Ford has submitted its business plan to the US Congress to demonstrate its vision to return to profitability, in order to secure a bridge loan from the government. The US carmakers, Ford, GM and Chrysler have all call for government aid to help see them through hard times. Washington responded by demanding that the big three prove that they can recover their business to reassure the US taxpayer that a state hand-out would not be squandered. Ford’s rescue mission business plan  includes ... read more

Alternative fuel vehicles and electric vehicles have been the stars of 2008 so far according to a new report. The latest Experian ‘Automotive Market Insight Report’ from the global information company, details car buying trends between January and June 2008. In difficult trading circumstances, diesel, alternative fuel and electric vehicles and cars within the mini segment were among the few to post a growth in sales. While, slightly surprisingly,  the used MPV segment was the biggest ... read more

California-based all electric vehicle manufacturer, Miles Electric Vehicles today announced the addition of John E. Bryson and Steven “Mac” Heller to its Board of Directors.  Bryson and Heller bring extensive utility industry and investment banking experience to the Board and have each made significant investments to further progress MILES EV’s vision of bringing safe, practical and economical all electric vehicles to the public. “We are thrilled that John Bryson and Mac Heller have ... read more

Electric car retailer GoinGreen, is today launching a new dedicated insurance scheme especially designed for their Reva G-Wiz products. The GoinGreen Insurance Services policy has been developed with Heath Lambert, a leading insurance broker, and is underwritten by Chaucer Insurance. It is specifically written for G-Wiz electric vehicles therefore is promoted to offer advantages not found in traditional motoring policies. Unique benefits of the GoinGreen insurance policy include: *  Courtesy ... read more

Electric cars may finally start to become a more practical solution outside of London thanks to a scheme to introduce on street charging in Brighton and Hove. The project costing £30,000 could be extending across the country if the pilot proves a success, reports local newspaper, The Argus. Brighton and Hove was selected from 40 other councils which bid for Civitas (CIty-VITAlity-Sustainability) EC initiative money designed to encourage sustainable transport developments. The grant will ... read more

Piaggio Commercial Vehicles will be attending the UK National Low Carbon Vehicle Event next week held at Millbrook Proving Ground and will be displaying a Piaggio Porter electric MPV available for test drives. The event is hosted by Cenex, the organisation committed to the development of low carbon transport. The Porter electric vehicles have minimal running costs and are therefore ideal for businesses operating small fleets of vehicles in busy cities. Exempt from Congestion Charging and ... read more

Last February James Darling of South Woodford, in NE London, decided to go green. He saw the perfect city runabout - all-electric, no congestion charge, a great little carrier, good acceleration, quiet, non-polluting. About 20 years old - a real classic vehicle. A milk float. “I bought it from some crazy German guy who lived nearby - he had quite a few wacky cars - and we had to push it from his garden,” James recalls. “It was only £500 so I thought, it’s cheap. ... read more

Leading provider of vehicle valuation data, CAP has called for benchmark testing of battery capacity to better establish used vehicle values for the new breed of electric commercial vehicles. Valuation Manager for CAP, Ken Brown says establishing independent verifying method for batteries is essential as charge-holding capacity reduces over a battery’s lifespan and can leave used buyers uncertain of the true value of an electric vehicle. This in turn affects residual values and will ... read more

Usually the staple stomping ground of the major manufacturers, Paris Motor Show is now also attracting a whole host of niche manufacturers and their smaller, electric vehicles. A change in consumer attitude and buying behaviour is encouraging of small manufacturers to showcase their cheaper alternatives. For example, contract car manufacturer, Pininfarina has its B0 (B-zero) electric car (pictured, left). Pininfarina has manufactured some of the most desirable top-end vehicles for Ferrari, ... read more

The results are in for our poll on whether you believe electric and hybrid vehicles should produce artificial noise for safety purposes. There have been concerns raised about hybrid and electric vehicles, as these vehicles are often very quiet. Does this make them a road safety hazard? See the full results in our press release, click here. ... read more