Hasta La Gadget!

When was the last time you rode in an electric vehicle almost entirely constructed of carbon fiber and good for 250 miles on a charge? We’re laying odds on “never,” which is why we turned a shade of violent green when we saw Fully Charged host (and part-time Series 4000 Mechanoid) Robert Llewellyn set foot in just such a car. Delta Motorsport’s E4 Coupe, originally designed to win an Automotive X-Prize, is the vehicle we’re referring to here, and despite the fact that only one-third of its full projected power was available to coax Mr. Llewellyn firmly into his racing seat (four-wheel drive and regenerative braking are also TBD) and set his teeth on edge, we have to give the man some major props for documenting the experience for us on film. Watch it after the break.

Continue reading Delta E4 electric coupe goes out for a spin, carrying lucky humanoid (video)

Delta E4 electric coupe goes out for a spin, carrying lucky humanoid (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog Green  |  fullychargedshow (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

As any regular Car Talk listener will tell you, old Fiats aren’t exactly known for being the most durable cars in the world. A homeless man in Brazil took advantage of the discarded shells of these junkers and threw together a brand new car, built entirely from scrap. Starting with a 125cc motorcycle engine, Orismar de Souza was able to put together a working vehicle, capable of hitting 50mph on the highway and featuring such luxuries as a reverse gear and an actual car starter to replace the kickstarter of the 125cc engine. It also sports an in-dash stereo.

After panhandling in the streets for months to raise the $270 he needed for the car’s metal plating, de Souza built the body panels by hand, borrowing a chisel and hammer as tools for the job. Most of the other parts used in making the car came from old discarded Fiats. His previous experience with metalworking led him to be confident in his automotive creation, but that didn’t stop others from telling him that his project was just a joke. The looks on their faces after the car hit 50 must have been priceless.

The finished machine was able to help de Souza land both a home and a job, a fitting end to this inspiring DIY story. And I have a feeling his car is even more reliable than the ones he built it from. At least if it breaks down, no one will tell him he can’t fix it.

[via Hack-A-Day, Jalopnik]

We’ve seen it adorned with a giant Honeycomb and an oversized Gingerbread man, and now Google’s bringing a more practical addition to its Mountain View campus — specifically, a Plugless Power EV charging station. Its maker touts the installation as “the first public release” of the handsfree re-juicing system, and says it will eventually provided power to a fleet of low-speed EVs already in use at El Goog HQ — the first of which has already been retrofitted to get pumped up. Who knows, maybe now we’ll see something come of Google’s claims to make electrical vehicles charge more efficiently. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Google HQ gets juiced with Plugless Power EV charging unit

Google HQ gets juiced with Plugless Power EV charging unit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electric Cars Report  |  Plugless Power  | Email this | Comments

Not the jolliest of news if you were waiting on a fresh new Leaf EV to blow in any time soon, as Nissan has had to understandably delay shipments as a result of the natural disaster that has befallen Japan. Updates on when customers might expect their orders to be completed will be forthcoming as soon as available. There are happier developments on the isle of Japan itself, however, where Nissan is resuming limited operations at five plants today and expects to be producing vehicles again by Thursday, which will last as long as supplies do. Sony has also shaken off some of the effects of the recent earthquake and says it’ll restart production of lithium-ion batteries at its Tochigi prefecture plant tomorrow. So, encouraging signs ahead for Japan’s industry, let’s hope everyone else’s recovery proves to be as swift.

Leaf deliveries delayed by Japanese quake, but Nissan and Sony already reopening factories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Autoblog Green, Reuters (Yahoo! News)  | Email this | Comments

There are two ways to make a car go faster, add power or subtract weight, and Porsche has done a little bit of both to its new 911 GT3 R hybrid racer in preparation for this year’s Nürburgring 24-hour race. Porsche took last year’s version, put it on a 50kg diet, and bumped the output of each of the car’s two KERS-powered front-wheel electric motors by 21hp (giving drivers 202 ‘lectric horses and 480 of the ICE variety for a pavement-melting 682hp total). The boys from Stuttgart hope the Jenny Craig routine will improve performance, fuel economy, and the car’s chances of winning the endurance event in June. The hybrid-drive technology — originally sourced from Williams’ F1 cars — made an appearance in the firm’s 918 RSR hybrid and is largely unchanged from the 2010 model. Unfortunately, this is a racing-only situation, what with the KERS flywheel riding shotgun, but we’re sure one of the hundreds of other technologically-inclined 911 variants will sate your need for speed.

Porsche gives 911 GT3 R hybrid more power, less weight — swears it wasn’t fat or anything originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  AutoWeek, Autoblog  | Email this | Comments