Parking spots in the city are often hard to find and they always come at a price. And sometimes those spots are so small, there’s no way you can fit your car into the space. Engineers at Hiriko Driving Mobility have come up with a solution – a car that folds up to fit into even the smallest gaps.

The Hiriko Citycar as it’s called, is set to make its public debut in Europe next week when it’s shown to European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso. And it gets better – the Citycar could be available for the public by mid-2013 and hopes are it will cut pollution and road rage.

The idea for this foldable EV started out at Boston’s MIT-Media lab before being picked up by Hiriko Driving Mobility. Think of the Citycar as a child stroller. Of course, it’s a bit more complex than that, but the concept is the same – you fold it up so it’s manageable, compact and easier to store. Since it’s so small, it can only fit two people, but the Hiriko Citycar can go for 75 miles before you have to charge it. One idea for the Citycar’s usage will be a rental system, where drivers can rent one for the day. Of course, you can always buy one – the Citycar can be yours for about 12,500 euros (US$16,000).

[Source: Inhabitat]

The Toyota 2000GT was a limited production, front-engine, rear-wheel drive two-seater that was developed by Toyota in collaboration with Yamaha. It first made its debut in 1965 at the Tokyo Motor Show and proved that Japanese automakers could indeed make formidable sports cars.

Nowadays, the 2000GT is considered one of the first seriously collectible Japanese cars, having sold at auction for as much as $375,000. But given its rich tradition and history, it’s hard to imagine that when the vehicle was first developed close to 50 years ago, that they’d imagine someone would convert it to an electric car.

The crazy car project took a 2000GT, pulled out its 2.0L inline-six powerplant and outfitted it with a 35-kWh lithium-ion battery along with a 161-hp electric motor. What is really awesome though is that the hood has been modified with large photovoltaic solar panels while the rear windscreen has received translucent solar cells. So yes, this is a solar-powered electric Toyota 2000GT classic.

They even put some new modern touches in the interior, adding a new battery gauge, bio-fiber carpets and a rear-view mirror that doubles as a digital information screen.

Check out a video of the Crazy Car Project after the break.

[Source: Green Motor UK]

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True Mustang lovers could never dream of the iconic muscle car without a GT badge and a burly V8 engine. Sure the V6 might have over 300 hp, but, well… it’s not the V8. So imagine what the legions of die-hard ‘Stang fans would say if Ford rolled out an electric Mustang?

Interestingly enough, reports – or rumors – are surfacing that Ford is doing just that. In fact, one source has confirmed that an electric Mustang prototype already exists.

As wild an idea as it seems, it’s really not that unbelievable. Many automakers are investing in all-electric vehicles, with some being variants of their current popular models. Audi‘s E-Tron and BMW‘s i-Series are great examples that electric vehicles could be stylish and sporty, while Tesla paved the way when it came to building an appealing electric sports car.

[Source: Car Driven]

Mitsubishi has achieved decent amounts of success with the i-MiEV electric car in its home land, and also in Europe, where this model is also sold badged as a Peugeot iOn.

Next month, the i-MiEV will be going on sale in America (called simply the “i” in our market), which will no doubt increase sales numbers of this innovative commuter car.

Not ones to rest on their laurels, Mitsubishi has announced an ambitious plan to electrify themselves, by producing eight electric-vehicles by 2016.  These will include plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles.

Part of this new plan is to produce small SUV’s and light trucks which will attract farmers, contractors, and others who use light trucks as part of their work.

Mitsubishi is well under way with this new project, and expects to put its electric truck on sale globally by April 2013. It’s not clear if the light truck will be part of Mitsubishi’s North American line-up, but its other electric vehicles will be available here.

Mitsubishi hopes to sell 42,000 electric vehicles in 2012, double the number it moved this fiscal year. The American market is a crucial part of Mitsubishi’s goals. The “i” car as mentioned before will go on sale soon with a starting price of $29,125, minus the Government rebates.

[Source: Automotive News]

Initial estimations for electric vehicle sales may have been a tad too optimistic, as a new report is coming out that EV sales may total half of what was originally expected by 2025.

It’s probably too early to tell given human nature – who would have thought the Prius would be a hard to get vehicle – but Morgan Stanley now expects electric vehicles to account for 4.5-percent of total auto sales in 2025 instead of the initial 8.5-percent figure.

Automakers are still optimistic however, Renault-Nissan still expects electric vehicle sales to account for 10-percent of the global market by 2020.

The skepticism towards the originally inflated figures comes from the fact that without government assistance, electric vehicles will be too expensive to meet those forecasts. Electric vehicle sales are currently heavily subsidized by various governments but that’s not expected to last.

Analysts believe that sales will increase once the battery technology on electric vehicles becomes less expensive, but that’s not expected until 2025. We’re a little more optimistic though, given how technology has improved exponentially over the years.

GALLERY: Nissan Leaf

[Source: Left Lane News]

Amp Electric Vehicles announced that they’ll be heading to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show with a new electric vehicle based on an iconic American SUV. What SUV Amp has electrified this time around is not known, but recently they debuted their Mercedes-Benz ML, so it might not be a far reach to anticipate a Jeep Grand Cherokee EV.

In a recent interview, Amp CEO Jim Taylor expressed his wishes to produce another SUV that would be more affordable and use a domestic platform since they scrapped their plans for a Chevrolet Equinox EV. Amp did announce that the production EV SUV would offer 100-miles of electric range or more, while offering the same appearance and capabilities as the platform that it’s based on. Even cooler, those attending the 2012 Detroit Auto Show will be able to not only check it out in person, but go for a ride at the show’s Ride & Drive track.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is flatly denying any wrongdoing around the time it took to release data suggesting the Chevrolet Volt might catch fire.

Earlier this week reports surfaced that Volts suffering severe crashes might be at risk of catching fire. GM hasn’t released an official statement explaining the phenomenon, but information leaked from unnamed sources suggesting it might be the liquid cooling system for the car’s lithium ion battery. The fires weren’t even the most disturbing part of the story. It seems the NHTSA actually knew of the defect last May.

By Wednesday U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican congressman from California along with two other U.S. house members aimed accusations at the NHTSA, saying in a letter that they “deliberately suppressed public knowledge of the safety risk posed by the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery system.”

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood responded today saying the accusations were “absolutely not true.”

“We have opened an investigation into battery-related fires that may occur some time after a severe crash,” LaHood said. “Chevy Volt owners can be confident that their cars are safe to drive.”

For now, Chevrolet is doing damage control with the car they otherwise used as a PR poster child. So far they have offered to buy back Volts from any owners who feel unsafe and offered loaner cars to those who simply want the defect fixed.

It won’t be clear what that fix will include until later in the week when GM expects its engineers to arrive at a solution, but speculation thus far suggests it may include a strengthened housing around the battery as well as laminating the battery itself and measures to protect against coolant leaking after a crash.

Other cars like the Nissan Leaf use air in place of liquid cooling systems, meaning they aren’t subject to the same potential hazard.

“As soon as we have additional information on our testing and on our investigation, we’ll disclose it,” LaHood said.

[Source: Automotive News]

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If it seemed space-aged to charge your cellphone wirelessly a few years ago, what do you think of doing the same thing with your car?

Nissan and Mercedes-Benz are playing with the idea, and showing off what they have so far. The Mercedes B Class E-Cell concept may make use of the technology in the future, but on the more immediate horizon, Nissan is demonstrating how wireless charging may play into their Leaf.

It’s the same system as the charging pads you can use to juice your mobile gadgets— all it takes is driving your induction charger equipped EV over a pad and presto, you’re getting power. Sounds simple right? If not, here’s how it works: there are charging coils connected to the car battery and to the stationary pad, which is connected to a power source. Both sides are magnetically tuned to each other so when they come in close contact they transmit electricity.

As nice as that might seem, the luxury comes at a price. Charging via an induction system is about 90 percent as effective as plugging in according to a story published by Wired. Not only that, but it can be tough for drivers to align their cars for optimal charging efficiency. That problem could be addressed through parking assistance technology similar to what many cars already have today, but it presents a challenge to EVs already on the road.

Conductix-Wamplifier, the company working with Daimler to develop this system, has actually been working on this technology for years despite the recent announcement.

With the growing number of EVs on the road, this technology could be a mainstay at home. It’s appealing because lower charging efficiency stops mattering with time. Another story we reported speculated that wireless charging systems will be more-or-less standard in EV-using homes.

Other companies like HaloIPT are already retrofitting corporate fleets with their version of the system.

[Source: Wired]

If you were one of the unfortunate kids who never got a Power Wheels for your birthday, you might be in luck thanks to Smart.

No it’s not a joke, though it is just a concept car. Smart sent out a press release today detailing its new For-Us pickup truck. With the most serious face you can muster, picture this: Smart’s latest attempt to grab U.S. attention is small enough to fit inside an average pickup truck bed. The little thing measures a miniature 11.6 feet and features a bed just big enough to squeeze a couple of bikes with their front wheels removed.

Smart said in their release that the ultra-compact pickup could be useful for accessing areas traditional trucks cant fit into, like small trails. Despite the obvious limitations around owning a pickup smaller than some golf carts, the Smart For-Us might have a sliver of merit: it’s an EV. Perhaps if the company sees its way to marketing this little utility buggy, the world might have it’s first zero-emissions pickup truck. Just try not to go too far out into the bush. You wouldn’t want to run out of battery power on the “isolated trails” Smart suggests taking the For-Us on.

If you’re still curious, more details are set to emerge on this curious creation at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.

Behold, the new bar for fuel economy: 126 highway miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). Which car is championing these figures? The Mitsubishi i electric vehicle.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Guide ranked the Mitsubishi i electric vehicle at the top for fuel consumption. The competing Nissan Leaf stacks up 13 MPGe lower at a still impressive 99  MPGe. The Mitsubishi i beats the Leaf in city and highway fuel economy, making it the most efficient car on the road.

Yoichi Yokozawa, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) said the company was pleased to be rated at the top of the EPA’s Fuel Economy guide.

“With 17,000 i-MiEV-based units produced for various international markets, we look forward to providing North American consumers with an exceptionally well-engineered electric vehicle that has proven itself to be reliable, safe, efficient and very affordable in overall price and cost of operation,” he said.

The Annual Fuel Guide, published in cooperation by the EPA and  Department of Energy, offers consumers information far beyond what appears on a car’s window sticker. They also offer advice on how to improve fuel efficiency.

The Mitsubishi i isn’t available at the moment, but MMNA expects to start releasing them in North America late this month.