The recently concluded 2011 Geneva Motor Show not only showcased the automakers’ latest vehicle productions and concepts, but it also unveiled the top three finalists for the World Green Car of the Year.

A sixty-six member jury chose the top three most environmentally-friendly cars among their earlier list of six green cars. Vying for the World Green Car of the Year title are the following:

• BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Edition
• Chevrolet Volt
• Nissan Leaf

The Smart Electric Drive, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell weren’t able to make the cut. The three were included earlier in the list but the 320d, Volt and Leaf edged them out of the competition.

But to even be nominated for the title is already such an honor, since the jury has imposed some strict criteria and only a few were able to qualify for the award. Out of the dozens and dozens of EVs, hybrids and natural gas vehicles, the jury only chose six cars which they announced earlier in February, only to wind it down to three this month.

To qualify, the company needs to manufacture at least 10 productions of the vehicle, released in at least one major market from January 1, 2010 to May 30th this year. Emissions, consumption and power plant technology were also considered. Lastly, the car had to be an all-new production, or at least minimally modified.

The winner of the World Green Car of the Year award will be announced on April 2 at the 2011 New York Auto Show.

Electric vehicles are normally costly and high-maintenance. Not too many people could afford and sustain the demands of having an EV in their garage. Only the elite, environmentally-conscious magnates or tycoons can purchase and maintain electric vehicles. But French automaker Renault is planning to break this trend and shatter the pricey EV image with the production of Twizy, the cheapest two-seater EV.

The Twizy doesn’t look like a normal EV. In fact, it probably can’t even be classified as a car with its cutesy two-seater design that looks more like a scooter than an ordinary vehicle. Renault came out with two different versions of this ‘quad-ricycle’: one that could produce a mere nine horsepower with a speed of 28 miles per hour, and another with 20 horsepower with a higher speed of 47 miles per hour. It definitely fails on the speed meter, but really, what can you expect from an electric scooter?

The four-wheeled scooter will probably be the cheapest electric vehicle to hit the market. It has a price tag of around US $ 9,700, a pretty low price for an EV. Renault designed the Twizy for urban city driving and made it available for more people by giving it a budget-friendly price, a breather from all those expensive environmentally-friendly cars out in the market today.

Lightweight at 3,527 pounds and producing zero carbon emission, green car lovers will definitely make this silent scooter on top of their to-buy list. The Twizy will be available in Europe early next year.

BMW Group will reach greater heights in electric vehicle technology this year with its recently launched BMW ActiveE, the second phase of the German automaker’s “electro-mobility development strategy”.

Following in the footsteps of the group’s earlier launched electric vehicle MINI E, the BMW ActiveE is also emission-free and will be mass-produced. It is a continuation of BMW Group’s Project I concept, specifically the Megacity Vehicle (MCV) concept, an EV that could live up to the demands of city driving while being environmentally-friendly as well. The ActiveE is a test of the MCV concept and it has been incorporated with the technologies that will soon enhance the BMW MCV series—a line up of EVs that will center on the concept of “electric mobility for everyday driving”.

As BMW’s second electric vehicle production, ActiveE has an improved 170 horsepower and a maximum of 184 lb-ft torque, helping it achieve a faster acceleration of zero to 60 miles per hour in traffic-congested urban areas. This EV can also run up to 100 miles daily using lithium-ion batteries.

Unlike the MINI E, BMW enhanced the ActiveE’s interior and space, equipping it with four fully-fledged seats and a roomy luggage compartment. It is also installed with the Central Information Display which informs the driver everything he needs to know while driving, including the energy flow, battery charge level and vehicle range. Optimum driving efficiency can also be achieved with the ECO PRO Mode which the driver can activate using a center console switch. Energy is conserved while acceleration range is improved with just a single press of the switch.

The BMW ActiveE will make its first public appearance in April at the New York International Auto Show. It goes on sale beginning this fall in major US cities.

Shortly after its electric vehicle LEAF production, Nissan is still riding the green car hype with another EV in the making. Behold the electric sports car of the future—the ESFLOW.

Nissan leaked previews and reviews about its newest concept early this month, and the Japanese automaker plans to rock the 2011 Geneva Auto Show next month with its explosive sports car/EV combination.

Although merely a concept at this point, Nissan shows the world the possibility of creating a green car without sacrificing the looks and pleasure of sports car driving. The Esflow’s powerhouse will be able to shoot from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in less than five seconds, an engine concept that could very well prove that EVs could match the force and speed of sports cars.

The Esflow will be incorporated with the same technology used for the LEAF and that means having laminated lithium-ion batteries as well for its engine. Nissan designed the sports car as a two-seater, rear-wheel drive with twin electric motors positioned above the rear wheels’ axis for optimum stability, control and power distribution.

To complete the futuristic sports car look, the Esflow has electric blue LED accent lights for the front and rear with glacier blue color scheme and six spoke wheels. A wraparound windscreen is mounted on the car for maximum visibility, complete with rear view cameras and charging points secretly stationed underneath the front lights.

For the interior, the Esflow has all the features a typical futuristic vehicle would have. It has steel framed, motorized seats upholstered in gold leather and trimmed in gold suede, while the doors are accentuated with dark blue leather. Four LCD screens are mounted on the silver-trimmed dashboard.

Wipe away the drools from your mouths though. For now, the ESFLOW is just a concept. Hopefully, Nissan will let this concept see the light of production soon. Only then can the futuristic EV-sports car dream become a reality.

Although it was one of the most talked about green cars in the recent months, the Chevrolet Volt surprisingly didn’t make it to the top ten of the annual greenest cars list of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Honda Civic GX bagged the no. 1 spot with its cleaner compressed natural gas technology, while electric vehicle Nissan Leaf, also a favorite among 2011 EVs, came in second. The small two-seater Smart ForTwo was third on the list and battery-powered Toyota Prius came in fourth. The Honda Civic Hybrid completed the top five.

Because of inefficient fuel economy, Chevrolet Volt fell to a disappointing and less than stellar ranking at no. 12.

The ACEEE ranks the vehicles according to their “Green Score”, with fuel economy and emissions among the top criteria for making it to the list. Diesel cars were not included in the list because they still give off higher amount of emissions as compared to gasoline-powered cars.

Although it can run on electricity and gasoline, the popular Volt still failed to impress the council with a fuel economy of only 35 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

According to ACEEE spokeswoman Shruti Vaidyanathan, “As a gasoline vehicle, the fuel economy’s not stellar.”

Weight is also considered as part of the rating system, so there was no chance the heavy 3,800-pound Volt would have made it to the top 10. The lithium-ion battery pack installed in the engine added heavily to the Volt’s total weight.

GM spokesman Rob Peterson found the ranking “laughable”.

“It’s one group’s interpretation of a measurement of ‘green’,” he stated.

The Siemens conglomerate recently closed a sweet, multimillion-pound deal from Transport for London (TfL) to manage and support electric vehicle charging points across the London capital for the next four years.

Siemens will support the Source London project which aims to install 1,300 charging points for electric vehicles at no added cost to taxpayers, creating a large electric charging network for the capital.
The exact amount of the deal will not be disclosed, although a TfL spokeswoman confirmed it was a “multimillion-pound deal” which secures Siemens’ position to manage Source London’s back office until March 2014 “at no cost to taxpayers”.

The launching of the charging points shows TfL’s commitment and dedication in minimizing London’s transport emissions, according to Nick Fairholme, TfL interim director of congestion charging and traffic enforcement.

“Even in these economically challenged times, the mayor and TfL continue to work to make London one of the greenest cities in Europe,” he stated. “London already has the highest number of EVs in the UK; Source London, in conjunction with the new vehicles coming to market this year and the government consumer grant, will keep us in the lead.”

Drivers have to register and shell out an initial payment of £100 to join Source London. From 250 this year, the charging points are expected to grow to around 1,300 by the end of 2013. This will further secure London’s reputation as the city with the highest number of EVs in UK.

According to London Mayor Boris Johnson, “One of the biggest hurdles to greater use of electric vehicles has been a lack of charging points. But now Londoners will see Source London points popping up in locations all over the capital.”

Nissan Motor Company is reportedly experiencing delays in supplying its heavily anticipated electric car to US customers.

The popular Nissan LEAF, which was introduced in December 2010, has more than 20,000 people on its waiting list. The Japanese automaker already delivered 19 to customers during its first production month, and followed it with 87 deliveries just last month.

Despite the delay, productions for the LEAF EV is still on schedule with about 4,000 cars built in Nissan’s Oppama plant in Japan. The LEAF is scheduled to be produced in other Nissan factories as well. The cars will be built in Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee factory from 2012 and in Sunderland, UK from 2013.

Although the scheduled production seems organized, Nissan admitted bottlenecks in its quality assurance process. The delays also stem from the EV’s unconventional ordering system, which is done through the Internet. The system bypasses US dealers and is responsible for distribution delays.
According to David Reuter, Nissan US spokesman: “We knew that the production rollout would be slow at first and then would ramp up [but] it’s where we expected it to be. Where we disconnected was in communicating this to the customer.”

Nissan has high hopes that distribution would improve by April.

The Nissan LEAF’s delay is just one of the many challenges the Japanese automaker and its French partner Renault will face as they brace their companies for eight battery-powered models that will hit the market by 2014. It’s the biggest challenge on technological advancement made by any company in the automotive industry.

Around €4bn or $5.4bn is being invested by Nissan and Renault to meet the challenge in electric vehicles. Factories will be supplied with lithium-ion batteries and are being built in France, Portugal, UK, US and Japan.

Approximately 20 percent of U.S. tax credits for green cars were erroneously claimed, a government audit reported.

According to Bloomberg, non-qualifying vehicles like the Buick Enclave and Hyundai Sonata were erroneously granted tax credits. The tempting federal tax credit amounting to $ 7,500 for plug-in and alternative-fuel vehicles enticed some taxpayers to file for claims even if their vehicles did not qualify for tax refund.

The estimated 20 percent of erroneous tax credit is equivalent to about $ 33 million, an approximate amount that was claimed during the first half of 2010 by taxpayers who weren’t eligible to be granted such amount of money from the Internal Revenue Service, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported.

“While IRS management did take corrective actions to reduce erroneous claims when TIGTA brought these process weaknesses to its attention, more clearly needs to be done,” stated Inspector General J. Russell George.

Even with the erroneous credits, the IRS is firm in disagreeing with auditors’ recommendations and will not automatically reject credit claims for non-qualifying vehicles. The agency will instead take the necessary precautions and measures to ensure accuracy in the application process for claims. IRS will also take action and recapture the erroneously claimed credits from taxpayers.

According to IRS spokesman Grant Williams, “The IRS took immediate action to put additional protections in place to stop improper vehicle payments. We are also taking steps to recapture the credits people erroneously claimed.”

In an effort to have 1 million technologically advanced vehicles by 2015, the Obama administration approved the $ 7,500 tax credit. All plug-ins, like the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt, and alternative-fuel vehicles qualify for the federal tax credit.

Ford’s breakthrough 2012 Focus Electric recently bagged Green Car Journal’s annual Green Car Vision Award and beat other notable electric vehicles in the just concluded Washington Auto Show.

According to Ron Cogan, Editor and Publisher of the Green Car Journal: “The groundwork that Ford has laid with such advanced and sensible technologies as EcoBoost, hybrid drivetrains, and ethanol flexible-fuel vehicles has shown an understanding of what it takes to bring fundamental change to the marketplace, without sacrificing the features and the driving enjoyment that is so important to new car ownership. The Focus Electric is an extension of this philosophy.”

Other finalists include Honda Fit EV, Mitsubishi i, Toyota RAV4 Electric, and Volvo C30 DrivE electric. Ford first unveiled the Focus Electric in the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show held last month in Las Vegas.

Focus Electric will run on cost-efficient lithium-ion battery system and can be charged in three to four hours using a 240-volt charging station. Aside from being an environmentally friendly car, the Focus is packed with interesting and advanced features, setting it apart from other EVs in the market. The Green Car Vision winner can be charged much faster than its two closest competitors, the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt. It also utilizes the MyFord Touch interface and MyKey technology for advanced driving convenience. In addition to that, Ford developed an app for SmartPhone users to have an in-depth view and knowledge regarding the status of their car, like its battery life and charge schedule. To top it all off, Focus has eco-friendly seats and a sporty Z shape design that exudes a powerful athletic sophistication.

Get your hands on the Focus Electric once it hits the market later this year

It was only last July 2010 when Clean Air Power and Volvo Bus Corporation have entered into an agreement to jointly develop the installation of Duel-Fuel systems. This new system will enable the Volvo buses to operate on Dual-Fuel in the future. But it seems that Volvo won’t have to wait for long, Clean Air Power is already supplying it with 11 Dual-fuel systems.

For those who are not familiar with Clean Air Power, they are the developer of Dual-Fuel combustion technology that enables heavy duty diesel engines to function on a combination of diesel and natural gas. The Dual-Fuel systems that they have developed have three main components: the electronic control unit (ECU), turbocharger air bypass (TAB), and the gas injection system which is comprised of electronically controlled gas injectors fitted in a customized air inlet manifold.

Aside from the Dual-Fuel technology, Clean Air Power is also working on the development of MicroPilot which utilizes smaller diesel pilot injections that would help to reduce NOx emissions by more than 80%. Clean Air Power is developing the MicroPilot to be compliant with Euro V and even to other emission standards beyond.

The 11 Dual-Fuel systems are to be fitted directly onto 11 Volvo buses which are scheduled to start operation by July 2011 in Sweden. The usage of the Dual-Fuel systems is backed by the Swedish government. And to show its support the Swedish government through the Swedish Energy Agency has contributed around SEK 24 million (US$3.5 million to fund the project.

The collaboration between Clean Air Power and Volvo does not end with the Dual-Fuel system in fact they have started discussion on their next project which is a joint development of Dual Fuel engines which are to be used for the next generation of Volvo Buses and bus chassis.

For the Dual Fuel engines, Clean Air Power and Volvo will sign an entirely new agreement separate from the previous Duel-Fuel system agreement that they have.