Hasta La Gadget!

Oh, sure — Shelby’s practically nonexistent Aero EV can recharge in around 10 minutes, but if you’re hoping to find a similarly quick vehicle that’s even close to your price range, you’ve probably come up empty so far. Thankfully, Renault has a mind to change that with the new DeZir. Slated to take the stage at this year’s Paris Motor Show, the lascivious concept rolls with a mid-mounted electric engine capable of screaming a solid 100 miles before petering out. The good news here, though, is that the outfit’s Quick Drop technology enables the battery packs to regain 80 percent of their charge in just 20 minutes using a 400V three-phase current, though a standard household plug will require a good night’s rest (read: eight hours) to rejuvenate it fully. ‘Course, only time will tell if this beaut will ever hit the production line, but we’d go ahead and brace yourself for it to look far tamer should that green light ever get lit.

Continue reading Renault DeZir recharges while you stare, not while you wait

Renault DeZir recharges while you stare, not while you wait originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We thought of theiPad as soon as we first heard the 2011 Hyundai Equus would come with its user manual preloaded on a “multimedia tablet” instead of being printed out, and it looks like our hunch was correct: our friends at Autoblog have confirmed that Hyundai will be shipping a 16GB WiFi iPad with every Equus. The iPad will be packaged in a bespoke leather case with an embossed logo, suede interior, and even kickstand — which’ll come in quite handy as the user manual comes complete with video tutorials for many of the car’s functions. Updates to the software will happen through iTunes, and the iPad sounds pretty stock otherwise, so that’s a nice little perk. Just don’t use it while you’re driving, okay?

2011 Hyundai Equus user manual to be pre-loaded on a custom iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It ain’t the first Mercedes-Benz concept to dazzle us, and we get the feeling it’s far from being the last. Dreamed up by designer Siyamak Rouhi Dehkordi, the Hexawheel is doing its darnedest to bring the gas guzzler back, and while we’d never turn down a solid deal on our own G-Wagon, there’s something mighty novel about this ride. Boasting an iconic M-B design, this here creature deviates drastically from the typical road warrior, utilizing six wheels on an articulated chassis with a flexible drivetrain. All told, it’d measure some 16 feet if ushered into production, and it’s quite possibly the best beach vehicle next to the dune buggy. There’s no word on what kind of powerplant this thing would support, but we’re guessing something involving fuel cells would be appropriate. Give those links below a visit if you’re in the mood for more images.

Mercedes-Benz Hexawheel concept is the 4×4 you never knew you needed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 May 2010 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though Microsoft, RIM and possibly Google are already vying to be the center of the automotive infotainment push, a certain Finnish phone manufacturer says it wants to take charge — in what seems to be the latest phase of its Terminal Mode initiative, Nokia’s tapped infotainment provider Harman to “standardize” the interface between phone and car. Like Harman’s last in-dash venture, a touchscreen and physical controls will be the focus, while your handset (rather than an Intel Atom) does the heavy lifting. Connected via Bluetooth or USB, your Nokia will play music, deliver Ovi Maps, respond to voice control and more, with the entire phone display duplicated onto the car’s larger touchscreen for easy access and a set of auto-specific apps planned for Nokia’s Ovi Store. It all sounds pretty swell, but it’s still not clear how the companies intend to standardize anything beyond their balance sheets; we’re not sure how much Nokia will appreciate you connecting a Droid to their Ovi-powered car. PR after the break.

Update: It appears that this is part of Nokia’s Terminal Mode initiative, which — as some have noted in comments — we’ve actually told you about before. Whoops!

Continue reading Nokia partners with Harman to ‘standardize’ cellular infotainment

Nokia partners with Harman to ‘standardize’ cellular infotainment originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 May 2010 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not one day after General Motors said they’d found a mysterious technology partner to help extend the Chevy Volt’s futuristic OnStar functionality do anonymous sources step in (as usual) to ruin the surprise. Though we thought RIM made a fine contender, Motor Trend says it’s actually Google that’ll reportedly “sell its Android operating system for in-car use.” Last we heard, Google wasn’t in the business of selling Android, but that wouldn’t stop GM from using the open-source OS anyhow — in fact, we already knew Android cars were on the way, and one’s already in production. Let’s just hope GM doesn’t take the integration too far: we fear the day will come when our “engine” app spontaneously decides to force close.

General Motors partners with Google for Android-powered cars? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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