Mitsubishi officially confirmed that a plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the completely redesigned Outlander crossover will launch during fiscal year 2012 (April 2012 through March 2013).

The much-hyped Tesla Model X was revealed last night at Tesla's Los Angeles design center. The electric Model X is Tesla's crossover utility vehicle with falcon doors, two trunks and room for seven "full-size adults."

The 2012 Chevrolet Volt costs a lofty $39,995, but according to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), it's still the 2012 Total Cost of Ownership award winner in the Electric Car category, beating out the Nissan LEAF by a narrow margin.

A few days ago, Chrysler chief executive officer, Sergio Marchionne, confirmed that the electric Fiat 500 will officially enter the production cycle in late 2012. The CEO tweeted, "We are working on an electric version of the Fiat 500 that we’ll begin manufacturing later this year."

Last, week, I had a noteworthy exchange with an engineer from a European carmaker who works on electric cars. Without naming him or revealing what he does, I'll just refer to him as my friend. I'm happy to report his thoughts about vehicle-to-grid technologies (V2G), because the matter is not sensitive and pretty straight-forward: His company has no plans to offer V2G anytime.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy today announced that the Mitsubishi i electric car was rated the greenest car in its 14th annual environmental rankings of cars and trucks. The small EV unseated the Honda Civic Natural Gas car, which held the top spot in ACEEE’s green car rankings for the past eight years—and represents a sea change in green car technology. In this year’s rankings, the all-electric Nissan LEAF came in second place. This year's impressive showing for electric cars likely establishes future dominance for EVs in green rankings from ACEEE and other organizations.

Fisker Automotive has halted development of Project Nina and laid off at least 66 employees here in the US. Employees were laid off in an attempt to conserve cash as Fisker seeks to renegotiate the terms of its $529 million Department of Energy loan.

Plug-in cars are going to face a serious challenge in the marketplace during the coming decade--not from naysayers or anti-EV fanatics or pro-petroleum pundits. The biggest challenge is going to come from the variety of alternative choices. I tested several recently.

In an appearance on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, actor Brad Pitt asked a simple but provocative question about our entrenched approache to powering cars. Pitt appeared on the show to promote Money Ball, the award-nominated movie about Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's use of economic analysis to draft his players. “Just because we’ve doing it this way for so long, does that mean it’s right?” asked Pitt.

As reported by the Yamhill Valley News-Register, a 2011 Nissan LEAF collided with a Yamhill-Carlton school bus in the early morning hours on January, 31. Fortunately, the school bus was empty and the driver of the LEAF, Robert Hill, suffered only minor injuries. The LEAF performed admirably, and there were no special safety issues.

SAE to Reveal Standardized Wireless Charging J2954 Guidelines by End of 2012

Article · 12 comments

Eric Loveday says:
The SAE Taskforce on wireless charging of plug-in vehicles (SAE J2954) is expected to release its final draft of the...

VW Fights the 2025 CAFE Law. Yes, Beetle-Loving Volkswagen

Volkswagen Article · 35 comments

Jim Motavalli says:
The German automaker's beef is that the 54.5 mpg standard unfairly favors trucks and disses the diesels that account...

Short Drive: The Anglo-Indian Tata Electric Car

Article · 20 comments

Laurent J. Masson says:
It's not a prototype anymore, but a production vehicle and it should be available to fleet customers in the UK within a...

Nissan May Offer Free Gas-Powered Car Rental With Purchase of LEAF [Updated]

Blog Post · 11 comments

Nick Chambers says:
Over the last week, a few reports have surfaced indicating that Nissan is strongly considering providing LEAF...

Kelley Blue Book Says 2012 Chevy Volt is Cheaper to Own Than Nissan LEAF

Article · 27 comments

Eric Loveday says:
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt costs a lofty $39,995, but according to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), it's still the 2012 Total Cost...

Tesla Model X Electric Crossover Revealed

Article · 10 comments

Brad Berman says:
The much-hyped Tesla Model X was revealed last night at Tesla's Los Angeles design center. The electric Model X is...

Volvo Unveils Plug-in Hybrid Diesel V60: 124 MPG, 30 Electric Miles, AWD, 0-60 in 6.9 Sec

Article · 19 comments

Nick Chambers says:
Ahead of next week's Geneva Motor Show Volvo has taken the wraps off its latest plug-in project, the V60 PHEV. Calling...

Mitsubishi Confirms Launch of 2013 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid

Article · 2 comments

Eric Loveday says:
Mitsubishi officially confirmed that a plug-in hybrid vehicle based on the completely redesigned Outlander crossover...

In Sea Change, Electric Cars Top Greenest Vehicle List

Article · 13 comments

Brad Berman says:
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy today announced that the Mitsubishi i electric car was rated the...

CEO Sergio Marchionne Confirms 2012 Production of Electric Fiat 500

Article · 8 comments

Eric Loveday says:
A few days ago, Chrysler chief executive officer, Sergio Marchionne, confirmed that the electric Fiat 500 will...