electric vehicles

Transit Connect BEV is the first production vehicle from accelerated electric vehicle strategy

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 30 – Ford Motor Company announced today that Azure Dynamics Corporation (TSX: AZD) has joined in a collaborative effort to deliver a pure battery electric Ford Transit Connect van for the United States and Canadian markets in 2010. Azure will integrate its Force Drive ™ battery electric drive train in the Transit Connect van for commercial fleet and retail use.

The collaboration with Azure Dynamics for the Transit Connect BEV will build on the existing business relationship between Ford and Azure as well as their shared experience with battery supplier, Johnson Controls-Saft.    » read more »

October 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON — With the purchase of five compressed natural gas buses and 35 hybrid buses, the U.S. General Services Administration has successfully completed one of the Administration’s key initiatives to green the federal fleet through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“We’re proud to have completed this program under such an aggressive schedule,” said GSA Acting Administrator Paul F. Prouty. “By investing in more fuel-efficient federal vehicles, we’re contributing to the nation’s economic recovery while realizing significant long-term savings for both the taxpayer and the environment.”    » read more »

NREL-developed methodology shows promise for estimating real-world energy use

September 28, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently joined forces with researchers from Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to take the lead in developing and testing a new method for predicting the real-world fuel and electricity consumption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

After examining data on the only PHEV currently available in large numbers, the NREL-developed method shows promise for reasonably predicting the PHEV’s average fuel and electricity use.    » read more »

Navistar truck will be built in Elkhart County; project will produce hundreds of new Hoosier jobs; reduce our dependency on oil

September 30, 2009 -- Washington -- Senator Evan Bayh, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, today joined executives from Navistar, Inc., to unveil the company’s new all-electric, light-duty truck to be built exclusively in Elkhart County, Indiana.

Navistar officials demonstrated their vehicle to Bayh, who discussed Indiana’s role as a national leader in making the energy-efficient, high-tech vehicles and components of the future.    » read more »

New Delhi, September 24, 2009: General Motors India and Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop electric vehicles for the Indian market. This unique partnership will bring together two companies, established in their own field to develop car platforms, electric vehicle technology and advanced control systems.

The agreement was announced jointly by Karl Slym, president and managing director, General Motors India and Chetan Maini, deputy chairman and chief technology officer, REVA.    » read more »

Governor awards $100,000 to Ashland electric motorcycle company

August 31, 2009 -- (Ashland) – Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski today toured two start-up electric vehicle companies in southern Oregon as part of his initiative to transition the state toward cleaner, more sustainable transportation options.

While visiting Brammo, Inc., an electric motorcycle company headquartered in Ashland, the Governor announced a $100,000 grant from his Strategic Reserve Fund for workforce training to assist the company in growing their workforce by more than 300 employees over the next two years.    » read more »

DOE grants to Michigan companies could help create up to 40,000 new jobs by 2020

August 27, 2009 -- LANSING - Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today visited Eaton Corporation in Galesburg to highlight the company's key role in a $45.4 million advanced-battery award by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Michigan led the nation earlier this month with the announcement of 12 awards totaling more than $1.35 billion in federal grants for advanced-battery and electric-vehicle manufacturing and development.

Funding for the competitive grants comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The projects are estimated to create 6,800 jobs in the next 18 months and up to 40,000 jobs by 2020.    » read more »

Alexander, Corker, Gordon Say Nissan Announcement Puts Tennessee at the Forefront of America’s Automotive and Energy Future; Nissan anticipates increase of 1,300 jobs in Smyrna when full production is reached

June 23, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representative Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.6th) said today that Nissan’s award of a $1.6 billion Department of Energy loan to produce electric cars and battery packs at its manufacturing complex in Smyrna, Tennessee, is outstanding news both for the local economy and for Tennessee’s position as a leader in America’s automotive and energy future.    » read more »

Tesla Motors will Receive $465 Million to Create Jobs in California

June 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today lauded U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu’s announcement that San Carlos-based Tesla Motors will receive $465 million as part of the first loans made under DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturingloan program.

Senator Boxer spoke with Secretary Chu earlier this year and pressed him to quicklyapprove loans under this program.    » read more »

IBM Research Explores Battery Technologies to Further Electric Vehicle Adoption and Make Energy Grids More Efficient

SAN FRANCISCO - 23 Jun 2009 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) will gather many of the top minds in science, industry and technology to explore the next frontier of electrical energy storage and advanced battery systems - key technologies that will power smarter energy grids, support widespread use of electric cars, and more - at its annual Almaden Institute in San Jose, California, on August 26 and 27.    » read more »

Corporation Sponsors Exhibit at Maryland Science Center on Automotive Energy Efficiency

HOUSTON -- Today ExxonMobil took an important step in meeting the world’s growing energy needs by announcing the sponsorship of an all-electric car-sharing and rental program, called AltCar, at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, MD.

The new electric vehicles at the science center, called the Maya-300, are powered exclusively by enhanced lithium ion battery technology. They are one of the first fleets of all-electric vehicles using this technology in a consumer car-sharing and rental program in North America. ExxonMobil’s battery separator film enables the use of Electrovaya’s Lithium Ion SuperPolymer® battery in the vehicle.    » read more »

June 17, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Dick Lugar announced that EnerDel has been selected to receive one of seven cost-shared research awards from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Awardees will use the funds for the development of advanced batteries for electric drive vehicles. The total DOE investment for these projects is up to $10.96 million over three years, subject to annual appropriations.

EnerDel Inc., which is based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been selected for negotiation of an award for up to $3.3 million for a project to develop a chemical shuttle agent that will eliminate the danger of overcharging lithium-ion batteries developed for plug in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles.    » read more »

First Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) delivered in Canada to Hydro-Québec, the largest electricity generator in Canada.

MONTRÉAL, Québec, June 9, 2009 – Ford Motor Company and Hydro-Québec announced today that Hydro-Québec has joined a North America wide demonstration and research program on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).    » read more »

Ford invests $550 million to transform Michigan Assembly Plant (formerly Michigan Truck Plant) from a large SUV factory into a modern, flexible small car plant

WAYNE, Mich., May 6, 2009 – Ford Motor Company said today it is investing $550 million to transform its Michigan Assembly Plant into a lean, green and flexible manufacturing complex that will build Ford’s next-generation Focus global small car along with a new battery-electric version of the Focus for the North American market.    » read more »

Investment to retain thousands of jobs, make state a leader in new generation of vehicles

May 6, 2009 --
LANSING - Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that Ford Motor Company plans to invest up to $550 million to convert the Michigan assembly plant in Wayne, which previously manufactured large-body vehicles such as the Expedition and Navigator, into a flexible facility that will manufacture smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles and Ford's first battery electric vehicle.    » read more »