|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » Hybrids/Alternative ( RSS)
-
|
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Green Unless you're trying to outrun a Corvette in a Fiesta , driving indoors is not typically recommended, what with the toxic fumes and all. Low-emissions vehicles may change that and the Detroit Auto Show 's organizers will illustrate it by converting Cobo Center's Michigan Hall into a green test track. Sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the MEDC EcoXperience will offer show-goers the chance to drive a variety of environmentally-friendly new vehicles around a forested 1/8-mile test track. The list of participating vehicles has yet to be confirmed, but it could include some six to twelve different (almost assuredly all American) vehicles, including the Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. Public visitors will have the chance to put-put around the track at 10 mph with a professional co-pilot in between trees and waterfalls. And just in case the low- or zero-emissions vehicles manage to spew...
|
-
|
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Crossovers/CUVs , Lexus , First Drive Click above for a high-res image gallery of the 2010 Lexus RX350 and RX450h Few vehicles have done more to establish a genre and define a brand as much as the Lexus RX. Introduced over a decade ago to suburbanite real estate agents and their Napa-weekending friends, the original RX300 helped boost Lexus sales by 60% when it hit dealers in late 1998. Over the ensuing years, Lexus' posh people mover slowly evolved to include a hybrid drivetrain, a refreshed exterior and tasteful appointments that helped solidify its success. For 2010, the RX plays the same tune but adds a few more instruments, a new backbeat and reworked crescendo. Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lexus RX350 and RS450h Photos Copyright (C)2008 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Lexus RX350 and RX450h First Drive: 2010 Lexus RX350 and RX450h originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms...
|
-
|
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green Click above for high-res image gallery of the Aptera 2e Product delays from startup companies should come as no surprise, especially from those aspiring to build green cars. The latest is California based Aptera who is developing a tear drop-shaped, two-seat three-wheeler. The company had originally promised to start delivering the electric 2e by the end of 2008. Unfortunately, that first "production intent" example is still at least a week away from completion and, according to an email sent to people who had put down $500 refundable deposits, that vehicle will stay within the company. In fact, Aptera will be slowly building vehicles until at least October before it ships any to customers. The reason is because in recent months the company has made a couple minor changes at customers' behest. You know, little things like switching the car's layout from driving the single rear wheel to the two front wheels. That and adding a roll...
|
-
|
Filed under: Motorsports , Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Ferrari , Peugeot Put a Ferrari and a Peugeot side-by-side and you'll struggle to find any similarities , but on the race track, the two share more in common than you might think. Before masterminding Ferrari's rejuvenation, former CEO Jean Todt was head of Peugeot's competition department, and brought with him some of PSA's top racing engineers. Peugeot's renewed Le Mans racing operation employs several F1 drivers , including Ferrari's own test pilot Marc Gene . Now reports are suggesting that the two outfits, both seeking top honors in their respective motorsport disciplines, may be cooperating on the joint development of their Kinetic Energy Recovery System. KERS is nearing implementation in Formula One, and several teams are pursuing external expertise to get their systems ready. But joining with Peugeot would allow Ferrari, whose system is being developed with its technical partner and sister company Magneti...
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , Hybrids/Alternative , Sports/GTs , Green , Motorcycles , Special/Limited Editions Click above for a gallery of the six KTM concept vehicles KTM, the Austrian purveyor of both two- and four-wheeled motoring lust, has made it clear that it's a force to be reckoned with as it branches out into other enthusiast markets with such ridiculously awesome products as the X-Bow roadster and its RC8 superbike . Two things that remain a constant feature through all of the firm's recent products are the orange, black and white color pallette and its angular design language. These features, along with KTM's race-ready heritage, makes conceptual vehicle design for the company extremely interesting and proof comes in the form of six concepts designed by industrial design students at FH JOANNEUM University. KTM AX - A radical off-road four-wheel vehicle concept KTM sr 85 Deuce - An environmentally-friendly lightweight vehicle KTM CX - A racing vehicle that brings motocross...
|
-
|
Filed under: Gadgets , Hybrids/Alternative , CES , Green Panasonic first showed off its HD-PLC system at CES in 2004 and, being car nuts, we totally ignored it. Other than letting all our gadgets talk to each other over a house's electrical lines, it did nothing for what we drive. Now, Panasonic is announcing the ability of its PLC system to also communicate with that electric car charging in your garage. Officially, Panasonic is touting the technology in the name of security. The company claims that electric car owners can view video from an in-car camera to make sure their EV is charging safe and sound, while keeping tabs on the charging status of their cars from inside their home. Unofficially, The Earth Times speculates that the system could also transfer music to the car's stereo, along with sending travel routes and movies to the in-car entertainment system. The setup could also include a command to adjust the seats for individual drivers. HD-PLC Magazine says Panasonic's...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Euro , Plants/Manufacturing , Acura , Honda Honda's attempt to right-size its development schedule and cope with the economic downturn apparently extends beyond the cancellation of the next NSX . According to Autocar , HoMoCo is right-sizing its plans for the next two years, and that includes rethinking the development of a range of rear-wheel-drive Acuras, a new V8, a convertible based on the CR-Z and the S2000's successor. Acura seems to be carrying the weight of the bad news, with its RWD 7-series rival, originally due out in 2015, cancelled indefinitely, along with development of a V8 engine that would allow the brand to compete with the best and brightest from Germany. The Euro-market Legend could also be on the block and there's a chance that Honda will stop developing two separate Accord models for sale in the U.S. and abroad, instead opting for one mid-size sedan to be sold worldwide...
|
-
|
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Euro , Green , Honda Click above for a gallery of the Euro-spec 2009 Honda Insight We're still six days away from the official unveiling of the 2009 Honda Insight at the Detroit Auto Show , but the crew at Carscoop just couldn't wait to release images of the European-spec hybrid ahead of its debut. The Euro model shown here won't differ too much from the U.S. version (we like our steering wheels on the right-hand side), but the stylistic differences between the production version and its conceptual predecessor are obvious at first glance. As we've seen before , the front fascia carries over largely unchanged, although the technorific LED headlamps, deeply recessed fog lamps/air intakes and gaudy brightwork are all left on the designer's desk. The side mirrors have grown in proportion to the door handles, and the C-pillar is noticeably thicker than the concept that bowed in Paris. The rear has also been smoothed over...
|
-
|
Filed under: Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Tech , Hatchbacks , Kia Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kia cee'd Stop/start technology is like a trial membership for hybrids: it lets drivers in on the fuel savings and lower carbon emissions without forcing them to become a card-carrying member of the hybrid brigade. Kia is will be offering buyers just such an opportunity by introducing ISG, or Idle, Stop, and Go (also called Intelligent Stop & Go) on the new c'eed. The ISG will be available on the 1.4- and 1.6-liter gasoline-engined c'eeds, and unlike other stop/start technology, this ISG shuts the engine down not only when the car is stopped, but when it's moving less than four mph. To engage the ISG while the car is moving, the driver puts the car in neutral and depresses the clutch, the engine is shut down, and he or she will be rewarded with 15% better fuel economy in the urban cycle. The frugal-ized c'eed also benefits from a lighter five-speed...
|
-
|
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Tech , Hatchbacks , Toyota Twelve years ago, Toyota started selling a car that was bought by those considered avant-garde, on the fringe. It was called the Prius. Now Toyota is looking to "turn around its struggling business with a futuristic ecological car," and the company is supposedly working on plans for a solar-powered car. We'll ignore, for a moment, that a company with $18 billion in cash and experiencing its first annual operational loss in 70 years is now called a "struggling business." The noteworthy news is that while other automakers are trying to get their hybrid acts together, Toyota is down the road working on a car powered solely by le soleil . There is little in the way of hard information at this point. The Japanese newspaper Nikkei disclosed the development, saying that the car would have solar cells, and that it would also be charged by solar cells on homes. Also according to Nikkei , the solar cells...
|
-
|
Filed under: Aftermarket , Concept Cars , Tuners , Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Euro , Green , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet Click above for a high-res gallery of the fahgmitgas Matiz LPG Concept Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers. The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook...
|
-
|
Filed under: Aftermarket , Concept Cars , Tuners , Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Euro , Green , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet Click above for a high-res gallery of the fahgmitgas Matiz LPG Concept Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers. The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook...
|
-
|
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Honda Click above for more shots of the leaked 2009 Honda Insight brochure As is so often the case these days, some early details regarding Honda's upcoming Prius-fighter have leaked out before the hybrid's official unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show . Included among the surprises is a Modulo-trimmed Insight featuring a full set of body mods from Honda's accessory catalog in Japan. We can't be sure if any of those bits will come Stateside (we're not betting on it), but it wouldn't be surprising if we got three trim levels similar to what's slated to be available in Honda's home market of Japan. We could get a base DX trim along with an up-level LX edition and a sportier EX model with such tasty bits as a paddle-shifted CVT automatic transmission and navigation system with 7-inch screen. With just 88 horses underhood along with an additional 14 from the hybrid's electric motor, don't expect...
|
-
|
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , China , Green BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is a Chinese company with huge ambition to become the world's largest automaker. If there's any chance of making that monumental task a reality, the company will need some amazing products, a stage to present them to the world and a little luck. At least one of those requirements has been met, as BYD is set to capitalize on Nissan's absence at the Detroit Auto Show in January by placing its products right on the main floor with all the rest of the major automakers. BYD's working on the product problem too, having just released its first plug-in hybrid , called the F3DM, in its home market ealier this month. If that weren't enough, the automaker reportedly plans to release two more all-electric models in 2009, with the goal of bring its products to the crucial American and European markets in 2011 . All of these impressive developments have been...
|
-
|
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Marketing/Advertising , Videos , Toyota Click above to see the Blue Man Group play around with the 2010 Prius Now it begins to make sense: The previous performance art video teasers for the 2010 Prius were made up largely of edited shots from this teaser, with the Blue Man Group restored to its place. This one doesn't make any more or less sense than the previous videos, and there isn't much more to see, but it does offer a couple of chuckles. We would love to see how far you get with that eyedropper, though. Follow the jump to check out the video and see what we mean. Hat tip to reader Jerry! [Source: YouTube ] Continue reading VIDEO: 2010 Toyota Prius teaser... now with Blue Man Group VIDEO: 2010 Toyota Prius teaser... now with Blue Man Group originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
More Posts Next page »
|
|
|