Electric cars do not pollute as do internal combustion vehicles. The relative problem is one of frequent charging and limited distances. Pay-as-you-drive electric car rentals are expected to help cut pollution and reduce traffic in Paris, as the new fleet of fully electric Autiolib vehicles hits the French capital. As of (more…)

Electric cars may present different hazards than conventional design. Recent crash tests as well as one report of a battery fire suggest that the present car design may have to be improved. Crash tests have been carried out in the well known Euro NCAP testing center on the Volt and the Renault Fluence EV that gives (more…)

Cost, logistics, ingrained patterns of behavior and even the clout of established brand names – even new clean energy business models are overcoming those would-be obstacles to consumer adoption.

The payoff is the greening of consumer lifestyles around the world. This is happening in low-cost, (more…)

In response to my recent piece on electric vehicles, a few readers sent me John Peterson’s position on the subject. Thanks, but I’m already quite familiar with it. John’s a brilliant, honest, and levelheaded guy; in fact, I plan to visit him in Switzerland when I’m in Europe next spring. Having said this, I disagree with him here. (more…)

The majority of American adults own vehicles – a lot of people own more than one, and a household with two working parents generally has two. It’s terrible for the environment, a fact that’s been proven time and again, and there are finally some viable options available to people who want to drive but don’t want (more…)

Recently many EV observers have been disappointed by pricing for two plug-in electric vehicles. First, the Toyota Prius plug-in announced a price of $32,760 (including destination charge), which is about $3,000 (more…)

At events such as the recent EV Roadmap 4 conference in Portland, panelists quibble about when plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) will be ready for mass adoption, and how best to roll out the charging infrastructure. But to understand why the PEV movement is here to stay, it only takes two words: energy security. (more…)

The dream of gasoline freedom is becoming a reality as electric cars are slowly filling showrooms and attracting a lot of customers. The Nissan Leaf, for example, has its sales reaching 10,000 as of August this year. Other manufactures like Mitsubishi, Porsche and Audi are poised to join in. Greener cars are indeed hitting the mainstream with one thing dragging their progress: a (more…)

Despite several years of economic woes and rapidly expanding debt, a country commits to plug-in electric vehicles and an aggressive roll-out of charging infrastructure. The Republic of Ireland (you were thinking of someplace else, perhaps?) is installing 1,500 public charging stations this year, which puts (more…)

John Petersen is one of the most thoughtful critics of the electric vehicles industry. In a phone conversation I had with him a few weeks ago, he laid out a few reasons why he thinks the whole idea needs to be scrapped. Here, in his column on AltEnergyStocks.com, he further defends his (more…)