Teslaville

So the GMs latest hybrid vehicle is out, and it looks like they've beat the 'range anxiety' issue that many electric cars might have.  I'm fortunate to be 4 miles between work and home - so an electric would work for me 90% of the time . . . but not for when I head to school in SF. 

Just curious, what range would you need if you owned an electric car?

Top speed of 198 mph and can lap the Nurburgring in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds.  And gets 78 mpg . . . read more!

Coda is using U.S. engineering and quality control and Chinese manufacturing.  The interesting part is that it gets a 100 mile range using the most challenging standards.  The company sure understands that they'll have to under-promise and over-deliver to be successful.

Kia is showing off their new concept car.  They've got the coefficient of drage down to 0.25 and are powering it with a 153 hp 1.4 liter 4 cylinder.  Makes for 202 mpg and a top speed of 109mph.  Some pretty cool features - would you drive this car?

The sticker price on a Tesla Roadster is $111,005, but now the company is offering a lease plan at just $1,658 a month.  Gives people in that price bracket a chance to check it out with out as much risk.

The main article also mentions that they'll stop making the Roadster in 2011 because a key supplier (probably Lotus) is retooling its factory.  The Roadster will be back out after they release the Model S Sedan.  This is probably a small concern compared to the unfortunate and sad loss of three Telsa engineers in a small plane crash two weeks back.  I've heard opinions that this accident could hamstring the company, but I think a quote in the New York Times sums things up well:

There is a consensus in the electric-car community that Tesla will survive this serious blow. “Tesla has overcome a few steep challenges and overcome many odds,” said Zan Dubin Scott, communications director of Plug In America, an advocacy group based in California. “I’m sure they will again. They just need a time to grieve.”

Our condolences go out to the family members and employees of Tesla.  We're all pulling for you.

Some interesting history of the firms and how they have done it.  These are supposed to be good for 268 horsepower and 300 miles at 60mph . . . time will tell.

The Tata Nano's are pretty cute - and get 50 MPG from a 36 horsepower 2 cylinder gas engine. (My husbands '71 honda had 36 horsepower and got 40 to 45 mpg . . . )

The "modified" version looks like something that would appear in a futuristic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. See a picture on this site.

Looks like it will seat 4, have a range of 93 miles and a top speed of 81 mph.  The instrument panel only shows the road speed and energy consumption - just shows how much simpler the electrics are to monitor.  See some photos and get more details here.

Got a debut at the LA Auto Show - read more here.

Turkish students at Sakarya University have built a hydrogen car that gets 1,336 mpg. Well, sorta.  Read more!