The Opel Ampera had its coming out party a wee bit early for the Geneva Motor Show. Don't fret, our European breathren, your emo-ecomobile is here and we've got all the photos, and details below. ......

When it comes to battery packs for plug-in hybrids, smaller is better, according to new research from Carnegie Mellon University. Led by engineering professor Jeremy Michalek, the study authors found that plug-ins with battery packs large enough for only about seven miles of all-electric range can s...

By Tom Wilkinson Director, GM News Relations In “Utopia,” Sir Thomas More proposed replacing the grit and struggle of Tudor England with an island in the Atlantic free from war, poverty and lawyers. In his column, “Start up the Risk-Takers,” Thomas Friedman proposes replacing...

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere — in your phone, laptop, and by this time next year, maybe your car. The technology is slated for GM’s Chevy Volt, Toyota’s plug-in Prius, and electric versions of the Daimler Smart and BMW Mini. Until recently, lithium went primarily into ceram...

General Motors plans to invest $30 million into building a plant for assembling Chevy Volt battery packs, the automaker said today at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, Reuters reports. GM revealed earlier this month that it would manufacture the packs in Michigan with lithium-ion cells ...

Chinese auto-manufacturer BYD (Build Your Own Dreams), which is partially owned by billionare finance guru Warren Buffet, has unveiled its new plug-in hybrid today. BDY's F3DM model can travel up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) on a single battery charge and it contains a back-up independent gas-powere...

I would hope that our lawmakers in Congress would not have a knee-jerk reaction to the auto industry. I would like to see some thoughtful discussion on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately,though, for the last 30 years, it appears that Capitol Hill has been a thought-free zone . It seems to me that there i...

No doubt about it: the Chevy Volt looks like it will be one sweet ride (even the not-so-sporty production vehicle). But a group of electric vehicle enthusiasts here in the St. Louis area aren’t willing to wait for the hybrid Volt’s 2010 roll-out… so they’ve built their own fu...

At this week's Plug-In 2008 convention (now that sounds hard-core) GM is working with 30 utility companies and consumer groups to develop a strategy for how the Chevy Volt will work in the real......

It seems these days you can't throw a rock without hitting a story relating to solar power. So why haven't you got it for your home yet? I bet you've already come up with a list of three reasons, without even thinking. My guess is they fall into these areas: Cost, efficiency (or lack of it) and aest...