2015 BMW i8 Production Starts, Final Specs Released For Plug-In Hybrid Supercar

The 2015 BMW i8 is one of this year's most eagerly-anticipated cars, but there's not long to wait now as the first examples begin to roll from the production line.
The German automaker has also confirmed final specification details for the European market, including its official performance and economy figures.

Mounted behind the driver and passenger is a 1.5-liter TwinPower turbocharged gasoline engine producing 231 horsepower.

There's also a 96 kilowatt, or 131-horsepower, 184 lb-ft hybrid synchronous electric motor, for a combined 362-horse, 420 lb-ft output.

With a 5.2 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack, BMW claims a 23-mile all-electric range on the European test cycle, with a zero-emission top speed of 75 mph.

Beyond that the gasoline engine can take over boosting the top-end to a limited 155 mph. On the way, the i8 will have dispatched the 0-62 mph sprint in 4.4 seconds, with strong mid-range acceleration--50 to 75 mph takes 2.6 seconds.

MORE: Five Green Cars We Can't Wait To Drive

Other figures in the i8's armory are also low--the coupe's drag coefficient is 0.26, while carbon-fiber reinforced plastic construction keeps curb weight down to 3,273 pounds. For reference, that's lighter than a Nissan Leaf.

Combined, the light weight, slick aerodynamics and efficient drivetrain contribute to a 112 mpg combined economy figure and CO2 emissions of 49 g/km.

Of course, the i8's eventual EPA numbers will differ from these figures, thanks to differences in EPA and European testing procedures. Electric range too will be lower on the EPA cycle than it is in European testing.

For many though, the i8's stunning styling will sell the car, regardless of economy. And technology--the i8 will be the first production car available with laser headlights, more powerful and more efficient than current industry-leading LED units.

BMW says demand for the car is already exceeding planned production volume during ramp-up--just as the smaller i3 electric car has done in its early months.

The first European deliveries begin in June, with U.S. delivery details to follow.

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Rolls Royce Phantom 102EX World Tour

In theory, electric power is perfect for Rolls-Royce. What better source of propulsion than a quiet electric motor, for a company that strives for ultimate refinement?
In practice though, Rolls-Royce customers weren't keen on the range and charging limitations off the 102EX concept the company developed.

They may be more receptive of plug-in hybrids though, and the British luxury automaker is considering just such a model, according to Auto Express (via Autoblog Green).

The company is considering a model largely for legislation reasons--emissions regulations will make it more and more difficult to sell the large, gasoline-powered vehicles Rolls-Royce specializes in.

Such regulations prompted the firm to explore electric power with the imperious 102EX concept, but while customers loved the performance, they were less keen on typical electric car limitations.

"A Rolls-Royce cannot come with any kind of compromise", Torsten Müller-Otvos told Auto Express."Both the recharging times and the range were not acceptable for our buyers".


Hybrid technology is one way of side-stepping those issues, providing the range and abilities customers expect, but reducing emissions and offering an electrically-assisted surge at the same time.

It's likely Rolls-Royce's plug-in hybrid car would use technology from parent company BMW.

While the luxury carmaker is now a self-sustaining business without outside influence from BMW, the prohibitive cost of developing an all-new plug-in powertrain means BMW's help may be invaluable in getting such a car to market.

Müller-Otvos also hints that a plug-in hybrid vehicle may not result in a significant price increase either.

While money isn't a problem for the typical Rolls-Royce customer, he says, "they want to know what they are getting for their money".

Any plug-in therefore has to represent a suitable improvement for the customer, and any significant change in market position is unlikely.

Published at Green Car Reports

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Five Cars We Can't Wait To Drive

The green car scene has never had more variety than it does today.

You could, if you wanted to, walk into a dealership today and buy regular gasoline and diesel cars, natural gas vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and soon, hydrogen cars.

And there are plenty more on the horizon. So this is our run-down of the five green vehicles due soon that we can't wait to have a go in.
Audi A3 e-tron:-
We were introduced to the A3 e-tron at an event in Berlin last year. It's a plug-in hybrid version of the familiar A3 Sportback, but Audi has concentrated on performance as much as it has on efficiency, which is why the electric motor and 1.4-liter turbocharge gasoline setup delivers 204 horsepower.

Combined EPA figures won't be available until closer to the model's launch in the fall, but its 8.8 kWh battery pack should be good for 20-or-so miles of all-electric range, and up to 80 mph all-electric. And with Audi's e-S Tronic dual-clutch transmission, it should be fun to drive as well as efficient.

BMW i8:-
Of all the vehicles here, we'll be waiting the shortest for the BMW i8. That's just as well, as we've been eagerly awaiting BMW's plug-in hybrid sports coupe for around two years now, since seeing the stunning concept version at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2012.

The i8 is a mid-engined sports car, feeding power from a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine and electric motor combo to the rear wheels, and electric power to the front wheels. Combined urge is 362 horsepower, and torque is 420 lb-ft. The frame is made from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, to save weight. The upshot is a 0-60 time of under five seconds, 22 miles all-electric range, a low drag coefficient... and fantastic looks.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV:-
Repeated delays have seen the Outlander plug-in hybrid's release date pushed further back, but it's only a matter of time until Mitsubishi's first plug-in hybrid hits U.S. streets. When it does, it'll give customers a rare fuel-efficient option in the crossover market, with most brands currently offering a regular hybrid at the most.

Slated for a 2015 debut, high demand in Japan has pushed its arrival back further than Mitsubishi intended. Its 12 kWh battery pack should return a 20-25 mile all-electric range, and a top speed of 75 mph on battery power. A 2-liter gasoline engine provides the rest of the Outlander's motive force.

Volvo XC90 PHEV:-
It's all change at Volvo with the next-generation of its passenger cars. There's a new look, heralded by some stunning recent concept vehicles. There's a new platform, on which those concepts and future production vehicles are based. There's new, Apple-paired infotainment, and there's a range of fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel engines.

And there's the XC90 plug-in hybrid, expected to debut 2015. The all-new XC90 will replace the current, and rather popular model launched over a decade ago. And a plug-in hybrid will join soon after launch, with a 2-liter gasoline direct-injected engine, eight-speed auto, and electric motor between the two. A second motor at the rear will provide all-wheel drive capabilities.

VW Golf GTD:-
Diesel vehicles are a popular part of Volkswagen's U.S. lineup but while they've always offered surprising performance, we've never really had a truly hot model. That will change in 2015 when VW debuts the Golf GTD in the States, effectively a diesel version of the iconic GTI model.

Under the hood you'll find a 184-horsepower 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine, with 280 pounds-feet of torque and a 0-60 mph time of around seven seconds. It should also be as refined as any other modern diesel, and return over 40 mpg highway. If you want fun and frugality--and we do--the GTD sounds pretty much ideal.

Published at Green Car Reports

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'New Fisker' Website Launches As Wanxiang Prepares To Restart Electric-Car Maker

Fisker Automotive is slowly returning.

A new website isn't the be-all and end-all of a company back on the right track, but the new site is the first sign of stirring life within the company under its new owner, Wanxiang America, the U.S. arm of China's largest auto-parts firm.
It's also slick, hopeful, and remarkably candid about the company's rocky history.

What's clear is that the Karma will apparently be returning virtually untouched, with the same dramatic styling as before. And the same logo, contrary to expectations.

Hopefully though, Wanxiang will see fit to fix the quality issues that originally saw early Karmas dinged by virtually every reviewer.

A production location still hasn't been revealed, though in the "frequently asked questions" section of the site, the "new" Fisker confirms it's working with previous builders Valmet in Finland on re-starting production.

No timeframe is revealed, only that Fisker will begin building cars "as fast as possible". The company says it's assessing the viability of producing vehicles at the Delaware plant bought before Fisker folded. In theory, new cars should start arriving within a year.

Wanxiang also addresses the warranty situation for existing Karma owners. Under the U.S.Bankruptcy Court, Wanxiang assumed an agreement--dictated by another buyer--that only covers warranty costs up to $2,000.

It notes that this will be far short of existing owners' expectations--and likely to cover very little of the cost if something goes wrong in a premium vehicle like the Karma. But Wanxiang says it's already working on a way to provide a "better experience" for all current Fisker owners.

Future plans include production of the so-far-stillborn Atlantic project, a smaller fastback Fisker that was to use a next-generation version of the Karma's drivetrain.
But most fascinating of all is the website's history section.

Fisker's troubled past is hard to hide, so Wanxiang hasn't bothered. Click on the tab, and you're taken to a full timeline of the company's past, warts and all.

It's refreshingly candid, covering everything from Tesla's lawsuit against Fisker, through the U.S. government freezing Fisker's credit in May 2011, Henrik Fisker's resignation in March 2013, and the company's layoffs the following month.

It seems to be a sign that new owner Wanxiang knows all is not rosy in the automotive world, but wants to grab a second chance while it can.

Like a new website, hope and faith are no guarantee of success. But in taking an honest look at its past, Fisker is in a much better position to embark on its future.

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Rinspeed XchangE: Tesla-Based Autonomous Car

   

One does not simply buy a Rinspeed car. They have no easily-accessible showrooms, and all of their vehicles are one-offs.

Instead, they provide endless mirth at major auto shows like that ongoing in Geneva, with vehicles like the autonomously-driven XchangE.

It is of course based on the Tesla Model S. Perhaps it's a sign that Tesla has made it--past Rinspeed conversions have been based on Porsches, Lotus, and Smart Fortwos. Tesla is in illustrious company.

The other school of thought is that by painting a Model S bile green and chopping up its interior, Rinspeed may have ruined a perfectly good electric car.

But there's more to the XchangE than the missing doors, odd exterior hue and attractive model lounging within.

That's because it's a new take on the autonomous car, which does away with tedious legislative norms like having someone at the wheel, and instead encourages a state of relaxation as the car whisks you to your destination.

The driver and passenger seats fully recline, facilitated by a steering wheel that slides to the center of the dashboard giving the driver more room to stretch out.

Driver and passenger can relax in the glowing blue cabin, or enjoy various forms of infotainment--there's a 32-inch 4k monitor inside the car, and the dashboard panel itself is a 1.2-meter wide display screen. They can even work, but that seems like a waste of good relaxing time.

As well as the ambient lighting, a glass roof with a solar-reducing coating by Evonik Industries keeps the cabin cool and well-lit, and outside you'll wow passers-by with a set of 20-inch Borbet alloy wheels, a unique body kit and that unusual color.

Click on the image above for our full Rinspeed XchangE gallery, or check out more live Geneva galleries by clicking through to our Geneva Motor Show hub page.

Published at: Green Car Reports

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Hyundai Intrado Fuel Cell Concept: Live Photos From Geneva

 Hyundai's Intrado concept--a fuel cell crossover unveiled at Geneva--is the first Hyundai to be designed under the watchful eye of Peter Schreyer, and it really shows.

Schreyer was previously head of design at Kia, and transformed the maker's lineup.

On the motor show stand, the Intrado really works. There's a coherence to the design we've not seen from Hyundai's other products, and if the Intrado begets a production version, you'd not hear us complaining.

The Intrado has been designed, in Hyundai's words, as a vision of how to meet future mobility needs.
To that end it's powered by a fuel cell, battery and electric motor setup, fuel cells being a particular Hyundai speciality.

Under the rear passenger floor--illustrated in our photos above--you'll find two high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks, each capable of storing the gas at over 10,000 psi. Together, they can hold 26.4 gallons of hydrogen. Combined with a battery pack, the Intrado can cover up to 373 miles between fills.
The battery pack has a 36 kW output, though Hyundai hasn't revealed how powerful the electric motor itself is--so there's little clue to the Intrado's performance.

Like BMW's i3 and i8, Hyundai has turned to carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) as a way to cut the Intrado's weight--ever the enemy of range and performance.

Pieces of CFRP are formed in modular sections and bonded along their lengths, a stronger setup that results in lower torsional stresses, while the "open" corners of the frame allow greater flexibility with the design.

It's also allowed Hyundai to fit a simpler, spacious interior, where designers have concentrated on giving drivers only essential fixtures and fittings. One of the Intrado's CFRP beams runs along the center of the car, as both a structural item and a place to set various electrical items.
Body panels are made from a super lightweight steel produced by Hyundai Steel, apparently one of the world's more environmentally-conscious steel producers.

If you can't wait for a production vehicle inspired by the Intrado, Hyundai also showed its ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle at Geneva--known as the Tucson in the U.S.--with production set to ramp up into 2015 and beyond.

For more news and live photos from Geneva, head over to our Geneva Motor Show hub page.

Published at : Green Car Reports

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Subaru Viziv-2 Concept

Last year, Subaru used the Geneva Motor Show to launch the Viziv concept, a diesel-hybridcrossover with a sleek coupe silhouette.

This year, the Viziv is back--but Subaru has updated it with all-new styling.

Viziv-2 might be an unimaginative name, but the crossover is Subaru's latest take on the three-motor diesel-hybrid setup and looks a lot more production-viable than the first concept.

At the front it isn't far removed from the latest Legacy, with a prominent grille and--for the time being--intricate, typical-concept-car-style headlights.

The Viziv-2's driving lights would also change should a production version hit the road, ringed LED units surrounding a neat snowflake-style hexagonal pattern. The same detail appears at the rear, surrounded instead by red LED rings. 

Another distinct concept car touch, and one equally unlikely to make production, is the car's set of Lamborghini-style front doors and the rear sliding doors, which pivot outward and backward when opened.

They give wide access to an interior swathed in light-colored leather, a large center console stretching into the rear of the car, and dual electronic displays giving access to the car's functions. Subaru says it's designed to be as easy-to-use as possible, with function and safety also prioritized.

Under the chiseled hood sits a 1.6-liter turbocharged diesel engine, in Subaru's traditional four-cylinder boxer layout.

It sends drive through a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission, assisted by electric motors at the front and rear.

One of the three electric motors helps the diesel unit do its thing, while the other two operate the left and right rear wheels, kicking in when driving conditions demand it.

They also provide a torque vectoring function, varying power across the rear axle to mitigate understeer and improve traction when cornering. With no mechanical link between front and rear wheels, the usual propshaft can be eliminated entirely.

As you'd expect, the electric motors do most of the work at city speeds, replaced by diesel as velocity increases.

Subaru has also introduced new driving modes on the Viziv 2, as part of its 'SI-DRIVE' system. In addition to the original 'Intelligent' and 'Sports' modes, there's a new 'Eco-Cruise' mode, which uses Subaru's 'Eye-drive' camera to monitor driving conditions and adjust engine and motor outputs accordingly.

Stay tuned for more launches and live images from Geneva. For the time being, check out our dedicated Geneva Motor Show page for more.

Published at :Green Car Reports

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Honda Opens High-Pressure Hydrogen Fueling Station In SoCal

You can't have hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles without places to refuel them.
In preparation for the launch of its 2015 fuel-cell car, Honda has opened a new high-pressure hydrogen fueling station at its Torrance, California, research facility.

The station uses a new fueling process developed by Honda called MC Fill, which the Japanese automaker hopes to make the industry standard.

According to Honda, the "M" in MC Fill stands for "mass," while the "C" stands for "specific heat"--two values in a heat transfer equation that governs the process.

The system--which operates at 10,000 psi--can absorb heat generated during filling, and monitor dispenser outlet temperature to make changes in fuel flow on the fly, Honda says.

The ability to more precisely regulate temperature will translate into faster refueling times, according to the company.

Honda says refueling time can be cut by almost half compared to similar systems. Average refueling time with MC Fill, the company says, should be around 3 minutes under normal temperature conditions.

Honda also hopes that MC Fill will become the standard for hydrogen fueling stations. It plans to use the Torrance station to test the system's capabilities under real-world conditions before it launches a production fuel-cell car based on the FCEV concept in 2015.

It will also make the fueling station available for evaluation by other automakers. In the near term, those would be Toyota and Hyundai, both of whom will offer hydrogen-powered vehicles within the next two years.

The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell will be offered in California starting this spring or summer; the Korean automaker too is updating a hydrogen fueling station at its facility in Chino to meet anticipated demand.

Toyota will launch its own car within 18 months, based on the most recent FCV concept.
Today, only 10 public hydrogen fueling stations exist in the U.S., nine of them in California. The state legislature approved funding for at least 100 more late last year.

Published at : Green Car Reports

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2015 BMW i8: Sexy Plug-In Hybrid Sport Coupe Coming Later This Year

With awareness of the 2014 BMW i3 battery-electric car starting to rise--it will arrive at dealers in late April or early May--it's sometimes easy to forget that BMW has a second plug-in car following close behind.

And unlike the i3, whose looks are controversial, there's very little debate over the design of the 2015 BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe.
Pretty much everyone thinks it looks just fantastic.
And that's even before neat technological breakthroughs like the laser headlights.
And adding to the style quotient, we learned today--courtesy of an excited BMW press release--that famed French luxury brand Louis Vuitton will be offering custom-fitted carbon-fiber luggage for the i8.

The two travel bags are described as "a business case and a garment bag," each one "tailor-made to fit perfectly into the interior" of the plug-in hybrid sports car.
But lots of makers offer elegant, sexy sport coupes--think Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, and the rest.
Granted that its body shell is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) riding on an aluminum platform carrying the crash structures and running gear, it's still the plug-in hybrid powertrain--BMW's first--that really sets the i8 apart.

Its rear-mounted and turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, adapted from one used in the latest 2014 MINI Cooper, provides an output of 231 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, and drives the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox.

The car has a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack with a usable capacity of 5 kilowatt-hours, housed in a wide tunnel between the two seats. It powers an electric motor driving the front wheels that's rated at 96 kilowatts (131 hp) and 184 lb-ft of torque.

In all-electric mode, the BMW i8 can run up to 22 miles, at a top speed limited to 75 mph.

The i8 can run electrically (with the front wheels powered) or on gasoline only (through the rear wheels), with all-wheel drive provided when both sets of wheels are powered at the same time.

Performance with all wheels driven is simply the sum of the two maximums: power output of 362 hp and torque of 420 lb-ft.

That arrangement makes the BMW i8 what's called a "through-the-road hybrid," a formulation also used by the far more expensive and limited-edition Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid sports car.

The car's statistics are impressive: curb weight of just 3,285 pounds, a drag coefficient of 0.26, and a center of gravity less than 18 inches above the ground.

The company's press release calls it a "revolutionary interpretation" of BMW's tradition of driving pleasure, and for once, the word "revolutionary" may not be hyperbole.

The BMW i8 will start at $135,925 including destination--or roughly three times the cost of the smaller i3 battery-electric car that will precede it.

It should arrive at BMW dealers within six to nine months.

Published at : Green Car Reports

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New Mazda Hazumi Concept Is New Mazda 2, Next Toyota Yaris Too

With the new Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 crossover launched over the last few years, you might have forgotten the smaller Mazda2 subcompact even exists.

Mazda hasn't forgotten the 2 though, and will unveil a new subcompact concept car at the Geneva Motor Show to point the way to its replacement.

Mazda calls it the Hazumi, which means "bound" or "spring up" in Japanese, a reference to a small car that's apparently "bursting with energy".

Styling will echo that of Mazda's larger models, part of the firm's 'Kodo, soul of motion' design language. That much is clear even in the teaser image, which shows a front light cluster, grille edge and curving flanks very like that of the Mazda3 hatchback.

The car will be a vital one for Mazda in the U.S, as its underpinnings will also be found under the next-generation Yaris.

Toyota revealed back in late 2012 that the next-gen Yaris will sit on the next Mazda2 platform, and both cars will be produced at Mazda's facility in Salamanca, Mexico.

Up to 50,000 cars per year will roll out of the factory, giving both automakers a stronger presence in the subcompact sector. Mazda, a relatively small independent automaker, will gain from economies of scale, while Toyota will help protect itself from fluctuations in the Yen with Mexican production.

As well as the Hazumi concept, Mazda is also bringing a brand-new 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine to Geneva. Few details are known at this time, but Geneva will mark the engine's worldwide debut.

Mazda is also planning a celebration of the MX-5 sports car's 25th anniversary at the Swiss show.

Head over to our Geneva Motor Show hub page to discover more news and launches from the show, which opens to the press on March 4.

Publish at : Green car reports

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Fisker Assets Sold For $149 Million

The assets of bankrupt Fisker Automotive were sold to Wanxiang America at the close of an auction in Delaware bankruptcy court that lasted more than two days and lasted 19 rounds.

Bloomberg reports that the Chinese company paid a total of $149.2 million for the company, or six times the price of $25 million first offered by unsuccessful bidder Hybrid Tech Holdings, whose opening bid was $55 million as the auction began.Winning bidder Wanxiang is China's largest auto-parts group. It also owns A123 Systems, the lithium-ion cell maker whose batteries were used in the luxury range-extended electric Fisker Karma sedan.Hybrid Tech had sought to buy Fisker's assets privately; when Fisker filed for bankruptcy in November, it said it had agreed to that deal.

Hybrid's attempt to gain control of Fisker was spoiled by a late bid from Wanxiang, whereupon Hybrid Tech raised its bid to $55 million. Both Hybrid Tech and Fisker had sought to avoid an auction of the company's assets.But U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Kevin Gross chose instead to put those assets up for open public auction. Fisker's many unsecured creditors would have received little or nothing from the Hybrid Tech bid.

Details Here

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Many Car Dealers Don't Want To Sell Electric Cars: Here's Why

The stories abound: A car buyer walks into a dealership, educated about the electric car she wants to buy...and the salesperson tries to convince her she doesn't want that car after all.

She really wants a gasoline car, he argues.Hundreds of cases have been reported of customers walking into a Nissan or Chevy dealer to buy a Leaf or Volt, then being aggressively steered toward a Sentra or Cruze.Doom, danger, dire predictions

A buyer will run out of charge and be left stranded at the side of the road, he hears, or that very expensive battery will have to be replaced in five years.

Then the electric demo car hasn't been recharged, so its electric range is minimal on the test drive. And so forth.

A recent discussion in a Facebook group prompted us to write, once more, about how car dealers work--and what motivates them to sell specific vehicles.The salient point is that it takes much longer to sell a plug-in electric car, today, than it does a gasoline or diesel vehicle.

Maximizing profit

And dealers maximize their profits by exploiting the difference in information about complex financial transactions between buyers who do it once every five or six years, on average, and salespeople who sell multiple cars a day.

                                                          Read Full Article

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Honda Film: Controlling Air Pollution A 'Never-Ending Race'

The fight to improve air quality may not sound like fodder for a typical Hollywood blockbuster, but Honda has done its best to make the topic exciting.

The latest short film in the company's Environmental Short Film series--this one titled "Never Ending Race"--depicts Honda's efforts to respond to the far stricter Federal and state environmental legislation in the 1970s that resulted from efforts to improve the heavy air pollution in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

It was just like racing, the filmmakers say.

While Los Angeles was experiencing around 100 Stage One smog alerts a year, Honda had just ended several years of competition in Formula One racing.

According to Honda, the tightening of emissions standards that followed the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 was a challenge similar to the competition of top-level racing.

Raed more

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First-Ever Porsche Turns Out To Be An Electric Car

Here's a great piece of bar trivia: The first-ever Porsche was ... an electric car.

While any ardent Porschephile knows that the first Porsche-branded vehicle was the 356 sports carof 1948, the first car designed by Ferdinand Porsche was actually the 1898 "Egger-Lohner electric vehicle, C.2 Phaeton model," or the P1 for short.The P1 was recently recovered from a warehouse where it had reportedly sat untouched since 1902. 

It will be displayed in original, unrestored condition at the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen, Germany.

Designed by Ferdinand Porsche when he was 22 years old, the P1--or Porsche, number one--is powered by a rear-mounted electric drive unit that produces 3 horsepower, harnessed to a 12-speed controller.

The 2,977-pound vehicle had a reported range of 49 miles, and could briefly reach a top speed of 21 mph when in "overdrive" mode, which extracted a full 5 hp from the motor.

One unique feature was the Lohner "alternating" body, which was designed to be detached from the chassis and swapped for another body depending on the driver's needs.

The P1 debuted on the streets of Vienna on July 26, 1898, and competed in the international motor-vehicle exhibition in Berlin the next year. Porsche and three passengers took part in a 24-mile race against other electric cars.

                                                                                                                                        Full Article Here

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2014 Ford Focus

Ford's sales of its two Energi plug-in hybrid models climbed steadily throughout 2013, and now it appears the company will add a third model to the Energi family for 2015.

If rumors are correct, the 2015 Ford Focus Energi will add a plug-in hybrid model to the existing gasoline and battery-electric versions of its compact hatchback and sedan.

Its existence was first mentioned by Autocar, which noted it as an addition to a range of updated 2015 Focus models. The British magazine said only that it would use the same 2.0-liter engine as the C-Max Energi.

We did a bit of asking around, and confirmed that Ford has been quietly talking to fleet managers and others about the potential new model.

Company representatives, our source said, have quoted an electric range of 25 miles--up from the 21 miles rated for the C-Max and Fusion Energi models--and a price of about $27,500. (That could be a fleet price, however, with the actual retail price a few thousand dollars higher.)

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VL Destino Faces Uncertain Fisker Future For Its Non-Electric Karma

Engine swaps are one thing; complete powertrain replacements are another.

But if your business is yanking range-extended electric running gear out of a stunning-looking car from a now-bankrupt company, and replacing it with Corvette power, there are two ways you can go.

Swaps, new cars

You can wait for the limited universe of Fisker Karma owners--about 2,000 or so--to need new powertrains, or you can buy unfinished bodies from the company itself and sell them as brand-new Destinos.

Detroit-based VL Industries is pursuing both approaches. But the uncertainty around the ultimate fate of Fisker Automotive requires the company, as an executive told us, "to stay friends with everyone" in the process.

Last Friday, a bankruptcy-court judge in Delaware ordered that the bankrupt Fisker be auctioned off, rather than approving the prearranged sale to Hybrid Technology Holdings that Fisker itself pushed for.

That decision followed after a last-minute bid by Chinese auto-parts conglomerate Wanxiang, which now owns A123 Systems, Fisker's supplier of lithium-ion battery packs for the Karma.

Hybrid Tech then raised its bid to $55 million, from $25 million, indicating that perhaps the remains of the company are worth more than first thought.

Destino convertible nee Karma Sunset

At this week's Detroit Auto Show, VL unveiled a concept for a possible second VL Destino model, a two-door hardtop convertible with a retractable folding top, which it presented as the Destino Red Concept.

VL cofounder and marketing executive Gabe Villarreal confirmed to Green Car Reports that the vehicle shown in Detroit was the actual concept shown in 2009 as the Fisker Karma S--later dubbed the Sunset--with new panels to give it the Destino look.

                                                                        Read Full Article

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Which Is Greener: Flying Or Driving To Your Destination?

Few transport methods are truly green, requiring the input of fuel at some point in the process to generate the energy required to move.
Flying is often derided as one of the worst, given the spectacular amounts of fuel aircraft can burn through. But are they any worse than cars? Indeed, could they be better for those cross-country trips?
The University of Michigan's Transport Research Institute has drawn up a report looking into exactly this scenario, and has come up with a surprising conclusion--for the most part, it's greener to fly than drive.
In fact, for cars to be a more efficient means of moving people about, average fuel economy of light-duty vehicles would have to increase by around 50 percent, or average passenger numbers would need to double.
In the report, Making Driving Less Energy Intensive Than Flying, author Michael Sivak analyzes the amount of energy needed to transport a person in the U.S. a given distance, either in a light-duty vehicle or on a scheduled airline flight.
While automobiles have generally become more efficient over the decades, the airline industry has leapfrogged road transport as the greenest way of moving people about.
Popular Mechanics cites a table in the report showing the energy intensities of flying between 1970 and 2010.
Back in 1970, airline travel used twice the energy per passenger to move people about. But by 2000, energy use per passenger had decreased below that of driving, and today it's 57 percent less energy-intensive.
To restore the balance, according to the report, the current fuel economy of the entire fleet of light-duty vehicles would have to increase from 21.5 mpg to 33.8 mpg, or average passenger numbers would have to increase from 1.38 persons to at least 2.3.

                                                                                             Full article Here

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Toyota Hybrid Sales Top 6 Million Vehicles Globally, And Counting

It almost goes without saying, but Toyota loves its hybrids--and, seemingly, so do the world's car buyers.

The Japanese automaker said it had sold 6,072,000 hybrids as of December 31, 2013, breaking the 6 million-unit barrier.

A particularly strong 2013 helped push Toyota over the top, with global hybrid sales of 1,279,000 units, compared to 1,219,000 for 2012.

Toyota sold approximately 358,000 hybrids in North America last year, compared to 344,000 the year before. It's sold a total of 2,302,000 hybrids in North America since the first-generation Prius was launched here in 2000.

                                                                                                                     Full Article

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Bankruptcy Judge Orders Remains Of Fisker Auto To Be Auctioned

After a court hearing on Friday, the fate of Fisker Automotive is even more up in the air, and as uncertain as ever.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross ordered a competitive auction of Fisker's assets, according to theAssociated Press, after a last-minute bid by Chinese auto-parts conglomerate Wanxiang.

Gross rejected investor Hong Kong-based Richard Li's $25 million bid for the company, which Fisker itself wanted the court to approve.

Those funds from Li's investor group--Hybrid Technology Holdings--would have gone directly to the U.S. Department of Energy to pay off a portion of Fisker's outstanding $168 million low-interest loan.

Hybrid then planned to take control of Fisker using a $75 million credit bid based on what it claimed it was owed as Fisker's senior secured lender during the automaker's ongoing bankruptcy.

The group has also offered an additional $2 million in cash, and to waive fees it claims it would be owed as Fisker's lender.

However, Hybrid has shown no interest in building cars at the former General Motors Boxwood Road plant near Wilmington, Delaware that Fisker had secured.

The News Journal reports that the investor group had considered selling the plant to pay off creditors.

Wanxiang's plans.....Read Full Article

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ome NewsElectric Cars2014 Cadillac ELR Software Gives Hints Of Future Voltec Uses 2014 Cadillac ELR Software Gives Hints Of Future Voltec Uses

General Motors' Voltec drivetrain, the range-extended plug-in setup used on the Chevrolet Volt and the new 2014 Cadillac ELR, is among the most advanced drivetrains on the roads.

That's not to say there isn't room for greater improvement though, and that's exactly what GM is doing.

In fact, as Charged EVs reports, there are far more differences between the drivetrain used in the Volt and the newer ELR than the on-paper figures give them credit for--and developments found in the ELR are only likely to make future Volts and other Voltec vehicles even more efficient.

Befitting Cadillac's more upmarket image, GM engineers have endowed it with a little more power and a few extra features over the Volt on which it's based--including a paddle system on the steering wheel for increasing or reducing braking regeneration.

But under the skin, it's advancements in the electric motor, the control systems and software that really separate the two vehicles.

According to Tim Grewe, Cadillac ELR powertrain Chief Engineer, GM upgraded "everything" in the ELR, compared to the Volt. The drivetrain layout and hardware are largely the same, but detail changes to the control systems are where the real work has taken place.

For example, engineers have found a way of using the harmonic oscillation of electrical pulses from the inverter to boost the motor's capabilities.

Grewe describes it as "third harmonic injection", though it's also known as pulse width modulation, and allows GM to push the electric motor harder without unwanted noises and vibrations.

Precise control of the magnets in the motor has also allowed the team to liberate more performance and efficiency without generating unwanted heat. more

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