Catching up on a number of clean transportation stories we haven’t been able to cover, here are quick summaries of 10 recent stories. The first 6 concern EVs and hybrid-electric vehicles. The following 4 concern trains and transit. Electric Vehicles & Hybrids 1. Tesla Model X Electric SUV to be Unveiled on February 9. Gigaom, interviewing Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, found out that Tesla would be unveiling its all-electric SUV, the Model X, in less than one month. 2. Mitsubishi Selling and Servicing Electric Cars at All of Its UK Franchises. Mitsubishi recently announced that it was creating “the UK’s largest dealer network for electric cars,” according to Business Green. “[A]ll of its franchised dealers will become fully functioning Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle Centres from this month and by the end of March each will have two trained EV sales personnel as well as aftersales technicians.” ...

Tesla is finally looking to turn a profit again, now that it has created a highly popular car NOT for the super, super rich. But the deal isn’t done yet:

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Panasonic Batteries + Tesla Model S Sedan = Still Awesome? Stealthy Combo Tesla + Toyota Sneak Out a Surprise: the RAV4 EV! Tesla and Toyota to Collaborate on Building the Affordable Electric Car

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TESLA ROADSTER

If Chris Paine’s earlier movie, “Who Killed the Electric Car” (WKtEC), was about people being deprived of their vehicles and used as pawns in a struggle between government regulations and established business, then his latest film, “Revenge of the Electric Car,” is about the Kings.

The Journey For the trip to the theater, I used an electric vehicle,.. though many don’t consider how the subway’s are powered. The train was stopped two stations short of my destination for a passenger with a seizure and I decided to walk. Many can be subject to what affects one train, but is this so different than a traffic accident on a highway? The air was crisp and most New Yorkers are under-dressed for spending much time outside. Along the way, newspapers proclaimed in headlines the demise of ...

Tesla’s Roadster is one of the sexiest electric cars on the road, and their new sedan looks pretty sweet, too. Not only does it seat up to 7, there’s also a performance model available (0-60 in 4.5 seconds!). Helping keep costs down so more of us can ride in this sweet silent sedan is Panasonic, providing the lithium-ion battery cells.

Both companies say that the agreement will help Tesla meet its costs and margin targets for the Model S, according to a statement released Tuesday. As the base model is priced at $57,400 (before the applicable federal tax credit, which is $7,500 and any other incentives), it’s anyone’s guess what that margin is. The Roadster, in comparison, costs upwards of $109,000 (presumably using the same type of batteries, but hey, it’s a sports car).

Panasonic’s involvement with Tesla ...

Back to the Future may have been right: The cars of tomorrow will be powered by capacitors (they will not, presumably, be able to time-travel). At least, that’s what Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at yesterday’s Cleantech Forum in San Francisco, unleashing a torrent of speculation that the electric car company may be researching capacitor storage. Capacitors are electric devices that can store charges temporarily. They can handle a greater number of charge cycles than batteries, and can provide quick jolts of energy. If Tesla could find a way to use them in conjunction with—and eventually in place of—their current lithium-ion batteries, electric cars could travel greater distances before needing to be recharged. Interestingly, Musk originally came to California to study high-energy-density capacitor physics at Stanford. “I did that for a laugh,” he said at the conference. After being enrolled for a few ...

Tesla has just released an update on its  upcoming 2012 Model S all-electric sedan, for which it has received 3,700 reservations (each costing $5,000). The main points from the update: The company expects to produce about 5,000 units in 2012 while ramping up for capacity of 20,000 cars per year in 2013. Deliveries for North America will start in mid-2012 The first 1,000 Model S’s will be part of the “North American Model S Signature Series,” which will have a 300-mile range battery, unique badging and “an extensive complement of options.” After the signature series is delivered, Model S’s for North America will offer battery range options later in 2012 of 300, 230 and 160 miles. Base price for the 160-mile option is $57,400. The 230-mile options is expected to cost $67,500, and the 300-mile option about $77,400. The car is eligible for ...

Electric cars are getting blinged out. We’ve written before about how major automakers like Nissan, Ford and GM are plowing forth with electric car and hybrid offerings. Nissan, in particular, wants to grab 20 percent of the global electric cars market. But luxury automakers are getting into the game, too. Could it mean competition for luxury electric car startups like Tesla and Fisker? Big news on this came from BMW recently. First, the company is launching an entire eco-friendly sub-brand of its cars, called “i.” The lineup includes the i3 all-electric city car and the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. It is also piloting  1,000 ActiveE electrified BMW coupes, testing out a car sharing service and just said it would launch a $100 million venture capital fund to invest in transportation-related services. It has already backed My ...

After several rounds of delays and price increases, electric car startup Fisker says it will start production next month for the Karma, a luxury plug-in hybrid priced at $95,900. The company raised $150 million earlier this month at a $600 million valuation, and its backers include storied venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and New Enterprise Associates. Production of the Karma will start March 21, so it looks like the company is on track to begin selling them in March or April of this year. Fisker is often compared to electric car company Tesla because both are producing luxury electric vehicles and have received hefty amounts of government and venture capital backing. But Fisker focuses on plug-in hybrids and has yet to sell a car, while Tesla has gone public, focuses on all-electric cars and already has one (the ...

Florida-based LED maker Lighting Science Group (LSG) announced today it has filed for a $150 million IPO.

The news follows this week’s successful IPO of Gevo, a biofuels and biochemicals company (that has never turned a profit) that raised $107 million on public markets and was able to command share prices at the high end of its offering range.

So, could this finally be the year cleantech IPOs gain traction?

LSG is something of a unique case. It makes LED products for commercial and retail establishments (pictured) and has had its products used in installations for Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Bryant Park. The company’s stocks are already traded on the OTC Bulletin Board ($4.27 per share at the time of this writing), and the IPO plans would be  trade its stocks on the Nasdaq.  While LSG isn’t venture-backed, the majority ...

Electric vehicle (EV) fans the world over have been getting excited about the prospect of Toyota’s upcoming electric RAV4 model (pictured). The original RAV4 EV is still celebrated by its owners and EV enthusiasts alike — and commands impressive prices when examples come up for sale. Launched with a fanfare at last November’s Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV will use Tesla power for performance on-par with the V6 gasoline RAV4 and a range that should be competitive with the current crop of EVs. Now, Tesla has announced they’re working on a small electric SUV of their own. Known as the Model X, it’s due to hit the market in 2014. Joining the iconic Roadster and upcoming 2012 Model S sedan, the Model X is still in the early stages of development and is unlikely to gain serious ...