Electric car
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Shelby sets out to build Ultimate Aero EV, the world's fastest electric car
Who needs to be "green" when you can go really, really fast? Well, Shelby Supercars figures it can have it both ways, with an all-electric version of the Ultimate Aero, the Ultimate Aero EV. Seeing how the Ultimate Aero is already the world's faster production car (at least officially, sorry Buggati), they don't see it as much of a leap of faith for this new version to carry that mantle into the electric space: "I think we can do it faster, leaner and cleaner than any other manufacturer," says the ever-modest SSC founder Jerod Shelby. The new car will be powered by a single 373kW electric motor, with a dual-motor "high performance" version being considered, which should give its gas guzzling sibling some serious competition around the track. Testing will begin in February next year, with full production supposed to commence in Q4 2009.[Thanks, Yossi]
Hyundai readies Elantra LPI Hybrid for 2009 Korean launch
'Tis a shame we North Americans, Europeans, Australians, et al. won't be seeing the Elantra LPI Hybrid in 2009, but those in South Korea have a reason to celebrate. Hyundai is gearing up to launch the company's first LPG-electric hybrid vehicle next July, which also happens to be the planet's first hybrid vehicle to be "powered by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and adopt advanced Lithium Polymer (Li–Poly) batteries." Said automobile will pack a 1.6-liter Liquefied Petroleum Injected (LPI) Gamma engine, a 15kW electric motor and a continuously variable transmission, and while the outfit isn't releasing hard mileage numbers just yet, the car should prove to be around 50% cheaper to operate than a gas-only Elantra (pictured). C'mon Hyundai, we know you've got plans to take this thing worldwide -- just let it out of the bag already.[Via FarEastGizmos, image courtesy of Autoblog]
Tesla Roadster takes 30 hours to charge from a standard wall socket
If you've got the coin to roll deep enough to own a Tesla Roadster, we'd imagine that making sure the car gets its 8 (or fewer) hour charge from a 220v / 80A circuit (like what powers some larger home appliances) won't be a huge issue. But if not, think twice about your driving schedule with the all-electric sports car, because while you can technically power a Roadster from any standard wall outlet, the amount of draw a standard 110v / 15A plug delivers would mean a 30 hour wait to juice up your vehicle's thousand pound battery pack. Thankfully, Tesla owners have time to think over how to deal with these kinds of details, being that none of the customers who've pre-ordered a car have yet received theirs.[Via Autoblog Green]
Tesla to supply Mercedes-Benz with lithium-ion batteries?
Man, Tesla's been busy today -- in addition to the announcement of the Model S and Elon Musk's promise of a sub-$30K electric car in four years, word on the street is that the company's inked a deal with Daimler AG to supply it with lithium-ion batteries for upcoming electric cars. Daimler's CEO has said the company was open to leasing battery tech to get out an electric Smart by 2010 and it's rumored that the German marque is looking to ditch gas entirely by 2015, so going to Tesla, which has been working on battery tech for some time, isn't a totally out there proposition. Just a rumor for now -- given Tesla's generally-prickly relationships with others, we'd wait for an official announcement before getting too excited about a Roadster-powered SLR, but it's certainly intriguing.
Tesla announces the Model S: a $60k, all-electric, five passenger sports sedan
Our favorite Terminator (and Governor of California) Arnold Schwarzenegger has just helped Tesla Motors make an announcement that's probably sending chills through traditional automaker's boardrooms. The company has just introduced a fully-electric, five passenger sports sedan dubbed the Model S, which will be selling for $60,000, and will manage 225 miles on a full charge. The carmaker says it will produce the vehicles in a brand new manufacturing plant it's opening in Northern California. We're on the ground at the announcement right now -- no pictures or release date have surfaced yet, but you'll know more as soon as we do.
Subaru features STELLA electric car at G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit
With just about every other automaker on the planet champing at the bit to showcase its newest electric prototypes, Subaru's doing its best to hang on to the briskly moving bandwagon. Said company has just recently announced that its plug-in STELLA concept will be showcased at the upcoming G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, and four of the five on hand will actually be used to "transport government officials and other participants" while the other offers itself up for test drives. The four-seat vehicle in question utilizes the same EV (electric vehicle) system employed in the R1e, suggesting that it can cruise around 80-kilometers (50 miles) on a full charge and hit a top speed of 100km/h (or just over 62mph).[Via AutoblogGreen]
Mercedes-Benz aiming to ditch petroleum by 2015?
While Audi is over there planning to produce an electric car within the next decade, Mercedes-Benz is hoping to be completely petro free within seven years. At least that's the word according to a recent report in The Sun. Dr. Herbert Kohler, who is responsible for Mercedes' advanced engineering, has reportedly suggested that "by 2015 motorists will have switched almost completely to alternative fuel cars." In order to make sure it's not left out, the automaker already has an electric car in the works for 2010 as well as plans to use its DiesOtto engine which will give motorists the ability to use biofuels should they choose. Still, aiming to phase petroleum completely out of its lineup by 2015 sounds overly ambitious from here, but we certainly won't complain if it achieves said goal.[Via AutoblogGreen, thanks Dan]
Topia shows off 330-pound HUVO electric car
Compared to the other single-seat electric vehicle that we had the misfortune of laying eyes on recently, Topia's HUVO looks just magnificent. This clearly minuscule road warrior, which officially tips the scales at 150-kilograms (or just over 330-pounds), holds one lucky motorist and a small briefcase (if you're lucky). Reportedly, the frame is constructed from high-tensile steel plate, the doors and the back panel from aluminum alloy, the roof from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), the windshield from polycarbonate and the interior / wheels covers from ABS resin. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to crash test ratings, but we suppose we should wait and see if this thing even sniffs the commercial market before worrying over that.
Dyson actually not looking to build electric car, just a wicked fast vacuum
Look folks, just because Dyson can build a motor with enough oomph to power a vehicle, that doesn't mean it's actually going to. At least that's the message a company spokesperson wants you to believe. Contrary to earlier reports, James Dyson is not looking to enter the electric automobile sector in any way, shape or fashion. Said spokesperson was quoted as saying that "James Dyson did say that [Dyson's] new digital motor could power a car, but it is not working on, and [we] have no plans to create an electric car." Okay, but can you at least make the Ball 2.0 street legal?[Via AutoblogGreen, image courtesy of Telegraph]
ZAP Alias electric car makes its video debut
ZAP didn't have much more than some shiny renders to show for itself when it snapped up the hundred-year-old Detroit Electric brand earlier this year, but it looks like the company has now finally turned out an equally shiny prototype, which recently made its debut on the local news in Ohio. Unfortunately, the car apparently isn't capable of moving off the parking lot on its own just yet, with it reportedly now on its way to California where it'll get outfitted with a motor. While the current pace of things may seem a bit slow, the company is apparently still promising to have its first cars on the road as early as next year, when the Alias here is expected to sell for about $33,000. Hit up the read link below for the video.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Modded electric motorcycle is street-legal, costs under $2K
We've seen more silly homemade electric vehicles than we care to remember, but Ben Nelson's electric motorcycle manages to retain some of its original two-wheel charm while using only a penny of juice per mile -- roughly the equivalent of 300mpg. Nelson bought the bike for $100 and swapped out the original engine for a Briggs and Stratton 8HP DC motor he picked up on eBay for $500, using four $160 Optima Yellowtop lead-acid batteries for power. Nelson says he can get the rig up to a top speed of 45MPH, and he's got a range of about 20 miles before he needs to plug in -- enough to run errands around town. Best of all, the state of Wisconsin willingly registered his bike as a "hobbyist" vehicle, which means he's free to (silently) roam the streets at will. Ben first built the bike about a year ago, so he's accumulated a ton of useful info if you're interested in following in his tire tracks -- hit up the read link to learn more, and check the video after the break.Read - Nelson's build blog[Via ecomodder]
Dyson looking to motor into the electric car arena?
Dyson (yes, that Dyson) could be looking to play a role in the next great electric automobile. Just let your brain simmer on that a moment, and see if you can stifle any forthcoming laughter. Believe it or not, the British inventor famous for his iconic vacuum designs is actually developing a "powerful lightweight motor that could enable electric cars to zoom along for hundreds of miles without causing pollution." In theory, the eventual vehicle would scoot about much quicker than the majority of sluggish electric vehicles and solar panels would be tacked on the roof for regeneration in sunlight. Of course, some analysts are suggesting that he continue to keep his innovative motors in household gizmos, and rather than strike out on his own to invent a new car, he could simply partner with an existing automaker and toss in his design genius to craft something that's not horrifically ugly. Sounds pretty good to us.[Via Core77, image courtesy of Telegraph]
Electric Mercedes-Benz coming in 2010
Unlike Audi and friends, Mercedes has actually had its eye on non-gasoline burning vehicles for some while. According to a recent interview, Daimler's chief executive was quoted as saying that an "electric Smart [was planned] for 2010," and he continued by asserting that an electric Mercedes model would be arriving "the same year." Sadly, he didn't budge when pushed for pricing details, but he did note that cost would depend greatly "on whether it sells the batteries or leases them." Heck, there was even a mention of a fuel cell car in 2010, but we'd prefer to keep our hopes and expectations well beneath the stratosphere.[Via BenzInsider]
Enclosed electric motorcycle is green and ghastly
Yeah, green in more ways than one. That abomination you see pictured above is unsurprisingly kind to Mother Earth, but we'd venture to say that most Americans wouldn't be caught dead driving it... until gasoline hits $10 or so per gallon, that is. Designed by pioneering students at Saint Thomas Academy with the help of a $10,000 InvenTeams grant from the Lemelson-MIT program (among other donations), this enclosed motorcycle hums along courtesy of a battery-driven Briggs and Stratton ETEK electric motor. Currently, the bike can scoot about for 40 miles and reach 60 miles-per-hour, and there's even a GPS unit thrown in to keep you headed in the right direction. Heaven only knows if this thing will see production, but given the way things are trending, we'd place our bets on yes.[Via AutoblogGreen]
NICE shows off prototype electric car; Liberty plans an electric Range Rover
Some interesting electric car developments went down in England recently -- Liberty Electric Cars announced plans to convert "tens of thousands" cars and SUVs to electric operation, starting with the Range Rover, and NICE previewed a scissor-door concept it'll be showing at the London Auto Show. Liberty's pumping £30M ($59.3M) into a new factory that will start converting Range Rovers to electric vehicles using a "state-of-the-art" drivetrain good for 200 miles on a single charge. You'll have to pay for the privilege, though -- pricing is expected to run between £95,000 ($188,128) and £125,000 ($247,537). Similarly, English outfit No Internal Combustion Engine (NICE, very cute) is previewing an all-electric sports car that it plans to show off at the London Auto Show in July. Although it's just a prototype, the company says that it hints at a future production model. Details are pretty light, but here's hoping those hot scissor doors make in into production. Read - Liberty electric Range Rovers Read - NICE prototype [Via Electricpig and InventorSpot]
Wrightspeed SR-71 electric car will do 0-60 in 2.5 seconds
Remember when the Wrightspeed X1 electric car beat both a Ferrari 360 Spyder and Porsche Carrera GT off the line? Well, ex-Cisco and DEC engineer Ian Wright is back with his SR-71 that he says will do 0-60 in a brain-numbing 2.5 seconds. The new electric speed dart should show up in about 18 months and could even get a street-legal version in 36 months. That's a long time to wait, sure, but a faster-than-Bugatti EV at a fraction of the cost could just be worth it.
AMP offers converted all-electric Saturn Sky in limited run
If you've been bored by your limited all-electric vehicle choices, we've got just the thing for you. After a year of development, Advanced Mechanical Products (or AMP) is taking orders for a limited run of 300 converted Saturn Sky Roadsters, which will be 100 percent electric. The cars can travel roughly 150 miles on a single charge, go 0 to 60 in under six seconds, and can reach a top speed of 90 MPH. The cost of the conversion and vehicle comes to around $50,000, making this one of the more affordable high-performance options around. The cars are expected to ship to buyers in 2009, so you'd better get on that list quick.
Yamaha wearable motorcycle concept will likely remain just that
It's not often that you see devices huddled under the transportation and wearables categories, but you can certainly consider the above pictured contraption a proud member of each. Created by transportation design student Jake Loniak, the Yamaha Deus Ex Machina is an "electric, single passenger, vertically parking, wearable motorcycle, and the bike would theoretically be controlled via 36 pneumatic muscles and 2 linear actuators. We're also told that it would be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 in just 3 seconds, though the top speed would be capped at 75 miles-per-hour. Ah well, at least we know the wearable airbag is actually coming, right?[Via Be Sportier]
Green Vehicles' Triac officially coming in July, for reals this time
In the latest of a series of when-can-I-get-the-Triac false starts, the three-wheeled electric car of obscene cuteness has a real launch date. No, really. According to AutoblogGreen, Green Vehicles is accepting pre-orders for July delivery of the Triac, which means you could actually be silently cruising the beaches in this thing come summer. For those concerned about safety and all that "not dying" stuff, Green Vehicles has assured the press that a safety cage designed by race car fabrication experts has been integrated into the car's design. Also, they promise that the lithium-ion batteries are good for at least 2000 cycles, which should last you about 5 years. We're being told that the Green Vehicles site will be updated today with reservation info, so keep an eye out.[Via AutoblogGreen]
More details about the Triac highway-capable three-wheel electric car emerge
We can't help but find Green Vehicles' Triac three-wheeled highway-capable electric car anything but stupidly adorable, and it looks like it's even better than we hoped. Our friends over at Autoblog Green scored some more info on the buggy, and found that the top speed it actually 80mph, and that range is just about 100 miles on a full charge, down from 120 miles as originally estimated. The Triac will also roll with a five-speed transmission, and charge from either a 120V or 240V power source. On top of all that, Green Vehicles is apparently working on a truck called the Buckshot based on the same motor, but with a three-speed transmission that will enable it to be a "true work truck." Sure, sure -- but when can we have a Triac? Seriously, we want to hug it.
