Most electric vehicles (EVs) that have made it to market use rather standard interiors.  They usually seat two or four generally side by side.  Nissan’s Pivo 3 seats three with the middle driver’s seat slightly forward of the other two with the steering wheel in the middle of the car.  This car is one of several candidates considered for future production.

Twenty years ago no one anticipated their popularity or that mobile phones might one day prove to be portable gaming machines, eBook readers, and GPS navigation units.  In the coming 20 years we may all be amazed at how much of our lives revolve around 3D printing.

The Edison 2 eVLC (electric very light car) has received some very nice range and mile per gallon equivalency (MPGe) numbers.  These numbers are in fact better than both the Nissan Leaf’s and the Chevrolet Volt’s battery only numbers.

Take pencil lead (graphite) separate it into one atom thick layers (graphene) add water and presto you have an amazing method for storing energy and recharging fast.  Of course there is a bit more to it but that is the gist of the research.

Most people are familiar with roadside assistance either because of a flat tire, dead battery, or car accident.  Although AAA is able to take care of just about any problem that arises for a gasoline or diesel engine car, electric vehicles (EVs) will pose a problem.  Nissan is working on roadside assistance vehicles that will be able to recharge LEAF batteries.

Well the EPA has finally unveiled the new, new car stickers.  You know the sticker that tells you how many miles per gallon a car will get along with an estimate cost for fuel for the year.  Even though electric cars don’t use gasoline, they still have to have the same information on the car as gasoline and diesel powered cars.  So the EPA has come up with MPGe or miles per gallon equivalency.

Although the team had some difficulties, they were not enough to keep Universite Laval’s prototype Alérion from winning for the third consecutive year.  The team, which consists of fifteen students in science and engineering are now looking towards Europe’s Eco-marathon.

Tomorrow morning Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married and Kate (sorry, Catherine) and her future in-laws will be arriving (separately) in Rolls Royces.  The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will be arriving in a 1950 Rolls Royce Phantom IV that was purchased by his parents while Kate will arrive in a 1977 Rolls Royce Phantom VI that was commissioned for the Queens Silver Jubilee.  Wouldn’t the family look more elegant alighting from two Rolls Royce EX102 Electric Phantom’s?  This is the 21st Century after all.

The European Union (EU) Commission is proposing an ambitious transportation that will transform the way goods and people travel.  The proposal calls for investments in infrastructure as well as changes in systems and policies.

How would you like your banana? As packaging or car parts ? Imagine driving a car where the majority of the parts are made from fruit.  That image may not be too far in the future since Brazilian scientists have discovered that such fruits as pineapple leaves and stems, bananas, coconut shells, agave, curaua and cattails can be used to make plastics that are lighter and stronger than petroleum based plastics. Meanwhile Malasian scientists have developed a fruit based plastic called Fruitplast that is ten percent cheaper to produce and provides durable, biodegradable packaging.