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Toyota plans dialed-back launch of eQ and iQ EV city cars in December
Toyota's just-arrived RAV4 EV will soon get a much smaller cousin -- albeit a very elusive one. An electric version of the iQ city car will arrive in Japan (as the eQ) and the US (as the iQ EV) this December, but the automaker is significantly scaling back its 2010 promises of several thousand cars sold per year to just 100 fleet-oriented vehicles. The charging times, costs and range of EVs "do not meet society's needs," vice chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada says to explain the smaller ambitions. It's easy to understand the cautious approach after seeing the car's final details. While they're not out of line with the specs of other EVs, the eQ's 3-hour fast charge, 62-mile range and ¥3.6 million ($46,130) price wouldn't have regular customers flocking to dealerships. Most of Toyota's energy is instead being funneled into its tried-and-true hybrids, with 21 due on the market by 2015, as well as plans to deliver the company's first hydrogen fuel cell car by the same year. Eco-conscious drivers may be disappointed that Toyota isn't moving as aggressively into a pure electric realm as some of its rivals, but we'd rather see smartly planned baby steps than an overly risky plunge.
Tata announces Megapixel hybrid EV, alas, it's just a concept
The Geneva Motor Show means one thing: fantastic cars will be dangled in front of our faces, before being snatched away and being told that it'll never see the light of day, as it's "only a concept." The latest vehicle we'd purchase if they'd let us is Tata's Megapixel, a four-seater compact hybrid EV that promises a range of 560 miles (900km) on a single tank of fuel. A hub motor sits atop each of the four wheels, driven by a petrol-electric engine under the cabin, with a wireless inductive charging panel for topping up the batteries at home. It's designed for the city: with a turning circle of 180 degrees in a 2.8 meter space and sliding doors for easy entry. Inside, there's a rear-projected dashboard with a joystick controller (that reminds us of BMWs iDrive) and a smartphone dock for connectivity. Head on past the break to see the vehicle in action and wonder if it'll ever reach the market, like we're doing.
MIT's folding CityCar takes a spin on video, still no room for humans
The MIT Media Lab has been working on a folding, stackable electric vehicle for quite a few years now, but it seems those have at least been fairly productive years, as the so-called CityCar has now finally progressed to something resembling a finished prototype. The only problem for those eager to hop into one is that it's a half-sized prototype, which makes accommodating a driver just a tad difficult. It does do a fairly good job of folding itself up though, and MIT expects a full-size version to go into production in 2013. Interestingly, MIT doesn't necessarily see people actually owning the vehicles themselves, but it would like to see them be made available throughout cities -- letting you rent one for a short trip across town, for instance, and not have to worry about returning it. Head on past the break to see it on video courtesy of The Next Web.
BMW's all-electric i3 city car gets captured on video
Been wondering when BMW's all-electric i3 city car would turn up on video ever since its bigger, sportier counterpart did its thing last week? Well, here's your answer. The folks from GMotors recently managed to catch the pint-sized car doing a bit of drifting at the same cold weather test location in Sweden that the i8 was spotted at, and it certainly looks like the 150 horsepower vehicle could be a fun little car to drive. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you'll be able to take one for a spin yourself anytime soon, as it's not expected to go on sale until 2013 (at a cost of around $40,000). Head on past the break for the video.
Volkswagen's London Taxi Concept: smaller, prettier, more electric than the real thing
London would do well to dispense with the Concept label right now and just turn these into its next fleet of people carriers. Volkswagen has unveiled the latest in a series of World Taxis it's doing, prettying up London's admittedly iconic black cabs with a sheen of new paint, an all-electric drive, and an infusion of tablet-based infotainment. Based on the Up! city car, the London Taxi Concept has an estimated range of 186 miles and takes an hour to go from zero to an 80 percent charge. It also has a grayscale version of the Union Jack emblazoned on its roof, guess that's just how VW rolls. Sadly, we doubt anyone will be in a hurry to heed our sage advice and start using this concept any time soon, particularly since it doesn't pass London's taxi regulations at present, but it's a harbinger of a future we'd like to see become real.
Tazzari Zero's preliminary specs released
Italian industrial firm Tazzari has announced preliminary specs and launched a new website for its plug-in auto, the Zero. Measuring 113.5 inches long and sporting 15-inch wheels, the city-bound electric car weighs in at 1,200 pounds -- 312 of that from the lithium-ion Fe battery. It'll handle 88 miles with a full charge that takes 9 hours to fill, but you can reportedly juice up to 80% in just 50 minutes. Top speed is 56 MPH, so don't expect to be driving this on the highway, and it can go from 0 to 31 in under 5 seconds. The company says it's due out later this year in Europe and the Carribean for less than 20,000 Euros ($25,760), and yes, there's a dozen Crayola-inspired colors available. Hit up the official site for a trailer.[Via Autoblog Green]Read - Preliminary specsRead - Official Tazzari Zero website
MIT developing carbon-free, stackable rental cars
Sure, we know you love actually owning a car, but let's be honest -- in large cities with condensed layouts, your H3 doesn't make a lot of sense. A group of researchers at MIT have been hard at work developing a solution that's kind on the planet and your scrawny legs. A team called Smart Cities have designed a small, two-seat, electric vehicle -- which they call the City Car -- that can be "stacked" in convenient locations (say, just outside a subway stop), and then taken on short trips around urban areas. The cars -- which are based around an omnidirectional "robot wheel" that encases an electric motor, suspension, and steering -- can be "folded" and attached to a group of other cars for charging. The lineups of rentable vehicles would be accessible from various points around a city, with six or eight cars occupying just a single "regular" car space. Of course, you'll have to forgo your 24-inch rims... but that's life.[Via Technology Review]
