Plug-inHybrid
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Porsche opens 918 Spyder plug-in supercar pre-orders, $845,000 gets you a ticket to ride
It isn't quite as hot as the 918 RSR, but it is at least street legal. Or, will be, anyway. It's the 918 Spyder, one of the hottest hybrids we've ever seen, and Porsche has now opened the doors for those who want to order them. $845,000 gets you a car with a mid-mounted V8 putting down "at least" 500HP. That's paired with two electric motors, one front and one rear, which provide an additional 218 horsepower and AWD handling to boot. Unlike the RSR these motors will be powered by a Li-ion battery pack that will offer 16 miles of purely electric range when charged for about seven hours on a standard 110 outlet. More impressively, this carbon-fiber convertible will get to 60MPH in 3.1 seconds (matching the 911 Turbo S we played with last month) yet deliver 78MPG. That's not quite up to the levels Volvo's promising for its V60 plug-in diesel, but we're thinking this bad boy might be a little more fun to drive. What won't be fun is the wait: the 918 isn't expected to start shipping until the end of 2013. That gives you plenty of time to build your dream garage -- and practice your pronunciation of "Doppelkupplung."
BYD Motors sneaks on to American market, could make US debut official by year's end
We've heard rumblings of BYD coming to America before, but it seems it won't be making a big deal of its Stateside entrée -- at least not yet. According to the Los Angeles Times, China's sixth-largest car maker is quietly making its presence known in the US, occupying the offices of Cars 911 -- a dealership in Glendale, CA -- and solidifying plans to open 10 American dealerships by the end of 2011. BYD is also in the process of building its US headquarters in downtown LA, and has been servicing a fleet of its F3DM hybrids, leased to the city's housing authority, from the Cars 911 lot. BYD's e6, which is slated as a Leaf competitor, is suspected to appear on the American market, alongside the F3DM, by year's end. Considering the Leaf's recent woes, this might be just the right time for BYD to strike.
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.
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.
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.
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%
SAE and Zigbee team up to make plug-in cars charge smarter
We're no strangers to Zigbee around these parts, using the various Alliance-certified devices to monitor our power usage and let our refrigerators talk to our washing machines. Soon our cars might be able to get in on that little conversation with the Zigbee Alliance and SAE International starting to work together. SAE develops standards and certifications in the automotive industry (amongst many others) and it embracing Zigbee Smart Energy means that we should see many more auto manufacturers adopting this tech to enable their cars to talk to the grid straight through their plugs. They'll be able to do things like provide charging status updates and to pull down utility pricing information, ensuring your ride charges when rates are lowest. Many current and most upcoming electric cars can do this sort of thing, but they rely on wireless data connectivity to do so. Zigbee would eliminate that. No word on which manufacturers will jump on first, but given the pull the SAE has we think many will.
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.
Zipcar adds the plug-in Prius PHEV to its fleet, probably not changing name to Zapcar
Would you like a plug-in Prius, the sort that we spent a few days with last year, back when the seasons were changing and there was only a hint of this killer winter to come? Well, too bad, because you still can't buy them. But Zipcar can, apparently, adding eight of the things to its fleet, and they're available now in Boston, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon. Given the company has 8,000 total cars available your chances of securing one of these particular Priuses (Prii?) is slim, but if you score, know that they charge in just three hours on a 110 outlet, and half that if you're wired for 220, so no fancy-pants charging station is required for use.
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?
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?
Fisker Karma now set for production in March, deliveries this spring -- maybe
Still hanging on to your Fisker Karma pre-order slip despite the decidedly sizeable boost in MSRP, up to $95,900? Well, we now have an idea of when you might actually have a chance of getting a car. The most recent estimates we heard indicated deliveries starting in late 2010, but that obviously didn't happen. Now Fisker is indicating that full production is set to begin in March, about two months from now, with people getting their rides "soon after." Initial examples of the car are to be produced in Europe, Finland to be exact, and they'll need the services of a fairly substantial boat to get across the Atlantic before they become available here. But, still, a potential release date just a few months away is a reasonably encouraging thing -- and you can't deny the car is still quite a looker.
Toyota debuts new Prius models, family-friendlier Prius V and funkier Prius C
Toyota made no bones about the fact that more Prius models were to be unveiled in Detroit for the North American International Auto Show, even throwing advertisements up around town asking whether it's supposed to be Priuses or Priii. (We, as you can see, chose to side-step the debate.) Now we know what's coming, first being the Prius V. It's the MPV the company has been teasing, basically just a taller version of the four-door sedan with a hatchback and a whopping 60 percent more cargo space -- 32 cubic feet, which is more than most compact SUVs. It's to be rated 42mpg city, 38 highway, and 40 combined, which is a surprising 10mpg lower than the sedan model. That's perhaps a bit disappointing, but availability this summer is a pleasant surprise. Next is the Prius C, naturally for "concept," which is aimed at "young singles and couples." It's definitely funkier and way cooler than the current model, looking to have a nose very similar to the car's FT-86 concept. We hope the production model looks quite close to this, and while that's always a doubtful proposition we won't have all that long to wait, with it hitting dealerships in the first half of 2012. Toyota also showed off the Prius Plug-In, the very same one we test drove last year, said to be coming first to the western and eastern coasts of the US first, and re-affirmed the "patriarch" status of the current-generation Prius sedan, having sold 230,000 cars since 2009. It's good to be the king. %Gallery-113692%
Ford announces C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid cars for 2012 release
Ford indicated that CES was simply the right place to debut the Ford Focus Electric, and we'd tend to agree given the company's history of showing off cool stuff at the show. But, perhaps part of that reason is because the company wasn't done with the new car announcements. In Detroit Ford has announced two new flavors of its C-MAX, both coming to the US: hybrid and plug-in hybrid. The C-MAX is a European market compact MPV, basically a tall station wagon that'll comfortably seat five and still leave room for luggage, dogs, or '70s era mainframe systems in the back. More details on both versions, plus the full PR, after the break. %Gallery-113588%
BYD Motors to debut e6 Premier, S6DM plug-in vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show
China's BYD came out of nowhere in early 2009 to debut a MID / phone running Windows XP, but consumer electronics are just one arm (actually spun off) of the relatively young mega-corporation. Its BYD Motors division has also been working on various plug-in vehicles for the past few years, and it's now set to roll into the Detroit Auto Show next month with two new models. Those include the all-electric e6 Premier crossover, and the S6DM dual-mode plug-in hybrid SUV, the former of which promises a range of 300 kilometers and a top speed of 140km/h, while the latter can eek out 60 kilometers solely on electric power or close to 500 kilometers when the 2.0L gasoline engine comes into play. What's more, the company is apparently also promising a US launch announcement of some sort, although Autoblog Green suspects that will involve the earlier F3DM hybrid (pictured above), which has already begun testing in California, and the E6 electric crossover. Head on past the break for the full press release.
Porsche promises to unveil 'new model' in Detroit, could it be the 918 Spyder plug-in?
Maybe this is wishful thinking and maybe we're optimists, but maybe, just maybe, Porsche could be ready to unveil to the world the final version of its supremely hot hybrid. We already know the company has given the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid a green light for a run down assembly lines, a legitimate supercar with a 700+ horsepower on tap despite achieving near 80mpg. But, we don't know the when nor the all-important how much. With Porsche promising to give "a new model its world debut" at the North American International Auto Show we can't help but hope that this is it. Want to be the first to find out? When the time comes you can watch the unveil yourself, live streamed at www.porsche.com/detroit. Update: Marco wrote in to let us know the spoil-sports at Autobild are indicating this will be just the relatively plain 918, neither a spyder nor a hybrid. We'll just have to wait a few weeks to see.
Fisker raises Karma plug-in hybrid base price to $95,900, brings that 750i back into consideration
Oh, sure -- gas is bound to hit $4 a gallon before 2020, but you can buy an awful let of petrol with the money you'll save from dodging Fisker's increasingly expensive Karma. 'Course, those looking to blow 100 grand on an eco-friendly automobile are probably doing so just to throw Ma Earth a bone, but still -- money matters. Originally teased way back in the fall of 2007, Fisker's first plug-in hybrid still hasn't ended up anywhere near mass production, but it has managed to see two rather significant upticks in price all the while. Right around two years ago, we saw the $80,000 MSRP boosted by $7,000, and today, prospective customers are being notified via email that the Karma's base price is now sitting at $95,900 before a $950 destination fee. Granted, the company insists that this includes an integrated solar roof panel (valued at $5,000), and it still starts at $1,400 less than a Panamera S. And yeah, that base price does shrink to $88,400 after you include federal tax incentives. That said, we're doubting high-rollers that were dead-set on handing over $73,000 or so after tax breaks are currently stoked about an increase this large, particularly when there's still no definitive ship date. To Fisker's credit, we've seen General Motors go through similar trials and tribulations surrounding the Volt, and even at $95k, you'll be hard pressed to find more sexy than this on four (street legal) wheels.
