Fisker Karma Test Drive around Santa Monica [video]

Take a drive in the 2012 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid with professional driver Kyle Shields.

Borrowed from the Fisker Santa Monica dealership, Shields explains the appeal of the car while driving the streets of Los Angeles.

Fisker began deliveries of the car last month. The 2012 Karma is powered by a 20kW lithium-ion battery which sends current to two electric motors that develop a total of 408 PS (300 kW / 402 hp) and 1,300 Nm (959 lb/ft) of torque. 0-100 km/h is achieved in 5.9 seconds, while top speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).

The plug-in Karma can travel up to 80.5 km (50 miles) on electricity alone. A turbocharged 2.0-liter petrol engine acts as a generator to recharge the battery, extending the range up to 483 km (300 miles). Average fuel consumption is 2.4 liters/100km (98 mpg US) and CO2 emissions are just 83 g/km.

Nissan says electric car can power family home [video]

Nissan's Leaf electric car can feed power from its battery back into a family home and run appliances for up to two days under a new project the Japanese car-maker unveiled Tuesday.
Using the "Leaf to Home" system, the lithium-ion batteries of the zero tailpipe emission Leaf can be used as an emergency power backup for the home during a natural disaster or a power blackout, Nissan said.

Nissan, 44 percent owned by Renault of France, said it aims to commercialize the technology in Japan by March 2012.

The system works by linking the car via a quick charging port to the house's electricity distribution panel. Power can also be fed the other way if the house generates its own electricity with rooftop solar panels.

The Leaf batteries have a capacity of 24 kilowatt hours when fully charged, equivalent to the electricity used by the average Japanese household in two days, said the company.

The output from the vehicle comes to six kilowatts, enough to power electricity-guzzling appliances such as a refrigerator, air conditioner and washing machine at the same time, the company said.

Nissan says as well as its potential use in blackouts, the car can be charged during night time off-peak hours and the electricity used by households during high-demand periods.

How It Works: The All-Electric Ford Focus [video]

Ford have released a short video animation of The Focus Electric. The car runs exclusively on a 23 kWh battery, which means it never needs a drop of gas.

- Powered by a 23 kwh high-voltage, lightweight lithium-ion battery system.
- Regenerative Braking captures energy during braking and recycles it to recharge the battery.
- Charges with the available 240-volt charging station or standard 120-volt convenience cord

Electric Raceabout In-Car Lap of the Nürburgring [video]

Electric Raceabout have posted a video on You tube of their all wheel drive EV prototype setting a time around the Nürburgring.

Developed by the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, the Raceabout features a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and four electric motors which are fed by a 32 kWh lithium-titanate battery. This setup gives the car an output of 272 PS (200 kW / 268 hp) and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque, which enables it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in six seconds and hit a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).

Nissan claims electric car was not given fair chance by Top Gear

Nissan has slammed BBC show Top Gear for its unflattering and, it claims, 'unfair' review of its new electric car. The motor company insists its Nissan Leaf electric car was not given a fair chance in Sunday's episode, when it was shown breaking down after running out of juice in Lincolnshire. This left presenter Jeremy Clarkson 'stranded' and co-host James May having to get out and push.

Nissan has accused Top Gear of misleading viewers by deliberately running down the battery, and says a monitoring system installed on the car can prove it. The telematics device showed the battery was at 40 percent when Clarkson set off on his journey. But Nissan says the car was fully charged when it handed it to the BBC with enough power to go 100 miles and not the mere 30 it lasted.

Its executive vice-president, Andy Palmer, told the Times that it appeared the car had been driven in loops for more than 10 miles around Lincoln to flatten the battery.

But the BBC has denied that Sunday night's episode misled viewers. "The point of the film was to show how bad the charging infrastructure is in the UK. The car needed to run out of charge so that it could be demonstrated," a spokesperson told The Times.

Tesla Model S Alpha track testing [video]

From enhancing performance and tuning the suspension to quieting the interior and optimizing efficiency, Tesla engineers are applying knowledge gained from Alpha testing as they begin building Beta vehicles. Get a sneak peek at the first footage of multiple Model S Alpha sedans having fun together on the track.

Fully Charged | Top Gear | Eco Rally | episode 27 [video]

A run down of recent events and a brief report form this years ECO rally.