ECOstrive – A123Systems has a battery technology that powers DeWalt tools today, but could be powering electric and Plug-in Hybrid cars tomorrow. DeWalt’s new 36 volt cordless systems use A123Systems’ new m1 Nanophosphate™ lithium ion battery technology to get 2 to 3 times the run time, and cut charging time to about 1 hour. But the real promise will be the use in electric vehicles. The technology yields an incredible...

By Michael Kanellos, CNET News.com Published on ZDNet News: June 22, 2007, 9:55 AM PT Electric-vehicle maker Zap says it will come out with an electric car that will go about 100 miles on a charge but cost only $30,000, a combination of features that so far hasn’t been achieved. Whether Zap will succeed is an open question. According to the company, the sedan will be a derivative of the Zap-X, a sport SUV scheduled to hit the...

By John Bichard Washington – 19 June 2007 – In January of 2007, General Motors (GM) unveiled a concept car powered solely by electricity. The Chevrolet Volt is a big step beyond today’s hybrid, that uses both a gasoline engine and electric motor. VOA’s John Birchard reports on the progress GM is making toward turning the Volt from an attractive idea into a production vehicle. As vice president of research and...