Oct 30

Volta BCN electric motorcycle announced, set to go on sale in Q2 2012

Posted in: electric, ev, Today's Chili, video
Your all-electric motorcycle options are getting more and more plentiful these days, and it looks like you’ll soon have yet another option consider. Volta Motorbikes officially announced its new Volta BCN motorcycle this week, with a complete unveiling set for the EICMA Motorshow in Milan next month. It will be available in three different models — the BCN Sport, BCN City, and BCN My Volta — each of which pack the same 35 horsepower and 70 kilometer range, but have various other tweaks to suit different tastes (with the My Volta being customizable through an online ordering tool). Details remain a bit light otherwise, but pricing is expected to come in around the €7,000 mark (or just under $10,000), with the first units set to roll out in the second quarter of 2012 — a reservation list will also be opened up at the start of the year for those interested. Head on past the break for a quick teaser video, and check out the gallery below for a closer look.

Gallery: Volta BCN

Continue reading Volta BCN electric motorcycle announced, set to go on sale in Q2 2012

Volta BCN electric motorcycle announced, set to go on sale in Q2 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 14

EV manufacturers get harmonized, agree to build a universal charging system

Posted in: car, electric, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Ford, green, Today's Chili

Fancy segregating EV charging stations by vehicle manufacturer? No? A slew of major automobile firms didn’t like the idea much either, and have agreed on a combined charging system to use as an international standard. Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen now support a single-port fast charging system that integrates all charging configurations — from spiffy quick charging setups, down to modest Level 1 rigs. The new system also crowns HomePlug Green PHY as the standard communication protocol, allowing charging stations to hook compatible EVs to Powerline Smart Grid applications. Where do all these fancy features leave you and your Leaf? Charged, of course — the new “harmonized electric vehicle charging solution” promises to be backward compatible with current industry standard J1772 connectors. Hit the break for Ford’s official press release.

Continue reading EV manufacturers get harmonized, agree to build a universal charging system

EV manufacturers get harmonized, agree to build a universal charging system originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 11

The very light, very electric, very efficient Edison2 eVLC scores 245MPGe rating

Posted in: electric, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili
Edison2 eVLC

After winning the X-Prize, Edison2 decided the next logical step for its Very Light Car was to put an electric engine in it. Well, what is now known as the eVLC has been put through the EPA-certified ringer and come out boasting a jaw-dropping 245MPGe. Using the latest, more stringent, 5-cycle EPA tests the strange looking vehicle posted a miles-per-gallon equivalent almost 250-percent that of the Nissan leaf. The four-passenger eVLC also scored an impressive 114 mile range on its tiny 10.5 kWh battery (the Leaf gets 117 miles out of its 24 kWH battery) and sucked down a full charge in six hours from a standard 110v socket. For a few more details check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading The very light, very electric, very efficient Edison2 eVLC scores 245MPGe rating

The very light, very electric, very efficient Edison2 eVLC scores 245MPGe rating originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 11

Nissan’s new charging technology will juice your EV in ten minutes, ten years from now

Posted in: car, charger, charging, electric, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, green, Japan, Today's Chili
Nearly a month after unveiling its revamped quick charger, Nissan has now announced that it’s working on new technology that would make EV charging… well, quicker. A lot quicker. Developed alongside researchers from Japan’s Kansai University, the manufacturer’s approach would allow drivers to fully charge their plug-ins in just ten minutes, without taking any toll on a lithium-ion battery’s storage or voltage. Nissan says it could achieve this by tinkering with a charger’s capacitor — more specifically, by replacing its carbon electrode with one based on a composite of tungsten oxide and vanadium oxide. Industry insiders, however, say this technology may not reach the commercial level for another ten years — substantially longer than ten minutes.

Nissan’s new charging technology will juice your EV in ten minutes, ten years from now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 05

Kia to roll out re-badged Hyundai electric minicar in late 2011

Posted in: electric, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, minipost, Today's Chili

There’s still no indication that it’ll hit the North American market, but it looks like Kia will soon have an all-electric “minicar” to call its own. That will come in the form of a re-badged Hyundai i10 (pictured above), which is expected to pack a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery and a range somewhere south of a hundred miles. No word on pricing just yet either, but the car is set to roll out in late 2011, with production tapped at a modest 2,000 units for 2012.

Kia to roll out re-badged Hyundai electric minicar in late 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 01

Prototype magic carpet uses electrified threads to ‘fly,’ Aladdin pre-orders (video)

Posted in: electric, solar, Today's Chili

If you spent your childhood longing to fly, you’re not alone — and one Princeton grad may have come one step closer to making it a reality with a prototype magic carpet. Ok, it’s not actually a rug of the magical variety, but a 4-inch piece of plastic electrified by tiny conducting threads. It works as such: by applying a current to the sheet, tiny air pockets form underneath, propelling it forward one centimeter a second. Since it requires air pockets to move forward, the carpet must stay close to the ground — making it more like Marty McFly’s hoverboard than Aladdin’s preferred mode of transportation. Better yet, the inventor has plans for a solar powered version, which would free the carpet from heavy battery constraints and allow it to travel freely over larger distances. Check out the video and source after the break for more deets.

Continue reading Prototype magic carpet uses electrified threads to ‘fly,’ Aladdin pre-orders (video)

Prototype magic carpet uses electrified threads to ‘fly,’ Aladdin pre-orders (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

BMW i3 electric and i8 plug-in cars on display at Frankfurt

Posted in: electric, Today's Chili

We’ve seen ’em as sketches and we’ve seen ’em having fun on the snow, but now, after getting a few upgrades, they’re parked on the stage at Frankfurt. BMW rolled out its new i3 and i8 electric cars, part of a new sub-brand focused on efficiency and responsive driving — though it’ll ultimately be up to the driver to determine just how responsively these behave on the road.

The i3 is a pure electric, 150km range (about 100 miles) and a very lightweight construction of both aluminum and carbon fiber. The i8, meanwhile, is a plug-in hybrid that is said to deliver about 87MPG and yet still get from 0 – 60MPH in under five seconds. Spunky, then. It also sports those funky laser headlights that are both far more efficient and far more awesome sounding than current LED models. This is what they look like in the flesh, and if all goes according to plan you’ll be seeing them for yourselves when they enter production in 2013.

Gallery: BMW i3 and i8

Gallery: BMW i Family

BMW i3 electric and i8 plug-in cars on display at Frankfurt originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 07

Fisker’s shooting brake Surf EV to make waves at Frankfurt

Posted in: electric, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili
Frankfurt’s ready to hang ten as teaser images of Fisker Automotive’s new “shooting brake” electric whip dropped in just in time for the city’s automotive show on September 13th. Affectionately nicknamed the Surf, the two-door sedan is the latest incarnation of the Karma, Fisker’s range-extended electric vehicle launched last year. Although the company won’t release any details on the new ride just yet, we’re expecting it to be somewhat similar to the company’s former model, which boasts two 150 kW electric motors, a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 and a lithium-ion battery. Joining the ranks of other luxury wagons like the Ferrari FF, the Surf’s blast-from-the-past design is guaranteed to be a gnarly change from the standard four-door luxury variety, and you can bet we’ll be there for the full reveal.

Fisker’s shooting brake Surf EV to make waves at Frankfurt originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 06

Silverback’s Starke city bikes charge your gadgets, firm your thighs

Posted in: bike, electric, green, Today's Chili, usb

Cyclists have a lot to be proud of — what with their terrific gams, above average lung capacity and eco-friendly locomotive choice. But tech isn’t exactly an area that falls under their outdoors-y province, unless they’re sporting one of Silverback’s Starke bicycles. The line of city bikes offers up four models for the two-wheel enthusiast, but it’s the Starke 1 and 2 that’s caught our gadget-obsessed attention. Included in the head tube of either bike’s frame is a USB port powered by a hub dynamo that’ll play nicely with any of your low-voltage devices. If you’re looking for an electric motor-assisted cruise, you’ll have to opt for the Starke 1, but otherwise both nine-speeders share the same nickel alloy frame and weigh in at roughly 30lbs. Sound like your kind of 21st century ride? Then hit the source link below for your personal Tour de high-tech bikes.

Silverback’s Starke city bikes charge your gadgets, firm your thighs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 04

Solar-powered rollerblading robot carries you to work on a chariot of humiliation (video)

Posted in: electric, solar, solar power, SolarPower, Today's Chili, video

Bob Schneevis is at it again. The man who turned George W. Bush into a robotic Roman warrior has now developed something he calls the Solar Electric Robot Chariot. Showcased at this year’s Maker Faire Bay Area, Schneevis’ single-motor, bot-drawn carriage features a set of battery-juicing solar panels and an array of cameras that control its chauffeur’s mechanized movements. The bot, meanwhile, glides around on a pair of rollerblades and is designed to move its legs in the same way humans do — with the only difference being that humans don’t rollerblade anymore. Skate past the break to see the chariot coast around a parking lot with Mitchell Goosen-like grace.

Continue reading Solar-powered rollerblading robot carries you to work on a chariot of humiliation (video)

Solar-powered rollerblading robot carries you to work on a chariot of humiliation (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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