January 28, 2011: Maidenhead, England - Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has launched a program to recycle its battery packs throughout Europe. The packs will be recycled by Umicore at its facility in Belgium, with the expended pack material used to produce an alloy that will be further refined into cobalt, nickel and other metals. After that, Umicore will transform the cobalt into high-grade lithium cobal... Read Article

January 28, 2011: Washington, D.C. - Smart has delivered its first Smart Fortwo Electric Drive to a retail customer in the United States. The first owner is Mindy Kimball of Silver Spring, Maryland. "This is a groundbreaking day for Smart in the United States," said Jill Lajdziak, president of Smart USA. "We are extremely excited to add the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive to the Smart product lineup, solidifying our... Read Article

January 27, 2011: Detroit, Michigan - General Motors Ventures has invested US$7 million in Envia Systems, a California-based battery technology company, which will provide the automaker access to advanced lithium-ion cathode technology. GM has also secured the right to use Envia's advanced cathode material for future electric vehicles. Other participating investors in Envia are Asahi Kasei, Asahi Glass, Bay Part... Read Article

January 26, 2011: Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen has unveiled its new XL1 plug-in diesel hybrid at the Qatar Motor Show. The concept car, which represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen's 1.0-litre car strategy, has a combined fuel consumption of 0.9 L/100 km. The concept also attains a CO2 emissions value of 24 grams per kilometre, thanks to a combination of lightweight carbon fibre parts, very low... Read Article

January 26, 2011: Washington, D.C. - A new cooperative effort in the U.S. has resulted in a single timeframe for proposing fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for 2017-2025 cars and light-duty trucks. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of California will all propose new standards by September 1, 2011. The timeframe agreement signals continue... Read Article

January 25, 2011: Washington, D.C. - Eighteen car-sharing organizations from around the world, including five from Canada, have formed an association to set the ethical, social and environmental bar for the car-sharing industry. The new CarSharing Association (CSA) focuses on responsibility, education, research and ethical practices. The goals of the car-sharing organizations in CSA include reducing the number o... Read Article

January 25, 2011: Tokyo, Japan - Toyota hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) will go into service at Tokyo's Narita Airport as part of a demonstration trial for the alternative fuel vehicles. The FCVs will be used in All Nippon Airways' car service, which provides limousine and taxi services for passengers returning to Japan on flights from Europe or the U.S. Under the same project, Toyota has been providing a fuel... Read Article

January 24, 2011: Markham, Ontario - Hyundai has announced that the all-new 2011 Sonata Hybrid, the company's first-ever hybrid, will start at $29,999 when it goes on sale this spring. The company said that the Sonata Hybrid is also the only hybrid in Canada that uses a six-speed automatic transmission and lithium polymer batteries, and has an estimated fuel economy of 5.5 L/100 km in the city and 4.6 L/100 km on t... Read Article

January 24, 2011: Tokyo, Japan - Mitsubishi plans to launch eight new electric vehicles (EVs) by 2015, including electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as part of its efforts to reduce its environmental impact. The announcement is part of "Jump 2013," the company's mid-term business plan for fiscal years 2011 through 2013. The new plan reflects the immense change in the automobile industry caused by worldwide ec... Read Article

January 20, 2011: Auburn Hills, Michigan - Chrysler will determine the possibility of adapting a hydraulic hybrid system for large passenger cars and light-duty vehicles. The research is part of a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Hydraulic hybrid systems are already in use in some commercial vehicles, most notably refuse trucks. "In addition to creating the jobs of the future,... Read Article

January 20, 2011: New York, New York - China could lead the race to roll out electric vehicles (EVs) and will deploy new transportation technologies more quickly than the U.S., according to a report by global consulting firm Accenture. Still, the U.S. could lead a global biotechnology-based agricultural revolution that will generate a greater range of biofuel breakthroughs, the study said. The report concludes... Read Article

January 18, 2011: Oak Park, Michigan - Purolator has ordered 600 hybrid delivery vehicles from Azure Dynamics, marking that company's largest single order for hybrid electric technology. The vehicles will be deployed in Purolator locations across Canada. The first shipment of 200 units will be delivered in 2011, with an additional 200 units scheduled in both 2012 and 2013, subject to annual authorizations by the c... Read Article

January 14, 2011: Los Angeles, California - Los Angeles' public transit system Metro has retired its last diesel bus, making it the first major transit agency in the world to operate only alternative, clean-fuelled buses. The bus was the last diesel in Metro's 2,228-vehicle fleet. "What Metro has achieved transcends Los Angeles County," said Don Knabe, Los Angeles country supervisor and Metro board chair. "We pr... Read Article