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Automotive
The world’s first drive-in car-fitting room – does my bumper look big in this?
By Mike Hanlon
01:06 April 13, 2008 PDT
People don’t drive cars – they wear them. In the vast majority of cases, the car you choose is a reflection of who you are. A recent U.K. survey showed three out of four (72 per cent) drivers recognise they use their car as a status symbol – wanting other drivers to view it as a reflection of the owner’s personality and success. Recognising this, Chevrolet has created a bespoke drive-in fitting room in South London, which allows motorists to check out what they look like in their car before they commit to purchase. Read More
A stretched Smart car, with a stretch Murcielago next
By Mike Hanlon
23:27 April 12, 2008 PDT
April 13, 2008 Carbonyte made headlines for its stretched Ferrari 360 Modena ‘limousine’ created using the HotFusion Composite Manufacturing Technology first used on the McLaren SLR Supercar. This week the company unveiled the Carbonyte Smaaart, but it’s the plan to follow up the stretched Ferrari with a range of elongated supercars that caught our eye – a Stretched Lamborghini Murcielago is next, with a stretched Bugatti Veyron and a stretched Koeniggsegg CCR on the drawing boards. Read More
New design proposed for T-REX three-wheel street racer
20:36 April 8, 2008 PDT
Young industrial designer Johnathan Côté has proposed this slick re-design for the legendary T-REX 3-wheeler, retaining an updated variation of the distinctive recessed headlights and above seat air in-takes, dropping the exposed roll-bars and adding a heavily sculpted feel to the vehicle's low-slung aerodynamic profile. With the the first prototype released in 1994, the T-REX is a pioneer in the rapidly expanding world of modern 3-wheeled transport that has now spawned such exotic gems as the Can-Am Spyder, Brudeli's Three-Wheel Leanster, TriRod's F3 Adrenaline and the upcoming ZAP Alias highway electric car. Read More
Electronic four-wheel steering from Renault
By Mike Hanlon
16:38 April 8, 2008 PDT
April 9, 2008 Renault is set to introduce its new electronically-controlled Active Drive chassis with four-wheel steering next month in new GT versions of the Laguna Hatch and Sport Tourer. Four-wheel steering systems of the 1980s were essentially mechanical, with the wheels linked at pre-determined angles to make up for a vehicle's tendency to understeer. Such systems were gradually superseded by the advent of ESP. In recent times some manufacturers have begun developing electrically- and even hydraulically-operated actuators, enabling handling to be fine-tuned even further. Read More
World's first hybrid refuse truck launched in Sweden
01:08 April 8, 2008 PDT
April 8, 2008 Volvo has announced that Swedish refuse collection firms Renova and Ragn-Sells will begin regular daily testing of two of the company's hybrid refuse trucks ahead of a market launch in 2009. Using a 7 liter diesel engine and an electric motor that utilizes regenerative braking, the trucks are capable of delivery fuel (and therefore emissions) savings of 20 percent. Read More
Chrysler's battery-electric Dodge Zeo muscle car
By Loz Blain
15:51 April 7, 2008 PDT
April 8, 2008 Chrysler's latest battery-electric concept is an absolute ripper. The Dodge Zeo concept is an all-American muscle car with a heart of green. Sitting a tier below the all-out performance figures of the Tesla Roadster and Lightning GT, the Zeo makes around 268 horses for a 0-60mph time just under 6 seconds, and its lithium-based battery pack gets a range of up to 250 miles. It looks a million dollars, oozing sexiness and performance potential, and more importantly it's one of the first serious sports-focused battery-electric concepts we've seen from any of the major auto manufacturers. Are the big car makers catching on to battery cars as the way of the future? Read More
CPU Technology's SystemLab PS promises accelerated auto development
By Kyle Sherer
18:44 April 3, 2008 PDT
April 4, 2008 Currently being used with complex military vehicles, CPU Technology's SystemLab PS Platform offers improved productivity for automotive developers by simulating an entire suite of automotive electronic control units in real time. Read More
Collaboration aims to kick-start hydrogen vehicles in the U.K.
By Kyle Sherer
23:10 April 1, 2008 PDT
April 2, 2008 Fifty million metric tons of hydrogen were produced in 2004, and the hydrogen production industry grows at an estimated 10% per year. But for hydrogen-powered cars to emerge as a serious competitor to fossil-fuel-powered transport there still needs to be substantial development of infrastructure. The latest push towards this goal in the U.K has seen ITM Power Plc and Roush Technologies Ltd sign a co-operative agreement that not only aims to put hydrogen-fueled commercial vehicles on the market within months, but also encompasses the development of hydrogen refueling station infrastructure that will enable vehicle operators to generate their own hydrogen supplies. Read More
Kia premieres KOUP Concept
18:34 March 31, 2008 PDT
April 1, 2008 Concept cars tend to fall into two categories - there's the blue-sky, "probably wont happen" variety that push the boundaries of automotive design and thinking, then there's the more conservative, practical flavor that provide a firm indication of the advancements we are likely to see on the showroom floor in the not too distant future. Kia Motors Corporation's KOUP is the latter, and by the looks of the car, the company's future design direction appears pretty slick. Out of the Kia Motors America Design Center in Irvine, California, and debuted at the 2008 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), the Kia KOUP's aggressive exterior lines are backed by a 2.0-liter Theta II turbocharged engine equipped with a GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) twin scroll turbocharger that puts out 290 horsepower and 289 lb-ft of torque between 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm. Read More
Lane departure data collection system for commercial vehicles
By Emily Clark
22:44 March 30, 2008 PDT
March 31, 2008 Traffic management technology maker Iteris has released the first commercially available lane departure warning (LDW) data collection system for the heavy truck market. Safety Direct analyzes real-time data captured by Iteris’ LDW system and relays the information directly to fleet operators through integration with the truck’s existing fleet communications system. Read More
Official pictures of Aston Martin's Vantage GT2
18:43 March 30, 2008 PDT
March 31, 2008 Aston Martin Racing has revealed the first official pictures of the Vantage GT2. Based on the V8 engined Aston Martin Vantage and designed to run on both standard and E85 bio-ethanol fuel, the new race car will make its debut at the Le Mans Series at Barcelona on 5 April 2008. The addition of the Vantage GT2 gives Aston Martin Racing a full complement of cars covering each of the four categories in the FIA GT Championship: GT1 – DBR9; GT2 – Vantage GT2; GT3 – DBRS9; GT4 – Vantage N24. See the gallery for more pics. Read More
Britain's Lightning GT electric supercar
By Loz Blain
21:28 March 26, 2008 PDT
March 27, 2008 It seems a transatlantic battle is brewing in the high-performance electric sportscar market. As America's Tesla moves into the production phase with its 130+mph Roadster, Britain's Lightning GT is hot on its heels, with prototypes expected to hit the road later this year. The Lightning's power figures are very impressive - 700 horsepower, and 4 second 0-60mph times to almost rival the Tesla's 3.7 seconds. But it's the GT's revolutionary battery technology that might give it the upper hand: Nanosafe's Li-ion cells using nano titanate structures instead of traditional graphite give the GT an incredible 250-mile range, a full recharge time of only 10 minutes, and a life expectancy of 12 to 20 years, or 15,000 charge cycles before the battery performance drops significantly. Read More
Ricardo switching two-four-stroke engine
By Mike Hanlon
17:09 March 25, 2008 PDT
March 26, 2008 Ricardo and a consortium of automotive partners today announced the completion of an advanced prototype research programme based on the highly innovative 2/4SIGHT engine concept. This gasoline engine concept uses novel combustion, boosting, control and valve actuation technologies to enable automatic and seamless switching between two- and four-stroke operation, with the aim of delivering significant performance and fuel economy improvements through aggressive downsizing. Read More
The self-inflating tire
23:16 March 24, 2008 PDT
March 25, 2008 How often do you check your tire pressure? For most of us the answer is "not often enough". Gradual tire deflation over time is a key factor in relation to on-road safety and reduced fuel economy, not to mention the expensive exercise of replacing tires that wear out before the end of their expected life-span. The solution from Czech Republic based CODA DEVELOPMENT s.r.o. is to take the human out of the equation entirely with an integrated system that inflates itself using atmospheric air as you drive. Read More
Prototype completed for new ZAP electric truck
20:26 March 24, 2008 PDT
March 25, 2008 In the latest news from electric vehicle specialists ZAP, a running prototype has been completed for the low-speed, 770 pound payload ZAP XL Truck ahead of expected delivery of the vehicle in Q3 2008. Reservations are also now being accepted for the much anticipated, 100mph, 3-wheeled Alias highway electric car which is expected to hit the market next year at a cost of USD$32,500. Read More
UKP14,000 TH!NK city electric car ready for showrooms
By Mike Hanlon
17:53 March 23, 2008 PDT
March 24, 2008 For all the talk about electric cars, the first mass-produced electric vehicle is still to grace a showroom. The first such general consumption electric auto to reach UK motorists will be the Norwegian TH!NK city EV which goes on sale during the last quarter of this year. Revealed at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, the TH!NK city is a two-seater with a top speed of 65 mph, a zero to 30 mph time of just 6.5 seconds and it’ll reach 50 mph in 16 seconds – perfectly respectable ‘round town performance at legal speeds, and it’ll run another 124 miles after an overnight ten hour charge from any domestic power outlet. The ROI is amazing as total running costs for 10,000 miles in the UKP14,000 vehicle will be the extra UKP125 on your electric bill. Movie here, PDF brochure here. Read More
Ford Transit Connect Concept
By Mike Hanlon
19:02 March 22, 2008 PDT
March 23, 2008 The design of taxis, which are still largely based on passenger sedans, is coming in for a lot of attention recently, with the CityCab a stand-out. Now comes a fresh take on taxis from the the New York Auto Show. When cities ran out of horizontal space at the turn of the 20th century, architects started to build upward. The Transit Connect Taxi concept builds an existing European design and brings that same idea to the streets, changing the shape of the space, making it taller with a smaller and narrow footprint. The resultant cavernous interior has all mod cons plus a huge display detaling the progress of your journey on a user-configurable map. Read More
Mazda2/Mazda Demio wins 2008 World Car of the Year
By Mike Hanlon
23:09 March 20, 2008 PDT
March 21, 2008 The World Car of the Year Awards began in 2005 when the Audi A6 triumphed, followed by the BMW 3-Series in 2006 and the Lexus LS460 last year. This year the top three contenders for 2008 World Car of the Year title were the Ford Mondeo, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Mazda2/Mazda Demio, which became the first compact car to win the award. Remarkably, the Audi R8 took out two of the main gongs, Car Design of the Year and Performance Car of the Year, but didn’t make the main event. The 2008 World Green Car of the Year was the BMW 118d Read More
Nissan’s “Denki Cube” Electric Vehicle Concept
By Mike Hanlon
00:39 March 20, 2008 PDT
March 20, 2008 The 2008 New York International Auto Show kicks off today and one of the main attractions is the world debut of the Nissan Denki (Japanese for “electric”) Cube Concept. The lithium-ion battery-powered Denki Cube electric vehicle concept was created to promote Nissan’s environmental efforts but also serves as a preview as Nissan plans to sell a redesigned gasoline-powered, next-generation Cube in the United States and Canada in 2009. Read More
Scion's Hako Coupe concept: 'the sporty version of a box.'
By Loz Blain
21:08 March 19, 2008 PDT
March 20, 2008 "Scion's Hako Coupe Concept embodies a distinct global perspective on today's youth," said Jack Hollis, Scion vice president. "This type of forward thinking complements the Scion philosophy of intently listening to our customers and being willing to take risks to help us see where our brand should be. We took the xB's iconic boxy shape and explored something more vivacious, yet just as emotionally appealing. This concept is the sporty version of a box." Read More
Spraydown achieves step change in spray suppression
By Mike Hanlon
18:23 March 19, 2008 PDT
March 20, 2008 Driving in the rain on a motorway at speed is a hazardous endeavour as we all know, and perhaps the point when we all hold our breath most is in passing a heavy vehicle, with the spray obscuring our vision and the additional wind buffeting. Now, a British company has patented an innovation which has achieved a major reduction in spray obscuration – over and above the performance of existing mandatory spray suppression equipment. Read More
Hummer H3 converted into super-sized remote control car
By Mike Hanlon
21:06 March 18, 2008 PDT
March 19, 2008 Now here’s an interesting new direction for remote-controlled toys. British engineer Dr James Brighton has transformed the HUMMER H3 into a super-sized remote controlled vehicle to create the ultimate boy’s toy. It took a month to do, but the results have been sensational with exceptional handling, much better than anything remote controlled until now. At UKP26,500 for the Hummer, it’s probably the most expensive remote controlled civilian project in the world too. Read More
Smart solar-powered road studs
By Mike Hanlon
20:29 March 18, 2008 PDT
March 19, 2008 The next generation of ‘smart’ solar-powered road markings which warn of bad weather or slow-moving traffic ahead and can help reduce motorway hold-ups, have proved a significant success on highways in the Netherlands. Read More
Fully electric, 130+mph Tesla Roadster goes into production
By Loz Blain
20:49 March 17, 2008 PDT
March 18, 2008 A very significant milestone in zero-emissions motoring has just occurred as Tesla Motors announced yesterday that its groundbreaking electric sportscar has commenced regular production. The 130mph Tesla Roadster is the first production electric car to boast genuine sports performance coupled with a 210+ mile range between battery charges, which make it both exciting and viable for the vast majority of driving purposes. The fact that it's utterly gorgeous, with hints of the Lotus Elise, doesn't hurt either. All of the 2008 models scheduled for production have already been snapped up for just under US$100,000 each - and reservations are now being taken on the 2009 model. Read More
Fully electric Boshart Tersus off-road utility vehicle
By Loz Blain
02:13 March 17, 2008 PDT
While we may have to wait a while for plug-in electric cars to be viable for highway use, there's plenty of other applications where battery-powered vehicles already make a lot of sense. One such application is for agricultural and industrial utility vehicles, which are driven around primarily on a business's premises. Distances are generally quite short, speeds low and use often infrequent - but they need to have good carrying capacity for heavy gear, and be cheap to run and maintain. Boshart's electric Tersus, based on the Phoenix SUT but with a smaller, much less expensive battery, provides a viable, green alternative utility vehicle around a private campus, with speeds up to 25mph, 4-passenger plus 1000lbs payload capacity and a 1-hour recharge to 80% capacity. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
