Categories
Tango Tesla

Tango vs Tesla Drag Race

httpv://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QwiS4t8TMlI&feature=email

Jorg, my Tango owning friend has posted this great video of a drag race between a Tango and a Tesla EV. Not any old cars, but the fastest production electric vehicles in the world. Check out these times;

“In this race, the Tango got 92.15mph in 14.480 seconds, beating its 14.7 “dial” handicap and thus losing the competition; the Tesla got 101.23mph in 14.666 seconds, slower than its 14.5 “dial” handicap and allowing it to proceed to the next round. (Two rounds later, the Tango’s driver got behind the wheel of the Tesla and also beat its “dial” handicap… and thus lost!)”

Categories
NICE

Nice Car Company goes into administration

I’ve heard that Nice Car Company are going out of business. I sincerely hope this isn’t the case. I’ve been following their fortunes along with those of goingreen who sell the GWiz since I started this vlog in spring 2005. If it’s true then it’s a huge blow to the electric car industry here in the UK. Whilst the major manufactures are asking for bailouts in the UK and US, smaller innovative businesses are left to go broke. We’ve had empty promises for years from the larger car makers and the Government.  All in the same week that the climate change report states that electric cars are the only way for a sustainable transport solution…

Links:

Categories
Electric Cars G Wiz

The reality of charging EV’s in London

“Motorists will have to drive electric cars for UK to meet climate change targets.” So runs the Telegraph headline today.

The reality of driving an electric vehicle here is getting harder as time goes on. There are more than 1000 vehicles on London’s roads now. Charging facilities are extremely limited, and most people do not have the luxury of a garage or off street parking. Since my local car park closed,  I can never guarantee a charging space in the west end as the bays are permanently full.  This makes life difficult in a limited range car such as the GWiz. The City of London has started to charge for EV’s to park in their garages and they haven’t added any further charging points. Camden Council who promised to bring in free parking for electric vehicles more than 2 years ago have still done nothing… and so the list goes on.

I’ve had to resort to charging at home. Not ideal as I have to run a cable across my pavement. If the Government is serious about getting Electric Vehicles on the roads here then lets start with a proper infrastructure now.

Click on the image to view my charging routine.

Links:

Categories
Elektromotive Project Better Place

California switches to an electric future..

..and continuing our Californian theme, here’s a big better place announcement. Come on London. You’ve some catching up to do. Don’t forget, Elektromotive already have an infrastructure here.

Categories
Featured Tango Tesla

Tesla vs Tango

The Tesla zips along at a fair old pace, especially when a Tango turns up.

I want to live in California – the sun shines and (a few) people get to drive great EV’s.

Click on the image to view video.

Categories
Web/Tech

Apologies.. It was the traffic..

Apologies to anyone trying to access my site recently and found nothing here. It went down due to a surge in traffic. Everything’s fixed now, so it shouldn’t happen again.

Categories
Tango Tesla

A spin in The Tesla Model S. Part 1

On my visit to their showroom in Menlo park, I got a chance to go out in a Tesla and talk to one of their (impressive) sales people.  I’ve been seeing these cars stationary for a while now on stands at various motor shows, and I was beginning to think it didn’t move. Well, no worries, it does!   Keep an eye out for that flying Tango too. Here’s the first part. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Tango Tesla Vlogging

Tesla EV meets Tango EV

Whilst in The Tango, we stopped by the Tesla showroom. Yeah, right….and then I woke up….Actually, I wasn’t dreaming.

Here’s a look around the Tesla Showroom in Menlo park. I got a go in one too and I’ll be posting that soon. I know Tesla have been having trouble recently (along with everyone else in the credit crisis), but hats off to them. To walk into a proper electric car showroom with no sign of an internal combustion engine is a real accomplishment, and something I was beginning to think would never actually happen.

Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Elektromotive Project Better Place UK Motor Show

Elektromotive. The Elektrobay Street Charging Posts

Calvey Taylor-Haw is a man with a mission. He runs Elektromotive, a company that produces The Elektrobay street charging posts. They’re very popular around the West end of London where I work. You get free parking and a chance to grab some much needed juice. Whilst there is much talk of Project Better Place and the like, this is one scheme that’s up, running, and proving that electric vehicles are a viable transport alternative. Keep ’em coming Calvey! I got a chance to catch up with him at The Motor Show back in July. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Nissan Paris Motor Show

Nissan NuVu Concept EV

Nissan invited me to Paris the other day to take a look at the NuVu Concept EV, ahead of it’s debut at The Paris Motor Show. Blimey! That’s a sign of the times. A major manufacturer ready to make claims about release dates on EV’s. Things are looking up! It’s a very promising concept. Let’s hope the city car they produce will bear some resemblance to this one. Looks to me as though Nissan may leave the other manufacturers standing in the race to get a commercially sold EV runabout on the market.

Lithium Ion
125 KM Range
120 KMH Speed
3-4 Hour charge time with a 80% Quick charge in 10-20 mins.

Click on the image to view video….

Links:

Categories
Honda Hydrogen Cars

Honda FCX Clarity.

Talking to Honda’s Environmental Manager, John Kingston, about the FCX Clarity Hydrogen car. Hmmm. Still no plans for a pure EV Honda? Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Tango

The Tango. Solar Recharging at Google HQ.

When he gets to work at Google, Jorg plugs his Tango into one of the many charging bays that are powered by solar panels. EV’s are popular with Google. You may have heard about their rechargeIT scheme. Even Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Googles founders, drive Tesla’s to the office. And I thought us Londoners were doing well with the odd street charging point….Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Tango

The Tango. A trip. Part 1.

Jorg’s a lucky man. He gets to drive a Tango to work each day. I was lucky enough to get a trip in the car with him. The film is in 2 parts with the second part below.
Part 1. First look at the car. Part 2. Take it on the freeway and open it up.
Thanks Jorg. It was a lot of fun. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Tango

The Tango Electric Car. A trip. Part 2.

Part 2. A Tango on the Freeway.

Some specs for you.

0-60: 4 seconds
Top Speed: 150 mph
Width: 41 inches.
Seats: 2.
Wow.

Click on the image to view video.

Categories
Opel Flextreme Smart EV/ED Subaru Tango Tesla UK Motor Show

Opel Flextreme

A look at the Opel Flextreme – Europe’s version of the Chevy Volt. 40 mile range on the battery and a small engine purely for recharging purposes. They say we’ll have it by 2010. Gosh, that’s only 2 years away. Doubt we’ll even have the Smart ED and Subaru R1e by then, but there’s always hope….

I’m back to posting some of my remaining BMS footage. I have a ton of content to cutdown and upload (including a trip in a Tango and a Tesla. Yeeeeehaaaa!).

Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Eclectic Venturi

Venturi Eclectic – Driving

The Venturi Eclectic runs via solar panels on the roof or an optional wind turbine. Here’s a film I made with Venturi, shot earlier this summer. Special thanks to Simon at Final Cut for his fine editing skills.

Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
NICE UK Motor Show

Nice – No Internal Combustion Engine

Taking a look at the new Nice Zeo, the My car and the all electric Fiat 500 with Julian Wilford, co- founder of the Nice Car Company. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Tesla UK Motor Show

Tesla Motors UK. Chatting with Darryl Siry.

Darryl Siry. Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing, and Service at Tesla Motors. Nice bloke. I got the chance to have a chat with him in the EV Village at the British Motor Show. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Lightning GT UK Motor Show

Lightning GT – The Unveiling

Lightning unveiled the GT, their EV super car at the Motor Show today. I got a chance to talk to Chris Dell, from Lightning, and watch the launch. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Eclectic Fetish Tesla Venturi

Venturi Fetish

While the blogosphere buzzes with rumours of problems at Tesla, enter the Venturi Fetish. At a cool €300,000 you’ll need a bit stashed away, but what a car! Whilst I was visiting Venturi yesterday to do a piece on the Eclectic, I came across this Fetish under wraps. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Electric Cars Hydrogen Cars Morgan Life Car NICE

Morgan Life Car

I went to the Sexy Green Car Show at The Eden Project in Cornwall recently. The Eden Project was brilliant, but I’m not sure about their car show. They had very little of interest – just the usual major manufacturers rolling out their low emission models. But they did have the Morgan Life Car there on it’s UK debut. This is a Hydrogen fuel cell prototype that has four individual electric motors linked to each wheel. Top speed of 85mph and a 0-60 of 7.5 seconds. I’m hoping there might be something in these hydrogen fuel cell cars powering electric motors… could be a long wait though. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
G Wiz Group Test

Kewet Buddy / Nice Megacity / G Wiz AC (Pt6)

Driving the GWiz AC to see how it compares. If you want to take a look at all the posts in the test click on the group test link under categories on the right. Click on the image to view video.

Links:

Categories
Eclectic Venturi

Venturi

I’m planning to make a visit to Venturi next week. I’ll be filming the Eclectic. ‘The first energy autonomous vehicle.’ Right now, it seems as though we’ll all want one.

Categories
Thorr

Evisol Thorr

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ieQ3jzaN3E

Evosil Thorr. Nice, isnt it? Built in Holland. Based on a Lotus 7. Lithium Polymer batteries. Don’t know how much yet, but less than a Tesla..

Links: ev thorr

Categories
Charging Bays Electric Cars Elektromotive EV Events G Wiz NICE Tesla UK Motor Show

Tesla coming to The UK Motor Show

Good News. Tesla are coming to The UK Motor Show this year. It’ll be on show in the ‘EV Village’ where there will be around twenty battery electric vehicles. Joining it will be the new Super Light from Nice (pictured) aswell as GWiz, Elektromotive (those great charging posts) and a new manufacturer known as Quiet Cars….

Categories
Vlogging Web/Tech

Shifting to WordPress…

I’m in the process of shifting this site over to WordPress. The plan is to have a more user friendly site where you can view a wider range of video file options etc. Trouble is, to better understand WordPress, I’m trying to do it myself. That’s why there is only some video! Should have everything back up soon. Aaaaaaaaaargh

Categories
Electric Cars G Wiz Reva

Chetan Maini – Part 2

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Here’s the second part of the Chetan Maini interview. We got to drive the new GWiz i and talk about the future for electric vehicles and Reva in general. Click on the image to view video (25 Meg QT)

Categories
Electric Cars G Wiz Reva

Chetan Maini – one of the blokes who started it all..

Chetan Maini is the deputy chairman of Reva cars in Bangalore. He designed the GWiz, and is a true innovator when it comes to electric vehicles.  I recently got the chance to meet Chetan and drive the GWiz i with him. Here’s the first film. Click on the image to view video. (11meg QT)

Categories
Electric Cars Smart EV/ED

Smart ED EV….Rubbish?

I cant help noticing that the Smart ED (EV) is getting a slating in the mainstream press. Top Gear has given it a 1/20 rating (not seen it that low before) in this month’s magazine . I’ve been on at Smart for over a year to try and get a test drive with no luck. They tell me they are reserving drives for journalists. Perhaps it’s a lesson to the big manufacturers in getting the guys who are enthusiasts with an enthusiastic audience to try your cars sooner. Or perhaps it’s just rubbish…

Categories
Electric Cars Group Test Kewet Buddy EV

Kewet Buddy / Nice Megacity / G Wiz AC (Pt5)

Meanwhile back at the group test… Here’s an extended test drive of the Kewet Buddy EV. Click on the image to view video (22 meg QT)

Categories
Electric Cars G Wiz Reva

GWiz i

Here’s a look and a drive with the new Reva GWiz i with Steve, Goingreens new MD. 50mph top speed. 50 mile range. New safety features. Click on the image to view video. (28meg QT)

Categories
Electric Cars Think EV

The Think: Driving

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

This is the second part of today’s filming, driving the Think. Click on the image to view video. (31 meg QT)

Categories
Think EV

The Think: Pictures

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Think

Categories
Electric Cars Think EV

The Think: First Look

Got a first look at the new Think today. £14000. 125 mile range. 65 mph top speed. Lithium Polymer battery….This first clip takes a look around the car. Click on the image to view video (25 meg QT)

Categories
Electric Cars Group Test NICE

Kewet Buddy/Nice Megacity/G Wiz AC (Pt4)

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Driving the Nice Megacity. Click on the image to view video. (31 meg QT)

Categories
G Wiz Group Test

Kewet Buddy/Nice Megacity/G Wiz AC (Pt3)

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

And here’s a look at the AC G Wiz. Click on the image to view video (7 meg QT)

Categories
Group Test NICE

Kewet Buddy/Nice Megacity/G Wiz AC (Pt2)

Here’s a first look at the Nice Megacity. 40 mph top speed. 40 mile range on lead acid batteries. Click on the image to view video (4.6meg QT)

Categories
Congestion Charge Electric Cars

Congestion Charge plans. Bad news for EV’s

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Ken’s made his decision on the Congestion Charge today and it’s not good for EV’s. As follows;

"A 100 per cent low CO2 discount for cars that:
Produce less than 120g/km CO2 and meet the Euro 4 standard for air pollution emissions OR Produce no more than 120g/km of CO2, and appear on the PowerShift register"

So many people have been working so hard on getting electric vehicles on the road. I really hope this isn’t another nail in the coffin….

Categories
Group Test Kewet Buddy EV

Kewet Buddy/Nice Megacity/G Wiz AC

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

We spent a day comparing the Kewet Buddy, Nice Megacity and the G Wiz AC. First up was a look at the Buddy in the garage. Click on the image to view video (7 meg QT).

Links:

Categories
Tesla

Five Teslas driving by…

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Here’s a nice little video of 5 Tesla Roadsters out for a drive. The first one, apparently, is production car number one belonging to Elon Musk.

Categories
G Wiz

AC/DC Gwiz Hillclimb

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Forget hillclimbs with huge amounts of torque and wheelspin. How about my DC with almost 3 year old batteries versus a new AC GWiz? The results speak for themselves. Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that the goingreen driver in the AC was slimmer than me, nothing at all..(ahem).  Click on the image to view video. (5 meg QT).

Categories
G Wiz Kewet Buddy EV NICE

EV Group Test

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

P1000259

Spent yesterday filming a group test with a GWiz AC, a NICE Megacity and a Kewet Buddy. I was lent the Megacity for 24 hours which gave me a good chance to spend some time with the car. Will begin posting the edit as soon as time permits!

Categories
Smith Electric Vehicles

Smith Electric Vehicles

Commercial vehicles are not something I usually cover, but I came across this new Edison from Smith Electric Vehicles today. These guys have been working with battery technology for years, building the electric milk floats we are so used to seeing. Now Sainsburys have taken delivery of several models and are planning to have a fleet of electric vehicles across the UK for food delivery. Smith Electric told me that they wanted to build vans and trucks that felt like a normal hgv so that the vehicles are not too alien for the drivers. Looks like they’ve done a great job, and very timely considering the new LEZ is coming in to force in London in the next few weeks. How about a nice 4 seater passenger car for a future project, Smith Electric? Click on the image to view video (4.4meg QT)

Categories
Opel Flextreme

Opel Flextreme (Part ii)

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Here’s some more pictures and detail of the Flextreme. Autoblog Green are reporting on similar releases from Dodge and even an EV Jeep Renegade.
Don’t let’s get too excited. Each and everyone is a concept right now
and we may well be driving a lead acid g-wiz for years to come! Click
on an image to see it in more detail.

Flextreme252709252465

Links:

Categories
Opel Flextreme

Opel Flextreme

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Is this really happening? Are some of the mainstream manufacturers really spending more time and money on EV technologies?   Detroit 2008 seems to be heralding a whole range of EV concepts.

The big guys seem to be concentrating on using EV and battery technology but charging those batteries with an on board generator (usually diesel and known as a range extender). They’ll also have an option to plug in. In the States the cars thats best known in this form is the Chevy Volt.  Here in Europe, Opel have been showing the Flextreme Concept. It’s a four seater EV that has a range of 55km when charged up, but has an extended range when the batteries are charged using a 1.3 litre diesel engine of 715 km (not connected to the wheels like a hybrid). Top Speed will be 160kmh with a 0-100 kmh of 9.5  seconds.

I’m hugely excited about it all. Let’s hope there’s something in this for the future…Here’s a short video of its unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2007. Mind out for those Segways. They’ll be everywhere before you know it… Click on the image to view video (2.3 Meg QT)

Links:

Categories
Charging Bays G Wiz Our Electric Car

Unplugged

Happy New Year one and all. The bad news is that Westminster/Masterpark are closing my car park along with it’s two charging bays. There’s been plenty of talk about Westminster & Camden councils installing many additional charging bays.  Whether it’s really going to happen remains to be seen. Click on the image to view video (6.6meg QT).

Links:   ev Westminster Council

Categories
Eclectic Venturi

Venturi Eclectic

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

While I’m waiting to test drive the Venturi Fetish (could be a long wait…) I thought I’d show some footage of the Eclectic. Powered by solar panels on the roof, it’ll run for 31 miles on a full charge with speeds of up to 32mph. If you live where I live you can even plug it in to the mains during downpours.

It’ll be released in June 2008, when 200 units will be released. Prices are expected to be around 24000 Euros. Thanks to Venturi for the footage. Click on the image to view video (6.9 meg QT).

Links:

Categories
Kewet Buddy EV

Driving the Buddy EV

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Here’s some footage of driving the Kewet Buddy EV. Although it’s not released here yet, it’s probably going to cost around £11000 UK. Click on the image to view video. (10 meg QT).

Links:

Categories
Kewet Buddy EV

Kewet Buddy EV Stills

Buddy_02 Buddy_03

Buddy_04

Some Buddy pics for you.

Categories
Kewet Buddy EV

Kewet Buddy EV

  • Post author By Danny
  • Post date

Had the good fortune to drive a Kewet Buddy last week. It’s a nice little car and better than I expected it to be. I shot this footage on my Nokia N95 phone as a trial. It came out fine, but I’ve since found the wobblycam setting. I’ll break the footage into episodes for all to see. Click on the image to view video. (6meg QT)

Links: