Click above for high-res gallery of the Lotus Evora

Way back in Febuary of 2006, Lotus seemingly looked past its sports car roots by introducing the "Aluminium Performance Crossover ", or APX concept, which was powered by a supercharged 3.0L DOHC V6. Although the crossover had room for seven people, it weighed just 3,454 pounds -- very light for a vehicle of its size and capabilities. At least Lotus hadn't lost its "add lightness" mantra. And, it appears that it never actually lost sight of its sports car history either, as the Versatile Vehicle Architecture originally introduced over two years ago is now the basis for its brand new Evora.

The Evora appears about as far from the APX concept as one could get, proving that its aluminum-heavy platform is just as versatile as Lotus claims. While we are happy to see Lotus continue its tradition of lightweight performance cars, we can all still hold out hope that an electric vehicle based off the APX concept could see the light of day at some point, as Lotus plans to sell just 2,000 Evoras per year, a small portion of the total VVA-based vehicles the small British manufacturer says it can produce. In the accompanying press release, Lotus says that its still spearheading research into hybrids and full electric vehicles.

[Source: Lotus via Autoblog]

Update: AutoblogGreen is not endorsing any of the companies in the article linked to below. The point of this post is to point out that there are many companies who are hoping to get a piece of the green automotive pie.

Update - Editor's Note: We should make clear from the top of the post that Investor Ideas is paid by Zap! to promote Zap! products and so they are not an independent third party. AutoblogGreen does not take money for posts, and we never have and never will, and we should have pointed out that Investor Ideas does in the original text of this post. Investor Ideas does disclose the financial relationship with Zap! in tiny print at the bottom of their page, but we want to state it clearly up front. Thanks to Darryl and Rick for their comments pointing this out.

If you frequent our site, nothing in this article will come as groundbreaking to you. If not, you really should read our content! Then, if you want, check out the article. What you will find is that there are currently some pretty good choices for you next vehicle if you'd like to go green. You will also find that there are many more choices poised to grab some market share. Competing technologies such as plug-in electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and even hydrogen vehicles will be attempting to make inroads on American roads soon enough. What that means is that this is an exciting time to be involved, as we are kinda at a "Genesis" in the technology. Where will things go from here? Time will tell, and consumers will vote with their pocketbooks.

If ZAP! can actually bring their exciting products to market, I'd expect them to become a major player. As it stands now, though, their three-wheeled electric vehicles are not going to be replacing too many internal combustion powered cars anytime soon. If their electric Lotus APX or their Obvio vehicles actually show up, watch out!

GM intends to produce the Volt, read about that here. If you don't need a new car before, say, 2010... you may be in luck. We here at AutoblogGreen soundly believe that the Volt could be a market-changing vehicle for GM in the same way that the Prius was for Toyota. Don't forget Honda, the most fuel efficient brand in America, either. Like I said, exciting times indeed!

[Source: Investor Ideas]

Will Tesla soon have competition in the electric supercar market from Zap? They just might, if you believe the almost unbelievable statistics Zap! is claiming in their press release (a really big if). Information at this point leads us to believe that Zap!, like fellow electric carmaker Phoenix, will be using batteries purchased from Altairnano. Claims from Zap! indicate that their vehicle with these batteries will be able to travel 350 miles between charges, after a charge time of only 10 minutes. Phoenix claims a similarly short charge time for their vehicles with the Altairnano batteries.

Other interesting "green features" of the vehicle include solar charging from the vehicles glass. We have pondered the possibility of this before, and now it seems it may become a reality. Don't expect the solar charging to add a significant amount of drive time however, perhaps the vehicles accessories won't drain the batteries so fast. Don't expect a great deal of luggage space, however, the vehicle does have 4 doors, making it a more practical choice than some other potential electric vehicles. The dimensions of the vehicle indicate it will be slightly larger than the Toyota Prius. Here is one statistic that the Prius can't touch... how about up to 644 horsepower and a top speed of 155 mph? This performance would come with all-wheel-drive courtesy of a motor in each wheel.

Click for more about the vehicle, and another concept drawing.



[Source: ZAP via Insidegreentech]

I think all the news of the Tesla Roadster and the Chevy Volt that came out since last summer has reminded a lot of people that there are some serious contenders to the gasoline engine. The electric vehicle (EV) community certainly thinks 2006 was a good year for EVs. In fact, the past has seen some truly cool EVs, and the list of retired EVs is long and, for some, emotional: the EV1, the Ranger EV, the RAV4 EV and so on. But there should be no time for mourning and instead a look toward the future. Actually, we don't even need to guess what great EVs are coming down the pipe, there are already some wicked cool EVs available today. If you're ready to get off the gas in 2007, consider one of these, the Top Ten Electric Cars of 2007 (Aside from the Roadster, which certainly deserves the Number 1 spot, the list is in no real order).

Tesla Roadster - This car has reinvigorated the EV market like no other. While technically no one can buy it this year (all 100 vehicles that will be available later in 2007 have already been spoken for, I can't help but place it at No. 1. With a 0-60 time beneath four seconds and a look that makes you just want to hop in and drive, the Roadster (More)



UEV Spyder - Universal Electric Vehicle's Spyder made an impressive debut at the Santa Monica Alt Car Expo last December, even though I heard a lot of people ask, "Is this the Tesla?" This EV will be available with different battery configurations at different price levels (some comparable to the Roadster). You don't hear so many people talk the Spyder up, but it seems to share many of the same qualities that make the Roadster so exciting: speed, zero emissions, and sports-car styling. (More)



Phoenix SUT – Yeah, it's expensive ($45,000), but EVs aren't cheap. Heck, retired Toyota RAV4 EVs regularly go for more than $50,000 on eBay, and the batteries in those things are old. Phoenix has been working with Altairnano Technologies on new batteries and is bringing this sports utility truck to market with better range than the RAV4 (but, admittedly, not as much size). Phoenix says they hope to sell 500 SUTs by the end of the year. Perhaps a better name will pump up sales. (More)

Miles ZX40 – While the Spyder and the Roadster don't really ask the driver to make any sacrifices (aside from in the bank account), EVs like those from Miles are not a replacement for a "standard" car, but a solid contender for second vehicle for certain families or individuals, or as a main vehicle for those who don't have to go very far. The Miles ZX40 is like a lot of NEVs – limited to a top speed of 25 mph, a range of around 50 miles per charge and a price of about $12,000-$20,000. (We don't actually know the price of the ZX40, but other NEVs are priced in this range). Another Miles model, the OR70, can go 35 mph. (More)

ZENN – Another player in the NEV field, ZENN's cars are "zero emission, no noise." Get it? ZENN. These NEVs have a lower range than Miles' offerings (only about 35 miles) and are a bit smaller, too. When I drove one in D.C. last year the battery was on its last legs and in need of a charge, but still drove well. The various options can add up to $2,500 to the $12,500 base price. But the most exciting part about ZENN's offerings are yet to come: the EESTOR ultra capacitor is still shrouded in mystery, but the potential is great for this new EV power source (as is the disappointment if the EESTOR doesn't live up to the hype). (More)

GEM e2 – Yes, they look funny. No, they can't go very far or very fast. But GEM electric vehicles have been available for years and the company has a wide range of models available (two through six seats, with or without a flatbed) and prices ($7,000-$12,500). GEMs are used around the country on various campuses, but models like the e2 are obviously targeted to home users. (More)



Smart EV - Available in Switzerland and the UK, the tiny Smart EVs are zero-emission versions of their fossil-fuel drinking cousins. These cars share the easy-parking abilities and unique styling of the standard Smarts, but are only available in the fortwo configuration and only to "to blue chip companies who are happy to meet our requirements to power the cars using only renewable energy sources," says Smart UK. Conversions for your standard Smart are also available. (More)

Mullen L1X-75 – Some of our readers are skeptical of Hybrid Technologies, maker of the Mullen L1X-75, saying their press releases promise more than they can ever deliver. The L1X-75 certainly promises a lot - 100-mile range on a 4-6 hour charge - and this comes at a price ($125,000). Still, the sports car look will attract the eye of those you zip by, and I'd certainly give one a whirl. (More)

G-Wiz EV – available in the UK (and desired by Sir Elton John), the G-Wiz costs a little bit (£8,299 to £6,999) more than some of the short-range EVs in America, but you get something extra in England, too: exemption from certain taxes and London congestion charges and free parking in some areas. There are even free charging stations in some locations. (More)

Kurrent – A tiny and very distinctive-looking NEV, the Kurrent's price ($10,600) includes home delivery because, as American Electric Vehicle president Scott Thornton told AutoblogGreen, if AEV allowed the Kurrent to be sold at just any dealership, the customer might not be able to drive it home thanks to U.S. laws that restrict NEVs to roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or below. Lead-acid batteries deliver a range of about 40-mile range. (More)



For Number 10, I cannot ignore all of the homemade EVs and converted EVs. People have been creating their own electric vehicles for year, and the trend continues. For examples, read more here, here and here.

There are more EVs available today, and if you feel I should've included any in this Top Ten list, add it yourself in the comments. Also, there are a lot of upcoming EVs to get excited about - Tesla's WhiteStar sedan, Zap!'s Lotus APX - so if you're sick of gassing up your car, consider going all-electric. They're not for everyone, but they might be perfect for you.