In an effort to keep ahead of the competition, Honda has announced that the pricing for the 2013 Honda Fit EV has been lowered to $259 a month. Currently the Fit EV’s monthly lease price is set at $389 a month, but starting next month, Honda is lowering the lease price and throwing in a free 240 volt home charging station.

Read the rest of Honda Lowers Pricing for the 2013 Honda Fit EV to $259 a Month

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: chevy spark ev, electric motor, electric vehicle, Fiat 500e, green car, green transportation, Honda, Honda EV, honda fit, honda fit ev, lithium ion battery, Nissan Leaf

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: Plain-Jane Honda Accord with Econ Assist Gets Solid Fuel Efficiency without Hybrid Tech

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Accord, green car, green transportation, Honda, Honda Accord, Laura K. Cowan, test drive

There is a good reason why Argentina’s flag sports a shining sun. At present, Argentina only produces about 10MW of solar power, but that figure is soon about to receive a giant boost as the country plans to increase its capacity by 35 times and the government begins to hand out incentives to private companies. International developers are looking to the western regions where projects are estimated to produce over twice the amount of energy coming from solar in Germany, the world’s current market leader. The plans would assist in the efforts of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to increase the amount of energy generated by renewables from 2 percent to 8 percent by 2013.

Read the rest of Solar Power Generation to Increase by 35 Times in Argentina

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: aldar sa, Argentina, Brazil, china, Columbia, debt, default, enarsa, germany, inflation, president cristina fernandez de kirchner, renewable energy, sky solar holdings co., Solar Power, solaria energia & medio ambiente sa, south america, Spain, tariff

Honda and SolarCity has announced a new $65 million partnership to make solar power more affordable and available to Honda and Acura customers in the U.S. The partnership seeks to provide a cleaner source of electricity at a lower cost than utility-supplied power. Additionally, they hope to address global climate change by reducing CO2 emissions from home, business, and transportation energy use.

Read the rest of Honda and SolarCity Team Up to Provide Affordable Solar Power

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "solar energy", charging electric cars, dealerships, electric cars, green energy, Honda, renewable energy, Solar Power, solarcity

First Solar Inc., the world’s largest producer of thin-film solar panels, will sell electricity at the rate of 5.8 cents per kWh in New Mexico – half the price of power from local coal plants. According to its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with El Paso Electric Company, the local grid will be supplied with power from First Solar’s 50-megawatt Macho Springs project.

Read the rest of Thin-Film Solar Power to Be Sold For Less Than Coal Power in New Mexico

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Agua Caliente Solar, Antelope Valley Solar Ranch, coal, coal power, El Paso Electric Company, First Solar Inc, Macho Springs Solar Farm, New Mexico solar power, renewable energy sources, Solar Power, thin-film solar panels, US clean energy

Ford, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz have announced a new three-way partnership to accelerate the development of fuel cell electric vehicle technology, with the ultimate goal of releasing a mass market fuel cell vehicle by 2017. The goal of the collaboration is to jointly develop a common fuel cell electric vehicle system while reducing investment costs associated with the engineering of the technology. Each company will invest equally towards the project as a strategy to maximize design commonality, leverage volume and derive efficiencies through economies of scale.

Read the rest of Ford, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz Team Up to Build a Mass Market Fuel Cell Vehicle by 2017

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: electric car, ford, fuel cell vehicle, green car, green technology, hydrogen, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz B-Class fuel cell vehicle, NISSAN

Read the rest of NAIAS 2013: Acura Brings Its Awesome NSX Concept Sports Hybrid Back to Detroit

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: 2013 Detroit Auto Show, 2013 NAIAS, Acura, Acura NSX Concept, detroit auto show, green cars, green transportation, hybrid car, hybrid sports car, Laura K. Cowan, NAIAS, north american international auto show, NSX, NSX Hybrid

Edinburgh-based Sofant just unveiled a new micro SmartAntenna at CES 2013 that could potentially double the battery life of today’s smartphones while easing network congestion. The tiny antenna is purported to consume 90 percent less energy that the current technologies while eliminating problems such as dropped calls and poor signal quality.

Read the rest of Miniature Sofant SmartAntenna Could Double Battery Life of Smartphones

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: battery technology, cell phone technology, ces, CES 2013, consumer electronics show, miniature antenna, mobile phones industry, smart technology, SmartAntenna, smartphone battery technology, smartphone technology, Sofant

Fiat has announced the official performance specs for the 2013 Fiat 500e electric vehicle. The 2013 500e beats out other electric vehicles like the Honda Fit EV and Nissan Leaf with an EPA rating of 108 MPGe on the highway and a total driving range of 87 miles between charges. The 2013 Fiat 500e also has a 116-MPGe combined and 122 MPGe city-cycle rating.

Read the rest of 2013 Fiat 500e Tops Class With 108 MPGe Highway Rating and 87 Mile Range

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: automotive, electric vehicle, FIAT, Fiat 500, Fiat 500e, Fiat electric vehicle, green transportation, lithium ion battery

Early returns show that 2012 will go down as a good year for electric car sales. In the United States, 53,000 plug-ins were sold, compared to about 17,500 in 2011. While there isn’t sufficient data to predict whether the trend will continue in the coming years, the sizable uptick in sales provides optimism for the electric vehicle market. Meanwhile, overseas, the forecasts for the United Kingdom predict the number of electric cars sales to double in 2013.

Read the rest of U.S. Plug-In Car Sales Triple in 2012; UK Electric Car Sales Expected to Double in 2013

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "energy efficiency", carbon-free transportation, eco-friendly vehicles, green energy, green transportation, US automobile industry, us carbon emissions, US electric cars, US plug-in vehicles 2012

The all-new 2013 Ford Fusion has been named Green Car Journal‘s 2013 Green Car of the Year at the 2012 LA Auto Show. The Ford Fusion emerged on top of a field of finalist, which included the 2013 Dodge Dart Aero, Ford C-MAX, Mazda CX-5 and the Toyota Prius c. Green Car Journal gave the Fusion the award because “it not only significantly reduces petroleum use, CO2 emissions and overall environmental impact, but is priced to encourage the kind of sales volume that can truly influence environmental improvement.”

Read the rest of 2013 Ford Fusion Named Green Car of the Year at the 2012 LA Auto Show

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, automotive, ford, ford fusion, ford hybrid, Ford plug-in hybrid, green car, Green Car Journal, green transportation

Honda has released fuel economy ratings and pricing for the all-new 2014 Honda Accord Plug-in hybrid, which is slated to arrive in January. The EPA has rated the Accord Plug-in hybrid at 115 MPGe, which is a higher rating than other plug-in hybrid models like the Ford C-Max Energi (100 MPGe), Chevy Volt (98 MPGe), and Prius Plug-in (95 MPGe).

Read the rest of 2014 Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid Rated at 115 MPGe and Starts at $39,780

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: electric car, green car, green transportation, Honda, Honda Accord, Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Accord PHEV, Honda hybrid, Honda plug-in hybrid

Honda‘s Micro Commuter is a compact, fuel-efficient vehicle with an innovative design that enables its body to be swapped out to suit different purposes. Close to being production-ready, the lightweight EV has a battery that is housed in the floor of the vehicle, allowing the 100-inch long body to be able to be exchanged for different models. At a weight of less than 400 kg, the motor produces 15kW and can reach a maximum speed of 80 mph.

Read the rest of Honda’s New Micro Commuter is Small, Efficient, and Features a Swappable Body

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Android, Europe, ev, Honda, honda smart home system, hshs, ios, Japan, l7 regulations, litium ion battery, micro commuter, solar panels, tablet, tokyo motor show, variable design platform, windows

The days of waiting hours to recharge your electric vehicle may soon be behind you. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)—an international body which sets technical standards in the industry—has just approved a potentially game-changing standard that will reduce charging times to mere minutes. The new DC direct charging was developed with hundreds of automakers, utilities and equipment builders, and it could allow for charging times as short as 20 minutes – compared to the eight hours or more offered by today’s charging system.

Read the rest of Society of Automotive Engineers Approves New Chargers That Will Recharge EVs in Minutes

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: electric car battery, electric cars, electric vehicle charging systems, green car, green transportation, lithium ion battery, personal electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid cars, SAE

Read the rest of Top Eight Innovative Green Cars Debuting at Next Week’s 2012 Paris Motor Show

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: 2012 Paris Motor Show, BMW Concept Active Tourer Plug-In hybrid, honda cr-z, lexus, Lexus LF-CC Concept, Mercedes-Benz Concept B-Class Electric Drive, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Terra Fuel Cell SUV Concept, Peugeot Onyx, smart forstars concept

Electric cars offer the promise of fossil fuel-free transportation, but today’s EVs are at a disadvantage due to the lack of infrastructure to charge them. While we wait for more charging stations, plug-in hybrids represent the best alternative, since they have a back-up engine that kicks in when the battery level runs low. Early next year, Honda is set to enter the plug-in hybrid segment with the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid sedan – and we recently had the chance to take it out for a spin. Continue reading to see what it was like behind the wheel of Honda’s newest hybrid.

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid is an Electric Car for Today

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: electric car, green car, green transportation, Honda, Honda Accord, Honda Accord PHEV, Honda hybrid, Honda review, hybrid car, lithium ion battery, plug-in hybrid

The 2012 Paris Motor Show kicks off in a few weeks and Mitsubishi plans to launch the global debut of the new Outlander Plug-in Hybrid. The Outlander PHEV will be the world’s first plug-in hybrid SUV, and according to Mitsubishi it offers the best of three worlds: the environmental performance of an electric vehicle, the cruising range of a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle, and the on- and off-road performance of an SUV.

Read the rest of 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid to Debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: 2012 Paris Motor Show, electric car, electric SUV, green car, lithium ion battery, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid, plug-in hybrid

Read the rest of 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Can Travel Up to 15 Miles in Electric Mode

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: green car, green transportation, Honda, Honda Accord, Honda Accord plug-in hybrid, Honda hybrid, hybrid, hybrid car, lithium ion battery, plug-in hybrid

With the introduction of electric vehicles like the Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S and Honda Fit EV, do you ever wonder what it would be like to actually own one? A quick ten minute test drive at a dealership only tells part of the story. Ford recently loaned me a 2013 Ford Focus Electric to drive for a few days in the San Francisco Bay Area. I had one challenge in mind: To see if the Focus Electric could do everything that a gas powered car could do. After four days with the Focus Electric I gave back the keys mostly impressed with Ford’s newest electric car.

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: We Drive the 2013 Ford Focus Electric in San Francisco

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: chevy volt, electric car, EV range anxiety, ford, ford electric car, ford focus, ford focus electric, green car, green transportation, honda fit ev, Nissan Leaf, tesla model-s

A small army of highly sophisticated research vehicles has been unleashed on the streets of Ann Arbor, Michigan. No, these vehicles aren’t armored or carrying surveillance equipment – in fact, it’ll probably be impossible to tell them apart from the other mini-vans, trucks, and hatch-backs vying for position at the red light. What these “connected cars” will do is use Wifi to silently transmit information to transponders located on the state and city’s traffic infrastructure equipment. Researchers say this type of technology helps them better understand infrastructure and traffic flow, which could reduce traffic, accidents, and even pollution in the future.

Read the rest of Michigan Deploys 300 WiFi-Connected ‘Talking’ Cars to Help Prevent Traffic Jams

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: car accidents, connected cars, connected vehicles, driving habits, safety, traffic, university of michigan, US Department of Transportation