Sep 14

Mercedes-Benz debuts B-Class E-Cell Plus EV concept, the suburban limo revisioned

Posted in: electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, hybrid, Today's Chili

Family transportation has come a long way since it was all about piling in the back of the humble station wagon — in particular, we’re talking about the new Mercedez-Benz Concept B-Class E-Cell Plus EV that debuted today at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The plug-in series hybrid has a 136-horsepower electric motor with a 62-mile range, and a 67-horsepower, 1.0-liter three cylinder turbocharged gas engine for range-extending capabilities up to 373 miles. At low speeds, the petrol engine charges the lithium-ion batteries. When going faster, it acts on the car’s front wheels, while the electric engine also chugs along — very much like the Chevy Volt. Mercedes promises zero to 62MPH in 11 seconds and top speeds of 93MPH in both battery-only and range-extending modes. No word yet on when this dream ride will be available for family carpools, but eager June Cleavers can check out the photo gallery and full PR after the break.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz B-Class E-Cell Plus

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz debuts B-Class E-Cell Plus EV concept, the suburban limo revisioned

Mercedes-Benz debuts B-Class E-Cell Plus EV concept, the suburban limo revisioned originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Green Autoblog  |  sourceDaimler  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Sep 14

Audi’s electric Urban Concept says that less is more, really means it

Posted in: electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili
Audi's electric Urban Concept says that less is more, really means it

You don’t have to by an exotic, race-bred sportscar to get something made of carbon fiber with exposed suspension and racy looks. Thanks to Audi, you can actually go quite far to the opposite end of the spectrum. Meet the Urban Concept, a little guy with a big heart and just two seats — offset slightly to give both driver and passenger maximum shoulder space in a decidedly slender chassis. With just 20 horsepower on tap it will hardly light your world afire, but weighing only 480kg (just over 1,000 pounds) and featuring a racy pushrod suspension, it should be quite the corner-carver.

Power comes from a 7.1kWh battery pack that’s inductively charged, meaning no need to plug in at the end of the day. A 45 mile radius means you won’t be getting far out of town, but Audi did call this the Urban Concept, after all. (Presumably a future “Suburban Concept” would ship with bigger batteries.) Audi crafted both Sportback (with roof) and Spyder (without) versions but didn’t say when — or more importantly if — either version will ever see production.

Gallery: Audi Urban Concept

Continue reading Audi’s electric Urban Concept says that less is more, really means it

Audi’s electric Urban Concept says that less is more, really means it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Sep 13

Nissan downsizes EV quick charger, slashes price while eying US, EU and Japanese markets

Posted in: charger, charging, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, Japan, Today's Chili

Like a hamburger Happy Meal, Nissan’s brand new quick-charge station is fast, cheap and easy, thanks to its tasty new electric circuit technology. Nissan claims the 49kW charger takes up less space, is easier to install and a heckuva lot cheaper than former models, leaving only a ¥1 million yen (or around $10,000) dent in your pocket compared to the former ¥1.47 million (or $19,088) crater. Hoping to sell around 5,000 units and set up charging stations throughout the Land of the Rising Sun by March 2016, Nissan sees the technology rolling out in the US and Europe sometime in the near future — no toy included. Pull over for the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Nissan downsizes EV quick charger, slashes price while eying US, EU and Japanese markets

Nissan downsizes EV quick charger, slashes price while eying US, EU and Japanese markets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AutoblogGreen  |  sourceNissan  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Sep 08

Opel shows off all-electric One Euro Car concept

Posted in: electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Today's Chili
It’s saving most of the details for the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, but GM subsidiary Opel has now offered up the first glimpse of its all-electric One Euro Car, which seems bound to turn a few heads on the show floor. The car’s name comes from the company’s promise that the it will consume just one Euro’s worth of energy (or about $1.40) for every 100 kilometers, though there’s no indication of a price for the car itself other than that it’d be “affordable” — if it ever goes into production, that is. Otherwise, the company’s only saying that it will boast a top speed of 120 kilometers (or 75 miles) per hour, room for two, and a total weight about a third that of a modern compact car.

Opel shows off all-electric One Euro Car concept originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAutoblog Green  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
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.

Permalink Automobile Magazine  |  sourceFlickr  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Sep 04

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: magnetic highways, MoMA tech exhibit and lasers in the sky

Posted in: car, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, green, laser, light, OLED, solar, solar power, SolarPower, Today's Chili, Toyota

Renewable energy supercharged our transit system this week as Inhabitat showcased Vycon’s plans to tap speeding subway trains for immense amounts of kinetic energy, and we took a look at an innovative magnetic highway system that harvests energy from passing cars. Biofuels also got a boost from several unlikely sources as researchers discovered that bacteria in panda poop is incredibly efficient at breaking down plant matter, and scientists developed a way to recycle newspaper into biofuel. We also showcased a real-time energy monitoring device for kids, we learned that some radioactive areas around Fukushima are more dangerous than Chernobyl, and we took a look inside a subterranean atomic shelter that has been transformed into a cavernous underground office.

How do machines communicate with people? If you’re pondering that idea, you’ll be interested in this exclusive video interview with Museum of Modern Art curator Paola Antonelli on MoMA’s new ‘Talk to Me’ technology exhibit which recently opened in New York City. We were also amazed by several artistic innovations this week as Wacom unveiled a pen that instantly digitizes anything you can draw and Sarah Garzoni created a beautiful series of printed paper butterflies.

In other news, we shined the spotlight on several brilliant advances in lighting technology as scientists successfully created rain by shooting laser beams into the sky and a designer unveiled a solar OLED tile system that can transform skyscrapers into zero-energy displays. We also brought you several bright ideas in wearable tech as Halston unveiled a glow-in-the-dark sequin gown, a ghostly troop of illuminated radiation suits wandered through the German countryside, and a Cornell student developed a type of clothing that traps toxic gases. Meanwhile the Hudson River lit up with a luminous field of 200 LEDs and Laser Power Systems unveiled plans for a nuclear powered car. Speaking of green transportation, we also spotted a high-tech E-Max motorcycle that converts pressure into power, and we watched Toyota’s all-electric P001 racer become the first EV to break the Nurburgring’s 8-minute speed record.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: magnetic highways, MoMA tech exhibit and lasers in the sky originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Sep 02

Audi announces A2 electric concept car, uses lasers to ensure safety of future humans

Posted in: automobile, car, Cars, concept, electric, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, laser, LED, Today's Chili

Lasers make everything better, including (but not limited to): microphones, kidneys and Audi’s electric A2 concept. This newest flight of fancy uses a laser diode as the rear fog lamp, which projects a red triangle onto the road to let other drivers know you’re there. The German car-maker has tricked out the rest of the EV’s lighting system as well by implementing matrix beam technology using LEDs and microreflectors — giving it high resolution, non-glaring beams and intelligent tail lights that change in intensity based on weather conditions. Claiming other state-of-the-art features like gesture controls instead of keys, and brake lights that glow brighter the harder you press, it sounds like this would be a pretty sweet ride — if it ever makes it to market. No word on the other, insignificant details (ya know, like what actually powers the thing) but there’s plenty more about the car’s lighting system in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Audi announces A2 electric concept car, uses lasers to ensure safety of future humans

Audi announces A2 electric concept car, uses lasers to ensure safety of future humans originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AutoBlog  |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Sep 02

Daimler Smart Forvision: a solar-powered roof with plastic wheels never looked so good

Posted in: electric car, ElectricCar, ev, Today's Chili
No, it’s not a Micro Machine — it’s the Daimler Smart Forvision. Daimler paired up with chemicals giant BASF to improve Smart’s flagship EV after being soundly trounced by the Nissan Leaf’s longer range. With an emphasis on efficiency, the Forvision goes up to 20 percent further than the standard Fortwo. It has a transparent solar-panel roof which generates power to keep the cooling fans running even when stationary, see-through dashboard and clear OLEDs for internal lighting at night. BASF’s wizardry helped in the development of all-plastic wheels, a super-thin heat shield and aluminum fiber paints that insulate the car but allow for GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth signals to pass through unimpeded. The concept will be unveiled properly at the Frankfurt Motor Show but check out the preview gallery and press release to learn more.

Gallery: Smart Forvision

Smart Forvision

Continue reading Daimler Smart Forvision: a solar-powered roof with plastic wheels never looked so good

Daimler Smart Forvision: a solar-powered roof with plastic wheels never looked so good originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog Green  |  sourceDaimler  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Sep 02

Fisker inks BMW deal, Nina EVs gain Ultimate Driving Machine DNA

Posted in: deal, eco, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, luxury, minipost, Today's Chili

Fisker Nina — sounds more like a Bolshoi ballerina to us, but these codenamed, future EVs are now on course for a German heart and soul infusion. BMW has recently inked a deal that will see its four-cylinder turbocharged engine and additional components included in 2012 production models of the American auto maker’s mid-sized sedans. The line of electric cars are currently slated for an early 2013 debut, but we’d sprinkle a cup of salt on that date considering the Karma’s long road to launch. Skip on past the break for the company’s official eco-meets-luxury handshake announcement.

Continue reading Fisker inks BMW deal, Nina EVs gain Ultimate Driving Machine DNA

Fisker inks BMW deal, Nina EVs gain Ultimate Driving Machine DNA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog Green  |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Sep 01

Volvo and Siemens team up to build better electric engines

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

Electric cars are finally starting to make a dent in the market, but they’ve got a long way to go before you’ll find one in every driveway. Thankfully companies like Volvo and Siemens are working hard to improve EV technology and grant Mother Earth a bit of a reprieve from our pollutant-spewing rides. The two manufacturers are collaborating on vehicles equipped with electric drive motors, in particular Siemens’s C30 DRIVe. Tests will begin later this year, with 200 vehicles set to be delivered in late 2012 for evaluation under “real-life conditions.” Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Volvo and Siemens team up to build better electric engines

Volvo and Siemens team up to build better electric engines originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog  |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: