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California Coda dealer drops all-electric Sedan price to $25,000

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Jon LeSage

Official

Scrap Car, Plant Tree is "Copse for Clunkers" plan in UK

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 20th 2013 5:28PM

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For consumers coming to terms with years of driving a gas-guzzling, carbon-producing clunker car, there is a solution – trade it in for fresh, young saplings. That's the premise for a program in the United Kingdom, where owners can turn in their gas guzzler and have tree groves planted in return.

"Scrap Car, Plant Tree" is run by the UK nonprofit organization Trees for Cities. The program offers restitution for the damage that cars do to the environment. Car owners can help repair the damage by having trees planted with the funds raised from the scrap metal or auction value of the vehicle. According to the website, "One scrap car plants about 13 trees on average while an auction car could plant a whole grove!"

The Trees for Cities initiative is similar to "Trees for Trade-Ins," launched early last year in Colorado by car dealers and the Colorado Clean the Air Foundation. Drivers trading in old cars received a nice tax deduction, and made a contribution to helping trees being planted in communities affected by natural disasters.

Nissan launched a similar program in Japan last year with the establishment of its Zero Emission Fund. Nissan Leaf drivers could earn CO2 "offset credits" that could later be sold by Nissan and the profits invested in both EV-charging infrastructure and forest-conservation efforts.

While it's not an EV, Smart wanted to acknowledge the difference its tiny Fortwo car was making in carbon offsetting through its fuel efficiency (33 city/41 highway miles per gallon for the coupe). It was launched in the US market in January 2008 and sold 24,622 units that first year. Before sales later tanked, the US distributor celebrated by teaming up with conservation group American Forests to plant an equal number of trees.

Experts say that global warming and climate change could be reversed by reducing carbon emissions and increasing tree plantings. At the very least, trading in a smog-spewing gas guzzler for oxygen-producing trees can bring peace of mind.

News Source: Earth Techling via Green Car Reports

Review

BYD adding to Shenzen's city fleet with 500 e6 electric police cars

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 19th 2013 9:11AM

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Chinese electric carmaker BYD has won a contract to supply 500 E6 pure electric police cars to the city of Shenzen, China. For BYD, the deal signifies that the "promotion of BYD new energy vehicles has reached a new height."

The BYD e6 can reach a maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour (about 87 miles per hour), if needed in a pursuit. The overall range on a fully charged BYD e6 is 300 km (about 186 miles), which satisfies the Shenzen police department's demands for vehicles that perform daily patrol and law enforcement. It also meets the city's goal of reducing CO2 emissions and pollution in the city, improving the city environment.

Shenzen is getting quite electrified, thanks to BYD. The automaker previously supplied additional e6 models to the city – 300 for taxi service. They've reached an accumulated fleet mileage of over 30 million km (18.6 million miles). In fact, one of these cars has already reached over 250,000 km (155,000 miles). BYD also supplied 200 electric buses which have accumulated over 10 million km (6.2 million miles). Shenzen is planning on adding 500 more BYD e6 electric taxis and 500 BYD electric buses to its public transport system.

Municipal and central government agency fleet acquisitions appear to be a big part of the Chinese government's strategy of meeting its "new energy vehicle" targets, and BYD is playing a leading role in the deployment. China wants to see five million plug-in electric vehicles on its roads by 2020.

BYD has launched the "Zero Down Payment, Zero Costs, Zero Emissions" program in the taxi and bus markets to ease adoption of the new technology. In the private sector, BYD offers the e6 and the dual-mode F3DM electric car. This year, BYD will be launching the F3DM with a second generation dual mode technology – code named "Qin" – to further accelerate its presence in China's private automobile market.

BYD is providing electric vehicles to fleet in other parts of the world. BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu and Greentomatocars, London's second largest minicab service, signed a deal last October to create London's first all-electric minicab fleet. BYD is supplying 49 e6 taxis to the city of Bogota, Colombia. It's the first all-electric taxi fleet in South America.

News Source: BYD

Opinion

Does Zipcar's "Gas Is On Us" encourage waste?

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 18th 2013 7:26PM

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When you watch the Zipcar video "How to Zip: Fill 'er Up" (embedded below) you'll see a Zipcar customer finding out he needs to stop at a gas station. There's a Zipcar co-pilot in the backseat who gives him friendly, detailed instructions on how to get reimbursed for filling up the gas tank.

He's given step-by-step instructions on using the Zipcar gas card. You swipe it at the pump like any payment card, enter some numbers from your zipcard and enter the car's mileage on the odometer. Make sure you put in the right type of gas, though, since fancier cars take premium. Keep the receipt, since Zipcar will reimburse you later. The video ends with: "Got that?" and then, "Gas is on us. So go nuts!"

Free gasoline sounds like a real benefit to using Zipcar. After all, you have to pay for all your own gasoline when renting a car, such as through Zipcar's potential new parent company, Avis. But AutoblogGreen reader Aaron Desatnick raises a question: "So [Zipcar is] advocating that people treat fuel like its endless and there's no cost?" Does that make sense? Does it get to a deeper conundrum about Zipcar and car sharing programs in general – what is their real purpose? A recent study wondered if carsharing is a "romanticized view of access understood as a form of collaborative consumption and altruistically motivated"?

Desatnick's question also raises the practical issue of reducing fuel consumption, which is supposed to be one of the benefits for car sharing. So, a question for AutoblogGreen readers might be: Do you think "wasting" gas, even when car sharing, is a good idea?
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News Source: Facebook

Report

Plug In America wants to survey your Tesla Roadster battery

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 18th 2013 4:05PM

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Plug In America has launched a second electric vehicle owner experience survey – this time with the Tesla Roadster. It follows a survey conducted last year among Nissan Leaf owners, which was utilized and acknowledged by Nissan as it dealt with unexpected battery capacity loss reported by Leaf owners in high temperature Arizona.

Last year, Plug In America's Expert Assistance and Research Group launched its first-ever consumer-oriented evaluation of plug in battery performance. It was intended to educate consumers on battery reliability and extended warranty purchase options, along with supporting industry-wide adoption of standard battery performance warranties.

Last year's survey found that many Leaf owners were experiencing a high degree of stability and reliability. Along with that, the study clarified that ambient temperature seems to be the most significant factor in battery deterioration. Soon after release of the findings, Nissan announced a new battery warranty for Leaf owners. Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer encouraged Leaf owners to read the Plug In America survey results.

More people own Leaf than Roadsters, but the Roadsters have been on the road longer. The expensive Roadster electric sports car (which started at $109,000) was launched nearly three years before the Leaf, in 2008. About 2,500 Roadsters were sold through 2011, and Roadster owners have had a lot of experience behind the wheel. While the Leaf and Chevrolet Volt were lauded for returning EVs to the market following the limited number built by major automakers in the 1990s, the Tesla Roadster actually opened the door for EV commercial production.

Roadster owners are encouraged to visit the Plug In America website and take the survey. Like the Leaf survey, most of the questions focus on the battery pack's performance and the influence of determining factors – time and mileage in use; how it compares to owner expectations; how well the Roadster's active thermal management protected the battery pack in hot and cold weather; and distinctions between those who've experienced the different versions of the Roadster – 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 and the mainstay Roadster compared to the Roadster Sport. There's also a question dealing with what owners might expect when considering purchasing an extended warranty.

The survey project is led by Plug In America's Chief Science Officer Tom Saxton. Along with this sort of real-world battery performance research, Saxton and the PIA research group conducted their first ever performance evaluation of charging station down time last year.
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News Source: Plug In America

Breaking

With Chevy Silverado, GM promotes low cost-of-ownership instead of high MPG

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 17th 2013 10:24AM

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2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ - front three-quarter view

General Motors has a couple of problems to deal with: a glut of pickups on dealer lots and the inability to claim best-in-class fuel economy for its usually strong-selling Chevrolet Silverado pickup. In light of the situation, GM's marketing message has transmuted into something else: "hey, at least they're cheap to own."

Recent Chevrolet TV commercials have been sending the message that the Silverado offers the lowest total cost of ownership for full-sized pickup trucks, citing a 2012 Vincentric study that ranked the cost of ownership for 2,400 US model configurations. Vincentric analyzes average transaction price, maintenance costs, depreciation and other factors.

The nationwide cost of ownership campaign was just started, GM North America President Mark Reuss said in an interview. "Inside of that is maintenance and real-world fuel economy," he said.

Real-world fuel economy is not the same as best-in-class fuel economy. GM has been watching its rivals boast about fuel economy achievements including the re-engineered 2013 Ram 1500 pickup getting best-in-class 25 mpg on the highway. Ford has been singing accolades about its F-150 offering both high towing capability and low fuel efficiency powered by the truck's EcoBoost V-6 engine.

For the automakers, making fuel economy improvements to trucks and large sedans plays a significant role in meeting federal mpg standards, especially if they're selling a lot of them. While upgrading high-mileage car like the Toyota Prius to 60 mpg from 50 won't matter too much in a driver's annual fuel bill, increasing a pickup truck with mileage in the low 20s by two or three mpgs per year can make a real difference.
Related Gallery2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013
2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ: Detroit 2013

News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.

Image Credit: Copyright 2013 Drew Phillips / AOL

ETC

Elon Musk: "I am not the kale eating overlord of Mars"

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 15th 2013 7:36PM

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Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and chief designer of space exploration technologies for SpaceX, had a lighthearted umbrage moment with an affront made on him and his space travel company, recently. It wasn't really the request made by animal rights group PETA that SpaceX trips to Mars only offer passengers vegan meals, it was how writer Amy Tennery ended her article with a quick side note: "unless Elon Musk were some kind of benevolent, kale-eating overlord of Mars, how exactly would he enforce this rule?" Musk joked on Twitter: "Also, I am not the kale eating overlord of Mars (altho kale has its moments)." His Twitter followers responded with support, such as cardoso's posting: "Thank you Oh Mighty Emperor of Mars Steaks!"

By now, you may be wondering how this possibly happened. Well, a press representative at PETA had sent The Jane Doe staff an open letter written to SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The well-publicized launch of the SpaceX Dragon capsule last year, and Musk's claim SpaceX would make it to Mars by 2018, got PETA thinking: "The opportunity to colonize Mars means a chance to make a fresh start, especially now that we've degraded our own planet by treating our fellow animals like disposable widgets, filled the air with pollution that will soon make the sky in 'Soylent Green' look clear, and populated the Earth with so many humans that the premise of 'Logan's Run' starts to look practical," the letter said

PETA thinks that serving vegan food to Mars colonists traveling to their new home, and leaving behind decimated planet Earth, means they might very well commit to enjoying an animal-free diet once they've arrived. We'd like to remind PETA about the 1972 film Silent Running, where space traveler Bruce Dern struggles to save the very last living vegetation from a destroyed planet Earth. Even vegan food might not be the easiest to come by in the future.

News Source: Twitter

Image Credit: Copyright 2013 Sebastian Blanco / AOL

Official

EU: European countries must reduce diesel emissions

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 14th 2013 2:56PM

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Europeans drive a lot of diesel-powered vehicles. This is intentional. Since diesel is inherently more efficient than gasoline, many European countries give tax advantages to diesel fuel. In response, automakers in Europe offer several small diesel vehicles with high-torque engines, offering high mileage and practicality. Now, after decades of diesel burning, the European Commission will be publishing legislative proposals to improve air quality in the second half of this year and EU officials are already saying that European Union nations have to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles.

"Diesel vehicles are more efficient, but they emit a higher level of nitrogen dioxide than regular vehicles" - Jacqueline McGlade

The new rules follow recent enactment of tougher vehicle emissions standards and will be joined by an introduction of stricter vehicle testing standards. Air pollution has become a more pressing issue in Europe now that cancer risk was linked to diesel vehicles in a study last year by the World Health Organization. "Diesel vehicles are more efficient, but they emit a higher level of nitrogen dioxide than regular vehicles," said Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of EU body the European Environment Agency.

The European Commission thinks that nitrogen dioxide, combined with other pollutants such as particulate matter, which are generated by smoke and vehicle emissions, cause about 420,000 early deaths in the EU each year. Along with the cancer risk, air pollution can cause lung and cardiovascular disease.

The British House of Parliament received information in 2011 on diesel cars producing 21 more times as many PM 10 (large size particulate matter) emissions in grams and more than twice the nitrogen oxides than gasoline per mile traveled. The European Environment Agency said that comparisons are tough to make, given that the newest diesel vehicles have very low emissions of particulate matter, but there are still a lot of the older diesel vehicles on the roads.

McGlade said there are a "whole entourage of effects" linked to air pollution including reduced crop yield, harmful implications for unborn babies and lost working days. An internal meeting of EU Commissioners took place January 9, including a preliminary debate on clean transport.

Diesel-engine vehicles are growing in popularity in the US market, promoted by German automakers and taken more seriously by companies like General Motors. While clean diesel and high-performance diesel engines are becoming more appealing to Americans, air pollution and public health issues from diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles are being studied in this region, too.

News Source: Reuters

Image Credit: The Candid Street - C.C. License 2.0

Video

MindDrive goes cross-country with at-risk youth in all-electric Lotus Esprit

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 11th 2013 7:31PM

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MindDrive is asking for crowdfunding to get a film produced about at-risk youth driving a converted electric car coast to coast. MindDrive, a nonprofit organization based in Kansas City, MO, works with at-risk high school students in an experiential hands-on way – through building an electric car, for example.

Fifteen at-risk high school students from Kansas City were brought into a project and coached by mentors on how to design, fabricate and covert a 1977 Lotus Esprit into an all-electric car. Once it was finished, they participated in a cross-country public education campaign called "Electrifying Education Coast to Coast," driving the Esprit from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL. Students were featured in numerous newspapers, television news shows and blog stories across the country.

Linda Buchner, the president of MindDrive, narrates a short video (available below) intended to increase awareness of the project and to raise funds and get their story out, but it's going to be an uphill fight. So far, $2,175 of the $30,000 target has been raised and there are only six days left. "The students have accomplished so much, and so we need to finish this for them," Buchner says in the video. Also available below is a second video from the final day of the field trip, where students and mentors talk about their experiences.

What's needed to make the movie a reality? A professional film crew was hired to travel with the team, and documented the trip by conducting interviews with the students and the mentors along the way. There are also plenty of shots of terrain and interested groups they kids met along the way. For the movie, organizers would like to shoot more to describe the back story, having the students explain how they were doing before the MindDrive project. Also needed are a documentary filmmaker to edit the feature-length film, and production of an original music score. This is where the IndieGoGo request comes in.

Once completed, their dream is to market the video to film festivals and television channels. MindDrive is hoping the movie will inspire others to get involved in education in a hands-on, experiential way. If it results in more cool, retro EVs, we're all in favor.
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News Source: Indiegogo

Analyst says Tesla is low on cash, dangerously so

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 11th 2013 1:48PM

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Unless Tesla Motors can secure outside funding, the company will be in dire financial straits during 2013, says MarketWatch tech investor John Shinal. In fact, if Tesla hadn't received hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government in 2012, its financials would already be gasping for air, he said.

Tesla is a candidate for stock market collapse this year, unless it can secure additional cash, Shinal said. Despite its sketchy numbers, Tesla has managed to move its stock value up more than 30 percent since early November, he acknowledged. Tesla's stock has moved within a tight range, between $33 and $35 a share.

Shinal said the Tesla's financials were worse off than struggling post-IPO internet companies Zygna and Groupon. "As of September 30, Tesla had cash and short-term securities of $86 million, down from $280 million at the start of the year," he stated. "That leaves Tesla with less than six months' worth of cash, given that it burned through almost $200 million during the first nine months of 2012." Tesla had "no comment" about all this when contacted by AutoblogGreen.

Tesla Motors very much needs strong sales of its Model S, and to do that it will need to continue to ramp up production so sales meet the company's funding needs. Tesla might also need to find more outside investors, similar to the relationships established with Daimler and Toyota. Tesla could tap into its reputation for providing advanced electric vehicle powertrain technology, and could seek investments from other established automakers.

Despite Shinal playing Chicken Little, Tesla's financial conditions were starting to look a bit brighter in late 2012. It is paying back its federal loan earlier than anticipated and has indeed started ramping up production volume to take advantage strong demand. We agree with Shinal that 2013 will be a benchmark year for Tesla, whichever way things go.
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News Source: MarketWatch via Plug In Cars

Image Credit: Copyright 2013 Drew Phillips / AOL

Tesla Model S road trip arrives safely in NYC

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 10th 2013 1:49PM

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Kudos to Peter, Tina and Luba! After nearly 5,000 miles, they made it from Portland, OR to New York City in a Tesla Model S. One of the team tweeted upon arrival: "If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere and we made it! Electric Road Trip S successfully finished in NYC, final mileage 4887!"

The trip started December 26 and ended Monday, January 6. The group made a few stops along the way and enjoyed scenery in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina before making their way up the East Coast.

Peter Soukup, Tina Thomas and Luba Roytburd got their share of support from fans tweeting and reading their blog along the way. Their fans and followers included Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, who Tweeted: "Nice story about a Model S coast to coast road trip. By end of year, it will be Superchargers all the way!"

The drivers supercharged in Hawthorne, CA, and visited the Tesla factory in Fremont, CA. The "Sunrise" (the team's nickname for their Model S) was charged at every type of station they could find, including Peter's custom-designed electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) multi-input unit while staying at an RV park in Corvalis, OR. Depending on how you calculate the "start," the trip certainly took a long time – Peter waited three years and 273 days after making the deposit for his Model S before he was able to pick up his car and hit the road. Good job, team!

News Source: Twitter via Green Car Reports

Video

As E15 fight continues, arguments getting stronger and stranger

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 10th 2013 11:52AM

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The fight over whether corn ethanol in gasoline sold in the US should be increased to E15 – a blend of 15 percent ethanol mixed with 85 percent gasoline – from its current state of E10 (ten percent), has been getting uglier lately, all over the place. The US Environmental Protection Agency has given the green light to E15 for 2001 model year or later vehicles, as stated on pump stickers where the fuel is avaiable. In November, AAA released a statement expressing concerns about damage being done to vehicles caused by ethanol's corrosive impact on their engines. And the airwaves have been full of arguments ever since.

Marc Rauch, executive vice president at The Auto Channel, wrote a column for the Renewable Fuels Association's E-xchange blog, that took Fox Business to task for inaccurately reporting on the issues. Fox reporter Melissa Francis spoke with our friend Lauren Fix, who was not officially a spokesperson for AAA but appeared to be supporting their warning statement (you can watch the video below).

Rauch condemned Fix for either grossly lying or providing bad propaganda that has "been spread by the oil industry and its lackeys over the past 80+ years," he wrote. Rauch sent an email to Francis and Fix spelling out his concerns. "The information provided by Lauren Fix about E15 is almost completely untrue. Lauren's explanation of phase-separation and the food-price argument about corn are preposterously puerile," he wrote.

Ron Lamberty, senior vice president of the American Coalition for Ethanol, sent a letter to AAA president Robert Darbelnet confronting the organization on unnecessarily alarming motorists about E15 while at the same time staying silent on non-approved low-octane fuel being sold in states like Colorado and South Dakota.

While AAA isn't generally known for conducting research on all the motor fuels used in the US, Lamberty accused AAA of being hypocritical about the real issue. In his letter, he stated, "The hypocrisy of turning a blind eye and most likely allowing people to shorten the lives of their vehicles by using unapproved and untested oil-company produced sub-octane gasoline for decades, while loudly attacking thoroughly tested and approved E15 when only a few stations are offering it for sale, is quite unbecoming for an organization that claims it puts the best interests of the American motorist first."

If you're interested in reading even more absurd arguments on the subject, check out another E-xchange commentary taking the New York Times to task for confusing white corn ethanol made in Guatemala with yellow corn used in the US. Or an Investors Business Daily editorial attacking environmentalists and ethanol bureaucrats for the inhumane policy of starving the poor.
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News Source: The E-xchange

Chelsea Sexton joins Echo Automotive's technical advisory board

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 10th 2013 9:55AM

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Echo Automotive, Inc., a start-up company that converts fleet vehicles to hybrids and plug-in hybrids, has announced an impressive Technical Advisory Board. Plug-in electric vehicle expert Chelsea Sexton and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk are two of the seven board members who met in early December to discuss the company's initial product, EchoDrive.

During the retreat in early December at the company's technical center in Indiana, board members discussed the company corporate strategy. EchoDrive will be marketed as a solution for aftermarket installation of an electric assist system for a fleet's existing gasoline-engine small-to-mid-sized vehicles, such as Ford E-250 vans and F-150 pickup trucks.

The advisory board also consists of:
  • John Formissano, former vice president, global vehicles at FedEx Express
  • Mike Rowland, director of advanced customer technologies for Duke Energy
  • Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of Energy Systems Network and previous policy director for economic development, workforce and energy for the Governor's Office of Indiana
  • Robert Sexton, former southwest regional service manager at Tesla Motors, Inc.
  • Bill Wylam, former director at Delco Remy and chief engineer at Delphi, and member of US Department of Energy Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee
Chelsea Sexton, co-founder of EV advocacy group Plug In America, has served on her share of advisory groups. Along with the Chevrolet Volt customer advisory group, Sexton has played a key role in helping Nissan address its Leaf battery degradation scandal.

Speaking of plug-in hybrid electric pickups used by fleets, Echo Automotive has taken on a similar game plan as newly-started Via Motors. This extended range vehicle maker is working closely with automotive industry icon, and Volt champion, Bob Lutz. Amp Electric Vehicles, too, is now focusing on converting big delivery trucks.

News Source: Hybrid Cars

Official

Chargepoint photo contest offers free charging for a year; now partnering with DBT USA

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 9th 2013 4:04PM

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chargepoint holiday photo contest

chargepoint station free chargingChargePoint got into the spirit this year and held a holiday photo contest to give away a year of free charging. Sure, there are still a number of no-cost charging stations out there, but the number is decreasing, and all it took to win was the image of a beach-loving EVSE you can see on the right.

The free charging lasts until December 31, 2013, or at a maximum value of $1,000. There were seven, including 'Scenic Charging Spots" and "Favorite EV Friendly Retailer."

Another way that ChargePoint worked on building EV enthusiasm was National Plug In Day gift cards back in September. Those who signed up before National Plug In Day received free ChargePoint charge cards, which normally costs $5. For those wishing to stay current on ChargePoint contests and to see who's going to win the holiday photo content, check out ChargePoint's Facebook and Twitter pages.

In other ChargePoint news, the company announced a new partnership with DBT USA yesterday during CES. You can read about that below.
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News Source: ChargePoint

Zero Motorcycles thrilled to see e-bike tax credits survive fiscal cliff deal

By  Jon LeSage RSS feed

Posted Jan 9th 2013 2:00PM

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2013 zero s motorcycle
Zero Motorcycles was proud to have played a role in electric vehicle tax credits being restored – with e-bikes included – in the federal budget signed by the president as the "fiscal cliff" came to a halt. The electric motorcycle maker worked with Plug In America and a coalition of other electric motorcycle companies to bring back the 10-percent tax credit for electric motorcycles.

The bill that was signed extends the EV infrastructure tax credit from the beginning of 2012 until the end of 2013. For two- and three-wheeled vehicle plugin tax credit, 10 percent of the purchase price is covered, up to $2,500 maximum. It applies only to vehicles with a four kilowatt-hour (or larger) battery pack that can go over 45 miles per hour. These bills had expired at the end of 2011.

The 2013 Zero S, Zero DS, Zero FX, and Zero MX all qualify for the incentive. The tax credits are also retroactive and apply for electric motorcycles or chargers purchased in 2012 as well. 2011 and 2012 Zero models that meet the above criteria purchased in 2012 or 2013 are eligible for the tax credits. Zero's press release is below.

The e-bike coalition played its part in rallying Congress to take action and expand green jobs in the new industry. Zero dealers, customers and fans sent letters to Congress in support of the plug-in tax credit extension.

"The electric motorcycle industry is rapidly responding to our country's need for affordable and environmentally responsible transportation. We're pretty excited to combine our passion for motorcycles with something that benefits everyone," said Jay Friedland, plug-in vehicle advocate and Zero Motorcycles' vice president of strategy and sustainability.

Zero displayed its 2013 model lineup at the Washington DC Motorcycle Show on January 4-6 at the Washington DC Convention Center. As we reported, significant advancements were made to the 2013 lineup to make the bikes go faster, farther and charge quicker.
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Related Gallery2013 Zero S electric motorcycle
2013 Zero S electric motorcycle 2013 Zero S electric motorcycle 2013 Zero S electric motorcycle 2013 Zero S electric motorcycle 2013 Zero S electric motorcycle 2013 Zero S electric motorcycle 2013 Zero S electric motorcycle 2013 Zero S electric motorcycle

News Source: Zero Motorcycles

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