Like all new technologies, the hype of the promise sometimes overshadows some of the practical issues. Many of these will work themselves out as the the technology is improved or other adoption milestones are achieved. An interesting article in the Washington posts makes this point. very well.
The Charlottesville Daily Progress reports on Albemarle County-based Aker Wade Power Technologies work on quick charge battery technology.
The manufacturer of fast-charge devices used to repower forklifts and other battery-operated equipment in manufacturing plants and industry has entered into an agreement with Japanese car makers and power companies to build quick-charge devices for electric cars.
An interesting article in Seeking Alpha discusses the economics and ecological impact of the upcoming wave of electric vehicles that use lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery technology. John Petersen states that the promise that we will all soon be driving electric cars is not practical due to costs, scarcity of materials, and sustainability issues. 
Members of the STIR board met last week with a project team from Leadership Metro Richmond to brainstorm on transportation and transit needs in the Richmond Metro Community. 
During the discussion, they talked about the TransitTalk.com advocacy group and its 1700+ membership interested in bettering Richmond’s public transportation options.
The Australian Macarther Chronicle reports that Toyota continues to make progress on their single person mover vehicle, the iREAL. Basically, a wheelchair on steroids, the iREAL appears to be targeted at the Segway and short distance commuter market
This three wheel, lithium ion battery-powered vehicle, can move its passengers at about 18 mph for about 20 miles on a two-hour charge.
Aptera Motors, manufacturers of some fantastic electric commuter cars, has a nice newsletter that you might want to give a try. It covers product news and some industry trends. You can subscribe on their home page.
The Mavizen TTX02, billed as the world’s first production electric supersport bike, is available for pre-order for a spring 2010 delivery. This $40,000 all-electric racing bike can reach speeds over 130mph and is ushering in the age of green motor sports.
The Mavizen TTX02 is based around a KTM RC8 frame. It ships with two Agni motors and boasts a hot-swappable battery and drive train architecture. The bike is a “laptop on wheels” that runs on the Linux OS, comes with with integrated IP connectivity and a USB based system bus for open source engine management.
Work on all-electric vehicles in the demanding racing world means faster innovation for ultimate adoption in mainstream transportation with safe, economic, and cost effective alternatives to gas powered vehicles.
I thought this collection of micro cars is not only cool – but shows the influence these have in some of the new high efficiency cars.
Innosight’s November Strategy & Innovation newsletter has an article by Renee Hopkins discussing new business models using green and sustainable methods.
Panelists Andrew Shapiro, Lewis Perkins, and Mark Johnson discuss green business strategies, business innovations, and marketplace acceptance methods.
View article pdf
Zipcars, the car sharing service gainly popularity in many cities across the country, has added an iPhone app that allows its membership to find available cars via GPS location, make reservations, and unlock the cars doors. 
