In the toughest days of Tesla's early years, CEO Elon Musk said on film, he wired $3 million of his personal fortune to the company so it could make payroll. Now the always-quotable CEO is downplaying the effect the $465 million in U.S. Department of Energy low-interest loan guarantees it received under the government’s Advanced Technology MORE

Any idea? Quick trivia question: how many plants are there in the United States currently building electric cars? To be generous, we'll allow both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models. The answer turns out to be four. DON'T MISS: Shanghai auto show: China plugs into electric cars in a big way Meanwhile, China—which has a long-term goal. China plug-in cars assembly plants MORE

Yesterdays summit meeting to save Caltrain (organized by the Friends of Caltrain; see: Friends of Caltrain seeks to save Peninsula train service from death spiral) was a hubbub of ideas to save and restructure the service. Do you like this story? The same few steps were MORE

In fact, he’s betting nearly $3 billion on the idea. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is betting that electric car buyers want home solar panels in addition to batteries. On Tuesday, Musk announced that Tesla [NYSE: TSLA] would acquire SolarCity, one of the nation’s largest residential and commercial solar power providers. The all-stock deal would. Elon Musk solarcity MORE

Electric cars have promised to revolutionize transportation for years now. As more manufacturers offer electrified vehicles and prices continue to drop for battery technology, the easy correlation would be to assume that consumer interest has spiked. Actually, it remains pretty darn low, according to extensive research from J.D. Power. DON'T MISS. plug-in cars Charging station charging infrastructure MORE

I am thinking of converting my 89 Honda Civic s/w to an all electric power driven system. I really don't want to go to a kit. MORE

In practice, however—especially at scale—the idea turns out to have some practical challenges that must be overcome. In theory, it's a wonderful concept: once their tenure in an electric car is over, lithium-ion battery packs with as much as 70 percent of their energy capacity remaining can be sold and reused. At the simplest level, a. Batteries battery pack electric utilities plug-in cars solar reuse energy storage MORE

Last week, we shared with you our first-hand experience of driving an electric car through a Better Place battery swap station in Israel. Publicly, especially outside of Israel, Better Place’s concept of switching out depleted electric car battery packs for fully charged ones at its proprietary automated switch stations is what the firm is MORE

But the idea of a solar-powered electric car is far from new. Some electric cars use roof-mounted solar panels to provide supplementary electric power. In fact, a solar roof seems to have become an obligatory accessory on electric and plug-in hybrid concept cars. MORE

The supplier ZF has designed and engineered a city-sized EV. Yet it has no plans to build such a model; the one-off prototype is just a means for the German supplier, touting its combined capabilities with TRW Automotive, which it finished acquiring earlier this spring, to flex its muscle on safety and efficiency initiatives and show its. EV EVs ZF MORE

If you're Tesla CEO Elon Musk, "always beating the traffic" would be your power of choice, though given Elon's ideas past, present and future, some would argue that it's a long way off what he's actually capable of. If you had a mediocre superpower, what would it be? Musk sat down for a "fireside chat" with Pando Daily, and revealed some MORE

In an effort to cut congestion on its roads, the country of Norway is experimenting with the idea of autonomous, electric ships to replace large semi trucks, reports Gas2. Vehicle engineering and development focuses heavily on passenger cars and light trucks, but what about other forms of transportation? Not only do semi trucks clog roadways, but. Norway Autonomous cars cargo ships Boats MORE

Tuesday 6 August, 2013. The Green Piece Column. Toyota recently revealed that it was trialling a new mobility device it calls the Winglet. While the fact that a car giant like Toyota even troubles itself to look at small mobility solutions like this is quite admirable, there is a fine line bet[.]. MORE

This isn’t the kind of transparency or sunshine I expect from local elected officials and this level of secrecy isn’t worthy of a “Green Idea City&# label. MORE

The idea that Apple would move from fast-turn, high-volume, very profitable consumer electronics into long-cycle, insanely expensive. Last year, techies, auto journalists, and Apple fans spent a great deal of time debating the existence, technology, and potential prospects of an "Apple car" project that the company never officially acknowledged. Apple Autonomous cars Google Silicon Valley self-driving cars Waymo MORE

A electric scooter concept which first appeared at the 2010 Paris Motor Show is to go into production. The escooter from city car maker, smart, will be available on the market from 2014. Two years ago in Paris, smart revealed a portfolio of electrically-powered transport concepts, including smart forwo electric coupe and cabriolet cars, an [.]. Latest news concept ebike electric escooter smart MORE

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Program (FCT) is soliciting ( DE-FOA-0000680 ) ideas for H-Prize topics ( earlier post ) and criteria for advancements that would help to enable the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. MORE

In the world of software, open source is officially A Good Thing. It enables a far greater creative and technological base to tweak and change a piece of software than might be possible from within the company that created it. Many are keen on the concept of open source electric cars--that is, electric cars where the built-in software can be MORE

The fallout from the Volkswagen diesel scandal has cost the fuel plenty of not-so-great headlines, but the idea that diesel will soon die off entirely for passenger vehicles simply isn't true. A report in The Car Connection compiled the proof to show diesel is far from its deathbed. There remain more diesel vehicles on sale today than there have. Diesels diesel fuel MORE

Gosh, those crazy electric cars. They're so different and confusing, eh? We've now come across a new and thus-far unparalleled example of just how far people will go to avoid dealing with the realities of electric cars. Which are, of course, smooth, quiet, and torquey, meaning they're fast off the line. We already know the Gummint plans to require MORE

Startup Bright Automotive announced last week that, once the company completes its funding, its advanced plug-in hybrid Idea delivery van would be assembled under contract by AM General. How times change. That's the outfit that built the Humvee and Hummer H1, and spawned the now-defunct HUMMER brand, including the HUMMER H2--which AM General also MORE

Real Americans only drive pickup trucks (imported oil be damned). It's obvious because slaps at green cars and fuel-economy rules have become a staple of political campaigning among certain candidates. Yesterday, Newt Gingrich mocked the current Administration's promotion of fuel-efficient cars in a speech at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa MORE

With just over two weeks of shopping days left before Christmas, you’ve probably already purchased a lot of your holiday gifts. But while sweaters and socks might be the gifts that you’ve traditionally given, why not look for something a little more fun for the electric vehicle owner in your life? Over the coming weeks we’ll come MORE

The latest crazy idea to fuel your car with is one that may make you positively cringe. A group of researchers from the University of Louisiana think that alligator fat may make the perfect substitute for fossil-based fuels. According to the New York Times, scientists at the University say that alligator fat could be a [.]. Biofuels alligator fat research University of Louisiana MORE

On Monday, PG&E announced it had filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission to build out a network of 25,000 electric car charging stations. Earlier post.) In response, Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint—currently the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network—issued a statement charging that the PG&E proposal “ creates a monopoly in EV charging equipment and services that will stifle growth and innovation in the market.”. MORE

It sounds like an intriguing idea: Make diesel fuel from air rather than fossil-fuel petroleum. Better yet, make it from carbon dioxide--the greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere has risen precipitously since the dawn of the Industrial Age. Diesel fuel, after all, is a hydrocarbon chain. Take hydrogen and carbon dioxide, add some. climate change carbon dioxide alternative fuel vehicles diesel fuel renewable diesel fuel MORE

At first glance, Nissan’s Pivo3 concept from this week’s Tokyo Motor Show looks pretty wild: Seating is staggered, with the driver ahead of two passenger seats; wheel-hub motors provide power; and aggressively configured four-wheel steering that allows the nine-foot-long Pivo3 to U-turn on a seven-foot radius. But if you filter out MORE

The Korean carmaker has revealed a series of single-person mobility concepts designed by its engineers as part of its company IDEA festival. We all love a light-hearted story on a Friday and thankfully Hyundai has delivered the goods today. MORE

Suppose your beloved walked into the garage this morning and found the car covered in pink hearts and declarations of love. That'd be a pretty impressive Valentine's Day gift, right? Well, start your planning for next year, 'cause this one will take more than a last-minute dash to the florist and the card store. Smart USA, which sells the 2011 MORE

One of the big barriers to the widespread adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, is that they require large, bulky storage tanks. MORE

Electric carmaker, Think is celebrating its city EV being named as one of the ‘100 best ideas of the year’. Spanish magazine Actualidad Económica, a leader in the fields of economics and business dubbed the electric vehicle as one of the top ideas of the year as part of its annual awards. NK award best idea electric car production Think MORE

Since news broke last month that the driver of a Tesla Model S running on the Autopilot driver-assistance system died in a crash, the technology has inspired intense debate. Regulators are investigating the crash to determine whether the fault was with the human driver, Autopilot itself—or a combination of both. Now, one agency with a. Tesla Motors plug-in cars NASA self-driving cars Tesla Autopilot MORE

Now, we think we've pieced together a rough idea of the car, its timing, its configuration, and its technology. The next electric BMW has been the subject of intense interest and discussion for many months. The BMW i5 electric crossover SUV (with optional range extender) will likely be unveiled at an auto show sometime next year, and go into. plug-in cars BMW i5 MORE

Fiat is calling on motoring enthusiasts to share their ideas for the future of sustainable transport as part of the ‘Our Future Mobility’ project created by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). MORE

Last week, we told you about our Five Holiday Gift Ideas For Electric Car Drivers, and today it’s time to turn our attention There’s just over one week left until Christmas, so we hope you’ve done most of your gift shopping to spare you that last-minute holiday rush. But have you got a present for your favorite hybrid car driver? MORE

Where is the best place to site an electric car charging station? That’s the question that city planners, shopping malls and parking garages all over the world have to answer as they try to support electric car owners keen to patronize local businesses in exchange for the ability to plug in. But recently, we’ve seen a number of MORE

Pretty much everyone knows how to put fuel into a conventional car. You pull up to the pump, open the vehicle's fuel door, put in a credit card, select diesel or one of three grades of gasoline, lift the hose, and pump. (In In New Jersey and Oregon, someone else does this for you.) Electric-car charging isn't quite that simple. DON'T MISS: Car buyers. MORE

Today, one of the better electric-car ideas we've seen in years, a Tesla question about music, a scientific controversy turned bitter, and a bit more information on the upcoming 2018 Nissan Leaf. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We've been on the road attending the EV Roadmap 10 conference in Portland, which just ended, explaining why our. Today in Car News MORE

The idea of the four-motor electric car has been around since the start of the 20th century. One of Ferdinand Porsche's first ideas, in fact, was the Lohner-Porsche that debuted at the 1900 Paris World Fair, with a hub motor in each front wheel. Toss four electric motors in a car and you could have plenty of power, four-wheel drive, and individual. plug-in cars Sport Hybrid SH-AWD MORE

Elon Musk may have moved on from the "Hyperloop" high-speed transport system he sketched a couple of years ago, but multiple companies have pledged to continue its development. One of them is Hyperloop Technologies Inc., which is trying to recruit engineers from the Detroit car industry to make the Hyperloop a reality. This is real. This is. Detroit Elon Musk mass transit Public transport Hyperloop MORE

UK firms are being encouraged to make greater use of a so-called ‘green channel’ which helps speed up patent process for innovative eco-friendly ideas to help bring them to market more quickly and provide a boost to business. Intellectual property Minister Baroness Wilcox issued a reminder to businesses of the useful ‘green channel’ patent process [.]. Green credentials Gordon Murray Design green car MORE

One of the major tasks of electric-car advocates is getting people used to the idea of cars with plugs. For some people, driving around in near silence and plugging in at charging stations can take some getting used to. MORE

If you’re a regular here at GreenCarReports, you’ll already be familiar with a Mr. Neil Cavuto, presenter and Senior Vice President of Business News at Fox. He is, in his own words, a vocal electric car skeptic. But something unusual happened during a recent segment on Fox: the 53-year old said something nice about an electric car. MORE