The program is designed to appeal to residents, visitors, and business people, who will be able to reserve and drive a conveniently located electric vehicle by the hour, day or week from http://www.hertzondemand.co.uk.

The hourly rates will start from GBP5 and include in-car access to the Member Care Center, insurance, roadside assistance, maintenance, and cleaning. Membership in Hertz On Demand is free and will entitle members to use the operator’s other car clubs in the US, Europe and China.

The plan is that initially ten Nissan LEAF EVs will be available and situated in university campuses, street locations, station car parks, major employers’ car parks and other strategic locations across the city and surrounding areas.

The club cars will be recharged via the POLAR charging network for Oxford, which has 32 charging points operating in key locations throughout the city, with another 28 under construction. The charging network is supported by the Oxford Electric Vehicle Partnership (OEVP) led by Oxford Brookes University.

The Oxford charging network is part of the national electric vehicle charging infrastructure known as POLAR, and currently being rolled out by Chargemaster Plc.

In related news, Hertz has announced that Hertz On Demand and IBM are together piloting a program in Germany to advance electric vehicle (EV) mobility and user adoption through intelligent recharging solutions.

In a special agreement, Hertz On Demand in Germany will supply electric vehicles to the car share fleet used by IBM employees to drive between Stuttgart Airport and the company’s campus in Ehningen, about 30 km away.

Initially the electric cars provided by Hertz will be charged using decentralized generation of electricity on the IBM campus. The charging stations will be operated with intelligent IBM software that optimizes the usage of generated power by renewable energies. Furthermore, the software balances demand and availability of electricity power to prevent load peaks.

The companies are using this program as a field test to gauge acceptance and practicability of the electric vehicle and the intelligent recharging infrastructure usage. Upon success of the pilot program, they intend to add further electric vehicles to the Ehningen campus, as well as to extend the project to other IBM sites.

Discounted rates have been available to IBM staff since October 2011 as part of the special car sharing agreement in place between the IBM campus in Ehningen and Stuttgart Airport. From April, IBM’s frequent flyers will have one electric car at their disposal, with numbers increasing as the year goes on. The cars can be booked quickly and simply through the Hertz on Demand website using the IBM account.

General Motors Co. said it sold 1,462 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids in April, 36 percent down from the 2,289 sold in March 2012.

Deliveries of the all-electric Nissan LEAF totaled only 370 units in April, down from 579 in March, 478 in February, and far below its June 2011 sales, when it sold 1,708 LEAFs.

Cumulative sales of the Chevrolet Volt have been 5,377 vehicles, while the cumulative sales of the Nissan LEAF have been 2,103 units this year.

Toyota had its best-ever month for its Prius Plug-in Hybrid electric, nearly doubling sales in April to 1,654 from the month before.

Ford didn’t sell any Focus Electric EVs for the third straight month. Ford said 67 dealers are in California, New York and New Jersey have been certified to sell the Focus Electric. Ford said those are markets that account for a large percentage of electrified vehicle sales and will begin seeing the Focus Electric later this spring.

The EV Project is currently gathering data at a rate of one-hundred thousand miles per day. The 24 million miles recorded so far is the equivalent to 963 trips around the world.

The electric fuel equivalent utilized by EV Project participants represents almost 1 million gallons of gasoline conserved by the use of electric vehicles. Finally, cars in The EV Project have eliminated approximately 8,700 metric tons of CO2 emissions from our air. This information comes from an analysis of approximately 675,000 charge events in key EV Project markets to date.

As part of The EV Project, ECOtality will be releasing over 40 White Papers on various topics ranging from a study of the needs of commercial charging to regulatory issues.

ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project, a research initiative to help build America’s future EV infrastructure. The project will study EV infrastructure to support the deployment of EVs in key markets, by collecting and analyzing data from vehicles and chargers.

The project is a public-private partnership, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant and made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

For more information about The EV Project, please visit www.theevproject.com.

Honda will be introducing two battery-electric vehicles beginning with the 2013 Honda Fit EV this summer, and the Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan next winter.

The 2013 Honda Fit EV battery-electric commuter car, based on the popular Fit, targets an estimated 123 city-mile range per charge (76 mile range combined adjusted city/highway)(1) and can fully recharge its battery in as little as three hours when connected to a 240-volt circuit.

The Honda Plug-In Hybrid Sedan uses an all-new, two-motor hybrid system which continuously moves through three different modes – all-electric, with up to a 15 mile per charge range; gasoline-electric; and direct-drive – to maximize driving and fuel efficiency, especially during city driving.

“Pairing Leviton’s EV charging solutions with Honda’s advanced Fit EV and Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan electric vehicles will enable a more convenient and seamless ownership experience for our customers,” said Steven Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Nissan and Fleet Forum, Nissan has agreed to lend five Nissan LEAFs to the Fleet Forum member organizations for a year free of charge.

The Fleet Forum will rotate the vehicles among official participants for six months each in order for them to experience the benefits and practicability of a zero-emission vehicle and to encourage them to switch to such vehicles for their environmental fleet management. After 12 months of free loaning, Nissan and Fleet Forum will then review feedback from the participants.

The new EV program aims to give aid and development organizations first-hand experience of the benefits of using electric vehicles as a way of improving efficiency while also reducing costs and minimizing environmental impacts.

Fleet Forum is a collaborative association that includes NGOs, international organizations, the United Nations, academic institutions, donors, and corporate partners and is dedicated to the improvement of transportation performance in road safety, cost efficiency and environmental impact.

Among more than 50 members of Fleet Forum, 5 international aid organizations were selected as official participants and will start in Switzerland, Italy and UK. These organizations are the United Nations World Food Programme; the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent; the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees; Islamic Relief; and the United Nations Logistics Base.

The DENZA brand launch is the latest move following the BDNT joint-venture contract signing in May 2010 and granting of the China business license in early 2011.

The first public appearance of the DENZA concept car will be at Auto China in Beijing in April, with first production planned in 2013. With rapid economic growth, increased urbanization, an open-minded consumer, and a supportive government, all the elements are in place to mark China as one of the countries with the highest potential for electric vehicle adoption.

The DENZA name and logo have been carefully crafted to convey very precise themes. Primarily created with a focus on Chinese consumers, the name DENZA derives its strength from profound and positive associations with the Chinese characters téng shì, which together mean “rising power and momentum” – referring both to the attributes of the car as well as the pace of development DENZA aims to be ahead in the New Energy Vehicle industry. DENZA is also a distinctive name in the English language with no prior associations.

The logo is designed around the flowing form of a central water-drop, supported by two hands. The blue water-drop represents the environmental friendliness of the all-electric vehicle, with blue also signifying advanced technology and a bright future. The curves on either side of the water-drop represent the hands of the two partners providing mutual support for the joint venture, as well as for the environment.

This fee-based charging network will consist of at least 200 publicly available fast-charging stations-installed in the San Francisco Bay area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Los Angeles Basin and San Diego County-which can add 50 miles of range in less than 15 minutes of charging.

Additionally, NRG’s EV infrastructure commitment will include the wiring for at least 10,000 individual charging stations located at homes, offices, multifamily communities, schools and hospitals located across the State.

The agreement calls for a network that will bring:

- A minimum of 200 direct current (DC) fast chargers to the state.
- A minimum of 10,000 parking spaces retrofitted with wiring necessary to charge EVs at multifamily buildings, large worksites and civic sites such as universities and hospitals.
- Training and jobs for the installation and maintenance of these charging stations in California.

Advanced charging services that increase the speed and power of DC fast charging, store electricity to minimize peak-period demand, and enable EV drivers to support electrical grid reliability with needed energy services through vehicle to grid technology enhancement and implementation.

Significant additional investment in California’s clean technology economy and hundreds of jobs in construction and EV infrastructure manufacturing, maintenance and management.

Approximately $100 million in infrastructure investment over four years, and $20 million in cash to go to the California Public Utility Commission.

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. also issued an executive order that lays the foundation for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) on California roads by 2025. Revisions adopted in January include the most significant change to California’s ZEV program in its 20-year history-requiring battery, fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to account for up to 15 percent of California’s new vehicle sales by 2025.

Electric vehicle charging stations are popping up nationwide in an effort to push Americans to invest in the environment and reduce the amount of pollution coming from gas powered cars. As a result, many states are giving a monetary incentive as well; offering an additional tax break for those who purchase a car causing less strain on the planet.

Currently, almost 30 states have some kind of electric vehicle tax incentive. Colorado offers one of the nation’s most generous tax credits for electric cars and plug-in hybrids. In fact, residents looking to buy a new eco-friendly car will receive a $7,500 federal tax break and then another $6,000 from the state.

With a choice of the TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com or the free AAA TripTik Mobile app for smartphones, finding places to recharge electric vehicles before they run out of energy just got easier.

Using these tools, EV motorists can locate more than 2,000 publicly available electric vehicle charging stations across the United States, including independent stations and those that are part of a network. Data is supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy.

To find charging stations near an address or along a route, users select a green plug icon to display locations on a map in TripTik Travel Planner or the TripTik Mobile app. Clicking on an icon opens a listing that provides the station address, hours, charger levels and, where available, a telephone number. App users can dial the listed numbers in a single touch to check station availability status.

AAA’s online and mobile mapping tools also display gas station locations, along with frequently updated gas prices, and points of interest, such as AAA Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants. They also offer turn-by-turn directions and location information for user-entered addresses and other points of interest including attractions, events, AAA offices and Approved Auto Repair shops. The app can recalculate routes and provide voice guidance for the next maneuver.

All travelers can access AAA’s TripTik Travel Planner at AAA.com/travel. Smartphone users can download the free GPS-based AAA TripTik Mobile app from the iTunes Store or Android Market, or find more information at AAA.com/Mobile.

The plans focus on improving the environment for electric vehicles and, during fiscal year 2012, will see the Nissan LEAF sold in more markets, by more dealers, with a radically improved quick charging network.

Market and Dealer Expansion
In 2012, Nissan will radically increase the number of dealers selling the LEAF in Europe, making it accessible to many consumers for the first time. Today the Nissan LEAF is on sale in 14 markets across Europe, with a total of 110 dealers. By the end of March 2013, that will have dramatically increased by almost ten times, with over 1000 dealers actively marketing the Nissan LEAF – all Nissan dealers will be equipped with charging points thus expanding the charging infrastructure for LEAF drivers. By 2013, the Nissan LEAF will be available for sale in 24 European markets.

Customer evaluation vehicles
In advance of this there will be a significant increase in LEAF’s available at dealers with over 700 dealers in Europe offering customers a chance to experience LEAF by the end of April 2012. The scheme will continue to develop during the next 12 months, adding to the number of demonstration and courtesy vehicles available to customers within Europe.

30 Minute Quick Charger Cost Reduction and Deployment
In 2011, Nissan made a significant engineering breakthrough in launching its own quick charger into Europe, which is available at around 50% of the cost of conventional units (below 10,000 Euros). This Direct Current (DC) Quick charger charges the Nissan LEAF, or any other ChadeMo compliant vehicle, to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes.

It is also ‘AC ready’ to support the arrival of EVs from Alliance partner Renault designed to 43kW AC quick charge standards. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is promoting infrastructure deployment based on AC-DC Mix Quick Charger strategy.

The cost reduction radically changes the economics of installing DC Quick charging points at key locations across Europe, and opens up new possibilities for Nissan LEAF owners. To push this network expansion further and jump-start the full scale commercial deployment in 2012 Nissan is giving 400 DC Quick chargers for free to cities and regions in Europe.  These free units will give thousands of customers the opportunity to experience the convenience of charging quickly while significantly expanding the range of their vehicle.

This initiative follows an agreement between Nissan and five of Europe’s leading utility and EV infrastructure supply companies to speed up the provision of the latest quick chargers developed by Nissan. Nissan expects thousands of ChadeMo quick charging points to be installed across Europe by the end of 2012, and tens of thousands of by end of 2015.

Nissan LEAF Marketing Campaign
March 2012 will see an innovative online focussed campaign centred around the Nissan LEAF, 100 days to convert the maximum number of people to 100% electric driving taking the car to a whole new audience and introducing them to its unique benefits. Alongside this online campaign will be a new brand advertising campaign, which will have the Nissan LEAF as the ultimate demonstration of Nissan’s innovation, putting the car on television for the first time in many markets.

Battery Production in the UK
During the first half of 2012 battery production will start at Nissan’s record-breaking Sunderland plant. This important milestone will be the first step towards the European production of the Nissan LEAF. The production of batteries in the UK significantly increases the flexibility of the supply chain and protects it from shifts in exchange rates.

Vehicle Production
All of these actions will lay the foundations for the introduction of the European-built Nissan LEAF at the Sunderland plant in the UK. Building the car in the UK will reduce lead times, increase supply, mitigate currency fluctuations and reduce the carbon footprint of bringing the car to the customer.

“Second Life” for Electric Vehicle Batteries
As the electric vehicle market expands questions are often raised about what happens to batteries after they have been removed from vehicles. Nissan is working with its alliance partner Renault to identify suitable partners for trial of “Second Life” uses for battery packs. Electric vehicle battery packs are expected to be in strong demand for use in the storage of electricity from sustainable sources, where peak production and peak demand are sometimes not aligned. They can also be used for back-up electricity in areas of unreliable grid electricity or for grid load balancing. It is expected that after any second life usage, the batteries would still be recycled due to the intrinsic value and recyclability of the materials used inside. Further details on Nissan’s “Second Life” battery programme will be announced in the next 12 months.

The trial, the first of its kind in the world, will follow Hertz, and leaders from five other industry segments, as they trial Plugless Power systems on their own electric vehicles.

Plugless Power, supplied by Evatran based in Virginia, utilizes inductive power transfer, which has been used in electrical transformers for more than 100 years.

Plugless Power streamlines the charging of EVs by eliminating the cord and the plug. In addition to aftermarket distribution, Evatran is currently working with automotive manufacturers to integrate the Plugless Power technology into mass-market EVs as a factory or dealership option.

Plugless Power is a Level 2 (240V at 30A, 3.3 kW rated power output) inductive charging system, with a transfer efficiency of 90%.