Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Toyota, Tesla Motors, Europe/EU, UK, USA



Toyota's i-ROAD and COMS teeny, tiny, city EVs are joining the Citélib carsharing fleet in Grenoble, France. The ultra-compact EVs, which will become available in October, are meant to supplement the Grenoble metropolitan area's existing public transit infrastructure, which includes trams, buses and trains. Toyota's i-ROAD and COMS will be connected to the transit systems IT infrastructure, allowing users to visualize their route on their smartphone or computer, and reserve and pay for their car before they get dropped off near the charging station (or the other way around). Then, the user finishes (or begins) their trip with one of the EVs. Surveys show that use of public transport is increasing in Europe, but most users still have to walk 15 minutes or so to reach their destination. Adding the i-ROAD and COMS carsharing service to their commute makes the trip into the city center quicker and more flexible, while keeping the air clean. See more below.

Toyota is providing 70 vehicles to the Citélib program as part of a three-year test, while French energy company EDF is contributing 30 charging stations to the project. The i-ROAD is a three-wheeled EV that seats two people, and it features Active Lean technology for stability and comfort in the corners. Its footprint is about one-fourth that of a regular car. The four-wheeled COMS EV seats one, but also features a small storage compartment in the rear.

The Tesla Model S is going on tour throughout the Northeastern US to give test drives to the public. Beginning July 4 in Montauk, NY, and ending August 30 in Vergennes, VT, people will get the chance to take a 15-minute spin in what many consider to be the best electric car available as part of Tesla's Fully Charged tour. If you live in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire or Vermont, the Model S may be coming to a town near you (check the schedule here) and you'll get the chance to drive the car with a product specialist in the passenger seat to answer your questions. You can even bring up to three guests in the back seat. So if you live in one of the states where Tesla can't sell cars or doesn't have a store, this is your chance to get to know the vehicle and decide if you want to buy one. Or you can just see what it feels like to silently go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds (hint: it's pretty cool).

A UK Survey shows five percent of people there are considering buying an electric vehicle. Out of the people who responded to the February government survey, four percent said they are thinking about buying an EV, but they're not sure when, while one percent are ready to buy one quite soon. Only 0.3 percent said they already own an EV. 18 percent said they don't drive or need a car at all.

The survey also pinpointed the reasons people are hesitant to switch to an EV: 40 percent are worried about recharging their car, 39 percent have range anxiety, 33 percent aren't keen on the cost, while 16 percent just don't know enough about them. When asked what would encourage them to buy an electric car or van, 37 percent said cost, while 23 percent of the respondents said "nothing" would make them want one. Perhaps some of them were just having a bad day. See more results and conclusions from the survey in this PDF.Continue reading Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota i-Road and COMS in France, Tesla tours Northeast, EV attitudes in UK

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota i-Road and COMS in France, Tesla tours Northeast, EV attitudes in UK originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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