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2011
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May
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- Fisker Karma Makes European Debut at Monaco Grand ...
- Ford Focus RS
- UPS Composite Van Boost MPG by 40%
- Fullycharged John O'Groats to Lands end in a Tesla...
- Suzuki With Hot Hatchback in Geneva with Swift S-C...
- Lorinser Gives Revamped Mercedes-Benz S-Class More...
- Seat Start Production of Audi Q3 in 2012
- Mitsubishi target 25,000 i-MiEV sales in FY 2011
- Transformers 3 "Dark of the Moon"
- BMW, Mercedes-Benz Fight to Outsell Each Other in ...
- Nissan LEAF: Gas Powered Everything [video]
- Renault - Electric Life [video]
- BritNed 1 GW HVDC Interconnector between UK and EU...
- 2011 Ford Escape
- Newey: Red Bull Racing underestimated KERS
- Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2011 overview and drea...
- 2011 Holden VE Series II SS V8 Ute
- Targa Tasmania 2011 - In the Cockpit of a Tesla Ro...
- Bosch to get VW contract for EV batteries
- Tesla Announces Follow-On Offering of Common Stock
- The fastest way to charge your Nissan Leaf - towin...
- Grand Prix Electrique Pile Up at 2011 Grand Prix d...
- 2011 Ford Fiesta S1600
- Mercedes-Benz to Style Helicopter Interiors, Yacht...
- Nissan Leaf Earns Top Safety Rating from NCAP [video]
- UK Police take delivery of first electric patrol car
- Electric Porsche Boxster E breaks cover @ Challeng...
- Lexus LF-Gh Concept
- Concept vehicle art by John Frye
- Azure Dynamics Sells 27 Ford Transit Connect EVs t...
- Venturi Volage wins 3 awards @ the Challenge Bibendum
- Nissan Leaf prices set to fall
- All-New 2012 Kia Rio 5 Hatchback
- VW plans to introduce EVs in Japan within 3 years
- All-New 2012 Subaru Impreza
- Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2011 [video]
- Vexing Hex: Iranian Designer Pens 6-Wheel Mercedes...
- New Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck
- Multijet II Turbo Diesel for Alfa Romeo MiTo
- Deal for first 100 government EVs almost done
- Chevrolet Volt Plant Prepares for Production Boost...
- Nissan could help Red Bull with KERS
- Japanese electric car 'goes 300km' on single charge
- Toyota Extends Production Halt until March 22
- Johnson Controls Moves to Dissolve Battery Joint V...
- Brabus Gives Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series M...
- 2011 NYIAS: Lexus CT 200h
- Majority of consumers would consider buying an EV ...
- Obama administration wants rebate on electric cars
- V2G might make a profit for EV owners
- GM Electric Motors Plant is First for Major U.S. A...
- Toyota Verso-S 2011
- Aston Martin Will Build a Cygnet EV
- Fully Charged Delta E4 test drive, Blackcurrent VW...
- Opel: First battery car from 2013
- All New NISSAN LEAF NISMO RC 2011 SHAKEDOWN [video]
- Toyota’s Prius V Gets Over 8 Times As Many Orders ...
- Germany Doubles Electric Vehicle Research and Deve...
- BMW M5 Concept
- 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC
- Brammo wins in TTXGP season opener at Infineon Rac...
- Volkswagen to make electric cars in China with FAW
- Solar Field to Power Chevrolet Volt Assembly Plant
- Test Drive of the Electric Ford Transit Van [video]
- Order Books Open for Nissan Leaf in Spain
- Volvo Going Racing with Rear-Drive Volvo S60
- Porsche 911 GT3 500HP
- Clarkson and Co filming the Nissan Leaf and Peugeo...
- Top Gear up to their usual Electric Car comedy rou...
- How It's Made: Audi R8 e-tron AWD Electric Super C...
- Aurelien Francois concept vehicle
- Air Conditioner
- Electric cars take off in Norway
- Volkswagen to introduce plug-in hybrids by 2013
- Vettel, Webber Praise Red Bull for KERS Fix
- Toyota to make plug-ins standard for Prius from 2014
- Concept vehicle art by Nick Carver
- New York Could See Electric Taxis by 2017
- Nissan Leaf NISMO Electric Race Car ON TRACK [video]
- Toyota consumer’s first choice for hybrid and elec...
- Ford shows off prototype of new electric Focus [vi...
- 'KERS worked well' - Webber
- Jaguar and Williams F1 set for UK-made hybrid car ...
- All-electric garbage trucks to sweep French streets
- Spyker Set to Sell its Cars in Select Saab Showrooms
- A123 signs on as sponsor of TTXGP electric motorcy...
- Hertz Introduces Tesla Roadster Electric Vehicles ...
- Wrc
- Nissan's Leaf sales spike in April
- Peugeot EX1 electric car record run around the Nür...
- Red Bull's KERS problem fixed - Marko
- Increase proposed to $9,500 Electric Car Tax Credit
- BYD e6 all-electric car [video]
- Rent A Racer: Audi Race Experience Program Puts Yo...
- Toyota FJ Cruiser
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- YASA Motors Announce Electric and Hybrid Road and ...
- Amp Electric Vehicles scores $100M deal in Iceland
- Mercedes plans electric S-class
- Chevrolet Volt Drawing New Customers to Dealers
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May
(102)
Electric cars take off in Norway
They speed past gas guzzlers in traffic, ignore congestion charges and get city centre parking for free. In a country whose wealth is fuelled by oil, Oslo has become the world capital of the electric car.
"There are more electric cars per capita here than in any other capital of the world," said Rune Haaland, the head of the electric car users association Norstart, standing in a city centre car park forbidden to other car users.
Almost 4,000 of the small, clean and silent vehicles are on the roads of Norway, although they are found mainly in the cities, and the number is climbing as new models come onto the market.
From the tiny, locally-made Buddy, to the sporty Tesla, which can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometres (62 miles) in less than four seconds, all sorts of electric cars have taken to the roads of the Norwegian capital.
Norway may be one of the world's top fossil fuel exporters, but it has set ambitious climate policy objectives, aiming to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2020.
"The electric car is a very important tool for that, knowing that 40 percent of our emissions come from the transport sector and 60 percent of those come from road transport," Transport Minister Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa told AFP.
According to some estimates, the country's 3,891 electric cars allow it to save over 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
To persuade drivers to switch to electric cars, Norway has introduced a string of incentive measures.
Electric cars can use bus lanes and thus bypass traffic jams, they don't have to shell out congestion charges and can park for free on municipal car parks.
New father Christian Blakseth traded his bicycle for an electric car.
"It's very advantageous to be able to park for free downtown and to escape traffic jams," the young train conductor said.
"And you don't get drowned in day-to-day spending: it's a car that is expensive to buy but cheap to use," he said.
Charging an electric car's batteries at home costs about two euros ($2.90). Norwegian petrol prices are among the highest in Europe.
With growing demand, carmakers are rushing to put out new models.
And consumers are responding with just as much enthusiasm: in the first quarter this year, an electric car, Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, topped small model car sales in Norway, ahead of all time favorites.
"We were planning to sell 400 units (cars) in Norway this year, and we are already at 700. We think we will ultimately reach 1,000," the head of Mitsubishi Norway Bernt Jessen said.
Norway has decided to put in place a national network of charging stands across the country allowing drivers to "fill up" their cars in about 20 minutes, just long enough to enjoy a roadside cup of coffee, compared to the seven or eight hours normally needed.
The mountain cottage, sacrosanct for Norwegians, could soon be only a few kilowatts away.