Top 10 electric cars

      The electric-vehicle hype continues, but very soon, there will be no more smoke and mirrors, performance promises and untested infrastructure challenges (Where do apartment dwellers plug in again?). That's right, EVs you can drive-and buy-are coming. The following is a compilation of EVs that are now or will soon be available for sale or lease in the United States and Europe. According to manufacturer claims, each is capable of attaining highway speeds of at least 65 mph and can travel a minimum of 75 miles between recharges. Please note that many of the prices listed are still early estimates (some won't go on sale until 2012), although it is important to keep in mind that in most cases, the batteries are included.
Aptera 2e
At 55 mph, half of the energy a car expends is spent to simply to push air out of its way. Traveling at the same speed, the Aptera 2e exerts significantly less energy parting the atmosphere. Ergo, the 2e is not your average car. But that much is obvious with one glance at this three-wheeled, gullwinged, peapod-shaped vehicle. Boasting a drag coefficient of just 0.15, 40 percent slicker than a Toyota Prius's 0.25 Cd, Aptera's website claims that the 2e "realizes less drag than Lance Armstrong on a ten-speed." They also estimate that the 2e would achieve more than 200 mpg if it ran on gas. Instead, it runs on batteries, attains a 100-mile range and will do 90 mph, given enough room on the freeway (it scoots to 60 mph in an unhurried 10 seconds). There's enough space inside for two passengers and, as Aptera claims, 11 bags of groceries. Prices range from $25,000 to $45,000, depending on whether you want one when it goes on sale sometime this year or are willing to wait until after all the celebrities receive theirs. It's on sale now, and 4000 people have already submitted deposits. Based on appearances, the owner's club should be an interesting bunch.
Bottom Line
If Aptera could make the 2e look a little less like a spaceship and more like a 1954 Fiat Turbina-which attained an efficient 0.14 Cd while still resembling a car-this would be an instant classic.
Audi e-Tron
The Audi e-Tron is what you get when you cross an R8 with a light socket: the all-electric two-seater is basically a heavily reworked-and rewired-version of Audi's midengine sports car. Except instead of an engine, there's a rear-view-obstructing battery pack consisting of 100 individual cells. The juice-all 313 hp-gets pumped into four motors, which each turn a wheel. Yes, it's a Quattro, and it goes up to 125 mph. It will also do 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, but high performance is not really the point. The point is that you can finally drive rings around Prius owners and watch the smug fall off their faces. Pricing has yet to be determined (a production version won't be ready until late 2012 at the earliest) but Audi has hinted that the battery-operated R8 would cost about $200,000.
Bottom Line
The e-Tron is for the jet-setters: A four-pack of motors and 100 lithium batteries will set you back about $50,000 more than the cost of an R8 V10 5.2 FSI.
BMW ActiveE
At one point, there were 500 electrified Mini Coopers whirring around, which made the Mini E the world's most popular electric car. But unlike the Tesla Roadster, which has since overtaken the electric production crown, the Mini E was never intended for sale. Instead, it could be leased for $800 per month, or about half the cost to lease a Tesla Roadster. Not exactly a bargain for a two-seat car with no cargo space, but not bad, either, considering that the Mini E is relatively useful as a two-passenger commuter car (relative to a low-slung sports car, that is). Still, it lacked a rear seat. Enter BMW's foray into electrics-the BMW ActiveE-which is a battery-operated 1 Series coupe with room for four. Like the Mini E, the BMW ActiveE will only be available to lease, starting in 2011. The car uses water-cooled lithium batteries to power a motor located at the rear axle, which develops 125 kilowatts (170 hp) and 184 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to get the 3900-pound vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. Like the Mini E, maximum range is 100 miles on a single charge, which takes about 4.5 hours.
Bottom Line
This vehicle is likely to convert Mini customers into BMW drivers.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV may sound like the latest in plasma-screen technology, but it's actually a joint venture between GS Yuasa, a leader in lithium-battery technology, and Mitsubishi Motors. The i-MiEV is a very tiny, very maneuverable four-door that seats four adults. It's based on the i, a K-class car that debuted a couple of years ago in Japan. However, unlike the i, the MiEV's propulsion system is no longer contained within the wheels, which tend to bend and flex and make generally inhospitable containers for motors. Instead, the engine-a 47-kw electric motor attached to a 330-volt battery pack-is located beneath the second-row seats. That's good enough for a 0-to-60 mph time of 11.4 seconds and a range of 75 miles. The car will recharge from a 110-volt outlet in 12 or 13 hours, or half that time plugged into a 220-volt outlet. The price is expected to be under $30,000, and sales will begin in late 2011.
Bottom Line
The i-MiEV will be one of the first electric vehicles accessible to the daily commuter: It is small, but still has is enough room for four adults and a couple of overnight bags-for under $30,000.
Nissan Leaf
Eco is chic. How else to explain that 56,000 people have placed a deposit on the Nissan Leaf? The Leaf is an electric five-door Prius-shaped vehicle that promises a 100-mile range-which is farther than 90 percent of commuters drive in a day. Its front-mounted electric motor emits zero emissions, yet provides 107 hp and 208 lb-ft of torque, which should translate to quick starts and a top speed of nearly 90 mph. Charging takes less than 8 hours on a 220-volt outlet, and the extra-powerful 50-kw charger option will provide an 80 percent charge in just 30 minutes. Nissan marketing types claim its name is an acronym for "Leading Environmentally Friendly Affordable Family Car," which we can't help but notice spells LEFAFC. Note to Nissan: Why not revise that to the simpler, more direct: "Look-Electric And Functional!" But Nissan wanted to highlight the car's affordability. Thanks to an estimated price of $32,780 and a healthy $7500 federal tax rebate to consumers, the Leaf could be the first electric vehicle to costs less than the average car.
Bottom LineWith the $32,000 base price and hefty marketing campaign, it's safe to say that Leafs (or is it Leaves?) will begin covering America's roads rather quickly when deliveries begin in December.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is a rather handsome electric sedan under development by Tesla Motors. The price is expected to be under $50,000, with a base price of $57,400, minus a federal tax credit of $7500. The battery pack consists of 5000 lithium cells, which give the car a range of about 160 miles when fully charged. Larger 8000-cell packs would extend that range to around 300 miles. As for dynamic performance, Tesla estimates that its sedan will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. Recharging will take 3 to 5 hours, but a 480-volt QuickCharge system will do the job in about 45 minutes. Do-it-yourselfers will have no trouble swapping out the entire battery pack in less than 5 minutes, claims Tesla. The factory, which is rumored to be located in Southern California, has yet to be built, so unfortunately there is really no telling when the first production car will arrive. But deliveries are expected to commence by early 2012.
Bottom line
The Model S is made for those not making millions who have a healthy case of Roadster envy.
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster was the first electric car to show the world that electric cars don't have to suck. Essentially, it's an electrified Lotus Elise, only quicker. The chassis is constructed at the Lotus factory in Hethel, England, before being shipped to Silicon Valley, Calif., for final assembly. Thanks to an electric motor and 6831 cellphone batteries that are wired together, the Tesla generates nearly 300 lb-ft of torque the instant you press the go pedal. The new Roadster Sport will do 0 to 60 mph in only 3.7 seconds and, because it has only one gear ratio, tops out at 125 mph. This car single-handedly redefines what it means to be green. It may not exactly be the most affordable definition, but that's because lithium batteries are still quite expensive. To date, Tesla has delivered more than 900 Roadsters at a base price of $109,000. The 2010 Roadster Sport model-which features performance tires and adjustable dampers and roll bars-will set you back a whopping $128,500.
Bottom line
It will be tough to shake the reputation of the Roadster as the sexiest electric sports car on the block.
Think City
From late May until late July, the sun doesn't set above the Arctic Circle. Hence, Norway is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun. And when the sun is up all the time, people apparently spend a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the environment. Hence, the Think City. Available as a two-seater or as a 2+2, the Think City is a pioneer in the field of electric cars, having been around since the early 1990s, when Ford Motor Company helped engineer the first Thinks. These days, the Norwegians have completely taken over operations, and seem to be doing well-despite its somewhat fragile appearance, the Think City has been crash tested and approved for use on U.S. highways. Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums has indicated that in 2011, the City will sell in the U.S. for $15,000 to $17,000, plus $100 to $200 per month to lease the batteries, which are available as either sodium-nickel or lithium-based. The top speed is 65 mph, and the range on a full charge is 130 miles.
Bottom line
Despite its Dr. Seuss-derived design, the Think City is a serious option for city commuters, with a most attainable price.
Volvo C30
An electric motor uses about a quarter as much energy as an internal-combustion engine that runs on fossil fuels, according to the electrical engineers at Volvo Cars. Playing the role of Pied Piper, Paul Gustavsson, Volvo's director of electrification, said: "We hope that the authorities and the rest of the society will follow Volvo Cars in our 'Drive Towards Zero,'" which is Volvo's goal of building cars that emit zero carbon dioxide, except in the production of the electricity it requires to charge them. To that end, starting next year, the Swedes will build an all-electric version of the Volvo C30, for sale only in the European Union. The batteries weigh 617 pounds, but provide the motors with enough output-87 kw (111 bhp) to get the C30 up to 60 mph in 10.5 seconds. The plan is to build a fleet of 30 vehicles, none of which will make it to North America, each with a 94-mile range. That alone won't save the world but, of course, the longest journey begins with a single step.
Bottom line
The Volvo might not be as quick as a BMW ActiveE, but it is more spacious inside.
Ford Transit Connect
Ford will produce five electric vehicles in the next few years, starting with the 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric, a zero-emission lithium-battery-powered commercial vehicle that goes on sale this fall. The diminutive van-which has an 80-mile range and can be recharged on standard 120-volt or 240-volt outlets-uses few moving parts, promising fewer maintenance issues for fleets that run short, scheduled routes. Next year, Ford will follow up with a consumer-friendly 2012 Ford Focus Electric, which will use Microsoft's Hohm energy-management system to recharge batteries in off-peak hours. Ford also has three other as-yet-unannounced plug-in electric vehicles in the works, but company spokespeople remain mum on the details. At least until the next major auto show.
Bottom line
The electric Transit Connect is likely to be a go-to for small businesses that are looking to save some money on gasoline but can't afford a custom EV fleet.

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Jaguar XJ named as the best luxury car for 2010

The British motoring magazine Top Gear has named the Jaguar XJ as the best luxury car for 2010 ahead of its main rivals BMW and Audi.
Writing in the most recent Awards Issue of Top Gear Magazine, Editor at Large Jason Barlow described the XJ as a 'blast from the future', adding 'rarely has a new car slackened so many jaws'.
The Top Gear team lauded the lightweight aluminum architecture and described the XJ as the most efficient luxury car in its class. It has attained a 29-percent segment share during its first six months on sale, establishing itself as the British car of choice, especially among CEOs.
Since its launch the XJ has received more than 20 international honours, including 'Best Luxury Car' from China's Auto News, 'Annual Limousine King' from Quattroroute (Italy), Automobile Magazine's '2011 Design of the Year' and 'Best Executive Sedan' at the Bloomberg Awards (US).

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Renault Execs fired.

PARIS — The French government said on Thursday that it would seek to bolster industrial secrecy rules after the automaker Renault suspended three executives, including a member of its management committee, who are suspected of compromising the electric car technology on which the company is betting its future.

“There’s a broad danger for French industry,” the industry minister, Éric Besson, said during an interview with RTL radio. The phrase “economic war” is appropriate in this case, he added.

Mr. Besson said the affair appeared to be “serious, and again highlights the risks that our companies face from industrial spying.”
While few details about the case have been made public, the investigation appeared to focus on possible efforts to obtain Renault’s electric car technology.
Mr. Besson declined to elaborate, except to say that the government would be working with French companies to help protect their industrial secrets.
A spokeswoman for Renault, Frédérique Le Grèves, said she could not comment in detail because an internal review was under way. She did, however, confirm that three employees were suspended Monday after an internal investigation that began in August turned up apparent violations of Renault’s ethics policy.
“What they did was very severe,” Ms. Le Grèves said, adding: “It wasn’t just a case of them giving pictures to the media, for instance.”
Christian Husson, Renault’s general counsel and compliance officer, said all of the suspended employees had “extremely strategic positions” at the company.
Mr. Husson also said in a statement that the company had found a “body of converging evidence demonstrating that three group employees have committed misconduct that infringes Renault’s ethics, consciously and deliberately endangering the company’s assets.”
He said the case would “inevitably result in legal action.”
The company said it could not identify the employees while an investigation was under way. But a person with knowledge of the situation, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that one employee involved was Michel Balthazard, senior vice president for advanced engineering and a member of the management committee, which is run by Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive.
The company declined to make Mr. Balthazard available. Mr. Balthazard, who has also been widely identified in the news media, could not be reached for comment via his work e-mail or through a phone directory search in the Paris region.
Neither Renault nor the office of Mr. Besson, the industry minister, would say whether the executives were caught actually passing information or whether an industrial rival or foreign country was suspected. But one country likely to receive scrutiny is China.
The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which is appointed by Congress, said in a report in 2009 that Beijing had been “a major beneficiary of technology acquired through industrial espionage.” China has denied in the past that its intelligence agencies were engaged in stealing commercial secrets.
Renault is the second-largest automaker in France, after PSA Peugeot Citroën. Renault and its Japanese partner, Nissan Motor, are betting heavily on electric car technology for growth. The technology is made more attractive by the tax incentives many countries offer for purchases of electric vehicles.

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Mercedes Benz C class 2011 Revealed.

AFTER seeing images of the new C-Class leaked on the web, Mercedes-Benz has released official pictures.

Mercedes calls the "new" C-Class, due here mid-year, a "comprehensive modernisation", with redesigned front and rear, upgraded dash and interior materials.
More strikingly, the company claims a 31 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, thanks to an enhanced seven-speed auto transmission and an eco start/stop function.
It also has 10 new driver aids, ranging from Attention Assist and drowsiness detection to Distronic Plus proximity control.
"With numerous high-grade features in the interior that remind one of the new CLS, the C-Class sets completely new standards in its segment with respect to perceived value and quality," Mercedes sales and marketing director Dr Joachim Schmidt says.
More than 2000 new components distinguish the latest generation of the C-Class from its predecessor, he says.

Visibly, the changes are hardly dramatic, although the four- and five-door have a new aluminium bonnet, which contributes to weight reduction and lower fuel consumption.
The 2011 version of Mercedes' mainstay has a new fascia, with LED daytime running lights, LED indicators, a new front grille and a slightly redesigned rear section.
It's a case of visual evolution, not revolution because the main changes are mechanical, especially in the iconic C 63 AMG.
The 6.2-litre V8 is likely to be superseded by Mercedes' 5.5-litre bi-turbo unit . Its possible power of 380kW exceeds even the one-off Jaffa special made for the Sydney Motor Show.
Petrol and diesel V6s are also up for power increases, to 225kW and 195kW respectively.
Elsewhere, the need to lower the fleet consumption and emission average will see new BluTec diesel powertrains and engine stop-start systems, as well as more direct-injection models and the possible end of the five-speed auto in those models that retain it for seven-speed transmissions.
Rumours persist of the first C-Class hybrid.
The 2011 C-Class is expected to have its global premiere this month and go on sale later in the year.
Though it starts just south of $60,000 here, the C-Class was one of Australia's best-selling midsized imports last year.
In November it was second outright only to the locally produced fleet favourite Toyota Camry.
The four-door Mercedes has left behind not only obvious prestige rivals such as BMW's 3 Series and Audi's A4 but also high-quality offerings from Japan and other parts of Europe that start as much as 50 per cent under the tristar car.

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Honda user database hacked.

If you own a Honda or an Acura, you may want to check your email. Hackers have breeched the American Honda owners database.
Autoblog explains that “names, e-mail addresses and VINs are among the data that was compromised. In addition to the 2.2 million Honda owners affected by this information, 2.7 million Acura owners were also subject to this hack, though Honda reports that only e-mail addresses were stolen from owners of the automaker's luxury brand.”
For its part, Honda says they have “contacted all affected customers directly. If you did not receive an email directly, you are not affected,” and “No financial information was compromised.”
“Company officials say the list didn't include Social Security numbers, birthdates, bank information or other data that would leave people vulnerable to identity theft,” reports Inside Line. This hack could have been a lot worse for Honda owners.

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