Now that the initial excitement over the new Trexa electric vehicle (EV) platform has subsided somewhat, the start-up has decided to issue information that is typically a bit more sobering, the price. In this case however, the six digits just might create much ado anew. How does $15,999 grab you? Yeah, us too.

For that price, new EV companies could spring forth like so many daisies, each with their own innovative ideas about what kind of vehicle to mount atop the scalable skateboard. Conceptual configurations might get constructed in weeks instead of months. EV and hydrogen advocates may finally make lasting friendships. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves we should say what that price includes. A car don't roll if it ain't got no wheels. Luckily the base Trexa comes with a full set of hoops and, along with them, everything else you need to have a self-powered prototype. We're talking a motor, 7 kWh battery module with built-in management system, a charger, a choice of wheelbase lengths (up to 96 inches) and a vehicle developer's kit (VDK) that gives you CAD (computer assisted design) models as well as some other hardware bits.

But what if you wanted the whole twin-motor four-wheel-drive, 28 kWh, 6 kW charger super-deluxe kit and kaboodle? What then? Price tag apocalypse? According to our highly-placed sources, the company thinks it can offer a package all-kitted out for under $32,000. The mind boggles. We can only hope these newcomers can keep up with expectations and (hopefully) demand. Official press release after the break.



[Source: Trexa]

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The slim profile that is the Quantya line-up is about to alter its silhouette in the form of a new model, or so the company would seem to tease in a recent tweet. Presented for our postulating pleasure was a picture of their latest product veiled in a crimson red cloth with a promise of a reveal at the upcoming Swiss-Moto event in Zürich. Being the impatient people we are, we couldn't help but take some stabs at what lies beneath the shroud and so relying on our knowledge of the company and its history (and with some help from the software wonder that is Photoshop) we've ventured a few guesses. One concoction we can count out straight away is the Frankensnowbike, since the hem of the harboring garment is lifted just enough in front to see a bit of black tire rubber.

Hit the jump to look at our photo manipulations and leave your own conjecture in the comments section. If you don't feel like straining your brain, no need to leave quite so soon. Skip to the bottom of the page where we placed a sweet video Quantya has put together of their present piece of sweetness in competitive combat at last year's Ride Green Eco Enduro.

[Source: Quantya]

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The first Andros Electric Trophy season has wrapped up and Nicolas Prost can lay claim to winning the first professional electric racing series ever held. His 250 points were 23 more than the nearest competitor after three sets of races on seven different tracks. The son of Alain started the season with a podium finish behind Marlène Broggi and race winner Jean-Baptiste Dubourg, despite being new to the ice, and found his way to the top spot by the second event at Grandvalira in Andorra. Although the competition was tight, Prost managed to return to the podium's peak with a dominating frequency that made him the outright favorite early on.

The drivers as a whole really seemed to enjoy a great sense of camaraderie at the Andros Trophy (or as they say in the official language of the series, la Trophée Andros Électrique). They were impressed by the vehicles and many are on record as saying they forgot all about the unique powertrain once the green flag dropped and their right feet pushed floorward. Between the races, there was expressed satisfaction of the environmentally improved nature of the event and lots of mentions of the electrically-powered vehicles being the "future of racing."

The eight copies of the Andros Car 03-Evo 2 built by Exagon Engineering held up quite well and put their torquey (147 pound-feet) 90 kW (122 horsepower) Siemens AC motors to good use, rounding the seven different circuits only a couple seconds slower than their long-established gas-powered marquee'd-marque-built cousins. There was the odd failure but considering the nature of the events, with the cars frequently banging into snowbanks and each other, the battery-powered buggies proved quite robust. To get a taste of some of the electric ice-racing action, check out the boat-load (10!) of videos waiting for you after the jump.

[Source: Trophée Andros]

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It's been almost three years since would-be automaker Velozzi first appeared on our radar with plans to enter a vehicle into the X-Prize competition. A lot has changed since then, they've added the SOLO crossover (above) to their future vehicles list, they're no longer X-Prize contenders and that original twin-motor design for their 200 miles per hour electric supercar has been replaced by a single monster 574 kW (770 horsepower!) AC-induction affair. Oh yeah, and they've settled on Capstone as the supplier for the microturbine.

We've seen these multi-fuel (diesel, bio-diesel, ethanol, methanol, jet fuel, propane and compressed natural gas) rotary engines before in both buses and road-going autos, so we're are pretty sure it can be done. Will Velozzi actually do it? Mediocre renders, pie-in-the-sky numbers (200 mph, 0 - 60 in 3 seconds, 200 miles on a charge for the supercar) and long lists of high-tech suppliers but no vehicle after three years does not much credibility build. Show us something. Please. Press release after the break.




[Source: Capstone Turbine Corporation via Green Car Congress]

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Now that BYD has permission to begin selling its all-electric E6 in China, it is wasting no time getting them out the factory door. If you want to take a ride in one, we suggest you travel to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and call a cab. It might take a few (dozen) tries but eventually, you'll (possibly) get one. Surpassing the early sales of its F3DM hybrid sibling, the Buffet-backed company has already delivered the better part of a 100-vehicle order to the Shenzhen Taxi Company Ltd., part of its strategy to press its 5-seater MPV into cab service and take advantage of a subsidy program offered by its home city meant to help ease the bite of a 300,000 yuan price tag ($43,940 U.S. at today's rates).

While the demand for full-size electric taxis in China may be grow quite strong as cities such as Beijing seek to replace gas-powered fleets, BYD must do a better job of engineering safety into their vehicles. Either that or become better at tamping down rumors such as the one that says an engineer with the company received a (non-fatal) shock and severe burns as he attempted to unplug an e6. Considering this, the E6's price tag and a previous description of the vehicle as being "half-baked", we are beginning to suspect the announced rollout in America later this year will either not happen or be remarkably unsuccessful.



[Source: Alibaba / Sina Auto / iFeng]

If you consider yourself a right proper gent or madam in Britain or Ireland who has the means and desire to possess a Tesla Roadster, not being able to pop down to the London dealership and pick one out with right-hand-drive is no longer a reason to put off this pleasurable purchase. As you can see in the photo above, the Lotus-built bodies are now available with the steering wheel located on the appropriate side, and if you happen to be nigh to Knightsbridge, you can take one for a test-drive.

If you are seriously serious about it, we suggest you don't dawdle. Considering this configuration also allows them to be sold in Japan, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong may mean they'll all be snapped up sooner than might be suspected. They aren't going to make them forever, you know, and it may be a long wait before an electric sports car with similar range or performance comes along. Go on, check out the gallery below and tell us what other green machine shines so bright on a cloudy London day. Press release after the break.



[Source: Tesla Motors]

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In reporting on a $350 million funding round for Better Place, we said that we doubted another automaker besides Nissan-Renault is building vehicles that would work with the company's battery-swapping system. Might a report in Globes prove us wrong? According to the Israeli business news site, the "Chinese media" has disclosed that the Chery-Quantum joint venture (a 50 percent stake of which is held by Israel Corp., Better Place's chief investor) is designing a compact electric jeep at a studio in Milan code-named T21. Said jeep would have a "double floor" that will accommodate a swappable battery they suggest may use cells from A123 and generally resemble a small version of the Chery Tiggo. Got all that? Is it true?

While we finally had to admit defeat in finding a Chinese media outlet discussing a creature exactly as described by Globes, we did find reference to a T21. From what we can tell from those reports, the T21 is not a jeep and not electric. Heck, it's not even designed in Milan. According to the Chinese media sites (via Google translate) that we checked out, the T21 is actually a compact SUV dubbed the Chery Tiggo 5 (pictured above), designed in Turin, that had been axed but is now being put back on the menu. Now, perhaps there is a stone out there big enough to hide a jeep under that we left unturned but all signs seem to point this Better Place battery-swapper to be non-existent, though if you can prove otherwise, we'd be happy to hear about it.

As far as we know, plans are still in place for Chery to sell some eco-friendly cars, beginning with the electric S18 (though it may now be called the Riich M1 EV) as early as this June. And its batteries don't swap.

[Source: Globes / Gasgoo]

The Brammo Enertia has attempted a few things no other electric motorcycle ever has. It's turned the traditional sales model on its head by way of gaining distribution through the electronics retailer Best Buy rather than motorcycle shops. It's gone on a lengthy road trip in a quest to reach an audience with the POTUS. It (with a few modifications) placed 3rd in the Isle of Man TTXGP race last summer. Now comes word that the commuter powercycle may be going kung fu fighting.

Rumors are flying on the Interwebz that in an upcoming movie called Chinese Zodiac, the Enertia will be mixing it up with martial arts master Jackie Chan. If the product placement does occur, it won't be to fulfill any contractual obligations but rather because the actor has something of a personal vested interest in getting the machine more exposure. His company, JCAM Advanced Mobility Company, Ltd. is the official Asian distributor and will be selling the bike in its stores in both Hong Kong and Singapore. To get an idea what may happen to the Enertia should it make its film debut, check out the video of Jackie's top 10 favorite stunts after the break. To go straight to the bike parts, skip to 6:43.


[Source: BrammoFan | Source Image: Jackie Chan]

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It would appear as though earlier speculation about Aptera's co-founders being ousted is somewhat closer to the truth than what we may have been lead to believe. In their latest newsletter, the company acknowledges that Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations though, it states both will "continue to guide the company direction from their positions as board members." After reading through the many threads at the unofficial Aptera Forum that give the distinct impression that the departures may have been more than just a little acrimonious, we can only wonder how much that "guidance" will be appreciated or even followed.

Fans of the actual product (it's all about the very slick 2e, remember?) can only hope that the political wrangling will soon be water under the bridge and the staff situation stabilized. Well, except for the VP of manufacturing position. The holder of that post will also be joining the ex-Aptera-employees club as, according to the newsletter, David Oakley has also decided to step down to "pursue a similar position with another firm." OK, can we move on from the politics now?

Proving that he is more about looking out the windshield than in the rear-view mirror, the talented Mr. Fambro has been making good use of the free time on his hands. According to a few statements made at the aforementioned online forum, he's gone back into the garage (and a lab and a small office in an undisclosed location) and has begun tinkering again. He is being somewhat tight-lipped about his new project but has let slip that, "it's in the cleantech space, involves nano-composites, aerodynamics......um...that's about it. I wonder what it could be?" We're wondering too. If you care to venture a guess, hit us up in the comments section which follows a copy of the latest Aptera newsletter after the break.


[Source: Aptera / Aptera Forum | Source Image: emdot - C.C. License 2.0]

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In a press release that acknowledges the success of last year's inaugural TTXGP held on the Isle of Man and thanks that organization for their hard work, the self-governing British Crown dependency's Department of Tourism and Leisure (DTL) has announced that they are taking over the event and have re-named it the TT Zero. Now ain't that a fine how do you do? Luckily, TTXGP officials had plenty of notice so as to make alternate arrangements. To add insult to injury, TTXGP officials only learned of this development at the time of the announcement and have yet to make an official statement of their own though, when they do, it's likely to include words such as "stunned" and "disappointment." It all stands in sharp contrast to the warm compliments that flowed back and forth between the Isle's Environment Minister John Shimmin and race-founder Azhar Hussain when the two unveiled the Mavizen TT02 just weeks ago at SEMA .

While a number of teams had already announced their intentions to contest the eGrandPrix event, it's still unclear if the TT Zero will attract the same amount of interest or even if TTXGP teams will be contractually restricted from running in the new event. To improve their chances of attracting contenders, the DTL is holding out the promise of £10,000 ($15,960 U.S. at today's exchange rate) for the first team to average more than 100 miles per hour around the 37.73 mile Snaefell Mountain Course. Qualifying for the TT Zero will occur on June 5th and 7th, with the main event happening on the afternoon of the 9th. Press release awaits your scrutiny after the break.

[Source: Hell for Leather / Motorcycle News / IOM TT]

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