Category: Battery Electric Car

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Opel to launch city electric car by 2017

Opel plans to start selling an all-electric compact car no later than by 2017 as the automaker is striving to meet EU emission targets, Automobilwoche reported on Sunday.

The new model, dubbed internally as battery electric vehicle (BEV), will be much smaller and cheaper than the 38,300-euro ($52,400) Ampera electric car, the magazine said without citing the source of the information.

The GM division last September announced a price cut for the Ampera of almost 8,000 euros in Europe's biggest car market for the model which can travel between 40-80 kilometers electrically and a further 500 km with a combustion engine range extender.

Opel did not return calls seeking comment.

Opel's new electric model would be launched as part of a small-car offensive that in 2015 may also bring to the market the "City" vehicle, due to cost less than 10,000 euros and rival Volkswagen's Up subcompact, Automobilwoche said.

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Formula E full-power track test [VIDEO]

Former F1 driver Jarno Trulli test drives the new Formula E car in France.

The Italian drove the fully-electric single-seater featuring the full 200kw (270bhp) race-mode battery in mid-March 2014.

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Tesla Model S sets yet another sales record in Norway

During the last week in March, 597 Tesla Model S were registered in Norway, giving it a market share of 12.9 percent. Number two on the list was the Volkswagen Golf with 169 vehicles.

For the entire month of March there were 1493 Model S registered which is an all time high for any car model in Norway in a single month, beating a previous record 1454 Ford Sierra in May 1986.

So far this year 2056 Tesla Model S were registered, surpassing the 1983 sold all of last year.

To put this figure into perspective, the Model S has out sold Ford's entire model range (1825) so far this year.

Tesla has a market share of 5.6 percent in 2014 and 10.8 percent in March. The U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer is the nation's sixth most registered mark in 2014!

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Porsche Considering Electric Sports Car good for 400 km range

Porsche CEO Matthias Müller has confirmed the company is considering an electric vehicle.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Müller said "Yes, of course we think about it." The executive went on to say he isn't a fan of range-extended electric vehicles but he's open to pure electric models.

He believes the range needs to be at least 300 km (187 miles) to be practical with 400 km (250 miles) being the preferred option.

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

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2015 Volkswagen e-Golf electric car review [VIDEO]

Cars.com review the recently launched VW e-Golf.

The Volkswagen e-Golf, the electric version of the extremely popular VW Golf, has now hit the UK market. After the government’s £5000 Plug-In Car Grant (PICG), the price comes to £25,845. That’s still a bit higher than the Nissan Leaf, which sells for £20,990, but may not be too far off for those who prefer VW and the e-Golf.

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BMW i3 Review by Grant Thomas [VIDEO]

Grant Thomas provides a 30 minute review of the BEV version of a right hand drive, UK delivered, BMW i3.

At approx 17:28 there is a demonstration of the i3's autonomous Active Cruise Control feature which doubles as a stop & go traffic jam assist and collision avoidance brake system.

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Hyundai to launch battery-powered electric car in 2016

Hyundai plans to start selling its first battery-powered electric vehicle in 2016.

Hyundai has leant toward engines which turn hydrogen into electricity in response to stricter emissions regulations in markets such as the United States. Research and development partner Kia Motors Corp has focused on rechargeable batteries.

But the division of labor is blurring at a time when the number of battery-powered EVs is on the rise. BMW's i3 and Nissan Motor Co Ltd's Leaf are widely expected to reach Korea this year - as will Kia's Soul EV.

"There is no clear direction about which eco-friendly cars will win. We are dividing roles of Hyundai and Kia, with Hyundai launching fuel cell cars and Kia focusing on electric cars," Senior Vice President Lee Ki-sang told reporters on Tuesday.

"But the time will come when Kia will introduce a fuel-cell car. Hyundai is also preparing to launch a (battery-powered) electric car in 2016," Lee said at the Korean launch of the Soul

Battery Power

Kia, 34% owned by Hyundai, has favoured battery-powered cars because they can be charged at home as well as at charging stations. Fuel-cell cars must be refilled with hydrogen only at filling stations.

So far, a lack of charging stations and relatively short driving ranges, as well as high prices resulting from the cost of batteries, has kept the battery-powered EV market niche.

The number of battery-powered EVs on the rise, as BMW’s i3 and Nissan Motor Co Ltd’s Leaf are widely expected to reach Korea this year - as will Kia’s Soul EV.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Kia said it will start building a battery-powered version of its Soul compact in Korea next month. The car will be Hyundai-Kia’s first battery-powered EV export, with destinations including the U.S. and Europe.

For this year, the global sales target is 5,000 Soul EVs, said Cho Yong-won, vice president of Kia’s Domestic Marketing Group.

In Korea, the Soul EV will cost about half of its 42 million won ($43,650) price tag after government subsidies, similar to the higher-end model of the gasoline version.

The car can run up to 148 km per 24 to 33 minute fast charge or four hours on slow charge.