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MG's new all-electric hatchback will cost just $31,400 when it arrives in the UK
The MG4 will be one of the least expensive EVs available in the UK with a starting price oft £25,995 ($31,400).
Kia's e-Niro crossover goes almost 300 miles on a charge
Kia has launched the e-Niro, an all-electric version of its hybrid Niro, with some pretty strong claims about the range. The Korean automaker says it can travel 485 km (301 miles) on a charge, which would make it one of the longest-range EVs in the world. That's due in part to an optional 64 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery that's fairly large for the size of the car, along with a regenerative braking system. Kia's Driving Assistant System (Eco DAS) also extends range by telling the driver exactly when to coast or brake.
Hyundai's new Veloster will make its debut in 'Forza Motorsport 7'
The new Hyundai Veloster just made its debut on the NAIAS 2018 show floor, but the first time we'll be able to drive one is in Forza Motorsport 7. Following a string of cars debuting in videogames (BMW M4 Coupe, Porsche 911 GT2 RS), the Veloster Turbo and Veloster N will come to Forza players tomorrow, well before the cars go on sale in Q2 2018. In real life, the refreshed three-door hatchback has a bit more power and a lower stance, while the new "N" performance version goes up to 275HP and adds track-tuned driving modes.
Volkswagen’s e-Golf sits in the past while looking to the future
Volkswagen is betting on an electric future. After years of Dieselgate and the public relations and financial fallout of that gaff, the automaker wants to move on. So it's been talking at length about its upcoming electric platform to distance itself from the emissions-cheating scandal. At nearly every auto show, it shows off a concept car that'll drive hundreds of miles on a single charge. The future sounds great, but today the company already has a solid EV on the road, the 2017 e-Golf.
Volkswagen e-Golf unveiled: 118-mile range, charges 80 percent in 30 minutes
We've kept an eye on Volkswagen's Golf Blue-e-motion EV for the past few years and are ecstatic to report that it's getting a release window. The e-Golf is showing up stateside later than expected, but the German automaker promises we'll see it by late 2014 or early 2015. Once the hatchback lands it'll be packed to the gills with all manner of settings and improvements since we last saw it, too. We're talking full LED-headlamps, zero to 60MPH in about ten seconds and (with optional accessories) a battery that goes from dead to 80 percent charged in a half an hour. What's more, the previous range has been boosted from 100 miles to 118 miles. While none of this sounds all too impressive when compared to gas or hybrid engines, it's an important milestone for the people's car company. How so? Well it, along with the Europe exclusive e-Up! that's finally moving into production, represents the first part of Wolfsburg's mission to take EVs to the mainstream. There's a set of press releases after the break, but you might want to grab a fresh cup of tea before settling in -- they're quite lengthy.
All-electric VW Golf Blue-e-emotion still on track for 2013 release, in white
It's about time Volkswagen made an EV that fits more than one blogger and his smartphone. There's not much longer to wait, though: "Late 2013" is the latest word on the arrival of the Golf Blue-e-motion, which will hopefully be a happier ride than the name suggests. A 2014 date had been mooted a few weeks back over at Autoblog Green, but the 100-mile range vehicle is now being tested in California and the estimated release in North America and Europe has duly been brought forward. Til then, we'll just have to make do with gawping at Beetles in drag.
Ford Focus Electric hooks up wirelessly with AT&T, incurs jealous looks from T-Mobile
AT&T is keeping up its wheeling and dealing this week, signing an agreement with Ford to provide the built-in wireless connectivity for its upcoming Focus Electric hatchback. The deal's pretty simple, really. Ford has put together a comprehensive MyFord Mobile application to go with its EV, which will allow you to keep track of and schedule charging, while also serving up status notifications, range information, and nearby recharging stations' locations, the latter facility being provided with the help of MapQuest. All that data exchange will need a nice dumb pipe to carry it between the Focus and your smartphone and AT&T is obligingly fulfilling that role -- and don't worry if your phone doesn't support the app (works with Android, BlackBerry and iOS), Ford's got a web interface too. Full PR after the break.
Volkswagen's XL1 concept plug-in diesel hybrid has 260MPG fuel efficiency, questionable aesthetics
Steaming down the autobahn could be about to get a whole lot more efficient. Volkswagen has carted out its newly updated Super Efficient Vehicle concept, now dubbed the XL1, which -- after a great deal of fuzzy math, we're sure -- is rated at a 313MPG fuel efficiency and produces only 24g of CO2 per kilometer traveled. There's an electric motor and a TDI diesel engine making all the buzzing and roaring noises inside, while the overall body design is focused on making the car as light and as aerodynamic as possible. Volkswagen has achieved a 795kg curb weight by using carbon fiber, magnesium, ceramics, and aluminum to shave down any excess portliness from the XL1, while wind-tunnel testing and optimizations have resulted in a rather exemplary 0.186 drag coefficient. It's rare to see such attributes on anything outside the supercar realm, but then there's a reason why this PHEV is still only a concept. FOF. Update: Oh bother. Turns out Volkswagen's mileage claim is based on Imperial gallons, which are 1.2 times the size of the American stuff, meaning that the XL1 actually measures in at 260MPG when viewed through US glasses. Now do you see why the rest of the world has gone metric?
Volvo turns the C30 hatchback into an EV, loans it out for a short test drive
In many ways, Volvo's C30 is the perfect blend of modern styling and retro sensibility with its aggressive front-end and that oversized glass hatch on the back. Now, with the EV model, it's looking better than ever. Okay, so we could do without the obligatory graphics up the side, but the wing on the back (shown below) gives it a smooth profile and, oh yeah, did we mention it's an EV? The car has been graced with a 110hp equivalent electric motor and 24kWh battery pack that's expected to deliver an average of 100 miles worth of range along with performance that, according to The Truth About Cars, matches the current petrol-powered version's. Handling too is said to still be taut despite a 260lb weight disadvantage. Volvo is pledging the car will be making an appearance as a 2012 model, though we're guessing lucky Swedish drivers will be getting a first crack at this one.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-Cell is an E-lectric limited production vehicle
Here's what you could be driving... if only you lived in Europe. Mercedes-Benz has announced, and promptly sold, a limited production run of 500 electric A-Class hatchbacks. Bearing the same E-Cell designation as the somewhat tastier-looking SLS model from the deutschen automaker, this little goer squeezes 95 horsepower and a 93mph top speed out of a 70kW motor. Those are relatively humble specs, but they also mean the electrified A-Class can last a healthy 124 miles between recharges. So long as this thing doesn't go all Tata Nano on us -- and Mercedes says its thermomanagement is top notch -- we wouldn't mind seeing a few more electro hatchbacks rolling off the assembly line and maybe even reaching markets outside the present France, Germany and Netherlands. Let's make it happen, Daimler!
Lexus LF-Ch concept wants to bring Prius hybrid utility to sporty hatchbacks
Feast your eyeballs on this little beauty. Lexus, Toyota's luxury arm, has stopped teasing and gone fully official with the LF-Ch concept you see before you, which is being billed as a "BMW 1 series, but hybrid." All we know so far is that it'll run on some version of the Hybrid Synergy Drive found in the Prius, with the concordant ability to be run exclusively in EV mode. Well okay, we also know that it's damn gorgeous and heading toward production next year, but the all-important price point remains a mystery. Look for the prototype to make its first appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show coming up later this month.
To proceed another five miles, TXT 'DESIGN FLAW' to your Reva electric car
Not long ago a motorcycle with a fuel gauge was basically unheard of and even "low fuel" idiot lights were rare. Riders used advanced (and generally inaccurate) mathematics to calculate remaining mileage and, when the engine inevitably sputtered, switched over to a reserve tank that would let them nervously motor along a few more miles. Reva, an Indian company set to start shipping electric cars next year, plans to resurrect that most irritating sequence of events in their two-door NXR -- albeit with a modern spin. Now, instead of reaching down and turning a dial to get to that precious extra juice, drivers will need to call or text Reva HQ. Some overworked customer service agent will then remotely activate the "reserve battery," which surely doesn't even exist, to give a bit of extra range. We pity the fool who runs out of charge somewhere outside of cell range, but not quite as much as the designer who pitched this terrible idea.
