regenerative braking
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Tesla Model S officially breaks the 400 mile EPA range barrier
Tesla has announced that it’s 2020 Model S Long-Range Plus is now EPA rated for 402 miles, cracking a significant psychological range barrier for electric vehicles.
Land Rover EV prototypes tread lightly uphill, recharge on the way down
Instant torque feels delicious on the highway, but it could be an even bigger asset in an offroader. Land Rover has been experimenting with electric versions of its Defender 110 for a while now, and claims its latest prototypes benefit from a reduction in wheel spin due to the single-speed motor, making them more adept at climbing and less likely to churn up the environment. The prototypes don't necessarily stand out in terms of raw specs: they're 25 percent heavier than turbodiesel models, with lower horsepower and torque ratings, and with a range of just 50 miles. They try to make up for it in other ways, however, with the ability to deliver up to eight hours of slow, grueling off-road time, where range is secondary to staying upright, and by exploiting Land Rover's Hill Descent Control feature for faster recharging through regenerative braking. There's no plan to bring an EV Defender to market any time soon, or to run the Dakar gauntlet like some rivals have, but the prototypes are due to make appearance at the Geneva Motor Show before being tested for painful-sounding "specialist applications" later in the year.
Mazda's i-ELOOP does regenerative braking with capacitors instead of batteries
Mazda has decided there's simply no reason why hybrid cars and EVs should have all of the regenerative braking fun. Its new system, called i-ELOOP, is aimed at traditional internal combustion vehicles. But, rather than rely on batteries, the company turned to capacitors which can be charged and discharged in just seconds. The electricity generated is then fed to the car's various electronic components after being passed through a converter to step down the voltage to 12v. By alleviating some of the burden to generate power from the engine Mazda claims it can increase fuel efficiency by up to ten percent. You won't have to wait long to see this tech make it into your next ride either, the world's first capacitor-based regenerative braking system should be making its retail debut sometime in 2012. Check out the PR after the break.
Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell prototype fuels our electric dreams with 526 horses
Oh, electric supercar, why do you tease us so? Mercedes is latest to throw up a prototype of what it expects future rubber burners to look like, and its SLS E-Cell doesn't disappoint. Based on its petrol-guzzling SLS AMG model, this beast produces 526 horsepower and 649 pound-feet of torque, thanks to four motors (one for each wheel) allied to a battery array that can provide an industry-leading 480kW of juice. How fast does that get you to the magical 60mph marker? Try four seconds. There's a handsome 10-inch infotainment panel in the center console, which you may see after the break, but the best news is that this prototype can be driven now and could well turn into a production Benz at some point in 2013.
MIT's Copenhagen Wheel turns your bike into a hybrid, personal trainer
You really can't fault MIT's branding strategy here. Debuting at the biggest climate change conference since Kyoto, its Copenhagen Wheel is a mixture of established technologies with the ambition to make us all a little bit greener and a little bit more smartphone-dependent. On the one hand, it turns your bike into a hybrid -- with energy being collected from regenerative braking and distributed when you need a boost -- but on the other, it also allows you to track usage data with your iPhone, turning the trusty old bike into a nagging personal trainer. The Bluetooth connection can also be used for conveying real time traffic and air quality information, if you care about such things, and Copenhagen's mayor has expressed her interest in promoting these as an alternative commuting method. Production is set to begin next year, but all that gear won't come cheap, as prices for the single wheel are expected to match those of full-sized electric bikes. Video after the break.
Hybrid2 public bike concept promises to help power city buses
Hybrid bikes are one thing, but designer Chiyi Chen looks to have something far grander in mind for his Hybrid2 bike concept, which he says could one day help power fleets of city buses. To do that, the hybrid part of the bike (a regenerative braking system) wouldn't be used to help power the bike itself at all, but would instead store the energy in an ultracapacitor that'd then feed the energy back into the grid when its parked at a special bike stand, which would in turn be used to help charge the hybrid electric buses. Not one to overlook an ingenious little detail, Chen has also devised a special card RFID card that would not only be used to unlock the bike, but keep track of the energy that each rider generates -- build up enough credits and you can ride the bus for free. Intrigued? Head on past the break for a video overview from the man himself.[Via Inhabitat]
Sanyo's eneloop hybrid bike has basket, will travel
Looking for an electric bike that does the pedaling for you? You have plenty of choices, particularly if you're willing to drop over $2,000, but finding one that uses regenerative braking to extend the life of its meager on-board batteries isn't so easy. Panasonic's Vivi RX10S is about your only choice until February, when Sanyo's new eneloop-branded bike is set to start pulling weak (or just lazy) Japanese riders up up inclines before recharging itself on the way back down. On a hilly course a charge is said to last about 35 miles without braking, 46 by charging only when braking, and 62 miles in "auto" mode (charging on downhills, too). If you live in Japan it'll be yours for 136,290 yen, about $1,450 US -- but if you live around here we'd recommend not canceling your spinning class just yet, because while Sanyo pledges to ship this elsewhere in the world "at some point in the future," it could be awhile before this thing starts hitting the diamond lanes near you.[Via PhysOrg.com]
