Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve known for some time that Tesla hoped to use the underpinnings of the luscious Model S as a base platform upon which other cars would be built, even minivans. Elon Musk in the past has mentioned a Model X SUV due sometime in 2014 and he’s just re-confirmed that we’ll be getting our first glimpse of the thing sometime this year. Few further details are known but we wouldn’t be surprised if it shared some components with the Tesla-powered Toyota RAV4 EV. Musk also took the opportunity to re-confirm that a genuinely affordable electric Tesla is coming by 2015, something priced under $30,000 and, while probably not quite as bodacious as either the Roadster or the Model S, hopefully it’ll be a bit more invigorating than the Leaf.

Tesla confirms plans to unveil electric Model X SUV this year, $30k car by 2015 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen what other companies have in store for our automotive future, and now Audi’s given us a glimpse of what we can expect from its car of tomorrow. The company’s Silicon Valley research lab have teamed up with four universities here in the US to develop technologies that will give city drivers the full KITT treatment — vehicles that recognize the driver (and his or her preferences) and can detect and avoid dangers and traffic delays. Called the Audi Urban Intelligence Assist initiative, each participating university has a specific area of urban mobility research ranging from urban crash analysis to aggregating historical and real-time traffic, parking, and pedestrian data in cities. The schools will also study how best to deliver relevant information to drivers and get them from point A to point B as easily and efficiently as possible. Looks like the groundwork is being laid for a German counterpart to GM’s EN-V we test drove in Vegas, and we look forward to the fruits of their labor. Ich bin ein Ingolstädter!

Audi commissions four US universities to research urban mobility issues originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the video below and you’ll see that this thing is clearly not going to win any land speed records, and with nary a door it’s hardly all-weather compliant. But, the RoboCar MEV from ZMP is more of a research vehicle, a self-driving car that’s built on an electric microcar platform. It uses GPS and a plethora of front and rear sensors to know where it’s going, an evolution of the Linux-powered 1/10 scale model we saw back in 2009. Just, you know, bigger. And pricier. Way pricier. Yes, you can buy one, but you’re looking at about $35,000 for the simplest version, the Type A, which only has automatic speed control. The Type B has steering control as well and costs about $59,000, while Type C is a whopping $84,000 and adds automatic braking control along with a full suite of imaging and intertial sensors. Order now for delivery in about two months — in Japan, naturally.

Continue reading ZMP RoboCar MEV seats only one but can drive even when alone (video)

ZMP RoboCar MEV seats only one but can drive even when alone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen it inside and out. We’ve seen it naked. Now we’re seeing it do its thing. Tesla has just released a tasty video of the Alpha version of the Model S carving some corners, and while this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the car in motion this is the best taste of the Alpha we’ve yet been given. Check out the video after the break and, no, your speakers aren’t broken, it is that quiet. Oh, and if you’d like to know more about what’s going on under all that chrome and silver make sure you peruse our chat with Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson.

Continue reading Silver Tesla Model S Alpha hits the road, carves some corners (video)

Silver Tesla Model S Alpha hits the road, carves some corners (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like Volvo’s C30 Electric isn’t the only EV paying a heavy price for wanting to be run on the roads. Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, one of the first modern full-bore electric autos to be promised to hit US shores (but certainly not the first to make it), has just been subjected to crash testing by the ADAC, Europe’s largest motorist club. The car went through both 40mph frontal and rear offset impacts, similar to the sort used by our own humble NHTSA. The car didn’t score perfect marks, with some deformation in the footwell, but there were no major problems noted and, most importantly, the electrical systems safety cut automatically upon impact. This means no surprise electrocutions for anyone on the inside or out, which is a good thing — unless you’re a mutant lizard who enjoys such things.

Update: We’ve updated the source link to the ADAC site, where you can see some additional images and even video of the crash. You’ll need to exit the Google Translation window to view them, though.

ADAC crash tests first production Mitsubishi i-MiEV, it makes a mess but scores well originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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