Volkswagen has struck a deal worth "at least 10 million euros" with Wilhelm Karmann GmbH to keep the insolvent coachworks and specialty builder alive so it can reorganize a new company and "focus on building electric-powered cars." That's according to an unsourced report in the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung that can be found on Bloomberg. A separate report on HLN.be says that the EV deal is worth 20 million euros, the fruits of which are expected to go on sale in 2011.

Earlier this year, Karmann showed off an EV concept called the E3 Limosine, co-developed with utility company Oldenburg Energy Group (EWE). Last October, Karmann said it would help build some of DuraCar's Quicc! DiVas EVs. Thanks to Frederik for the tip!



[Source: Bloomberg, HLN.be]

Now that Koenigsegg's purchase of ailing fellow Swedish automaker Saab is all but officially official, our attention naturally turns to the the current product lines and possible future vehicles from the two automakers. At least a few people are wondering out loud if there's a possibility that Koenigsegg's involvement with Saab could bring the gorgeous Aero X concept car from 2006 to life, but at least some of us are a bit more interested in reports that Koenigsegg's Quant from this year's Geneva Motor Show may see production via the use of some of Saab's leftover production capabilities.

Powered by an electric motor at each wheel for a total of 512 hp and 527 lb-ft of turqoe, the Koenigsegg Quant concept featured a new kind of battery that is supposedly capable of providing a range of over 300 miles after a short 15-20 minutes charge. Futher, a set of solar panels on the Quant's exterior can reportedly keep accessories running without draining the main battery. If there's any truth to the rumors, we could see the Quant hit production in low volumes within the next few years.



[Source: Green Car Advisor]

UPDATE: Added Speed and Motion HD Video after the jump

Just what do you call a gathering of 30 or so Tesla Roadsters all in one place? A gaggle? A flock? After taking a look at the photos of such an event from our friends at Speed and Motion, we'll go with "convoy." This crowd was brought together to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Tesla's first retail store and the delivery of the 500th Tesla Roadster, meaning that the cars you see in the pictures below represent less than one tenth of total Roadster production so far. Elliot from Speed and Motion describes the experience this way:

What a treat it was to experience 60 miles along the streets and freeways of LA including a run through the scenic Malibu canyons. What surprised me was how quick (0-to-60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds) and agile in the corners this electric vehicle really is on the road. We made a pit stop at the Rock Store before heading over to for a wonderful for a barbecue at Greener Pasture Ranch, a Tesla customer's private home.

Riding in these cars is so peaceful and tranquil. It sure was a change from the loud and wild exotic cars that we are used to experiencing here at speedandmotion! One thing I can say for sure is the owners are such a spirited and lively group, not to mention car aficionados at heart.

See the rest of the photos here and be sure to click past the break for a couple of videos that were taken during the event along with the official press release.



[Source: Speed and Motion]

Mitsubishi has launched series production of its iMiEV electric car at its Okayama, Japan factory. That makes the tri-diamond brand the first major automaker to kick off full scale production of a new EV, though it will be followed by many other automakers over the next two years. The automaker plans to build about 2,000 units through the remainder of this fiscal year and then crank that up to 5,000 next year. The first cars are going to corporate fleet customers but retail sales are expected to start later in the year.

The iMiEV has a range of about 100 miles from its lithium ion battery pack. The batteries are the result of a joint venture between Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa. Factoring government incentives available in Japan, the $45,660 iMiEV will end up costing about $31,300 at current exchange rates, which is a bit higher than the $27,000 price previously rumored. No decision has been made yet on when the car will be offered in the U.S. market, but we do know it will make its way here sometime. First, Mitsubishi needs to develop a production left-hand drive version.



[Source: Nikkei]

Today, Miles EV announced that the full speed electric car that it has been developing for the last several years will bear the new Coda Automotive brand name. The Coda sedan will be assembled in China by Hafei under the direction of staff from Coda. The new car is based on an existing Hafei chassis that has been heavily re-engineered by Porsche Engineering. The car is powered by a UQM electric motor driving the front wheels with energy storage via a lithium iron phosphate battery pack.

The 34 kWh pack will use cells provided by Chinese battery maker Lishen. The two companies are apparently forming a joint venture for battery manufacturing and hope to eventually produce batteries in the United States. Coda and an unnamed partner have also applied for a DOE loan under the ATVM program to build battery packs in the U.S.

Coda expects real world range to be about 90-120 miles, depending on driving conditions. According to the company, the EV sedan will go on sale in 2010 with factory direct sales at a price of $45,000 before incentives. Following a 200-fleet test in the summer of that year, Coda will be offered to the public starting in the Fall. You can read more about the car itself here.



[Source: Coda Automotive]

The UK government has announced a £250 million ($372M USD) incentive program designed to get more plug-in and electric vehicles on British roads. The heart of the program is rebates of up to £5,000 (nearly $7,500) for purchases of full electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. This could be good news for companies like Mitsubishi, Nissan and General Motors. The Japanese automakers are planning to introduce battery electric cars over the next two years and General Motors plans to launch the Vauxhall Ampera (a rebadged Chevy Volt) in 2011. The program is aimed primarily at next generation full function electric vehicles like the Ampera and Mitsubishi iMiEV rather than the existing crop of low speed vehicles like the Indian-made G-Wiz.

In addition to subsidizing car purchases, the government wants to make life a little easier for EV drivers by putting in more public charging outlets. £20 million (about $30M) of the project is set aside for building out the country's infrastructure of charge points. Thanks to Brother_Will for the Tip!

[Source: BBC, Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty]

General Motors has begun doling out test drives of its Chevrolet Volt prototypes to the salivating media. AutoblogGreen is scheduled for some time behind the wheel in short order, but some bigger names have already written up their first impressions of the car. CNN's short version: Promising, but not perfect.

Unlike the Mali-Volts of the recent past, CNN was able to test out the Volt technology as it fits inside the bodywork of a Chevy Cruze. The vehicle looks nearly identical to the Cruze that will go on sale in the U.S. soon, but the powertrain is reportedly 80 percent Voltec. Reporters haven't yet gotten the true Volt driving experience, though, since, as CNN's Peter Valdes-Dapena reports, the Cruze vehicles operate in EV-only mode because "GM engineers are still tweaking the car's performance under gasoline power." Considering that EV-only mode is how most Volt drivers will experience the car most days, this is a fair initial test, with Valdes-Dapena calling the acceleration "particularly muscular." One big question that needs to be answered is how GM will deal with the weight of the Voltec system. Valdes-Dapena writes:

The first time I drove the front wheel drive test vehicle into a turn, the weight came as a surprise. It felt almost like the small Cruze had turned into something more like a Cadillac the moment I turned the steering wheel.

That's going to take some getting used to, or perhaps some additional tuning.

Valdes-Dapena wasn't the only reporter to test out the Cruze Volt mule. Detroit radio staple Jeff Gilbert was there for WWJ and he put up a video on Facebook. GM made their own video of the media drives, and you can see that and the CNN show after the jump.



[Source: CNN, WWJ, General Motors]

Since it was announced that the highly quotable Bob Lutz would be departing from his General Motors management spotlight, automotive bloggers and reporters everywhere have been mourning the loss of an executive with such an exquisite way with words. Now it appears that the pining may have been premature, thanks to the emergence of another top management type with the brass, it seems, to freely speak his mind in public.

In a new interview with Yahoo! Tech Ticker's Sarah Lacy, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was asked what he thought of an earlier New York Times piece that voiced opposition to a government loan for the electric car maker. With a huge smile indicating his delight in the opportunity to speak about the issue, Musk announced that "Randy Stross is a huge douchebag". After a brief pause he added, "...and an idiot." Take that, Mr. Fancy Pants reporter guy!

In the course of the interview, Musk goes on to explain exactly how he felt the writer in question cherry-picked from the facts to make a case for Department of Energy loan denial, going on to vigorously defend the Tesla business model. In the conversation that followed the opening barrage, it was very interesting to note the certitude expressed by Elon that Tesla Motors would receive the low interest loan requested from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program. Noting that his company is a "perfect fit" for ATVM funds, he states, "The odds of us getting that money ($350 million) are 99 percent..." alluding to assurances given in private meetings, Musk suggested the funds are coming and coming soon. Hit the jump for the entertaining and informative video.



[Source: Tech Ticker via Tesla Motors Club]

It's probably a bit premature to be talking about future models from Fisker, considering the automaker's plug-in Karma and Karma S have yet to hit the market, but that's never stopped us before, right? According to Russell Datz, head PR man at Fisker Automotive, "One of the future products we have is something that is significantly less than what will be on the market first," though it may still "be a step above" the Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S.

That's not a ton of information to go by, unfortunately. The Chevy Volt is expected to come in around $40K or so in late 2010 when it's finally released (hopefully), and the Tesla Model S will cost at least $10K more than that. For comparison, the Fisker Karma will carry a starting sticker of $87,900. In other words, there's plenty of room between the base price of a Volt and the base price of a Karma. Where the lower-cost model from Fisker would fall in that range is anybody's guess.



[Source: Inside Line]

Nissan appears to feel the electricity in the air, and has said it is open to selling its EV to retail consumers two years ahead of schedule. That doesn't mean it will go on sale everywhere -- said a Nissan rep, "if a market is ready for it, we'll go ahead earlier." When it does arrive, it will be a "uniquely designed stand-alone model" that will focus attention on the brand and its EV credentials.

This announcement follows the recent news of Renault-Nissan's alliance with San Diego Gas & Electric to build an electric vehicle charging network. At the time it was thought that Nissan's sales would be limited to fleet and commercial users until 2012, but it follows that if the infrastructure is in place and consumers are ready to buy in 2010, why should drivers charge their Volts, Karmas, and Teslas on Nissan's hard work? Call us crazy, but we have a feeling that California can get ready to start its electric engines very soon...

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]