electric car

BMW has released the first teaser images of its upcoming Megacity electric vehicle and also confirmed that not only will the body panels be formed from carbon fiber, but so will the structure. The Megacity will become the first high volume vehicle with this type of construction. Previously, carbon fiber structures have been limited to race cars and supercars like the McLaren F1 and the new MP4-12c.

Many car buyers refuse to purchase new cars for one important reason: With a few very rare exceptions, new cars will lose a significant chunk of their initial value the moment you drive them off the lot. The biggest chunk of a cars depreciation typically happens in the first minutes of ownership and companies like Automotive Lease Guide in the United States and Glass' Guide in the UK specialize in estimating how much value will evaporate to estimate lease priceing.

Today in Berlin, Volkswagen unveiled the first of 500 electric drive Golfs produced for a consumer test that starts next year. The battery powered Golf was shown at the launch of the National Platform for Electric Mobility, a public-private partnership to promote electric vehicles in Germany.

The e-Golf is propelled by an 85-kilowatt electric motor integrated with a single speed transmission and differential. The motor produces 199 pound-feet of torque from zero rpm which is sufficient to accelerate the Golf to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds. An air cooled 26.5 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack is mounted under the rear seat and cargo floor and center tunnel. VW claims the Golf can go about 93 miles on a charge.

Highlighting the classic conundrum of creating a bespoke luxury car from more plebeian underpinnings is a report from Automotive News that Infiniti was forced to reject the initial designs for its version of the Nissan Leaf electric car. Apparently, those first attempts, which came in from Nissan's San Diego styling studio, were too similar to the standard Leaf.

According to Ben Poore, vice president of the North American Infiniti Business Unit, though, those problems are now long gone. "I was in Japan last week and saw the final three or four designs for the car," assures Poore. "And I can tell you without a doubt that we're going to have a uniquely Infiniti product."

Sportscar manufacturer Caterham may or may not produce an electric vehicle within the next six months. A bit ambiguous, sure, but small companies like Caterham certainly have a bit more leeway when it comes to introducing new models to the public, and company head Ansar Ali has reportedly admitted to Autocar that such a project is in the works... maybe. Says Ali:

There was a time when electric cars were some of the fastest land-borne vehicles ever made. The electric motors powering the vehicles have always been plenty powerful, sending a boatload of torque to the wheels at very low RPMs. And, depending on the chosen gearing, all that torque can result in relatively high speeds.

Proof of such can be seen in the La Jamais Contente from 1899. Driven by Belgian racecar driver Camille Jenatzy, this electric vehicle was the first car to break 100 kilometers per hour (about 62 miles per hour). Two electric motors powered the bullet-shaped machine to such high speeds, each putting out 50 kW to the rear wheels.

Quick, think of a hybrid automobile. Got it? Are you thinking of the Toyota Prius? Pretty much everyone instantly recognizes the well-known profile of the Prius, and it's by far the most popular fuel miser on the market. A good bit of Toyota's success with the Prius has been attributed to its unique look - some owners want everyone to know that they care about their environmental footprint, and the Prius currently accomplishes that better than any of its competitors.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has a penchant for making some straightforward statements about energy policy. He's said that electric vehicles are inevitable, for example, and that all American cars should be E85-capable. Recently, he apparently said that "if it were up to me, I would put every cent into electric cars."