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An 88-foot-long electric bus is headed to Colombia
Today, BYD launched what it says is the world's longest electric bus, the K12A. At 88 feet long, the red bi-articulate bus looks like a giant caterpillar. It can carry up to 250 people, reach a max speed of about 40 MPH and travel 186 miles on a single charge. The bus is headed for the country of Colombia, where it will be part of the TransMilenio bus rapid transit system (BRT), but it could join other BRTs.
Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled
We're pretty sure we've suffered some amount of vision loss from staring at the ridiculously bright paint scheme on Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell over the past few years. MB has rolled it out at virtually every auto show it can and we've always stopped for a gander, but now we finally have the full production version -- and it's in a slightly more tame but visually perhaps even more stunning color, a sort of chrome blue that even in the flesh looks CG rendered. It's the SLS AMG Electric Drive, it's launching next June and we have the full details after the break.
ECOmove pegs QBEAK EV for 2012 launch, keeps specifics vague
We may be comfortable in our four-door electric hatchbacks and screaming fast no-emission roadsters, but Danish automotive outfit ECOmove has more conservative aspirations: the QBEAK. This dainty driver eschews standard vehicle design to create a compact, customizable package. "We have chosen to use alternative light weight materials, "explains ECOmove CEO Mogens Løkke. "The QBEAK is equipped with a range of sustainable, competitive features such as in-wheel motors, an unique chassis platform with room for a flexible battery modules and a communication system based on a smartphone." Details on smartphone compatibility, price and specific availability are still scarce, but the firm says we can expect to see the tiny EV puttering down the boulevard later this year. Can't wait? Head on past the break for a quirky preview video.
Ryno Motors self-balancing, single-wheeled scooter test ride
We've had the opportunity to ride some crazy contraptions over the years here at Engadget, like the skateboard-cum-tank Shredder and the self-balancing two-seater from GM called the EN-V. Today we carry on that tradition with another thing that can keep itself -- and its occupant -- perched upright. It's called the Ryno, an all-electric single-wheeled scooter that looks like something Judge Dredd would throw a leg over before bringing justice to some nefarious evil-doers. It's the pet product of mechanical engineer Chris Hoffmann and, after five years of tinkering and development, it could be finally making its way into peoples' garages by next year. Join us for a wobbly first ride. %Gallery-136084%
Rimac Automobili unveils 1,088 horsepower Concept One electric supercar
When you need four digits and a comma to specify the amount of horsepower your car puts down, you know you're talking about something very, very special indeed. Such is the case for the Concept One, the first car from virtual unknown manufacturer Rimac Automobili, styled by designer Adriano Mudri. The firm (which is Croatian, not Italian, by the way) has created this machine and given it four electric motors. They combine for an astounding 1,088 horsepower but, perhaps even more importantly, enable torque vectoring across all four wheels -- varying the power at each corner to pull the car around turns. That performance equates to a 0 - 62MPH time of 2.8 seconds, while the maximum range is rated as 600km (about 375 miles) thanks to a 92kWh lithium ion phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. It is, alas, just a concept for now, but with a little bit of funding the folks at Rimac hope to bring it to market. And we hope they do too. %Gallery-133450%
Electric Land Rover makes it way easier to sneak up on cowardly lions
It's likely impossible to go on safari in Africa without having any environmental impact at all -- particularly on the ones where shooting things is involved -- but this is certainly a step in the right direction. Battery manufacturer Axeon has teamed up with Jaguar Land Rover South Africa to offer animal watchers / hunters a greener way to get around, outfitting the Defender 110 High Capacity Pick Up with a battery pack where the diesel engine usually goes. The new power source cuts out the car's emissions and silences the engine, making it easier to sneak up on wildlife. This concept vehicle (not Rover's first attempt to green things up) is debuting at the INDABA trade show this week in South Africa, so now would be the time to alert any antelope in your life.
Mitsubishi i MiEV priced to move, rolls out slowly across US
Mitsubishi promised a fall 2011 launch for the i MiEV here in the US, and we're happy to report the company is right on schedule -- so long as you live in California, Oregon, Washington, or Hawaii. Those states will be the first to see the subcompact at the dealership this November. The all-electric car will make its debut in the northeastern US by March of next year, with the a nationwide rollout expected by December 2012. The basic ES model will start at $27,990, while the SE demands $29,990 for luxuries like a leather covered steering wheel and "upgrade[d] seating material." Both are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500, which could push the price of entry down to just above $20,000 -- making the Mitsubishi i almost as easy on your wallet as it is on the Earth. PR after the break.
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC all-electric race car eyes-on
When Nissan announced the Leaf RC we, naturally, were expecting a little radio controlled version of the battery-electric sedan that's making its way to driveways now -- slowly. We certainly didn't expect a race version of the thing, but that's what Nissan created, and now here it is at the New York International Auto Show, sitting on a turntable and spinning away. In fact you could envision that spinning stretching it out. It's rather... longer than the stock Leaf. In fact, it really looks nothing at all like the stock car, but if it did it'd be all the more strange on the track than this long, low, spread-out, carbon fiber wedge. They are at least both pure electrics and both painted blue, though under the cerulean lights here just about everything is looking decidedly cool. Okay, so 107HP, a top speed of 93MPH, and a maximum duration of just 20 minutes on the track will hardly see this winning any WTCC races, but with a weight of just 2,068 pounds (some 700 less than a Tesla Roadster) we'd certainly take one for a spin -- even if it were a short one. %Gallery-121752%
ECOmove QBEAK EV unveiled, grows a roof but no actual beak (video)
You might expect a car with the word "beak" in its nose to have something of a pronounced proboscis. Not so. It's the ECOmove QBEAK, a little, orange, all-electric car that's now been shown in the actual flesh in both coupe and convertible form. The car seats an odd number of people, three or six depending on configuration (something we definitely like), yet is smaller than a Smart Fortwo. It does this thanks to motors that fit in the wheels and composite suspension that's much more compact than your average strut setup. Range is up to 300km -- 186 miles -- but at this point we don't know much more about when this tangerine dream might be rolling into showrooms for real. Video of its unveil below.
Rolls Royce unveils 102EX, the all-electric Phantom (video)
The word "experimental" isn't something you'd often apply to a Rolls Royce, a company with a history that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and clientele that isn't much younger. However, it does have a history of producing so-called EX cars, experimental models, and the 102EX is the latest -- and the most daring. It's the world's first fully-electric ultra-luxury car, featuring a hulking 71kWh battery (almost three times the capacity of the Nissan Leaf) that can be charged in as quickly as eight hours. Inductive charging is also available, like the wireless Tesla Roadster we saw at CES, though Rolls isn't saying how long that takes. Range is said to be up to 200km, about 125 miles, and the 0 - 60 roll takes somewhere under eight seconds. That's not bad for a 6,000lb monster. No estimated cost has yet been applied, nor any real intent for production, but if this does start easing off production lines we hope it does so without the tacky glowing hood ornament. The Spirit of Ecstasy looks best when shined by polish, not LEDs. %Gallery-118144%
