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FlyNano proto takes to the air, final model will soar mainly with electrons (video)

Steve Dent — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 19:17:00 -0400

Last time we saw the FlyNano amphibious ultralight plane, we weren't sure if it would be gas or electric, and we wondered who'd be brave enough to fly the tiny thing -- if it flew at all. That's all been answered, because the sub-154 pound carbon fibre vehicle completed its first flight, taking a brief skip above a Finnish lake with pilot Pekka Kauppinen at the helm. The short trip showed promise, and the company affirmed it would continue development and airborne tests with the aim of delivering to customers in late 2013. According to the maker, recent technology gains mean that electric motors will now be the main power option. No change to the $27k base price tag was announced, so if you've got the nerve to strap one on -- and a lake to launch from -- click the source or watch the video after the break.

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Zero Motorcycles will pay for your first 25,000 e-motorbike miles, wants you to ride guilt-free

Jon Fingas — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:57:00 -0400

If you've been staring lustfully at an electric motorcycle but needed that little extra push to make the jump, Zero Motorcycles has a unique incentive in store: it'll pay for your first 25,000 miles on the road. Should you take the keys to any one of the company's two-wheelers between now and the end of May, you'll get a Visa gift card for the amount within a few weeks. Of course, the reason it can make such a seemingly generous offer is through the sheer efficiency of an electric engine: at a typical 10 cents for every kilowatt-hour, you're looking at just under $200 for what's likely several years of driving, even if you're particularly enthusiastic. Knowing that riding the same amount with a gas-powered bike practically requires taking out a small mortgage in the current economy, though, we'd say that Zero is just reminding us of an an advantage e-motorbikes already have.

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Rimac quells Concept_One doubters, shows its EV supercar's pedal to the metal (video)

Jon Fingas — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:35:00 -0400

O ye unfaithful, believe. For those of you who saw Rimac's preview of its Concept_One electric supercar and were skeptical of that claimed 2.8-second 0-62MPH time given all the leisurely putting around, the Croatian automaker has followed up with a video proving that this isn't your daddy's EV. It turns out that the 1,088HP-equivalent motor is quick enough to leave a lot of rubber on the tarmac, thank you -- both from a very enthusiastic start and from a healthy amount of drifting. This won't change the need to both drop $980,000 and get in quick on that 88-unit production run, but if you were worried that there wouldn't be a torch-bearer for high-speed EVs during the Tesla Roadster's hiatus, Rimac just put that anxiety to bed.

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Rimac Concept_One EV now a reality: cash in those stock options (video)

Steve Dent — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:17:00 -0400

If you don't have a sonorous v-something under the hood guzzling gas, do you still have a supercar? Judging by the nearly one million large needed to buy its Concept_One high performance EV, Rimac clearly thinks so. Since our last dalliance with the sinuous eco-powerhouse, the Croatian maker has announced that it's producing 88 units priced at $980K each -- with its carbon fibre body, 1088 HP, 190 mph top speed, and 2.8 second 0-62 mph time all still intact. Sure, there's no Lamborghini rumble, but at those speeds you'll be gone so quickly no one would appreciate it anyway. Watch it cruise sedately in the video after the break.

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EVDrive offers first batch of e-Moto-CRF250R bikes for $13,700

Sharif Sakr — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:35:00 -0500

Motocross riders, go electric and the wildlife will love you for it. In fact, equip yourselves with second-generation e-Moto-CRF250R from EVDrive and human onlookers will love you too, because the 80 horsepower Honda electric motor is plenty sufficient for catching high altitudes and hurtling between trees at 70MPH. It should run for up to 110 minutes on a charge and perform much like its fossil-fueled equivalent, while also being less expensive to run and a heck of a lot quieter. How much quieter? Click past the break for a video of the previous e-Moto in action -- and honestly, there's no need to adjust your volume dial.

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Rimac Automobili's Concept One supercar spotted in action, looks super (video)

Amar Toor — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:37:00 -0500

Back in September, we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Concept One -- the first electric supercar from Croatia's Rimac Automobili. Boasting a full 1,088 horsepower and capable of going from 0-62MPH in just 2.8 seconds, the Concept One is still very much a concept, but today, we've got video proof that it actually works. Spotted by an eagle-eyed tipster, the 70-second clip is a bit shaky, and doesn't show the car doing much more than pulling out of the driveway, but at least it's something. No word yet on whether the Concept One is moving any closer to production, though we're certainly keeping our fingers crossed. Cruise past the break to see it in action for yourself.

[Thanks, Matthaus]

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GM's got a brand new electric motor and it'll give you the key (video)

Daniel Cooper — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:32:00 -0400

Cars with electric motors running the show are few and far between, which is something we need to change -- that's why General Motors is finishing up a new plant in White Marsh, Maryland. The facility will be cooking up magnet and induction electrical motors to power GM's next generation of EVs. The first off the line will be the 85 kW (114hp) electric engine that'll sit inside the hood of 2013's dinky Chevy Spark EV. Peek after the break and you'll be rewarded with a cornucopia (that's the technical term for four, right?) of videos and a press release about the company's plans for electrical domination.

[Thanks, Nicole]

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Saab chooses UQM motors for its 9-3 ePower EV, will be carving Alp twisties soon

Tim Stevens — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:20:00 -0500

Saab announced it was working on an all-electric version of its 9-3 wagon late last year, dubbing it the ePower. Now we're learning what's driving it. The vehicle will be powered by a 135kW UQM Technologies PowerPhase system, an equivalent of 181hp that will propel the car to 60 in 8.5 seconds -- no Huayra but pretty peppy for an EV. Top speed is 93mph and the car's range is expected to be 200km, or about 125miles. Interestingly Saab is eschewing more advanced water-cooled battery tech, like that found in the Volt or Model S, and going for an air-cooled design, despite even the classic 93 of the '50s being water cooled. The company has indicated this will cut costs and promises the battery will still operate at full power even when temperatures drop below -22F. We'll find out soon, as early cars are set to hit Swiss roads sometime in the coming months.

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Suck, squeeze, bang, bust: the death of internal combustion

Tim Stevens — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:28:00 -0500

I don't smoke and I never have. I can't say as I've felt the temptation to ever try that particular vice, especially given the cost these days. 50 years ago my avoiding that lifestyle choice would have put me in the minority, and if I'd dared asked a smoker to step outside or made any implications about what their habit was doing to my lungs... well, that wouldn't have gone over well.

Today, of course, such questions and expectations are the norm, with legislation forcing smokers into the cold and science showing that what comes out of their mouths isn't great for passers by. But why am I talking about cigarette smoking on a gadget blog? In a few decades this is what it's going to be like to drive a car with internal combustion, a life full of exorbitant taxes, constant inconveniences, and state-sponsored attempts at inducing shame among those who would dare putter around with an engine that casts off 70 percent (or more) of its energy as waste.

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Toyota developing new type of electric motor in an effort to escape dependency on rare earth metals

Vlad Savov — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:45:00 -0500

Toyota's not too pleased with the general scarcity of rare earth minerals and China's near-monopolistic grip on the world's supply, so it's decided to act before it's too late. A company spokesman has been cited as saying the Prius maker is hard at work on a new electric motor design that should dramatically reduce (though seemingly not eliminate) the need for rare earths in its production. Aside from being made of less price-volatile materials, the new electric ticker is expected to be generally cheaper to manufacture. Further details aren't yet available, but we hope this turns into a classic case of necessity breeding innovation -- that Prius C concept deserves a set of internals that can keep up with its bodacious exterior.

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Ford Focus Electric motor extracted, split asunder, coppery guts exposed

Tim Stevens — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:13:00 -0500

Yesterday we saw the junk in the trunk, now here's what's powering it. It's the motor that makes the Ford Focus Electric go, and while we still don't know many details (we couldn't get anyone to quote us a weight) it is a reasonably compact little thing. We did, however, get confirmation that it will not be run through either a standard transmission, like the dry-clutch automatic that the regular Focus comes with, nor something like the two-speed transmission that Tesla uses in its Roadster. It'll be "like a CVT" we're told, keeping the motor at its most efficient RPM, and while we're not sure what that looks like on the inside we're sure that there'll be no shifting involved, neither manual nor automatic.

Gallery: Ford Focus Electric motor

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GM mulling battery rentals for the Chevy Volt

Darren Murph — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0400

Tossing out the idea of renting / leasing the battery of an electric car isn't exactly revolutionary, but it sounds like GM may be hitching a ride on the ever-growing bandwagon. Reportedly, the firm is mulling the idea of allowing Chevy Volt buyers to "rent the vehicle's battery as a way of pricing the automobile at a comparable level to a traditional, petrol-driven family [motorcar]." Apparently, GM is hoping to get ten years of life from the battery packs and to price the Volt like a "traditional mid-market car." Notably, no further information regarding potential contracts or sales strategies were divulged, but considering the launch date for this sucka is just around the corner, we're sure relevant decisions will be made soon enough.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

Filed under: Transportation

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