Not all electric vehicles have wheels. Electric boats have actually been around for quite awhile, and now a California startup is trying to expand use of electric powertrains to another type of watercraft. Free Form Factory is partnering with Zero Motorcycles to use the motorcycle company's electric-powertrain components in a "stand-up personal. California plug-in cars electric motorcycles Zero Motorcycles Boats MORE

Here's an electric vehicle that really, truly stinks. While automakers are moving in the direction of more electric cars, several companies are also making efforts to electrify commercial vehicles. The humble garbage truck will be the next to be electrified—which, if nothing else, will eliminate the unpleasant noise from huge diesel trucks. emissions China Trucks BYD plug-in cars Commercial vehicle MORE

Spurred by Tesla Motors and competitor German luxury brands, Mercedes-Benz is planning a handful of new electric cars. But Mercedes may also be planning an electric. The first is likely to be a crossover, to be previewed by a concept that will debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show this fall, set to be followed by another crossover and two sedans. plug-in cars fleet MORE

All three wear the "Vision Next 100" name, referencing BMW's intent to predict the direction. How will the design of luxury cars evolve over the next 100 years? BMW is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion it made futuristic concept cars for not only its own brand, but for subsidiaries Rolls-Royce and Mini as well. plug-in cars self-driving cars MORE

Henrik Fisker is planning to return to the luxury electric fold with his new company's EMotion sedan, and potential buyers now have a price tag. The brand's first vehicle, the Fisker EMotion sedan, will become available for pre-order on June 30. And when the EMotion eventually goes on sale, it will cost $129,900 and up. DON'T MISS: Fisker EMotion. Emotion plug-in cars Henrik Fisker MORE

The electric-vehicle market remains in infancy, but non-traditional automakers are beginning to explore and tap the potential market for multiple types of vehicles powered by batteries. Canadian company Havelaar is the most recent to try its hand at an electric vehicle; like a few other companies, it's proposing a purpose-built electric truck. MORE

Many luxury automakers are planning new electric cars, both to meet future emissions standards and as a response to the success of Tesla. So far, though, no established automaker has discussed directly replacing an internal-combustion model with an all-electric one. Future Cars plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV But that may be exactly what Aston Martin is planning to do with its sleek. MORE

Before next week''s official debut of the second-generation Audi R8 sports car at the Geneva Motor Show, Audi released some advance information—including the first official details about the all-electric R8 e-tron sports car that will soon follow the gasoline version. MORE

The success of Tesla Motors has made quite an impression on the main German luxury carmakers, all of which plan future products that can compete with the automaker from Silicon Valley. The British luxury brand is reportedly planning a pair of all-electric models: a large sedan and an. Now it appears Jaguar may be planning to target Tesla as well. plug-in cars Jaguar Land Rover MORE

Future Cars Mercedes plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV German luxury carmakers often follow each other's product plans in something close to lockstep. Let one maker—BMW, say—introduce a new category of vehicle—sport utility "coupes," say—and soon Mercedes-Benz and Audi will have their own too. And the premium brands appear to be following the same playbook for the expanding. MORE

Future Cars plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Hyundai Ioniq ElectricSouth Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia often share the underpinnings of their vehicles, though there's no "badge engineering" and the two brands compete in the marketplace. The recent Kia Niro hybrid wagon and the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid hatchback, for instance, share the same powertrain, platform, and other hidden components. But while the 2017. MORE

While sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids fell slightly last year in the U.S., Almost 100,000 battery-electric cars were sold in the European Union last year: 97,687 units, to be precise. Renault sales New car sales plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Renault-Nissan Renault Zoethe sales data for Europe was more encouraging. Data for plug-in hybrids isn't immediately available.) And that's close to half again as many. MORE

BMW's next all-electric car could be a variant of the i8 plug-in hybrid coupe. The German carmaker currently offers only one all-electric model—the i3 hatchback—and there have been rumors of a second, likely called i5. But BMW is apparently considering an all-electric i8 in addition to a completely new electric model. MORE

The promise of flying cars has been around for decades, and companies continues to show off their interpretations of what the public may expect in the future. MORE

It's now clear that every automaker, no matter how large or small, will have to develop and sell battery-electric vehicles by 2020 to 2025. Future Cars plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Subaru XVCompanies like GM and Volkswagen, which each make 10 million cars a year, can afford the breathtaking costs of developing expertise and engineering cars with entirely different powertrains. For smaller. MORE

The Shanghai auto show is shaping up to be a showcase for all the green cars and concepts that were absent from last week's New York auto show. Among them is a concept for a "four-door coupe" version of the Audi e-tron all-electric SUV that'll go into production sometime next year. Shanghai Auto Show e-Tron Audi e-tron plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV MORE

but ongoing in Europe—Volkswagen Group has talked a lot about its future electric-car plans. It will launch three high-volume battery-electric vehicles on a common architecture over the next five years, and has now shown concepts for all three. Future Cars VW VW Group plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Microbus MEB architectureWorking to redirect attention from its diesel-emission scandal—soon to wind down in the U.S. MORE

But could supersonic planes carrying large number of passengers make a comeback—and with electric power no less? That's the vision of Luke Workman, a designer of lithium-ion battery packs who believes all-electric supersonic aircraft are attainable. Supersonic airliners haven't flown since 2003, when the last Concorde was retired. DON'T. emissions Batteries aircraft MORE

Electric passenger cars get the lion's share of attention, but interest in electrified commercial vehicles is growing as well. A group of companies are now collaborating to make all-electric school buses a more common sight on U.S. That includes one type of vehicle built for a very important job: carrying children to and from school. roads. DON'T. emissions plug-in cars Commercial vehicle Buses MORE

Now designer Henrik Fisker is ready for a rematch, this time with an all-electric sedan promising 400 miles of range (and unusual doors). Future Cars plug-in cars Henrik Fisker Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Fisker AutomotiveThe low, sleek Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sedan had a stunning design but numerous problems, and Tesla mopped the floor with it. MORE

Mercedes-Benz has big plans for electric vehicles in the future, but its main nod to what those plans will bring thus far is the EQ Concept. Shown at the Paris Motor Show last year, the vehicle represents a conceptual version of the first of many electric vehicles to come from the Germany luxury marque. Future Cars Daimler plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV MORE

The Kings Canyon Unified School District recently launched the first all-electric school bus in the United States, Inhabitat reports. The bus is a modified SST Trans Tech model based on a Ford E-Series van chassis, with an electric powertrain from It may not be capable of space travel, but one California district has found a magic school bus. MORE

If you pronounce the word "buzz" with a German accent, it sounds like "bus"—which is almost surely why VW's second all-electric concept vehicle is called the Volkswagen ID Buzz. Detroit Auto Show Future Cars VW plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) MicrobusIt's the latest in a series of concept studies for a modern-day Microbus, with stylistic nods to the classic Type 2 bus launched 65 years ago. It's one of the few. MORE

Almost any new electric car tends to be pitched as a "Tesla competitor" these days, down to the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV subcompact hatchback. An all-electric version of the Aston. Yesterday, however, British specialty carmaker Aston Martin unveiled a large, sleek, four-door sedan powered entirely by batteries that clearly targets the Tesla Model S. Future Cars plug-in cars Andy Palmer MORE

Several countries have committed to putting more electric cars on their roads in the near future as a way to reduce air pollution and combat climate change. But what if one country—and a very large one at that—decided to make every car on its roads electric inside of 15 years? That's the incredibly ambitious goal now being proposed by. emissions India energy policy plug-in cars transportation policy MORE

Hyundai's ambitious plans to offer more green cars than any other maker except Toyota may have tilted slightly toward electric cars. According to the report, Hyundai has decided that it will offer an all-electric "AE" version of its forthcoming dedicated "Prius. Green Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Future Cars plug-in carsAt least, that is, if a tip from a source close to the company is to be believed. MORE

The controlling interest in carmaker Mitsubishi it acquired last year has helped the Renault-Nissan Alliance to solidify its position as the global leader in sales of battery-electric cars. The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling all-electric car in history, while the Renault Zoe has achieved consistent strong sales in Europe. MORE

Highways and parking lots aren't the only places where you'll find electric vehicles these days. In fact, if you're planning to take a trip down the scenic Colorado River this summer, you may very well traverse it on electric power. Colorado River Discovery--which offers raft tours on portions of the river in Arizona--says its first all-electric. MORE

Transport for London (TfL) has introduced the first long-range, battery-electric BYD Double-Decker buses into revenue service routes. TfL plans to charge the buses overnight using low-cost, off-peak electricity to provide additional cost savings. MORE

The first Mini E, cobbled together by putting a battery pack where the rear seat used to be, was BMW's very first attempt at building a modern electric car. Only a few hundred were built, back in 2009, but the quick project gave the German company real-world experience on how electric-car drivers used their cars, recharged them, and otherwise. Future Cars Minicars plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV MORE

Tesla rocked the German luxury makers a couple of years ago when it became clear that its all-electric Model S sedan was truly appealing to a wide swath of enthusiastic luxury-car buyers. With more than 125,000 sold since mid-2012, Tesla Motors has since launched the Model X electric crossover utility and announced plans for its next product, the. MORE

Current battery technology places the same range restrictions on electric commercial trucks as on electric cars. So while electric trucks may be suitable for local delivery service and other short-range operations, they can't cut it in long-haul trucking at the moment. However, Swiss rail-infrastructure company Furrer+Frey has a fairly simple and. Trucks plug-in cars Commercial vehicle fleet semis MORE

Carmakers need to launch more plug-in electric vehicles to meet global regulations on emission reduction and energy efficiency. Now we learn that Hyundai is planning to launch a dedicated all-electric SUV with 200 miles of range within two years. Future Cars plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Hyundai Tucson Fuel CellAnd small to mid-size SUVs are the fastest-growing segment in auto markets around the world. MORE

Last year, the company sold more highway-capable electric cars and plug-in hybrids than any other company in the world. Aiming to expand on that success for 2016, BYD is introducing two new electric cars for the Chinese market. Chinese automaker BYD may be largely invisible in the U.S., but it's thriving in its home market. DON'T MISS: Who Sold. China BYD plug-in cars BYD Qin MORE

There seems to be no shortage of startups planning to build new battery-electric vehicles from the ground up. It aims to launch what it calls the "world's first all-electric on- and. While companies like Lucid Motors and Faraday Future are focusing on high-end luxury models, a newer company named Bollinger Motors is taking a different approach. Off-road New York Trucks plug-in cars Startups MORE

On the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Volkswagen has revealed the Budd-e concept, a vehicle that follows up on some of the purpose and utility of the Microbus, yet looks to the next decade, as a compelling template for an all-electric family vehicle. MORE

The signals are now unmistakable: Toyota will offer a battery-electric car for sale in 2020. After a decade of condemning electric cars as suitable only for the smallest vehicles in around-town use, the world's largest car company is changing its tune. Batteries lithium-ion Future Cars research and development plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV MORE

By now, it's well known that the German prestige brands--Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche--will all offer at least one battery-electric luxury sedan or crossover utility vehicle sometime between 2017 and 2021. It's all in response to the startling success of Silicon Valley electric-car maker Tesla Motors. MORE

Genovation Cars is a company that, among other things, converts Corvettes to electric power, creating a high-performance sports car it calls the Genovation eXtreme Electric (GXE, for short). MORE

If Warren Buffett needed to catch a ride across town, we suspect he might do it exactly the way that we did this past week: in an all-electric BYD bus. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway famously invested big in China’s BYD Motors in late 2008 -- likely spurred by the company’s innovative battery technology, bullish plans for electric MORE

And now these distinctive vehicles are going electric. Transport for London (TfL), the British capital's transit agency, is placing five electric buses into service as the city continues to look for ways to reduce air pollution. When it comes to buses, few are more recognizable than London's iconic double deckers. MORE

The board of directors of the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) in California voted to award BYD a contract to manufacture up to 85 electric buses over a five-year period. All 85 buses will have a range of more than 160 miles on a single battery charge. MORE

Battery-electric vehicles with ranges of 150 to 200 miles and prices under $50,000 are now on the horizon from Chevrolet, Nissan, and Tesla, but details of BMW's entry into that segment are less visible. On the higher end, we know that German luxury makers Audi and Mercedes-Benz plan pricey all-electric sedans and SUVs with ranges of 250-plus. MORE