High design
Italian car designer firm Pininfarina SpA, which has designed cars for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, will start producing its own all-electric compact vehicle and start leasing it to consumers in Europe next year. The "Bluecar" will lease for $418 a month, have a range of 155 miles on a single charge and a top speed of 81 mph.
Going solar
Porche unveiled an 80 kW solar power array at the Porsche Logistics facility in Ontario, Calif., the first solar power system at any of its U.S. locations. The array is expected to produce 135,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
New bumpers
Mazda has developed a world-first technology that enables recycling of used bumpers from different manufacturers at the same time. The bumpers are converted into raw plastic resin for use in new vehicle bumpers.
--NWautos staff, Associated Press
2 Comments
By x on April 11, 2009 10:48 AM
When will we start seeing cars like the 'Bluecar' here in the U.S.? If it was available, I would buy one today - with cash! We are so far behind the Europeans when it comes to transportation technology.
By Fuel Cards on June 4, 2011 8:22 AM
I think that the European manufacturers are ahead when it comes to the design aspect of the cars. However, if you have to look at the technology and especially the green technology, then the US has already taken a lead. You pretty well know about the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt that are available in the US as the first major global electric cars of the world.