Here is the Volt being run through the paces by Leno at his garage:

The electric vehicles division over at Chrysler is being shut down.  The leaders at Fiat decided that ENVI will not be the name they use to electrify their vehicles.  This does not mean that Chrysler is giving up on EVs.  I would like to point out that in Chryslers 5 year plan announced on November 4th Chrysler would be taking the responsibility of all electrification in the Chrysler/Fiat line up.  So EVs will still be produced by Chrysler.

This also does not change the plans for the hybrid Ram next year.  Fiat/Chrysler has stated that they think EVs will account for 1-2% of their sales by 2014.  Not a big number, but a pretty realistic number.

While the hybrid Ram is still coming out next year, the Chrysler ENVI vehicle concepts are probably on shaky ground.  The minivan EV still makes the most sense in terms of up front costs (the minivan doesn’t need to be redesigned to electrify it) and market demand.  But the other two may never see the light of day.  The Jeep Wrangler is set to get a diesel engine (it’s about time too) brought over from Europe so they may decide that the diesel is good enough for now.

The Dodge Circuit EV is an electrified Lotus Elise – so a chunk of the cost in that car will end up going to Lotus.  I’m not sure that Fiat would like to be beholden to competitors for product.  They are already having issues with Diamler supplying parts for current Chrysler vehicles.

Leveraging its early-mover advantage in the domestic electric car space, American automaker General Motors (GM) will look to sell at least 4,000 units annually of its ‘green’ vehicle, set to hit the Indian roads next year.

The automobile giant had signed an agreement with Bangalore-based Reva Electric Car Company last month to develop an electric version of GM India’s volume driver, the Chevrolet Spark.

By the arrangement, while GM India will utilise its capability to develop platforms and take care of the manufacturing side, Reva’s experience in developing electric drive-trains and control systems will be harnessed. While the Detroit-based firm has remained tight-lipped on its investment in this project, it has indicated it will be able to recover costs if it can sell between 4,000-6,000 units of the electric Spark. More

I’ve been of this opinion for a long long time.  We need to get off of foreign oil, not just because it will be better for our economy, not just because it’ll (probably) be better for the environment, but because until we do get off of foreign oil we are beholden to groups of people that don’t have our best interests at heart.

General Wesley Clark recently gave a speech where he stated that our dependence on foreign oil is a huge threat to our national security.

During the speech, which was given in Detroit, Clark said that the current status of the EV industry is similar to the early stages of the personal computer or cell phone industry.  He feels that we are closing in on an apex of similar techonological revolution for our autos and that the new industry will be a boon to the economy and create new jobs.

“We spawned a whole new industry off of personal computing,” Clark said. “We need that next big thing for America, and it could be right here at this conference. It could be in electric vehicle technologies.”

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has confirmed that Nissan, Renault’s Japanese alliance partner, will boast a lineup of at least three electric vehicles in the next few years – and a fourth vehicle is also possible. We already know about the Leaf hatchback that was unveiled back in August. In addition, Nissan will build an electric version of the NV200 light commercial van that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. For the first time, Ghosn also confirmed that Infiniti will get a compact four-passenger sedan powered only by batteries. More

South Korean battery make LG Chem says it will spend more than $300 million over the next three years to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan for advanced technology batteries.

The company is one of four battery makers approved for generous state tax incentives this summer  as Michigan bids to become the nation’s battery-making center.

At least three other battery groups, from Germany, South Korea and the U.S., also have expressed interest n locating plants in Michigan, state officials say.

LG plans to make batteries for a variety of applications and customers, but is linked closely with General Motors because a subsidiary, Compact Power, earlier this year won separate contracts from GM to build the lithium ion battery packs for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid and an as-yet-unnamed 2011 Buick plug-in hybrid.

The LG plant is to be located in Holland, Mich., about 180 miles due west of Detroit. More

General Motors on Monday opened the doors to the OnStar EV Lab in Detroit, a testing center for in-car communications the company hopes will give its electric Chevy Volt more high-tech appeal.

The OnStar EV Lab, housed in GM’s downtown Detroit corporate headquarters, is now using the OnStar communications system to gather data on 19 Chevy Volt vehicles for engineering purposes. The same technology will give consumers the ability to tap online services and perform tasks specific to a plug-in electric vehicle, company executives said.

When GM releases the Volt at the end of next year, consumers will be able to program when to charge the vehicle much like they operate home heating and cooling system, said Tony Posawatz, the vehicle line director for the Chevy Volt. GM is considering more advanced features as well, such as demand response where car charging slows down during peak times in exchange for lower rates from the utility.

“The car will have to talk to the grid and be able to pull very sensitive (utility) data,” Posawatz said. “Electric vehicle customers want to manage their energy–they’re very into data. OnStar is an enabling tool for us.”

The OnStar system could broker communications with the utility so that consumers can charge at off-peak times, such as the middle of the night, and potentially take advantage of lower rates. “Smart charging,” or charging at off-peak times, is important to manage so that plug-in electric vehicles don’t add to peak-time electricity demand. In the near term, utility executives say the biggest concern is that many cars in one local area will tax one particular electricity distribution point. More

Automotive News explains, “A bill to make fuel-efficient three-wheeled vehicles eligible for federal funding now available to automakers and their suppliers has passed Congress and is headed to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature.” The bill will provide Energy Department funds to startups like Aptera Motors and Elio Motors, which have developed experimental three-wheeled vehicles that reportedly get significantly better fuel economy than most of today’s passenger cars. In some cases, the vehicles are electric.

Autoblog adds, “three-wheeled vehicle platforms sometimes have the potential to use less energy to operate than their four-wheeled siblings, though some still question the inherent safety of such designs. Assuming the bill passes the President’s desk, any manufacturer of enclosed three-wheeled vehicles that can carry at least two adults while returning at least 75 miles per gallon will be eligible for funding, though the DOE will still approve applications on a case-by-case basis.”

Nissan’s Land Glider electric vehicle tilts from side to side, allowing the car, still an experimental concept model, to sway and swerve, almost like a motorcycle.Nissan Motor Co. project design director Takashi Nakjima says Land Glider is designed to be a “personal city commuter.” The Land Glider has sensors to calculate speed and level of lean required for corners, and can maneuver through narrow streets and fit into tight parking spaces, according to Yokohama-based Nissan.

Chrysler’s ENVI electric vehicle program has spawned several possible vehicles that may one day reach showrooms.  However, the automaker has gone silent in regard to any upcoming EV projects leading speculators to believe that the program may be dead in the water.

All is about to change though as Chrysler board member Alfredo Altavilla let word slip out that the company is working together with Italian owner Fiat on an upcoming EV.  News came while Altavilla was visiting Fiat’s gearbox plant in Verrone, Italy.

We should find out more on November 4 when Chrysler/Fiat release their 5 year plan.