EVs coming to Europe

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp has signed an agreement with France's Peugeot Citroën to sell electric minicars in Europe. The green vehicles will be based on Mitsubishi’s all-electric, zero-emission i-MiEV, which was launched earlier this year in Japan.

Production of minicars for the European market is to start in October 2010, with commercial sales slated by the end of the year, the companies said at the weekend. The vehicles will be manufactured in Japan and sold in two versions under the Peugeot and Citroën brands. The French carmaker said it aims to sell 25,000 units in Europe annually.

The i-MiEV is currently in limited production in Japan, where domestic sales of 1,400 units are targeted by March 2010, rising to 15,000 in 2011. Peugeot and Mitsubishi hope to eventually sell 50,000 of the electric autos per year, with Europe accounting for half of the sales, and the remainder being sold in Japan and the rest of the world. A similar Franco-Japanese partnership, the Renault-Nissan Alliance – by the respective homegrown rivals of Peugeot and Mitsubishi – was forged in 1999 to produce electric vehicles for the global market. Nissan Motor Co last month unveiled the mid-sized hatchback Leaf electric vehicle. It is expected to be in showrooms in Japan, the US and Europe by the end of next year. Meanwhile, Renault is expected to premier three electric vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week.

Source : BusinessGreen, by Yvonne Chan, September 7th, 2009

Germany boosts electric vehicle development

Germany, the birthplace of Volkswagen, Porsche, and BMW, plans to become a global leader for developing low-carbon vehicles. The country will increase electric vehicle production from less than 2,000 units currently to 1 million units by 2020 and 5 million units by 2030, aided by some 500 million euros (US$705 million) in research funding through 2012.

Overall, German greenhouse gas emissions have fallen some 21% since 1990, but transportation-related emissions increased roughly 1% through 2005. To achieve its target of a 40% emissions reduction sectorwide by 2020, Germany plans to use the long-awaited electric vehicle plan to further trim transport emissions.

'The federal government's target is to make Germany the leading market for electric mobility,' the Environment Ministry said in a statement. 'Power for electrically driven vehicles can be generated from a number of primary energy sources, thus helping to promote independence from oil imports and fluctuating petrol prices.'

But plugging electric vehicles into the power grid will not guarantee low-carbon transportation. Even in Germany, a world leader in renewable energy production, coal-fired power plants are expected to supply at least 40% of the country's electricity in 2020. A debate is now brewing within the German government about how electric vehicles can best lower emissions.

The Environment Ministry insists that the electricity used to charge plug-in vehicles should come exclusively from renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind power. Otherwise, the greater demand for electricity from the vehicles could increase overall German emissions. But the Ministry of Economics and Technology argues that placing strict limits on vehicle charging would require electricity providers to concentrate renewable energy generation in areas with large shares of electric vehicles. This could overburden the power grid and threaten the country with blackouts, according to renewable energy experts within the ministry. German car manufacturers are considering marketing strategies that could help ease the environmental burden consumers may feel if they charge electric vehicles using the current, largely fossil fuel-based, grid.

Renewable energy providers in Germany ordinarily collect government certificates to confirm that the prices they collect for their low-carbon electricity are higher than the market price for standard electricity generation. Under the proposals, auto manufacturers would purchase the certificate directly from the renewable energy providers and sell the certificates to electric vehicle consumers along with the cars.

An efficient 'smart grid' may also be needed to ensure that electric vehicles release fewer emissions. Some experts worry that the vehicles would draw electricity from the grid during peak energy consumption periods and therefore increase power production needs. An advanced grid would allow operators to control when and where the electricity flows. Through smarter grid management, plug-in electric vehicles could store electricity when renewable energy sources such as wind are abundant and feed power back to the grid at times of higher demand. Germany plans to develop a smart grid network in conjunction with its Scandinavian and southern European neighbors.

Research efforts are also under way in 16 municipalities to test the use of 'smart meters,' which allow the utility to monitor individual electricity use and improve efficiency. The results of the first pilot projects are expected next year. Environmentalists have criticized the new electric vehicle plan for offering no guarantee that emissions will be reduced, and for insufficiently encouraging fuel efficiency. Average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in Germany fell nearly 2% between 2006 and 2007, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment. Improved efficiency in the German auto fleet has helped reduce domestic oil consumption as well, but vehicle manufacturers have resisted higher fuel-efficiency standards, preventing greater cuts in transportation-related emissions, critics say.

Sascha Müller-Kraenner, the Berlin-based European representative of The Nature Conservancy, said the German government will likely struggle to transition its drivers to less carbon-intensive vehicle use. 'The car is holy in Germany,' Müller-Kraenner said. 'It's relatively easy to regulate big industry and power producers. It's much more difficult to regulate private consumers.' Germany is the latest country to announce ambitious electric vehicle plans.

U.S. President Barack Obama has called for 1 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to be in service by 2015, a goal he supported last month with the authorization of $2.4 billion in federal grants for electric vehicle research. The United Kingdom announced in April that consumers would receive 5,000 pounds (US$7,400) in subsidies for the purchase of plug-in hybrids. France provided $550 million to subsidize the development and construction of 'carbon-free' vehicles in 2008. And Spain announced in July that 1 million electric vehicles would be placed on its roads by 2014, offering subsidies for 15-20% of the vehicles' cost.

Germany has not decided whether it too will offer subsidies to electric vehicle consumers. The government estimates, however, that subsidizing as much as 1/3 of the cost of a vehicle's battery should allow for competitiveness with gasoline-powered vehicle counterparts. How the subsidy would be financed remains to be decided, but likely sources include general tax revenue or the country's relatively high gasoline tax.Before subsidy decisions would be are announced, German government officials and industry leaders hope to answer several looming questions.

'What will at the end be the lifetime for the battery? What will be the price of the battery?' said Patrick Schnell, head of innovation and sustainable development at TOTAL Deutschland, an oil company. 'These are open questions that will not be answered until the next two to three years.'

Daimler and BMW plan to introduce their first electric vehicle models by 2012. Volkswagen has said it will roll out its first electric vehicle in 2013. German auto manufacturers and the government are also investing in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, another alternative, which emit only hydrogen and water. A combined 1.4 billion euros (US$2 billion) will be committed from 2007 to 2016, according to the Clean Energy Partnership, an international alliance of oil companies and auto manufacturers that seeks to advance fuel-cell vehicles.

Source : environmental-expert, September 7th, 2009

2nd E.V. plant on tap for Kentucky

Sirius Energies Corporation received preliminary approval for $15 million in tax incentives to make electric vehicles under the Global Green Cars name. Sirius plans to use an existing 70,000 square foot facility and build another 80,000 square foot building on an 11 acre site, according to state filings.

The company says it wants to build 10,000 units annually and employ 350 by 2012. It plans to invest more than $33 million to get production rolling, which includes $26 million in new equipment.

It was unclear when construction would start. Company officials could not be reached for comment.

Another electric vehicle venture in Kentucky is in limbo.

ZAP Motor Manufacturing Kentucky wants to build a plant, but is waiting to hear back on a $160 million loan application with the feds.

Source : eJournal, by Joe Cogliano, September 7th, 2009

Smart ED coming very soon

Making the world's smallest production car into an electric vehicle seems to make a lot of sense. Right now, true electric cars are pretty thin on the ground, although the near future is thick with promises as nearly all the major manufacturers set out their zero emission strategies. DaimlerChrysler like to think they were there first.

Indeed, when the idea of an ultra compact city car was first mooted, initially in partnership with upstart Swiss watch-makers Swatch, hybrid power was very definitely on the cards. In the event, the Mk1 smart car arrived without a battery option, let alone a hybrid drive. For a start, the technology wasn't nearly advanced enough – back in late 90s the only things able to run on all electric power were golf carts, milk floats and the occasional delivery truck.

The new fortwo ED (electric drive) represents the fulfilment of a long-held promise. Electric smarts have been prowling London's streets since 2007, when the first generation smart EV (electric vehicle) was leased out to interested parties. This was superseded by the smart fortwo ED, with a range expanded to just over 70 miles (112 km). We spent an afternoon propelling the sparky little city car around the capital to assess its potential. The standard smart car is an ultra-simple driving experience, if not an especially thrilling one.

Adding an electric motor doesn't dampen the little car's urban zip (although it's certainly not up to highway speeds) and the ultra-simple nature of the electric transmission - it's either on, off or in reverse - means you can concentrate on the view ahead. While the stubby wheelbase makes the smart utterly slottable into the smallest of parking spaces, it doesn't help the ride quality one bit. Throw in a hefty load of batteries and every speed bump is an endurance test as the chassis slams itself down with a most indiscrete bump.

Just as MINI are using the lease-only 'E' model to gauge market reaction to pure electric drive, so the first generation EV was essentially a testbed, loaned out to organisations interested in slashing their transport emissions. However, smart hope to beat their competitors to the plug socket with the recent announcement that series production of the ED starts in November 2009, replete with all-new, faster-charging lithium ion battery packs. Built in Hambach, France, the cars will be lease-only until 2012, after which the carmaker promises to open the order to books to all interested parties. For now, your best way into one of the most sorted electric cars on the market is to head for Berlin, where the EV will head up the city's 'e-mobility Berlin', a suite of roadside charging stops that is intended to be the first step to a zero-emission city centre.

Source : Wallpaper*, September 7th, 2009

London's Electric Vehicle gets an upgrade

It seems the folks at UK-based electric vehicle retailer GoinGreen had good reason for their recent pre-Christmas clear out. They are now taking orders for the new, improved version of their popular Indian-made G-Wiz commuter vehicle. According to the company’s website, the G-Wiz i features a whole raft of improvements, including roomier cabin layout, an extended range of up to 48 miles (77 km) per charge (previously 40), and an increased top speed of 50mph (80 km/h) (previously 45mph - 72 km/h).

Importantly, given the fact that the G-Wiz has come under fire for its crash test performance, the vehicle also features new and improved safety features including increased front and side impact protection (developed in collaboration with Lotus), a strengthened space frame, a collapsible steering column, a hill rolling restraint feature, plus new front disc brakes that deliver a 30% improvement in performance. It should be noted that because the vehicle is officially classed as a quadricycle, it is not legally required to undergo the same rigorous tests as a car.

GoinGreen has now voluntarily submitted the G-Wiz to a front-impact crash test at 25mph but, especially given the new top speed, we don’t expect this will completely silence those concerned with the G-Wiz’s safety. We are, however, pleased to see the company investing in both safety and performance improvements, and we hope to see them making continued efforts in the future.

Source : TreeHugger, by Sami Grover, September 7th, 2009

Battle starts to power e-car market

As auto makers from Tesla to Nissan Motor Co jockey to dominate the next generation of electric-powered cars, a fight on which companies will control the lucrative market to fuel them is just getting started. US President Barack Obama aims to put a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 as part of the new effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming.

Cars are sexier than gas pumps or charging stations, but as the history of the oil industry shows, fuel is a big business. A million electric cars will need a lot of power and a complex system to make sure the grid is not overwhelmed. "Your head starts spinning when you think of what the possibilities and opportunities are but also the complexity," says Bill Nicholson, who leads the electric vehicle initiative at Portland General Electric in Oregon. He does not expect utilities to be big players setting up charging stations but they will provide power. "There will be some pretty large players in the charging station infrastructure business who will then partner with some pretty large players in the information side of this, the IBMs of the world and others that do nationwide deployment of standardized charging stations," he predicts.

Politics are sure to shape the economics of the industry. The Climate Change bill that has passed the US House of Representatives and is being considered by the Senate requires utilities to draw up plans for charging electric vehicles. It also sets financial incentives to set up charging stations and subsidies for people buying electric cars. Many wonder if electric vehicle sales will take off. Auto makers sold only about 160,000 hybrids, or 2.8% of total sales, in the US this year through to July, according to Autodata. Plug-in hybrids, which are part of Obama's goal of having 1 million electric cars on the roads by 2015, may account for 25% of auto sales by 2020, according to studies by the Department of Energy and environmental groups. Cheap to run Electric cars can be smooth, quiet and environmentally friendly. But they must deliver clear operating savings, since their price tag may initially be higher than conventional vehicles. Nissan roughly sees their operating cost equivalent to US$1.10 per gallon (3.78 liters) of gasoline.

Skeptics say charging stations won't be a viable business because drivers will top off batteries at home, except on long trips and won't want to pay a premium for electricity. "We've found that about 90% of our customers' charging happens at home," says JB Straubel, chief technology officer of Tesla Motors, maker of a US$100,000-plus electric sports car whose 483-kilometer range is triple that of mass market vehicles from other makers due to enter the market late next year. Proponents counter that charge stations will proliferate once there are a million or more electric cars on the roads. Most charging will be done at home but some cars don't even have a garage. "If you live in San Francisco, 51 percent of all cars are parked curbside at night," says Richard Lowenthal, founder and CEO of Coulomb Technologies which aims to sell about 1,000 charging stations this year at US$2,000-plus each. "I ship a station, I keep US$1,000," says Lowenthal. He expects five times as many sales next year but says electric charge stations will offer more than a plug. Company founders included former executives of Internet equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc and Coulomb see services such as finding a free charge spot by cell phone as key to its potential success.

A University of California, Berkeley study says as much as US$320 billion will be spent on charging infrastructure over the next couple of decades. The US Department of Energy recently awarded US$2.4 billion in electric vehicle related grants. Technology being developed by the industry will cut the time it takes to charge a car battery from hours to between 10 and 45 minutes. That won't be possible in most homes, but it should make long trips much easier. "That's kind of a game changer because then you can do fast charging and it's competitive with gasoline," says Jeff Kim, president of privately owned Shorepower Technologies which already has charging stations at truck stops to run air conditioners on big rigs while drivers sleep. A big roll-out of charging stations could come in about six months, says Kristen Helsel, director of electric vehicles at AeroVironment Inc. "What's really important is we go in before the cars, but not a whole lot before the cars," she says.

Views about who could own the stations are all over the map. Equipment makers could deploy stations themselves, parking garage and restaurant owners could buy them for their properties, and larger networks might be set up by independent operators or companies who see charging as part of a bigger business of providing services to electric car owners. Lowenthal has sold chargers to a McDonald's restaurant and his own landlord. Both hope to attract "green" clients, he says. He's also had interest from financiers. Entrepreneur Ron Percival, of PowerUp Systems Inc, is buying Shorepower stations and plans a network of "e-Stations" in Vancouver, Seattle and Toronto in time for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. If successful he will expand in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. A big question is whether municipalities and utilities will take on charging. Better Place, a California company with US$300 million in funding and plans to build networks from Australia to the San Francisco Bay Area, says cities and power companies won't do more than set up "seed" stations. "For real adoption you need to have real numbers. You can't have people driving around looking for a charge spot because it won't work," says Sidney Goodman, vice president of Automotive Alliances at Better Place. Better Place plans to lease batteries to drivers along with charging facilities. Motorists will be able to swap spent batteries at its stations and the company will develop a computer network to make the process easier. The company has not yet raised the money it will need to begin operations in the United States but it has started investing an expected US$150 million to US$200 million into deploying 100,000 charging spots and stations to swap out depleted batteries in its first deployment, Israel.

Source : Shanghaï Daily, by Peter Henderson, September 2nd, 2009

EV maker TH!NK plans US sales

We've always had a soft spot for Think, the Norwegian electric-car company. From its start in 1991, it set out to build not just battery-powered vehicles, but electric cars that could be used on highways and pass all safety tests in any country. That sets it apart from the scores of EV companies building low-speed "neighborhood electric vehicles," many of them little more than golf carts with doors, lights, and wipers.

But Think has been through more twists and turns than many companies twice its age. And now, like GM and Chrysler, it has emerged from bankruptcy with new funding (from private investors, not governments) and will resume its plans to sell cars in the US. Certified in EuropeIts Think City two-seater hatchback, first launched in 2000, has been granted full regulatory approval throughout Europe, and passes all highway safety tests. It provides a range of 100 miles (160 km) or more, at a top speed of 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). Think City production in Norway has been halted, and instead it will be built by Valmet in Finland, alongside some distinguished company: not only the 2010 Porsche Boxster and Cayman, but also (soon) the 2010 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sedan.

Production should resume by the end of 2009, according to Think CEO Richard Canny, and the company will restart its efforts to plan for US sales of the car by 2011. Think hopes to launch pilot and fleet tests of the car next year. Think is also considering building the City in the US, based partly on a $25 billion US Department of Energy grant program to retool existing plants for production of energy-efficient vehicles. A staff of 12 in Dearborn, Michigan, is now assessing potential factory sites.

Owned from 1999 to 2003 by Ford, Think got caught up in last year's economic collapse, and filed for bankruptcy. Now, it has been recapitalized with $47 million of investment from three new investors. They include Ener1, Inc. from the USA; Valmet Automotive, from Finland; and Investinor, an investment fund backed by the Norwegian Government. Ener1's subsidiary, EnerDel, will supply lithium-ion cells for the Think's battery pack. Charmingly, the company actually spells its name with an exclamation point--Th!nk--although in deference to journalists and typographers everywhere, it is usually referred to simply as Think.

Source : GreenCarReports, by John Voelcker, August 28th, 2009

US Bets on EVs to Recapture Lead in Automobiles

The United States is focused on developing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), pouring massive amounts of capital into PHEVs and the "Smart Grid."

On the other hand, Japanese corporations are showing signs of cooling off, while European companies are banding together as a counter measure. Simultaneously, electric vehicles (EV) are beginning to spread to places like India and China.

"We'll bring cars back to the US," says the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), summingup the activities of the American government as it tries to resuscitate the automobile industry shattered by such failures as the bankruptcies of Chrysler LLC of the US and General Motors Corp of the US. The keys to this recovery are the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and the Smart Grid.

The concrete goal of the US Government is to incorporate the charging systems for PHEVs into a new "Smart Grid," a multi-function commercial power distribution system currently under development. By promoting the development of PHEVs, positioned as the "next hybrid vehicle" by Toyota Motor Corp of Japan, together with the deployment of the Smart Grid, American planners hope to make up for lost ground in EV development in a single bound. If they can win the competition for the EV, the next hot prospect in automobiles, the American government believes it can lead the automotive industry once again.

As a result, the US Government is investing on an entirely different order from previous efforts. Smart Grid development can tap up about US$11 billion in funds. PHEVs, with a target of a million vehicles on the road by 2015, have about US$17 billion in funds available for purchasing incentives, development, etc.

The American industry is now boiling with the heat of a massive investment of capital. At the 24th International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition, held in Norway May 13-16, 2009, sixty-three of the total of three hundred and seventy papers presented were given by American corporations, research institutions, etc, and almost all of them dealt with the Smart Grid, PHEVs and related topics.

Source : TechOn, by, Naoshige Shimizu, August 28th, 2008

How EVs and PHEVs can help out India and China

Automobile manufacturers in industrialized nations which already have high-level standards for quality, safety, reliability, etc, express disbelief that Think Nordic's approach to EVs could actually produce anything like a real car. Some manufacturers in nations like the United States or Japan are still cool to the idea of EVs at all, compared to hybrids or PHEVs. Many people seem to agree with this source at Toyota Motor, who says "EV applications are going to stay limited for some time to come."

Part of the reason for this attitude is that the batteries available today lack sufficient range per charge, and their service lives are not long enough for automotive use. According to an estimate presented by Toyota Motor, the charge/discharge depth of rechargeable batteries in EVs is several times greater than in PHEVs, limiting the charge/discharge cycle life to about two thousand cycles. This is only about 20% that of PHEVs.

In burgeoning economies like India, China and other nations, with huge populations, however, people are looking at EVs quite a bit differently. They all claim that EVs are needed badly. India in particular "...welcomes Think Nordic's proposal with open arms," according to a source at REVA Electric Car of India. To the Indians, with a relatively low economic standard, a low price is absolutely essential even if quality is sacrificed somewhat. In addition, many people feel that EVs are better suited to Indian needs than PHEVs, citing environmental problems, traffic and other factors. According to a source at REVA Electric Car, "We don't need any more vehicles with internal combustion engines or the environmental problems will get even worse because of exhaust gas and other pollutants. We need EVs."

Another source at Chattelec Vehicles India Ltd of India explained that the situation is so bad that the number of deaths from exhaust pollution-related diseases is higher than traffic deaths. Traffic congestion in urban areas is intense, and REVA Electric Car estimates that 80% of users drive no more than 25km (15.5 miles) at a time. The urban population of India is predicted to increase by about 50% in the next twenty years. Given that the relatively short trip distance is not likely to change any time soon, EVs would seem sufficient. If charging can be handled adequately, existing EV technology could be upgraded to resolve these problems. India is actively developing EV technology. Tata Motors of India, which attracted global attention by selling a gasoline automobile for about 2100 US dollars, announced in March that it will ship the Indica Vista EV in Sept 2009. Until now, the only firm in India working on EVs has been REVA Electric Car.

Exhaust gas, traffic congestion and similar issues are as severe in China as they are in India, and government agencies plan to set introduction targets for EVs and other vehicles, and promote adoption. They plan to begin with public transportation, such as buses, tilting financial incentives heavily in favor of larger vehicles.

China hopes to establish targets for each type of energy utilized by vehicles by 2020, and drive domestic manufacturers to develop EVs. The China branch of the World Electric Vehicle Association (WEVA) has announced plans to reduce the use of vehicles using petroleum-based energy (gasoline, hybrids, etc), as per Chinese government policy, and switch to non-fossil fuel energy sources such as EVs and fuel cells for the transportation sector, which accounts for half of total energy consumption. However, half the existing vehicles will still be on the road, and so the nation intends to leave the infrastructure for gasoline and other liquid fuels in place through 2020.

This plan is being implemented through some 863 individual projects, including EVs and fuel cell vehicles. Part of the plan is boosting the number of EVs, PHEVs and similar vehicles in thirteen cities to at least one thousand units within three years.

Source : TechOn, by Naoshige Shimizu, August 28th, 2009

EVs, PHEVs ready to hit the streets

Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are two technologies that automakers are trying to develop for mainstream use, but two upstart California companies are leading the alternative vehicle world. Tesla Motors already sells the only electric vehicle legal for highway use, while Fisker Automotive stands to be the first to bring a plug-in hybrid to market.

The Fisker Karma is a stylish sedan with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Also known as a series hybrid, it differs from the hybrids on the roads today in that the gasoline engine acts as a generator only. It has no mechanical connection to drive the wheels. The Karma will drive the first 50 miles on electric power only, after which the gasoline engine will start up as needed to make electricity. The Karma captures energy used to slow the car down via regenerative braking. Sound familiar? Yes, it’s the same idea as the Chevrolet Volt. In fact, the Karma will use some General Motors parts, including the four-cylinder engine to supplement the hybrid electric drive provided by partner Quantum Technologies. The vehicles will be assembled in Finland by Valmet Automotive, builders of the Porsche Boxster.

Designer and Chief Executive Officer Henrik Fisker styled cars for BMW and Aston Martin. Fisker showed the production version of the Karma at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in January, along with a concept version of a hardtop convertible. The Karma sedan made its first public “driving debut” earlier this month at the Laguna Seca Raceway. Orders are being taken for both models, with deliveries of the Karma sedan scheduled to start in 2010. Prices start at $87,900. Fisker Automotive has chosen the Patrick and Fields dealer groups to market the Karma in the Chicago area. For now Fisker has decided to work with established dealers with experience in selling luxury brands rather than building new dealerships. They are also not requiring their dealers to stock vehicles beyond demo and display units.

The Tesla Roadster is a two-seat electric car with a stated range of 244 miles (390 km) and 0-to-60 acceleration of 3.9 seconds. Lotus builds the chassis in England and assembles the bodies. It has a family resemblance to the Lotus Elise, though it actually shares very few parts. The electric motor, controller and lithium ion battery pack are installed at Tesla’s headquarters in San Carlos, Calif. The Roadster base price is $109,000 and qualifies for a $7,500 federal tax credit. Tesla also offers an even faster, more performance-oriented Roadster Sport.

Tesla Motors has already delivered more than 500 Roadsters. “We are opening our first stores based on the number of current customers we have in each market. We already have several dozen Roadsters on the roads in Chicago and the Chicagoland region,” said Rachel Konrad, Tesla spokesperson. Tesla is opening a stand-alone store at 1053 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago, with a VIP customer reception on Sept. 10 followed by a public open house the next two days. Tesla wants its locations, which are all company owned, to be more like Apple stores or Starbuck’s than a traditional car dealership.

The master plan is to launch a new car, built in California, in 2012. "In addition to having numerous customers in the area for the Roadster, we anticipate that the region will be an excellent one for the Model S sedan, which is our next car," Konrad said. " The Model S has half the sticker price of the Roadster and will also be offered in all-wheel drive, which a lot of customers want in the upper Midwest.

"When asked how the sporty alternative Roadster might fare in our climate, Konrad said, "It's important to note that we do our cold-weather testing literally on a frozen lake in Sweden near the Arctic Circle. We do our hot-weather battery testing in south Texas. Two of our best national markets outside of the United States are Canada and Norway. So it’s very safe to say that we do not have problems in cold weather.Also, we offer two hard-top options on the Roadster and as you can imagine they are very popular in northern climates, while the standard soft-top is popular in California, Texas, Florida and Hawaii."

Source : Chicago SunTimes, by Andy Mikonis, August 26th, 2009