All Cars Electric Category: Green

Louis Palmer, a Swiss school teacher, had a vision: to build a solar-powered car and drive it around the world. After driving almost 18 months, 32,000 miles through 38 countries, and hosting celebrity drivers such as movie director James Cameron, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Prince Albert of Monaco, and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Palmer's impressive solar "taxi" ended its journey at the UN climate change hearings in Poznan, Poland.

The vehicle tows a low trailer which houses its batteries and carries its six square meters of solar panels on its roof. Combined, the trailer and vehicle only weigh about 1,600...

Louis Palmer, a Swiss school teacher, had a vision: to build a solar-powered car and drive it around the world. After driving almost 18 months, 32,000 miles through 38 countries, and hosting celebrity drivers such as movie director James Cameron, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Prince Albert of Monaco, and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Palmer's impressive solar "taxi" ended its journey at the UN climate change hearings in Poznan, Poland. The vehicle tows a low trailer which houses its batteries and carries its six square meters of solar panels on its roof. Combined, the trailer and vehicle only weigh about 1,600 pounds. With fully charged batteries, the vehicle has a top speed of 56 MPH and a range of almost 250 miles. Palmer boasts that while his prototype was preicey to build (he won't give an exact figure), it wouldn't be as expensive as one would think to mass produce (possibly as little as $17,000 per vehicle). He's also proud of its reliability, adding that the vehicle only needed repair twice on its around-the-world journey. Source: Reuters   Read More

Recently we told you, and a lot of other sources reported on a Nikkei article indicating that Toyota had secret plans to develop an electric car that would derive all of its energy from solar cells.

Many pundits analyzing the premise recognized that with the limits of present day solar technology, moving a car the weight and size of a typical passenger car for all of its driving needs, purely on solar energy would be frankly, well, impossible.

AllCarsElectric.com has now received official word on the subject.

As per Toyota spokesperson Jana Hartline "we're not aware of any such vehicle, planned or otherwise."

Recently we told you, and a lot of other sources reported on a Nikkei article indicating that Toyota had secret plans to develop an electric car that would derive all of its energy from solar cells. Many pundits analyzing the premise recognized that with the limits of present day solar technology, moving a car the weight and size of a typical passenger car for all of its driving needs, purely on solar energy would be frankly, well, impossible. AllCarsElectric.com has now received official word on the subject. As per Toyota spokesperson Jana Hartline "we're not aware of any such vehicle, planned or otherwise."   Read More

Keeping ice rinks smooth is important in Toronto. The city has 60 carbon monoxide spewing Zambonis to prove it. In a place that already has 365 hybrid fleet vehicles, it was only a matter of time before the iconic ice resurfacers got clean. Enter the Finnish-made IceCat.

The IceCat is a zero-emissions all-electric ice resurfacer with a price tag that should make its customers cringe. At $160,000 it's double the price of the traditional Zamboni brand vehicle. Where health and air quality are concerned though, it's a price worth paying for Toronto. According to Mayor David Miller, “In this upcoming ice skating season, the IceCat, Toronto’s... Keeping ice rinks smooth is important in Toronto. The city has 60 carbon monoxide spewing Zambonis to prove it. In a place that already has 365 hybrid fleet vehicles, it was only a matter of time before the iconic ice resurfacers got clean. Enter the Finnish-made IceCat. The IceCat is a zero-emissions all-electric ice resurfacer with a price tag that should make its customers cringe. At $160,000 it's double the price of the traditional Zamboni brand vehicle. Where health and air quality are concerned though, it's a price worth paying for Toronto. According to Mayor David Miller, “In this upcoming ice skating season, the IceCat, Toronto’s first electric ice resurfacer, will help the city go green.” The National Hockey League is following suit and expects to use IceCats by next season. Hockey fans should write thank you letters for this. The American Journal of Public Health found that use of electric ice resurfacers reduced nitrogen dioxide levels in indoor rinks by 87%. That's enough to make this hockey fan breathe easier tonight. Source: Wired, Image: IceCat Read More

Toyota House

Yesterday the Associated Press reported that Toyota is secretly developing a car that will be completely powered by solar energy, citing a story in Japan's Nikkei newspaper. All Cars Electric searched the Nikkei archives and was unable to find any such story.

Here's what we know today: Toyota currently uses solar panels at several manufacturing plants and warehouses including the Tsutsumi, Japan plant which makes the Prius. The solar power satisfies half of that plant's energy needs. There has been speculation that Toyota will incorporate solar panels into the 2010 Prius to power its accessories, but not for moving the... Toyota House Yesterday the Associated Press reported that Toyota is secretly developing a car that will be completely powered by solar energy, citing a story in Japan's Nikkei newspaper. All Cars Electric searched the Nikkei archives and was unable to find any such story. Here's what we know today: Toyota currently uses solar panels at several manufacturing plants and warehouses including the Tsutsumi, Japan plant which makes the Prius. The solar power satisfies half of that plant's energy needs. There has been speculation that Toyota will incorporate solar panels into the 2010 Prius to power its accessories, but not for moving the vehicle. A story published in July of this year by the Wall Street Journal reported that Toyota's home building division was "testing an electricity-monitoring system in its homes that would charge the vehicle during off-peak hours to keep utility bills low, while the car's battery can serve as an electrical backup, powering the home during blackouts." Toyota is no stranger to solar technology, but the extent to which that technology will be used to move a future vehicle is unknown. We'll continue to follow this story and offer any relevant updates we can find. Sources: Green Car Advisor, Wall Street Journal Read More

The Nissan Renault Alliance has entered into yet another public-private partnership for the advancement of sustainable mobility. Today the company announced an agreement with the state of Oregon to supply zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs). Nissan will work with Oregon and Portland General Electric to promote the creation of an electric charging network to support ZEVs.

This announcement comes just days after news of Nissan's plan to put electric vehicles on the roads of Yokohama, Japan by 2010. The Japanese automaker has already made plans for ZEVs in Isreal, Denmark, Portugal and the state of Tennessee and expects to mass produce electric... The Nissan Renault Alliance has entered into yet another public-private partnership for the advancement of sustainable mobility. Today the company announced an agreement with the state of Oregon to supply zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs). Nissan will work with Oregon and Portland General Electric to promote the creation of an electric charging network to support ZEVs. This announcement comes just days after news of Nissan's plan to put electric vehicles on the roads of Yokohama, Japan by 2010. The Japanese automaker has already made plans for ZEVs in Isreal, Denmark, Portugal and the state of Tennessee and expects to mass produce electric vehicles worldwide by 2012. At the Los Angeles Auto Show today, Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, reflected on the agreement saying, “Together, we are creating conditions that will encourage consumers to consider an electric vehicle as an attractive choice that is also good for the environment.” We expect that allaying consumer concerns about long charging times and limited driving ranges will be a priority as Nissan's ZEV plans move forward. Source: Nissan, Image (Oregon): Official USA Read More

Marketwire is reporting today that according to electric vehicle manufacturer, Zero Air Pollution (ZAP), Ricardo Erhlich, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay, has approved incentives to promote the use of electric vehicles in the city.

ZAP Latin America representative, Fernando Cancela, says, "The incentives range from free parking for electric cars within Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, to no tolls on roads or bridges and no registration for three years."

In September, Erhlich agreed to reserve an acre of land in a Montevideo business park for a ZAP assembly facility which will put together Xebra brand, three-wheeled electric sedans and ...

Marketwire is reporting today that according to electric vehicle manufacturer, Zero Air Pollution (ZAP), Ricardo Erhlich, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay, has approved incentives to promote the use of electric vehicles in the city. ZAP Latin America representative, Fernando Cancela, says, "The incentives range from free parking for electric cars within Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, to no tolls on roads or bridges and no registration for three years." In September, Erhlich agreed to reserve an acre of land in a Montevideo business park for a ZAP assembly facility which will put together Xebra brand, three-wheeled electric sedans and trucks, the ZAPPY3 scooter, and ZAP electric bicycles. Assembly of these vehicles in Uruguay would potentially make their distribution to other South American nations in MERCOSUR tax free. Erhlich is committed to making Montevideo the electric car capital of the world. This begs the question, if Erhlich succeeds, which one of these will he drive? Sources: Marketwire, Zero Air Pollution Read More