Hasta La Gadget!

Ah, funding. So necessary, yet so tedious to get. Aptera — an automotive startup that has warmed our hearts with its eco-friendly, three-wheeled prototypes — has been seeking government funding to take things “next level” ever since 2008. After being laughed out of the building at first, the company reapplied and managed to get its 2e certified as a “car” by the US Department of Energy. Unfortunately, miles (and miles) or red tape have held Aptera back ever since, and even today, they’re still waiting to see if Uncle Sam will be shelling out to further their initiatives. Rather than putting its head down and realizing it’s no GM, the company has pushed out a newsletter explaining the current situation. Essentially, it’s dead-set on holding out for more funding — be it from the DoE’s coffers or elsewhere — in order to maintain quality and keep the per-unit costs down to a reasonable level. According to Aptera: “We would obviously love to accelerate the process, but the government has to make sure they complete their comprehensive evaluation and we have to let the process run its course.” Bummer.

Aptera: no production vehicles until we get funding, from the government or elsewhere originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 04:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Porsche 356 Speedster and Porche 550 Spyder are some of the most iconic sports cars of all time, minimalist design and racing pedigree making their mark — and of course James Dean losing his life in a Spyder certainly helped it to gain some notoriety. Restored models go for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the one you’re looking at above goes for much less. It’s a replica made by California company Euromasters, and it’s all-electric. Specs on that plus the Spyder replica are identical, including 120hp motors, top speed of over 100mph, a range of over 200 miles, and 0 – 60 in a very brisk 5.6 seconds — almost four seconds faster than an original road-going 356. The Speedster was unveiled at the LA Auto Show late last year and both it and the Spyder are now up for order. $49,900 if you want the Speedster, another $5,000 if you want the James Dean Edition Spyder. Just be careful if you get one: we doubt these Little Bastards are much safer in a crash than the originals.

Euromasters electric classic Porsches let you be a rebel without a gas tank originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The very first electric Smart car — the Smart ForTwo — has arrived in Maryland.

The tiny EV has made its American debut, and the lucky owner is Mindy Kimball from Silver Spring, Maryland. The car is one of just 250 to hit the roads of the United States this year. The full-scale rollout for the car — which features a 40 horsepower electric engine and a battery pack that’s good for a range of a little over 60 miles — is expected next year.

“This is a groundbreaking day for smart in the United States,” Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak said. “We are extremely excited to add the smart fortwo electric drive to the smart product lineup, solidifying our position as a key player in transportation electrification.”

Via Wired

Steaming down the autobahn could be about to get a whole lot more efficient. Volkswagen has carted out its newly updated Super Efficient Vehicle concept, now dubbed the XL1, which — after a great deal of fuzzy math, we’re sure — is rated at a 313MPG fuel efficiency and produces only 24g of CO2 per kilometer traveled. There’s an electric motor and a TDI diesel engine making all the buzzing and roaring noises inside, while the overall body design is focused on making the car as light and as aerodynamic as possible. Volkswagen has achieved a 795kg curb weight by using carbon fiber, magnesium, ceramics, and aluminum to shave down any excess portliness from the XL1, while wind-tunnel testing and optimizations have resulted in a rather exemplary 0.186 drag coefficient. It’s rare to see such attributes on anything outside the supercar realm, but then there’s a reason why this PHEV is still only a concept. FOF.

Continue reading Volkswagen’s XL1 concept plug-in diesel hybrid has 313MPG fuel efficiency, questionable aesthetics

Volkswagen’s XL1 concept plug-in diesel hybrid has 313MPG fuel efficiency, questionable aesthetics originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors are swirling that famed luxury car maker Rolls Royce will be entering the world of electric vehicles. According to the Daily Mail, Rolls Royce is planning a rechargeable, electric limousine. The car has been rumored to be in production for the last two years.

However, since there’s no official word on the luxury EV, there aren’t really any details. In fact, Rolls Royce itself has yet to confirm anything. “We are not going to make any rash decisions,” CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes told the Daily Mail. “It would be wrong for the brand and wrong for our customers if we were to take a decision without fully exploring all options.” He did, however, go on to say that such a car would be a good idea.

The company’s flagship car is the Rolls Royce Phantom, a $300,000 vehicle with a V12 engine that produces 377 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer.