Apart from this development, we also hear that the  first retail Volt has been auctioned off for $225,000.

Though the details of the first bidder have not yet been made public, GM has said that the proceeds of the auction will go to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation to support math and science education.

The roll-out of the Volts to dealerships marks an important day in the history of electric vehicles, and for Chevrolet in particular. Hope to see more Volts hitting the tarmac soon.

Audi has long been pondering over filling the vacant spot between the A1 and the A3 and now the official word is that the Audi A2, slated to fit in the bracket will be a pure electric commuter. Banishing previous reports of the arrival of a fossil fuel driven car, the A2 will be an all-electric variant which will challenge the likes of the BMW Megacity which will arrive in 2013. Comparing the previous A2 and the fresh arrival, the difference will also be in the usage of a steel space-frame. The similarity between the two would be the continuance of the one-box style design. [via WCF]

To make the EVs mainstream, it is important that big auto manufacturing names think about introducing small EVs in huge car markets such as the US. Chrysler is thinking on these lines and hence it has announced the Fiat 500EV for the American market. While the combustion engine Fiat 500 will go on sale later this year in the US, the Fiat 500 EV will begin production in 2012. Chrysler will be looking to price the small EV competitively as the Chevrolet Volt and Mini Cooper E also will look to target the market No great details about the Fiat 500 EV have been revealed but it is told that the US edition will undergo further development at the Chrysler head-quarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Nissan also intends to build an advanced lithium-ion battery plant in Sunderland and the construction should begin next month. While the automobile facility will render 50,000 LEAF units annually, the battery plant will have a capacity of 60,000 batteries per year .Collectively, the investment for both these projects will be somewhere close to an astounding £420 million. Nissan LEAF is touted as the first mass-produced and affordable family EV in the world and it will throng many streets across the world in a couple of years from now.

It is a near production ready variant that gets a showcasing in Geneva featuring revised styling changes and production ready equipment. Initially, only 100 prototypes of the Joule EV will be manufactured for testing and development purposes following which the EV will hit thorough production in the later half of 2012.

All these prototypes will be hand-built by Hi-Tech Automotive and once production begins it will be Germany’s EDAG and South Korea’s Energy Innovation Group who will supply the parts. The Joule EV is touted to have a maximum range of 143 miles when using the New European Driving Cycle or 186 miles when running on the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule.

The iRacer version unveiled in Geneva is closest to the production model and the designer Elliott Hawkins believes that it has electric pulse running through its veins. The body construction material such as aluminum and recyclable plastics keeps the overall car weight down to 600kg. On the inside, the Westfield iRacer is powered Lithium Phosphate battery which produces 109PS with 1,000Nm of torque and this combination helps the car pelt from 0 to 60mph in less than 5 seconds with an overall top seed of 177km/h.

BMW is keen to offer eco-friendly options to the world and a decision has been made to assemble the electric cars at the Leipzig facility. BMW chose the facility for its flexibility and capability for increased capacity. Models like the ActiveE, an electric variant of the 1series, will be produced in limited lumbers up front and then the Megacity EV will be rolled out in 2013. While the assembly will be in Leipzig spare parts will also be built in Wackersdorf and Landshut while the Li-on batteries will come from SB LiMotive which is joint venture between Samsung and Bosch. Megacity will be a battery laden commuter and carbon fiber usage will ensure high economy courtesy of the low overall weight.

The new Citroen C-Zero EV only takes 6 hours to fully charge at 220V and only 30 minutes on a 400V plug if you can settle with only 80-percent. Fitted with ABS, electric windows, air conditioning, ESP and six airbags, the new C-Zero is expected to hit the road by the end of 2010. [via WCF]

A lot of emphasis has been laid on the design to ensure that the appearance is unique but not something bizarre or strange. The rarity of the car also lies in its powertrain as it churns out 90 kW of power using a array of thin, laminated lithium ion cells, while it’s front-mounted electric motor delivers 80 kW with 208Nm of torque. This helps the car clock 140km/h when the throttle is choked to the floor.

The prototype uses seamless acceleration which is being touted as very responsive. It is the braking that recharges the battery during deceleration-something we’ve heard of before. If the driver uses to a good affect, he can add another 160km from a full charge. The rigid body structure and platform minimizes the vibration and external sounds. Also, the EV-IT system ensures that full-electric driving can be managed 24 hours a day; thanks to a global data center supporting the function. There a display monitor that reflects the battery time left and whether the pre-set destinations or the available recharging stations on the Sat-Nav can be reached or not. For the production version there will be a totally different car design and it should hit the floors next year. [via Autoblog]