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Posts Tagged ‘2011’

Report: Tata Motors to launch 2 EVs in Europe by March of 2011

August 15th, 2010

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily, Europe/EU, Tata

The Hindu Business Line is reporting that Tata Motors is expected to launch two electric vehicles (EVs) in select European countries by March of 2011. The company’s vice chairman, Ravi Kant, told the publication that the EVs scheduled for launch include battery-powered variants of the Indica Vista hatchback and its Ace, a light-duty commercial mini-truck. The EVs will appear first in the UK, followed by an introduction in Scandinavian nations (Norway, Denmark and Sweden) at a later date. Tata Motors insists that both vehicles are at an advanced stage of development and will be ready for launch soon, which sounds eerily familiar to something we’ve heard before.

The company choose the UK as the initial debut site due to its substantial EV infrastructure and strong incentives that should boost sales. Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles division president, Ravi Pisharody, notes that the company does not intend to launch the EVs in its home market of India due to its lack of a supporting infrastructure, saying:

The network of charging stations is practically absent in India. We cannot have electric vehicles without Government support, especially for setting up stations.

Though Tata Motors has indicated that battery-powered versions of its Indica and Ace are coming soon, it did not suggest any timeframe for the possible launch of the electric Nano, a vehicle which could be U.S. bound at some point.

[Source: Hindu Business Line via Green Car Advisor]

Report: Tata Motors to launch 2 EVs in Europe by March of 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2011, europe, launch, March, motors, Report, Tata

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Report: Nissan to allocate 2,000 Leafs to UK in 2011, half headed to fleets

August 15th, 2010

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Green Daily, UK

Nissan Leaf EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

Last weekend, Nissan revealed some info regarding the Leaf’s availability and its allocation in the UK and managed to do so with little fanfare and virtually no media coverage. It’s almost as if Nissan intended to slip this announcement by without us getting wind of some pertinent info that could make electric vehicle-loving residents of the UK a bit angered. What’s the news? Half of the Leafs headed to the UK in 2011 will be reserved for fleet use. The company also suggested that its allocation of 1,000 Leafs have already been claimed by fleet customers. A Nissan spokesperson said:

We probably could have sold all of next year’s allocation to fleet customers, but we wanted to make sure retail customers who wanted to buy the Leaf were able to, so we decided to split equally between fleet and retail.

Combining the statements above gives us the impression that Nissan intends to ship just 2,000 Leafs to the UK in 2011, with half headed to the retail market. Now, that will likely upset those early adopters who may find it hard to get their hands on a Leaf for a long while, but Nissan could have allocated all of the 2011 model run to fleets, thus making it impossible to get one in the UK until 2012. Thankfully, Nissan did not choose to follow that route.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: Nissan-Leaf]

Report: Nissan to allocate 2,000 Leafs to UK in 2011, half headed to fleets originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2000, 2011, allocate, fleets, half, headed, Leaf's, Nissan, Report

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First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze sails into new era of small cardom

July 31st, 2010

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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet, First Drive

2011 Chevrolet Cruze – Click above for high-res image gallery

Until now, General Motors hasn’t exactly taken the small-car market seriously. While Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and Kia have built their empires on the hoods of pint-sized, fuel-efficient transportation, history has shown the captains of Detroit tend to offer up parts-bin afterthoughts. Cars like the Chevrolet Cavalier and Cobalt have left a sour taste in the mouths of buyers thanks to noisy and de-contented cabins, rough engines and build quality that would make a Yugo blush. As a result, Americans have developed a sort of Pavolovian retch when we hear the term “compact car.”

But a new dawn may be approaching – one heralded by a rash of new straw-weight fighters that aim to bring a global small car philosophy to the U.S. GM intends to be part of that party with the introduction of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, a sedan that, for all intents and purposes, is more of a landmark model for the company than the endlessly-hyped Chevrolet Volt. To get our meaning, you’ll need to throw all of your heinous memories about American-built small cars out the window beginning… now.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze: First Drive

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze sails into new era of small cardom

First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze sails into new era of small cardom originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2011, cardom, Chevrolet, Cruze, Drive, First, Into, sails, Small

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First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players

July 28th, 2010

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, In The AutoblogGreen Garage

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve met the Nissan Leaf before. First at its coming-out party in Japan, followed by an all-too-brief stint behind the wheel of a Versa-based prototype late last year. Now we’ve had a chance to sample Nissan’s first foray into the world of electric vehicles in production form and the automaker picked one of its most important markets – the heart of Silicon Valley – to give us some seat time.

If there’s any area ripe for early-EV adoption, it’s San Jose, CA. And during a quick test loop through the tight confines of Santana Row and a run through the city’s suburban surrounds, it’s obvious that the first mass-produced EV is officially ready for prime-time.

Follow the jump to continue.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players

First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2011, Change, doesn't, Drive, First, game, just, Leaf, Nissan, players

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Planar Energy to begin small-scale production of solid-state batteries in 2011

July 27th, 2010

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in

Planar Energy, a spin-off of the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, has quietly been developing solid-state battery technology and remains convinced that the future of electric vehicle batteries is solid-state technology. The Orlando-based company believes that its solid-state design could potentially offer more power output and higher energy storage density than a typical lithium ion battery. As Planar Energy notes, typical lithium ion batteries lack stability and longevity due to undesirable chemical reactions that can occur in the liquid-based electrolytes. If you replace the reactive liquid electrolyte with a solid ion conductor, the solid-state battery is born.

Up until now, solid-state battery technology has been difficult to scale up to the size required by the automotive industry. Planar Energy claims to have solved the issue by developing a roll-to-roll deposition process that allows larger solid-state batteries. Planar Energy will build a pilot production line next year and hopes to begin manufacturing its batteries for high-tech electronic devices. If all goes as planned, the company will scale up efforts and begin development work on automotive batteries. Follow the jump to learn more about Planar Energy’s recent advancements in solid-state battery technology. Hat tip to David!

[Source: Planar Energy, Technology Review]

Continue reading Planar Energy to begin small-scale production of solid-state batteries in 2011

Planar Energy to begin small-scale production of solid-state batteries in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: 2011, batteries, begin, energy, Planar, production, smallscale, solidstate

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