UK government finally publicy announces support for Plug ins, but from 2011.

At a rather subdued Knockhill race-track in Scotland, UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and UK Transport Minister Geoff Hoon announced a plan to support Plug In vehicles, not only buying them but “Building them”.
Mr Hoon and Lord Mandelson also had the privaledge to take one of BMW’s Mini E around the Scottish track, publising the Government’s plans to offer a subsidy of between £2,000 and £5,000 to car owners wishing to buy a new EV or PHEV from 2011 onwards. The plan also includes a £20m kitty to pay for the installation of more charging points and infrastrucutre to help Brits go green. Mr Hoon said “”The scale of incentives we’re announcing today will mean that an electric car is a real option for motorists as well as helping to make the UK a world leader in low carbon transport.”

EVs charging at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol
EVs charging at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol

Photo by John Honniball
More thoughts on this news after the jump

Detroit Electric announces a (rough) price guide.

The Detroit Electric company appeared on CNN yesterday to announce that they plan to bring not one, but two EVs to market by 2010.

Appearing on the CNN Corner Office Detroit Electric CEO, Albert Lam, announced the pricing and range of the two EVs that his company plans to launch in 2010.

Detroit Electric's planned 2010 model. Nice looks!
Detroit Electric's planned 2010 model. Nice looks!

At the moment the company are offering two versions of the same car.

  • The “City Range”
    100 Mile Range
    $23,000-$26,000 US
  • The “Extended Range”
    200 Miles Per Charge
    $28,000-$33,000 US

At that price, it certainly looks a good deal. The spec sheet is impressive too, with a top speed of well over 100 mph and a 0-60 time of less than 8 seconds. The car’s specs on the website look really good. There’s little mention on the website though of ordering or who will stock it. Nor where you can go for a test-drive.

CNN video after the jump, plus more about Detroit Electric

Detroit Electric announces a (rough) price guide.

The Detroit Electric company appeared on CNN yesterday to announce that they plan to bring not one, but two EVs to market by 2010.
Appearing on the CNN Corner Office Detroit Electric CEO, Albert Lam, announced the pricing and range of the two EVs that his company plans to launch in 2010.

Detroit Electric's planned 2010 model. Nice looks!
Detroit Electric's planned 2010 model. Nice looks!

At the moment the company are offering two versions of the same car.

  • The “City Range”
    100 Mile Range
    $23,000-$26,000 US
  • The “Extended Range”
    200 Miles Per Charge
    $28,000-$33,000 US

At that price, it certainly looks a good deal. The spec sheet is impressive too, with a top speed of well over 100 mph and a 0-60 time of less than 8 seconds. The car’s specs on the website look really good. There’s little mention on the website though of ordering or who will stock it. Nor where you can go for a test-drive.
CNN video after the jump, plus more about Detroit Electric

280 miles in the Car Jeremy Clarkson claimed 80….

Tesla motors are good at crushing stereotypes. They did it back in 2007 when the Tesla Roadster was unleashed on the general population. It was fast, sexy, efficient and the new plaything for those web 2.0 millionaires. It also generated enough interest that many EV enthusiasts contemplated pawning everything from their grandmother and their dog to their limited edition Star Wars box set to get one. Me included. Although I must admit at this point that it wasn’t any of the above… it was my mortgage. Okay, only for a split second, but it was there.

So, imagine my absolute joy when I opened up my mail this morning. It contained in it some news that the team of Tesla Roadsters taking place in the 2009 Rallye Monte Carlo d’Energies Alternatives finished the rally on a single charge, with over 40 indicated miles remaining on the car’s energy gauge. The course length? 241 miles.

The Tesla.
Photo by Nikki Bloomfield of www.aminorjourney.com

More after the jump, along with details of how the Top Gear team have egg on their faces

280 miles in the Car Jeremy Clarkson claimed 80….

Tesla motors are good at crushing stereotypes. They did it back in 2007 when the Tesla Roadster was unleashed on the general population. It was fast, sexy, efficient and the new plaything for those web 2.0 millionaires. It also generated enough interest that many EV enthusiasts contemplated pawning everything from their grandmother and their dog to their limited edition Star Wars box set to get one. Me included. Although I must admit at this point that it wasn’t any of the above… it was my mortgage. Okay, only for a split second, but it was there.
So, imagine my absolute joy when I opened up my mail this morning. It contained in it some news that the team of Tesla Roadsters taking place in the 2009 Rallye Monte Carlo d’Energies Alternatives finished the rally on a single charge, with over 40 indicated miles remaining on the car’s energy gauge. The course length? 241 miles.
The Tesla.
Photo by Nikki Bloomfield of www.aminorjourney.com
More after the jump, along with details of how the Top Gear team have egg on their faces

SUV loving, EV hating from the Telegraph Newspaper. (again)

*Sigh*

It had to happen didn’t it? If you’re an electric vehicle enthusiast you’re used to being moaned about and told that your green vehicle will kill more blind, gay baby whales than they it will save. Strangely you’re told this by those who spend most of their time driving around suburbia in a large 4*4 (that’s SUV) which has never even seen a country lane – let alone a muddy field.

Those SUV loving conservative socialites at the Telegraph are beating up the EV again.
Those SUV loving conservative socialites at the Telegraph are beating up the EV again.

Photo by KenJonBro

Do I sound bitter? Well, perhaps a little. Y’see, the Telegraph Newspaper has published today two articles bashing the UK government’s plans to kickstart a green transport revolution by offering up to £2,000 subsidy for each private purchase of an electric vehicle. The Telegraph would like you to believe that not only are electric cars dangerous and un-trendy but that providing an infrastructure to charge and run electric cars would actually cause more damage to the environment than good, not to mention economically cripple the country. .

Erm. Yes. Of course. What ever you say.
What you dumb asses journalists seem to be hell bent on is furnishing your own ends and pushing ratings up before checking your facts. Hmm. That sounds about right then.

More of the story critique after the jump, and reasons why both articles are wrong