Tesla, Daimler partnering for electric Smart

Electric cars are popularly perceived as the front-runner of the alternate fuel competition, but successfully developing EVs has proved a difficult and expensive task. To help share the burden and the expertise necessary to get an electric car to market, Daimler AG, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla, builder of the high-performance Roadster EV, have revealed a partnership to build the upcoming electric Smart car. The partnership, formed in 2007, consists of a contract from Daimler for the manufacture by Tesla of an initial run of 1,000 all-electric powertrains.

 

Nissan pursuing U.S. federal loans for EV program

The past several weeks have been tough ones for Nissan, facing the closure of its Michigan design studio, a forecast loss of $2.6 billion and the cutting of 20,000 jobs worldwide. Nevertheless it is still making plans for the future, and electric vehicles (EVs) figure heavily in those plans. To help bolster its ability to continue developing its EVs, Nissan has decided to apply for U.S. government loans from the Department of Energy, reports Reuters. The loan money was earmarked last year to help boost advanced automotive technology research and production. "We are committed to the vision of energy independence, environmental sustainability, and the new energy economy, and we are hopeful that the U.S. 2008 Nissan Nuvu concept hatchback Read more