On Friday, a Nissan spokesman told Bloomberg News that the automaker is “studying possibilities to put our hybrid system in other models” in addition to the Nissan Altima Hybrid and a future luxury hybrid. The statement comes after hybrids have become number one sellers in Japan, Nissan's home market.
In the auto industry’s struggle to re-invent itself as innovative, high-tech, and environmentally friendly, car companies have fixed on the idea of plug-in hybrids and electric cars as a solution. What hasn’t been worked out is the fundamental question of how and where a million plug-in vehicles will find juice for their cars. Pike Research, a renewable energy research and consulting firm, identified a number of myths about how electric car charging will unfold by 2015.
Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing service, announced yesterday that it will bring an all-electric vehicle "pod" to central London. Two weeks ago, AltCar began offering the Maya 300, a small neighborhood electric vehicle, for loan in Baltimore's Inner Harbor district. Several companies are currently testing the durability and profitability of offering plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles in their fleets.
The McDonald's restaurant in Cary, NC, will become the first location in the fast food restaurant chain in more than a decade to offer electric car recharging. The installation of the first plug-in car charging station at a McDonald’s is a sign of the potential widespread adoption of cars that can be powered by electricity.
Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Ford, pledged yesterday to form an alliance with the Edison Electric Institute to work on plug-in cars. Speaking at EEI’s annual convention in San Francisco on Thursday, Mulallly outlined his company’s path toward high fuel-efficiency, which included—but by no means was limited to—electric vehicle technology.
Bosch, the world’s biggest auto parts supplier, believes that electric
cars will dominate the global car market—but not until 2030. Speaking at
an automotive seminar in Stuttgart, Bosch chairman Bernd Bohr said the
major hurdle for electric cars remains the weight and cost of batteries.
The plan to lease the Mini E—an all-electric version of the Mini Cooper—has hit a snag. The market test of about 500 Mini E cars in New York, New Jersey and California was to include a special 220-volt charging unit so leasees could recharge their cars in 3.5 hours. But the installation of the charging box has to be approved by each local municipality.
Southern California start-up automaker Coda has announced plans to bring a new electric car to the US from China in 2010. If successfully launched, the sedan would become the first Chinese-built vehicle to be certified by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and sold in the US. Passing the certification process, and Coda's direct sales plan—which could be challenged in court because of service requirements that go along with sales agreements in most states—are remaining obstacles.
Three Indiana pension funds today asked the Supreme Court to stop Chrysler's sale to Fiat, arguing (among other things) that the US Treasury Department overstepped its legal authority by using bailout funds for Chrysler when Congress intended the money for banks. Those same bailout funds are also the key to Chrysler’s plans for plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
Pricing for the next wave of electric cars is starting to be revealed. Remarkably, these gas-free cars are coming in at almost the same exact price: $45,000.
