Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has unveiled its newest, cheapest vehicle, a four-door saloon that can carry five adults and can travel up to 300 miles per charge of its batteries.

The Model S will cost $49,900, after a tax credit of $7,500, courtesy of Barack Obama's programme of support for electric vehicles. It is intended that production of the new model will begin in Southern California in 2011.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk billed the Model S as the first mass-market, highway-ready electric vehicle. And, although the price-tag is by no means small, he compared it in terms of price to existing petrol powered cars, where costs will be subject to rises in the price of oil.

The price, he said, is comparable to that of a US $35,000 gasoline-powered (petrol) car such as a Ford Taurus (equivalent in status to a UK Ford Focus), assuming gas prices of about $4 a gallon. "Would you rather have this car, or would you rather have a Ford Taurus?" he asked the crowd of journalists at the car's launch.

The Model S has a top speed of 130mph, and accelerates to 60 mph in 5.6 second, a figure which Tesla say will be reduced to under 5 second in the upcoming sports version.

The range of the standard battery will be 160 miles, however, battery upgrades will be available, extending the range to 230 or 300 miles. Charging time will be around 4 hours from a standard plug, but a quick charge can be achieved in 45 mins. Tesla says the battery will cost around $4 (around %pound;3) for a full charge.

As well as having extremely low running costs (and zero tailpipe emissions), one further benefit is the lack of an engine, which frees up space in the car. The Model S has two boots – one standard boot and one under the bonnet. Tesla describes it as having "more space than a station wagon", meaning it will be a realistic alternative for those with large families and lots of luggage.

There's also a 17-inch LCD screen in the car, which will have internet access via 3G. This means access to online maps and other applications, and a handy e-mail (via SMS) to let you know when the battery is fully charged.

With the Model S, Tesla is aiming for a broader range of customers than their Roadster, Musk said the company had aimed to make the car "as affordable as possible." He expects the car to appeal to buyers of mid-range to premium saloon cars.

The company plans to produce 20,000 Model S units per year, and is hopeful of receiving funding from the US Department of Energy to support its manufacturing program. Tesla, which is yet to turn a profit and which ran into delays and financial difficulties with the production of its Roadster sports car, said last month that it expects to be profitable by the middle of 2009.

Sources: Reuters, treehugger

Photos: Tesla Motors

GoinGreen, the retailer of the UK's best selling electric vehicle, the REVA G-Wiz, has announced the specification and price structure of its much-awaited G-Wiz L-ion, the world's first mainstream electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion battery technology. The G-Wiz L-ion is now available to order for delivery in May.

With an extended range of up to 75 miles, the G-Wiz L-ion is suitable for 97% of all car journeys without the need to recharge. GoinGreen is also introducing an off-board fast charge station capable of a 90% G-Wiz L-ion charge in one hour and a complete charge in 1.5 hours.

Based on the current G-Wiz i platform, the G-Wiz L-ion incorporates new technologies for safety and performance, key points include; increased range and acceleration, improved charging efficiency with approximately 20% less energy required per charge, reduced charging times both with normal charging – down to six hours - and off-board fast charging, maintenance-free battery operation with no watering or equalisation required and better all-round weather performance.

The G-Wiz L-ion also comes with a full three-year battery warranty ensuring trouble-free servicing for L-ion owners. The top speed has been capped at 51 mph, sufficient for the G-Wiz's urban usage.

Steve Hartridge, managing director of GoinGreen says, "With the ongoing technology race to bring lithium-ion powered vehicles to market, GoinGreen is proud to be the first in the UK to offer a mainstream affordable vehicle. The extended range and enhanced battery life really does make the G-Wiz L-ion the ideal vehicle for city commuting. The new battery technology also means that the G-Wiz L-ion is 15% lighter than previous G-Wiz versions, improving its acceleration and manoeuvrability. It is cheap to run, very nippy, great fun to drive and best of all, zero-emissions."

The new G-Wiz L-ion is available to order now and the price begins at £15,795. Deliveries will commence in May 2009 and the lead-time for orders will be around 14 weeks. For existing owners of a G-Wiz ac drive or G-Wiz i, there is the possibility of upgrading their vehicles to the new lithium-ion technology. Initially this upgrade will only be available to a limited number to vehicles and price is to be confirmed.

The 2+2-seater G-Wiz is exempt from the London Congestion Charge and road tax (VED), is in insurance Group 1 (the lowest), costs about 1.5p a mile to run and benefits from free parking and recharging in the City of Westminster (which now has over 60 recharging points) with many other boroughs now also installing recharging points and offering incentives for EV owners. There is an increasing number of recharging points in commercial locations too, such as Westfield, which has 30.

The G-Wiz is sold via GoinGreen's website where customers can book a test drive online. The company has a team of engineers based at its Southall headquarters for full after-sales maintenance and for time-poor customers it also offers mobile servicing at the customer's home or office.

Source: www.goingreen.co.uk

Launched at the British International Motor Show in July 2008 and voted Electric Car of the Year at the prestigious Green Fleet awards, the MyCar is destined to become a familiar sight on the capital's roads. With Italian styling, MyCar comes with a host of practical and stylish options, panoramic glass roof and a choice of over 50 colours.

Recently recognised by whatgreencar.com as one of the best cars to beat the credit crunch, the MyCar comes with a host of savings like free Road Tax, exemption from the London Congestion Charge and free parking in many central London locations.

Charged from any domestic socket, the MyCar can even be refuelled for free from the growing number of electric recharge points across the capital (and the UK).

MyCar is exclusively available through evstores and can be seen at their flagship London location at the London Group Showrooms on Park Lane. evstores also distribute other electric vehicles, including: Micro-Vett commercial vehicles and vans, Tazzari city cars and e-max scooters.

For more information contact:

info@evstores.co.uk

www.evstores.co.uk

Electric vehicle manufacturer TH!NK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deliver up to 500 TH!NK city electric-powered vehicles this year to ElmoNet, a subsidiary of Mobility Service Netherlands.

With the Dutch Parliament calling for the rapid introduction of EVs (electric vehicles), the Minister of Transport, Mr. Camiel Eurlings, earlier this year announced a fund of 10 million Euros to be made available to support the large scale, early introduction of electric mobility.

"Ambitious visions and concrete measures are required to make the Netherlands the most important experimental garden for electric mobility" says Marjan Minnesma, Director of Urgenda. Urgenda is an active foundation that aims to transform the Netherlands into a model for sustainable development.

Richard Waitz, TH!NK's Sales Director, is very optimistic about the rapidly growing opportunities in the Dutch market, and welcomed this initiative by the Dutch Parliament. "The shift to zero emission clean technology vehicles is a paradigm shift, where Government support is creating an important basis for the first larger scale fleet applications" says Waitz. "TH!NK is moving quickly to take advantage of these programs in the Netherlands and all across Europe".

The TH!NK city is a modern, two seater urban car which has a top speed of 100 km/h (65 mph). It accelerates from zero to 50 km/h (30 mph) in just 6.5 seconds and 80 km/h (50 mph) in 16 seconds. With zero local emissions and an energy efficiency three times that of a traditional combustion engine car, it is a car for the environment. It can travel for 180 km (112 miles) in city driving on a fully charged battery.

The Cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam have already expressed keen interest to introduce the TH!NK city electric car in their region. Think delivered the first TH!NK city EVs to ElmoNet in February, and will continue to deliver vehicles according to the MOU in 2009.

www.think.no

There hasn't been much good news for the UK motor industry of late, but Midlands-based electric car specialist Zytek has received a boost with the contract to build and fit the electric drivetrain for the second-generation Smart Fortwo ED at its facility in Fradley, Staffordshire.

Zytek has developed an integrated electric drivetrain to drive the rear wheels of the Smart Fortwo. The drivetrain integrates the electric motor, power and control electronics, into one assembly with only three connections: water, high voltage electrics (300V) and low voltage electrics (12v). This replaces the conventional petrol engine and rear axle, and removal of the fuel tank allows room for a battery pack below the floor.

The second-generation electric Smart will represent a major upgrade on the first version, which has been tested extensively in London since 2007. The new version is based on the second-generation fortwo model, and the biggest technical change is a move to Lithium Ion batteries instead of sodium-nickel-chloride. This will increase the range life of the battery pack, while cutting recharge times. The batteries are to be supplied by US-based electric sports car maker Tesla.

The new Smart fortwo ED will go into production toward the end of the year. It will be used mainly in organised EV test programmes in major European cities, including Berlin, Paris, Rome, Milan and Pisa, with further cities planned.

In Berlin, the local government and energy providers are installing 500 electricity charging stations, and Daimler is providing more than 100 electric Smart and Mercedes-Benz cars. Several similar programmes are also being considered in the US.

The plan is to refine the design as a result of feedback from these tests, and make a major ramp-up of production volumes in 2012. Two versions of the Smart ED were shown at Geneva – a standard version and a more exclusive Brabus version, with matt green paint, a cabriolet soft top, LED daytime driving lights, sports suspension and Brabus Monoblock VII alloy wheels.

Sources: Newspress

At the Geneva Motor Show, GM is previewing its radical concept car, the Ampera electric hybrid. With its Voltec electric propulsion system providing lively acceleration and high levels of refinement, the new five-door Vauxhall Ampera seats four passengers in comfort and features an extended range of more than 300 miles.

The Ampera is a series hybrid, so electricity drives the wheels at all times and speeds. For trips up to around 40-miles, power is supplied by the electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery. While driving on electricity delivered by the battery, the Ampera emits zero CO2. When the battery's energy is depleted, a petrol or E85-fuelled engine-generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This mode of operation extends the range for several hundred additional miles, until the battery can be charged via a standard household 240V outlet.

"Driving electrically is not only about ecology," said Frank Weber, GM global vehicle line executive and chief engineer. "Driving electrically is also great fun. Instantaneous torque of 370 Newton metres under your right foot feels like being in a sports car, but in almost complete silence." Unlike a conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Ampera also eliminates "range anxiety", giving the confidence and peace of mind that the driver will not be stranded by a depleted battery.

"Advanced lithium-ion battery technology is the key to getting the Vauxhall Ampera into the hands of consumers," said Hans Demant, GME vice president of engineering. "The engineers at our research and development centre in Mainz-Kastel, Germany, are testing the battery round the clock, 365 days a year, to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of our customers."

The Ampera's battery pack will be manufactured by GM at the first lithium-ion production facility to be operated by a major automaker in the United States. More than 220 lithium-ion cells in the T-shaped pack provide ample power. The nearly silent electric drive unit delivers 370 Nm of instant torque, the equivalent of 150bhp, zero to 60mph acceleration in around nine seconds, and a top speed of 100mph.

Aerodynamics played a particularly important role in maximising driving range. GM engineers and designers worked together to optimise the air flow around the front fascia and outside mirrors of the Ampera. Significant attention was also given to the rear with a specifically designed spoiler and clean separation features. Lightweight materials were added in the form of clear polycarbonate covers to the front grille and disc inserts on the 17-inch, five-spoke sport alloy wheels. These helped to reduce aerodynamic drag in critical airflow areas.

"The Vauxhall Ampera shows all the opportunities advanced propulsion technologies offer for car design," said Phil Zak, Director, Exterior Design at GM Europe. "We had to maximise the aerodynamic efficiency but still offer ultimate everyday driving comfort."

GM claim the Ampera will be well-suited to the daily driving schedule of most customers. For example, research by GM in Europe showed that approximately 80 percent of drivers travel less than 30 miles daily. Based on current fuel prices, Vauxhall predicts that the Ampera will cost roughly one-fifth of the current cost per mile of an equivalent petrol engined car. While GM have not yet ventured to estimate the upfront cost of the Ampera, they have announced it will go into production in 2012.

Sources: Newspress, Newspress Newspress

London Mayor, Boris Johnson, has suggested that the capital may soon be following in Paris's footsteps and introducing an electric car hire scheme. Speaking to the London assembly he said that the Electric Vehicle Partnership he set up when he first came into office had been looking into the idea as part of attempts to make London the "electric capital of Europe".

Paris's `Autolib` scheme, the brainchild of Bertrand Delanoe, the city's socialist Mayor, is due to be launched late in 2009, and will involve the introduction of some 4000 electric vehicles to the city. Cars will be available for hire at 700 points across Paris. Delanoe described it as "a system of individual journeys that are completely clean."

The scheme will operate in the same way as the successful Velib bike hire scheme; users will be able to take out an annual subscription or equally will be able to hire a vehicle on the spur of the moment. Some of the details are yet to be decided, such as how much it will cost, but one newspaper suggested that the price will be around €200-€250 per month for city-based driving. Socialists argued that this was a huge saving on buying and running your own car.

Delanoe says that users will select their destination before setting off and computerisation will ensure they are told exactly where to drop the cars off, meaning there will always a free space available and parking issues will be eliminated. There are also plans to integrate payment for the bike and car hire schemes with the ticketing systems for traditional modes of public transport.

Autolib will be an extension of the successful Velib bike hire scheme, which Johnson is also aiming to emulate. Many believe the schemes will dovetail nicely, with Autolib being used for longer more difficult journeys and Velib for shorter trips around town.

Others are more sceptical however. Denis Baupin, a Green party deputy mayor, said: "If this scheme encourages people to pick up these cars every day, using them to go into work and back instead of using bikes or the metro, crowding roads and changing habits, that's a problem. I think we would be better off promoting car-sharing schemes like the ones in Britain that work for occasional use. Whenever electric car schemes have been tested in French towns, it has been a failure."

At the first meeting of the new EV partnership, representatives of the motor and energy industries and London boroughs agreed a plan to sharply increase electric car use in London. Mr Johnson's officials are now looking at the capital's charging infrastructure, trialing electric technology, and closely studying Autolib – although no firm decision has yet been taken.

Johnson said he was hoping to persuade the transport secretary, Geoff Hoon, to provide London with at least a "sizeable chunk" of the £250m the government has put aside for supporting electric vehicle initiatives.

Sources: The Guardian (Boris Johnson), The Guardian (Autolib), The Independent

The Renault-Nissan Alliance and UK companies Elektromotive and greentomatocars, have announced they are collaborating in the Partnership for Zero-Emission-Mobility, with the aim of accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) and installation of charging networks in London and other UK cities.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by all parties ahead of an imminent and dramatic rise in the number of EVs on Europe's roads, with the Renault-Nissan Alliance starting sales of purpose-designed EVs in Japan and the US from next year and globally by 2012.

The parties will study ways to promote the use of electric vehicles, and both UK companies will share information with Renault-Nissan on EV development and energy supply; the Elektromotive collaboration will also undertake education programmes and develop incentive schemes to attract EV purchasers.

As well as continuing with further development of its infrastructure system, Elektromotive will purchase or lease EVs built by the Alliance, and the MOU intends to define the terms and conditions for the supply of electric vehicles to greentomatocars for use in its fleet of taxis.

Elektromotive is a Brighton based company. It started developing charging station technology in 2003, installing its first Elektrobay charging post in Westminster in the centre of London in 2006. To date, it has installed more than 40 charging bays in London and a further 40 in other major UK cities, providing a safe and easy-to-use facility for pure electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars.

Calvey Taylor-Haw, managing director of Elektromotive Ltd, said: "We believe passionately that the emission-free electric vehicle represents the best way forward for future mobility. And with Nissan and Renault bringing serious, practical and desirable EVs to market soon, public awareness and usage of the EV can only increase."

Andrew Palmer, senior vice president of Nissan Motor Co, said: "Our two companies complement each other perfectly: owners of Alliance-built EVs will need access to a comprehensive charging system wherever they live and work and Elektromotive is in a unique position to supply user-friendly charging stations for our EV customers ... Together we can work towards a zero emission future."

London-based company greentomatocars is an environmentally friendly private car hire service using one of the greenest 5-seater cars available on the market. Today the company operates a fleet of Prius hybrid vehicles and is constantly reviewing its operations in order to further reduce its impact on the environment.

"Hybrid cars are currently the best solution when looking for low emission urban transport, but as soon as a serious zero emission alternative appears we aim to be first in the queue to operate those cars." said Jonny Goldstone, Director of the company. "The Alliance EV programme seems to tick all the right boxes,"

Andrew Palmer said: "We identify with the commitment shown by greentomatocars to the environment. We look forward to working together to promote clean vehicles and create the conditions for zero emission mobility in London,"

The Renault-Nissan Alliance aims to be the global leader in zero-emission mobility and has already started zero emission initiatives in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, the US and Japan. The Alliance has also partnered with the French utility company EDF and the Swiss electric utility company Energie Ouest Suisse (EOS).

Elektromotive Press Release, greentomatocars