Electric Vehicles


Google Self-Driving Cars Pass 300,000 Mile Mark

Google has just released an update on its blog boasting about how its fleet of self-driving cars which the company has designed and is operating on public roads, have collectively racked up over 300,000 miles of driving operations, with nary a single accident, at least while being driven by the computer.

Record-Setting Electric Airplane Exceeds 200 mph

Last week’s record of the fastest ever manned electric aircraft was set by electric-vehicle record-setter Chip Yates.

Extending Range of Electric Vehicles By 10 Percent With GPS-Like Device

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside believe they can extend the range of electric vehicles by at least 10 percent by taking into account real-time traffic information, road type and grade and passenger and cargo weight

This article originally appeared in the 12/01/1999 issue of Environmental Protection.

The Long, Winding Road to Advanced Batteries for Electric Cars

Batteries have come a long way since Alessandro Volta first discovered in 1800 that two unlike metals, when separated by an acidic solution, could produce an electric current. In their evolution, batteries have taken on various forms, ranging from lead-acid, to nickel-metal hydride, to current-day lithium-ion.

Keeping Electric Vehicle Batteries Cool

Heat can damage the batteries of electric vehicles -- even just driving fast on the freeway in summer temperatures can overheat the battery. An innovative new coolant conducts heat away from the battery three times more effectively than water, keeping the battery temperature within an acceptable range even in extreme driving situations.

Team PrISUm Races to the Start Line of the American Solar Challenge

Team PrISUm’s latest solar race car is already ahead of the last one. Over the past week, the team has taken Hyperion, this year’s cross-country race car, out for several test runs, including a trip to Grinnell.

Nissan and Nichicon Team Up to Use Leaf Battery to Power Home

Nichicon Corp. is announcing that it has built a device in partnership with Nissan, called the "EV Power Station" that takes power from the “Leaf to Home” device and makes it available to the home’s power system.

Online Racing Game Shows How Plastics Contribute to Auto Fuel-Efficiency

Plastics Make it Possible has launched Plastics Speedway, an online car-racing game that highlights many of the ways plastics contribute to automobile fuel-efficiency, safety and design.



Toyota Unveils First All Electric SUV

Toyota unveiled Monday what it says is the first all-electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) on the market, a version of its popular RAV4 with a top range of 100 miles and minimum six-hour charge time.

Carmakers Rolling Out New Electric and Fuel Efficient Cars

Options for electric cars are expanding from Coda Sedan, Mitsubishi 'I' and Nissan Leaf to include the Ford Focus Electric and Tesla Model S.

Mobile Lab Takes Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology on the Road

Take some galvanized nails, vinegar, soda pop and copper wire, piece them together just right, and what do you get? A battery.

Global Research Partnerships Key to New Sustainable Solutions across Industries

According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, global automobile production will increase three percent this year – an industry growth trend with potential environmental impacts.

Mitsubishi Enhances Electric Vehicle Charging

Mitsubishi partners with AeroVironment to provide more electric vehicle charging opportunities.

Sunlight Powering Electric Vehicles

A $2 million award to the Center for Environmental Research and Technology at the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering will fund a new project focused on powering electric vehicles from sunlight.

No More Buying Cars but Sharing Them?

Lower emissions, less noise, more quality of life – all good reasons to turn to electricity where mobility is concerned. If the EU has its way, we will all be driving only electric cars in the major cities of Europe by the year 2050. A beautiful goal, but experts are going even further than that: citizens can forego a car of their own and share electric vehicles.

Laboratory on Wheels Researches Electromobility

In "Fraunhofer's System Research for Electromobility" researchers are coming up with solutions for tomorrow's mobility.

Hybrid Construction Vehicle Emissions to be Analyzed

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside's Center for Environmental Research and Technology have received a $2 million contract for a first-of-its-kind study of hybrid construction vehicles.

Solar-Powered Air-Conditioning System for Vehicles

Drivers can now continue to keep the air-conditioning system on during the hot sunny days even when they stop the vehicle and switch off the engine. In collaboration with Green Power Industrial Ltd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University's (PolyU) Department of Electrical Engineering has developed an innovative air-conditioning system for vehicles that can turn scorching summer heat into cool air without a single drop of gasoline.

The Green Look for EV Charging Stations in Germany

The network of electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations in Germany is still relatively sparse, but their number is growing rapidly. The majority of roadside charging points take the form of steel-clad pillars. A group of researchers has set out to develop an alternative design based on environmentally compatible materials.

Student-Built Electric Car Sets Land Speed Record at Salt Flats

An electric car designed and built by Brigham Young University (BYU) engineering students set a world land speed record for its weight class, averaging 155.8 mph over its two required qualifying runs, one of which was clocked at 175 mph.