In a surprise move, the Dubai-based Al Futtaim Group has announced that they will be the exclusive dealers for the Fisker line of electric cars in various GCC and Middle East countries. This will mark the first time that Fisker luxury plug-in hybrid vehicles become officially available in this region.
Fisker unveiled the prototype version of the all new four-door sports electric sedan, the Fisker Atlantic, at the 2012 New York Auto Show this month.
BMW i, the German carmaker’s new sub-brand that specialises in designing and showcasing futuristic vehicles, have officially revealed the i8 Spyder concept. This will join the team as the third vehicle, along with the likes of the i3 city car and the i8 coupe.
Nissan is pushing for bigger sales numbers for their electric car, the Leaf, by introducing a few changes to the car itself and increased distribution.
It isn’t every day that we get to drive a Rolls-Royce. It isn’t every day that we get to drive an electric car either. But there we were, driving the Rolls-Royce Phantom 102EX, the British carmaker’s experiment with electric cars.
While most other manufacturers participating in the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show, were busy trying to steal the show with their new models sporting glitzy designs and displaying promising concepts, Japanese auto giant Honda seemed to focus on the greener side of things by exhibiting various plug-in hybrid and electric-vehicle concepts, including the yet-to-be-named Jazz-based Honda EV concept.
While most manufacturers these days are too busy either refining their V8 engines for maximum efficiency, or refining the interior appointments by increasing the size of their in-dash touchscreens, Ford seems to be heading for a different dimension altogether as evident in their latest Evos Concept.
The world’s leading automaker, Toyota, has officially announced the mass-production of their second generation RAV-4 EV (Electric Vehicle), in collaboration with Tesla, an electric-vehicle and EV powertrain manufacturer.
The Dutch-built Superbus was shown to the media at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi a few days ago. Fully electric and designed to be capable of 250 kph while carrying 23 passengers, it is being pitched as the next-generation solution to the Dubai-Abu Dhabi commute.
Ford’s Conservation and Environmental Grants section yesterday awarded money to two projects from the UAE aimed at the preservation of UAE’s coral reefs and the fight against the illegal trade of animals in the region. Anyone who applies for these ‘green’ grants is eligible to have their project looked at by a panel of environmental experts. We also brought up the topic of electric cars.