Hasta La Gadget!

Zipcar is a company that operates a car-sharing network around the country. The company also operates car sharing networks outside the US with operations in Canada, the UK, Spain, and Austria. Users can rent over 30 different vehicle makes and models by the hour or by the day to take care of whatever it is they need a car for.

Many of the vehicles Zipcar operates are green as well. Zipcar has announced that it has teamed up with the City of Houston using the Zipcar FastFleet technology to create the first municipal electric vehicle car-sharing program of its kind. The City of Houston owns 50 fleet vehicles and 25 of those vehicles are Nissan leaf EVs.

All 50 of the city’s municipal fleet vehicles were equipped with Zipcar’s FastFleet fleet sharing technology for use by all city employees across all departments. The City of Houston expects the new municipal fleet sharing program to help improve efficiency, utilization, and cut costs while allowing its city employees the mobility they need to do their job.

Using the technology the City of Houston will be able to design and configure its fleet footprint in real time for optimal utilization. The technology will also allow city workers to manage critical activities, including preventive maintenance, fueling, billing, and fleet distribution. The FastFleet technology will also allow fleet managers to analyze usage and diagnostic data as well as automatically capturing every trip city vehicles take.

Zipcar and the City of Houston team for municipal electric vehicle sharing program is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Most hybrid car drivers will tell you that their world is all about being gentle on the throttle, spending as much time as possible in that electric-only speed range even if it makes a family minivan look speedy. Volkswagen has just claimed a record for doing precisely the opposite: the 2013 Jetta Hybrid is reportedly the fastest production hybrid in the world, having come just shy of a verified 185.4MPH after an all-out assault on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The company did have to modify the sedan to reach the breakneck pace, tweaking the powertrain, wheels and interior to run safely on that atypical surface, but it isn’t known to have bumped the 150HP output of the gas engine or the 27HP of the electric motor. We have a hunch that VW’s title won’t last for long, whether or not we see the claim as valid — there are a few decidedly more performance-oriented hybrids rolling off assembly lines now and in the future. Still, until there’s a more direct challenge, one of the world’s more ubiquitous commuter cars is the hybrid speed leader.

Continue reading Volkswagen 2013 Jetta Hybrid sets speed record, gives new meaning to hypermiling

Filed under: Transportation

Volkswagen 2013 Jetta Hybrid sets speed record, gives new meaning to hypermiling originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog  |  Volkswagen (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Man, it would be so awesome if Timelord police drove around in these. This TARDIS Delorean, or CARDIS (or TarDeLorean) is the most awesome car I have ever laid eyes on. I don’t know if it is bigger on the inside, but I am confident the Doctor will have no problem picking up hot new companions in this beauty.

By Doctor I mean the 11th. Wait, I mean Doc Brown. When it comes to DeLorean interiors, the whole bigger on the inside thing is really important too, given how cramped these things usually are.

This awesome piece of awesomeness is blowing my mind and I can’t believe that I never saw this before. If only it were real. Sadly it’s just some awesome artwork created by a guy named Pacta for a Worth1000 competition.

[via Geekologie via Geektyrant]

This week the folks behind the Fisker Karma electric car have begun investigating the second auto fire since the launch of the next-generation vehicle. The incident occurred on Saturday in Woodside California for yet-unknown reasons, but Fisker has made it clear that they know it was neither “the lithium-ion battery pack, new technology components nor unique exhaust routing.” No injuries were recorded and no deaths occurred, and the statement from Fisker lends a small amount of information to the case as it stands now.

The first incident with this vehicle line occurred earlier this year in Sugar Land, Texas. The Texas fire is still part of a US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation now, and no cause has yet been determined. This vehicle has also been part of two manufacturer recalls thus far in its short lifespan. The statement released today from Fisker read as follows:

“The area of origin for the fire was determined to be outside the engine compartment. There was no damage to the passenger compartment and there were no injuries.” – Fisker

This plug-in hybrid vehicle works with 50 miles to the battery before it needs to switch to a normal gasoline engine. There are just about 1,000 of these vehicles out on the streets at this very moment, with no less than a $103,000 USD price tag attached to each. Have a peek at the timeline below to see the short history of this vehicle and its exploits galore.

[via The Register]

Fisker investigates second Karma auto fire is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Folding Hiriko electric car has been introduced to the world firmly intent on taking up only a fraction of the space a conventional automobile does. This beast is made not only to be friendly to the environment, but friendly to the auto sharing community popping up around the globe as well. You’ll see this vehicle floating around Europe at the moment, but we’d certainly welcome it into our own homes here in the USA should they ever decide to bring it on in – it’s small enough, after all!

This vehicle has been made by the manufacturers who designed it to work on “first and last mile” problems. This means that it’s specifically tuned to be fabulous for the mile you drive between your house and the train or bus as well as the space between you getting to your parking spot before you head to work. In other words, this vehicle aims at being your transport to your transport!

Once you’ve gotten off the train, you’ll see a Hiriko vehicle nearby and you’ll be able to rent it to drive the rest of your way to your destination. Similarly, you’ll be able to pick a Hiriko up once you’ve gotten done with your work day and have jumped off the train once again – keep it overnight!

This vehicle will be available in Fold, Alai, and Laga iterations, the first being the one you see above and below, the second being a convertible model (top off!), and the third is closer to a pickup truck. Each of the wheels on this vehicle turn 60 degrees left or right, and their range is always right around 75 miles. With 20 horsepower behind the wheels you’ve got a top speed of 31 miles her hour as well. Let’s get this little beast on the road quick!

[via New York Times]

Hiriko Electric car folds up for ultra-tiny sharing is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.