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BMW promises 5 Series 'New Energy Vehicle' for China
There's an unfortunate lack of details on this one at the moment, but it looks like BMW has something a little special in store for China at the Shanghai Motor Show next month. It will be showing off its new 5 Series "New Energy Vehicle," a plug-in hybrid that, as previously suggested, will be exclusive to the Chinese market. That will presumably be somewhat similar to the company's ActiveHybrid 5 concept pictured above, which it first showed off last year but still hasn't put into production. As Motor Authority notes, however, the New York Auto Show actually coincides with the Shanghai show, so there's a chance that BMW could be set to provide an update on the ActiveHybrid 5, or possibly introduce a North American counterpart to the New Energy Vehicle.
Range anxiety gets real: Nissan Leaf drivers run out of juice on the road
Fears of range anxiety have loomed over EVs since their inception, and those fears were validated courtesy of a couple unfortunate souls whose Nissan Leafs apparently died on them while driving. The drivers put their faith in the Leaf's remaining range calculation, and were sorely disappointed when the car's dash said they had enough juice to go 10+ miles, but the batteries had other ideas. Turns out, the Leaf needs some time to get to know you and your lead foot before it can accurately determine the bounds of its own range. Nissan sent engineers out to check the cars and found no technical faults -- but one driver reckons the cold sapped some of the batteries' power (a theory that Mini E drivers would disagree with) and the car's software didn't factor that in when making its range estimates. Who's to blame? We suspect that while there was some user error, Nissan should rework the Leaf's software to improve range calculation -- else we may be talking about the death of EVs instead of internal combustion.
BMW i8 prototype caught on video having fun in the snow
Grainy pictures are pretty neat, but spy videos of an unreleased car in motion are a little more titillating. That's what we have this morning, video of the BMW i8 concept car motoring around in the snow -- flanked by a series of rather more pedestrian Bavarian autos. The i8 is the auto formerly known as Vision EfficientDynamics, name shortened but concept kept the same: 62MPG from a vehicle that's still fun to drive and reasonably quick -- 0 to 62 in 4.8 seconds. The quality of the footage is perhaps a little low, but if anything that just adds to the excitement.
GM looking to offer lower-cost, shorter-range Volt?
We've certainly had some complaints about the Chevrolet Volt, including mediocre highway mileage, but far and away it's that $41,000 MSRP keeping it from being a real contender for mass adoption. Now we're hearing rumors that GM is thinking about down-sizing the car's batteries in an attempt to drop that price as well. The battery pack is far and away the most expensive single component in the car and the thought is that a reduction of the pure EV range to just 20 miles (down from its current 30 - 50) could have a whopping $10,000 reduction in cost. That would mean buyers would dip into the gas tank a little sooner but be a lighter on their bank accounts -- at least in the beginning.
Veritas RSIII Roadster Hybrid melds plug-in tech with 600HP
It isn't exactly the hottest hybrid we've ever seen, Porsche's ludicrous 918 RSR still takes that crown, but the Veritas RSIII Roadster Hybrid is certainly no wheezy commuter. It's a tiny, open-topped racer that features a 507HP V10 from BMW that's been paired with a 105kW motor to spin the front wheels. It's much the same arrangement of the Porsche, again relying on a KERS flywheel to generate electricity that's stored in a Li-ion battery pack, which can also be charged separately. The car can actually limp around for up to 31 miles powered by just that front motor, but when both sources of thrust are called upon the sled gets to 62MPH in 3.1 seconds, as fast as a 911 Turbo S, and it'll keep on going until the speedo hits 205 -- or the car hits something immovable. No word on price or availability, but there is a version with a roof coming this summer, and a fully-electric model due in 2013.
Toyota unveils its Global Vision, pledges 10 new electrified cars by 2015
Toyota's getting serious with this plural Prius stuff. If you still don't buy that Prii is the correct term you'd better hurry up and get over it, as the company just announced its "Toyota Global Vision," including a plan to launch 10 more hybrid vehicles by 2015. Surely that counts the new models unveiled in Detroit, the taller Prius V and the funkier Prius C, but it remains to be seen exactly what else the company will use to build up those numbers. Toyota also says that more fuel cell and fully electric cars are coming, along with numerous "genuinely exciting models," so maybe if we're really good over the next four years one of those Prii will actually be fun to drive.
Nissan to give Leaf faster charger in 2012: home charging goes from glacial to a snail's pace?
Though well on its way to joining the Dodo, one of the internal combustion engine's advantages over its plug-in competition is refuel time -- it only takes a few minutes to gas up, but you're talking hours for an EV to top off its batteries via a standard 220 / 240-volt socket. This fact is not lost on Nissan, as it just revealed plans to offer a higher-rate charger in its 2012 Leaf -- the current model's 3.3kW charger needs eight hours to power up -- in order to better compete with the Ford Focus Electric's three to four hour charge time courtesy of its 6.6kW unit. And all you early adopters won't be "orphaned," as 2011 model Leafs can be retrofitted with the new electrics -- no word if Daddy Warbucks will be footing the bill.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was delayed into 2011... by 'virtual engine sound' system
Remember how at the end of last year the US legislature decided to make it mandatory for EVs to churn out an audible noise while in motion? It was all in the name of saving pesky pedestrians from getting in the way of your gliding electro-car, but the new law itself has managed to create a bump in the road for at least one company. Hyundai's Sonata Hybrid was all set to launch in late 2010, equipped with a "virtual engine sound" system that the user could toggle on and off, however the government's request that it be kept permanently on required modifications to the vehicle's wiring harnesses, UI software and user manuals, delaying its debut into late January. These tweaks had to be done "amazingly late in the process," according to Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik, but the delay will at least ensure that all of Hyundai's Sonatas will sound the same. Which is something, we guess.
Fisker Karma enters production on March 21st, our future shortly thereafter
It's been a long road for the Karma to reach production, but now it finally has an end in sight: March 21st. That's the date Fisker promises to start rolling its gorgeous PHEV off assembly lines, with deliveries to the first humans to reserve one coming up in April. The price for the 2012 Karma remains a mighty $95,900, though if you ask our brethren over at Autoblog, that's a bunch of pennies well spent. Fisker expects to start producing 1,500 Karmas per month starting in October and to then sell 15,000 a year from 2012 onwards.
Autoblog drives the 2012 Fisker Karma, deems it 'best handling large premium car'
Karma, in a religious sense, is the sort of divine retribution or cause for your deeds or misdeeds. In an automotive sense it's a $95,900 plug-in luxury performance car that Fisker has been teasing since 2007. That machine is finally nearing production and Autoblog was lucky enough to take an early model for a spin around California Speedway, a brief test-drive that left the pilots concluding "the Fisker Karma is a rolling dream machine for anyone who wants something very different that works and drives exceptionally well." For the rest of the impressions on this $100k plug-in hybrid that offers a combined 657hp and 981lb-ft of torque from three motors and will go 50 miles on batteries alone you'll need to click on through the source link below. For the details on what's in store from your own karma you need only look inside yourself.
Toyota decrees the plural of 'Prius' is 'Prii,' your Latin teacher looks on admonishingly
The world faces many challenges and concerns when it comes to the future of transportation, but one of the biggest hurdles to a utopian future has finally been overcome. Toyota, using the might of its international team of engineers and wordsmiths, has finally decided what you should say when you see multiples of the company's hybrids parked together. They are to be called Prii -- not Priuses, not Priuples, not Boring Cars. Just Prii. Remember it.
Volvo releases more details on 124MPG V60 plug-in, shows off iPhone app (video)
Current gasoline-powered hybrids can barely manage to keep ahead of small diesels in the mpg wars that will shape our future transportation structure, but in theory a diesel hybrid would rule the roost -- for the moment, at least. That's what Volvo will be showing off in Geneva shortly, promising a whopping 124MPG from the V60 plug-in diesel hybrid it announced a few weeks back. The car uses an internal combustion engine driving the front wheels and an electric one to spin the rears, meaning 2WD efficiency but AWD grip -- and a combined 285hp to handily blow the doors off any Prius that dares step up at a streetlight. Volvo is saying the car will take about five hours to charge on a standard household outlet and that you'll be able to monitor that status from your iPhone. Check it out in the video below and turn up those speakers in preparation for one heck of an inspirational piano solo.
Imperia plug-in hybrid does 0 - 60 in four seconds, looks classy while doing it
If you're tired of hybrids like the Prius or Volt, cars that could easily get lost in a Hertz parking lot, check out the GP. It's the first and only product from resurrected Belgian auto maker Imperia, which previously operated in the early 20th century, but other than the pronounced front grille offers little resemblance to its forbears either above or below that pronounced bonnet. It has an inline four cylinder turbo engine offering 212hp that's paired with a 134hp electric engine, itself backed by a Li-polymer battery pack. It'll do about 45 miles on batteries alone but, more importantly, will roll the 0 - 60mph sprint in under four seconds. Or, at least, it will if it ever hits production. A concept of the car was unveiled at the Brussels Auto Show, but it's anyone's guess when it might actually hit the road for reals. %Gallery-117094%
Land Rover develops Range_e hybrid, will show it off at the Geneva Motor Show
You know electric cars are in the ascendancy when even the fearsome 4x4s start looking to add an extra little spark to their energy production and storage. Land Rover has just announced it'll demo one -- there are multiple working versions -- of its development prototypes at the Geneva Motor Show next month, treating us to an exhibition of what a diesel engine can do when augmented with some electric firepower. The Range_e's design is based on the Range Rover Sport and its 3.0-liter TDV6 core, however the new vehicle is capable of going a full 20 miles purely on its electric charge and touts a whopping 690-mile range altogether. Let's hope Geneva shows enough interest in the Range_e to compel Land Rover to turn it into a commercial reality.
Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you
There's already a few hybrid trucks on the market (most notably from GM), but true plug-in hybrid electric trucks are another matter altogether. Chrysler now looks set to change that, however -- at least in a small way -- with its new Ram plug-in hybrid that's set to roll out to fleet operators this summer. It was just unveiled at the Washington D.C. Auto Show, and it pairs a 12 kWh battery pack from Canadian battery-maker Electrovaya with Chrysler's own 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, which Electrovaya says will allow for up to 20 miles of driving on electricity only. Unfortunately, there's no word on any plans to actually make the truck available to individual consumers, but Chrysler does seem to at least be optimistic about hybrid trucks in general, with a company spokesman noting that half-ton pickups are naturally much better at carrying a battery pack than a car, and that trucks work better as hybrid vehicle platforms.
Chevrolet rolling out Volt nationwide by end of year, everybody gets a plug-in
Sick of waiting for your Leaf? Maybe you'll have more luck finding a Volt. Sure, it's not a pure EV, or even a pure series hybrid, but it is going to be a lot easier to find in the near future. Chevrolet has confirmed that the car will be going nationwide by the end of the year, expanding from its current availability in just a few states -- the crimson ones above. By the third quarter it will hit the great Pacific Northwest and the muggy Southeast, and then toward the end of the year it'll fill in the bits in the middle and warm the hearts and garages of Americans all the way up in Maine and Alaska. So, who's buying?
Volvo set to unveil V60 Plug-in at Geneva, pledges to be slightly less naughty
The new V60 is billed by its creators as being a "naughty Volvo," and while the reviews we've read of its sedan counterpart haven't exactly found it to be particularly uncouth, we're thinking the upcoming plug-in wagon version should be even more friendly. Volvo has announced it will unveil the PHEV V60 in Geneva in March before releasing it for sale in 2012. When fully charged it will offer 50km (31 miles) on pure electricity -- about the same as the Volt -- thanks to a 70hp electric motor mounted in the rear and driving the wheels out back courtesy of a 12kWh Li-ion battery pack. Up front, meanwhile, is a 215hp, 2.4 liter, five-cylinder turbodiesel. It remains to be seen whether there is any mechanical link between the disparate power systems or whether they remain alone, working together yet apart, but we should be getting all the details shortly.
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?
Genovation G2 aims to be the greenest thing you can drive, will be made from renewable and recycled parts
One big sticking point for those still unwilling to embrace the eco-friendly credentials of electric vehicles is the undeniable fact that building an EV costs plenty in terms of resource and energy use. Hoping to counter this concern, Genovation is working on developing a new G2 electric car (the G1 was a Ford Focus modified with off-the-shelf parts to run on batteries), which will try to maximize the use of renewable and recycled materials in its construction. It's just completed the first phase of its development, where quarter-size models have been built by Tata Technologies and a bunch of simulations, analyses, and performance tests have been run. Phases two and three will involve the building of functional prototypes and pre-production road vehicles, with phase four presumably being the onset of our sustainable living utopia.
Mitsubishi launching eight electrified vehicles by 2015
Mitsu's i MiEV may be getting off to a slow start, but it's just the beginning. The company has announced a number of programs collectively titled "Environment Initiative Program 2015," a sort of stepping stone toward a broader reaching "Environmental Vision 2020." That Vision indicates a desire to have 20 percent of Mitsubishi sales be either pure electric vehicles or at least plug-in hybrids. The 2015 initiative sets a more modest goal of five percent, and to get there the company will launch a whopping eight electro-augmented vehicles between now and 2015. It starts with a commercialized MiEV this year, moving to two PHEVs next year, a new EV in 2013, and then another new EV in 2014 -- hopefully with names that roll off the tongue a little better than "i MiEV." Might we suggest the 2014 Mitsubishi Mitueevee?
