Last month, we reported that Detroit Electric planned to unveil an electric sports car, of which only a single teaser image was supplied with no information about its name, price, or other details. In Detroit earlier today, the car – called the SP:01 – was unveiled, along with its specs and an image of the mean-looking electric beast.
The SP:01 is an all-electric sports car that will be released as a limited-edition (only 999 will be made) for those with a fair amount of cash to spare. Because it is powered by a 37kWh battery, which can be recharged in a little over 4 hours and has a range of 190 miles, the vehicle is emissions-free. The body is constructed from carbon fiber, making it lightweight (it weighs 2,354lbs) and helping it achieve its high speeds.
The Detroit Electric SP:01 boasts a 0 to 62mpg time of 3.7 seconds, making it the fastest all-electric production car anywhere in the world. The top speed clocks in at 155mph, and is achieved via a 201 bhp motor offering 166lb/ft of torque. There’s a four-speed manual transmission, but also an automatic transmission option for those who prefer it. The SP:01 is also decked out with an infotainment sytsem that can be controlled entirely via a smartphone, with the app also providing information on the car’s various systems.
Detroit Electric’s CEO and Chairman Albert Lam had this to say: “The SP:01 will be exclusive, luxurious and technologically advanced. The car will be an exciting and innovative product, displaying outstanding performance coupled with strong green credentials, and delivering an exhilarating driving experience.” The vehicle will be available for purchase by the end of August this year with a base price of $135,000 USD.
Just as Tesla isn’t in the business of making average cars, it’s just introduced a leasing program for the Model S sedan that’s not entirely run-of-the-mill. Unique to the company’s 66-month lease program, you’ll find the option of selling the Model S after 36 months at a price that’s pegged to the residual value of the Mercedes S Class. While that may sound all fine and dandy, be warned, if you couldn’t afford a Model S before, there’s a good chance it’s still be a wee bit out of your grasp. The Tesla Model S 85kWh edition runs $1,199 per month, which then becomes slightly more palatable once tax credits are factored in. On the average, individuals can expect to pay between $732 to $940 per month for the privilege of leasing a Model S. Meanwhile, business users stand to benefit even more, who can use tax credits to bring the overall cost down to $505 per month. Feel free to hit up the source links if you now think Motor Trend’s2013 Car of the Year is an expense you can stomach, but for the rest of us, we’ll just keep dreaming.
The city of York just announced a plan to install a network of pay-as-you-go charging stations for electric vehicles, the first such system to launch in the UK. York is already home to 12 free charging points, but these are located in lesser-known areas such as private parking lots. The new stations will be installed in public lots in the city center as well as near supermarkets and hotels.
According to the City of York Council, the charging technology can add a 30-mile range to a car’s battery within a half hour of use. EV owners will be able to track energy usage and find nearby charging stations from their phones — via an app, we can safely assume — and by registering their credit cards, they’ll be able to pay instantly by phone or text message. It remains to be seen whether other English cities will follow suit. The capital has Source London, which requires an annual fee of €100 for use of 900-plus charging points in the city, but there will be even more drivers in need of power-ups when the Tesla Model S hits Old Blighty’s shores.
The eponymous “Smart car” has been buzzing around city streets in the US for over five years now. It’s actually called the Fortwo, thanks to its limited seating capacity, and while it didn’t prove to be an immediate hit, sales have been steadily increasing. An electric version of the car has been available in limited numbers overseas for years now, but finally this year it’s coming to the US. And this is it. We got a chance to drive a green vinyl-wrapped Smart Electric Drive around some city streets ahead of the opening of the New York International Auto Show and came away reasonably impressed by this $25,000 EV — the cheapest on the market. Join us after the break for our impressions.
Fisker’s cash reserves have been in trouble ever since its Department of Energy loans were frozen, and now its putting its US workforce on furlough to keep money in the bank while it searches for a partner with deep pockets. “This is a common practice, particularly in the automotive industry, to manage costs and operations based on current activity levels and commercial requirements,” said Fisker, which has over 200 employees in America, in a statement concerning the unpaid leave. Considering that battery woes and other mishaps have contributed to keeping assembly linesquiet, current activity levels are indeed low. Reuters says the automaker hasn’t built a car since July, and it’s coming up against a federal loan payment in late April. According to the outlet, Fisker was aiming to partner with Chinese auto companies that could bolster its finances, but talks are said to have crawled to a stop. Regardless, the firm is still on the lookout for an investor to fuel the production of its Atlantic hybrid.
Electric Vehicle choices keep getting more compelling, and Mercedes-Benz is doing its part by unveiling the upcoming B-Class Electric Drive. The B-Class is among the smaller of MB’s cars (one step up from the A-Class), fitting squarely in the MPV category. It’s basically a mini-minivan. MPVs are small but big enough to be practical, and they tend to be economical. The fully electric powertrain in this 2014 model that just rolled onto the stage here at the New York International Auto Show should go a long way in that regard. Follow us after the break for more details and some photos.
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Electric cars generally settle into one of two camps: the outlandish, like Renault’s Twizy, or the discrete, like Nissan’s Note. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, however, straddles both. Its “space jelly-bean” looks are certainly eye-catching, but they’re also borrowed wholesale from the regular gas-powered version available in Japan and Europe, rather than an EV flourish for its own sake. The i-MiEV is also one of the US’ cheapest EVs, though with prices starting at $21,625 (after tax incentives) it still commands a premium over more traditionally fuelled cars. Can the i-MiEV’s frugal charms win us over? Read on for the full SlashGear review.
Design and Interior
It’s not quite a Twizy, but the i-MiEV is certainly no wall-flower when it comes to Mitsubishi’s aesthetic. The tall, narrow body was intended for snapping down cramped Tokyo side-streets, but it makes for a car that catches more than its fair share of glances while you’re driving. Whether they’re admiring or bemused is unclear.
You still get four doors, however, and four seats inside – the rear seats fold down individually, boosting the trunk’s compact 13.2 cubic feet of storage to a more useful 50.4 cubit feet – with room for adults front and back. It’s an upright ride with plenty of headroom, though the limited width can mean those in the back sit closer together than usual. Despite the price, the only leather you’ll find inside is wrapping the steering wheel and shifter knob; the seats are sturdy fabric, instead, and adjusted manually not electrically.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV walkthrough:
Given the ostentatious exterior, we’d half expected the sort of swooping, LED-encrusted dashboard that would make a concept car jealous. In fact, the i-MiEV’s interior is surprisingly sober. The plastic top dash panels match the purplish-brown seat fabric for color, with a bulbous central stack topped with a sizeable LCD display above the HVAC controls and finally the gear shifter at the bottom. The latter looks like it could’ve been pulled from any automatic car, with the usual park, neutral, drive, and reverse options, as well as an “Eco” mode a notch away.
In the minimalistic driver’s instrument binnacle the view is dominated by a center gage with a digital speedo in the middle, flanked by a simple indicator which shows how economical or profligate you are with your current driving style. A smaller display on the left shows battery level and current gear; range in miles is shown in another screen on the other side. Jabbing at a small plastic button in the binnacle flips over to distance traveled since your last charge.
It’s functional, for the most part. The plastics in general are somewhat flimsy to the touch, though you at least get air-con, power windows and mirrors, and remote central locking as standard. There’s also a heated seat, on the driver’s side only, which Mitsubishi recommends using instead of cranking up the HVAC on a cold morning, since it’s more power-frugal; alternatively, you can turn on the HVAC (to the last used settings) remotely from the keyfob while the i-MiEV is still plugged into the mains. The touchscreen audio system, complete with Bluetooth streaming/hands-free, a reversing camera, and navigation is comprehensive, though not the easiest to use.
Engine and Performance
The i-MiEV’s motor pushes out 66HP through the rear wheels via a single-speed gearbox, and manages 145 lb-ft of torque. It’s good for a top speed of 81mph, and though Mitsubishi isn’t especially keen to talk performance figures (0-60mph is a 13s affair), the combination of the 1.3 ton curb weight., low center of gravity, and immediacy of electric motors means acceleration is surprisingly eager. The i-MiEV is certainly at its best around town, where the combination of pep off the starting line and regenerative power topping up the battery show their worth, but that’s not to say it can’t handle the highway.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV driving:
At highway speeds, there’s a fair amount of wind noise, and while you don’t get the familiar thrum of a gas engine, you have the whine of the electric motor instead. Side-winds can lead to some uncomfortable buffeting, too. The suspension – taut, given the batteries the i-MiEV must lug – is firm but not unduly so.
Battery and Range
As with all EVs, the big question mark hanging over the i-MiEV is range. Mitsubishi quotes an EPA MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) of 126 for city driving, 99 for highway driving, and 112 combined; total EPA range is 62 miles.
That’s assuming ideal circumstances, of course. In practice, you tend to drive with one eye fixed to the range indicator, alert to how your driving style affects how many miles you’ll be able to do. We found the estimates to be reasonably accurate, though weather more than anything is the big decider. Setting out for town on a particularly cold day and, by the time we’d reached our first stop, the gage had dropped considerably more miles than we’d actually traveled. Mitsubishi does include a single out-of-energy rescue per year for the first three years.
Extremes of temperature are known issues for battery performance, and the i-MiEV tackles one of them as standard. All i-MiEV versions have a cooling fan that counteracts the effect of hot days, but its counterpart battery warmer is only standard on the SE “Premium Package” – $2,790 – or as a $175 add-on.
Charging generally depends on how much juice you have to spare. The i-MiEV can power up from either a 120V domestic supply or, if you have access to it, a 240V supply. A 120V portable charging cable is included to satisfy impromptu recharges while on the move, something which we found takes roughly 20- to 22hrs. A “Level 2″ 240V charger cuts that to seven hours, or if you have access to a “Level 3″ public quick-charger you can take the i-MiEV to 80-percent in 30 minutes.
Mitsubishi includes a total of three warranties with the i-MiEV, covering different aspects of the car. Shortest is the 3-year/36,000 mile New Vehicle warranty, followed by a specific 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. Finally, there’s 8-year/100,000 mile cover for the Li-Ion batteries, which unlike other car companies Mitsubishi sells rather than leases to drivers. Nonetheless, some degree of battery degradation is to be expected (and isn’t covered by the warranty): you should expect to have 80-percent of total capacity left after 5yrs, falling to 70-percent after 10yrs.
Wrap-Up
Most of the issues affecting the i-MiEV are applicable to every all-electric car. The preoccupation with range, balance of equipment versus saving as much power for actually moving, and the lifespan of Li-Ion batteries are to modern EVs what gas consumption, engine oil, and emissions are to traditional cars.
Where the i-MiEV succeeds is in helping make electric travel more affordable. Thanks to federal tax incentives you can have the Mitsubishi for under $22k (before destination and handling); considering only a couple of years ago you’d be looking at twice that for an EV, it shows how far we’ve come in eco-friendly motoring. The i-MiEV is certainly a second car, unless you’re a resolute city dweller, but for low-cost trips around town and room for four in a small footprint, it’s a perky addition to your garage.
Earlier this month, Toyota unveiled a new electric vehicle concept called the i-Road. It is an electric vehicle concept known as a Personal Mobility Vehicle. From the looks of it, the i-Road has more in common with a motorcycle than a traditional car.
The odd little three-wheeled vehicle is very narrow, but still carries two people. The two passengers sit tandem as you would on a motorcycle. The i-Road also leans into the corners just like a motorcycle would, though its reverse-tricycle design makes it much less likely to tip over. The little vehicle has a nearly silent electrical powertrain that produces no emissions.
Since it doesn’t have to carry much weight, the i-Road can travel for about 30 miles after charging for only three hours, making it ideal for short urban rides.
Toyota says that it will be putting compact electric vehicles based on the i-Road to work as part of an experimental project intending to evaluate the market response to the little vehicle. The project will kick off at the end of 2014 in France.
We talked a couple times now about the strange little Toyota i-Road electric vehicle. The car was first seen at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. It’s rather like a cross between a motorcycle and a very small electric vehicle. There was some indication that Toyota was aiming the vehicle at drivers wanting to split lanes in traffic as motorcyclists often do.
I think the vehicle may be a bit wide for that. One thing that we hadn’t previously seen is a CGI video that Toyota offered up showing the strange little electric vehicle in action. If you missed our previous coverage, the i-Road has enough room for two occupants who sit tandem style like riders on a motorcycle inside of an enclosed cockpit.
The electric vehicle uses what Toyota calls “Active Lean” technology that leans into a turn sort of like a motorcycle would do. The vehicle has rear wheel steering and a nearly silent electric powertrain. Toyota says that the little vehicle is good to drive for up to 50 km on a three-hour charge.
Toyota has always been upfront with the fact that this is a concept vehicle. However, Toyota said it would be putting compact personal mobility vehicles based on the i-Road to work as part of an experimental project designed to evaluate market response. Toyota plans to start the project at the end of 2014 in Grenoble, France. The project will last for three years.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
