Hasta La Gadget!

We’ll confess — the Segway did a lot of damage to urban mobility as a whole, but General Motors (of all companies) might have just mended a wound we thought un-mendable. Unveiling today in Shanghai, the two-seater EN-V concept is a play on last year’s altogether riveting (albeit forgotten) P.U.M.A., and yes, it seems as if some of those design cues have worked their way into this one as well. The Electric Networked-Vehicle was engineered to “alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow’s cities,” and they’re also fully capable of transforming this place we call Earth into a next-generation Epcot. A trio of designs made their debut — Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh) — and we’re told that twin electric motors and “dynamic stabilization technology” allow ’em to turn on a dime and operate autonomously (!) using integrated GPS. The Li-ion batteries can be juiced from a conventional wall outlet, and the expected range is around 40 kilometers on a single charge. Best of all? There’s built in wireless of some sort, enabling your fellow EN-V owner-friends to keep track of your late-night escapades if you so allow. We know — you’d buy one of each if these were available today, but mum’s the word on when (or if) they’ll ever hit the production line; meanwhile, expect something called a “Malibu” to remain in the product pipeline for the better part of next decade.

GM’s two-seater EN-V concept makes ‘urban mobility’ hip again originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heads-up displays are undoubtedly novel, and downright useful in the right circumstances. Trouble is, few of these prototypes ever make it beyond the lab, and we’re stuck using these same two eyeballs to experience the world around us. General Motors is evidently tired of the almosts, and it’s now working in concert with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California in order to concoct one of the most advanced HUD systems that we’ve seen — particularly in the automotive world. Setting out to create “enhanced vision systems,” GM’s R&D team has created a windshield packed with visible and Infrared cameras along with internal optics that keep a close eye on the driver’s retinas. In the images and video below (hit the ‘Read More’ link for the real action), you’ll see a solution that utilizes lasers in order to highlight road edges, speed limit signs and all sorts of other vital bits of data during a fog-filled commute. Best of all? We’re told that some of these technologies “could end up in GM vehicles in the near-term future.” Granted, the Volt was supposed to set sail already, but we suppose we’ll give ’em the benefit of the doubt.

Continue reading GM shows off sensor-laden windshield, new heads-up display prototype

GM shows off sensor-laden windshield, new heads-up display prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ain’t got a hundred large to dump on a new Tesla Roadster? Fret not, as the outfit famous for producing the world’s first commercially viable electric supercar now has another option for you to ponder: leasing. For those unfamiliar, it’s somewhere in between buying one outright and swiping one while the salesperson’s not looking, and it’ll require just over $12,000 up front along with 36 payments of $1,658 in order to temporarily own the car of your dreams. Of course, that’s just a model scenario based on a Roadster with an $111,005 MSRP, though the somewhat snazzier Roadster Sport is also included in the deal. Come to think of it — if you get in on a lease now, there’s a good chance that the Volt you pre-ordered will finally be in stock by the time you bid your Tesla a fond farewell. Right, Ed?

Tesla launches Roadster lease program for wannabe eco-ballers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen plenty of tech over the years meant to mitigate our destruction of the environment — from greener autos to Grateful Dead-themed cellphones — most of which don’t really ask us to tone down our consumer impulses all that much. But how about these new “Cool Cars” regulations recently adopted by the California Air Resources Board? By the year 2016, all autos sold in the state must have windows that prevent 60 percent of the sun’s energy from entering the vehicle. To achieve this, windows are given a coat of glazing that contains microscopic specs of reflective metal oxide — which will seriously hamper reception for your GPS, cellphone, and (this is of special interest to Engadget readers) white collar criminal-style work release ankle bracelet. As you can imagine, companies like Garmin are fuming — although we suppose that if they play this right they can make a killing in the external car antenna business. It just goes to show you — when it comes to environmental catastrophe, everyone’s a victim.

[Via AutoBlog]

Filed under: Transportation

California Cool Cars regs put the kibosh on radio, cellphone, and GPS reception originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The future, kids — we’re living in it. Sensationalism aside, we are pretty jazzed to hear that Toyota’s long-awaited, much-teased plug-in Prius hybrid will be making its bona fide debut to the public next week. The image above is expected to be near-final, though we’re reserving judgment until we see if the actual model on stage is plastered with 80s era stick-on graphics. Of note, the Hybrid Synergy Drive system has been upgraded for this whip, enabling it to slowly rocket from 0 to 62 without using a drop of gasoline. Once there, it can cruise for up to 12.5 miles in electric mode, and should you need to juice it back up, it’ll take 1.5 hours when charged from a 230V source. Further details are expected to flow as Frankfurt heats up, though the whole “not shipping to retail until 2012” kind of puts a damper on our excitement.

Filed under: Transportation

Toyota’s plug-in hybrid Prius gets pictured, detailed further originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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