The Chevrolet Volt represents quite the paradigm shift, offering a car to the masses that can be driven primarily on electricity, but can swap over to a petrol engine as needed. But maybe you want something a little more upscale and a little more sporty. Well, GM isn’t going to leave the Volt platform alone, because they’ve just announced the Cadillac ELR.

This Caddy uses the same underpinnings as the Volt, but they’ve made it distinctly more performance oriented and with more of a luxury spin. It’s apparently based on the Converj concept car and its powerplant combines a four cylinder engine and a T-shaped lithium ion battery pack, the latter of which is the primary source of power. The car will use electricity as its primary source of power, and will be able to switch to the combustion engine when the battery gets low.

GM isn’t forthcoming with any nitty gritty details like horsepower, expected range, expected price, or even an intended release window, so we’ll have to stay tuned to their press releases to learn more. I’m not personally a fan of the Cadillac styling, but I am a fan of them taking the Volt concept to other vehicles.

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Electric vehicles are well and good if you have the time and infrastructure to charge them. In the meantime, plug-in hybrids could serve as a clever middle ground, and that’s precisely what we’re finding with a new Volvo V60 set to be unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show.

Yes, it’s still a boring old Volvo on the outside, despite the “naughty” claims that the Swedish automaker is trying to attach to this series. Under the hood (or rather throughout the car), though, you’ll find more than a few Swedish delights. There’s a perfectly capable 2.4L five-cylinder turbodiesel in there, capable of generating 215hp.

However, the greener folks in the audience are likely more interested in the 70hp electric motor mounted on its backside. Power comes by way of a 12kWh Li-ion battery that gives you about 50km of range on a full charge. That’s on par with the Volt.

I’m not at all convinced that these PHEVs are the wave of the future, but at least the automakers are finally making some headway in taking us away from drill, baby, drill.

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Honda announced that vehicle charging stations will be part of a Japanese trail to further Honda’s goal of reducing CO₂ emissions through their products.

The trail will include Honda’s electric vehicles (EVs) including the Fit and Accord, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, (PHEVs), the new EV-neo electric scooter and the Monpal ML200 4-wheel electric scooter.

A current drawback of EVs and PHEVs includes the lengthy charging times.  Honda’s Fit EV Concept can be driven for 160 km before it needs to be recharged. According to Honda, it takes less than six hours to charge using a 200-volt power source.

Honda’s PHEV model combines an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery and an internal combustion engine. It can run as a fully-electric vehicle, a gas-electric hybrid, or as a gas-powered vehicle. In the all-electric mode, the vehicle can be driven 15 to 25 km before needing to recharge. Fully recharging the battery would take about 1.5 hours using a 200-volt outlet.

While it may be simple to charge an EV overnight in the garage, not everyone has a garage or access to an easily-accessible power source. Not to mention that it would be difficult to refuel in the middle of a trip. With stations that offer faster charging at higher voltages, it could allow drivers to gain full advantage of their EVs and PHEVs. Customers would be able to drive their cars for longer periods of time and go greater distances, and reduce their PHEV’s gasoline usage.

Honda will also test a communications system that allows drivers to search for the charging stations. The system will allow drivers to view how much charge the EV has left, and show a map that drivers can follow to the nearest charging station using either a smartphone or the built-in car navigation program.

[Honda]

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