When the old pre-bankruptcy Chrysler unveiled a lineup of electric vehicles in September 2008, one of the vehicles was a low-speed neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) dubbed the Peapod that was supposed to go on sale by late 2009. It now appears that the Peapod, which was to be based on the existing GEM NEV, is history. As we learned in November 2009 when Chrysler announced its future business plan, the automaker drastically cut back its electric vehicle plans based on poor sales expectations. The Peapod was to have eventually spawned a new, full-speed electric commuter car. However, Chrysler and Fiat have now instead opted to build an electric version of the Fiat 500. After realizing what would need to be done to transform the Peapod to meet federal safety standards, it probably became apparent that converting an existing platform would make more sense.

The assets of the old GEM, which was wholly owned by Chrysler, were left behind with the rest of the old Chrysler in bankruptcy court for disposal. The new GEM will now focus on the existing low-speed electric vehicles instead. The designer of the Peapod, Peter Arnell, may still pursue building an EV although if he does it will be a full-speed type like the Nissan Leaf rather than an NEV.



[Source: Green Car Advisor]

The UK's Centre of Excellence for low carbon vehicle technologies (CENEX) has finally announced the results of its much-anticipated six-month trial of electric vehicles (EVs) and the news is good for people who like plug-ins. CENEX's findings show that once drivers plant their bottoms in the seat of an EV, the love affair with zero-emissions motoring slowly begins to grow. In fact, 72 percent of the 264 participants who drove an electric vehicle stated that they'd happily take an EV to replace their everyday car. Here are some additional findings gleaned from the six-month trial:

• 72 percent of drivers stated they would use an electric vehicle as their regular car. Before the trial, that number stood at 47 percent.
• 88 percent of fleet managers felt more positive about incorporating electric vehicles into fleets, despite a lack of public charging infrastructure.
• 58 percent of fleet users generally felt more positive about electric vehicles after the trial.
• 'Range anxiety' was dealt with by preparing before each drive: 93 percent of journeys started with over 50 percent battery charge and average maximum journey length was only 25 percent of the typical vehicle's range capability.
• Test drivers and fleet users in the 20-30 age group experienced the highest opinion shift in favor of electric vehicle ownership.

The numbers point out that initial uncertainty about EVs still remain, but once drivers get behind the wheel of an electric, they become convinced that the technology is capable of suiting their driving needs. However, finding a way to allow potential buyers to extensively test EVs before buying may prove difficult, if not impossible. Follow the jump for a brief overview of the "Smart Move Trial" or click here (PDF) for way too much info on it.

[Source: Cenex]

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The European automotive market is decidedly different than ours. For one, Europeans tend to have an affinity towards vehicles with wee dimensions, while a lot of Americans still trend towards a go-big-or-go-home mentality. Since Europeans seem to have a better grasp of the benefits of small cars, Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) feels that it will need three small electric vehicles (EVs) to fill the desires on the continent. PSA thinks that it can meet Europe's EV demand with battery-powered minicars, small vans and sub-minicars.

PSA will begin selling two minicars before the end of the year. Both the Citreon C-Zero and Peugeot iOn electric minicars will be available in many European markets this December. For PSA, these minicars represent the core of its electric vehicle offering. Both the C-Zero and Peugeot iOn are based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, a vehicle which many claim is too small for the American market.

Too small for us, maybe, but how about something even smaller for Europeans? PSA will introduce an electric sub-minicar along the lines of the Peugeot BB1 concept. This vehicle will be right around the size of the unquestionably small Smart ForTwo. Finally, PSA plans an electrified compact car-derived van. Look no further than the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner or maybe even the Renault Kangoo for an idea of PSA's plans for this one. We don't think this teeny-tiny lineup of vehicles would fly in the U.S., but it could work out across the pond. Successful cars in the U.S. usually come packaged in something um, let's say Leaf size or bigger.

[Source: Automotive News Europe – sub. req.]

Another day, another new study on electric vehicles. Some of these studies intrigue us, others just get us riled up. This one fits into the latter category, especially because it can lead to misinformed opinion columns. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) claims that electric vehicles (EVs) are far from ready for the big time. The IET finds that EVs won't be viable as a form of everyday transportation for at least ten more years. The study suggests that battery life and weight will continue to hold EVs back.

According to the IET study, electric cars will continue to be capped at around 100 miles of range for many years to come. In addition, the effects of continuous fast-charging will takes its toll on both battery life and vehicle range. The study recognizes that battery breakthroughs will continue to drive down costs, but weight will remain relatively constant. In closing, the IET recommends that investments in high-efficiency diesels and hybrids will be a better bang-for-the-buck solution that provides an immediate increase in fuel-efficiency without the negatives associated with EVs:

While we believe electric cars overall are a good idea, particularly for short-range commutes, there's a need for more honesty on whether they can really be the solution to our transport and environmental needs in the mid- to long-term. Do people really have to invest in more than one car, and all the resources they demand, to take care of commuting and family holidays? We need to encourage alternative solutions.

This study suggests that we take the easy way out, but is that really the best choice as we try to move ahead? Admittedly, hurdles remain, but nobody said that this EV thing was gonna be easy and we've gone way too far to just throw in the towel now.

[Source: Autocar, Institution of Engineering and Technology]

Right now, Mitsubishi's entry in the electric car competition is the pricey little jellybean known as the i-MiEV. The car has its fans and detractors, but one thing everyone can agree on is that dropping that MSRP would be a good way to up sales numbers. Heck, the electric vehicle (EV) industry as a whole would probably benefit from a drop like that.

So, it's good news that Mitsubishi is still talking about plans to do just that over the next two years or so. The exact details are not revealed in a new Reuters piece, but the plan is to cut the cost to 2 million yen (around $22,000 at today's exchange rates) by fiscal 2012. Right now, the i-MiEV sells for different prices in different countries – the equivalent of $50,000 U.S. in Hong Kong and about the same in the UK, first $48,800 and now $42,130 in Japan and maybe under $30,000 in the U.S. when the car arrives in 2011. Compared to all these numbers, $22,000 sounds real good. The reason for the price drop? The fact that a lot of popular hybrid vehicles are sold for about that amount. The reason a price drop should be feasible? Mitsubishi will have a new battery plant starting production in April 2012 that can make the packs for 1 million yen (around $11,000) instead of 2.5 million ($27,560), according to a Nikkei story quoted by Reuters. The company has said it is eying that $22,000 target before, so let's hope all this talk actually goes somewhere.

[Source: Reuters via Plugin Cars]

As the Progressive Automotive X Prize (PIAXP) competition enters the "Knockout Qualifying Stage," organizers are seeking your participation. The public is being invited to vote for their favorite vehicle in four different categories from now until the 6th of September. You can vote every day and, in case you need motivation, the organizers are offering up a grand prize of $3,000 for a randomly chosen entry and one stylish PIAXP jacket will also be awarded for each fan favorite category. The first voting is for "most stylish," to be followed in a few weeks by "most innovative," then "most practical" and, finally, "most wanted." The more you enter, the better your chances.

The ever-evolving Automotive X Prize website helps you keep tabs on how many votes you've entered but also has some other great new features. You can now track certain teams or vehicles and watch live streaming performance results. Team pages give their current competition status, their fan ranking as well as pics and links to all the usual social media site suspects. To top it off, there is even live streaming video from the Michigan International Speedway where all the action is happening. The knockout stage begins in earnest this Monday.

Update: Added video from X Prize explaining updated website features after the break.

[Source: Progressive Automotive X Prize]

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The Nissan Leaf is the first of the new batch of electric vehicles to reveal its new sound meant that alerts pedestrians to its presence. However, while advocates for the blind are pleased with the sound, the National Federation for the Blind is not happy that Nissan has added a switch that allows drivers to turn the noise off.

As the reasoning goes, the main point of creating artificial sounds is to alert pedestrians that rely on hearing to know if a car is approaching. If drivers can turn the system off, the whole effort becomes pointless. Nissan, though, says it added the switch to balance the needs of drivers and pedestrians while also claiming the sound is not really audible inside the car. Like the disable switches for stability control systems, the noise is only turned off for the current drive cycle. Each time the car is turned off, the noise is re-enabled. We see the value in turning off such sound signatures in limited circumstances (teens creeping up their parents' driveway after curfew, whirring in late to a drive-in movie, etc.), but can understand the NFB's concern all the same.

This early in the roll-out of electric vehicles, with new legal standards are still evolving, and the National Federation for the Blind plans to continue pursuing legislation that would make permanent sound systems mandatory in all hybrid and electric vehicles.



[Source: The New York Times]

40 electric vehicles is all right, but 1,500 sounds much better. We're talking about BYD's electric taxi plans and even though the company only has 40 E6 taxis roaming the roads now, future plans call for way more. BYD hopes to have at least 100 E6 taxis tooling around the roads of Shenzhen, China by month's end, but the plans for electric taxi domination don't end there. BYD wants 560 of the electric chauffeur mobiles on the roads by the end of the year and sets the ultimate goal at 1,500 taxis. If BYD hits this magic number, then the company will have successfully electrified ten percent of the city's taxi fleet.

According to a report, the taxi drivers notice no difference between the electrified E6s and their conventionally powered taxi counterparts. BYD claims that the taxis are not part of some glorified "experiment," but should instead be considered "a real business" for the company. Reports also mention that the E6 taxis carry the following slogan on the vehicle's rump: "This is not a conventional car, this is a declaration of environmental protection." Well said.



[Source: Green Car Advisor]

When it comes to cleaning up the air and raising the bar on emissions, California usually leads the nation by example. Even with stringent CARB guidelines, a hydrogen highway that's far from complete and other emissions-reducing measures in place, California is still riddled with smoggy air. The state now hopes that its nation-leading electric vehicle (EV) initiatives will pierce a hole through the haze. California's plans for electrification are intensive, with long-term goals laid out well in advance. Here's an overview of what's in the works:

• By 2012, the state will subsidize the installation of more than 5,000 charging stations.
• Strong incentives should help the state reach its goal of 7,500 EVs and 25,000 plug-in hybrids on the road by 2014.
• Long-term projections peg the numbers at 60,000 EVs and 85,000 plug-in hybrids on California roads by 2017.
• The state offers a $3,000 to $5,000 rebate to buyers of low-emission vehicles, on top of the $7,500 federal rebate.
• Businesses receive up to $20,000 in rebates for purchasing a low-emission commercial vehicle.
• From now until 2015, California will invest $200 million a year into low-emission vehicles.

For California, the investments into uncharted territory is seen by many as a risky, experimental move that may not pan out in its favor. To us, the state's decision to launch such an aggressive EV initiative almost ensures that California will once again lead the nation's drive towards a greener tomorrow.

[Source: Wall Street Journal via Green Car Advisor| Image: Cmildotin - C.C. License 2.0]

We'd venture a guess that a significant percentage of military operations require some sort of stealth and believe that real-world offensives probably bare little resemblance to those made-for-TV shoot -'em-ups that many of us watch on a regular basis. With that in mind, Saft's recent unveiling of li-ion battery technology designed exclusively for stealthy military operations makes perfect sense.

Saft developed a li-ion battery concept that offers a significant improvement over the lead-acid batteries typically found in armored military vehicles. The 28-volt li-ion setup does not propel the vehicle down the road. Instead, it provides power for all of the on-board systems in use during stealthy reconnaissance missions. The use of the li-ion battery allows the armored vehicles to sit in near silence for longer periods of time while refraining from firing up the engine and polluting the environment or, even worse, being heard by the enemy. We can't help but wonder what's next. Could a battery-electric M1 Abrams be lurking right around the corner? Click here (PDF) to read more about Saft's stealthy li-ion idea.

[Source: Saft | Image: Jeshua.nace - C.C. License 2.0]