Advertisement

2012 Olympics debut for BMW Megacity Vehicle?

July 26, 2010 at 3:30 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under BMW, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News


BMW’s eagerly anticipated Megacity Vehicle might have a bigger launch audience than originally expected. According to industry sources close to the project, BMW will use the 2012 Olympics in London to showcase the Megacity car.

The model in question will be a production ready Megacity concept car which will be previewed a year before it actually goes on sale. This of course, is due to the fact that BMW is the official partner for the 2012 games, thus showcasing their wares is just one of the perks of the agreement.

Coverage from the Olympics will no doubt set BMW ahead of the competition as this would be a major opportunity for them to present their electric car idea to a global audience. The Megacity is a four seat, rear wheel drive car that has a 100 kW motor. It is said to have a range of 160 to 209 kilometres. The car will have a carbon fibre cell to counteract the weight of the batteries and will be sold under a sub-brand similar to ‘M’ for performance BMWs.

Source

5 Comments      

Nissan rumoured to build an electric sportscar?

July 22, 2010 at 8:21 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Infiniti, International News, Nissan

The automotive market is now clamouring with automaker trying to pump out electric sportscar such as Audi with their R8 and Mercedes with their SLS AMG. Nissan could be next as sources close to the company revealed the possibility of Nissan producing an electric sportscar.

Nothing else has been confirmed, thus we could see the Japanese company using body structures from its current line-up such as the 370Z. This would be a relatively good choice as it is a lightweight car but unfortunately lacks in size which has to house the unconfirmed amount of batteries.

We have to remember that Nissan would most likely use the platform of the Leaf with an electric motor producing slightly more juice. Thus anything in that size would do this new sports car well. We could also see the use of its premium brand Infiniti and some have been suggesting the use of cars like the hybrid concept Essence seen in 2009.

This could be pure speculation but as the old saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s Nissan’s CEO Carlos Goshn trying to make Nissan a leader in the automotive industry.


Source

12 Comments      


Honda launching a plug-in hybrid in 2012

July 21, 2010 at 8:30 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Honda, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

Honda have confirmed it will go the way of its top competitor Toyota and launch a plug-in hybrid and a battery electric model for the US and Japanese market. Speaking at a news conference in Japan, CEO Takanobu Ito stated the models will be seen sometime in 2012.

They expect the new plug-in hybrid to go slightly more than 60km on a single litre of petrol making it more fuel efficient than the current Prius according to reports from Nikkei. This is of course a sort of grey area as so far we’re can universally only state mileage claims based on a formula that uses a single source of liquid fuel. The results of a hybrid vehicle can go way off especially if its a plug-in.

Along with the Insight, the company is also looking two other hybrid models for the US market expanding its hybrid line up to around five by 2013 according to the Japanese publication. This is quite a sudden turn of events for Honda, as they have previously been against the development of electric cars focusing mainly on hydrogen fuelled variants due to the fact that batteries were too expensive to be practical. Seems that the only reason they will be selling battery run electric cars is to meet US legal requirements in California.

Toyota was on the same bandwagon of EV sceptics, but have now changed their plans with its partnership with Tesla and the development of a prototype electric vehicle based on the Toyota RAV4 and Lexus RX.

Source

15 Comments      

Chevrolet Volt battery gets 8-year, 160,000 km warranty

July 19, 2010 at 2:40 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

The battery pack is one of the most vital and expensive components in a hybrid car, and the fear that it would fail is one mental hurdle in consumers’ minds. General Motors seems to understand this issue and has rolled out an 8-year, 160,000 km battery warranty for its upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. GM says that it’s the longest and most comprehensive warranty offered by an automaker on batteries that will cover 161 parts of the power pack. The warranty is transferable.

The Volt works on a range extender system and is powered with electricity at all times. For up to the first 65 km, it’s powered solely by electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery, using no fuel and producing no emissions. When the lithium-ion battery runs low, an engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range by another 480 km on a full tank of fuel.

The Volt is the only mass-market EV with a battery that can be warmed or cooled. The battery is designed to provide reliable operation at temperatures from -25 C to over 50 C. In cold weather, the battery will be preheated during charging to provide full power capability. In hot weather – the most challenging environment for a battery – the Volt’s unit can be chilled during charging.

Did you know that fully charging or fully depleting a battery shortens its life? The Volt’s energy management system never fully charges or depletes the battery and has top and bottom “buffer zones” to ensure a longer life. Another cool fact about the Volt’s battery is that more than 500 diagnostics run at 10 times per second, ensuring the the battery is operating safely and keeping track of performance and life.

Sales of the Volt and its European Opel/Vauxhall Ampera equivalent will start in 2011.

29 Comments      

Bill Gates and Vinod Khosla invests in EcoMotors

July 14, 2010 at 2:50 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Technology

When Bill Gates puts his money on something, the world pays attention. The latest being his joint investment of $23.5 million with Vinod Khosla in EcoMotors International and their Opoc technology. The Opoc engine, is an “opposed piston opposed cylinder” engine setup that is said to use 50 percent less parts and provides 50 percent more fuel efficiency. EcoMotors have said that they will use the funding for the testing and construction of demonstration units of the Opoc engine.

The Opoc engine works by the use of two opposing cylinders which contain two pistons each. The crankshaft is housed in between the opposing cylinders and is turned by the rods connected to the pistons. This system works without cylinder heads and valve trains while employing a 2-stroke like system which guarantees quick torque.

Apparently using their EM100 diesel model, which has a cylinder bore size of 100mm and weighs 134 kilogrammes, it is capable of producing a power figure of 325hp at 3500rpm along with an incredible 900Nm of torque. Another plus point would be the fact that this could use any form of fuel be it petrol, diesel or ethanol.

What has interested the two investors more than anything is the practicality of the design, which allows flexibility in its uses along with it being less expensive to manufacture, purchase, and operate. This could lead to various applications in different parts of the world where expensive electric or hybrid cars are just not practical.

Source

41 Comments      

GALLERY: Otherworldly Citroën Survolt takes on Le Mans

July 14, 2010 at 2:09 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

The otherworldly Citroën Survolt racing car concept made its first all-electric laps of Le Mans circuit last weekend, at the Le Mans Classic event. First seen at this year’s Geneva show, the Survolt was piloted by Vanina Ickx, daughter of Belgian Formula One driver Jacky Ickx.

The experienced racer gave the Survolt the thumbs up. “I am very proud to have participated in this unique project. On the track it felt really good. It’s a real race car, with a very promising potential for the future,” she said

The Survolt, which features the same dramatic design language as the GTbyCITROËN (which was also driven on track) but in a more compact shape, is powered by a 140 kg lithium ion battery and two electric motors producing 300 hp. With that, the car does 0-100 km/h in less than five seconds on to a top speed of 260 km/h. The battery is good for a 200 km range and can be recharged in two hours with a specialised power supply or in 10 hours with a standard 220V plug.

Images after the jump.
[Read more...]

14 Comments      

Porsche 918 Spyder price – 500,000 Euros!

July 13, 2010 at 10:55 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Porsche

The Porsche 918 Spyder seems to tick all the boxes. Porsche’s unique trophy car, check. Produces an extreme amount of power, check. Environmentally friendly, check. Looks extremely desirable, check, check and check.

Another box to tick will be the price tag. Sources close to Porsche seem to think that it might have a price tag of 500,476 Euro which exceeds the 453,000 Euro price tag of the Carrera GT. Unfortunately as of yet Porsche have yet to confirm if the hybrid will go into production. But they did say that they would need 1,000 sales pledges to consider putting this car into production.

This would mean Porsche would stand to reap a revenue figure of 500 million Euros, even if 500 of the potential clients actually buy the car. Follow the links below for more information on the car and a promo video for the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Related Posts:
Porsche 918 Spyder – first details
Porsche 918 Spyder – promo video

8 Comments      

VIDEO: Citroen Survolt electric supercar concept

July 8, 2010 at 10:05 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

Citroen has revealed information and a teaser video of the electric concept Survolt ahead of the car’s debut at the Le Mans Classic on July 10th.

The car is motivated by two electric motors powered by twin 31kW lithium-ion batteries that produce a combined 300hp. This propels the electric sports car to the century mark in less than five seconds and goes on to reach a top speed of 260km/h. Driving range for this car will be 200 kilometres on a single charge while the batteries can either be replenished using a standard 220 volt outlet in 10 hours or with a rapid charger in 2 hours.

A car that combines economical driving and sporting performance, the car features a tubular chassis, flat underside with an extractor and full carbon bodywork. This gives the Survolt a kerb weight of just 1.15 tonnes and compact dimensions of 3.85m long, 1.87m wide and 1.2m high.

6 Comments      

Renault DeZir concept to debut at Paris 2010

July 6, 2010 at 4:01 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Renault

Renault has unveiled a new concept car which it says symbolises the company’s new design direction for its cars in the future. Design at the front looks similar to a Corvette, while the back and sides seems to remind me of the Audi E-tron concept car.

Given the designation DeZir, the Z in the name symbolises zero emission which means that this concept is an electric vehicle. The powertrain in question will be an electric motor producing 150hp with 226Nm of torque from its vertically-mounted 24kWh lithium-ion battery, located behind the backseats.

This provides a driving range of 160km and has three different recharging options when it runs out of juice. This includes a standard charge from a normal household plug, a fast charge using a 400V three-phase current (recharges 80 percent in 20 mins) or a fast battery exchange where you drop your old battery off for a fully charged unit.

The DeZir uses lightweight materials such as Kevlar and a tubular steel frame. Driving dynamics are further egged on by a full underbody and a rear diffuser which results in a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.25. Other neat features include KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) along with a futuristic driver graphic display.

This goes hand in hand with the exterior design which will feature gullwing doors that are hinged to different sides of the door frames, full-width front air intake that stretch from the Renault logo, along with Audi-R8-like side intakes.

Moving on inside, you will find a design synonymous to concept cars which Renault say is supposed to make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud. The new concept is expected to debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show this year. If you can’t make it to the show, have a look for yourself after the jump for a picture gallery.
[Read more...]

13 Comments      

Tesla Roadster 2.5 – roadster with a revised face

July 3, 2010 at 10:04 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Tesla Motors

The Lotus Elise-based Tesla roadster has undergone a facelift and is now called the Roadster 2.5. The revisions are minor and are centered on the front and back end of the car.

In front, the roadster gets a new reshaped grille with diffusing vents while the back gets a rear diffuser reflecting the future of Tesla’s design. This sits on forged wheels which are available in silver and black.

Inside, the seats feature greater comfort with larger supportive bolsters and a new lumbar support system while an optional 7-inch touchscreen display with a back-up camera. Not that the car was noisy to start off with, but they have added a new front fender liner material which makes the cabin even quieter.

The Roadster 2.5 is set to be unveiled at the new Copenhagen and Newport Beach, CA dealerships. You can view a picture gallery of the roadster after the jump.
[Read more...]

12 Comments