Read the rest of The New Lexus ES300h: We Test Drive the First Ever Hybrid ES in Oregon Wine Country

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Post tags: 300h, eco design, eco-friendly car, electric car, electric lexus, electric vehicle, es 300h, es300h, ev, green car, green design, green transportation, hybrid car, lexus, lexus 300h, lexus electric car, lexus es 300h, lexus es300h test drive, lexus ev, lexus hybrid, lexus hybrid car, Lexus Hybrid Drive, sustainable design

By any measure, the release of Ford’s 2012 Focus Electric is a big deal. It’s the company’s first all-electric car, and Ford says it can be recharged in nearly half the time it takes to juice up the Nissan Leaf. As Ford gears up for the release sate, it will also make some serious environmental upgrades to dealerships that sell the new EV. The company announced this morning that any dealership that is authorized to sell the 2012 Ford Focus Electric must first must install EV charging stations and participate in a facility assessment aimed at reducing energy use.

Read the rest of Ford Dealerships Get Environmental Assessment in Preparation for 2012 Ford Focus Electric Rollout

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Post tags: 2012 Focus Electric, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, EVs, ford, ford focus electric, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, green cars, green transportation

Audi recently unveiled some changes to their 2013 Audi Q5 midsize SUV range, which will include their first ever hybrid model. The 2013 Audi Q5 Hybrid Quattro combines a four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery to give the SUV the power of a V6 engine, but with the fuel economy of a more efficient four-cylinder engine.

Read the rest of Audi Unveils Its First Hybrid, the 2013 Q5 Hybrid Quattro

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Post tags: AUDI, audi hybrid, Audi Q5, Audi Q5 Hybrid Quattro, eco friendly cars, electric car, electric cars, ev, green cars, green SUV, green transportation, hybrid cars, hybrid SUV, lithium ion battery

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: Inhabitat Conquers Range Anxiety in the All-Electric Nissan LEAF

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Post tags: electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green car, green transportation, green vehicle, Laura K. Cowan, leaf, Nissan Leaf, plug-in electric, test drive

Although nothing comes out the tailpipe, electric vehicles do produce carbon emissions and other pollutants; the amount of emissions all depends on the power source from which they are charged. A new study from the Union of Concerned Scientists looks at how good or bad EVs in different parts of the US perform in terms of carbon emissions based in differences in how electricity is generated. The report found that location matters a great deal; in some parts of the country where electricity is generated mostly from coal, EVs performed no better than gasoline-powered hybrids.

Read the rest of New Study Reveals that Environmental Impact of Electric Cars Depends on Location

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Post tags: cars, chevy volt, CO2 emissions, electric car, electric vehicles, ev, fossil fuels, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, global warming, green cars, green transportation, hybrids

GM halted production of the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid in early March due to rising inventory, but now the automaker has restarted production earlier than expected. GM originally planned on temporarily halting production from March 19 to April 23 to reduce the inventory of unsold Volts sitting in Chevy showrooms, but production has been restarted a week earlier than planned, thanks to increased demand.

Read the rest of GM Restarts Chevy Volt Production Earlier than Expected

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Post tags: chevy, Chevy plug-in hybrid, chevy restarts volt production, chevy volt, chevy volt production restarted, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, GM, green car, green transportation, plug-in hybrid, volt, volt production restarted

When Nissan first launched the Leaf electric car, buyers had to make a reservation on Nissan’s website and pay a $99 reservation fee. Now Nissan is making the buying process easier by allowing customers the ability to buy a Leaf at their local dealer. Buyers that still prefer to order their Leaf online can continue to use Nissan’s online reservation system, but now they will no longer have to pay the $99 reservation fee. The simplified buying process will make it easier for those buyers that were turned off by original buying process.

Read the rest of Nissan Does Away with the $99 Reservation Fee for its Leaf Electric Vehicle

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Post tags: eco car, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green auto, green car, green transportation, NISSAN, Nissan electric automobile, Nissan Leaf, nissan leaf ev, nissan leaf reservation fee

Zipcar, the world’s leading car sharing network, has announced that Honda will be Zipcar’s preferred automaker with a focus on hybrid and electric vehicles. The new partnership will give Zipcar members more access to Honda’s low-emission, fuel efficient vehicles like the Honda Insight hybrid, Fit electric vehicle and the upcoming Accord plug-in hybrid.

Read the rest of Honda and Zipcar Team Up to Provide Hybrid and Electric Vehicles to Car Share Members

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Post tags: Car Sharing, carshare, electric vehicles, ev, EVs, green transportation, Honda, Honda Accord, honda civic, Honda CR-V, honda fit, honda zipcar, hybrid car, hybrid vehicles, zip car, Zipcar

Read the rest of Inhabitat’s Top Picks from the 2012 NY Auto Show

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Post tags: 2012, 2012 NY Auto Show, Amanda Coen, best of, concept car, delorean, eco-friendly, energy efficient, ev, Fisker Atlantic, green auto, green car, green technology, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, infiniti le, inhabitat, Lincoln MKZ, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi i-MiEV Sport Air, new york auto show, New York., NISSAN, Nissan NV 200, Sport Air, sustainable design, sustainable interior, taxi of tomorrow, Terrafugia

Infiniti just unveiled its new Infiniti LE electric sedan concept at the 2012 New York Auto Show, and Inhabitat was on the scene to get the scoop on this gorgeous new electric vehicle. The Infiniti LE features a 100 kW electric motor with 134 horsepower and 240 lb-ft. of torque, and a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery will enable it to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge. Best of all, the car will use the world’s first home wireless charging system, so drivers will be able to juice up their car without popping in the plug. Read on for more!

Read the rest of Infiniti Unveils LE Concept Electric Sedan, With World’s First Home Wireless Charging System

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Post tags: 2012 New York Auto Show, electric concept vehicle, electric vehicle, ev, green transportation, Infiniti, Infiniti electric vehicle, infiniti le, Infiniti LE Concept, Infiniti LE electric luxury sedan, le concept, new york auto show, NISSAN, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, ny auto show, wireless charging

Read the rest of Crowd-Pleasing Electric DeLorean Makes a Surprise Visit to the New York Auto Show

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Post tags: 2012 NY Auto Show, AC engine, DC engine, delorean, DeLorean Motor Company, DMCev, eco car, eco-friendly, Electric Delorean, electric vehicle, energy efficient, Epic EV, ev, green auto, green automotive, green technology, new york auto show, ny auto show, re-purposed materials, re-used body, re-used materials, re-used parts, sustainable technology

Read the rest of Mitsubishi Shows Off Its Bubbly i-MiEV Sport Air Concept at the New York Auto Show

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Post tags: Amanda Coen, energy efficient, ev, green car, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, inhabitat, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Mitsubishi i-MiEV Sport, Mitsubishi i-MiEV Sport Air, new york auto show, ny auto show, Recycled Materials, sustainable design, sustainable interior

Audi recently shared with Inhabitat a development that it’s been keeping under wraps – a new solution dubbed “e-sound” that helps pedestrians hear electric vehicles approaching. Audi’s future e-tron electric models are incredibly quiet and great for the environment, but their lack of sound isn’t great for pedestrians in urban settings. To combat this issue, the carmaker has been working on a noise to replicate a non-electric car’s motor. Read on to learn more and to check out a video showing their process.

Read the rest of Audi Developing New ‘e-sound’ for e-tron Electric Vehicles

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Post tags: AUDI, Audi e-sound, Audi e-tron, audi electric vehicle, e-sound, e-tron, eco vehicle, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green cars, green transportation, green vehicle, hybrid

Read the rest of 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Vehicle Debuts at the New York Auto Show

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Post tags: 2012 New York Auto Show, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, ford, Fuel Efficient, green car, green transporation, green vehicle, hybrid, hybrid vehicle, lincoln, lincoln green car, lincoln hybrid, lincoln hybrid car, Lincoln MKZ, mkz, new york auto show, ny auto show

The Chevy Volt* is unique among electric cars because it runs on two sources of energy. You have an electric source – a battery – that allows you to drive gas-free for an EPA–estimated 35 miles. And there’s also an on-board gas generator that produces electricity so you can go farther. So if you want to drive using only electricity, you can. If you want to drive using electricity and gas, you can do that, too. Hear what one proud Volt owner had to say about how the electric car has reinvented her driving experience.

Read the rest of A New Driving Perspective

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Post tags: chevrolet, chevrolet volt, chevy, chevy owner, chevy volt, chevy volt owner, electric car, electric car owner, electric vehicle, electric vehicle owner, energy efficient vehicle, ev, EV owner, extended range electric vehicle, gas electric hybrid, GM electric car, green car, green transportation, green vehicle, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, inhabitat, laura winger, volt, volt owner, volt owner story, zero emissions car, zero emissions vehicle

Nissan’s Infiniti luxury brand is about to get a new electric vehicle that will be based on the Nissan Leaf EV. Nissan is being quiet about the details of the upcoming Infiniti EV, but company officials have stated that it will share its powertrain with the Leaf, while placing more emphasis on performance. To give us a preview of what we can expect, Infiniti is going to unveil a concept version of the EV at the 2012 New York Auto Show next month.

Read the rest of Infiniti to Unveil New Nissan Leaf-Based EV at New York Auto Show

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Post tags: 2012 New York Auto Show, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green car, green transportation, Infiniti, Infiniti electric vehicle, leaf, new york auto show, NISSAN, Nissan Leaf

A portion of the historic Oregon Trail is now blazing a new path as the nation’s next electric highway! Stretching from Northern California to Cottage Grove, Oregon, the new highway is designed to cater to electric vehicles with charging stations placed every 25 miles or so along the route. The new highway is a monumental step for the electric vehicle industry, giving EV owners access to charge spots outside of their homes and work places.

Read the rest of New West Coast Electric Highway Opens Along Historic Oregon Trail

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Post tags: Cottage Grove, eco design, electric cars, electric highway, electric vehicle charging stations, electric vehicles, ev, EV charging stations Oregon, EVs, green design, Interstate 5, Oregon, sustainable design, West Coast Electric Highway

Coda Automotive has announced that its first all-electric sedan has been produced at its plant in Benicia, CA. The first EV to roll off the line is a silver sedan with a 31 kWh battery pack. “This is an incredibly exciting day for the Coda family and the EV community,” said Mac Heller, executive chairman, Coda Holdings. “Since day one, we’ve been dedicated to designing an electric car that provides the amenities that the American driver has come to expect, such as range, torque, and value. This car symbolizes our commitment to accelerating the adoption of EVs.”

Read the rest of First 2012 Coda All-Electric Sedan Rolls Off the Line

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Post tags: Coda Automotive, Coda electric sedan, Coda sedan, electric car, electric car news, electric sedan, ev, ev news, green car, green transportation, lithium iron phosphate

Stephen Reon Francisco‘s Eco E-Trike is a concept for an electric vehicle that allows people to get around the city with ease. Looking a bit like a streamlined golf-cart, the E-Trike is more convenient than a regular bike but uses less materials than a typical car. Because of its small stature, it’s ideal for zipping through narrow city streets and has many of the creature comforts of a car without the bulk.

+ Eco E-Trike

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: alternative transportation, e-trike, eco design, eco e-trike, electric vehicles, ev, green design, green transportation, Stephen Reon Francisco, sustainable design

Nissan currently has a full lineup of crossovers and SUVs, but none of them feature a hybrid powertrain. This could all change very soon, however – Nissan just unveiled its Hi-Cross Concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and this cool new car is designed to be powered by a hybrid system. Word on the street is that the new vehicle could be Nissan’s next crossover to go into production.

Read the rest of Nissan’s Hi-Cross Hybrid Crossover Concept Could Hit Streets Soon

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Post tags: 2012 Geneva Motor Show, automotive, CVT, electric cars, electric vehicle, ev, green transportation, hybrid, hybrid crossover, lithium ion battery, NISSAN, nissan hi-cross concept