Hasta La Gadget!

Don’t call it a bailout. The European Union has agreed to fund a £307 million loan to the newly minted Jaguar Land Rover conglomeration, known as JLR by those on the inside — like Tata who owns it. However, unlike the US’s rather open-ended (and dire-looking) cash infusions, this offer was made specifically to help the company up its eco-cred. JLR pledges to start with a so-called “Limo Green” version of the next generation XJ luxury sedan (that’s the current, decidedly dark one pictured above). The model will use a Volt-like series hybrid drive train, in which the electric motor (or motors) powers the wheels and an onboard gasoline engine serves only to recharge on the go, a combination that should deliver 57 mpg — three times the current machine’s 19 mpg combined figure. The only question now is whether this future-Jag will still smell like leather and tweed smoking jackets, or will the whole thing reek of ozone and patchouli.

[Via GM-VOLT]

Filed under: Transportation

EU automaker loan may lead to fuel-sipping hybrid Jag XJ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai has unveiled the Nuvis, the 11th concept car from its Irvine-based California Design Center, at the New York Auto Show, according to AutoWeek. Hyundai is trying to describe it as a cross between a “tall urban car” and a “premium utility vehicle,” but that’s basically marketing speak for a crossover.

That said, there are plenty of interesting design details in the Nuvis. The body’s character lines appear wind-swept, and gullwing doors have been a draw ever since Mercedes made them iconic in the mid 1950s. The interior seat fabrics are made from recycled soda bottles. The concept includes a Methode Electronics TouchSense system that appears to pick up RSS-like feeds as the car drives. For example, Hyundai says it will be possible to see a restaurant’s specials as the car drives by, according to the article.

Underneath the skin is Hyundai’s new Blue Drive hybrid powertrain, which mates a 2.4-liter gasoline engine with a 30-kilowatt electric motor and a lithium ion battery pack, the report said. No clue on whether Hyundai plans to turn the Nuvis into a production car, but we’ll see the hybrid powertrain in an upcoming version of the Hyundai Sonata.

Clean diesel is high on our radar as a workable alternative fuel, along with electric and hybrid cars. Stefan Jacoby, president and chief executive of Volkswagen Group of
America, pushed the merits of clean diesel–such as that used by the company’s Volkswagen Jetta TDI–over electric and hybrid automotive
technology in a press keynote at the New York auto show, the New York Times reports.

“VW was not giving up on the internal combustion engine,” he said, but noted the ability of modern engines to operate in all
temperature conditions. “We cannot say the same for battery-powered
cars,” he said. He added that he thought 50 to 70 mpg would be a workable average within about 10 years, providing that the industry mixes clean diesel with other advances, such as variable-valve timing, cylinder deactivation, improved aerodynamics,
lighter materials, hybrid technologies and electronic traffic guidance.

“Some of the new technology is 20 years off,” he said, with a clear reference to
electric-battery power and fuel-cell technology used by competing automakers, according to the article. “And we may find
better options.” In the meantine, how about shoehorning that TDI block into the Golf or GTI?

Toyota Motor Corporation has set 2.05 million yen starting price ($20,750) in Japan for its third-generation, 2010 Toyota Prius, putting it on par with the newly released Honda Insight, according to Automotive News. That’s considerably less than originally planned and could signal an upcoming price war when the car goes on sale in the U.S. on May 18th.

Originally, Toyota’s revised Prius was expected to fall in around the $24,000 range, which is roughly what the current model with a similar amount of equipment costs. The report said that a newer, cheaper Prius would prove a tough rival to the Insight, as the Prius gets better mileage, is faster, and is also larger and has more room inside.

Toyota and Honda have new hybrid cars hitting the market any day now, and they can’t come a moment too soon. The Department of Transportation has just announced the first of several planned increases for U.S. fuel economy standards, according to CNNMoney.com. New vehicles sold in the 2011 model year will now have to average 27.3 miles per gallon, an increase of 2 mpg over the current standard. That breaks down as follows: new cars must average 30.2 mpg, while pickups and SUVs need to hit a 24.1 mpg average target.

Congress passed new laws in 2007 that will require the nation’s fleet of new vehicles to average 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. The rules for 2011 mark the first step toward that new target. “These standards are important steps in the nation’s quest to achieve
energy independence and bring more fuel efficient vehicles to American
families,” said transportation secretary Ray LaHood in a statement.