The US Environmental Protection Agency has given the Tesla Roadster 2.5 a fuel economy rating of 119 MPGe combined (Miles Per Gallon gasoline equivalent), they also gave the original Roadster a rating of 111 MPGe. The EPA sticker (an official mock-up of which is shown above) will also indicate that the Roadster 2.5 has a 245 mile range on an 8 hour (240 V) charge. Naturally the Roadster achieved a maximum 10 rating for combined fuel economy and greenhouse gas rating (tailpipe) and smog (tailpipe). For reference the Nissan Leaf gest a 99 MPGe combined and the Chevrolet Volt gets 93 MPGe on electric only (or about 60 MPGe electric / gasoline).

The 2011 Gumball 3000, a 3,000 mile, 300 car, eight day jaunt from London to Istanbul (through eight European countries) kicked off yesterday. For a 'green twist' the organizers arranged for several electric cars to make an appearance at the start. These included a Peugeot EX1, Radical SR-0, two Tesla Roadsters and two MEV Hummer HX's. Thanks to our good friend and photographer Brian Worley we've got an exclusive gallery of the cars on display just before the start of the rally.

Saab's official blog "Inside Saab" has revealed that production of the 9-3 ePower test fleet has begun in its 'Frickeboa' specialized manufacturing facility.  As per previous reports Saab are aiming to build 70 prototypes to "participate in extensive field trials in Sweden".  The 9-3 ePower will have a range of 200 km (over 120 miles) and features a single speed 135 kW (184 hp) electric motor driving the front wheels and a 35.5 kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack.  Click through to see a gallery.More »

In a joint venture with DTE Energy General Motors will soon have a 264,000 square foot solar array field which should generate 516 kW, enough to charge over 50,000 Volts (150 per day).  DTE's investment in the project runs to no less than $3 million which will take around 200 years to recoup at the "$15,000 a year" GM estimates it will save them.  Still, it's a baby step away from reliance on fossil fuels. “This array will significantly decrease energy consumption by combining solar power with ongoing efficiency tactics such as lighting and equipment upgrades and automating equipment shut-down,” said Bob Ferguson, vice president of GM Public Policy. “Making sustainable choices is good for both the environment and our bottom line. Obviously cost savings is critical for GM, and the ability to save $15,000 per year while being environmental serves us well.”More »

Although it's likely to only ever been a PR tool we're still pleased to see the sportier LEAF NISMO RC getting some real track action at the hands of a proper test driver.  Given the looks of the car it's a pity Nissan didn't come to NISMO before finalizing the look of the ordinary road car as it looks considerably better lower with a more road-hugging body kit.More »

The Spanish Government has allocated a huge €72 million to subsidize up to 25% of the purchase price (capped at €6,000) of electric cars purchased between now and 30th November 2011 (yes, just over six months, better hurry).  The 25% subsidy is also available for commercial vehicles such as buses and vans with a more generous cap of €15,000 - €30,000 depending on the type of vehicle.  This subsidy is part of the governments wider 2010 - 2014 plan to 'Promote Electric Vehicles in Spain', they have yet to announce what if anything will be available from December 2011 to December 2014.More »

Renault's funky take on urban electric transport, the two seater Twizy is now available for reservation across Europe. There are in total three different Twizy configurations: the Twizy Urban and Twizy Technic offer two different trim levels but have the same 13 kW (17 hp) electric motor and will cost €7,690 and €8,490 respectively (plus €49/month battery lease). The Twizy 45 is limited to 45 kph and has a 7 kW (9 hp) electric motor, this means that it some countries it can be driven without a license (god forbid), its priced at €6,990 (plus €45/month battery lease). All Twizy's have a lithium-ion battery which should provide 100 km range and these small vehicles weigh in at just 450 kg including the battery.

Audi has today released several very interesting photos and a video of the R8 e-tron in development which were taken at the Audi AGM in Neckarsulm.  “With the R8 e-tron, we are showing how inspiring electric mobility can be. Every system in this car has been tuned for maximum performance and range,” says Franciscus van Meel, Head of Electric Mobility Strategy at AUDI AG.  “The R8 e-tron is a very important project for Audi because the competence and experience we glean from it will later flow into the large volume production of electric automobiles.” The expectation is that e-tron will become a synonym for advanced electric mobility, just as the term “quattro” today stands for pioneering all-wheel drive. “We want to be the leading premium manufacturer of electric vehicles by 2020,” says van Meel.More »

Kudos to Cars.com KickingTires blog for their very interesting insight into the cost of a long commute (64 miles) between a Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius, Ford Focus and a train.  The results are predictably positive for electric vehicles (ignoring the slightly longer commute time compared to the train and the cost of buying a car in the first place).  What was also highlighted in this comparison is that the Chevrolet Volt really is a hybrid and performed only very slightly better than the non-plug-in Toyota Prius.  Click here to read the entire article.

The Anglo Dutch McRae Buggy team headed by Alister McRae (brother of legendary rally driver Colin McRae) is building a lightweight electric buggy which will be the first electric vehicle to compete in the 9,000 km Dakar Rally.  Based on the ProDakar McRae Buggy it will be powered by a 200 kW (272 bhp) electric motor and will have a 54 KWh lithium-ion battery pack.  Uniquely the buggy will have energy recovery shock absorbers which will convert the kinetic energy from vertical movement (bumps) to electricity to recharge the battery pack.  Between stages the McRae Buggy team are planning to use high power 400V fast charging which will restore the battery pack to to 90% state of charge in a maximum of 30 minutes.  (Apologies for the dramatic EV-fanboi-stylee video, it's what was provided).More »