The automotive world appears well on its way to a lithium-powered future. Yet, as the future of lithium continues to grow brighter, some skeptics are presenting concerns that might give pause to those who see this metal as the ideal path away from petroleum-fueled transportation.
When you imagine plugging an electric or plug-in hybrid car into the wall to recharge, what do you envision in your hand? A standard orange extension cord? Time to change that picture; production electric-drive vehicles will all use a special cord, with a plug and socket on the car end that’s unlike any you’ve seen before. (Photo by Zevotron via flickr creative commons.)
The filmmakers that brought us the acclaimed documentary/murder mystery 'Who Killed the Electric Car?' are now gearing up for a film entitled, 'Revenge of the Electric Car.' Though it may sound like the title of a campy 1970s-style horror pic, it is rather the second documentary from director Chris Paine which centers on the idea of electric-only transportation for the mainstream market.
We’re probably showing our age when we remember Fernwood 2 Night, the 1977 mock talk-show spinoff of classic 1970s comedy series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. But it wasn’t until we found one of the old clips that we realized: Good lord, the show’s writers anticipated the Tesla Roadster battery by at least 30 years!
Last week, Tesla Motor Company acknowledged that it is losing money, struggling financially, laying off employees, and closing its Detroit-area office. Could the Tesla dream—the creation of an electric car company in the mold of a Silicon Valley start-up—be falling apart? Elon Musk, the company’s primary funder and now its CEO is unwilling to let that happen. No matter the cost.
The newest version of the electric Smart, set for demonstration projects in the US and Germany, will use lithium ion batteries that should give the car close to 100 miles of range.
Hyundai has not yet put a hybrid car on the market—and yet the company is throwing around big numbers for its hybrid program: an SUV that gets 38 miles to the gallon; a diesel minicar that beats 60 mpg; and 500,000 annual hybrid sales by 2018.
This week’s Paris Auto Show is practically a parade of electric and hybrid cars. It's a chance to see a glimpse of the future. Check out our showcase of the 10 coolest and greenest vehicles from the Paris show.
What will your children drive 20 years or more from now? According to one analyst, many of them are likely to take the wheel of a battery electric car.
Top executives of Chrysler Corporation took the wraps off a line of electric and hybrid vehicles today. In a CNBC exclusive interview, the company both upended and validated the future arrival of electrically driven vehicles.
