Taking the US-bound Smart Electric Drive for a spin (video)

Posted on 29/03/2013 by Tim Stevens

The eponymous "Smart car" has been buzzing around city streets in the US for over five years now. It's actually called the Fortwo, thanks to its limited seating capacity, and while it didn't prove to be an immediate hit, sales have been steadily increasing. An electric version of the car has been available in limited numbers overseas for years now, but finally this year it's coming to the US. And this is it. We got a chance to drive a green vinyl-wrapped Smart Electric Drive around some city streets ahead of the opening of the New York International Auto Show and came away reasonably impressed by this $25,000 EV -- the cheapest on the market. Join us after the break for our impressions.

Gallery: Smart Electric Drive test drive

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Mercedes-Benz introduces B-Class Electric Drive, we go eyes-on

Posted on 27/03/2013 by Tim Stevens

Electric Vehicle choices keep getting more compelling, and Mercedes-Benz is doing its part by unveiling the upcoming B-Class Electric Drive. The B-Class is among the smaller of MB's cars (one step up from the A-Class), fitting squarely in the MPV category. It's basically a mini-minivan. MPVs are small but big enough to be practical, and they tend to be economical. The fully electric powertrain in this 2014 model that just rolled onto the stage here at the New York International Auto Show should go a long way in that regard. Follow us after the break for more details and some photos.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive eyes-on

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: solar panel printer, gold producing bacteria and a life-size of horse made of computer keys

Posted on 07/10/2012 by Inhabitat

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

Inhabitat is always interested in finding innovative uses for old technology, and this week we saw artists and designers from around the world produce new things from old, unused or outmoded gadgets. In Osaka, a local goldfish club has been transforming old phone booths into gigantic public fish tanks. In another large-scale art installation, Babis Panagiotidis used 18,000 recycled computer keys to make a life-size rocking horse. London artist Leonardo Ulian also makes beautiful, ornate mandalas from bits and pieces of old circuitry. And Benjamin Yates makes his unique coffee tables from recycled circuit boards, old VCRs and computer components.

Continue reading Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar panel printer, gold producing bacteria and a life-size of horse made of computer keys

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Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar panel printer, gold producing bacteria and a life-size of horse made of computer keys originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart unveils third-gen Fortwo Electric Drive EV, we take it for quiet and speedy spin (video)

Posted on 03/10/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Now that Smart's second-gen Fortwo Electric Drive EV has gotten its year of time on the roads, the company is ready to announce its successor. For 2013, the car has received some mild tweaks to its design, but the real news is about what's hiding inside this rear-wheel driven EV. For the first time, you'll have to option of owning one outright, rather than being limited to a four-year lease at $599 per month. It's thanks in part to an improved battery, which is now rated for an average lifespan of 10 years. The car has also received a massive power upgrade to 47 horsepower (up from 27 previously), along with an extra boost if you floor the pedal -- this courtesy of a beefier engine and drive-train that gives it about 50-percent more power. Put it this way, this EV will get you from 0-60 in about 11.5 seconds, with top speed of 78MPH. Sadly, there's no concrete word on what kind of range to expect, but it should be well more than the 87 miles of its predecessor. Beyond that, Smart's added in GSM connectivity, allowing you the abilities to pre-start the car and keep track of its vitals remotely, among other features.

A quick drive around Brooklyn also confirmed how peppy and smooth the car was in use, however, not exactly on-par with our experience in Audi's A3 e-tron -- but it is considerably less. As our friends at Autoblog detail, the base model coupe is set to sell for a $25,000 MSRP plus fees, along with your choice of two chargers, which can cost up to $2,200 with installation. Here's the good news, the car itself actually works out to just $17,500 thanks to a federal tax credit. All in all, this currently makes the cheapest full-on EV you'll be able to get your mitts on. If you'd prefer to spice it up a bit, Smart will also offer a spruced up cabriolet variant for an extra $3K. Check out our chat with Smart about the car and the press release after the break for all the details.

Gallery: Smart Fortwo ED third-generation

Continue reading Smart unveils third-gen Fortwo Electric Drive EV, we take it for quiet and speedy spin (video)

Smart unveils third-gen Fortwo Electric Drive EV, we take it for quiet and speedy spin (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Venturi announces 300HP, €300K America all-terrain EV, coming in 2014

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Steve Dent

If you feel the need to rapidly hit the great outdoors without despoiling it, Venturi just may have your ride -- provided you have about $400,000 to spare. The company just launched the America EV at the Paris Auto Show, packing a 300HP powerplant, 53 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and projected 200 mile range to go along with the breathtaking price tag. Venturi's touting the car as more than just a smooth pavement flyer though, saying that it has a go-anywhere attitude with its high stance, generous clearance and tough carbon-fiber chassis. Still, if you want to go fast, the car can hit a top speed of 120 mph, and once you've burned off all the volts, can be fast charged in four hours, or ten from a 230V socket. Despite its off-road gumption, the rear-driver has considerable competition for sports EV dollars -- and a smooth road to its 2014 availability target is no given.

Gallery: Venturi America Sports EV

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Venturi announces 300HP, €300K America all-terrain EV, coming in 2014 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

We're pretty sure we've suffered some amount of vision loss from staring at the ridiculously bright paint scheme on Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell over the past few years. MB has rolled it out at virtually every auto show it can and we've always stopped for a gander, but now we finally have the full production version -- and it's in a slightly more tame but visually perhaps even more stunning color, a sort of chrome blue that even in the flesh looks CG rendered. It's the SLS AMG Electric Drive, it's launching next June and we have the full details after the break.

Gallery: SLS AMG Electric Drive