign was the new GM’s way of dropping hints to the expected 230-mpg city rating for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

In a press conference this morning, CEO Fritz Henderson discussed the new methodology under development by the EPA for rating plug-in hybrids that leads GM to expect a 230-mpg city score for the range-extended electric Volt. This new system weights vehicle ratings based on the expectation that they will travel more city miles than highway miles on electricity only. To define the electrical efficiency of plug-ins, the EPA calculates the kilowatt hours used per 100 miles traveled. GM is expecting the Volt, which is said to travel up to 40 miles using only electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, to use as little as 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles in the city. Using a national average of about 11 cents per kWh, GM anticipates the average Volt customer would pay about $2.75 for electricity to travel up to 100 miles.

Henderson is withholding a highway fuel-economy rating but said it and the overall combined score will also be triple-digit numbers. Pricing for the Volt is still up in the air but many expect to see it top the $40,000 mark, although a government tax credit of $7500 is projected. The 230-mpg city fuel economy estimate further adds to the mountain of hype surrounding the Volt and Henderson assures that GM is not “over-promising” on the numbers.

Source: Car and Driver

GM says that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric drive unit helps the Volt produce produces 150-hp and 273 lb-ft of torque allowing it to hit a top speed of 100 mph. Earlier today during a live chat with Jon Lauckner, GM’s Vice President of Global Program Management, and one of the Chevy Volt’s founding fathers, a question about the Volt’s performance specifications was asked.

“0-60 will be approx 8.5-9 seconds depending on how many people are in the car, luggage, etc. But, thanks to the characteristics of electric motors (max torque at 1 RPM), the launch feel of the Volt is equivalent to a 250 hp V6 engine…and even capable of squawking the tires, which I’ve done,” said Lauckner.

Asked whether it is possible to create an all-wheel-drive version of the Voltec drive train Lauckner said: “Definitely possible, but not planned at this time.”

Source: eGMCarTech

Reviewers have praised the 2011 concept Dodge Circuit EV. Many have driven the prototype model and Chrysler previously announced that the vehicle would be produced, then speculation came suggesting the program was canceled especially in light of the economic issues. However, there is now new evidence indicating the program may still be underway.

Chrysler is currently testing prototypes of the Circuit EV in Michigan, Arizona, and the UK. Chrysler has proving ground in both of the U.S. states, but why would prototypes be in testing around the world if the program is cancelled and there is no hope for production.

Chrysler recently announced their commitment to electric vehicles. They will introduce their first EV next year, but will the Circuit make the list down the line? According to Lou Rhodes, the president of Chrysler's ENVI division which focuses solely on electric vehicles, the Circuit may still be a possibility. More in the jump!

In an interview with Car and Driver, Rhodes spoke in some detail about the Circuit's future. He may have let a few words slip out to intrigue listeners or they may have been words planned to unofficially state that the program is still underway. Either way, here are the details. According to Rhodes, the Circuit would be produced at the Lotus factory and then shipped to a U.S factory for electric component install. The prototype vehicles are undergoing constant modifications one of which will cut the 0-60 mph time by a half second.

Rhodes says that Chrysler intends to sell 100,000 EVs which will reduce costs due to the scale of the effort. The Circuit EV could undercut the price of the Tesla Roadster by "tens of thousands" according to Rhodes.

Much of this information is probably still speculation, but drawing from the clues hinted at by Rhodes, its believable that the Circuit EV may still see production someday. With constant focus and effort put into the program, it's unlikely that its merely for eye appeal.

Developing prototypes and testing prototypes costs money and takes up precious time. Why invest both time and money into a product that isn't intended for production? To date, Chrysler has spent an estimated 3 years perfecting this vehicle, hopefully it only takes a few more until the production version become a reality.

Source: All Cars Electric

While owners of the current Tesla Roadster get the benefit of driving their bad ass electric vehicle today, people who are on the list for a 2010 model will get a few benefits that make 2009 owners jealous. Tesla Motors Club member DrComputer wrote about "a conversation with Ted at corporate" that revealed some improvements to the new cars. A tipster sent in a similar list of upgrades. The upgrades include:

* New power electronics module
* Better cooling for the power electronics
* Improved AC with variable speed fans
* Built in WiFi cards that connect the Roadster to the Internet (unless you turn the feature off) and gives Tesla the ability to interact with the car remotely. Also, this could open the door to mobile phone apps that talk to the car.
* Glove box locks when you lock the car (to leave it out with the top down)

Both sources mention the ability to switch vehicle performance modes – from Range to Standard or Performance (but not back to Range) – with the key instead of needing to change modes via the screen. There has been no official confirmation about these upgrades, but none of them would surprise us if they were true.

Source: AutoBlog

There you are - looking to go green but still wanting to stay cool. After looking over the limited choices you have for electric-vehicles, you narrow it down to the Tesla Roadster; however, the only problem is you don’t have the $109,000 it costs to purchase the Tesla.

Well, Bank of America has come to your rescue. Tesla Motors announced yesterday that it is offering financing for the Roadster through Bank of America.

“Owning a Roadster can result in a lower total monthly cost than a gas-guzzling sports car with a similar sticker price,” Tesla said in a statement. “Thanks to the low cost of electricity vs. gasoline, the Roadster costs roughly $4 to fully recharge - a bargain even when gasoline costs less than $1 per gallon.”

Bank of America will directly finance, document, and service vehicle loans for customers, providing a very easy online interface for these services. All agreements and payments will be between the customer and Bank of America.

Tesla said that it also plans to offer financing for the Model S sedan.

Source: eGMCarTech

Best Buy Co., best known as a vendor of giant televisions, is veering in a new direction: selling green vehicles.

America's largest consumer-electronics retailer by sales has quietly begun offering electric-powered scooters, bicycles and Segway Inc. transporters in 19 locations in California, Oregon and Washington.

It is throttling up the venture this summer with the introduction of the Brammo Enertia, a futuristic electric motorcycle that can travel 45 miles at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and plugs into a standard wall outlet. Best Buy wouldn't disclose when it will begin.

Source: Wall Street Journal

As plug-in hybrid and other electric vehicles begin shipping in volume starting in 2010, a robust new infrastructure will be required for charging access at home, at work, and around town. By 2015, the global installed base of charge points will surpass 5 million with cumulative equipment revenues of $6.5 billion, according to a new report from Pike Research.

“While electric vehicles will be primarily charged at home, a strong funding push by governments will mean that more than half of all charge points will be public charging stations by 2015,” says industry analyst John Gartner. “Retailers will also install public access stations primarily as a marketing tool, and many companies will also offer workplace charging stations for their employees.”

Pike Research forecasts that China will be the world leader in charging stations, representing nearly half the total market, due to a strong government mandate to encourage adoption of electric vehicles. The United States will be the second-largest market with more than one million charge points installed by 2015. Other hotbeds for EV charging infrastructure will include Israel and Denmark.

The added demand for electricity will have little overall impact on grid reliability, but could diminish performance and accelerate capacity upgrades in neighborhoods with the highest EV concentrations, including faster utility adoption of smart grid technologies.

Source: Auto Channel

Tesla announced yesterday that it will open a total of seven regional sales and service centers this summer. In the United States, Tesla plans on opening a store in New York, Seattle and Chicago in June. Following those three stores Tesla will open up shop in Miami.

Later this month, Tesla will open a store in London, followed by Munich and Monaco.

“Tesla takes its showroom cues from Apple, Starbucks and other customer-focused retailers,” Tesla said in a statement. “Tesla stores provide a welcoming spot to surf the Web, test drive cars and learn more about Tesla, the only production automaker selling highway-capable EVs in North America or Europe.”

“We are rethinking almost every aspect of the automobile - from the powertrain to the customer experience, both online and in our stores,” said Tesla CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk.

Earlier this week, Tesla announced that it delivered its 500th Roadster in the United States. The California-based automaker will begin producing the $128,500 Roadster Sport later this month.

It has also received over 1,000 reservations for the Model S sedan.

Source: eGMCarTech

Lutz decided to hop on the Late Show with David Letterman to put some bad vibes to rest concerning the new Chevrolet Volt. To sum it up, consumers can expect to pay about $32,500 after government rebates due to the green nature of the vehicle. It is scheduled to be in showrooms in early 2011 and will be built in the US and exported globally. Hit the jump for the video!

Despite the looming bankruptcy and the other serious issues facing the company, General Motors' global product development chief, Tom Stephens told journalists on the sidelines of an event at the University of Michigan that the American automaker is on plan with the development of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. "At this point in time, I know of no reason why we can't be in production by November of 2010," Stephens said.

Stephens, who replaced Bob Lutz as GM's vice chairman of global product development on April 1st, 2009, also told reporters that the automaker has not made a decision yet on which of the remaining three brands (Cadillac, Buick and GMC) after the axing of Pontiac and the sale of Saturn and Saab would get a vehicle based on the Volt's plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

"It's best utilized in urban vehicles," said Stephens. "We have to consider what is the usage of the person buying the vehicle. For a commuter who drives 40 miles a day and takes it shopping on weekend, it's the perfect application."

Source: CarScoop

A battery-powered 268-horsepower two-seat sports car is in line to become Chrysler LLC's first electric car, provided the carmaker lives to see another day.

To survive, help is needed from Italy's Fiat but, as negotiations with the Italian automaker bog down and the two week deadline to hammer out a partnership approaches, the company's future - as well as its aspirations for an electric hot rod - are increasingly in doubt.

Chrysler's first electric car, set to be introduced late next year around the same time as General Motors' Chevrolet Volt, will be a sports car with a zero-to-60 time of under five seconds and a top speed of 120 miles per hour.

Source: CNN Money

Aside from the bridge loans supplied to GM by the federal government, GM had applied for $10.3 billion from the Energy Department. Of that amount, $2.6 billion was meant to be devoted to building the Chevy Volt and two derivatives of it, as well as a third hybrid model. May is when the Energy Department will begin approving those loan requests.

But because the company itself hasn't passed the financial viability test in order to simply survive, the administration has put GM's $10.3 billion request on hold. The government deadline for GM to prove financial viability is June 1, and since it will probably take all of that time, GM can't look for any other cash assistance to continue product development until that matter is resolved.

GM says that the government decision won't stop the Volt from going on sale in November 2010. Outside analysts suspect that GM plans to pay for the Volt with money from other programs.

Source: AutoBlog