A piece of news has come which could cheer anti-electric-car “Conservatives” — GM is ending production of the Chevy Volt. But the actual reason for ending Volt production isn’t what those so-called-Conservatives had predicted. Instead of the Volt being a dismal flop (it’s not, quite), GM is stopping Volt production to…
Implementing a proper road trip with an electric car “simply” requires ultra-fast charging above the 100 kiloWatts charging rate. Tesla Motors Supercharger system has proved this , with the 120 kiloWatt charging rate giving Model S owners a 1 hour (or less) recharge time for up to 265 miles of range. While that’s not quite as…
In my previous post about EVTEC’s four-port 100+ kiloWatt DC Fast Charging station, there’s a little footnote that deserves more attention — the Kia Soul EV supports 100 kiloWatt DC Fast Charging via CHAdeMO. The Kia Soul EV is getting strong reviews, with Kia making it available in several European…
The debate over electric car fast charging systems has been going on for years, and the only sign of a settlement is that some of the automakers are investing in dual-protocol fast charging infrastructure. While it’s a great interim solution, as a practical matter the existing dual-protocol DCFC stations can…
All electric car drivers face a bugaboo – charging station reliability, availability and compatibility. It’s always a hit-and-miss affair whether a given public charging station will be functioning, or not. Some of us rely on public charging stations to get around (personally, I cannot charge at home) and others are…
Last night Lightning Motorcycles fulfilled a long-held promise of selling the Lightning electric superbike to paying customers. The company has raced with production-intent-prototype-bikes in events since 2010 setting a number of records. After every one, Lightning CEO Richard Hatfield promised their bikes were now on sale – a promise that’s…
Last week at the Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge in Utah, Terry Hershner became the first electric motorcycle rider to win the challenge. With new modifications to his 2012 Zero S electric motorcycle, he easily finished the 172 mile route, at 2/3rds the cost of the closest finisher. In the fuel…
The Killacycle Racing Team just set a new speed record in their class (three wheeled streamlined electric motorcycles) and for the first time in history an electric vehicle had the fastest speed at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials event. I don’t know much beyond a couple postings from the Killacycle…
Historical streamlined race bike – the NSU SportMax from 1955 History is about to be made at the upcoming eMotoRacing event near Salt Lake City. For the first time in decades a streamlined motorcycle will race in a sanctioned event. If you’re scratching your head and going “why’s that important”…
Taking the shape of a muscle car from an earlier era, Renovo Motors has unveiled the Renovo Coupe all electric supercar. The car, based on a factory-modified Shelby American CSX9000 rolling chassis (“Cobra Daytona Coupe”), has a 0-60 miles/hr time under 3.4 seconds and a top speed over 120 miles/hr.…
Those of us wanting to practice self-sufficiency, to grow our own food, and generally live a low-tech lifestyle, will find Practical Projects for Self-Sufficiency a good guidebook. This is a book that’s not only chock full of ideas for living a low-tech self-sufficient lifestyle, growing your own food and all…
Energica Ego in San Francisco CRP’s Energica Ego has been several years coming – in 2010, CRP came onto the TTXGP scene with the eCRP, a bike patterned after the Agni Motors entry in the 2009 TTXGP on the Isle of Man. This was the act of a motorcycle manufacturer…
In last weekend’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb race, electric car drivers took 3 of the top 4 results in the overall ranking, and both electric car and electric motorcycle racers claimed hugely positive results. While this isn’t as stunning as Lightning Motorcycle’s overall win last year with a 20 second…
Bobby Goodin, R.I.P. A question in my mind since the 2014 TT ZERO (and TT) at the Isle of Man is the carnage happening in this kind of race. The TT course, the Pikes Peak course, and some other races, are severe challenges between person, machine, and the elements. The…
Harley Davidson just dropped a bombshell, stunning the motorcycle world by announcing the company’s first electric motorcycle. Instead of the obnoxious Harley Sound, the bike has the high pitch whine we know and love from electric motorcycle racing. The bike looks awesome, and initial response in the articles I’ve seen…
