Tesla Roadster Test Drive

Happy New Year!

Dear readers and dear electric vehicle enthusiasts and experts,


Green Motion Planet and it's founder Svemir Vranko 
wishes you a prosperous and electric powered 2011.!


Let's build together the world of transportation without noise, pollution and high costs. Let's drive green! :)


Follow this blog and watch www.greenmotionplanet.com grow! :)

Green Car Journal Finalists for Vision Award

A lot of automotive awards are criticized for honoring vehicles not yet available to the public. Green Car Journal gets around that with its Green Car Vision Award that honors a future vehicle coming to market. The five finalists have been announced.

More on this link:     Green Car Journal Finalists for Vision Award

CITROEN C-ZERO COMING TO CROATIA IN JUNE 2011.

First foreign 100% electric car is coming to Croatia. A product of Citroen and French innovative thinking, C-ZERO could be the real city solution as of June 2011. The price will be around 200.000 HR kuna which is a lot but this investment will pay off soon without need for high priced gas consumption and possible government bonus for electric vehicles. 

Bellow is how Citroen itself describes C-ZERO:

 

Zero fuel consumption, zero CO₂ emissions and zero noise: with the C-ZERO, Citroën is broadening its compact vehicle range with a 100% electric solution. The new city car was designed to make urban mobility easier, with its compact dimensions, rapid charge, and sufficient range for day-to-day car journeys. And all this in a silence that makes occupants forget about the noise of the city. The C-ZERO is a real concentrate of technology and creativity that meets tomorrow's challenges today!

Having already produced more than 5,500 electric vehicles, Citroën has the experience vital to being a frontrunner in a market segment that is set to grow significantly in the coming years.

Set for launch in last-quarter 2010, the C-ZERO, developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, is the brand's second electric vehicle alongside Berlingo First Electric, developed with Venturi. In France, both these models qualify for the government bonus of 5,000 euros.

AN OFFERING CONSISTENT WITH CITROËN POLICY

Long committed to a policy of reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, Citroën, a leading environmental carmaker, is adding the C-ZERO to a range that already features a wealth of environmentally-respectful products.

Current Citroën achievements:

• C3 and DS3 models emitting 99 g/km of CO₂ will be available from launch
• More than 30% of Citroën vehicles sold emit less than 120 g/km of CO₂

Upcoming technologies:

• Widespread application of second-generation Stop & Start system in 2010
  • Launch of a full-hybrid vehicle, the DS5, in 2011
    
    
    

    

    100% ELECTRIC VEHICLE
  
  
  The Citroën C-ZERO is a full-electric vehicle powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 47 kW or 64 bhp EEC from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm. Maximum torque of 180 Nm is available from 2,000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a single-speed reduction gear.
  The motor is powered by a latest-generation 330-volt lithium-ion battery system comprising 88 50-Ah cells (for onboard energy of 16 kWh) mounted in the centre of the vehicle.
  
  
  Lithium-ion technology keeps battery weight down compared with conventional technology while offering equivalent performance. It is also resistant to partial charges, which have no incidence on battery longevity.
  
  
  EASY TO CHARGE, EASY TO USE
  
  
  Recharging the C-ZERO’s batteries is child's play. Owners simply plug the supply cord into a 220-volt socket. A complete charge lasts six hours, while an 80% charge is possible in just 30 minutes using an external station with a single-phase current of 125 A at 400 V, for power of up to 50 kWh.
  Using the car is equally simple. When the driver turns the ignition key a beep confirms that the car is running. Citroën C-ZERO drives like a regular car with an automatic gearbox.
  The traditional fuel gauge is replaced by a battery charge indicator.
  
  
  
  
  PERFORMANCE AND FEATURES FOR PRESENT-DAY NEEDS
  
  
  Driving today is characterised, in the week, by short journeys of less than 40 km on average, with a full 70% of trips under 30 km.
  The Citroën C-ZERO is perfectly adapted to the needs of all kinds of companies – including government, local authorities and company fleets – and also to those of private customers looking for a vehicle with exceptionally low running costs. With four real seats (thanks to a 2.55-m wheelbase) and a 166-litre boot, the C-ZERO is impressively quiet to drive and boasts a plethora of comfort and safety equipment. Original-fit features include power steering, ABS, TCS, ESP, power windows, six airbags, air conditioning and an autonomous telematics box for the emergency call system.
  
  
  A CITY CAR AT EASE ON THE OPEN ROAD
  
  
  The C-ZERO’s compact exterior dimensions, at 3.48 m long, and 9-m turning circle make it a cinch to nip in and out of city traffic. And with a top speed of 130 kph and acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 15 seconds and 60-90 km/h in six seconds, along with a range of around 130 km over a standard combined cycle, it is also fully at ease out on the open road. In France, 70% of daily car trips made in the week are under 30 km, for an overall average of 40 km.   
  
  
  Source: Citroen Press

Nissan Delivers First Leaf in the USA

Nissan brings sustainable mobility to Tennessee with arrival of the state's first all-electric Nissan LEAF, following last week's deliveries in Northern and Southern California, Arizona, Oregon and Seattle. Nashville's Jeff Heeren took delivery of his silver Nissan LEAF SL today at Action Nissan of Nashville. This groundbreaking moment represents the state's first delivery of an affordable, mass-market, all-electric car.

Heeren, who lives with his wife and children in Nashville, is the owner of NumberGarage.com, a virtual telephone company. His wife, Ashley, works with the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to conserve Tennessee's state lands.

"Electricity is the new fuel for cars, and the Nissan LEAF has the potential to transform the automotive industry and the way people drive," said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas. "Starting today, drivers in Nashville have the freedom to choose a future that produces zero tailpipe emissions, moves away from our dependence on fossil fuels, and represents the end of trips to the gas station. This Nissan LEAF delivery signifies the dawn of a movement that brings sustainable mobility to within our grasp."

Nissan in July 2008 announced that it was entering into a partnership with the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley Authority to foster the development of electric vehicle-friendly policies and an EV charging infrastructure. This collaboration was the first of its kind in the United States and has served as a model for other markets across the nation.

"Just as Nissan has been working to put electric vehicles on the roads of Tennessee, TVA has been helping develop the infrastructure and technology to fuel them," said Anda Ray, TVA's senior vice president of Environment and Technology. "Early in 2011, TVA will unveil the first of its many planned solar-assisted charging stations in the state. We are moving forward with research, planning and electric systems that will help power the future of transportation."

"As an original member of Governor Bredesen's Zero Emission Mobility Project with Renault-Nissan, we recognize the value electric transportation will bring to our state and our role as the new fuel provider," said Decosta Jenkins, President and CEO, Nashville Electric Service. "We've made a commitment to our rate payers to continue providing the most reliable electric service at the lowest possible cost. We look forward to working with our residential and commercial customers as they transition to electric transportation."

Nashville and Tennessee comprise a primary launch market for the Nissan LEAF, as well as a participant in The EV Project, a research and charging infrastructure deployment project. The largest of its kind ever undertaken, The EV Project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by electric-vehicle charging company ECOtality.

"Thanks to Nissan's industry leadership, Middle Tennessee stands poised to benefit environmentally and economically as electric vehicles take root in the marketplace," Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said. "In addition, the selection of our region to participate in the EV Project places us firmly on the cutting edge of the renewable energy movement. We are part of a very select group, and soon will be one of only a few communities in the United States to have a critical mass of publicly-accessible EV charging infrastructure."

The Nashville delivery marks the culmination of more than a week of festivities, as Nissan delivers the first Nissan LEAF vehicles to each of its primary launch markets in Northern and Southern California, Arizona, Oregon, Seattle and Tennessee. Nissan also is donating $25,000 to the World Wildlife Fund to mark the occasion.

The initial Nissan LEAF deliveries are followed by a second shipment of Nissan LEAF electric cars, which arrived on Dec. 20 and are destined for consumer driveways in time for the holidays. Nissan is on track for a nationwide launch of the Nissan LEAF by 2012, with Hawaii and Texas next to roll out in early 2011. In order to fulfill interest and meet demand in initial launch markets, Nissan plans to reopen reservations in the first half of 2011 as well as shift timing of additional markets until the second half of 2011.

Source: Nissan

http://www.thecollegedriver.com/posts/1235-Nissan-Delivers-First-Leaf-in-Tennessee

Jay Leno picks up his Chevrolet Volt

Never one to miss the opportunity for a pithy quote, petrolhead extraordinaire Jay Leno has come up trumps again whilst taking delivery of his new 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

"Electricity is like sex. People lie about it," quipped Leno, referring to how owners are occasionally inclined to add a few more inches... SORRY! miles... to their vehicle's range than is actually the case.

It's not one of Leno's better one-liners and we'd be the first to point out that electric car range seems almost infinitely variable depending on the type of car, the type of driving and the type of driver. Not dissimilar then, to regular internal combustion vehicles. Leno appears though to have been referring more to electricity's usefulness for going longer distances than specifically having a dig at EV drivers.

Perhaps electric car owners do over-state their range sometimes though, maybe as a way to reassure others that range anxiety need not be an issue? We'd certainly forgive them that, given how pessimistic milage ratings from the EPA for cars like the 2011 Nissan LEAF are. In our experience (no lies here, Jay...) the LEAF can realistically achieve the 100 miles that Nissan claim it can rather than the 73 of the EPA test, though we're yet to test it in colder conditions. Nissan reckons many drivers will beat the EPA's claims.

Back to Leno's Chevy Volt, which the chat-show host says will actually be used as his daily driver, rather than sitting amongst his massive car collection in Burbank, California. For a man with so many incredible cars to choose from, this is a nice vote of confidence in the Volt. It's also a show of confidence in the American car industry, commenting that he's buying it for the U.S. technology and because it's built in Detroit.



Source: [USA Today]
http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1052829_jay-leno-takes-delivery-of-volt-offers-up-a-soundbite

Electric Car Conversion by Tom Hanks