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.

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

Japan will once again prove they’re the leader in technological advancements with the launching of eight new green cars by March 2016. Japanese automotive giant Mitsubishi Motors is slated to unveil eight more environmentally friendly cars, in addition to the i-MiEV, which was launched in 2009. A groundbreaking invention, the i-MiEV was the world’s first commercially produced electric vehicle and set the standard among other automotive companies who strived to equal or surpass Mitsubishi’s achievement. This time, their line-up will be a combination of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Around 2012, the company plans to launch its first plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. Mitsubishi revealed it will start the new line-up with a mini commercial vehicle, the Minicab MiEV.

The little sister of the globally successful i-MiEV, it is reported that the minicab will be powered by Toshiba’s SCIB battery. Another technological giant, Toshiba will be in partnership with Mitsubishi to develop and produce a fast-charging, long lasting battery that will support the plug-in vehicles. Pretty soon, other automotive companies would catch up with this technology and we’d soon find ourselves in a battery-operated world. But with the rising gasoline prices, the world would certainly welcome these battery-charged babies. Besides, the electric cars just might be the solution to our long-waged battle against global warming and the greenhouse effect. It was also reported that the SCIB lithium-ion rechargeable battery was particularly chosen for its low cost, extended life and fast-charge ability. A fully charged Minicab MiEV will be able to cover 100 km or 62 miles like the i-MiEV.

Mitsubishi plans to market the Minicab with a price tag that would cost around 2 million yen or less, or an estimated price of US $24, 210. Billionaires, tycoons, magnates and celebrities would definitely be lining up for this vehicle. The company has high hopes that the green cars and new business strategies will double their operating profit to 90 billion yen, and triple their net profit to 45 billion yen by 2014.

The previous news on GEM is not really that good– it’s bad. If you can remember Chrysler has backed out on its plan of producing the Peapod which was a low speed neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) supposedly to go on sale last 2009. But that doesn’t mean that Chrysler has altogether drop the “whole electric vehicle” idea in fact it has recently made an announcement that GEM or Global Electric Motorcars, its wholly-owned subsidiary, has developed a new line up of low speed neighborhood electric vehicles that are far better than the previous Peapod project.

Here’s what Rick Kasper, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chrysler Group Global Electric Motorcars LLC has to say: “The 2011 model year marks our 13th year in designing and distributing 100 percent battery-electric GEM vehicles. We’re always integrating new technologies and features into our product line that allow our customers to customize their vehicles and use them in a variety of capacities.”

The new 2011 GEM NEVs are equipped with energy monitoring system and some additional accessories of which includes a 12-inch turf tires, right-hand drive, a short bed package and utility tie downs. Currently there are around 45,000 of them in actual used today.

I think one of the best features of the new GEMs is its energy monitoring system that displays the amount of energy in kilowatt-hours. This gives you the opportunity to check how much it cost to drive a GEM plus it also provides you a way of validating Chrysler’s promise that the GEM will only cost you 2 cents per mile.

The GEMs can reach a top speed of 25 mph and can cover 30 miles on a charge—in short it’s ideal only for short trips. There are currently six models of GEMs to choose from and can be customized with a variety of accessories and options. You can check out the dealership in your area if you are interested in upgrading your GEM or to purchase one.

Prior to the domination of weird-looking green cars of the 2000s, one of the most famous green cars years ago was the Ecostar EV from Ford. Born in 1992, the Ecostar EV was way ahead of its time when it comes to the green technology that it used.

An electric vehicle, the Ecostar EV looked like any other automobile out in the streets. The only thing that makes it different is its power source. Using a sodium-sulfur battery pack that is mounted beneath the floor pan, the Ecostar EV was a solid vehicle needless to say. When it comes to performance, it can go from 0-60 mph in 15 seconds while having a maximum driving range of 150 miles.

Meanwhile, the thing that really stands out about this vehicle is its 600-degree sodium-sulfur batteries. Basically, these batteries need to operate at this temperature in order to ignite a reaction between the sodium and sulfur molecules. The reaction results to electricity being produced, while kinetic energy was stored inside the batteries’ thick walls.

Although sodium-sulfur batteries had great potential, newer and better batteries were later invented. Because of that, the Ecostar EV faded in obscurity although it paved the way for other electric vehicles to come out years later.