Here's another European EV we should be watching.

The QUICC! DiVa (which started life as the much-easier-to-remember Innovan) makes its debut at the Paris show in October,  and could be available in the United States, along with other carbon-neutral driving options, if GM's chairman is right about government plans to tear down the NHTSA wall that currently prevents their being imported.

This featherweight utility van EV meets cradle-to-cradle sustainability requirements, and, being made of lightweight recycled plastic, weighs in at under 1,900 pounds, including batteries. It has a range of 90 miles on a charge and is able to reach 75 mph. It can carry 1,300 pounds of cargo in addition to two passengers.

So its no wonder that the very sustainable Dutch InnoVan (sorry: the Quicc! DiVa) won the Most Promising Technology award, which comes with millions of euros in investment capital from Econcern.

There are already customers lined up for the limited edition next spring, and it has attracted the attention of Johann Tomforde, the designer who made the Smart so clever. He'll help sharpen up the design a bit before it goes into mass production in 2010. I'm hoping he'll take care of those dorky looking lights.

DuraCar's Guido Boosten says that they want to test even lighter weight cradle-to-cradle, recycled-plastic options and different batteries in this test run. That would include the safer and more durable LiFePO4. Boosten says the most important thing right now is to get the vehicles on the road and find out how they perform in real life, rather than just relying on lab testing.

LiFePo4 batteries provide full power until they are completely discharged. In electric vehicles and plug-in electric cars, they will typically last for 6 or 7 years, will not catch fire or explode with overcharging, and can be safely recharged in 15 minutes. A123 Systems has teamed up with GM to develop LiFePO4 batteries for the Chevy Volt, and Lithium Technology Corporation has been working with GM, Toyota and U.C. Davis to develop them for all-electric and hybrid vehicles.

Via AutoblogGreen and MetaEfficient