There will be about 700 pick up/drop off/recharge locations scattered throughout the city and its suburbs. Autolib will be open to any legal driver who registers with the service. Despite opposition from France's Green Party, which wants to eliminate car use in the city altogether, Delanoe is aiming to have the system up and running by late 2009 or early 2010 and says that it will reduce congestion, the battle for parking spots and pollution. Vive la France! [via Channel 4]

Image Courtesy: Eley Kishimoto

But hey, you can get it in an array of Duplo-inspired colors and you can even get "work 'n' play" or "drive 'n' play" options, mixing fold-down seats, sat-nav and other goodies. When the features list includes "front and rear storage," you know there's going to be limited acceptance in the wider market. Expect to see the NICE car company sell their millionth car as gas prices reach $15 a gallon; no sooner. [Carscoop

West Richland, WA (July 18, 2008) Shrouded in mystery and secrecy, SSC (www.shelbysupercars.com) has announced plans to unveil the next historical milestone, codenamed - the Ultimate Aero EV (Electric Vehicle), the first 100% Green Supercar to achieve speeds never before seen. Engineering details are yet undisclosed while development continues at an uninterrupted pace. Despite months of speculation, SSC expects to roll out its first prototype in February 2009. "I think we can do it faster, leaner and cleaner than any other manufacturer," says Jerod Shelby, SSC Founder. Unlike other manufacturers' models slated for delivery in the next decade, Shelby's latest brainchild expects to be delivered as early as fourth quarter 2009. Other automakers have sacrificed aesthetics and performance in exchange for hybrid power plants, but the Ultimate Aero EV will deliver a pollution-free, engineering marvel with an exotic Supercar exterior. The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging. Powered by a 500 horsepower electric motor, the Ultimate Aero EV will have true supercar performance. All 500 horses will be put to use via SSC's 6-speed manual transmission and triple disc carbon/carbon Tilton clutch. Additionally, SSC is exploring the potential of a twin 500 horsepower electric power plant producing 1,000 horsepower in a 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration. Having already broken the record for the "Fastest Production Car" SSC will soon break the engineering challenge of our time. Says Jay Leno of SSC's first accomplishment, "The coolest thing about this car is they said they were going to do something and then they did it." While other manufacturers scramble to capture the Green hysteria of late, SSC will leap over the barrier with a fraction of the Big Three's budget. To that end, the company recently contracted with Investor Relations Group, Sheffield International Finance Corporation initiating the Company's first acceptance of outside capital since its inception. In a press release dated July 11, 2008, the American automaker announced that much of the private capital will be dedicated to achieve the historical milestone. The invitation-based offering includes an A-list of invitees including celebrities and notable financiers from around the world. Consistent with its company philosophy of being the benchmark, SSC plans next to break the record for the fastest electric car in the world. Stay tuned...

SSC claims they're working on a revolutionary power source that allows for up to several years between charging. We're assuming that they mean several years of actual use, and not just sitting around. Because, you know, we can put some fuel stabilizer in our car, park it, and not have to fill up for a while too. So, is this vaporware or soon-to-be-reality?

Jalopnik Snap Judgement: Everyone thought SSC was full of crap when the company announced they made the fastest car in the world, but it turns out they actually did. So maybe they really do have some tricks up their sleeve. We'll know more when the first prototypes roll out in February 2009. [Shelby SuperCars]

The new Opel models will be built alongside the Chevy Volt atop the Delta II platform at GM's Hamtramck Assembly plant.

Jalopnik Snap Judgement: More models on the line makes sense as the Ham-town plant would be sorely underutilized if only building the Volt. Seems like the real story here is GM Europe using the US domestic market for labor. One would imagine Eastern European countries would be more attractive for building new models, but the dollar's valuation apparently makes up for the long product pipeline and higher shipping costs. Who would have thunk we'd become Europe's China? [MotorAuthority]

Grove believes the auto industry has reached what he calls a "strategic inflection point," the point at which a business has to either change or die. And he wants change in the direction of electrics; Grove has set up a course teaching about hybrids, plug-ins, and electrics in an attempt to move the discussion toward alternative energy sources. And then there's the fun part.

Mr. Grove is also a proponent of retrofitting current vehicles with the lowest fuel economy — trucks, vans and SUVs — with hybrid powerplants. Envisioning half a million Yukon owners reaching for their toolboxes, GM spokesman Greg Martin said, "We strongly discourage consumers from retrofitting vehicles." Unless they're out of warranty, in which case knock yourself out; the service department is hurting right now too.

All we hope is if Grove next ends up pushing for an Intel chip inside, he goes with an Apple OS to run it. Those Microsoft systems don't seem to be running well enough for even the back seat.[Detroit News; Photo Credit images.vnu.net]

In a piece of beautifully symmetric history, the Urban Electric was developed for the First Symposium On Low Pollution Power Systems Development held, basically, in the parking lot of an Ann Arbor, Michigan Marriott. The ultra-mini around-town runabout came in two wacky, Barris-inspired varieties as well: one with with a space-age lifting canopy entrance, and the other with an open-top featuring an Isetta-like swinging front door. As you can see, the Urban Electric had all the creature comforts the 1970's could offer — metallic paint, loads of plastic and chrome doo-dads on the interior, enough room to fit two stuffy-suited middle managers and even a curbside battery charger — the luxury! Expect to see the unveiling of the 2009 GM Urban Electric Car at the Second Symposium On Low Pollution Power Systems Development next year. [LostBrain and Wikipedia]

That's a pretty good day out in the dunes and with power like that available at the base of a grade it's no wonder the announcement sparked substantial interest. According to the company, after announcing the all electric car, requests for quote have skyrocketed 1,056% in the week since. We see only two problems with all of this. First, Xtreme went out of their way to create the extremely tiresome ZES acronym — of course, Zero Emissions Sandcar, ugh. Second, it's going to be awfully spooky when a mid-flight sand car sails overhead in complete silence. [Xtreme Motorsports]

...of a more powerful and lighter electric motor will be added to the mix. This motor is tiny at only 77 lbs, but it delivers 300 HP with 280 lb.ft. of torque. Mighty impressive, but then again, it better be for 100,000€. And by today's exchange rate that gives the Fetish a pricetag in 'merican bucks of about $14.2 million dollars. Or something around that.

[WorldCarFans]

With lithium polymer batteries holding enough juice for 124 miles, it's a little on the chunky side for a se7en, tipping the scales at 1,664 lbs. We're betting with all that torque available at zero RPM it will be a hoot on the track — if you can find a class for it. No word on the acceleration figures yet, and also no explaination as to why it seems to prefer hanging out in remote fields of grass. [Carscoop]

With Ferdinand at the wheel, the four motor car was a race winner and reached speeds of 37 mph. He would go on to add an on-board generator to another car to provide unlimited range and also predate the Chevy Volt by about 100 years. [CNNMoney] [Porsche]

DAVIS, California (April 13, 2007) — A dealership for electric car pioneer ZAP (OTC Bulletin Board: ZAAP) opened this week in the City of Davis.

This is the first electric car dealership for Davis, California, famous for being one of the most bicycle-friendly towns in the world. The University of California at Davis is also known for advanced transportation technologies, with its renowned Institute for Transportation Studies. Theo Drushell and Tom Kelly are Davis' first electric car dealers, with Davis Electric Cars.

"I think the size of [Davis] allows you to live on the outskirts and drive to town and back several times on the same charge," said Theo Drushell, co- owner of Davis Electric Cars, to the UC Davis Newspaper, The California Aggie (http://www.californiaaggie.com). "Davis is also flat, so driving around will take less energy."

The new dealership carries ZAP's XEBRA Sedan and Truck. ZAP calls the XEBRA (pronounced 'zebra') a 'city-car,' designed for short distance driving up to 40 MPH. Able to plug into any standard electrical outlet, the XEBRA was designed to quickly and affordably fill the need for all-electric cars and trucks brought on by recent high gas prices. ZAP says the XEBRA can be a great value for corporate and business fleets looking to save money on fuel, but also could be just what environmentalists are looking for as an alternative. Customers can even order zebra-stripes.

ZAP manufactures the XEBRA electric car and truck through a strategic partnership with a Chinese automaker and sells them through a licensed sales and service network for about $10,000. The cars will cost about $0.02 cents per mile to charge on electricity versus $0.12 cents or more for gasoline.

"[The cars] plug into regular 110-watt plugs," said Drushell. "You can plug it in at home, at work, at certain businesses and hotels."

You can see the vehicles and meet with the owners at the dealership or at upcoming events like the UC Davis Picnic Day Parade (Saturday April 14th 10AM), the Green Car Gala (John Natsoulas Gallery: 521 First Street ~ Saturday April 14th 6:30PM-10PM), and Celebrate Davis! (Community Park ~ May 17, 2007 4:30PM-9:00PM). On April 21st from noon-4:00PM, Davis Electric Cars will host a Grand Opening Celebration at its Olive Drive location.

One of the great benefits of electric cars is less maintenance (they have less than 10% the moving parts when compared to a gasoline vehicle). Electric vehicles don't have pistons, transmission, engine oil, spark plugs, valves, grinding starters, clutch, rotors, distributor, oil filters, fuel pumps, fuel filters, air filters, radiators, anti-freeze, water pumps, timing belts, fan belts, catalytic converters, or mufflers. No fumes, no exhaust, no smog tests, no oil changes, no radiator flushes, no loud engine, no warm-ups, no gas lines, and the batteries are recyclable.

The owners of Davis Electric Cars, Theo Drushell and Tom Kelly, are advocates of bicycle transportation first and EV transportation as an alternative. Theo (a graduate of Humboldt State University) and his wife (a graduate of UC Davis) are committed to working with the community in bringing this venture to life. Tom (a graduate of UC Berkeley) has been a long-time advocate of utilizing technology to promote advancement in an environmentally friendly manner. He pioneered a toner cartridge recycling company in the 1980s that is currently saving over 200 tons of plastics from entering our landfills every month.

A publicly owned company based in Santa Rosa, California, ZAP has strong ties with UC Davis. Many employees in ZAP's 12-year history were UC Davis graduates. ZAP Chairman Gary Starr built his first electric car as an undergraduate at UC Davis in 1974 during the gasoline shortages caused by the OPEC oil embargo. ZAP's first dealership in Santa Rosa, California is managed by UC Davis graduate Jeff Schneider.

At the heart of the system will be a battery capable of being swapped in and out repeatedly at a service plaza. In a press event on the topic, DONG brought an example of the battery which will be used in the cars, but would not allow photographs of its unit. [Treehugger]

"Tesla's Whitestar and Darkstar programs are DOA. The Detroit office is in trouble. it's all hands on deck to get the roadster to work"

With Tesla still having problems with delays and a growing list of people who want their product, a little shakeup at the top could be taken as a sign that this is a company with a future and not another niche carmaker disaster waiting to happen. (h/t Jared)[NY Times]

As Tesla Motors recently informed buyers who pre-ordered its electric roadster, it's downgraded the car's range from 250 miles to 200 miles. That due to a design change to increase protection around the batteries, which has boosted weight to 2,600 lbs. That's significantly more than the Lotus Elise (1,984 lbs) on which it's based. Nonetheless, roadster prototypes were recently caught during tests near the Arctic circle, whose brutal cold can cause electronic components to behave like a four-year-old on a mega dose of the sillies. Spies say two prototypes were spotted on frozen lakes, icy roads and parking lots overnight. The thinking is, if it can start up after eight hours in sub-zero cold, it should do just fine in a heated and humidity-controlled garage in Marin. – Mike Spinelli

SPY PHOTOS: Tesla Roadster [World Car Fans]

Related:
Electric Sales Potential! Tesla Motors To Open Five Non-Dealerships This Year [internal]

Talking about energy policy yesterday in the middle of a cornfield, because why the hell not, President Bush said something that caught our attention:

"Someday you're going to be able to get in your car, particularly if you're a big-city person, and drive 40 miles on a battery. And by the way, the car doesn't have to look like a golf cart. It could be a pickup truck."

Speaking In N.C., Bush Pushes Energy Policies [The Chronicle]

Related:
Car Hack's Notebook: Electric, The Silent Killer [Internal]

Amid the talk of new electric sports cars from Tesla and Mullen, we can't forget all the conversion guys turning regular cars into silent runners. For example, World Class Exotics of West Palm Beach, Florida, which handles all sorts of electric-car projects, including this Porsche 959-look EV. As is, it has a range of 100 miles range at 60 mph (top speed 100 mph) but can be upgrated to lithium-ion batteries for a 200+ mile range using. It's powered by a NetGain "WARP" 11" motor, hooked to a 2000-amp, water-cooled Zilla controller, with a five-speed 915 Porsche transmission attached for power transfer. It comes with a fast-charger that can give the batteries a 85% charge in 40 minutes. For you? $65,000. Or, you can have that old Rolls in the barn converted (yes, they can do that). – Mike Spinelli

Electric Conversions [World Class Exotics]

Related:
DIY Electron-Heads in Marin [internal]

One of our favorite Simpsons was when Mr. Burns got the one billion dollar bill and him, Smithers and Homer flee to Cuba. They hook up with Castro who wants to have a look at the filthy lucre. Mr. Burns isn't sure, but Homer tells him, "C'mon Mr. Burns — you can trust Castro." So, Burnsey hands Fidel the bill and the great Cuban revolutionary immediately puts it in his pocket. Mr. Burns asks for it back, to which Castro responds, "What bill?" And now the General is pulling the same thing. What Saturn EV-1? We don't know what Ed Begley Jr. is so upset about? Ladies and germs, may we present to you the Chevy Volt concept car. Totally electric, yet complete with a turbo-charged one-banger to produce juice for the batteries after they go dry. This gives the Volt a range of 640 miles. Not quite up to the awesome technology of Audi's 800-mile twin-turbo diesel A8, but hey - greenish celebs will take it. Seats five, too. – Jonny Lieberman

GM to unveil Volt electric concept car [AP]

Related:
DIY Electron-Heads in Marin [Internal]

Who killed the electric THiNK car Ford distributed in the US a few years back? It was Ford itself around 2003, when California dropped the requirement that automakers produce battery-powered electric cars. Now, the current owner of THiNK, a Norwegian concern, says it will relaunch the plastic EV in 2007 as the City car. Battery range is up from 50 miles to close to 80, and a new body kit will likely get the Oslo kids to rethink their lives of sardines, grindcore, and absinthe shooters (we kid the Oslo kids). ABS brakes, power steering and central door locking are standard, as is a sincere trust in mankind. – Mike Spinelli

City car back for a reTH!NK [AutoExpress]

Related:
Mitsubishi Working up Electric Car for US Market [internal]

The Chinese are either the best or worst reverse-engineers in the world. Check out this from Shandong Huoyun, a division of the Qilu Petrochemical Corporation; it's a nearly indistinguishable knockoff of the Smart Fortwo. Under the skin, however, it's an entirely different beast. As its name reveals, the HuoYun Electromobile is an EV with a range of 75 miles and a top speed of 31 mph. Considering it's also lacking the Smart passenger-safety cell, 31 mph is probably more than fast enough. We also hear some enterprising New Yorkers have already started selling these from a blanket laid out on Fifth Avenue. Caveat emptor, German tourists. – Mike Spinelli

HuoYun Electromobile : Yes, it's a Chinese Smart Fortwo clone! [Carscoop]

Related:
Fake Ferrari From China: The Chen-Zo? [internal]

Rumors that Mitsubishi's been planning a foray into the electric car business have been on the lips of car watchers for months. Now, Automotive News reports the company will soon divulge plans to sell an EV subcompact, powered by a lithium-ion battery, in the US. Mitsu president Osamu "Sparks" Masuko says the car will be launched first in Japan (natch, they get all the good gadgets) before a stateside reveal. Details on the new venture are reportedly forthcoming, but it's no secret Mitsubishi's plotting something electric; it's unveiled several concept cars employing its MIEV in-wheel electric motor technology at recent auto shows, including the hybrid Concept-CT (pictured) in Detroit last year. (Masuko said a hybrid model could also see daylight). AW reported earlier this year that Mitsubishi's production EV would likely be based on the Colt. Takeaway: Could Mitsubishi beat Toyota to the punch with a plug-in? – Mike Spinelli

Related:
New Mitsubishi Concept May Hearken Hybrid, Compact for US Market; More on MIEV [internal]

Something covert's going on in Austin, TX that could have EV-car nuts dribbling Spirulina smoothies all over their hemp dickies in anticipation. In a shadowy corner of the city, a company called EEstor — founded by ex-managers at Xerox PARC and IBM — has reportedly developed a battery substitute that could spark a revolution in electric cars. Flush with seed money from tech angels Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the company's ceramics-based power storage unit, it's said, won't materially degrade, will charge in minutes, provide a range of 500 miles on $9 in electricity and can be used for a range of applications including full-speed EV cars and hybrids. Considering that feature set ostensibly solves every snafu holding electric cars back from broader adoption, a Toronto electric-car company is planning to have an EV based on the battery system roadworthy by 2008. Is the revolution nigh, or will the weak be ripped and torn away. Stay tuned.

[via Autoblog (see also TreeHugger)]

Related:
Your Tesla Most Likely Won't Explode: Lithium-Ion Worries [internal]

Coolness arbiters at Animal New York may be spit-taking their PBR milkshakes right now, but the deal to bring electric-drive PT Cruisers to NYC is done. The first such lithium-ion taxi has landed in NYC, where its viability as a recepticle for cell phones and umbrellas and venue for drunken, post-midnight grope sessions will be under review. According to Green Car Congress, the Taxi and Limousine commission set aside 14 TLC charters — the NYC equivalent of Wonka's golden ticket — for the program, whch will correspond with Yellow Cabs' 100th anniversary in 2007. The L-PT Cruiser uses a Ballard Power Systems 312V 67 MS electric drive system, the same one used in prototypes developed for NASA and the US Navy.

Hybrid Technologies Places Lithium-Ion Powered Electric PT Cruiser as Taxi in NYC [Green Car Congress]

Related:
Protesting the ZZ Topification of New York: No PT Taxis! [internal]

[via Flabber.nl]

Related:
A New Electric Supercar: The Wrightspeed EV; New Electric Supercar: Mullen GT; Four Motors, No Waiting: A 640hp Electric Mini; Eight Wheels Is Enough: The Eliica Electric Supercar [internal]

Flexfuel and electric-car aficinados (and Kermit the Frog impersonators) in the US will soon have their pick of Brazilian-built Obvio! cars. Word came down yesterday that California's Zap will distribute the green (literally) pod vehicles in North America. According to Green Car Congress, Zap has pre-purchased 50,000 of the cars, which it plans to import and sell. The first models, which will reportedly go into production in 2007, will run on flexfuel (gas/ethanol/caipirinhas), but Obvio!'s president says all-electric models will follow, likely in the range of $50,000, later on.

OBVIO! to Introduce Electric Cars to North America (updated) [Green Car Congress]

Related:
ZAP Celebrates 11th Anniversary, To Import OBVIO ! Cars [internal]

Our mates at Carscoop report on this Mini Cooper concept, built by engineers at the UK's PML, unveiled at the British Motor Show this week. Each wheel has its own motor — like Mitsubishi's MIEV concepts — and at the kilowatt equivalent of 160hp each, the total is a mind-warping 640 hp, with — now, there's gotta be a caveat here — 2,213 ft.-lbs of torque. What's more, it's nearly a hybrid — with a 250 cc two-stroke gas engine that charges the batteries as needed. BMW wants you to know they are in no way affiliated with the project, but this thing could truly be the ultimate driving machine.

Electric powered MINI QED Concept with 640 Hp! [Carscoop]

Related:
Mitsubishi's Latest MIEV: Concept-CT in Detroit [internal]

The new electric supercar named after the guy who gave his name to the band who gave us Little Suzi was set for a proper unveiling tomorrow. The Internet being what it is, photos of the roadster — once reported to be based on the Lotus Elise — leaked a day early. No specs yet kids, but they'll be Cumin Atcha Live tomorrow. [UPDATE: LLN has news on the Tesla's funding.] [UPDATE 2: Wired has lots more photos.]

Related:
Four-Battery Acoustical Jam: Tesla Not an Electric Elise [internal]

If you hadn't heard, the Smart EV, an electric-powered Fortwo is coming to a 220V line near you. Aussie gadget site Gizmag reports on the powerage system, supplied by UK-based electric-powertrain developer Zytek. DCX says the company will build only 200 of the cars initially, to be leased to corporate customers — so don't expect to see a pack of the silent ruinners on the M1, or your local equivalent. According to Zytec, the EV system uses a neodymium (that's rare-earth to you, knucklehead) magnet technology along with a brushless DC motor, which may or may not have to do with the insides of a car wash.

Zytek electric drivetrain enters production for smart ev [Gizmag]

Related:
Four-Battery Acoustical Jam: Tesla Not an Electric Elise [internal]

An Electric Car, Booted [Washington Post]

Related:
Who Killed the Electric Car? We're Blaming John Wilkes Booth [internal]

We've heard from a source with even more of a rep than our previous source that although Tesla Motors has a relationship with Lotus, the final product will not be the Elise, everyone's favorite psychotic supper, with the Toyota mill replaced with batteries and spinny electrical devices. Meanwhile, Tommy Skeoch and Frank Hannon are no doubt fighting over shop time at Marcos Garcia's place to see who can score the first car with "Edison's Medicine" emblazoned 'cross the bonnet. Watch as the great 'lectric semi-supercar controversy gets muddier...

Related:
Is the Tesla Roadster an Electric Elise? [Internal]