By Nick Chambers •
October 28, 2009
Swine Flu’s got nothing on our Vice President’s case of Foot-in-Mouth disease.
If only there was a vaccine.
Joe Biden is well-known for his goofball status of saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time in, what we have to assume, is a genetic predisposition to unwittedness.
Take, for instance, yesterday’s announcement that Fisker Automotive would be purchasing a shuttered Delaware GM plant for the future production of Fisker’s upcoming Project Nina plug-in hybrid—the more reasonably priced sister car of Fisker’s flagship $80,000 Karma.
During that announcement Biden—who’s home state is Delaware—waxed on about how the plant will bring jobs back to the area and is exactly what we need to get our manufacturing sector back on line. But he just couldn’t hold himself back at the end of his speech, saying “imagine when this factory, when the floor we’re standing on right now is making 100,000 plug-in hybrid sedans, coupes and crossovers every single year.”
By Joanna Schroeder •
August 17, 2009
Three weeks ago, I wrote a story about the upcoming public debut of the Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). Well, it’s official. The Karma PHEV made its public driving debut over the weekend, just 19 months after being introduced as a concept car. Behind the wheel was Bernhard Koehler, co-founder and COO of Fisker Automotive. Fisker Automotive is just one of several companies, such as Bright Automotive, that have brought concept cars to market in less than two years - a feat I don’t believe any major automotive company in the states has ever accomplished.
“This demonstration represents a significant milestone for Fisker Automotive and PHEV technology,” said Fisker Automotive CEO Henrik Fisker. “The future of clean cars is bright.”
The Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid will make its public driving debut during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races on Saturday August 15th at the 11-turn Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This event takes place just 19 months after the concept car was unveiled. It will be the first time a plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) will appear on the track as part of the event and the car will take two laps beginning at 11:10 a.m Pacific Time.
The Fisker Karma PHEV is a slightly different take on electric vehicles. The car is a full-size luxury sedan with seating for four. It has a 50 mile range on a full charge and uses a lithium-ion battery. This is enough miles for the average person to drive to and from work. It ultimately has a total range of 300 miles due to an on-board generator turned by a 260hp Ecotec engine. Two 101.5hp electric motors send enough traction through a single-speed differential to reach 60 mph in 6 seconds. It’s top speed reaches 125 mph so no highway worries here folks. Together, the engine and motors create the Q-Drive powertrain which is exclusive to all Fisker automobiles. This technology allows its cars to exceed 100 mph with a lower carbon output than any other hybrid.
By Nick Chambers •
January 15, 2009
Editor’s Note: This list represents the ten “best” electric and plug-in hybrid cars (as I see them) coming out in the next two years, but, after that initial culling, this list has been organized by release date, not preference.
With the onslaught of electric concepts and announcements coming out of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, you’d think that the entire world is about to junk their old jalopies and rush out and buy electric cars tomorrow.
But, alas, as much as millions of Americans would love to pay 3 cents a mile on their daily commutes, our choices for electric cars are, at the moment, severely lacking.
Although the promise of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show reeks of desperation, it’s not all smoke and mirrors. Believe it or not, there are a bunch of noteworthy electric cars, both all-battery and extended range plug-ins, reaching US production sometime in the next two years.
So, if you’ve got the time to wait and you find yourself longing for the cheapest, quietest, and most earth-friendly commute you could imagine, take a gander at this list… electric bliss is closer than you probably thought.
By Ariel Schwartz •
August 25, 2008
Sunroofs are no longer just an easy route to windblown hair and a sunburn with Sunrise Solar’s introduction of the solar sunroof. The technology replaces the traditional glass sunroof with solar technology that generates electricity to recharge a car’s batteries while either cooling or warming the parked car depending on the weather.
Of course, a solar-powered sun roof does not provide nearly enough energy to power an entire car. It might be enough to keep some ventilation fans blowing, but it couldn’t fully recharge a car’s battery during a single day.
