Arguably the most successful startup company to build and sell electric vehicles, Tesla is beginning delivery of its second car today: the Model S sedan. 

Official confirmation by the automaker has yet to be released, but Ward’s Auto tweeted that delivery is beginning today to customers out of its Fremont, Calif. factory. According to the company’s website, delivery of the EV isn’t slated to start until a month from now, but for at least a few people that date seems to have been ignored.

With its latest entrant, the brand offers a more practical and easier-to-sell car that costs less and competes more directly with luxury cars like the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. Priced between $50,000 and $60,000, it costs roughly half as much as the Roadster, which while offering a unique experience, is entirely impractical.

The Model S, on the other hand, offers better range than anything else on the market today. Recently released charts from Tesla show that drivers will probably enjoy somewhere between 250 and 350 miles on a full charge, which shames the 100-mile industry average set by cars like the Nissan Leaf.

If you can forget about the widely different price tags, the closest competitor would be the Ford Focus EV because it’s also a sedan. That being said, Ford’s EV only gets about 75 miles per charge, so it’s really not much of a comparison.

If it manages to get a positive reception from the public, the Model S could be a good example of how Tesla is pushing technological boundaries ahead of the industry. It’s not so surprising, though, when you realize that today marks the launch of CEO Elon Musk’s SpaceX commercial cargo space craft. If the man behind the Tesla Roadster and Model S can successfully orchestrate a space delivery, what’s a few electric cars?

Fuel economy is now the number one purchase consideration for new car shoppers, sparking a massive swing in interest for alternative fuel vehicles.

According to the latest survey by Consumer Reports, the single largest factor for buying a new car is high gas mileage. In total, 37 percent of respondents chose fuel economy, with quality placing a distance second at 17 percent. Going down the list, safety came in at 16 percent, value at 14 percent and performance at 6 percent.

“These results make it clear that high fuel prices are continuing to impact driver behavior and influencing future purchase considerations,” said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy auto editor.  “While quality, safety and value are still important, this may be foreshadowing a market shift by folks seeking relief at the pump.”

Perhaps more shocking than how much consumers rank fuel economy over quality is their intention to switch to alternative fuels in order to save at the pump. In total, almost three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents said they would consider an alternative fuel vehicle as for their next car purchase, with younger buyers more receptive than older ones.

Not surprisingly, owners of large SUVs responded as the most likely to downsize in order to find better fuel economy, followed by mid-size SUVs and large sedans.

In total, two-thirds of buyers said they expect their next car to get better fuel economy, with 90 percent of buyers citing the rising cost of gas as their reason for wanting a more efficient vehicle. Other reasons cited include the decision to be more environmentally friendly (62 percent) as well as a desire to be less dependent on foreign oil (56 percent).

With rising gas prices, the switch to a car with better fuel economy sooner than later may seem like a wise decision, but according to Consumer Reports, you’re likely to save more money by sticking with your current car if it’s less than three years old.

In an effort to showcase all-electric power, Mitsubishi Motors will be entering two Mitsubishi i-MiEVs into the annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb this year.

Seen above is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV Evolution, the Japanese automakers best chance at nabbing the electric class victory at Pikes Peak. It features the same electric motor, drive battery and other major components of the production i-MiEV, but is race-ready.

The i-MiEV evolution uses three electric motors: one for the front two wheels, and two for each rear wheel. Pair this all-wheel drive with the car’s light-weight aerodynamic body and you can see how serious Mitsubishi is taking this event.

The i-MiEV evolution will be piloted by Hiroshi Masuoka, the first Japanese driver to win consecutive Dakar rally victories.

The i-MiEV Evolution will be joined by a production Mitsubish i, which will be driven by Beccy Gordon. The Mitsubishi i, is much closer in appearance and performance to what you’ll see in Mitsubishi dealerships. All the i had changed for the race is its front bumper, a roll-cage and some race-specific safety gear.

Both Gordon and Masuoka are geared up and excited about being apart of the electric class at Pikes Peak.

Masuoka, who currently helps test with vehicle development as well as the training of company test drivers and the running of test drive sessions said “Given the tough driving conditions that Pikes Peak is known for, I’m really keen to show people the world over those electric vehicles are capable of gutsy motive performance and excellent handling in addition to their superior environmental performance.”

Gordon, an experienced off-road racer is equally excited to show that electric vehicles belong in the world of motorsports.

“I’m really happy to be able to drive the Mitsubishi i in the Pikes Peak race and am looking forward to giving it my best in an electric car, the type of vehicle that is set to become a major player in motor sports in future.” said Gordon.

Pikes Peak will take place in Colorado, on July 3-8.

Customers who buy the new Tesla Model S, due out in a month’s time, could enjoy the longest range of any EV to date according to CEO Elon Musk, though you’ll definitely never achieve the 400-mile potential range.

What you will get is ridiculously good range from the newest car to come from the California-based startup currently known for its Roadster EV. Musk explained that under the two-cycle testing required by the EPA, which is composed of 55 percent city driving and 45 percent on the highway, the Model S managed to travel 350 miles on a single charge.

“At Tesla we pride ourselves on transparency with customers and feel that range is a topic where this is particularly important,” Musk wrote in a blog post. “There is not a single fixed range for any given vehicle or battery. The simple reality is that driving range can and will vary by a large amount depending on how you operate the vehicle and external factors such as wind and elevation change.”

He went on to elaborate on the finer points behind managing a 350-mile range in the Model S, which would be achieved in the best of the three available batteries. Musk also mentioned that the average driver is still unlikely to come out with the 350 miles managed during testing because the varying conditions behind every day driving will force the range down even further.

Driving at a constant highway speed between 50 and 70 mph, the Model S should manage to travel between 250 and 350 miles. That’s a big swing from bottom to top, but as Musk said, the company is trying to release numbers that won’t leave buyers thinking they’ve been taken for a ride. As the chart to the right shows, driving at a constant speed around 35 mph should allow for a range better than 400 miles. Similarly at 55 mph we see potential for more than 300 miles, which embarrasses the current industry standard around 100 miles. If you really hope to meet the range we mentioned in the headline you’ll need to drive in perfect conditions, with no wind, at around 35 mph. You can even stretch that to 450 miles if you’re willing to drive at a constant 450 mph, though that would take more than 22 hours to achieve — no pee breaks either.

When the Tesla Roadster was released, the EPA required a two-cycle test, which is what the numbers above are based on. Now, the testing has been ramped up to a five-cycle test. Originally, range was measured in an environment with a 75 degree temperature with highway and city driving measured. Those conditions are still used, but the car is also run in cold conditions with the heater on and warmer settings with the air conditioner. There’s also a high-speed cycle with speeds over 80 mph and rapid acceleration, all meant to push EVs further to better understand their range.

Under those tests, the Model S still seemed to perform well, though with an understandably shorter range than before. With the new factors in place, the company reports a 265-mile range, which is still a record for electric vehicles.

Driving an electric car may be as green as you can get on the road, but being green at home means investing heavily in alternative energy. In an effort to combat that, BMW and Real Goods Solar are teaming up to make solar panels more cost-efficient to intall at home for ActiveE drivers.

Real Goods Solar, a Colorado-based company, is offering a hefty 35-percent discount to ActiveE drivers if they’re interested in installing solar panels on their home. And like many other residential solar-panel installers, Real Goods Solar offers a zero down, 20-year lease program and also a pre-pay lease.

In the case of the zero-down lease system, you’ll still be paying for electricity as Real Goods Solar will act as your utility company and charge you a rate for electricity, though it’s heavily discounted compared a standard utility company’s cost. That money goes towards paying for the installation and upkeep of your solar system.

“Solar power is a natural fit for electric vehicle owners looking for a more sustainable lifestyle,” said Real Goods Solar CEO, Bill Yearsley, “We are delighted to partner with BMW of North America to deliver Real Goods’ award-winning design and installation services to help ActiveE drivers harness the power of the sun to fuel their new sports car.”

The collaboration will allow ActiveE owners to plug-in their electric cars during the day if they’re able to. Otherwise, plugging in at night means pulling electricity from the grid. Either way, a 35-percent discount is pretty attractive if you’re already an ActiveE owner.

Nissan is planning to significantly increase its electric car offering over the next three years, introducing three all-new models and an updated version of the original Leaf EV.

Set to arrive this Fall at the Paris Motor Show, the Leaf will receive updates and is expected to get varied price levels which should help make it more attainable for those on a tighter budget.

Next to arrive will be the e-NV200, based on the concept car with the same name, first shown at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year. It’s expected to go on sale in late 2013.

Following closely afterward will be the production version of the Infiniti LE Concept, which was only recently unveiled at the New York Auto Show . Also based on the Leaf powertrain, the LE Concept makes use of much lighter components to help improve performance and stay true to the Infiniti brand mandate. It’s also expected to be the first production electric car to come with a wireless charging pad.

Finally, in 2015, Nissan will take a big step in expanding its EV offerings with a new car code named “Symbol”. A youth-oriented commuter car, it’s expected to draw heavily from Nissan’s PIVO concepts, the most recent of which (the PIVO 3) was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show and which can even valet park itself.

Absent from the list, however, is an electric sports car, based off the Esflow concept, suggesting Nissan may have either de-prioritized production of that model or halted development entirely.

GALLERY: Nissan PIVO 3 Concept

GALLERY: Nissan e-NV200 Concept

GALLERY: Infiniti LE Concept

[Source: AutoExpress]

Along with concerns like range anxiety, many potential electric car buyers express concerns about high voltage electric shocks.

With the Nissan Leaf being an entirely new type of vehicle, before it came to market engineers sat down and postulated all the possible “what ifs” of things that could go wrong, making sure to test the electric car in new ways never even dreamed of before.

“What are the dangers for an electric vehicle? What kind of tests should be done? We had to really find out through feeling our way,” says Kouji Tanaka the man in charge of the EV Safety Protection Project Technical Development team for the Leaf.

Engineers tallied up a list of possible scenarios that owners might experience during real world ownership, ranging from what might happen if their dog chewed the charge cord, to what would happen if a woman charged the car wearing a conductive necklace. Other scenarios included adding conductive liquid to the seat belt, pouring water over the charge port while plugging it in, and driving the Leaf through deep water at speed.

In total over 1,000 different test cases were dreamed up before engineers got to work acting out the most likely hypothetical situations.

Making the task more complex was the time schedule that the Leaf was under in order to make it to market. In fact, rather than perform tests on a test car, Tanaka and his team were working alongside the engineers who built the car.

Helping get the Leaf out on time and meeting all of the safety requirements earned Tanaka Nissan’s COO Award, the highest honor the company gives among its 28,000 employees.

For more on just how different the testing method for the Leaf was, watch the video below:

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Running from 0-60 in less than 2.8 seconds, boasting 1,088 hp and 2,800 lb-ft of torque and a 375-mile range — surely this car is a thing of myth.

Surely not, in fact it’s called the Rimac Concept One and it’s very real. For a scant sticker price of nearly $1 million you can feel the awesome power that this plug-in electric car creates. Built in Croatia of all places, the Concept One takes advantage of all-wheel drive and uses four in-wheel electric motors capable of rocketing to speed.

It originally debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, but is now gaining more media traction. Rimac says there will only be 88 units made, with production slated to begin next year. Orders are already coming in, so if you’re looking for an EV that can embarrass anything you’ll ever meet at a stoplight then the time to act is now.

GALLERY: Rimac Concept One hypercar

Against the odds, a letter carrier in Las Vegas won a Tesla Roadster playing penny slots. Needless to say, the odds of winning a six-figure prize by playing those games are stacked against you. 

That didn’t stop MaryEllen Cobb of West Nyack, New York, from winning one of the coolest EVs available today. She won the car, valued at $150,000 by playing the slots at the Cosmopolitan hotel and casino.

Unfortunately for her, the fairy tale ends before it starts. She says she can’t fit in the car without lowering its convertible top and doesn’t have a garage to keep it in. Worse yet, winning a car that costs that much is actually expensive. The bill is still being calculated, but she’ll owe the IRS money because her prize is considered taxable income.

If you find yourself in the Las Vegas airport, it might actually pay to think twice about dropping your spare change in the machine and pulling the lever.

[Source: Wheels]

One of the biggest downfalls of electric vehicles currently is the lack of range, which means stopping often to charge, hindering the owner when going long distances. 

Energy Dynamics Lab (EDL) is looking to solve that dilemma by developing the technology to wirelessly charge an EV through a system embedded onto our roadways. Back in 2010, the subsidiary of Utah State University, began a wireless power project that has become the foundation for something that could revolutionize how we know EVs today.

The idea is to allow an EV to be charged while it’s driving to its destination by utilizing an electric coil or pad that’s in the road surface, to work with one that’s on the vehicle. Currently EDL has shown the technology to work on an EV while it’s stationary, but its next goal is to get vehicles charging at speeds up to 70 mph.

While the biggest benefit would be giving EVs the ability to travel longer distances, EDL claims that EV batteries could also be 80 percent smaller if such a system was used across major road networks. This would result in lowered electric vehicle costs.

EDL hopes to have a live demonstration of wireless EV charging while in motion within the next year. Unfortunately the cost per mile to implement such a system is currently very costly – but so is any technology in its infancy stage. An estimated per lane/mile cost is anywhere from $1 million to $5 million. Astounding? Surely, but given some time a more cost-efficient solution can be found once the technology is developed.

“The goal of the project is to make wireless power practical for electric vehicles, starting with stationary charging applications and then moving to in-motion applications on electric roadways,” said Jeff Muhs, EDL’s director of business development.

[Source: Traffic Technology International]

Brabus established its name as the monster tuner of Mercedes-Benz engines capable of exceeding 1,000 lb.-ft. of torque. But for its latest project, the company drops its earth-shaking V12 in a bold pursuit for a more eco-friendly diesel hybrid.

The Brabus Technology Project Hybrid E-Class features a tiny 2.2-liter clean diesel engine combined with two in-wheel electric motors from Protean Electric. According to Protean, each in-wheel motor is capable of producing 110 hp at 590 lb.-ft. of torque. When combined with the diesel, the package is capable of propelling the sedan from 0 to 62 mph in a claimed 7.4 seconds.

Rather than creating a powerplant for outright performance, Brabus and Protean Electric claim that the application of the Protean Drive system can improve fuel economy by as much as 30 percent.

“We’re pleased to work with Brabus to demonstrate what Protean’s in-wheel electric drive can deliver to the world. Our in-wheel motors not only provide significant performance improvement, but do so in a very responsible way,” Protean CEO Bob Purcell said.

Unfortunately, full spec details on the car’s system aren’t available so we can’t report the size and added weight of the complete electric system or determine specific fuel economy gains.

Protean Electric and Brabus aren’t the only folks developing a high-performance hybrid — earlier this month, Ferrari announced its development of both a front- and mid-engine V12 HY-KERS system for a future line of hybrid road cars.

CLick though the gallery below for a closer look at the latest Brabus Technology Project Hybrid.

GALLERY: Brabus Technology Project Hybrid

A series of very public Li-ion defect related incidents have caused the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) decision to hold a meeting with automakers and battery suppliers with regards to the safety of the new technology.

“The purpose of this symposium is to bring together relevant stakeholders to share information on the status of safety activities related to the use of Li-ion batteries in vehicles designed for on-road use,” NHTSA explained.

Public concerns were raised last year when a Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric vehicle had ignited following a NHTSA crash test. Then, the reliability of battery packs were put into question when a brand-new Fisker Karma EV had inexplicably stopped working during testing with Consumer Reports. In more recent news, a prototype battery extreme testing related explosion occurred at the Warren, Michigan GM Technical Center laboratory, injuring five employees.

Investigations on the Volt have found that GM’s electric vehicle is no more of a fire risk than cars with conventional gasoline engines. The Fisker defect was caused by faulty calibration of battery supplier A123′s battery welding process. Finally, the GM Tech Center incident was caused by a prototype and certainly not intended for production. None of these incidents indicate that Li-ion batteries are particularly unsafe, but amid the negative publicity, the public and the administration are struggling to understand the nature of the technology.

What’s more, supporters of the electric vehicle blame the safety issues surrounding Li-ion batteries as the cause of the lackluster sales numbers of electric cars. Both the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf missed the 10,000 unit sales target last year.

NHTSA is looking to clear the air when it conducts the safety meeting on May 18 in Washington, D.C.