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Automotive
Rinspeed iChange Concept Car set for Geneva debut
00:55 February 17, 2009 PST
Rinspeed is one automotive company that can only be described as forward-thinking and its radical concept car offerings have graced our pages on a regular basis over many years. More images and details have now emerged on the company's latest thought-provoking platform, the all-electric, shape-shifting „iChange“, which will make its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Read More
MIT students develop Hydraulic Regenerative Shock Absorbers
By Paul Evans
19:34 February 12, 2009 PST
We reported recently on several new methods of regeneration for hybrid vehicles. These included regenerative shocks based on electric motors and a hydraulic drive train. Now students at MIT have developed a regenerative shock absorber that is a cross between those two. Fitted to a heavy truck, each shock absorber could generate up to an average of 1 Kw on a standard road, completely displacing the large alternator load and even running accessory devices such as hybrid trailer refrigeration units. Read More
SEAT Exeo solar sunroof harnesses sun to cool car
By Mike Hanlon
20:53 February 10, 2009 PST
SEAT, the Spanish arm of the Volkswagen Group, will launch its new Exeo upper medium sector saloon in April, along with some interesting technologies designed to keep it cool in the Spanish sun. The optional solar sunroof uses mini solar panels embedded in the glass to generate electricity which powers the car’s ventilation system, even when the ignition is off, drawing in cooler ambient air and significantly reducing the automotive ‘greenhouse’ effect on a hot day. Read More
Ford’s first Battery Electric Vehicle confirmed as the 2010 Transit Connect
By Paul Evans
15:34 February 9, 2009 PST
True to their word Ford Motor Company has become the first of the big three to announce plans to market a pure battery electric-powered light commercial vehicle in North America. Based on the all-new Transit Connect global commercial vehicle platform, the Transit EV will be available in U.S. Ford dealerships in 2010. Read More
Thermoelectrics to replace car alternators and improve MPG
By Paul Evans
16:06 February 8, 2009 PST
Thermoelectrics - the phenomena in which a temperature difference creates an electric potential - have been known about for almost 200 years, but practical applications have not been widespread due to their low energy efficiency. That may all now be about to change as Germany automakers Volkswagen and BMW have developed thermoelectric generators (TEG) that recover waste heat from a combustion engine. Read More
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa expected to break world auction record
By Mike Hanlon
17:22 February 7, 2009 PST
IMAGE LIBRARY UPDATED The world record auction price for a motor car was set last May at the Ferrari Leggenda e Passione by a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder which sold for USD 10,894,400 (€7,040,000, £5,598,208 GBP). The event is held annually in Maranello, during the final stretch of the Mille Miglia and the RM/Sothebys auction always sees the finest available specimens of the Prancing Horse go under the hammer. This year a Scaglietti-designed, ‘pontoon-fender’ 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (pictured) is expected to break the record once more. Read More
EBDI ethanol engines surpass gasoline engine efficiency
By Mike Hanlon
18:30 February 6, 2009 PST
Automotive technology specialist Ricardo has revealed the development of technology that optimizes ethanol-fuelled engines to a level of performance that exceeds gasoline engine efficiency and approaches levels previously reached only by diesel engines. The technology, called Ethanol Boosted Direct Injection (EBDI), takes full advantage of ethanol’s best properties – higher octane and higher heat of vaporization – to create a renewable fuel scenario that is independent of the cost of oil. Read More
Driverless transport system to be trialled in the United Arab Emirates
By Darren Quick
23:44 February 3, 2009 PST
As we’ve reported previously, the United Arab Emirates is leading the way in sustainable living research with the construction of Masdar City. Planned as the worlds first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city, Masdar reflects the commitment by the Government to accelerate the development and deployment of future energy. A key component of any city is its transportation system and as car makers around the world strive to make their vehicles cleaner and greener, the designers of Masdar City have decided to do away with cars altogether, instead opting for a light rail line that will bisect the city, and personal rapid transit, (PRT), a system utilizing driverless “podcars”. Read More
Wet weather braking tests show budget tires don’t pay
By Mike Hanlon
20:26 January 27, 2009 PST
Tires are a distress purchase for many car owners, so when the time comes to replace them it’s no surprise that many motorists shop on price. British magazine Autocar has performed some interesting comparison tests revealing that fitting budget tyres can seriously affect your health. wet weather. With on average 200 days of rain each year in the UK, the magazine tested a range of budget Chinese imports against a premium brand in wet conditions and found an alarming discrepancy in stopping distances. Read More
New MINI Convertible due in March 2009
19:09 January 19, 2009 PST
Busting out of simulated ice blocks in one of the more notable pieces of razzle dazzle at last week's Detroit Auto Show preview was MINI's new convertible. Due for release in March, the 2009 MINI convertible gets new generation turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines (118 hp for the MINI Cooper Convertible and 172 hp for the MINI Cooper S Convertible), a pop-up rollover bar activated by the car’s central safety electronics, a redesigned storage compartment and an electrohydraulic-powered soft-top roof that can be opened in 15 seconds at speeds of up to 20 mph. There's also a new "Openometer" feature which keeps track of the time spent traveling with the roof down. Gimmicky? Yes, but it will give you one unique stat that your non-MINI convertible driving friends can't match. Read More
Cadillac One 2009: President Obama's new ride
00:17 January 19, 2009 PST
The United States will celebrate the inauguration of its 44th President tomorrow, and the President has a new set of wheels. Continuing a tradition that's almost as old as the automobile itself, President Barack Obama will cruise down Pennsylvania Avenue in an all-new Cadillac Presidential Limousine. The completely redesigned limo replaces the DTS Presidential Limousine introduced in 2004 and while official details of the car's drivetrain, on-board tech and armored capabilities of course remain top secret, speculation has it (possibly) equipped with five-inch thick bulletproof glass and high strength ceramic armor. We don't expect confirmation on these details any time soon, but it's safe to say that this rolling fortress incorporates the best in protection (and comfort) that modern bespoke automobile production has to offer. Read More
BYD target US launch for electric cars in 2011
By Paul Evans
09:23 January 14, 2009 PST
One of the carmakers showing off its electric power at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is from China. The Shenzhen-based company BYD — which stands for Build Your Dreams — has built the world's first mass-produced, plug-in hybrid car, beating both Chevrolet and Toyota to the punch. BYD is targeting 2011 to get into the United States market. Read More
2010 Honda Insight world premiere
By Paul Evans
20:29 January 13, 2009 PST
While Honda revealed the 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008 the Paris car was a ‘show’ version with LED headlights and 18 inch wheels that were never intended for the final production model. Today Honda revealed the full specification of the ‘production’ version. Honda's plan to sell half a million hybrid vehicles annually by 2012 with the upcoming Honda Insight to account for 200,000 of those. It was nearly 10 years ago that Honda shook up the automotive world with the then-new Honda Insight, the world's first mass-production hybrid vehicle that looked like a CRX and packed a unique hybrid powertrain. Read More
GM to manufacture Chevy Volt battery packs in the US
By Paul Evans
20:13 January 12, 2009 PST
General Motors is getting back into the battery business. It had been a two horse race between Korea’s LG and US startup A123 systems to win the supply contract for the Chevrolet Volt. LG Chem and Compact Power Inc. were one team and A123 Systems/Continental the second team selected from an initial field of 27 applicants to compete against one another to build the Chevy Volt’s battery packs. GM announced in September 2008 that it had chosen a battery supplier, but would not reveal which company that was. But has either team actually won? Read More
First glimpse: Fisker Karma S
11:14 January 12, 2009 PST
Fisker Automotive has just taken the wraps off the much anticipated technology demonstrator that will become the second model in its plug-in hybrid sportscar range at the 2009 NAIAS. The new two-door, four-seater, hard-top convertible joins the four-door sedan model announced at last year's show and is built on the same versatile Q-DRIVE platform on which the company's range will be based. The sedan model, which boasts a 50 mile electric-drive only range, acceleration of 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 125mph, remains on track for delivery later this year, while the Karma S is expected to hit showrooms in 2011. Read More
Audi R8 V105.2 FSI
By Mike Hanlon
15:39 January 11, 2009 PST
"The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro was my pick of the first day at Detroit,“ writes Noel McKeegan from the North American International Auto Show which opened today. "It was the most aesthetically striking car that wasn’t a concept, and with the 525 hp 5.2 liter V10 engine replacing the 420 bhp 4.2 V8, performance has gone another level. With the quattro all-wheel drive, LED-headlights and aluminum body with a very curvaceous rear end treatment, it really is a knockout." Read More
Regeneration no longer just about braking
By Paul Evans
20:25 January 1, 2009 PST
Recent developments in regeneration technology are almost ready for prime time. Both Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles and Power Generating Shock Absorbers are both being field tested and may be soon headed for mass production. UPS have committed to purchasing seven "series" hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles while Electric Truck, LLC has exclusively optioned commercial rights to a technology from Tufts University that uses Regenerative Shock Absorbers to recharge the batteries of any hybrid electric and electric-powered vehicle while it is driven. Read More
Ford to introduce Active Park Assist in 2009
By Paul Evans
17:38 January 1, 2009 PST
Ford is introducing a new Active Park Assist technology on its 2010 Lincoln MKS flagship sedan and new Lincoln MKT seven-passenger luxury crossover. Available in mid-2009 as an option, Active Park Assist uses an ultrasonic-based sensing system and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) to position the vehicle for parallel parking, calculate the optimal steering angle and quickly steer the vehicle into a parking spot. As described in the technical review of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the EPAS system utilizes a steering column mounted electric motor that provides steering power assistance on demand and typically consumes less than 7% of the energy of a conventional hydraulic rack and pinion power steering system. Read More
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
By Paul Evans
23:50 December 29, 2008 PST
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid includes some significant advances in mass production hybrid automotive technology. Although details released by Ford are technically incomplete many of the features announced to date point to the Fusion being the first to market with a second-generation parallel hybrid. Read More
The iChange shape-changing concept car
By Mike Hanlon
18:27 December 28, 2008 PST
Each year for the last three decades, Swiss-based Rinspeed has presented a new concept car at the Geneva motor show – customizing Porsches might be the company’s bread and butter, but synthesizing highly inventive and original concept cars is the company’s forte. This year’s concept car is entitled the iChange, and its defining feature is its ability to change shape from a streamlined teardrop one-seater, to a three seat compact sportsvan. The iChange car makes the most of its 130 kw electric propulsion system by having very low weight and high aerodynamic efficiency. Read More
Toyota to show battery-electric concept vehicle in Detroit
00:19 December 23, 2008 PST
There's no images and no details, just a tantalizing two line press release, but given that this news comes from the world's largest car maker and manufacturer of the first mass produced hybrid vehicle, we think it rates a mention. Here's the release in full - "Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. will display a battery electric vehicle concept at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. This display marks the world debut of this concept vehicle". Read More
The new BMW Z4 Roadster
03:36 December 17, 2008 PST
BMW's latest addition to its roadster family is set to make its North American debut at the 2009 NAIAS in January packing more power, versatile storage options, and a host of goodies not previously seen in the range including a two-piece, electro-hydraulically operated retractable hard-top roof and adjustable drivetrain and suspension which enable the driver to choose between three different ride heights as well as different throttle and steering response set-ups and gear change times. Read More
Smart speed-humps retract at low speed
21:18 December 11, 2008 PST
Speed-humps are an undeniably effective way to slow down traffic in areas where high-speed poses an increased risk, but you can often get more of a bump than you bargained for, and if you happen to drive a low-slung sportscar this can be bad news indeed. Here's an idea that solves the problem by ensuring low-speeds while minimizing the impact on the motor vehicle. Read More
New RX 450h hybrid from Lexus
By Darren Quick
20:56 December 3, 2008 PST
Lexus debuted the replacement for both the current RX 400h hybrid and the RX 350 petrol engine models at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show. The new RX 450h will replace both models in the UK to produce an all-hybrid RX range, while in North America a non-hybrid RX 350 will also be offered. Both the RX 350 and RX 450h are propelled by a 3.5-liter 6-cylinder petrol engine which provides 205kW (275hp) with the 450h’s augmented by an electric motor to provide a combined output of 220kW (295hp). Read More
Kia shows next generation fuel cell vehicle at L.A. Auto Show
16:04 November 30, 2008 PST
Kia has rolled-out the latest chapter in its fuel-cell research vehicle development program at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. Continuing on from the Sportage Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) technology demonstrator which made its European debut in Paris this year, the new Kia Borrego FCEV boasts significant improvements in both range (now over 400 miles) and performance (154 horsepower with a top speed of 100 mph). Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
