Archive for the ‘EV’ Category

A couple of weeks ago, Fisker gleefully announced fuel efficiency stats for its upcoming extended-range Karma sedan (67 mpg, though the math is a little fuzzy).  Now the upstart automaker has another reason to celebrate: the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Fisker a $529 million low-interest loan, which will help the company develop the $87,000 Karma and the upcoming Nina, a lower-priced sedan that will ring in around $45,000.

Roughly $169 million of Fisker's loan will be applied toward development of the Fisker Karma. Those funds will go toward the design of tools, equipment for manufacturing, and coordination of materials from U.S....

Apart from battery life, range, and recharge time, it appears that there's another downside to electric vehicles: they're too quiet. While that may sound like great news for folks living near an overpass, it's not so good for children, the elderly, and the hearing- or sight-impaired. As a result, the National Federation of the Blind in the U.S. asked automakers to set minimum sound standards for hybrid vehicles, and an organization in Japan submitted a similar request. So far, automakers seem to be responding in a variety of ways.

Nissan is experimenting with a combined system of noise and vibration, much like newer ambulances -- though...

Interesting news from Asia today: Chinese automaker BYD -- the current apple of Warren Buffet's eye -- has revamped its rollout schedule for an all-electric U.S. vehicle. Late last year, BYD said it would launch the car by 2010, but the company recently waffled a bit, pushing back the schedule to 2011. Now the drop date is back on track for sometime in the next calendar year.

Aiming for a 2010 launch is a smart move for BYD. Given that the vehicle -- likely BYD's e6 crossover -- will be the company's first in American showrooms, getting a jump on the EV competition will certainly help bring attention to the automaker. We're guessing that...