BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën Form Joint Venture to Produce Hybrid Components

Already partners in developing 4-cylinder petrol engines, BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën have decided to set up 50-50 equity joint venture named the BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification, which will primarily focus on developing hybrid components. Sharing the cost of research and development as well as production and component purchasing, the two companies expect to achieve significant economies of

Tesla to Extend its Lineup with an All-Electric SUV by 2014

Lately, the folks over at Tesla have been very busy developing the upcoming Model S sedan and, together with Toyota, the all-electric version of the RAV4 compact SUV. But there’s more, as according to an LA Times report, the California-based automaker is also working on a small SUV of its own, currently named Model X.Scheduled to go on sale by 2014, the new crossover model is said to offer more

Poll: Should GM give in and call the Volt a hybrid?

Apart from the humorous articles and the plethora of eBay finds we come up with, Carscoop’s bread and butter is automotive news straight from the manufacturer. And as such, we read a lot of press releases. In all the ones I’ve read, General Motors refuses to call the Chevrolet Volt a hybrid. It’s a range extended electric vehicle.I speculate that it might have something to do with hybrids being

Volvo V60 Diesel-Electric Plug-in Hybrid Returns 125 MPG, will Debut at Geneva Show

The 2011 Geneva Motor Show will host the world premiere of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, a near production-ready model that is said to return a very impressive 125 mpg US (1.9 lt/100 km), with CO2 emissions under 50 g/km. In order to achieve this, engineers entered a new variable into the plug-in hybrid equation: a diesel engine.The V60’s front wheels are driven by a 2.4-liter 5-cylinder turbo

Proposed Bill to Increase Number of Plug-in Hybrid and EVs Eligible for Federal Tax Rebate

Michigan congressmen Sander Levin and Carl Levin proposed a new piece of legislation on Wednesday, which would potentially increase the number of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles eligible for the $7,500 tax credit from 200,000 to 500,000 per manufacturer.“Green vehicles represent the vanguard of automotive innovation, but they have to be economical for consumers and profitable for

EV Owners in California to Feel the Shock of Higher Electricity Rates

Woe betide the electric car. Outpaced by their petrol-powered cousins in the 1900s, saddled with heavy and potentially dangerous batteries in the 1970s and crushed in the name of the Almighty Dollar in the 1990s, it’s been a rough road from there to here.And now, on the dawn of a new age where electric cars seem poised to take their rightful place alongside gasoline cars, the electricity

Renault Suspends Managers on Suspicion of Leaking EV Secrets

French carmaker Renault has suspended three senior managers on suspicion of industrial espionage linked to the firm's electric vehicle plans. A company spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday that the three individuals were suspended over unspecified ethical issues. “In late August 2010, an ethical alert was brought to the attention of the compliance committee," a Renault spokeswoman told AFP on

2012 Ford Focus Electric Teaser Photos Released Ahead of CES

We've known for quite some time now that Ford is preparing an all-electric version of its latest generation Focus subcompact, but the Detroit automaker released a set of cropped teaser images showing the car's plug-in port located on the front fender on its Facebook page today. The company also noted that it will have "big news" about the Focus EV at this week's 2011 Consumers Electronics Show in

Nissan's Leaf has Game-like Infotainment Screen so you can Beat your Friends at Saving the Environment

Nissan wants drivers of its new Leaf - which didn't seem to take as much time or PR mumbo-jumbo to reach the pavement as Chevy's Volt - to know everything there is to know about their cars and the trips being made in them. In Nissan's case, trip transparency is provided by a handy-dandy system called CARWING. The program gives drivers a bucket o'information ranging from travel time to

Audi to Invest €11.6 Billion in New Products, Technologies and Human Resources Over the Next Five Years

In the next five years, Audi will invest approximately €11.6 billion in new products and technologies, production facilities and human resources, the Ingolstadt based manufacturer announced today. “With this investment, we are laying the foundation for sustained, profitable growth, and supporting our claim to leadership in the premium car segment”, said Axel Strotbek, Board Member for Finance

Think Adds an Extra Pair of Seats to its All-Electric City Car

For the first time since its introduction, the Think City electric car will be offered with a 2+2 seating arrangement. The Oslo-based company's four-seater model will go on sale in Europe within the next few days. The company did not say if or when the more practical version of the City will be available in North America. Read more »

Portugal's Prime Minister Becomes first Head of State to Use EV for Official Matters, Receives Nissan Leaf

The Prime Minister of Portugal, Jose Socrates, has become the first head of state in the world to adopt an all-electric vehicle for official matters. On Wednesday, Portugal received delivery of the first 10 Nissan Leaf EVs to be offered in Europe, as recognition of the country's pioneering work in the electric mobility field with the MOBI.E Programme. One of those cars landing in the hands of Mr.

VIDEO: Chevrolet Tries to Explain the Volt's MPG Equivalent and MPG Ratings

Once upon a drive, all we had to know about a car's fuel consumption was how many miles the vehicle could travel on a single gallon of gas in the city, on the highway and on a combined route, regardless of whether the engine was fed with petrol or diesel. Nowadays, the appearance of all-electric and extended range hybrid electric cars in showrooms has forced [ahem...] the U.S. Environmental

McDonald's Store in West Virginia gets EV Charging Station

Even though we can’t picture your average EV owner as being an avid fan of McDonalds, nevertheless, future Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt owners living in Huntington, West Virginia, will have a very good reason to visit the food chain's new store located near the corner of 1st Street and 5th Avenue, as it’s the first restaurant of its kind in the U.S. to have a Level 2 Electric Car Charging

GM Building Parts for Chevrolet Volt from BP Oil Spill Booms

The new Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car is doing its part in improving the environment by making the best use of the oil that was spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from the BP Deepwater Horizon rig. To explain, General Motors has began recycling oil-soaked plastic booms from the notorious spill into components for the Volt. The Detroit-based automaker said it has developed a method to

GM CEO Calls the Prius a Geek-Mobile, Wouldn’t be Caught Dead in One

In the grand scheme of things, General Motors is a little late in the purpose-built hybrid range extended electric vehicle game. Toyota has recently launched its third generation Prius and Honda its second generation Insight. At worst, the soon-to-be-released Chevy Volt is a logical move from a marketing perspective; if the consumer wants frumpily styled eco-cars then who are we, the automakers,

Lotus CEO Says Concept City Car will Enter Production in "October 2013"

It appears that Aston Martin won't be the only British sports car maker to have a controversial small city car in its range. Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar told Car magazine that the Concept City Car, which was previewed at the recent Paris Motor Show alongside five sports car studies, has been approved for production. The comapny's CEO said the car will be manufactured in cooperation with

General Motors Begins Shipping 2011 Chevrolet Volt to Dealers

On Monday, the first shipments of the highly anticipated 2011 Chevrolet Volt left GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant and are on their way to select dealerships. According to the company, customers in California, Texas, Washington D.C. and New York could receive their vehicles in the next few days. Read more »

German Take on English Tradition: Volkswagen's All-Electric London Taxi Concept

Over the decades, the London Taxi has become a British icon, just like the double-decker bus or the red telephone booth. However, this might change in the future, as stricter emissions regulations could threaten the aging diesel cabs. Volkswagen’s EV Taxi Concept, which is based on the forthcoming Up! supermini, could offer a solution to this problem, should it ever make it into production.

Video: Near Production Chevy Volt Shown on ABC News

In a video report on the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt for ABC News, GM’s exterior design executive director Michael Simcoe partially lifted the veil off the one of the most recent clay models of the production Volt. As you can see by comparing photos of the concept with the latest production prototype, while not dramatically different, the Volt’s front end has been tweaked as it features modified