Electric Vehicles: Tesla unveils electric Semi truck, new Roadster

American automaker Tesla unveiled a new electric semitractor-trailer simply called the Semi, and a roadster at an event in Hawthorn, California, U.S., on Nov. 16. CEO Elon Musk stated that production for the Semi would commence in 2019 and customers can put down a $5,000 deposit for the electric truck.

Read more: Tesla unveils electric Semi truck, new Roadster

Alternative Energy: Wind-Power: Fort Lauderdale uses federal grant for wind-powered turbines

Traveling north on I-95 just south of Oakland Park Boulevard, motorists may have noticed four large spinning wind turbines. Turns out the heavily-trafficked location was not chosen by accident.

Fort Lauderdale recently installed four, 20-foot green wind blades that sit atop a 70-foot pole near I-95 not only to help power electric cars , but also to display its energy initiative. The city looked at various locations, but found Mills Pond Park, 2201 NW Ninth Ave., provides not only the necessary space with few permitting and zoning hurdles, but also a place where the city can showcase the turbines and educate the public on alternative energy.

"Mills Pond is such a popular park and so many families that go there, we thought it would be a good learning opportunity for kids to see and to ask questions," said Susy Torriente, assistant city manager for Fort Lauderdale. "It's a perfect location to catch people's attention and start talking about different types of energy."

Installing the charging striations was made possible by a federal grant the city received from the Department of Energy. The city researched various studies and saw a growing need for electric car charging stations.

"It's about planning for the future," Torriente said. "As more time passes, there's going to be more of a need for those kinds of amenities and we need to start thinking about alternative energy sources."

While enjoying the park, officials hope park users will also charge their electronic car >batteries which they can do for free.

Fort Lauderdale also produced information fliers on the city's website and at Mills Pond Park to help educate residents about the features of the wind turbines and how they operate.

"It allowed us to do something very different and innovative," Torriente said.

or more information, visit http://www.fortlauderdale.gov.

European Auto Industry: Kick-starting Europe's electric vehicle industry

Electric vehicles (e-vehicles, or EVs) are set to play a key role in the future of urban mobility, reducing pollution, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels and saving drivers money. Although e-vehicles make up only a tiny fraction of the European car fleet at present, sales are expected to grow exponentially over the coming years, thanks, in no small measure, to advances in e-vehicle technology being made by EU-funded researchers.

Fully electric vehicle technologies that optimise safety, energy consumption and kinetic energy recovery are also major contributors to on-going improvements in the performance of hybrid vehicles.

Across the European Union transport accounts for more than 70\;% of total oil consumption, the vast majority of which is imported from abroad. With more than one million additional cars going onto Europe's roads every 50 days, fuel consumption, congestion and pollution will only continue to increase if the internal combustion engine remains the main source of automotive power. Hence, the EU, national governments and private companies are spending billions on supporting the development of e-vehicles.

'Rather than offering forms of mobility based on ever-increasing energy prices, the industry is now faced with satisfying a rational demand for mobility: clean, safe and low-energy-consumption vehicles, requiring less energy to be produced, and using recyclable and eventually self-disposable materials,' says Dr Pietro Perlo, the CEO of Interactive Fully Electrical Vehicles (IFEVS), an Italian SME dedicated to e-vehicle development.

Read more: Kick-starting Europe's electric vehicle industry