News

Renault Fluence EV - Prices Announced

Renault's first electric car, the five-seat, four-door Fluence, will be priced from £17,850 (including £5,000 government subsidy) and be available in 2012.

Like many companies, Renault is leasing the battery behind the vehicle at a very reasonable £75 per month.

The feature-packed Fluence ZE, Prime Time seems set to boast 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, ecoMeter and satellite navigation, together with two charging sockets.

This electric car's range is set at a very respectable 115 miles.

4x4 Electric Liberty E-Range Debuts

A Coventry firm has unveiled what it says is the world's first all-electric 4x4 vehicle.

Liberty has released the E-Range, capable of completing 200 miles (322km) without recharging and with a top speed of 100mph.

With orders already in place for the converted Range Rover, which will retail at around £160,000, the company is confident about future prospects. Manufacturing duties are being undertaken by workers from electric van company Modec which recently went into administration.

Mia electric car set for UK Launch

mia electric will showcase its three 'Microbus’ electric vehicles (EVs), available from early 2012, at the EcoVelocity motor show.

This minibus-like lightweight, zero emission car has three sizes - a standard short-wheel model, an extended mia L and mia box van, and is aimed at the business market.

All three vehicles are powered by an 18 kilowatt electric motor whilst the 12 kWh battery pack that can be fully charged in five hours. mia electric claim the Microbus has a range of 120-130 miles, a top speed of 68 miles per hour and running costs of just 1.3pence per kilometre.

The car will cost £22,000 to buy (including £5,000 government subsidy).

VW to release single-seat electric car

Volkswagen is set to unveil a single-seatzero-emission electric car and complement this by selling power from its own renewable sources to offer a vehicle responsible for no carbon dioxide emissions whatsoever.

At the time of writing, no details had been revealed regarding the car’s range, top speed or other specifics ahead of its unveiling.

2013 should also see VOlkswagen launch electric versions of the Golf and forthcoming Up! small car (due to be unveiled at next month’s Frankfurt motor show).

Electric Rolls Royce Unveiled

Rolls-Royce has revealed its all-electric 102EX Phantom including induction charging technology enabling drivers to park their electric Rolls-Royce over a special pad and revives the 71kWh battery pack wirelessly.

A full charge will take eight hours and provide a range of 124 miles. In addition, the Phantom’s twin 145kW electric motors deliver 386bhp and 800Nm of torque.

In speed terms, this equates to 0-60mph in just under eight seconds and top speed (limited) of 100mph. In a special, eco-friendly touch, the Spirit of Ecstasy badge is fabricated from but Makrolon – a specialist plastic – illuminated by blue LEDs.

The first reviews seen by pluginsure seem very encouraging indeed and the fully electric Rolls-Royce would join the Electric Land Rover as one of the luxury electric cars on the market.

London to become Electric Car Capital

Speaking at the launch of the first city-wide electric vehicle charging network, provided by Source London, Mayor Boris Johnson has reaffirmed his commitment to making London the “electric driving capital of the world”.

Source London intends to increase the current number of 250 publicly available charging points in the capital to “at least 1,300” by 2013. Boris Johnson continued: “This is in support of the expanding range of electric cars coming to market and will deliver a range of environmental benefits in terms of pushing down on pollution in London.”

Financial benefits, as pluginsure readers will know, include the fact that electric vehicles also incur no company car tax, no Vehicle Excise Duty and no London Congestion Charge.

Tesla plans to sue Top Gear over Electric Car Test

Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has announced it plans to sue the BBC’s "Top Gear" show alleging libel and malicious falsehood.

Tesla claims the show staged a scene that appeared to show Tesla's Roadster car running out of power, according to papers filed at the High Court in London.

In the Top Gear report, first broadcast in December 2008, presenter Jeremy Clarkson said that, even though the car is "biblically quick," and "the first electric car you might actually want to buy," its range is limited.

The report appeared to show the car being pushed into a hangar, according to the suit. Tesla said the Roadster that was pushed into the hangar hadn't run out of power and didn't need to be pushed. Top Gear's allegation that the car's range is 55 miles is alleged to be defamatory because it suggests Tesla "grossly misled potential purchasers of the Roadster".

pluginsure will be watching the outcome of these proceedings with some interest and yes, we do have something in common with Mr Clarkson - we were more than impressed with the speed of the Tesla.

FIA want Electric Car Championship

FIA president Jean Todt has said he is collaborating with the European Commission to develop a championship for electric cars, along the lines of the existing Formula One series held at the major circuits.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Todt said he had set up an electric-car commission unit within the FIA and that the series could start as early as 2013.

"We want as soon as possible to have new categories with new energy," Todt told the newspaper. "As much as we can do it all over the world, we will do it."

He added he hoped the initiative would help promote consumer interest in electric vehicles.