Hasta La Gadget!

Look, you won’t find a bigger bunch of fans of the C63 than this here crew, but man, that massive “plug-in hybrid” logo might as well say “70+ aged drivers only, please.” For everyone not interested in scooping up a Tesla Roadster, Chevy Volt or some other eco-friendly whip that they can’t afford, there’s the Mercedes-Benz Vision S 500. Made official this week during the run-up to the impending Frankfurt auto show, the 3.5-liter PHEV aims to grab the eyes of those who value class, comfort and luxury, and while this whole “gas mileage” thing is still very much in the air with this type of vehicle, early estimates peg the MPG rating at around 70. M-B has gifted the car with an 18-mile electric range, but most everything else is being veiled in secrecy until the full reveal next week.

Filed under: Transportation

Mercedes-Benz Vision S 500: it’s the plug-in hybrid for old people originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the whole “direct to consumer” approach failing epically, Clarion has evidently resorted to pushing remaining inventory of its largely unwanted MiND mobile internet device onto Nissan dealers in Los Angeles. In all fairness, we do suspect that these are moving more briskly than, say, Celio’s REDFLY, but we can count the amount of MIDs we’ve seen in public on two or three hands. At any rate, Nissan has signed on to offer the multifaceted Atom-powered device as an optional accessory in its Cube, but at least initially, it’ll only be made available at select dealers in the LA area. For those opting to outfit their new whip with one of these, Nissan will include a dedicated docking kit harmonized to the vehicle’s instrument panel, and the user interface will also be tweaked for in-car usage. Look — this is absolutely better than those lackluster, overpriced NAV units shoved into most dashboards, but at $799 plus installation, it’s not like you’re getting the steal of the century here.

[Via Pocketables]

Filed under: Handhelds, Transportation

Clarion’s MiND finds a home in LA-area Nissan Cubes originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The historians once pontificated that we’d all be cruising about in flying cars right around the year 2000, and while that whole Y2K fiasco threw us a tad behind schedule, it looks like the future may actually still be upon us. Parajet, the same company responsible for that downright unnerving personal flying machine we peeked back in ’05, has now placed its long-awaited SkyCar up for pre-order. Said vehicle has evolved quite dramatically over the years, but now that dollars (er, pounds) are being dropped on it, we have to assume that the design is near final. The vehicle is completely street legal and can accelerate to 62mph in just 4.2 seconds, thus making it the world’s first “usable, road-legal flying car.” If you’re champing at the bit to be the first on your block with one, you can drop £10,000 ($16,381) now and pay the remaining £50,000 ($81,905) just before it ships in “late 2010.” Of course, we’re not making any promises about it actually shipping, but that’s a risk you’ll have to take.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

Filed under: Transportation

Parajet SkyCar flying vehicle evolves, now ready for pre-orders originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Any big city bicyclist knows that being small and silent on the street is a deadly combination. Drivers of 2-ton cages are simply immune to anything but the sights and sounds of combustion engines riding four on the floor. This issue affects silent-running hybrids and compact electrics too, something Japan’s government is taking seriously in a new government review that could result in a mandate for the inclusion of “a sound making function” in their future eco-rides. Safety aside, we presume Japanese manufacturers would choose a sound that’s as tasteful and unassuming as their locally brewed hybrids. Imagine if GM was to make a similar decision… oh, right.

Filed under: Transportation

Japan considers adding noise pollution to hybrids originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that Miles Electric sedan we heard about last month? Yeah, well it’s coming to California’s shores next year. An all new car company, doing business under the name of Coda Automotive, has just been formed in order to bring said vehicle into production. The all-electric, four-door Coda won’t break down any walls in the design department, but the $45,000 (mid-$30,000s after a $7,500 Federal tax credit and additional state incentives) whip sure sounds promising as an eco-friendly daily driver. Reportedly, it’ll cruise for around 90 to 120 miles without needing a recharge, and the batteries within can be charged enough for a 40-mile commute in two hours. It’ll also ship with a navigation system, Bluetooth, iPod support and power everything as standard, but sadly, there’s no telling when it’ll be sold outside of the The Golden State. Video promo is after the break.

Continue reading Video: Coda Automotive bringing Miles Electric’s sedan to California in 2010

Filed under: Transportation

Video: Coda Automotive bringing Miles Electric’s sedan to California in 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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