Automakers like Tesla and Fisker have opened the door for electric sports cars, and now there are repots that Lotus is working on a battery-powered vehicle, as well. According to Lotus' CEO, Michael Kimberly, we should not be "surprised to see an electric Lotus shortly."

According to Motor Authority, this new Lotus will use a gas-powered generator to charge its batteries on the go and that this vehicle will be able to travel up to 400 miles on one tank of fuel. Lotus says that they're working in collaboration with a major automotive manufacturer to develop certain parts of this sports car. Also, MA points out that Tesla currently contracts Lotus to assemble the bodies for its electric roadster, though this new product from Lotus will compete directly with cars like the Tesla.

As for us, we're eagerly awaiting the fuel-sipping comparison test between these electric sports cars. Lotus wants to develop this car in order to expand its model range after the official launch of the new four-seat Evora later this year.

+ Motor Authority: Lotus working on range-extending electric vehicle

Held every January in Las Vegas, NV, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will feature a Greener Gadgets Techzone section for 2009. The exhibits will be displayed in Central Hall, and highlight pioneering technologies that benefit the environment and sustainability of global economy.  

Amongst the crowd will be ELV motors, one of the first electric transportation companies to participate at CES. The company presents a whole range of "Fleet Certified" electric bicycles and electric and hybrid scooters. At its booth will be both the regular and police versions of the company’s  2009 A2B electric bicycle, equipped with a 500 watt, throttle driven motor.

We already know that Fisker will be unveiling the production version of its Karma sport sedan at the Detroit Auto Show, but now there's proof that another concept will be making its way to the Detroit stage: the Karma S, or Sunset. (Sources at AutoblogGreen say that while the S stands for Sunset, Karma S will be the official name.)

Fisker says that the Karma S will have similar architecture with the production Karma sedan and that the two cars will share the same powertrain. Aside from this little bit of information and a very cropped teaser shot, no other details were released about the Sunset, so we'll have to wait until its Detroit Show debut. Speculation suggests that this could be a coupe or convertible variant of the Karma sedan, since the vehicle seems to lack a B-pillar in this photo. As always, we'll keep you posted with more details once they arise.

+ AutoblogGreen: Fisker set to debut new Karma S "Sunset" concept in Detroit

The Detroit Auto Show is right around the corner, and in addition to its all-electric city car, Toyota will be unveiling the next-generation 2010 Prius. In this latest teaser video, the infamous Blue Man Group checks out the latest Prius, though we'll have to wait until next month to get up close and personal, ourselves.

+ YouTube: 2010 Toyota Prius

Toyota must be in shambles. Not only have they just reported their first annual loss in ages, but the Ford Fusion Hybrid now bests the Camry Hybrid in fuel efficiency, making the Fusion America's most fuel-efficient mid-sized car.

EPA testing has shown that the Fusion Hybrid can achieve 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, besting the Camry by 8 mpg and 2 mpg respectively. In fact, the Fusion gets 1 more mpg in the city than the smaller Honda Civic Hybrid. The Fusion Hybrid can travel over 700 miles on a single tank of gas and can travel up to 45 miles per hour solely on electric assist.

Click through the post for Ford's official press release.

Well, sort of.

We already know that Toyota is planning to show its 2010 Prius at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, but the automaker has now hinted that it will be showing an all-electric vehicle at Cobo Hall, as well. In a very short press release, Toyota said that "this display marks the world debut of this concept vehicle," so we're not really sure what to expect.

Naturally, there's been some speculation within the industry, and the folks at the Wall Street Journal seem to think that this new concept is a battery-powered version of Toyota's iQ, the Smart ForTwo rival. We'll be sure to bring you the full details from Toyota's press conference in a couple of weeks.

+ The Car Connection: 2009 Detroit Auto Show: Toyota Bringing Electric City Car

Nikolai Fomenko, a noted Russian celebrity and racecar driver, has just launched his own sports car company called EMM.

The company's first project will be the rather stunning Marussia sports car, which features an environmentally friendly hybrid drivetrain. On top of that, Fomenko hopes that the company will produce a completely electric car, possibly something similar to the Tesla, later on. For now though, hybrid technology is a lot more viable.

Russian media is reporting that the car will have a 3.5-liter Nissan engine, possibly from the existing 350Z, churning out around 240 horsepower on the entry model, and 298 hp on the premium version. Though this power output may not seem very supercaresque, the car will also use its electric motor at the back to boost its power. Adding in a feather-light curb weight of about 2000 pounds means that the car should be able to hit 60 miles per hour in around 5 seconds.

Apart from its drivetrain, other details on the Marussia are scarce. There are details on the interior however, as the car will have a 4G Yota network, which uses WiMax technology and will be able to wirelessly transfer 10mbps of data to ensure high-speed internet access. The Marussia will also feature three LCD screens in the car, a Bluetooth telephone system, and three cameras. One of these cameras will monitor the car in a “black box” manner for insurance companies.

+ Motor Authority: Marussia sports car born out of Russia

Scheduled for the next Geneva Motor Show next spring is Bentley's bioethanol-powered versions of its large engine models. Currently in development, the luxury carmaker plans to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from its lineup by forty percent within three years.

Why the rush? Well currently, its fleet outputs an average of 400 grams of carbon per kilometer—far from the newly set EU target of 130g/km average by 2015. Though the details have not been finalized, and it is speculated that this limit will only apply to companies that produce 10,000 or more cars annually, smaller companies such as Bentley will still face at least some demand to reduce its greenhouse gas output.
 
Only time will tell if the bet on ethanol will really shine through. After reports like the one recently released by Stanford University, sticking to ethanol may not be the best choice after all. That said, a Bentley spokesman had mentioned that while the focus now is on bioethanol, it’s only for short term. Biodiesel may become a possibility in the longer run.

Currently, Bentley is also undergoing negotiations with the British royal family over supplying use of these greener vehicles for state use.

+ Channel 4: Environment: Bioethanol Bentley to debut next year

Mark Jacobson, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University, recently conducted a study that ranked alternate energies from best to worst. Ethanol was put to the test against, "Solar-photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, wave, tidal, nuclear, and coal with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology." After looking at reports of air pollutants from energy types on climate and air quality, and comparing how well each energy type was able to power vehicles, the study showed that Ethanol came in dead last.

It seems that the report found that wind-powered battery electric vehicles as well as wind-powered hydrogen fuel cells were the greenest ways to go. The immediate problem now, is the fact that driving a wind-powered battery electric vehicle is horrendously expensive, let alone impractical. And for its part, Ethanol has already received huge support from the automotive industry and the U.S. government. Finding an appropriately sized role for ethanol, with adequate support for the greener of the new green-tech is easier said than done.

+ AutoblogGreen: Ethanol turns out to be the worst type of renewable energy