In my buddy Chris’ newly purchased Leaf, we tried to grow a tree…and failed...miserably. We couldn’t even get the tree to go half-way up to the top.

The White House is looking to hike the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's defect investigation budget after automakers doubled the previous recall record last year with almost 64 million vehicles. But it also wants to get EV incentives up, which has about as much chance as Fiat making a dime on the 500E.

General Motors has tweaked the Chevrolet Volt's calling card of a 40-mile range on electric power alone, now saying the Volt could do up to 50 miles or as few as 25. Still no range anxiety, right? [GM-Volt.com]

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. 500+ vehicles into this series, we've finally got an electric car!

The Opel Ampera had its coming out party a wee bit early for the Geneva Motor Show. Don't fret, our European breathren, your emo-ecomobile is here and we've got all the photos, and details below.

GM has officially unveiled the Opel Ampera, Europe's version of the Chevy Volt. In a reversal of usual practice, the Ampera is mechanically identical to its American cousin but is much better looking.

There’s another frigid auto show coming up and just like Detroit, Geneva looks set to be filled with plenty of imaginary electric cars. The Protoscar Lampo is the latest.

One positive note in Honda CEO Takeo Fukui's NSX-cancelling, F1-withdrawing year-end speech: a renewed focus on motorcycle development. First up: an all-electric production motorcycle.

Chrysler may be bringing an updated hopes and dreams Dodge EV to the Detroit Auto Show. What’s new? Styling going further than a badge swap and possibly four seats. So, a Lotus Evora?

Ford today announced a plan to turn around its business, claiming it allows them to reach break-even level or profit by 2011. The plan includes building a battery-electric commercial van by 2010 and a BEV sedan by 2011.

We just caught the Nissan NuVu, a concept that, as we said earlier, is meant to reveal the next generation styling of the next Nissan Micra. Frankly, the concept's as cute as its name (a play on words meaning "New View" as in "a new view on the Micra"). The interior is just as bubbly as the exterior, with the "2+1…

It wasn't until I crashed into a pile of boxes and luggage that I realized riding a motorcycle - even a completely silent electric one with no emissions - around my Brooklyn apartment was a bad idea. I'd been attempting to do a burnout, but the painted concrete floor didn't have enough grip for the Quantya Strada's…

Ever been curious what takes place under the Tesla Roadster’s hood in the absence of internal combustion? Well, here’s an explanation of what the parts are and and what they do, conveniently numbered so you can follow along at home. Make the jump to see why "Tesla mechanic" would be a totally cush job.
Number 1: This…

Nissan yesterday unveiled prototypes for both a new all-electric powertrain vehicle as well as the first pictures of a prototype hybrid powertrain built on an Infiniti G35. Both systems would be run off a new lithium-ion battery pack system.

Paris's Mayor, Bertrand Delanoe, has announced the installation of a massive electric car-sharing scheme in his city. Autolib takes its cue from the city's successful Velib bicycle-sharing system and will make up to 4,000 electric cars available at stations located throughout Paris, allowing users to rent one on the…

Andy Grove, retired CEO of chipmaker Intel, apparently has grown bored of sailing the South Pacific and decided to insert himself into the debate over the future of transportation. A proponent of electric vehicles, Grove wrote, "The beauty of electric power is its ability to be produced through multiple sources...and…