A dozen EV models exhibited in Geneva

Electric cars (okay, and hybrids) are definitely the stars at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland. Here's a list of the models unveiled or exhibited this week:

Ford Focus electric
The 2012 Focus family comes with an electric version with the capability to fully charge in three to four hours total.

Chevrolet Volt
The American Car of the Year 2011, a hybrid already available for order in the US, is still one of the stars in Geneva. Its European cousin, the Opel Ampera, will soon roll out to the Old Continent's streets.

BMW Active E
This German sports car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in about 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of 90 mph.

Volvo V60
A highly efficient plug-in electric hybrid and the first station-wagon electric vehicle.

Toyota iQ EV
The electric version of the popular Japanese microcar.

Tesla Model S
The troubled's Californian start-up's super car.

Honda Fit EV
Honda's first all-electric vehicle.

Smart fortwo concept car
Modeled after the company's popular non-electric version.

Tata Pixel concept car
Tata claims that the Pixel will return more than 60 mpg and only releases 89 grams of C02 per kilometer. The efficiency comes by way of a 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbodiesel, which, though it isn't a full hybrid, employs stop-start technology and regenerative battery charging.

Nissan ES Flow concept car
Nissan's first sport's concept car can go from 0-62 miles per hour in 5 seconds.

Nissan Leaf
One of the first EVs on the market, the vehicle can go up to 90 miles per hour, can get 80% charge in a half an hour, and its batteries feature a 100,000 mile warrantee.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Experimental Car
Lotus and Rolls-Royce teamed up to produce this luxury EV, which possesses the largest battery ever used in an electric passenger car, for 'market study purposes'.

Source: Go Electric Drive
and Autoblog Green

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All 2011 Green Car Vision Award finalists are electric vehicles

The Green Car Journal has nominated five electric vehicles for the 2011 Green Car Vision Award: the Ford Focus BEV, the Honda Fit EV, the future Mitsubishi i model for the American market, the Toyota RAV4 EV (currently under development with Tesla) and the Volvo C30 DRIVe. The winner will be announced on January 27 at the 2011 Washington Auto Show, in the American capital. Here's what the jury has to say about the finalists:

Ford's Focus BEV, which is based on the automaker's all-new 2012 Focus model, will be introduced in the U.S. sometime in 2011. The automaker is leveraging global platforms like the Focus and collaborating with key powertrain suppliers like Magna International as part of its global electrification strategy.

The Honda Fit EV concept shares the direction and styling of the upcoming production Fit EV that will be coming to U.S. shores in 2012. The five-passenger electric will be powered by lithium-ion batteries and feature Econ, Normal, and Sport modes to maximize efficiency or improve acceleration.

Mitsubishi will produce the newly-named Mitsubishi i electric vehicle, a battery powered iteration of the automaker's popular 'i' minicar sold in Japan. Retooled and larger for U.S. tastes, this lithium-ion powered car will be sold in four Western states starting in November 2011 with a national roll-out to follow.

Toyota's second generation RAV4 EV will begin a demonstration program in 2011 with plans for market arrival of a fully-engineered vehicle in 2012. The automaker has partnered with Tesla to fast-track development, with Tesla providing the lithium metal oxide battery and related components and Toyota handling the rest.

The Volvo C30 DRIVe is an electric variant of this automaker's small sport hatchback that's powered by lithium-ion batteries from Indiana-based ENER1. A small test fleet is currently operating in Sweden with a larger demonstration of DRIVe electrics planned for Europe, China, and the U.S. in 2011.

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