Hasta La Gadget!

Despite being first showcased in May, Pininfarina’s Antares has just slipped across our desks — and frankly, it’s a concept too gorgeous for us not to share. The beautiful tree-like structure — comprised of steel and aluminum — supports 20 photovoltaic cells, which the Italians reckon can produce up to 4.6 kilowatts, or just about enough juice to top up two fifty-mile range EVs. That’s the plan anyway; we’ll supposedly know more later this year, but given Pininfarina’s past EV efforts, maybe not. Either way, consider this our formal pre-order request for two — they’d look perfect right outside Engadget HQ.

Pininfarina’s stunning tree-shaped Antares EV charging station should be more than a prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already know to expect Toyota’s Entune infotainment system in the dash of the 2012 Prius, but the hybrid’s monster EV batteries will be powering much more than a touchscreen and apps. According to ConsumerSearch, next year’s plug-in vehicle will include two new features aimed at improving the car’s electric-only range for local driving, especially when your commute also includes a trip down the freeway. The first improvement comes in the form of an EV mode button, allowing you to turn off EV for highway driving, which tends to drain those batts faster than a Thunderbolt in Hotspot mode. The Prius will also offer full battery regeneration, so power-off activities like braking and driving downhill will restore the hybrid’s EV-only range — especially helpful if you live in a hilly area or tend to make frequent stops. Both new features should have a fairly significant impact on efficiency, so you’ll soon be able to drive further in the city without tapping a single drop of crude.

2012 plug-in Prius to include selectable EV mode, full battery regeneration originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba’s SCiB (Super Charge Ion Battery) technology has long been the source of great hope and anticipation in electronics circles, but it’s never quite delivered the world-changing retail products that its marketing promised. Hoping to correct that in a big way, the company’s now hooked up with Mitsubishi to distribute said fast-charging cells in the taxman-friendly i-MiEV (to be known as Mitsubishi i in the US) and its taxi variant, the MINICAB-MiEV. How fast-charging, you ask? We’re told recharging will be done in 15 minutes for 80 percent, 10 minutes for 50 percent, and a mere 300 seconds for 25 percent. You’ll need a CHAdeMO charger to achieve such rapid revitalization rates, but those stations are sprouting up across the US now. There are other favorable qualities to Toshiba’s batteries, including “excellent charging and output” under very low temperatures, 2.5 times the number of charge / discharge cycles of regular lithium ion cells, and safer operation than most other alternatives. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba SCiB to be used in Mitsubishi i-MiEV, recharge to 80 percent in just 15 minutes

Toshiba SCiB to be used in Mitsubishi i-MiEV, recharge to 80 percent in just 15 minutes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No matter how hard Nissan tries to convince folks that driving an EV won’t leave them stranded on the side of the road gagging for electricity, that pesky range anxiety issue continues to permeate discussions about electric cars. So, what else to do but strap an EV charger on roadside service vehicles? The Japan Automobile Federation is trialing just such a scheme, with a Nissan-built prototype service truck helping to top up electrified transporters that have ended up bereft of juice at an inopportune moment. The trial’s gotten its start in Kanagawa Prefecture this week, which, incidentally, happens to be using a Nissan Leaf as its governor’s official car. So, even if you do figure out a way to use up your Leaf’s entire battery, you get the comfort of knowing you’re riding like a governor and that the good men in orange jumpsuits will be there to take care of your problemo.

Continue reading Japan trying out roadside service vehicles capable of charging EVs, soothing range anxiety

Japan trying out roadside service vehicles capable of charging EVs, soothing range anxiety originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’re looking at an unlikely picture: two Tesla EVs on the same street. The Silicon Valley carmaker is hoping to become more mainstream, however, when it releases its Model S sedan next year to complement the exuberantly expensive Roadster 2.5. Tesla has just released photos of the latest, nearly production-ready build of the Model S to whet our appetites. The shots reveal a couple of sleek cosmetic changes to the front bumper and body panels, but mainly we’re just happy to see the S rolling on schedule. Oh yes, and there’s another glimpse of the 17-inch infotainment console, which Auto Evolution now reports will be accompanied by built-in 3G. Sounds dandy, but that $57,400 starting price had better include a data plan. Man, who are we kidding?

[Thanks, Lucian]

Tesla Model S is almost production-ready, does photo shoot to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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