Four years ago, director Chris Paine slapped General Motors with his award-winning documentary Who Killed The Electric Car. Now he’s back with a new movie — Revenge of the Electric Car. Here’s the trailer. (Via Jalopnik)

You have to give it to the boys & girls of Tesla Motors, electric car maker – they sure have a great sense of humor. Via Reddit

GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. have joined forces to introduce the future of urban automotive mobility. With their EN-V urban concept, the two companies hope traveling from one end of a city to another, or commuting to work on a strict schedule, will become easier and cut down on traffic. EN-V is a small, two-seat/two-wheeled vehicle meant for shuttling people around urban settings; a real life production model will be introduced at 2010′s Shanghai Motor Show in May.

With 20 million residents in the metropolitan area, Shanghai has the largest amount of people living in the city than any other place globally. GM’s EN-V will be shown with a system meant to clear up Shanghai’s traffic jams. GPS and vehicle-to-vehicle communication pilot these vehicles, cameras and sensors around the EN-V allow it to react to changing environments.

Electric motors built into the wheels are powered by lithium-ion batteries with a 40 km range, and can recharge with your average home plug-in. Developers used acrylic, carbon fiber and Lexan to keep vehicle weight at 1102 lbs.

EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) is also under development for other metropolitan areas worldwide, where 60% of the world’s population is expected to live by 2030.

You’ve had a look back at what our Automopedia staff feels were the 10 Best & Worst of 2009 Automotive Events. Now, we’ve put a lot of hard work into some all of these posts, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all for reading, and check out some of our favorite posts from 2009!

Cash For Clunkers

When you were searching out information on how to get Cash for your Clunker we had the scoop. It might have saved the automotive industry in America – well Cash for Clunkers, not our post. Though we’d like to believe Automopedia helps fight terrorism and saves Americans from the Red Menace. Now, whatever happened to the Cash for Fridges program?

Sexiest Scifi Ships

2009 was the year of Trek – Star Trek made it back on the big screen, with USS Enterprise warping to high box office numbers. Whether or not you’re into science fiction films we’ll all agree some of the Sexy Scifi Ships are worth discussing – and boy did you readers put on those geek hats and rip us a new one. We couldn’t even make it up to you by posting a bunch of Scifi Ship battle scenes! And yes, in 2010 we will bring you more scifi goodies mixed in with your weekly automotive news.

Movie & Television Rides

Of all the movie and television car posts we’ve done on Automopedia, one stands out in our hearts – for some reason the reboot is big in Hollywood, on screens big and small. We have to deal with remakes of classic car chase features, that almost always let down. Frankly, these car movies & shows Hollywood insists on remaking pretty much suck the big one.

The Big Three

Oh yeah, all this fun talk about movie and TV cars – we almost forgot about the Big Three and those automotive mergers in 2009. Where do the car makers stand now? Well, Italy owns ChryslerDodgeJeep, Pontiac is gone, Saturn is next, Saab is almost dead and Buick somehow survived all of this!

Cartoon Cars & Real-World Counterparts

Ok, enough of that serious business about car mergers and what not. Let’s have some fun with cartoon cars, and of course their real life counterparts. Whether it’s the Ecto-1 or Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine, favorite childhood animated memories have almost all been made into live-action features. We’ve still got quite a car crush on that Cadillac Ambulance with Ray Stanz behind the wheel.

The Electric Car & Alternative Fuels

And finally, the car that would change America’s Auto Industry – at least it was supposed to. But lack of interest and financial downturn caused Tesla to close its doors and quit production of an all-electric Tesla S sedan. It was anarchy when Americans faced what could have been a second gasoline crisis. We demanded alternative fuels – and Tesla answered. But hybrids prevailed and the plug was pulled on electric vehicles once again. Maybe next year…

In the 1930′s a wireless electric car was already on it’s way to our growing highways. Inventor and electricity fetish man Nikola Tesla took his Pierce Arrow and turned it into a very electrifying ride. It’s main power conductor was a box of radio tubes contained in the vehicle’s glove compartment. The car’s antenna, which was connected to those tubes at one end, would conduct electrical current from the air around it, powering the electric engine for miles.

Nikola Tesla & His Coil

Aside from it sounding insanely unsafe, JP Morgan and it’s investors, who originally funded a production model of this experiment, backed out. Why? They didn’t want to be responsible for a car which ran for free. There were no meters anywhere to read how much energy your car was sucking up. It took no gas to power any aspect of the car. No free rides for us.

Pierce Arrow Hood Ornament

Tesla’s 1930 Pierce Arrow turned electric automobile had an energy receiver (a gravitational energy converter) built by Tesla himself. The  converter’s dimensions were a small 60 x 25 x 15cm. It was installed in front of the dashboard and contained 12 vacuum tubes. An antenna approximately 1.8 meters long came out of the converter. The motor achieved a maximum of 1800 RPM’s. Tesla said it was fairly hot when operating, and therefore a cooling fan was required.  The car was tested for a week, reaching speeds of 90 miles per hour. Performance data showed it were at least comparable to an automobile using gasoline. At a stop sign, a passerby remarked that there were no exhaust gasses coming from the tailpipe. Sadly, the vehicle was to remain in a farm outside Niagara Falls, and would never be massed produced. Imagine the type of commutes we would be in store for today if the REAL Tesla Car came to mass-production life.

1930 Pierce Arrow

Many believe the future is now – but people in the 1850′s thought this as well. We’ve only really begun to strike at the heart of alternative energy. In the years to come we shall see the introduction of fully electric vehicles, hydrogen powered cars and perhaps even vessels powered by electromagnetic waves. Anything is possible, as long as these automotive companies get the funds to produce results.

Lincoln C Concept

Lincoln hopes to corner a market with smaller, high quality and eco-friendly vehicles that still produce a good amount of horse power. This Ford product will contain a 1.6-liter Ford EcoBoost engine along with a dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission. The Lincoln C is expected to reach 180 horsepower and 180 ft.-lbs. of torque.

2+1 Seated Cars

Acura’s 2+1 concept doesn’t bother with all that silly 7 passenger seating rubbish, cutting down your occupant capacity to only three – a driver and copilot in the front, with a buddy in the rear. Other vehicles, like the SMART Car, have only room for two, and just enough speed and safety to get you between New York and Philadelphia. These smaller cars may become the new urban vehicle, taking a hint from the vehicles of European cities.

Honda Hydrogen Vehicles

Honda’s FCX Clarity has already grabbed headlines as the first consumer ready hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. For $600/a month per lease you better be packing some serious poundage in your wallet. The boys at Top Gear have said this vehicle is the most important car for the next 100 years, but is the same chemical that powered Zeppelins really a viable car fuel?

Renault Alpine Concept

Smaller engine sports cars with better gas mileage are a logical approach if we are to continue heading down the road of gasoline powered vehicles. Future Renault roadsters will contain small turbo engines rather than a large V6 block, cutting down on weight and emissions.

Pagani Zonda R

The new bodywork of automobiles, like the Pagani Zonda, is (aside from Toyota’s Prius) one of the most aerodynamic vehicle designs. Now cars can offer elevated down force, even in low speed corners. According to World Car Fans, “The longer front bonnet with flaps, closed under body and the rear overhang with the adjustable rear wing and race derived diffuser translate into shattering aerodynamic efficiency and will let you experience cornering speeds beyond imagination.”

“Volt” Electric Vehicles

General Motors is hoping to pick up where Tesla left off, after bankruptcy that is. Chevrolet teased their Volt electric car for weeks before it was finally unveiled. Electric cars seem to be the easiest transition for the general public to make, and electric recharge stations have already popped up throughout Southern California. Electric cars provide us with an easily accessible, renewable form of energy, but at what cost? You can charge at home, but be afraid when the bill comes in. Also, tons of coal is burned in order to produce the electricity in our homes. Until windmill electric becomes standard the coal mines and smoke stacks will continue billowing much into our atmosphere.

“Soft” Vehicles

What if the car you drive one day drives itself, connected by a satellite network? In theory, the automobile accident will become extinct, as the idea of human error will no longer be viable. How trustworthy is a car without a human behind the wheel? Do we really want a car controlled by the same satellites that broadcast Opie & Anthony or Ron & Fez (Noon till Three)? With car collisions an event of the past “Soft” vehicles, made of foam and completely customizable, may become commonplace.

Sky Cars

Where is my flying car? We are one spin around the Sun closer to 2015 – and if Doc Brown can have a flying DeLoreon than we want a flying vehicle to work. This does bring up a few issues. First off, the state of New Jersey would need to stop handing out licenses to every single person who walks into the DMV. And we see how people in drive all over the world, it’s probably not a good idea to start flying lessons. It is reasonable to believe ground travel will become a thing of the past – so get your helmets on people.

Choices in electric cars are right around the corner, and some are actually available as I write this. Major automakers might have the upperhand in future sales thanks to a history of trust and fans, but will they be releasing the electric vehicles that consumers really want? And what is it that consumers want from an electric car anyway?

Current offerings are commonly vehicles you can’t take on the highway, aren’t much for commuting, or lack power. Chevrolet’s plans for the Volt are to offer an electric car that still provides power (driving pleasure) with a total range of about 40 miles without the use of any gasoline.

But can we do without that power? Would you be interested in such a vehicle?

Even though advances have been made in fuel efficiency in the past twenty years, the average car in 1987 actually got better gas mileage than the average car in 2007. Why? Because while we are getting a little more out of the gas we put into our automobiles, that energy isn’t going to miles-per-gallon, it’s going to carrying a heavier vehicle (SUV’s) or more horsepower for more punch.

The Volt sounds nice, and I’m not dissing it, but is that extra power what people want? It’s an actual question, I’d love people to comment.

I know many car enthusiasts will reply “Yeah I want the power! Of course!”. But I also imagine others are thinking they’d rather extend that 40 mile range to 200 miles and do without some of that modern-day power. Imagine plugging in your car on Monday night, and not having to plug it in again until Friday. With a 40 mile range you’d have to plug it in nightly. How much are you paying for electricity as it is?

Fuel efficiency is a common concern in gasoline automobiles, but efficiency can get more out of an electric car as well. A stripped down electric with a long range, and solar panels, seems like a logical next step.

So let’s get the community together to perform a little not-so-scientific study. Answer the following questions:

Would you give up power for range?
What’s the minimum range you’d find acceptable for an electric car?
What’s the lowest maximum MPH you would accept?
Do you care about the time it takes to go 0 to 60?
Would you pay extra for some solar panels?

Before you buy the hype that the electric car is dead, GE announced that it is investing 4 million dollars in the Norwegian electric car maker Think. Think has also just signed an agreement with battery supplier A123Systems for their patented lithium-ion batteries. GE has already invested $20 million into A123.

Could we be seeing a GEpedia for future GE electric cars?

Press Release:
GENEVA & WASHINGTON – March 5, 2008 – GE announced it is ramping up its efforts to enable global electrification of transportation by investing in Norwegian electric car manufacturer Think, which unveiled a five-seat crossover concept car in Geneva today. To power its vehicles, Think has signed a commercial supply agreement with lithium-ion battery manufacturer A123Systems. GE is in a unique position to help both companies commercialize technology to make electric transportation practical and affordable.

Think presented its investment relationship with GE in Geneva at the 78th International Motor Show, where it unveiled a new platform concept for larger electric vehicles: The crossover TH!NK Ox is an electric five-seat car close to the size of a sport utility vehicle but lighter and more aerodynamic. Also in Geneva, the company launched to the market the TH!NK City, a plug-in electric car with over 100 miles range.

GE announced its electric transportation investments at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference. The commercial supply agreement with A123Systems provides Think with patented
Nanophosphate(TM) lithium-ion batteries for the TH!NK City, now in production at the company’s factory in Norway. Think is delivering its first cars in Norway, with international sales to follow later in the year.

A123 is now drawing on the research and technology development expertise of GE Global Research in Niskayuna, New York. The joint research will support A123′s battery development, including batteries for Think’s vehicles.

GE Energy Financial Services announced it has invested in A123Systems to help the company roll out batteries for Think. GE is now A123′s largest cash investor, having put more than US $20 million into the company. In addition, GE disclosed it has invested US $4 million in Think Global, the Norwegian holding company that makes the electric cars. The investments were made by GE Energy Financial Services’ recently expanded seven-member venture capital group — with offices in Stamford, CT, San Francisco, and Munich, Germany. That group has invested nearly US $100 million in 12 companies during the last 18 months.

GE Energy Financial Services and GE Global Research are backing electrification developments in the transportation sector. This is part of GE’s ecomagination(SM) initiative, the company’s commitment to help its customers meet their environmental challenges while expanding its own portfolio of cleaner energy products.

“Our work with A123 and Think taps GE’s unique combination of venture capital, engineering, process and commercial expertise to help burgeoning, next generation technology companies bring their innovative products to market,” said Kevin Walsh, Managing Director and leader of renewable energy investing at GE Energy Financial Services.

Added Mark Little, Senior Vice President and Director of GE Global
Research: “Our researchers are improving energy storage and conversion technology as the key enabler of our founder Thomas Edison’s vision of electricity as a viable propulsion system for vehicles, ranging from automobiles to industrial vehicles and locomotives.”

A123Systems’ President and CEO David Vieau commented: “The GE Global Research Center has been working with A123 on the development of safe and reliable battery-powered transportation, and this has allowed us to accelerate delivery of advanced battery solutions to Think. Our newest collaboration with Think helps us achieve the large-scale production of batteries and integrate them into commercially available electric vehicles.”

Speaking at the Geneva auto show, Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums said:
“We see many important opportunities emerging from our new relationship with GE. This relationship will help Think – the manufacturer of the first highway-approved electric car in mass production – to stay at the forefront of electric vehicle technology.”

GE’s research includes a US $5.6 million US Energy Department contract to develop smaller, lower cost, higher performing hybrid drivetrain motors for hybrid electric vehicles. In addition, GE is working on a US $1.2 million project to develop advanced high temperature, high energy density capacitors. GE researchers are also engaged in a US $13 million project with the US Federal Transit Administration and other industrial partners to build a prototype lightweight, battery-dominant zero emissions hybrid fuel cell bus.