Hasta La Gadget!

Curvy, sumptuous concept and prototype electric vehicles are definitely easy on the eyes, but if you’ve been searching for something a touch more “real,” fresh-out-of-bankruptcy Chrysler has one car that’s not going back to the drawing board. Our compatriots over at Autoblog report that the all-electric Fiat 500 EV — which saw a limited run of 100 in Europe and made a cameo at this year’s Detroit Auto Show — will actually be produced and sold in the US starting in 2012. Since the automaker’s not talking specs, it’s hard to say how it’ll compare to a Volt or a Leaf, but history (peek the ‘More Coverage’ link down below) tells us the original electric Fiat 500 got up to 120 miles on a charge. We’d caution you not to get too worked up by that hot hatch action, though — despite the fact that the Peapod made it briefly to market, this isn’t the first time Chrysler’s told us to expect a commercial vehicle we can charge. Here’s hoping for better results this go ’round.

Chrysler says all-electric Fiat 500 will carry Americans, American Touristers in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The good people of Tesla couldn’t leave us with just stock studio photography of their new TAG Heuer special edition vehicle, oh no. They’ve treated us to a full gallery of the car out on the road, sporting its new regalia and that radical paintjob with pride. To remind you, the only special thing about this edition is indeed that TAG Heuer has reskinned its exterior, while a center console mount for a Meridiist phone and room for a Limited Edition Stopwatch can be classified as product placements for the crowd who’d buy things just because there’s an allotted space for them. Anyhow, a couple more pictures await after the break (sans that silly flare on the Tesla logo above) or you can hit the source for the full experience.

Continue reading TAG Heuer’s Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road

TAG Heuer’s Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Concept cars are like unicorns — they’re so prevalent and vaporous, they’re hardly worth remarking upon. Every so often, though, one pops out into the ether that’s really worth a second look. Lotus’ Evora 414E Hybrid concept certainly fits into that category.This plug-in car boasts (or would boast, should it come into existence), 1.2 liter, three-cylinder engine, independent electric motors for the rear wheels, with a range of about 300 miles. The glass engine cover pictured above, however, is just one of the features we find ourselves double-taking here. The Evora 414E would also pack some ‘vroom vroom’ noises by way of its audio system to take care of the ever-pressing danger of silent auto engines. The engine can operate on alcohol-based fuels or regular old gasoline, and the battery-only range is in the neighborhood of 35 miles. The Lotus Evora 414E hybrid will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.

Lotus outs wild Evora 414E Hybrid plug-in concept car originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes has just announced its latest “research vehicle,” the F800 Style, and as concepts are wont to do, it intersperses some extremely ambitious goals with plenty of viable and forthcoming improvements. The two powertrain options touted by the company represent this best. On the one hand, there’s a perfectly reasonable PHEV setup that will generate north of 400bhp combined grunt and offer an 18-mile range when abstaining from gas power. On the other, there’s an electric drive with fuel cells system that will get you a spectacular 375-mile cruising range — if only it’d make it to real products, which seems highly unlikely right now. All the same, as the company’s premium sedan concept, the F800 Style represents the direction of Mercedes’ future designs, both in its external styling and in the internal focus on becoming friendlier to the environment. We can find little reason to object to either. Check out a couple more pics after the break, then hit Autoblog for more details.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz F800 Style teases us with fuel cells, aggressive new look

Mercedes-Benz F800 Style teases us with fuel cells, aggressive new look originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Motors plans to cease production of its signature Roadster electric sports car next year, according to paperwork Tesla filed ahead of its IPO for the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Autopia reports that a replacement Roadster won’t hit the road until 2013, leaving the upcoming 2012 Tesla Model S sedan as the company’s only car for a year. The current wisdom is that this is because Lotus is retooling its manufacturing plants to accommodate the next-generation Lotus Elise, upon which the current Tesla Roadster is based.

The report said that Tesla may not have a problem if the Model S launches on time. But if it doesn’t, the automaker may not have any cars on the showroom floor for a while. I can see how Tesla arrived at this plan, but that doesn’t make me any less worried.

Don’t miss Gearlog’s full preview and “test ride” of the Tesla
Model S sedan.