The Grey-Faced Buzzard: Asia's First Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Powered by Battery and Fuel Cell

The National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan has developed Asia's first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called the Grey-Faced Buzzard. The green-powered UAV that made its maiden flight in Southern Taiwan is powered by lithium batteries and fuel cell.

Plug-in Electric Fiat 500 Displayed in Vienna by FEV

FEV showed off their LiiOn-drive (modded) Fiat 500 at the Vienna Motor Symposium last week. It is a plug-in hybrid that was presented at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit last year.

For Green Geeks: GM Cooperating With Google to Install Android on Volt

GM is currently in talks with Google for a joint venture to develop an integrated car system based on the Android OS, of which you may have heard lately. They also say Android is going to be animating Chevy Volt's interface.

Japanese Joint Venture Proposes EVs as Buffer for Nighttime Excess Wind Power

As electric vehicles seem to increase their market share in the next few years, alternative energy companies think of methods to store the excess power produced during the night, when electricity utilities don't buy their energy, because of reduced consumption.

Advances in Highly-Competitional Washer/Dryer Motor Industry May Benefit Electric Vehicles

Competition (even if at times or war) has always been the mother of technical advance. Just like those who invented variable-valve timing engine designs to reduce fuel consumption, electric appliances companies are now competing against each other to make more and more efficient and powerful electric motors for hair dryers/washers. All these could benefit the auto industry, eventually.

Volkswagen Test Drives Golf Blue E-Motion Electric Car on The Streets of Berlin

Not wanting to stay behind their competition (such as Renault-Nissan), Volkswagen is beginning to develop pure electric cars. Their new Golf Blue e-motion has been presented by Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, member of VW's development board, and the German minister of transportation.

Tokyo to Have World's First Swappable-Battery Electric Taxis

Due to a government-funded pilot project to test emission-free cars, the world's first taxis with easily replaceable batteries hit the streets of the Japanese capital on Monday.

Puffin Personal Air Vehicle – Designed by NASA, Powered by Electricity

Any resemblance between the machinery on the right and the puffin on the left? None? Well, there may be some resemblance, considering their sizes - almost anybody wouldn't see them flying... but they do.

Nissan Planning to Install Their New EV Rapid Charger Every 80km Around Japan

In order to promote the newly-developed rapid charger, Nissan has planned installing it in 200 stores throughout Japan. To avoid those situations when the batteries die when you least expect them to, Nissan has developed a network of similar charging stations. So, with 200 stations across Japan and with a 40km-radius circle around each charger, you can not remain without batteries.

The Hybrid Field Motor: Using Half Rare-Earth Magnets, Cheaper, Same Performance for EVs

The hybrid field motor works by generating a magnetic force by synchronizing a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. The main advantage is that hybrid field motors only use half of the amount of rare-earth magnet, compared to a synchronous motor, that you can see in today's hybrid or electric vehicles.