electric

In a shareholder letter released in conjunction with its fourth-quarter results, Tesla gave some tantalizing details about buyer interest in the Model X electric SUV. The company received 500 reservations for the Model X, at a refundable cost of $5,000 each, after the car's unveiling on February 9.

Model X deliveries will not begin until 2014. Tesla expects to produce 10,000 to 15,000 Model X vehicles per year. Although Tesla has not announced the price of the Model X yet, it should be on par with the previously shown Model S electric sedan.

The company also … Read more

Sony is looking to revolutionize the inefficient way in which we consume power.

A new concept video from the electronics giant shows how we could use power more efficiently in the year 2030 by switching to smart outlets with authentication and wireless charging on a broad scale, assuming we survive the zombie Mayan apocalypse.

The prototype power outlet, integrated with a short-range wireless FeliCa transmitter (and a new RFID over power line technology), allows the user to swipe a pay card across the faceplate and pay for energy on the spot. What makes it truly interesting is if humankind keeps progressing towards alternative energies (such as wind, solar, and biomass), then our outlets could give us options as to what source from which we obtain our power. The video description notes that with this outlet, "the user can actively control and manage power consumption on a user basis as well as on a device basis." … Read more

While some states are still rolling out rebates for the purchases of new hybrid and plug-in vehicles, the Washington State Senate on Saturday passed a new law to make electric car owners pony up an extra $100 annual fee.

The reasoning behind the law is that although electric vehicles use the same roads as gas-powered vehicles, the owners don't pay gas taxes because they drive right past the pumps.

The Associated Press reported that Washington's gas tax, which is 37.5 cents per gallon, is the state's largest source of transportation dollars.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. … Read more

LOS ANGELES--The highlight of the Model X introduction, Tesla's SUV, was not the electric power train, but what the company calls the falcon-wing doors.

The manufacturer being Tesla, it was a given that the Model X would be an electrically driven vehicle. So during a preview for a small group of journalists at Tesla's design center in Los Angeles, Tesla CEO Elon Musk focused on the innovative side doors.

These doors lift up from the sides, then hinge in the middle before gaining their full height. Unlike gull-wing doors, Tesla's doors can open in much narrower spaces. Musk said they give the Model X the largest door openings of any passenger car. Impressively, he was able to stand in the car, his head underneath the open door, without crouching.… Read more

How fast can you go up? Mitsubishi Electric recently unveiled technologies for new high-speed elevators that will climb at a vertiginous rate of roughly 40 mph when they enter service in China.

The elevators will be installed in the 632-meter (2,073-foot) Shanghai Tower, which is being erected in Shanghai's Pudong area.

Designed by U.S. architectural firm Gensler, the 128-story skyscraper will be the tallest structure in China when complete and second only in the world to Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

The elevators could travel as fast as 1,080 meters, or 3,543 feet, per minute--roughly 40.2 mph. … Read more

Stanford researches may have solved the problem of range anxiety by wireless charging technology that could one day create an electric highway.

Wireless recharging already is used by some electric vehicle charging stations to fill up batteries without cords or plugging into an outlet. MIT helped pioneer this technology and spun it off into a wireless charging startup, WiTricity. However, Stanford researchers improved on this concept and devised a way to transmit 10 kilowatts of electric power across a 6.5-foot distance with minimal energy loss. By overcoming transmitting electricity across a significant distance, researchers will make it possible to … Read more

Those who have been waiting anxiously for anything on the Model S, the next electric car from Tesla, will enjoy this new video about the car. And those who doubt Tesla's ability to make a car can view ostensible proof that the Model S will be roadworthy.

In keeping with its high-tech startup nature, Tesla released this 2-minute video on Vimeo, rather than buy expensive ad space during the Super Bowl. The video does read like an advertisement for the car, with a mix of manufacturing and running footage intermixed with apparently thoughtful statements by the car's designer, … Read more

We've seen electric bikes before, but we've never seen anything like the Boxx.

This contraption, which looks like an oversize suitcase that sprouted handles--or a MacBook Pro on wheels, if you ask me--is actually a new all-electric bike made by a Portland-based company called Boxx. Its unique design certainly makes it stand out from the crowd, but so do its eco-friendly features.

The Boxx, is an emissions-free vehicle, can be charged using a standard household outlet system. It comes in two configurations: one with a standard Core power system that provides up to 40 miles of travel on … Read more

U.S. government-backed battery supplier Ener1 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the third U.S.-backed energy company to file in as many months.

Ener1 posted a notice today stating that it "has reached agreement with its primary investors and lenders on a restructuring plan that will significantly reduce its debt." This action will pave the way for up to $81 million for recapitalization, the company said.

A "pre-packaged" Chapter 11 case was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York. Ener1 is planning to complete the restructuring process within … Read more