How can we figure out how much potential electric car buyers are willing to pay for their battery-powered rides? Why not just ask them?

That's what Liberty Electric Cars did at the recent Eden Project 'Green' Car Show. Liberty conducted "in-depth interviews" at the show and found that green car fans are willing to pay up to 30 percent more for a car if it's powered solely by electrons. That's a huge premium that at least some in our little community are willing to fork over. On a $20,000, for example, that's six grand, and 65 percent of the people Liberty interviewed said the 30 percent extra is no problem. Forty-five percent, though, said that smaller, less powerful, "city" cars would not be acceptable. I guess that means that 55 percent think that the Th!nk City (pictured) would be OK, which is good.

Liberty Electric Cars is the company that's working to convert Range Rovers to EVs. More info after the jump.

[Source: Liberty Electric Cars]

DaimlerChrysler announced Monday that the company will stop making the diesel Jeep Liberty SUV for sale in the U.S., despite better-than-expected sales in 2005. According to the Detroit News, the compact SUV's engine doesn't meet new tough federal emissions standards that will kick in next year and Chrysler didn't want to put a newer engine into the Liberty. A Chrysler spokeswoman told the Detroit News, "The emission standards are becoming very stringent, and we weren't able to make a credible business case for a limited production vehicle."

The company is not giving up on diesel altogether. A diesel version of the Grand Cherokee SUV is coming in 2007. Diesel Liberty vehicles, which are built in Toledo, will still be sold in Europe. The new diesel regulations have also affected Volkswagen, which recently announced they would not release any diesel versions of their Jetta, Golf or Beetle models in 2007.

[Source: The Detroit News]