Here is a look at the news surrounding electric vehicle, EV and related stories worldwide.
Passenger Golf Carts On The Road. It had to happen with more and more people asking to buy economical cars to operate and the city of Howel, NJ is starting to allow these neighborhood electric vehicle, NEV road travel, via the Howel Times.
Small EV Makers Go To Washington. It is easy to lose sight of who else is going to Washington to get a piece of the pie, but other manufacturers, besides Tesla have also talked to the government, according to the New York Times. XP Vehicles wants to manufacture 2 EVs, a 2 seat runabout, as well as a 4 seat mini utility vehicle, and is looking for $40 million to develop them. The LA Times asks why not bailout auto buyers? After all, GM and Ford have asked the Swedish government for bailout loans in order to successfully let go of Saab and Volvo. It strikes us as strange since these two brands have a great following and good reputation. They could be key aspects of Detroit’s future financial health.
DIY Electric Bicycle. Here is a raving review for Crystalyte, a company that offers 3 different Phoenix Series electric hub motors, according to BigNews. The gist, the Phoenix Racer Motor will get your bicycle to 36 mph in under 20 seconds, with 12V 12AH batteries.
Racing Hybrids. We are proponents of racing EVs and hybrids, HEVs, for the simple reasons that it brings their inherent qualities to light to the masses and pushes the technology forward. So this article from Wired made us happy. Paul Goldman, the 46-year-old CEO of the hot-rod hybrid shop Juiced Hybrid is pushing hybrids into competition. But yoou can also go to YouTube and see some extraordinary feasts, such as a Prius pushed to 135 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats, a rally raced a Honda Civic hybrid for road racing, a German boutique super car company Gumpert running an 800-horsepower hybrid at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race, and Peugeot who will bring their hybrid to Le Mans.
China’s SAIC Pushes For Green Technology. It’s always good to see the Chinese being proactive about pollution and green technology, ad it seems as if SAIC, China’s largest auto maker will up a 10% stake in a GM venture, according to Edmunds. They will launch a Buick LaCrosse hybrid sedan, in January. Come on GM, bring it in the U.S..
That’s it for part 1, stay tuned for part 2.