With Mini E, the BMW group will become the first manufacturer to have a fleet of around 500 electric vehicles in everyday traffic around the world. This little eco car will work on a 150 kW electric motor with a rechargeable lithium-ion battey feeding it. As a result, the vehicle will be silent and emission-free. Plus it promises a range of 150 miles.

Though initially Mini E will be provided to select corporate customers in California, NY and New Jersey, it will have a world premiere at the LA Auto Show on November 19th and 20th, 2008.

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Just as we were getting excited about the Tesla Roadster and its wonderful mix of form and function, we have another all-electric vehicle that is stealing the spotlight from the Roadster with some panache. Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, The Venturi Volage is all about taking the all-electric car to a whole new plane and it does so with ease. The space-age looking Venturi uses Michelin’s Active Wheel technology, encasing two electric motors within its wheels. This gives the car a whole new dimension indeed.
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The Pininfarina B0 (pronounced B Zero) is a tribute to the legacy of Andrea Pininfarina (1957-2008) who believed that ‘designing and building cars is not only a business choice but a social responsibility.’ The B0 is clearly the solution for a pollution-free world, as was envisioned by its creator. This electric car of sheer styling is a collaboration born out of the partnership between Bolloré and Pininfarina. The four-seater, four-door hatchback with an automatic gearbox is being built in Turin and will be powered by Bolloré’s LMP technology, using the LMP battery that is rechargeable over a few hours only through a standard domestic main socket.

The car is a mass production model. The initial units will roll off by the end of 2009. The fully-electric vehicle will not produce any CO2 emission because of its use of the LMP revolutionary battery technology.� No exhaust gases or particulates from this car. For the past 15 years, Bolloré has been developing a solid-state lithium polymer battery that does not need any maintenance and has a lifespan of approximately 200,000 km (125,000 miles).
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The human-pulled cycle rickshaw of India has earned itself quite a few brickbats from human rights activists. But, maybe its time to change the perception. Now, a state-of-the-art, solar powered version of the humble vehicle called ‘Soleckshaw’ is touted as the solution to India’s traffic and pollution troubles as well as an escape from backbreaking human toil.

Unveiled earlier this month in New Delhi, the Soleckshaw is actually a motorised cycle rickshaw that can both be pedalled the regular way or run on a 36-volt solar battery. Created by the Centre for Scientifc and Industrial Research, this little wonder is being experimented upon at Delhi’s oldest and busiest of areas, Chandni Chowk.

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Everybody confronts a problem while choosing a car. Many questions pop up about which one to buy, mileage, efficiency, power and the list is endless. Out of the wide range of cars available, how would anyone decide which is the best? The latest fad that is in is a preference for hybrid cars. MINI Cooper Clubman is just one of them which costs $19k. Read the full story »

Plug-in electric vehicles are in the first phase of their road tests and are about to hit the roads by 2010. In this scenario, debates were on at the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Smart Garage Workshop on its first day on the subject whether it would be wiser to use the much advantageous and eco-friendly V2G PHEVs to power the grid. A wide range of opinions have been expressed on this. While the participants of the workshop support the suggestion, it sure looks like a possibility that is a decade away.

Mujeeb Ijaz, Director of Automotive Applications engineering at A123 Systems says that the V2G plug-in hybrids will attract customers because of their ability to store and discharge power and help them reduce their electricity bills, and the batteries wouldn’t reduce the performance on being used daily. Further, he agrees that the battery’s chemistry wouldn’t support it for fast charging and hence makes them unavailable for long distance travel.

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After basking in the glory of appreciation and excited apprehension, Nano, touted as the World’s cheapest car, makes way for green brand Oreva. This new e-car is a part of the rich Ajanta group legacy who have been giving India affordable electric scooters and bikes over the past so many years.

Plans are to roll out Oreva from the Ajanta plant in Gujarat. Though the mother company is careful not to divulge too many details, the national rep of the car did say that this green wonder would be able to cover 200-250 kilometers in a single charge.

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The cute toy-like eco-friendly cars have been made a reality by Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), which is a DaimlerChrysler company. Almost 10 years ago, they came up with a 48-volt GEM vehicle that could easily accomodate two passengers and give a top speed of 20 mph. Call it a coincidence, but the same year the National Highway Traffic Safety Regulation acknowledged a new class of vehcile, the Neighbourhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) aka low-speed vehicle. So these adorable toy-like cars actually found their way to the public roads.

That was then. Even now GEM vehicles are legal in many countries, but only on roads posted at 35 mph or less. The speed has increased in the latest model at 25 mph. Plus with an ability to cover around 30 miles on a single charge and modifications in the car body to suit your requirements, they have become very popular for traveling around neighbourhoods.

Meeting the safety guidelines, these GEM vehicles come with safety belts, headlamps, windshield wipers and safety glass. And their strongest point is that they are easily rechargeable at any 110-volt outlet in just six to eight hours.

Via EVO

This one ought to be your next purchase!!! Mazda Kiyora, a lightweight, next generation, urban compact concept car has been recently revealed at the 2008 Paris International Motor Show.� Mazda Kiyora (meaning ‘clean and pure’ in Japanese) represents the harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features. It is in line with Mazda’s long-term technology development vision, “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom.”� It works towards the overall agenda of Mazda to achieve a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy in the near future.
Following its mantra of introducing new vehicles that are exciting to look at and drive, the car is highly fuel efficient, with a very small CO 2 footprint. By taking Mazda’s acclaimed lightweight strategy, it employs an extremely rigid and lightweight carbon-fibre body structure beneath a small, aerodynamic outer skin. Not only this, even the engine is a spirited, small-displacement 1.3-liter direct-injection. Featuring next-generation technologies clothed in a friendly and cool design that is as functional as it is beautiful, the car also features the unique Smart Idle Stop System (SISS).

The Mazda Kiyora concept car is formed in the shape of a water droplet on its side, as are its two side windows. It is an environmentally friendly city car that is cute and agile, and invites you to climb in for a ride. So this one surely, is to be your next purchase.

Via inhabitat

The automobile industry has embraced the change to green technology more willingly than any other sector. As a mainstream industry that affects our life on a daily basis, car makers across the world have made a conscious and deliberate effort to take the green movement forward and bring it closer to our lives. With dependence on fossil fuel becoming a dangerous liability, turning to clean electric vehicles is a welcome change. “Just” is a car produced by the Altran Group and it is both simple and subtle in its design and shape.

The concept car is filled with green features and what looks like a solar panel on its hood to power it to a certain extent. While the use of solar panel is not confirmed, that seems to be pretty much the way to go with this car. The interior looks classic in style and design and the seating is fit for four. While the vehicle surely meets the modern environment standards, it is the distinct and special hood that gives it its unique design. Cool, comfortable and clean- Just is a vehicle of the future.

Via:� Tuvie/ Altran