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The MDI Airpod is a minuscule concept which mates a compressed air engine similar to the one that'll go in the Tata Nano with wacky futuristic styling and a tiny footprint perfect for city dwellers intent on automotive-assisted suicide. At just 81.5 inches long and 63 inches wide, the Airpod manages to hold three people and a child along with its compressed air tank, the zero-emissions engine, a joystick for steering, and not much else. Our first response upon seeing this latest transportation concept? "Sweet hellish death trap!" Regardless, production may begin as early as the spring of 2009, with crumpled green piles of air car popping up on roadways shortly thereafter. galleryPost('mdiairpod', 6, 'Hilarious and Terrifying'); [ MDI (translated), Yahoo Finance ]
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We just caught the Nissan NuVu , a concept that, as we said earlier , is meant to reveal the next generation styling of the next Nissan Micra. Frankly, the concept's as cute as its name (a play on words meaning "New View" as in "a new view on the Micra"). The interior is just as bubbly as the exterior, with the "2+1 seating arrangement" apparently designed with midget strippers in mind — it comes complete with a mini-stripper pole and a "double-dong" steerng wheel. We're sure hoping the Micra ends up with both in the final production version. OK, maybe not. Also, we're told this little bubble-topped concept's got an electric drivetrain. Does this mean the next Micra will see the Nissan electric engine slide under the bonnet? Only time will tell. Check out the full press release (again) in all its enormity, below the jump. galleryPost('NissanNuvuLive', 9, 'Nissan Shows An Askew View Of The Next Micra'); NUVU: RESHAPING...
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At the end of 2007, Smart leased 100 smart twofours equipped with electric drive in London for a pilot project to gain real-world experience with electric drive. But here, at the Paris Motor Show , is the first time Smart's brought it to the auto show stage. So, here it is — an electric drive Smart fourtwo that's almost commonplace on the streets of London revealed at an auto show for the first time. How's THAT for an exclusive? Hit the jump for the full press release and a picture describing how the electric drive works. If you think it looks familiar, it should — it's basically the same way the electric drive on a golf cart works. Heck, it's about the same size. Paris - at the Paris Motor Show 2008 smart is presenting the latest generation smart fortwo with electric drive to an international audience for the first time. In future, the advantages of the smart fortwo electric drive, which produces no local emissions, will be demonstrated in everyday service...
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By now you’re either laughing or cooing at the Nuvu, but this is a supposedly not just a silly design exercise, but a preview of the next Nissan Micra. Short for “New View,” the Nissan Nuvu is targeted at urban dwellers, and uses an electric powertrain to deliver zero emissions. It’s rumored the electric motor, which drives the front wheels directly sans transmission and is capable of 77 miles on a single charge while topping out at 72 MPH, will actually reach a production model some time next year. Yeah, we'll buy that when we see it. Worth noting on the design is what appears to be a centrally mounted internal pillar that supports the glass and solar panel roof. A neat, if impractical, touch. We'll wait for Ben to get us more information from the show floor.
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Well, there you have it folks, batteries in the boot, basically all the proof you get this is a hybrid SUV because everything else hybridy is in the transmission. We also gathered the Scorpio diesel hybrid is intended for production, but dates and the possibility of US import were left up to the Mahindra folks. Aside from that bit of boring, we talked to the FEV folks a bit and got some information in conflict with our earlier reporting. We were wandering around Cobo at the 2008 SAE World Congress and trying to figure out where the heck the Mahindra Appalachian sporting a diesel electric hybrid powertrain was. galleryPost('scorphybrid', 6, 'Mahindra Scorpio Diesel Electric Hybrid'); There isn't even a regular old Appalachian out here. Turns out, somewhere in the reporting of the hybrid diesel powertrain and the import of the Appalachian, the two were put together in an internet version of the phone game. From what FEV tells us, there were actually no plans for that variant...
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We just snapped off a couple of shots of the Mahindra Scorpio , the diesel-electric hybrid SUV we told you would be unveiled here at the 2008 SAE World Congress. Yes, it's before everything has opened to the engineering public. Yes, we may not have been officially allowed out on the floor. Yes, we probably broke a city statute or two in doing it, but no, rumors of any cash exchanging hands in the process are very much untrue. What is true is the hybrid diesel SUV from the sub-continent is the first of its kind for Mahindra and is being displayed in the stand of their development partner FEV. galleryPost('mahindiesel', 6, 'Mahindra Scorpio Diesel Electric Hybrid SUV'); The diesel-electric is fitted with a parallel hybrid system integrated into the transmission and provides drive power at start, additional power on command, stop/start functionality and regenerative braking capabilities. For the time being, enjoy that sweet teal train-like goodness seemingly following the...
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Mahindra has just jointly announced with FEV that they'll be displaying their sub-continent-styled Mahindra Scorpio with a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain at the SAE World Congress this weekend here in Detroit. The system includes a 40 HP E-motor that works in stop/start, electric acceleration, and regenerative braking capacities — developing peak torque in the range of 200 lb-ft. The diesel engine is a 2.2-liter inline four with common rail injection, developing 113 HP mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Although no word on what this has to do with the Mahindra Appalachian we'd been told to look for this week at the SAE World Congress, or whether we'll be seeing this curry-flavored Indian import stateside, it at least looks like the hybrid SUV market is set to get mighty interesting. Press release below the fold and in case you're interested, the shot up top is a camino-ized version of the Scorpio they'll be showing off. So you probably shouldn't...
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The big teases at Giugiaro are planning on dropping a hot new concept car on Tuesday, March 4th at the Geneva Motor Show . So far there's no details other than these shots and the promise of an "Exclusive Event," which we assume means a bunch of auto hacks in Fiat fleeces. They've also used the tag line "Nature has never been so powerful," so we're going to go out on a limb here and assume the vehicle will have some sort of green power, maybe a hydrogen fuel cell. Check out our Geneva Motor Show page for full show coverage. [Via Giugiaro ] galleryPost('giugiaromysteryconcept', 6, 'Giugiaro Mystery Concept');
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Morgan is building the LifeCar to demonstrate, "that a zero emission vehicle can also be fun to drive." The tiny English car maker - better known for wood framed roadsters - is trying to do what no car maker has done before it: bring to market a fast, fun, desirable sports car that makes no sacrifices for its hydrogen fuel cell. galleryPost('morganlifecar', 6, 'Morgan LifeCar'); Built on the same basic architecture as the Aero8, the LifeCar is given a more futuristic art-deco look as well as a significant reduction in weight. By combining that low weight with high levels of hybridization, Morgan predict the LifeCar will have performance to match a sports car while achieving a 200-mile fuel range. Charles Morgan, the company's Strategy Director, told CarBodyDesign, "The real challenge is to design and build a car that is fun to drive - a proper sports car. The use of ultra capacitors to store the surplus energy and then use this for acceleration and braking...
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Based on the electric powertrain of the Mixim concept, Paolo Martin's Hurricane sits much lower on a stretched wheelbase. The exaggerated proportions of the car are intended to make the Mixim's advanced technology more desirable and acceptable to the general public as well as drastically reducing the coefficient of drag. galleryPost('nissanhurricaneliion', 6, 'Nissan Hurricane Concept'); While the exterior is largely dominated by the wedge shape and large 19" front, 20" rear wheels, the cabin contrasts it with a practical, futuristic layout. Passengers sit behind the centrally mounted driver in a staggered arrangement with the middle passenger facing backwards. This shape is defined by the safety cell, which is designed to serve as both an incredibly strong reinforcement and provide unparalleled views for the driver. [Via CarBodyDesign ]
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A Peugeot fire truck? You better freaking believe it. This thing is the latest and greatest conceptual design from Peugeot, named the H2O. Don't be deceived by its size, this little red diddy has a big tank and a telescopic ladder for saving kitty cats and the like. On the inside, the H2O is capable of producing electricity and water with a fuel cell battery. Now wouldn't it be hilarious if the H2O's ability to produce water and being a fire truck were a complete coincidence? galleryPost('h20concept', 3, 'Peugeot H2O Fire Truck Conept');[ Techeblog ]
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var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/environment/Volkswagen_reveals_kitchen_sink_hybrid_minicar_fuel_cell_plug_in_solar'; For the Los Angeles show, Volkswagen's ubiquitous new minicar concept, dubbed Up!, alights the hybrid bandwagon (bandwagen?). It's a version of the more spacious Space Up! from the Tokyo auto show, powered by a novel fuel-cell hybrid drive system with solar support. The system's an outgrowth of VW's research in gas cells that operate at a higher temperature than traditional ones. VW engineers say the cells, which can reach temperatures of 248 degrees Fahrenheit, stand to be lighter, more compact, more stable and cheaper than lower-temperature ones. The cell can also charge a bank of lithium-ion batteries, which alone power the electric motor to a range of 65 miles. A roof-mounted solar panel provides additional wattage. Style wise, the hybridized Space Up! Blue gets some traditional VW cues, like windows reminiscent of the old 11-window Type 2s. Performance...
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Volkswagen's awfully serious about its new Up! concept becoming a cognitive itch -- the vehicular equivalent to "My Sharona." That's largely because the Up! is a prototypical standard-bearer for for the company's plan to retake the world's budget-car market. Now, we hear from Carscoop V-dub will show a hydrogen fuel-cell concept of the five-door Space Up! model it unveiled at the Tokyo show last month. No other details yet, though we're assuming a water-related theme, and lots of stuffed animals. Naturally. [via Carscoop ]galleryPost('VWSpaceUpConceptPress', 4, 'VW Space Up! Concept');galleryPost('vwspaceuplive', 4, 'VW Space Up! Concept in Tokyo');
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newVideoPlayer("VolvoRecharge_gawker.flv", 475, 376); So on top of the animated video we've charged up and popped up above this post, we've also got a few more details since earlier this morning on the new Volvo ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept to be revealed...
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