Automotive

This 1884 de Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout was one Count de Dion's second prototype and can lay claim to having "won" the world's first automobile race. Although it takes more than half an hour to "steam" before it can be driven and needs "watering" every 20 miles, it is nonetheless, one of the most significant automobiles in history ... and it's for sale. Extensive detailed photo gallery. Read More

The car is not going to disappear anytime soon and neither is the combustion engine, despite the inevitable rise in fuel prices. We have said it before, electrical motors are an energy-efficient method for driving vehicles but battery technology is simply not going to advance quickly enough for all-electric vehicles to be a practical reality for most uses anytime soon. The near and mid-term future is undoubtedly a combination of compact combustion engine generators charging dense battery packs that drive electric motors - the "range extender" option. We reported on one possible candidate, the disc motor, a couple of months ago. Now, after nearly twenty years of development another candidate is going through final testing and it is a work of elegant genius - Dr. Herbert Hüttlin's Kugelmotor. Read More

The AM General auto assembly plant in Mishawaka, Indiana is where they used to build Hummer H2s. Now, its workers are making something a little less ... controversial. It’s a van called the MV-1, MV standing for “Mobility Vehicle,” and it’s designed specifically for wheelchair-using passengers. Its designers claim that it is better suited to the handicapped than converted conventional vans, and the first factory-built model rolled off the assembly line yesterday. Read More

If you live in Britain and are debating whether or not you should purchase a hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity, well ... your decision may now be a bit easier to make. In order to encourage development of fuel cell vehicles such as the FCX, Honda has just opened the UK’s first open access station for hydrogen-powered vehicles. It’s located on the grounds of Honda of the UK Manufacturing in Swindon, and everyone who needs a little hydrogen in their lives is welcome. Read More

With more comebacks than Dame Nellie Melba, the Jensen Interceptor name must surely have the record for the most revived name in automotive history. It was first used between 1950-57 for a 4.0 liter convertible based on Austin componentry, then rose to international awareness with its second coming in 1966 as a Grand Tourer designed by the Italian Carrozzeria Touring running Chrysler V8s of 6276cc and 7212cc. In 1967, the FF variant had four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes and traction control. The next generation of Jensen Interceptor is previewed here - it will be built in Great Britain by the fast-growing CPP Global Holdings and will cost in the vicinity of US$200,000 when it hits showrooms in 2014. Read More

Records may come and go but, aside from grabbing headlines, they're a way of benchmarking the progress of new technologies. In the automotive world this means hybrid drivetrains and we've seen a number of new record attempts in recent times - usually related to fuel economy as with the Kia Optima Drive. The latest comes from Nissan, whose Infiniti luxury division is claiming the world's fastest accelerating full hybrid vehicle in the form of the Infiniti M Hybrid. The M Hybrid has covered the standing quarter mile (400 m) in an average time of 13.9031 seconds - putting it on par with a Lamborghini Countach .... a 1982 Lamborghini Countach that is. Read More

It’s no secret that teen drivers have to pay higher automobile insurance rates than most people – after all, they’re less experienced, and some of them can be pretty reckless. If you’re a good teen driver or one that doesn’t drive much, however, it might seem rather unfair that you have to pay rates that are based on the worst driving habits of your peers. Well, Gibraltar-based insurethebox has what it claims is a better alternative – teens’ cars are fitted with a telematics box that records the way and amount that they drive, and they end up paying less for their insurance if they drive well. Read More

Many of us are eagerly awaiting the widespread adoption of autonomous cars to free us from the hassle of driving to and from work. This kind of technology also has applications beyond the roadway, especially in areas like farming where driving is the work ... and it's not on paved surfaces with markings and signs laid out. Dealing with the uneven and inconsistent terrain of a field poses unique problems that a team from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) and Flanders' Mechatronics Technology Centre (FMTC) in Belgium are claiming to have overcome with their robotic self-steering tractor. Read More

Electric vehicle concepts, prototypes and production models are everywhere at the moment. Enter into any discussion on the subject and you're likely to come across a few common threads, such as range anxiety, prohibitive cost and charging inconvenience. A collaborative project involving 200 assistants and students across 20 departments at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) is hoping to address many of those fears with its MUTE concept - a lightweight, sporty two-seater electric coupé designed from the ground up with three main factors in mind: efficiency, low overall cost and safety. Read More