Two New Electric Concept Cars You’ve Got To See

Between the recent 2010 Australian International Motor Show and the upcoming 2010 LA Auto Show, electric vehicle enthusiasts are a-flutter with the electric concept cars offered up by two major manufacturers.

Nissan, which only recently made headlines by revealing the LEAF, the most affordable electric cars on the market, stunned EV-lovers by announcing its entry into the 2010 LA Auto Show: the Nissan iV (pictured above).

The design features a super-lightweight construction that showcases “organic synthetics” and an interwoven organic frame supported by a chassis based on fast-growing ivy and reinforced with spider silk composite (via Greenwala).

This news comes just days after Mitsubishi finished dazzling audiences at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show with it’s electric concept car; the i-MiEV Sport (pictured below). The concept design builds on features seen in the i-MiEV electric vehicle released in Australia in August, but expands them to offer more environmental and performance benefits.

The design might seem cute and compact, but it’s hiding a powerful electric propulsion system inside. Ecoseed writes:

The lithium-ion battery-powered, all-wheel drive coupe utilises in-wheel motors at the front and a third motor driving the rear wheels, all controlled by the S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) vehicle dynamics system. It promises genuine sporting capabilities via 680Nm of torque with a body weight of just 970 kilograms, packaged in a light rigid aluminium space frame.

The range of the coupe is 200 kilometres on a single charge, augmented by photovoltaic solar cells mounted in the roof and a power generating fan mounted in the front grille. Additional power comes from bright power-saving LED lighting, regenerative braking functions, heat-absorbing window glass and Mitsubishi’s unique plant-based Green Plastic resin technology.

With so much auto industry interest in electric vehicles, it might seem like we’re close to achieving the dream of a plug-in transportation system. But if there is any chance for electric vehicles (EVs) to take up anything more than a sliver of the global automobile market, the federal government needs to introduce electric car legislation to get things moving in the right direction (and keep them moving).

Article by Beth Buczynski, appearing courtesy Crisp Green.