The aerodynamic electric truck from Boulder Electric Vehicle
With 25 orders of intent in hand Boulder Electric Vehicles is setting up a 60,000 square foot facility to produce their electric truck. The all electric truck is targeted for the delivery market and can travel 120 miles before requiring an 8 hour recharge. The vehicle currently costs $100,000. Learn more: Detnews.com
Garia Limited Edition Soleil de Minuit Luxury Golf Car
Emphasizing their positioning as a luxurious and high quality golf car manufacturer, Garia is revealing their Limited Edition Soleil de Minuit at the luxury show Top Marques Monaco in April. Billed as the “…most expensive and luxurious golf car ever made”, the Soleil de Minuit costs $52,000 and features…
…carbon roof, one-of custom paint tailored to enhance all design features on The Garia, two-colored hand-stitched luxury seats, alcantara roof lining and numerous hand-made details to create a truly unique luxury golf car.
The base price for a Garia starts at $17,499 / €13,999 (excl. delivery and taxes). Luxury upgrades includes a built-in refrigerator and an exclusive personalization program where you can choose to have The Garia painted in your favorite color or matched to your other cars.
Built to the highest standards of the automotive industry The Garia features a double wishbone front suspension similar to those found in sports cars and inspired by Formula 1 cars. The drive train is built by an Italian company that also produces Ducati gearboxes, and the aluminum profiles in the frame are made by the same company that supplies aluminum profiles to Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.
The list of eligible vehicles for California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project are now available and includes LSVs from GEM and Miles Automotive. Five GEM models for model years 2009 and 2010 are eligible for rebates ranging from $1,000 to $1,350 depending on the model. The two Miles vehicles (model years 2009/2010) are eligible for $1,500 rebates. See the complete list. – Marc Cesare
Original posting about the project.
GatorMoto now offers a back up camera option for all their electric vehicles.
These systems can either be hard-wired or wireless, depending on your requirements. They feature a 7″ TFT-LCD monitor that can also be used for DVD/VCD/TV/GPS, a multi-function remote control and a camera with infrared night vision capabilities up to 10-15 meters.
The equipment is waterproof, damp-proof, anti-fogging, quake-proof, high voltage surge proof, and high temperature resistant. They are suitable for all weather conditions.
The hard-wire version costs $359 and the wireless version $459. The company promotes the camera as a safety option for parking shuttles, touring vehicles and delivery vehicles.
SEV-US recently announced that it made an offer to buy the Smith Electric Vehicles business from the UK based Tanfield Group. The company has a four month exclusive window to come to agreement on the offer which is reported to be $55 million.
In other developments the company is looking to establish a 50,000 square foot production and sales facility on the East Coast. They are considering locations in New York, Atlanta and Washington D.C. as well as other areas. The new facility is part of an overall plan to eventually open up to ten facilities in large urban markets starting with the East Coast. Cities in other parts of the country being considered include San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago.
Management reports that their Kansas City facility is producing two vehicles per week and ramping up to four per week in the coming months. They also expect the price of their Newton model to drop from $149,000 currently to $90,000 by 2011 as production increases. – Marc Cesare
Learn more: Washington.bizjournals.com
Funded by the California Air resources Board, the rebate project provides $4.1 million to promote the use and production of zero emission vehicles. Individuals or business owners of eligible vehicles purchased or leased after March 15, 2010 can receive up to $5,000 per light-duty vehicle until the funding runs out. Certain zero-emission commercial vehicles are eligible for rebates up to $20,000. The list of specific eligible vehicles has not been released yet but categorically the list will include “…cars, trucks, commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, motorcycles, neighborhood electric vehicles”. A related California alternative fuels program had provided funding for NEVs from GEM, ZENN, Miles EV and ZAP in the range of $1,000 to $1,500 per vehicle. – Marc Cesare
HumanCar NEV uses human generated power to help charge the batteries
The HumanCar Imagine PS NEV uses power generated by the passengers or driver to recharge the vehicle’s batteries. The vehicle uses a rowing mechanism to generate power and can seat four. The battery can also be charged via a standard electrical outlet.
Because steering using the rowing handles would be too difficult to control the vehicle is steered by “Body Steering” (read leaning into turns). According to Chuck Greenwood, HumanCar Inc. CEO and son of Charles Greenwood [the inventor], this is apparently much more intuitive (not to mention more fun) than using a conventional steering wheel.
The company claims to have orders for 200 of the vehicles which currently cost $75,000 to produce. Management expects to start full commercial production when 800 orders are received, at which point the vehicles will sell for $15,500. – Marc Cesare
ZeroTruck Corp. – The company’s ZeroTruck, an all-electric zero emission medium duty truck based on the Isuzu N series chassis, was recently added to the GSA schedule for government purchasing. The ZeroTruck features a low cab-forward design, a fully automated transmission, a range u to 100 miles and is fully highway capable. The vehicle is available at Central Truck Center of Landover, Maryland and through select Isuzu dealerships in California, Colorado, North Carolina, and New York. Learn more: Your-story.org Comment: While in theory a vehicle like this could offer competition to utility vehicles that are displacing pickup trucks in certain market segments, at a cost of over $100,000 this is not likely to happen anytime soon. – Marc Cesare
Electric Motor Cars – The company has just introduced a two-seat electric pickup which is based on the Dacia Logan. Dacia is a subsidiary of Renault and the trucks are built in Romania. The company reports the vehicles may be assembled in Florida or Iowa in the future. The pick up sells for $33,950 and van and station wagon versions will also be available. The vehicles are powered by nickel sodium chloride, “ZEBRA” batteries, which will charge in 3 hours on 220 volts or up to 8 hours when powered by 110 volts. The company claims a range of 260 miles and reports that around 100 vehicles will be available in about one month. Currently three dealers distribute the vehicles. Learn more: Trucktrend.com
Zap – According to this post Zap is rolling out a larger electric truck for industrial and fleet use. Learn more: Hybridfriends.com
India Electric Truck Market -Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Reva Electric Car Company are planning to launch electric trucks and passenger carriers in the sub-one-tonne segment. Tata Motors has developed an electric version of the Ace which could debut soon. M&M, likewise, is working on a variant for the recently launched 0.9-tonne Maxximo. The sub-tonne segment in India numbers 100,000 vehicles annually. The companies are targeting applications for large shopping mall and residential complexes, airports and intra-city transport. While there is no mention of exporting the vehicles to other markets , previously Tata and GEM announced they were working on an electric version of the ACE for the US.
Learn more: Thehindubusinessline.com
Polaris Ranger RZR 4 - Robby Gordon Edition
Polaris has introduced the Ranger RZR 4 Robby Gordon Edition, a four-seat UTV targeting the recreational market. Identifying an opportunity for a vehicle with a significantly lower price point than an expensive sand car or rail, Polaris teamed up with Robby Gordon to produce this industry first four seat sport side-by-side. Key features include:
The vehicle has an MSRP of $14,999.
Tazzari Zero City Car
The Tazzari Zero city car debuted at the Bologna Auto Show earlier this week. Aiming at the high end of the market, the stylish and sporty Tazzari Zero features a 160 Ah lithium battery pack, a range of 88 miles in economy mode and an MSRP of $29,900. The Italian made vehicle has a top speed of 56 mph which can be electronically reguated and operates on a 72 volt system. Standard features include a radio and CD player, leather seats, heating system and anti-theft device. The vehicle will be available in the US in 2010 as an LSV, and will be distributed by Verdek-EV. Learn more: Autoblog Green
Comment: At that price for an LSV it will probably be purchased more by collector types or higher end buyers willing to tinker with the speed controls. If medium speed regulations are adopted, and that’s a big if, the vehicle becomes more viable but still limited to the higher end of the market or perhaps a younger demographic willing to spend extra money for the “cool” factor. – Marc Cesare