vehicles

In what it says is a "first of its kind" initiative, the U.S. Navy plans to launch sometime this spring an unmanned aerial vehicle for a 24-hour endurance flight carrying a 5-pound payload and powered entirely by a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.

Called the Ion Tiger, the UAV can travel farther and carry heavier loads than earlier battery-powered designs, according to the Office of Naval Research. It also boasts "stealthy characteristics" such as reduced noise, low heat signature, and zero emissions (PDF).

"This will really be a demonstration for a fuel cell system in … Read more

Bright Automotive announced an earlier-than-anticipated reveal date for its plug-in hybrid vehicle, IDEA.

The Indiana-based automotive company will unveil the prototype light-duty vehicle, which includes pickup trucks, SUVs, and sedans, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 21 instead of at the Norway's Electric Vehicle Symposium in May.

No explanation for this change was given, but the press release states, "Members of Congress and companies involved with Bright Automotive will take part in a briefing on the IDEA and a public event."

Little is known about the IDEA, but the start-up's CEO, John Waters, hinted that the first production PHEV vehicle from Bright Automotive may not be a passenger sedan. … Read more

Amid questions over the viability of General Motors and Chrysler, Ford will detail its fuel-efficient car strategy and show off an all-electric Focus and hybrid Fusion sedan on Wednesday.

Company executives are scheduled to demonstrate the cars and update its "sustainable mobility technology" plans at the New York International Auto Show. The company says it is on track to bring both all-electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles using a new generation of lithium ion batteries to market starting next year.

The company already offers hybrid vehicles that use a combination of a gasoline engine and a battery, charged by regenerative braking. Next year, it will release an all-electric commercial Transit Connect van, which is expected to have a range of 100 miles and top speed of 70 miles per hour.

Ford is also working with auto supplier Magna International to release an all-electric compact sedan in 2011, which will get about 70 percent better mileage than non-hybrid models. This car will be a Focus-size vehicle that will go 100 miles on a charge, said Greg Frenette, the assistant chief engineer of battery electric-vehicle applications at Ford.

Then in 2012, Ford expects to release a plug-in version of one of its current hybrid vehicles. The anticipated mileage will be about 120 miles per gallon for the first 30 miles and then the vehicle will get the mileage of a traditional hybrid--in the 40 miles per gallon range, Frenette said. … Read more

Detroit Electric, an auto brand once favored by Thomas Edison, is mounting a 21st century comeback with electric cars aimed at U.S. soccer moms and Chinese city dwellers.

The company on Monday is expected to announce a partnership with Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton Holdings to introduce an all-electric sedan next year.

Detroit Electric will offer a compact four-door, based on an existing Proton model, with a range of 180 kilometers (110 miles), for between $24,000 and $26,000. An extended-range option will go 320 kilometers, or about 200 miles, and cost $4,000 to $5,000 more. The company also plans to make a hatchback.

The car will use lithium-polymer batteries supplied by a Korean manufacturer and run on an engine developed by Detroit Electric's Netherlands-based engineering team.

The company will market the cars in China, Europe, and the U.S. as an everyday vehicle, comparable in size and performance to popular gasoline cars, said Albert Lam, the CEO of Detroit Electric and the former CEO at British sports car designer Lotus Engineering.

"In 2007, we adopted the Detroit Electric name and revived it because it brings us in line with the vision and essence of electric driving they had," Lam said on Friday. "We want to produce an affordable, practical pure electric car."

In early part of the 20th century, Detroit Electric was one of a number of electric car manufacturers. These cars drove only about 20 miles per hour and had limited range but were considered suitable for city use and, by some, easier to drive than gasoline cars, which required a manual start.

In 1900, 28 percent of all cars produced were electric, but 20 years later the industry was all but dead, according to Michael Brian Schiffer, author of a history of electric cars in the U.S. The original Detroit Electric went out of business in the 1930s.

A century later, nearly all automakers are developing all-electric or hybrid cars aimed at mainstream buyers, which will start coming out next year.

Detroit Electric, though, is taking a different route than established auto companies, choosing a business model that relies on contract manufacturing and a network of partnerships, according to Lam. … Read more

After wowing the auto press with the sleek design of Tesla Motors' all-electric Model S, company CEO Elon Musk is now making an economic argument to consumers--and, perhaps, the U.S. government--for buying the luxury sedan.

After months of anticipation, Tesla on Thursday took the covers off the Model S, an electric sedan priced at $56,400 but that qualifies for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

In a newsletter to customers on Friday, Musk, who is also product architect at Tesla, touted the many benefits of electric vehicles over gasoline cars, including price.

"The ownership cost of Model … Read more

Paving the way for the so-called Hydrogen Super Highway, California Fuel Cell Partnership released a roadmap that details plans for 46 retail hydrogen fueling stations in six targeted California communities by 2014. Hydrogen is considered to be the holy grail of clean transportation because Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) emit only water when driven, but a lack of infrastructure is one of the major roadblocks to this advancement.

"By 2017, automotive manufacturers plan to place 50,000 zero-emission fuel cell vehicles in customer hands. FCVs will provide the performance, durability, driving range, and comfort that customers want, and meet the nation's need for a domestic fuel that is better for the environment," said Catherine Dunwoody, CaFCP's executive director in a press release.

For the moment, only six of the state's 26 hydrogen refueling stations are open to the public. Most are privately owned and operated for corporate fleet or testing vehicles. The CaFCP gave details for the cost of building 40 stations by 2012, which is projected to be $181.5 million and is expected to be funded largely by the government to incentivize the industry to begin the transition to hydrogen. … Read more

Electric vehicles equipped with fast-charging capability are headed to production and will be on the road next year.

All that's needed to reduce the charging time for these cars from hours to minutes are Level 3 440-volt fast-charging stations. But to date, none are public.

Ecotality, a clean-technology company in Scottsdale, Ariz., wants to fill that void. It designs and sells these rapid rechargers for $15,000 to $35,000, depending on the structure requirements, mostly to warehouses and airports for fleet vehicles.

Given Ecotality's partnership with Nissan, the Tucson Metro Area, and the Pima Association of Governments (… Read more

Carbon Motors is hitting the road with its next generation law enforcement vehicle to meet with state and federal government officials and promote its E7 police car.

The E7 prototype a step above the Ford Crown Victorias you typically see patrolling the streets. The high tech vehicle was designed in part based on input and suggestions from more than 3,000 law enforcement professionals. Chase ready, the E7 is equipped with a 300-horsepower clean diesel engine that propels the car from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph. … Read more

Nissan announced a partnership with San Diego Gas and Electric to develop and promote an electric vehicle-charging network for the San Diego area.

The automaker will help the power company acquire electric vehicles and will work with agencies and city departments to flesh out EV infrastructure implementation to make San Diego "plug-in ready."

SDG&E has made a commitment to bring 100 of Nissan's EV to San Diego to start, and Nissan representative Katherine Zachary said she expects zeros to be added to that number in the future.

For consumers, Nissan will publish deployment plans for … Read more