Hasta La Gadget!

CEO departures normally come in one of two forms — a dignified slope to the exit, or an explosive, controversial parting of ways. Departing Scarlet Motors CEO Julien Fourgeaud has taken a different approach with a stream-of-consciousness blog post, describing the company’s origins and cryptically hinting at divisions within the EV maker. Naming no names, the former Rovio executive mentions that he wishes people “kept their commitments, their word” and were “working together towards building an amazing product.” But despite the dissatisfaction, Fourgeaud says that he’ll continue to support the business as a shareholder — in between making sure his LinkedIn profile is up to date.

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: Julien Fourgeaud

Mitsubishi is currently struggling in the United States as an automaker after finding its products unable to compete effectively on the market in most segments. Despite the company’s troubles, it hasn’t stepped away from research and development when it comes to making electric vehicles more practical for your average driver. Currently there are several things about electric vehicles that are preventing them from gaining popularity.

Issues often cited by shoppers when looking for a new vehicle that specifically apply to EV’s include things like range anxiety and having to remember to plug your vehicle in every time you come home or get to the office. With the huge ecosystem of wireless charging products available for smartphones and other gadgets, it makes a lot of sense that people don’t want to have to fiddle with plugging in their car when they get home. Mitsubishi is currently working on a new charging system for electric vehicles that will allow for wireless remote charging.

Mitsubishi is working with Kyoto University and a group of Japanese organizations to develop a remote charging solution for electric cars. The group consists of 22 companies and 13 different universities with the goal of making a long distance electric vehicle charging a reality within the next five years. The technology will reportedly use microwave transmissions, but that’s really the only detail known about the tech this time.

The same technology is also being considered to keep gadgets such as smartphones and tablets powered up and working indefinitely. It’s even being considered for powering things like military drones indefinitely. The goal of the group of developers with this technology appears to be wireless remote charging with the potential to keep an electric vehicle powered as it cruises down the roads allowing an indefinite driving range. I can see a big challenge with determining how exactly the charge drivers for power in a system like this. Considering the Mitsubishi is working with so many other universities and organizations on this technology, it will likely find its way to vehicles other than Mitsubishi’s own i-MiEV electric car.

[via Dvice]

Mitsubishi wireless EV research could recharge your car remotely is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

From time to time, I wish I had one of those tiny city cars that could park almost anywhere, because it would make living in the city a lot easier. However, most of the time, these tiny cars are a bit boring to drive because of their lackluster performance. Renault sought to change this with their new concept car.

If you can believe it, the Twizy Sport F1 Electric concept borrows technology used in Formula 1 race cars. This single-seater race car comes with a front splitter, side pods, a rear wing, and a diffuser to give it a sporty look. It uses a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to recover lost power, which is similar to the one used by Renault F1 cars. It allows this little car to push out almost 100hp, making it as fast as the Mégane Renault Sport 265 (which has 265 horses!).

The car even comes equipped with an F1-style steering wheel, which would provide access to the vehicle’s various functions.

I’m curious to see if or when they’ll use this technology in a production vehicle. I’m sure that many city dwellers would be interested in driving one.

[via designboom]

Toyota has revealed a new EV concept that prioritizes flexibility, eco-concern, and easy damage repair, the ME.WE, cladding a simple aluminum sub-frame with easily interchanged polypropylene body panels. The electric car concept, designed in association with French firm Jean-Marie Massaud, can flip instantly between two- or four-wheel drive, thanks to an individual motor in each wheel, while the doors, bonnet, bumpers, wings, and other components can be switched out to suit different use-cases or to swiftly repair damage.

The core of the ME.WE is a structure made up of tubular aluminum, onto which Toyota and the design firm have predominantly applied two types of material. For the bulk of the shell that’s expanded polypropylene, which has the benefit of being lightweight as well as entirely recyclable; other surfaces, such as a panel under the windshield and across the roof, are bamboo, which is known for being highly-sustainable.

Toyota envisages different colors and textures of panels to be offered, encouraging drivers to switch over their car’s appearance at will. That’s something we’ve seen Smart offer on its city-car, though exactly how many owners actually take advantage of that – outside of making damage repairs – remains to be seen.

Inside, the bench seats are fixed on slender rails and can be moved around or laid flat; the rear bench can be folded and pushed under the front seats, increasing the bamboo-clad load area. Rather than have a permanently large trunk, the ME.WE uses a combination of flexible neoprene covers – which can stretch to accommodate things transported on the roof – and integrated webbing that keeps suitcases and the like in place.

As with any concept, the likelihood of Toyota actually putting the ME.WE into production is something we wouldn’t recommend holding your breath for. Nonetheless, the idea of shifting the electric motors into the wheels – rather than inboard, as per most EVs and hybrids – is one the car industry looks to be moving toward. Earlier this year, specialist Protean announced plans to mass-produce such a motor, which with clever software management could dynamically adjust the power to each wheel independently while also freeing up space in the cabin and chassis.

[via Designboom]

Toyota ME.WE concept clads EV in chunky plastic is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Fisker just can’t catch a break. As if enduring the layoffs of three out of every four employees and the resignation of its founder wasn’t unsettling enough, it’s now come to light that the Department of Energy recently confiscated the company’s $21 million reserve account in an attempt to recoup some of the government’s loan. Fisker’s first payment on the $192 million federal loan was due Monday, but the Energy Department revealed that it actually took the money 12 days beforehand, simply due to the company’s high risk of default — a move it characterized as an “appropriate action on behalf of taxpayers.” If you’re thinking the writing’s now on the wall, you’re correct… the WSJ reports that Fisker has hired a bankruptcy attorney, and the company admits that it’s actively in search of a new owner. Will luck swing in Fisker’s favor next time around? Place your bets.

Filed under: Transportation

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Via: TNW

Source: WSJ