DJ Hero Review
A laptop generating a little too much waste heat (Photo: secumem via Wikipedia Commons) Harnessing waste heat to produce electricity
The Snowtunnel - an indoor snowboarding experience. Snowboarding through the summertime: the Snowtunnel
The ECOS Harbinger - a simple, no-fuss electric supercar. The ECOS Harbinger - an electric, Euro-styled supercar for under US$90,000
The nanoscale resonators developed at Cornell can exert relatively strong forces on tiny p... Light resonators used to move nano-sized objects
Nissan's LandGlider Narrow track vehicles - the convergence of the car and the motorcycle
MORE TOP STORIES »

Automotive

« Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next »

Video: Suzuki fuel cell vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show

By Gizmag Team

04:16 October 22, 2009 PDT

The SX4 is one of the existing vehicles Suzuki has adapted to its new fuel cell technology

Suzuki’s carbon free mobility effort at the Tokyo Motor Show used three existing models to demonstrate the benefits of its growing hydrogen fuel cell expertise: the SX4 fuel cell car, a two-wheeler based on the existing Burgman 125 feet-forward enclosed scooter, and the fuel cell powered Mio Electric Wheelchair. Although Suzuki also showed a plug-in hybrid version of the Swift, another existing car being adapted to a future power train, the company is clearly staking a claim in the Fuel Cell technology arena. Check out the video to see what Suzuki has planned for our garages in the coming years. Read More

Promising tests for MotionPower system to generate electricity from traffic

By Darren Quick

03:22 October 21, 2009 PDT

The original MotionPower prototype undergoing testing at a Burger King drive-thru

Apparently, the ongoing testing of the MotionPower system for generating electricity from the movement of cars and light trucks - as reported here previously - is paying dividends. New Energy, the company developing the technology, reports it can produce a 25-fold increase in the system’s capacity to capture kinetic energy from moving vehicles, bringing the commercialization of the MotionPower system another step closer to reality. Read More

Putting the brakes on running red lights - Mercedes Benz 'Smart Stop' technology

By Mick Webb

02:16 October 16, 2009 PDT

The Mercedes Benz Smart Stop technology allows intersections and vehicles to communicate
 ...

Taking driver-assist technology to the next level is the “Smart Stop” system currently in development by Mercedes Benz. The wireless safety system, which allows intersections to communicate with vehicles, would automatically cause a car to stop at a red light should a driver fail to heed it. Read More

eWolf unveils the e-2: a battery-powered car with attitude

By Mick Webb

04:19 October 14, 2009 PDT

The eWolf e2 electric sports car prototype

With electric powered vehicle development picking up pace in a big way, German based company e-Wolf is looking to take things one step further after unveiling its “e-2” EV prototype. Boasting an expected acceleration of 0-60mph in under four seconds, e-Wolf is set to deliver an Italian-inspired electric “supercar” that puts the mean in green. Read More

EVs to get improved mileage from redox flow batteries

By Jeff Salton

20:41 October 13, 2009 PDT

The test vehicle into which researchers are integrating a redox flow battery

German researchers say a new type of electric vehicle battery that runs on electrolyte fluid can be recharged as easily as refilling a petrol tank. When the redox flow rechargeable batteries are low, the discharged electrolyte fluid can simply be exchanged at the gas station for recharged fluid. Read More

West Philly Hybrid X high school team in race for Auto X Prize

By Mick Webb

04:04 October 10, 2009 PDT

The Hybrid X Team from West Philadelphia High School Academy for Automotive and Mechanical...

The Automotive X Prize is a competition aiming to “inspire a new generation of viable, super – efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change”. With a $10 million prize pot and over 100 teams from 12 countries contributing entries, an unlikely contender has emerged in the form of West Philadelphia High School’s Hybrid X Team, which is applying its experience and knowledge to two entries including the Factory Five GT based EVX GT sports car. Read More

Like a fish out of water - Nissan unveil EPORO robot car concept

By Mick Webb

21:13 October 7, 2009 PDT

The Nissan EPORO concept robots are programmed to move like a school of fish

Taking its cue from under the sea, Nissan has revealed the latest offering in its ongoing Safety Shield line of research and development, aimed at making our roads and vehicles safer and smarter. Programmed to think and move like a school of fish, Nissan’s EPORO robot car prototypes move in unison as a group while communicating to avoid collision. Read More

Nissan to show half-width 'Land Glider' tilting electric vehicle at Tokyo Motor Show

By Mike Hanlon

16:25 October 7, 2009 PDT

Nissan to show half-width 'Land Glider' tilting electric vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show

The term convergence normally refers to the merging of consumer electronics, entertainment and media, but if recent trends are anything to go by, it could equally apply to the melding of the car and the motorcycle. BMW’s enclosed C3 motorcycle is now emerging as a road safety pin-up vehicle and at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month both Volkswagen and Renault exhibited tandem half-width cars that looked for all the world like four-wheeled motorcycles. Now comes news that Nissan is to unveil an electric tandem four-wheeled “Land Glider” concept at Tokyo Motor Show, and the wording of the press statements looks like Nissan is very confident the vehicle will reach showrooms. Read More

MAX: An almost Lotus that runs on vegetable oil

By Paul Ridden

05:05 October 7, 2009 PDT

Victorious MAX after the Escape from Berkeley win

Even before entering the Progressive Automotive X-Prize competition, Jack McCornack had started to pull together all the things needed to knock out a sporty two-seater car capable of achieving 100 miles per gallon. Fueled by the desire to make his creation a template for others to repeat and determined to bring it together within a strict budget, the race was on to bring MAX into the world - a Lotus Seven replica which just happens to run on vegetable oil. Paul Ridden traces the history of this fascinating project. Read More

Toyota to show very futuristic FT-EV compact concept

By Gizmag Team

15:41 October 6, 2009 PDT

Toyota to show very futuristic FT-EV compact concept

Toyota is set to show a new compact four-seat electric vehicle concept at the Tokyo Motor Show which is even smaller than the iQ. The FT-EV II is designed primarily for urban driving with drive-by-wire technology controlled by a joystick which incorporates the accelerator, brakes and steering to free up legroom in the space currently used by those components. This is a very futuristic vehicle with a second windscreen below dashboard level, and see through tailights for greater rearward visibility. Read More

Test drive: the all-electric Tesla Roadster

By Dave Weinstein

11:55 October 5, 2009 PDT

Gizmag test drives the Tesla Roadster

While the big news recently from Tesla has been its Model S vehicle, U.S. government loans to the company, and a plan for using the Model S platform for several new products including a minivan, crossover vehicle, and a utility van, we decided it was worth a closer look at the Tesla vehicle that you can buy now. Dave Weinstein climbs aboard the Roadster for a test drive. Read More

Mechanical bolt-on KERS hybrid for buses offers 30% fuel saving

By Gizmag Team

03:05 October 3, 2009 PDT

There is a surprisingly close match between the energy storage requirements of an urban bu...

It seems that the lessons learned in developing a mechanical KERS system for F1 may yet hold the key to a low-cost, high-efficiency hybrid system particularly suited for the stop-start patterns of buses, which are quite similar to the distances between capturing and delivering energy of those of a race car. Torotrak will deliver a paper at the SAE Commercial Vehicle Congress in Illinois next week showing how flywheel KERS for buses can offer more than 30 percent fuel saving over the London bus test cycle, yet package around an existing transmission. Read More

Drawing power from the road

By Darren Quick

19:59 October 1, 2009 PDT

The electric car of the future will “refuel” while driving or parked, complete...

It’s starting to look like roads will become much more than simple thoroughfares made of concrete and asphalt in the not too distant future. As we’ve seen, work is already underway to embed them with solar panels and piezoelectric generators to generate electricity. Now engineering company Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr (IAV) is looking to embed them with electrical conductors that would “refuel” the electric cars of the future while they are driving or parked. Read More

Volvo Trucks tackling the problem of roadside pirates

By Jeff Salton

17:54 October 1, 2009 PDT

Volvo Trucks is developing security measures to help prevent theft from its vehicles and i...

Being a long-haul truck driver is by no means the safest job in the world, but it could be a lot more dangerous than most of us think. Figures released by the commercial drivers’ International Road Transport Union, the IRU, show that 17 percent of Europe’s long-haul truck drivers are victims of robbery during work-hours at some time over a five-year period. And thefts from long-haul trucks total in the region of EUR€8.2 billion (US$12 billion approx.) – every year. New initiatives by Volvo Trucks and the EU are being undertaken to improve driver safety and prevent these thefts. One particular anti-theft device in development is a lockable fifth wheel that can be remotely controlled, thus preventing the trailer from being separated from the truck and disappearing. Read More

Honda’s LOOP and HELLO vehicle2vehicle and vehicle2driver infrastructure

By Gizmag Team

10:55 October 1, 2009 PDT

Honda’s LOOP and HELLO vehicle2vehicle and vehicle2driver infrastructure

Honda issued a press statement and images of its Tokyo Motor Show exhibits yesterday, raising far more questions than it answered with the brief and cryptic release. One of the primary announcements involved a car2car and car2driver and car2infrastructure communications system named HELLO! (Honda ELectric mobility LOop) and a LOOP portable communication tool that fits in the palm of one’s hand and “allows people and mobility devices to communicate with each other.” The various components of the system look fascinating. Read More

Mitsubishi i-MiEV CARGO and PX-MiEV Plug-in hybrid crossover concepts

By Gizmag Team

04:29 October 1, 2009 PDT

The i-MiEV CARGO

The 41st Tokyo Motor Show in October looks set to lift the veil on the first wave of Japanese electric cars we’ll actually see in mainstream distribution, so it’s incredibly exciting to see what will be rolled out as we are entering the pre-announcement period for the show. Mitsubishi’s MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle ) lineage gets two new offspring concept cars – the PX-MiEV (PX stands for Plug-in hybrid crossover) and the i-MiEV CARGO. The CARGO in particular looks like it will fill an immediate need for emission-free delivery vehicles in the world’s most congested cities and, not surprisingly, although it’s classed as a concept, the company is currently accepting pre-orders for delivery in April 2010. Read More

Mazda’s eco-friendly next-generation engines to debut at Tokyo Motor Show

By Darren Quick

20:57 September 30, 2009 PDT

Mazda's next-generation SKY-G and SKY-D engines

Mazda's “Technologies for Tomorrow” display at the upcoming Tokyo Motor show will see the premiere of its next-generation direct injection gasoline Mazda SKY-G engine and Mazda SKY-D clean diesel engine, which offer improved eco-friendliness and torque thanks to optimized combustion efficiency. Mazda will also reveal the first next-generation automatic transmission, the Mazda SKY-Drive, which offers first-rate fuel economy and a direct driving performance feel. As part of Mazda’s SKY concept, the new engines and transmission are designed to help Mazda achieve its goal of improving the average fuel economy of Mazda vehicles 30 percent by 2015, compared to 2008 levels, without sacrificing performance. Read More

Luxury on wheels - the 2010 Brabus Viano “Lounge Concept”

By Darren Quick

01:23 September 29, 2009 PDT

The interior of the Brabus Viano 'Lounge Concept' is dripping in gadgety goodness

If your better half has put the kibosh on your dream of owning one of the ten BRABUS E V12 Black Baron’s, then maybe you’ll have a better chance at talking them around to the more family friendly BRABUS Viano “Lounge Concept” if it ever makes the jump from concept car to commercial reality. Described as an “exclusive office and movie theater on wheels” the concept takes a Mercedes van and packs it to the brim with state-of-the-art entertainment technology, so you’re not likely to hear the kids whine, ‘are we there yet?’ Read More

DRIVSCO ‘learning vehicles’ alert their drivers to dangers

By Jeff Salton

01:48 September 23, 2009 PDT

The DRIVSCO system learns from driver's good behavior and recognizes changes in driving pa...

Scientists from six European countries have collaborated to develop a new computer system that enables vehicles to recognize their drivers’ normal behavior and therefore avoid accidents caused by unusual behavior. The DRIVSCO system detects the anomalies, often caused by inattention or poor visibility, and signals an alarm that warns drivers to beware early enough to give them time to react. Read More

The stylish and versatile all-new Ford C-MAX range

By Paul Lester

17:23 September 21, 2009 PDT

The new Ford C-MAX range focuses on practicality, economy and safety with a range of innov...

It’s not all glitz and glamor at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year and rather sensibly many manufacturers are focusing on practicality and economy as well as style and finesse. Ford is traditionally a safe bet when it comes to family-oriented motors and has introduced a new two-model C-MAX compact MAV (Multi-activity vehicle) range, which made its global debut at the show. Read More

Parrot RKi8400 car stereo designed with iPhone in mind

By Jeff Salton

22:25 September 17, 2009 PDT

A removable front panel on the Parrot RKi4800 allows you to store and recharge your iPod/i...

Parrot has released a car stereo at IAA designed for iPhones and iPods. The Rki8400 uses Bluetooth, has a USB port for hard drives or USB keys, SD Card reader and a double line-in socket for analogue sources. It provides hands-free telephony functions and another great feature is a storage compartment behind the removable front panel that hides and recharges your iPod or iPhone. That means no more cords tangling around gear shifts, or iPhones sliding around the vehicle during braking or cornering maneuvers. Plus, of course, a bit of extra security. Read More

Brabus E V12 ‘one of ten’ unveiled at IAA 2009

By Darren Quick

21:05 September 16, 2009 PDT

The Brabus E V12 “one of ten”

German performance vehicle manufacturer Brabus has done it again with the “world’s most powerful high-performance sedan”. Brabus has a history of churning out high performance sedans, but the new Brabus E V12 'one of ten' unveiled at IAA 2009 outdoes all previous efforts. Dubbed the 'Black Baron', the car features a newly-developed SV12 R Biturbo 800 12-cylinder displacement engine boasting a rated power output of 800hp (788bhp), which is able to propel the car to a ridiculous top speed of more than 370kmh (230mph). Read More

Video: REVA unveils the NXR and NXG electric cars

By Tim Hanlon

09:29 September 16, 2009 PDT

REVA at IAA 2009

Last week we brought news of REVA's imminent unveiling of the NXR and NXG electric cars with an emergency roadside assistance system called REVive to combat "range anxiety". Click through for the video of REVA CTO Chetan Maini (and his mother) pulling the covers off the two new cars today, at day two of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Read More

Ferrari 458 Italia debuts at Frankfurt

By Gizmag Team

04:15 September 16, 2009 PDT

The Ferrari 458 Italia finally makes its debut at the 63rd IAA Frankfurt Motor Show

The Ferrari 458 Italia finally saw the light of media flash bulbs on the Ferrari stand at the 63rd IAA Frankfurt Motor Show yesterday after a series of online sneak previews. We've written extensively about the car previously, an evolution of Maranello’s mid-rear engined V8 sports cars and, as usual with Ferrari, the 458 Italia is a concentration of innovation thanks to the company’s racing expertise. Employing exactly the same techniques and methods used to develop the Scuderia’s F1 cars, Ferrari’s engineers concentrated their efforts on obtaining the maximum in terms of efficiency in every aspect of the car, and their commitment was repaid with levels of fuel consumption and C02 emissions that set the benchmark in this market segment – 13.3 l/100 km and 307 g/km respectively in the combined cycle (ECE+EUDC). Read More

Volkswagen’s electric E-Up! Concept – 84 mph and 80 mile range

By Gizmag Team

01:51 September 16, 2009 PDT

The Volkswagen electric E-Up! Concept will have a top speed 84 mph and an 80 mile range

Volkswagen showed an all-new electric vehicle, the E-Up! Concept, at Frankfurt yesterday, indicating strongly that the car will be very close to the production model we’ll see in 2013. The 81 PS (54 PS constant) front-wheel-drive E-Up! can accelerate to 62 mph in 11.3 seconds before reaching a top speed of 84 mph. The E-Up! weighs just 1,085 kg (it’s lithium-ion batteries weigh 240 kg) and will have a range of over 80 miles. Read More

« Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next »
 
Recent popular articles in Automotive
Recent Comments