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BMW debuts its i8 Roadster for top-down green driving
The i series vehicles has been BMW's electrified brand on the road since 2014. The i3 is the pure-electric urban bubble vehicle while the supercar-styled i8 is the hybrid of the pair. But beyond sharing similar design cues and a TRON-inspired paint job, the two vehicles couldn't be further from each other. At the 2017 LA Auto Show, the automaker placed even more space between the cars with the new 2019 convertible and coupe i8s.
Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens team on a hybrid electric aircraft
Purely electric aircraft are still in their relative infancy. Hybrid aircraft, however? They're closer than you think. Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are partnering on a hybrid electric aircraft prototype, the E-Fan X, that will prove the mixture of conventional and electric engines will work. The demonstrator will modify a BAe 146 by replacing one of its gas turbine engines with a 2MW electric motor, followed by a second if everything goes smoothly. It's currently slated to fly sometime in 2020.
BMW kills the ‘hybrid tax’ with the 530e
The rule is that if you want the hybrid version of a car, you have to shell out more cash. Maybe tax credits would cover the difference, but usually not. Then, you have to figure out if the money you save on gas -- after a few years of diligent driving -- would bridge the gap. But, if you're in the market for a luxury sedan, BMW no longer asks you to make the decision based on your bank account.
Ford’s latest police hybrid is built for efficiency, not speed
Ford has already got the "speed" part down for hybrid police cars with its Police Responder Hybrid pursuit car, but now it's focusing on the economy side. It just launched its first-ever plug-in hybrid aimed at police and government officials for "non-pursuit" duties, called the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan. "This is the first Ford police vehicle that can potentially get through an entire shift without using any gasoline whatsoever," said Ford brand manager Stephen Tyler.
What you need to know before buying an EV
It's an exciting time for the automotive world. Over the past 15 years, cars have gone from relatively dumb machines that get us to our destinations to electrified, connected gadgets. In the coming decade, the technology being developed by traditional automakers and nascent upstarts will not only transform the way we drive, but change how cities operate.
Vespa’s first electric scooter will arrive in 2018
Last year, Vespa announced that it was working on an electric scooter and today it has released some specs and an approximate availability date. The Vespa Elettrica is a silent, fully electric scooter with acceleration capabilities in line with those of traditional scooters, according to Vespa. It has a 62-mile range and can be fully charged in just four hours through a normal wall-mounted electrical outlet. The battery will reportedly last around 10 years, but will drop to 80 percent capacity after 1,000 charge cycles or so. The Elettrica comes in a chrome grey color, but buyers can choose between seven color options for the decorative trim.
Seawater desalination will quench the thirst of a parched planet
Humanity has sought to make the Earth's oceans potable for thousands of years. The Norse tale of Utgarda-Loki tells of Thor being tricked into drinking from a horn connected to the sea, while Exodus 15:22–26 of the Bible likely describes Moses desalinating the water of Marah:
Volvo's performance brand launches a 600HP plug-in hybrid
When Volvo declared that its Polestar performance brand would revolve around electric powertrains, it wasn't kidding. Polestar has unveiled its first car, appropriately named the Polestar 1, and it's a plug-in hybrid coupe that musters 600HP while managing a surprisingly large 93 miles of electric-only driving. This is an EV that just happens to have a gas engine under the hood, according to Volvo, and the odds are that you might never use fossil fuels during your daily commute. It also promises to be nimble thanks to a continuously adjusted electronic suspension and an electric rear axle to maximize grip. The 1 sounds like it could be a relatively guilt-free way to drive, then. However, it's almost more important for what it isn't.
Audi's flagship A8 has an overwhelming amount of tech
The 2019 Audi A8 is one of the most, if not the most technically advanced cars in the world, so when the company offered a test drive, how could we resist? While we didn't get to see the vaunted Level 3 self-driving, there were still a lot of cutting-edge features on display. If anything, the sheer quantity of technology was a little disconcerting when we drove the A8 through the hills of Valencia, Spain.
Renault-Nissan bets its future on electric and hybrid cars
The Renault-Nissan alliance is no stranger to producing electric cars. Have heard of this little thing called the Leaf? However, its eco-friendly vehicles have tended to be odd ducks in the lineup. That's about to change: the Renault Group has unveiled a "Drive the Future" plan that will see the company field eight all-electric models and 12 hybrids by 2022. Simultaneously, it's trying to leave emissions scandals in the past by cutting its diesel range in half over the same period.
Mercedes-Benz aims to take hydrogen fuel-cells mainstream
General Motors' confidence in hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) vehicles seems to be sparking something of a renaissance among other automakers. In April, Toyota announced it was testing a HFC semi truck, and now Mercedes has announced a hybrid crossover utility vehicle that combines the pricey alternative-fuel tech with something a little less exotic: a battery-powered electric vehicle. The GLC F-Cell will carry 4.4 kilograms of hydrogen onboard, in addition to its 147 kilowatt lithium-ion battery. The automaker says that the the F-Cell's range can hit 437 kilometers (roughly 271 miles) with a governed top speed of 99 MPH, and that it'll charge in about 1.5 hours.
Scotland plans to make petrol and diesel cars obsolete by 2032
It's become pretty clear that the petrol and diesel cars are enjoying their final days in the sun, what with both the English and French governments vowing to phase them out by 2040. Their future goal gives them more than two decades to support the major carmakers as they transition to greener fuel sources, while implementing the necessary infrastructure to support them. Not to be outdone, the Scottish government today announced that it plans to implement its own green project a lot, vowing to phase out all petrol and diesel car sales eight years before their neighbours.
Mercedes teases hybrid supercar with Formula 1 tech
You've seen hybrid supercars before, but likely nothing quite so exotic as this. Mercedes-Benz is teasing the debut of the Mercedes-AMG Project One, a hybrid "supersports showcar," at the Frankfurt International Motor Show beginning September 14th. While the preview image doesn't show much besides a GT-style body (complete with an air scoop on the roof), Mercedes makes much ado of the car's Formula 1 underpinnings -- both powerplants amount to race car technology adapted to "day-to-day" use.
Acer Switch 7 hands-on: A compelling Surface alternative
There are plenty of pretenders to Microsoft's Surface throne, but they often come with compromises that force you to default to the original. Acer is hoping to buck that trend with the Switch 7 Black Edition, a tablet-laptop hybrid that may succeed where so many others, including the Switch 5, have failed.
Aston Martin will go EV and hybrid only in the mid-2020s
The car James Bond drives in the next 007 film might be a hybrid. Aston Martin, famous for supplying the spy's chosen vehicle, announced that its entire automotive lineup would be hybrids by the mid-2020s. By 2030, the automaker intends for a quarter of its sales to come from electric vehicles, the company's CEO told Financial Times.
Why BMW bets on versatility over pure EVs
Behind the wheel of the BMW 330e you almost forget it's a hybrid. Then you floor it on an uphill climb while in electric mode and the car automatically switches to the gas engine -- with a warning you've outstripped the electric motor's capabilities. The $43,700 (about $10,000 more than a regular 3 Series) version of BMW's iPerformance brand is a near seamless integration of the automaker's past, present and future.
Mini's new plug-in hybrid packs thrills into a compact cruiser
From the moment it appeared at the LA Auto Show, the new Mini Countryman ALL4 plug-in hybrid seemed to run in a different pack than other affordable EVs. That's due in large part to the Mini's heritage. Driving a Mini always meant having a good time, and the argument for strapping into a Countryman is as much about whipping around in a grown-up go-kart as it is about conserving fossil fuels.
All Volvo cars will be electric or hybrid within two years
Volvo is best known for building cars that are safe and beloved by flower children, but it now has a new distinction. Every car it unveils by 2019 will have an electric motor, either as an all-electric EV, plug-in hybrid or hybrid, making it the first major automaker to stop selling cars with only gas or diesel engines. "This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson in a statement.
A kickstand is the most interesting feature on Acer's new 2-in-1
Of all the new Switch laptops and convertibles that Acer unveiled in New York today, the most eye-catching is the Switch 5. It's a slick 12-inch Windows 10 hybrid with what the company calls an "auto-retractable" kickstand that lets you adjust the angle at which it's propped up by pushing it with one finger. Everything else about the convertible is pretty much par for the course, but I'll get to that later. At the crowded demo area, I was taken by how easy it is to shift viewing angles on a Switch 5: It works just like a laptop's lid.
Lynk & Co unveils its second take on a shareable car
Lynk & Co might have only shown off its first tech-laden vehicle half a year ago, but it's already set for a follow-up... and then some. The Geely-owned brand has unveiled the 03 Concept, a sedan sibling to the 01 Concept crossover (which has also reached its production-ready form). While the design won't shock you -- it's really a lower-profile 01 -- this brings Lynk & Co's combination of technology and unique business models to a wider audience. The centerpiece remains a Microsoft/Alibaba-designed infotainment system with built-in car sharing support, which lets you lend your car to others through a smartphone app. However, there are also some new wrinkles in paying for Lynk & Co's cars that could be as important as the cars themselves.
