Battery Pack

GM announced today that it would offer a "customer satisfaction" initiative that provides modifications to roughly 12,400 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric cars to reduce the chance that the battery pack could catch fire days or weeks after a severe accident. The safety "enhancement" is meant to prevent potential coolant leaks after severe accidents, which could lead to a short circuit and subsequent fire in a damaged pack. The modifications include additional side safety structural pieces, totaling...

NEW DELHI — State-run Air India says it has started test flights of its Dreamliner fleet with new battery packs and is likely to put them back into service by the end of this month. The airline stopped flying its six Boeing 787 aircraft in January after Dreamliners were grounded worldwide due to battery fire risk. Air India said in a statement that the pilots on the first test flight Thursday were satisfied with the plane's performance. Since its launch after delays of more than three...

Ford's hybrid strategy is evolving, with the company committed to offering consumers a variety of powertrains for some of its mainstream models. For 2013 Ford has added a new trim to the relatively new C-Max hybrid lineup: a plug-in hybrid option, or "Energi" model in Ford-speak. Like the regular 2013 Ford C-Max, the Energi is a fun-to-drive hybrid that delivers comfort, style and efficiency, but it compromises cargo capacity and has an electric range that's too limited for the plug-in's additional cost.

Ford's hybrid strategy is evolving, with the company committed to offering consumers a variety of powertrains for some of its mainstream models. For 2013 Ford has added a new trim to the relatively new C-Max hybrid lineup: a plug-in hybrid option, or "Energi" model in Ford-speak. Like the regular 2013 Ford C-Max, the Energi is a fun-to-drive hybrid that delivers comfort, style and efficiency, but it compromises cargo capacity and has an electric range that's too limited for the plug-in's additional cost.

Energy is dangerous. We learn this as kids, whether we recognize it or not. Climb up a tree and your increased potential energy threatens to break your arm if you fall out. Pedal your bike too quickly and your kinetic energy might do the same if you lose control and crash. Store enough energy to propel a five-passenger vehicle any useful distance, and you've got enough energy to be dangerous if it is released suddenly. That's what happens when the gas tanks in conventional cars explode in a crash.

Toyota revealed on Monday the production version of its eagerly awaited 2012 RAV4 EV all-electric crossover, with a powertrain designed and provided by startup electric carmaker Tesla Motors. Surprising many at the event, Toyota revealed its production plans: It expects to build and sell roughly 2,600 RAV4 EVs over the next three years, and it will launch in only four California regions. That's only a fraction of the 10,000 or so Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid models that the company will likely...

We know the specifications and details of the 2013 Nissan Leaf , which has now gone into in Smyrna, Tennessee. But the missing piece of information has always been: What will the battery electric car cost now that it's built in North America? During an electric vehicle roundtable today at the Detroit Auto Show, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn provided the answers. The new base-level 2013 Nissan Leaf S will start at $28,800. That makes it, as Nissan says, the least expensive...

DETAILS: About 48,600 television stands, made in China and distributed by Studio RTA. The stands were sold by Best Buy and other stores around the country from May 2004 to August 2008. DEFECT: They do not meet industry standards to prevent them from tipping over. WHAT TO DO: Call 888-309-0299, or go to http://www.studiorta.com or http://www.cpsc.gov . * * * DETAILS: About 30,000 Gotham compact fluorescent downlights, made in the United States and China by Gotham Lighting.

The  PlayStation Vita  portable console recently titillated Japanese fans with an  official release date , but now there's happy news of a type we can  all  enjoy. Sony's Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed to  IGN  that the company intends to introduce an external battery peripheral for the Vita, which should expand the device's three- to five-hour battery life into more comfortable territory. In his words, "if you're flying from New York to San Francisco or vice versa, you'll have no concerns.

In just two weeks, the full onslaught of the automotive glory that is the Paris Auto Show will be upon us, but already we're seeing previews of the cars that will be on display. Today, BMW adds the Concept Active Tourer to the mix, and with it, previews its approach to the compact segment. Though it's termed a concept, the Active Tourer is much more like a production preview; we expect to see this or something very much like it in 2013 or 2014. First up, let's take a look at what makes the Concept Active...

We know the specifications and details of the 2013 Nissan Leaf , which has now gone into in Smyrna, Tennessee. But the missing piece of information has always been: What will the battery electric car cost now that it's built in North America? During an electric vehicle roundtable today at the Detroit Auto Show, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn provided the answers. The new base-level 2013 Nissan Leaf S will start at $28,800. That makes it, as Nissan says, the least expensive five-seat battery electric vehicle...

Even if you're not entirely a car person, you've likely noticed and perhaps even lusted after the stylish Cadillac CTS-V Coupe—perhaps in a way that you haven't seen Cadillac before. Now take some of that same gravitas, and plug it in, and you get some of the essence behind the all-new 2014 Cadillac ERL . The ELR is built on the same platform that underpins the Chevrolet Volt , with essentially the same extended-range electric-vehicle (EREV) propulsion...

In just two weeks, the full onslaught of the automotive glory that is the Paris Auto Show will be upon us, but already we're seeing previews of the cars that will be on display. Today, BMW adds the Concept Active Tourer to the mix, and with it, previews its approach to the compact segment. Though it's termed a concept, the Active Tourer is much more like a production preview; we expect to see this or something very much like it in 2013 or 2014. First up, let's take a look at what...

Nature has a way of showing the interdependency of things, of bringing to naught man's boasts of innovative triumph and, at the same time, highlighting the need for creative thinking and nobility of human spirit. And so it happened that an unusually forceful late-night storm roared through the Washington-Baltimore region late in June, toppling trees, severing branches, damaging homes and cars, and consigning several souls to eternity. I and mine were lucky. The only thing we lost was...

Ford touts its all-new 2013 C-Max Hybrid as more fuel-efficient, more powerful and cheaper than the Toyota Prius V , its closest rival. Ford is looking to entice consumers into trying a hybrid for the first time and hopes further that about 50 percent of C-Max Hybrid buyers will be conquest sales. But how do the five-passenger C-Max Hybrid's numbers look when compared with the five-passenger Prius V? Here we break them down. Fuel efficiency, power Ford expects the C-Max Hybrid to...

It's official: in one month, Tesla will deliver its first 2012 Model S electric sedan to customers in the U.S., webcasting the whole ceremony live on the Internet.  A few weeks ahead of schedule, Tesla's engineering team have been working hard to ensure that production is up to speed at its massive factory in Fremont, California. Now, with one month left until launch, Tesla's press team are working overtime to run a series of events celebrating the launch of its new car, as well as promote some...

General Motors announced yesterday that it would replace the 120-Volt charging unit provided with every Chevrolet Volt, to provide what GM spokesman Randy Fox called a "more consistent charging experience. " Back in July, we reported that some of the charging units provided in Volts were overheating , becoming too hot to touch and in one case, even giving an owner a second-degree burn. Thicker cord Now, after complaints from Volt owners, General Motors has agreed to swap out the unit for a beefed-up...

Bottom line:  The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV makes perfect sense as a local commuter. It, at least, ought to see more service in "green" municipal fleets. That also goes for models such as the Ford Focus Electric, Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius. Ride, acceleration and handling: The i-MiEV gets good marks in all three. The ride can be electronically adjusted to extend driving range. Selecting "D" gives you more fun-to-drive. But it also consumes more battery power. Head-turning quotient: ...

Toyota revealed on Monday the production version of its eagerly awaited 2012 RAV4 EV all-electric crossover, with a powertrain designed and provided by startup electric carmaker Tesla Motors. Surprising many at the event, Toyota revealed its production plans: It expects to build and sell roughly 2,600 RAV4 EVs over the next three years, and it will launch in only four California regions. That's only a fraction of the 10,000 or so Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid models that the company will likely...

Bottom line:  The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV makes perfect sense as a local commuter. It, at least, ought to see more service in "green" municipal fleets. That also goes for models such as the Ford Focus Electric, Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius. Ride, acceleration and handling: The i-MiEV gets good marks in all three. The ride can be electronically adjusted to extend driving range. Selecting "D" gives you more fun-to-drive. But it also consumes more battery power. Head-turning quotient: The i-MiEV...