Electric vehicles are for people who would rather drive slow, boring commuter cars that don't consume fossil fuels and therefore don't spew pollutants from their tailpipes. Gas-powered cars – and especially those wearing time-honored badges like SS, R/T or GT – are for those that prefer fire-breathing, tire-screeching performance and care much more about nitrous oxide than nitrogen oxide. We all agree on these points, right? Not so fast, says Bob Lutz.

When asked whether or not Chevy could shock the performance crowd with an SS version of the upcoming Volt, Lutz said, "I would not discount that possibility." That's as close as you're going to get to an admission of intent this early in the game. Lutz goes on to suggest that the Voltec powertrain will allow for plenty of on-demand power. "[I]f we want to sacrifice a little bit of fuel efficiency in the interest of performance and still get over 200 miles per gallon, we can do that any time."

Following the same logical train of thought, we could certainly see a V-Series of the Cadillac Converj. If you're interested in hearing the news straight from the horse's Lutz's mouth, click past the break for a video.



[Source: Fox Car Report via GM-Volt.com]

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Ford CEO Alan Mulally has said a couple of times that he'd like to see the diminutive and highly efficient Ford Ka sold here in the States, though we always questioned whether it would actually happen. Wonder no more, as Mulally has just come right out and said that the little car won't make the trek to America. Speaking to Automotive News, Mulally said, "Our view is that Fiesta is about the smallest vehicle that we think will be a real success in the United States." So, there you go.

Also not coming to America will be the next-generation Ford Ranger, which has been spotted testing over in Australia a couple of times already. At this point, it's not clear what (if anything) will replace the rapidly aging compact pickup when the current Ranger ends production in 2011.



[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Question: When is a Ducati not really a Ducati? Answer: When it's an electrically-assisted pedal bike made by the Italwing Group. The machine is known as the City Pearl, and it will be available in both men's and women's (with a dropped top tube) styles when it goes on sale in January at selected Ducati dealerships in Europe.

There is a precedent set for a pedal-powered Ducati. The famed Italian marque's first two-wheeler was known as the Cucciolo, which was really just a small four-stroke engine that attached to a bicycle frame. Still, we do wish that there was a bit more of a direct connection between Ducati and the City Pearl – as it stands, it seems Italwin is merely trying to capitalize on the Ducati name.

In any case, the specifications for the City Pearl are right in line with other comparable electric bicycles. Power comes from a six-volt 9Ah Panasonic lithium ion battery pack and motivation comes from a front-mounted 250W brushless electric motor that's capable of propelling the bike to 24 kilometers per hour (about 15 mph). A seven-speed Nexus hub from Shimano sends human power to the rear wheel. See both versions in our image gallery below.



[Source: Ducati]

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A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that hybrid vehicles are more likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists under certain scenarios. According to state-level accident data, 77 of 8,387 hybrid vehicles (that's .9 percent) were involved in crashes with pedestrians and 48 (.6 percent) were found to have been in accidents with bicyclists.

By way of comparison, 3,578 of 559,703 non-hybrid vehicles (.6 percent) were involved in pedestrian accidents and 1,862 (.3 percent) were involved with bicyclists. Tellingly, the NHTSA's data shows that hybrid vehicles are twice as likely than non-hybirds to be involved in pedestrian or bicyclist accidents at low speeds when the internal combustion engine is not running.

These statistics are not a complete representation of all accidents nationwide, and the NHTSA is quick to point out that additional research is necessary before any final conclusions can be made. Still, this is valuable data that "should serve as a guide when designing future HEV pedestrian and bicyclist crash prevention programs."

[Source: NHTSA - PDF via Consumer Reports]

Ever wonder what it is that sparks the mind of an entrepreneur? After all, lots of people have big imaginations and great ideas, but only a relatively small number of them actually follow through, create a company and design a product. Of course, we can add Henrik Fisker to that list of entrepreneurs, and we're definitely looking forward to seeing what else springs from his fertile mind.

So, back to the original question. In the case of Henrik Fisker, the inspiration for the Karma extended-range electric car came from none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. Actually, the actor's Prius hybrid, to be specific. Says Fisker:

A couple of years ago it started, by people who were maybe a little ahead of their time. You saw some movie starts like Leonardo DiCaprio buying a Prius... He could have bought any car in the world, and I remember seeing that on television and thinking to myself, you know, when you've got a guy who could buy any Ferrari or Rolls Royce and he's buying a Prius, you know something is changing dramatically.

Interesting little tidbit, no?

[Source: Reuters | Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

According to a report from Reuters, Chrysler has disbanded its ENVI program and integrated the group back into its normal product development organization. Former ENVI head Lou Rhodes will now take the title of group line executive in charge of electric vehicle development and will manage that group for both Chrysler and Fiat. Though we weren't exactly expecting this change, the move isn't entirely unexpected.

At this point, we don't yet know what this reorganization means for the electric vehicles that Chrysler had previously promised to put into production, the first of which was to be the Lotus-based Dodge Circuit that was hopefully supposed to be on the market by late 2010.

Fiat CEO and newly-appointed head of Chrysler Sergio Marchionne said earlier this week during Chrysler's painfully long new product plan presentation that electric vehicles are still a very tough proposition with current battery technology. In fact, the automaker expects that less than two percent of its lineup will be electric by 2014, which would amount to less than 60,000 vehicles per year.



[Source: Reuters]

The Chevrolet Volt isn't scheduled to hit the market for another whole year, but there's so much anticipation for the vehicle that some are already asking if The General will try to make a brand out of the Volt name. The answer, according to Brent Dewar, Chevy's chief of global operations, is no:

Our thought is to take the Volt technology to other products... The Volt was the original vehicle that we started, but I wouldn't see that as a brand marketing direction for us.

While other models in GM's lineup are likely to get their own versions of the Voltec powertrain, those vehicles won't fall under the Volt brand name. Toyota, on the other hand, says it is considering extending the instantly recognizable Prius moniker to a whole family of hybrid vehicles that may include a smaller coupe and a larger MPV.



[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Earlier this year at the annual time trials at the famed Isle of Man, the inaugural TTXGP electric motorcycle race proved that battery-powered bikes can be just as entertaining and exciting as their gasoline-swilling and emissions-spewing siblings. Not quite as fast, of course, but still a thrill over the 38-mile winding race course through the mountains.

Now, the event organizers are looking to bring the excitement of electric motorcycle racing to the United States. The first real competition has been scheduled from May 14th through 16th of 2010 and will take place at Infineon Raceway in California. That location strikes us as a good idea as a number of TTXGP participants hail from the West Coast, including Mission Motors, MotoCzysz, Brammo and Electric Motorsport.

In addition to the aforementioned teams, we also hope to see participation from new entrants using the newly-available Mavizen TTX02 platform, which was just officially unveiled at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Hit the jump for the official press release.



[Source: Infineon Raceway]

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These days, we hardly give any thought at all to driving our precious cars and trucks over rough, potholed pavement. Sure, it's uncomfortable and we avoid the nastiest stretches when possible, but the worst thing that we expect might happen is a blown tire or bent wheel. In the grand scheme of things, not that big a deal.

Electric cars, though, are different animals entirely. Back when the automobile was in its infancy and the internal combustion engine first staked its claim as the powerplant of choice, it was sometimes possible to practically ruin a car when traveling over harsh terrain. That just won't do in today's modern society. For proof that electric vehicles need just as much care as other cars, look no further than Lyle Dennis from GM-Volt.com, who's own Mini E broke down after hitting a nasty pothole.

So, what is General Motors doing to ensure that the Volt doesn't rattle its delicate electrical bits to pieces over the course of its life? Glad you asked. Click past the break for a video showing the rigorous durability testing that GM is currently inflicting on its fleet of pre-production Volts.

[Source: GM-Volt.com]

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Can a Hummer be green? The brand that most obviously represents American excess in the minds of environmentalists – though Hummer's vehicles aren't actually any worse than any other large SUV – has seemingly been fighting off its negative stigma since shortly after the introduction of the larger-than-life H2. Part of the brand's hopeful transformation includes giving each model a flex-fuel variant, and the latest application of that principle is seen on the 2010 H3 and H3T.

Interestingly, the engine that gets the E85 capability is the largest and most powerful option: the 5.3-liter V8 as fitted to the top-level Alpha series and not the slightly more fuel efficient inline-five. In any case, anyone who ticks the V8 box on the options list will be blessed with 300 horsepower, 320 lb-ft of torque and the ability to pump ethanol into the tank if he or she should so desire.

Not green enough for you? Baby steps, people... Hummer CEO James Taylor (no, not that James Taylor) promises bigger eco steps in the near future, saying, "This is just the first step in Hummer's evolution to offer responsible, yet highly capable all-terrain vehicles. Future models will be lighter, more efficient and will continue to offer the best blend of off-road capability and on-road performance."

In related news, the 2010 Hummer H3 and H3T will be offered with three new premium exterior colors for 2010: Red Rock Metallic, Silver Stone Metallic, and Canyon Metallic. Huh, no green? Each of the three new hues can be seen in our photo gallery below. Enjoy!



[Source: Hummer]

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