Batteries for Chevy's all-electric Volt car, for example, won't depend on that element, Mintzer says.
And Hawaii is getting plug-in electric Volt cars from General Motors this summer, the Star-Advertiser reports.
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Smart was a green-minded statement car that predated the hybrid Toyota Prius and the electric Chevrolet Volt when it officially launched in 1998 in Europe.
By the time Coda hit the market, it faced competitively priced rivals like the Nissan Leaf, the Ford Focus Electric and the plug-in electric Chevrolet Volt.
The contract will fund the deployment of up to 320 AeroVironment 240-volt electric vehicle (EV) charging docks throughout the islands.
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In Australia, where he was overseeing a Better Place initiative, the company provides GM customers with a fixed-charging network and home chargers for the plug-in electric-hybrid Volt.
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No need to idle an entire production line as General Motors recently did when expected sales of its plug-in electric hybrid Chevrolet Volt failed to materialize.
Executives from the Seattle-based company focused in particular on their marketing partnership with General Motors-owned Chevrolet, specifically on a major cross-platform campaign that Microsoft and GM will be rolling out for their upcoming Volt electric automobile.
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Unlike Ford, which didn't take U.S. government bailout money, and Toyota, which decided the timing--following the downturn--just isn't right, GM really has a story to tell, she says, citing recent innovation, including its Chevy Volt electric car.
Toyota ( TM - news - people ), which decided the timing--following the downturn--just isn't right, GM really has a story to tell, she says, citing recent innovation, including its Chevy Volt electric car.
"I own a fully functional Tesla coil cannon and I plan to BBQ some Sriracha-bacon sandwiches by shooting them with its 20, 000 volt electric arc, so the event will be both scientific and delicious, " Inman wrote on his site.
GM's plug-in electric hybrid, the Volt, won the coveted North American Car of the Year award, while Ford won the award for best truck.
It has a highly fuel-efficient gasoline engine that gives Volt drivers a peace of mind and a confidence about not being stranded that drivers of Nissan Leaf and other EVs can only envy coupled with most of the advantages of being able to drive Volt in electric-only mode when desired.
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The Chevy Volt is driven by electric motors powered by lithium-ion batteries that are charged by plugging the vehicle into a standard 110-volt socket.
On average, each Volt will add electric demand equal to a couple of home refrigerators.
GM's Chevrolet Volt, an electric car with a combustion engine range extender, could be another beneficiary.
Poor sales have dogged the electric Ford Focus, Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma as well.
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It vied for a contract with General Motors when GM was engineering the Chevy Volt, an electric-gasoline hybrid.
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The Volt is an electric vehicle that offers a total driving range of up to 379 miles, based on EPA estimates.
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Demand for the Volt and other electric vehicles has been below expectations.
On Sunday, General Motors unveiled a new hybrid electric vehicle called the Chevrolet Volt which could allow many drivers to avoid using gasoline at all.
Driving in a combination of gasoline-powered and electric-powered modes the Volt is estimated to get 60 miles per gallon, which is right on target with what we were able to achieve.
Likewise, the study did not include either plug-in hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt or full electric vehicles like the Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf that carry higher price premiums, but boast a greater fuel economy advantage.
According to the EPA, a motorist who drives the Volt exclusively on electric power will pay an estimated 4 cents per mile in energy costs, while one who never recharges the battery and runs the car exclusively on gasoline (with premium grade required) will pay 9 cents per mile.
The company is unveiling a new electric car, called the Chevrolet Volt, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Sunday.
Better Place has also struck a deal with GM Holden to allow owners of the Volt plug-in electric hybrid to use its network of fixed charging stations.
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For many, the Volt will be an electric car most of the time, though the onboard computer does tell the gas engine to drive the wheels now and then.
If you're launching a line of extended-range electric vehicles, ala the Chevy Volt, it's hard to imagine a better person to help you with the launch than Bob Lutz, the driving force behind that very car.
Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range.
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In very related news, GM has struck a deal with Massachusetts-based battery developer A123 Systems to produce flat lithium-ion batteries for use in upcoming plug-in electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Volt.
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