Late last year, on the sidelines of the Mitsubishi ASX crossover launch event at the Dubai Autodrome, Mitsubishi had an egg on four wheels parked outside the halls, plugged into the wall like a blender. We quickly recognised that to be the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Japanese firm’s first commercially-available electric car.
Ford recently showed off its first-ever fully electric car, called the Ford Focus Electric. It is the first of five electric car models Ford plans to release by 2013 for the North American and European markets. The Focus Electric will be able for customers by the end of 2011.
Hyundai has unveiled the company’s first Full Speed Electric Vehicle (FSEV) named ‘BlueOn,’ and has become the first Korean manufacturer to release a proper electric car. Hyundai unveiled the car in the presence of Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and other ministers.
Relatively new company Bright Automotive has signed an agreement with General Motors whereby GM’s new venture arm has provided funding to the Indiana automaker. This is the first funding action by General Motors Ventures, and will help accelerate Bright’s production of the IDEA, a “revolutionary” plug-in hybrid commercial vehicle.
General Motors has announced that selected Chevrolet dealers in the United States have begun taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first mass-production electric vehicle with extended-range capability. Following the U.S. introduction, the Volt will go on sale in global markets starting with Europe and China in 2011. A few will also be sent to the GCC for hot-weather testing to see if they are viable for sale in the UAE.
Dubai’s Al Yousuf business group, which among its assets can count the Daihatsu dealer franchise in the UAE, has apparently bought out the US-based Phoenix Motorcars firm, in which it was a silent shareholder previously. Phoenix is a builder of niche electric vehicles and went bankrupt recently. Al Yousuf says this could mark the entry of electric vehicles in the UAE and GCC region.
Peugeot hasn’t had the best of luck with sedans. While their hatchbacks are selling well, both the 407 and the 607 sedans are pretty much midsize sedans, the first one a bit cramped and the latter a bit outdated. But the French company has been working on an all-new model that will replace both of them, and have a new name too. Thus, the first photos of the all-new Peugeot 508 has hit the net.
The AMG division of Mercedes-Benz has created a yellow prototype called the SLS AMG E-CELL, an electric version of their gullwing sports car that features a zero-emission high-tech drive.
BMW is apparently working on a project called the Megacity Vehicle (MCV), due for release by 2013. They say the Megacity Vehicle will be a “revolutionary” electric car, and will be the world’s first volume-produced vehicle with a passenger cell made from carbon-fibre.
Niche American electric carmaker Tesla is on a roll, having made a deal with Mercedes-Benz, taking over a former Toyota factory and launching a successful IPO. They’ve now launched a new version of their only current model, the US$100,000 Roadster, at an event in Britain. The latest version if dubbed the Tesla Roadster 2.5, and comes with trim upgrades to lift it above its status as a rebodied Lotus Elise.