The Champaign corks were flying on Thursday as ZAP and Integrity Manufacturing broke ground on their electric car factory located at Wilkey North Industrial Park in Franklin, KY. The joint company venture is in the process of raising $76 million in bonds to fund the project, $48 million has already been promised in incentives by

The process of building an electric car is—as one Silicon Valley venture capitalist put it—not a matter of “bolting an electric motor to a chassis.” That’s even truer for a hybrid that plugs in for a jolt of extra power. It takes lots of money, talented people and the right materials. Even with all the

August 6, 2007: Source – Product-Reviews 40-plus mpg isn’t enough for the makers of smart. In addition to gasoline and diesel powertrains now available, Mercedes will soon introduce electric and micro-hybrid (belt-alternator-starter) versions of the diminutive auto. But if you live in the US, don’t hold your breath. Mercedes doesn’t plan to start selling smart