Frankfurt Motor Show

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

Volkswagen has recently announced a rather ambitious project that, for a change, has nothing to do with cars. Teaming up with regenerative-power company Lichtblick, it aims to install 100,000 co-generation power units in Germany as part of a concept called ‘SchwarmStrom’ which, literally translated, means ‘swarm power’. Successful application would allow Germany to abandon the use of nuclear and coal power stations and provide adequate backup to renewable energy sources, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 60%. Read More

One of the most visually distinctive cars on show at Frankfurt on the opening day of the world’s most important car show was Peugeot’s BB1 concept car. Looks aside though, the inbuilt practicality of a car just 2.5 metres long and capable of seating four people indicates how the design freedom afforded by electric cars opens the way for reinventing the automobile in every way: architecture, style, interior design, interior space and connectivity. Read More

One of the highlights of IAA 2009 was undoubtedly Audi’s electric Quattro, and the development ecosystem the company is establishing. Dubbed the e-tron, it has four motors producing in total a 230 kW (313 hp) and a stunning 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque, enabling it to accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The car’s lithium-ion battery is stored directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal center of gravity, and holds 42.4 kilowatt hours, enabling a range of 250 km. Read More

Electric vehicles of small proportions are beginning to emerge as the theme of this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and the presentation of a comprehensive range of electric vehicles by Renault, dubbed the Z.E. range, was the clincher. Perhaps more important, was Renault’s commitment to begin selling its new Z.E. range at affordable prices in 2010. Read More

The pick of the first morning of the Frankfurt Motor Show was the MINI Coupe Concept, one of just two previously unannounced cars we’ve seen so far, the other being the equally minimalist MINI Roadster Concept. The coupe will go into production, has just two seats, and the 1.6 litre twin-scroll turbo motor from the MINI Cooper S. Read More

Volkswagen rocked the automotive world at a lunchtime press conference on the first day of the Frankfurt Motor Show with a carbon fiber, half width, 1-liter hybrid electric diesel tandem two-seater car named the L1. When the car makes production in 2013, four years from now, it will almost certainly be the most fuel efficient car available with a combined diesel fuel consumption figure of 1.38 l/100km (170 U.S. mpg), thanks to its frugal motor combo, feather-like weight – 380 kg in total - and an aerodynamic drag co-efficient of just 0.195! Read More

We first wrote about the coming reinterpretation of the legendary gull-wing in March. In preparation for its first showing next week at Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes has released a lot more information about the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The super sports car’s technology package which includes an aluminum space frame body, sports chassis with aluminum double-wishbone suspension, and a kerb weight of 1,620 kilograms. The 571 hp AMG 6.3-liter, front-mid V8, runs a seven-speed transmission with dual-clutch in a transaxle configuration. The Gullwing accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 197 mph. The most surprising aspect is the relatively frugal (for a supercar) fuel consumption of 21.4 mpg (combined). Read More

Renault will show four new electric vehicle concepts at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show, previewing what is expected to become a new Zero Emission product range from the French manufacturer. No details of the four cars have been made available, but sketches of the four vehicles have been released showing them from above, and the most exciting concept appears to be a very small and narrow single seat four-wheeled personal transport concept (pictured). Check out the from-above images of all four vehicles inside. Read More