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E.Dams-Renault wins Formula E's first team title
The all-electric Formula E racing league is on the cusp of finishing its inaugural season, and it's already handing out the first prizes. The E.dams-Renault team has clinched the Formula E's first-ever team title after drivers Sebastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost respectively placed first and seventh in the initial race of the London ePrix, giving the organization a secure lead over Audi. The event wasn't as exciting as others (Buemi took the lead early and held it), but it sets up what should be a fierce rivalry for the driver's title in the last race on June 28th. Buemi is now just a stone's throw away from frontrunner Nelson Piquet -- you can be sure that both EV racers will be determined to finish out in front.
Renault has a futuristic 'Gran Turismo' concept car too
The Nissan GT-R and Chevy's Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo are about to get some fresh company thanks to French automaker Renault. The Alpine Vision Gran Turismo is the latest Gran Turismo 6 ride turned concept vehicle, and weighing in at around 1,984 pounds (900 kilograms) it's lighter than a 2015 Dodge Dart by over 1,200 pounds. Let that sink in for a minute. Okay, still with us? It's rocking a 450 horsepower engine mid-rear, a 199MPH top speed and a rad set of air brakes you can see in the video below. Renault teases that some of the tech from the concept will make it to Alpine's 2016 production model -- which, as Autoblog notes, would be its first since 1995. Should you want a peek at the car in person, it's stationed throughout France until early next month. After that, it's doing laps in Gran Turismo 6 as a free download in March.
'Forza 5' will be the first racing game with a Formula E electric racer
Turn 10 has just revealed that it'll bring the hum of electric power to Forza 5 with the Spark-Renault SRT-01E racing car. That'd mark the first EV from the fledgeling Formula E racing series in any game -- in fact, the actual series itself won't launch until September 13th in Beijing. The Spark-Renault SRT-01E was the first car to be homologated by the FIA for Formula E, and features a 200kW (270 bhp) motor and 888 kg (2,000 pound) curb weight. As you were likely wondering, it also produces about 80 decibels at full power -- that's a bit more than your car, but far, far less than the 140 screeching decibels of a pedal-to-the-metal Formula 1 racer. There's no word on when it'll arrive to Forza 5, but it would make sense to co-launch it with the Formula E series in Beijing next month.
Daily Roundup: FIFA 2014 World Cup Brazil, concept car with a drone companion and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
This concept car uses its own reconnaissance drone to spot traffic jams
The idea of receiving traffic updates on your sat nav may suddenly seem tawdry next to this more futuristic alternative dreamed up by Renault: If you're driving along in its "KWID" concept car and you're worried about jams up ahead, you simply launch a quadrocopter drone from the car's roof, send it skyward using a control app on your tablet and then survey the road through its camera. Would it be distracting, trying to perceive two views at once without the multitasking skills of an Apache pilot? Whose insurer would pay out if your drone pranged someone else's? Fortunately, these questions need not concern us, as Renault readily admits that the KWID will probably never see the light of an assembly plant. And in any case, if the technology does come about one day, the parallel advent of semi-autonomous cars and mind-controlled drones would surely make it practical.
Renault prototype is a self-driving massage parlor
Renault wants to make your commute as chill as possible. Assuming your route is "protected" (free of pedestrians, cyclists or lane changes), the French automaker has a few tricks up its sleeve to make gridlocked traffic less of a hassle. Once you engage automated driving mode, the Next Two prototype releases scents to calm you down, adjusts cabin lighting, kicks the seat back and activates massage motors to melt away the day's stresses. The company purposely designed these features to activate at below 19MPH (30KPH) -- about half of Audi's cap -- to take the frustration out of bumper-to-bumper traffic. With the push of a button though, the reins are back in your hands and everyone's safety is up to you. As SlashGear has noticed, the Next Two prototype can also take care of parking, with an automated valet feature that finds a spot, and returns on demand to the driver -- all controlled via smartphone app. There's a video demo after the break laying out possible features, but it could be years before we find out if these compromises satisfy the safety authorities. If Renault has its way though, the Next Two will debut by 2020.
Formula E's electric-powered race car takes its first test laps (video)
A few months ago we got our first look at the Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E teams will be racing next year, and just recently, that car hit a test track in France for the first time to see how it held up. Spark Racing president Frédéric Vasseur reported things went well, with the car turning about 40 laps over two days of testing at La Ferté Gaucher without taking a sip of fuel. The video after the break captures a few clips from the laps -- running on a smaller 50kW battery, just 25 percent of the 270hp-equivalent power race-ready cars will have -- and while we'll need to adjust to the lack of noise, perhaps its impressive torque and handling can make up for it. More tests are planned before the first race in Beijing next September as the team pushes its mileage up bit by bit before running a full race simulation.
Formula E details Spark-Renault's SRT_01E electric race car
If you plan to watch the inaugural Formula E season, you'll want to get used to the race car shown above -- you'll see a lot of it. That's the just-unveiled Spark-Renault SRT_01E, the official electric vehicle that all 10 Formula E teams will use next year. The car melds a Spark Racing Technology design with a McLaren-sourced, 270BHP equivalent motor based on that of the P1 supercar. Williams supplies the batteries, while Renault is responsible for tying all the systems together. As you'd imagine, this first-generation ride has its limitations; drivers will have to swap cars in the middle of an hour-long race, for example. Still, the FIA is quick to remind us that the SRT_01E won't last beyond the 2014 season. Formula E is an open championship meant to advance EV technology, and manufacturers are likely to produce faster or more efficient cars in the future.
TomTom inks new in-car navigation deals with Ford, Renault and Sony
With Apple, Google, and Nokia all vying for a share of the in-car navigation market, TomTom's hooked up with a team of automotive partners to keep its long-term aspirations alive. The first of the navigation firm's three new deals will see it provide maps, navigation and traffic updates for Renault's new built-in R-Link touchscreen tablet, which will feature in no fewer than 15 of the company's new models. TomTom is establishing a new partnership with Ford with the debut of a new app for the in-dash SYNC infotainment system, although you won't see it until sometime next year. The GPS provider will also include its mapping features in Sony's newest AV Center in-dash system, which features a high-res 6.1-inch display. As TomTom gradually gets pulled in two -- between deals with Apple and its ever-expanding list of car manufacturing partners -- maybe the portable dashboard GPS will soon find itself at a dead end.
Qualcomm pairs up with Delta Motorsport, flirts with Renault for Halo wireless charging trials
Qualcomm will be trialling its wireless charging system in London later this year, adding two names to turn Qualcomm Halo from a New Zealand science project into reality. It's teaming up with Delta Motorsport, which will add the induction platform to some of its E-4 electric sports coupés in preparation for the city-wide trial. It's also signed a memorandum of understanding with Renault, paving the way for the French auto maker to investigate adding the tech to future EVs. As part of the deal, both companies will get a seat on the steering committee for the project -- maybe the company will let them sit in the passenger seat and change gears.
Renault Zoe EV motors nearly 1,000 miles in 24 hours, charges nine times
Even amongst siblings, Renault's shown it's game for a little competition. With a 994 mile trip completed earlier this month on a test circuit, the company's Zoe EV broke a record for the longest distance an electric car has covered in a 24 hour period, according to France Mobilite Electrique (translation via TreeHugger). Think the French automaker's vehicle pulled off the feat on a single charge? Try nine half-hour rapid-charge juice-ups that each provide a roughly 130 mile range in a controlled test-circuit environment. The EV is rolling out in Europe this fall for those who don't mind a little stop-and-go.
Renault's Twizy EV for 16 year-olds comes too late for Justin to skip the DMV queue
Renault's planning to take advantage of a change in the law that'll enable 16-year-olds to drive vehicles on the roads without a license by releasing the Twizy EV. The futuristic golf-cart will have a top speed of 28mph and give budding Dominic Torettos the chance to drag-race each other in mall car parks every night. Unfortunately, environmentally-friendly road-raging will come at a price, with the Twizy expected to retail at £6,200 ($9,940) and teenage insurance premiums being a further £4,000 ($6,400). At the same event, the company's Andy Heiron mentioned that the high cost of (sister-company's) Nissan Leaf was responsible for the sluggish sales in Blighty, and that Nissan is considering letting buyers rent their EV batteries in order to lower the initial cost of their enviro-whip to more manageable levels. Otherwise, it won't just be the kids fighting over who gets to do that extra paper-route.
New 'March Pirelli' DLC for Forza 4 is basically a sack of cars
Themed DLC packs are great and everything, but there's no law that say all DLC has to be themed all the time. Take Forza 4's March Pirelli DLC pack, for instance: The 10 cars contained within the pack have literally nothing to do with each other, other than the fact that they're all cars of some variety and would probably be jolly good fun to drive. It's like a big grab bag of Hot Wheels, only digital and impossible to step on in the middle of the night.Available March 6 for 560 MS Points (or "free" to Season Pass holders), the pack comes with the 2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato (Villa d'Este), the 1971 Ferrari #2 Ferrari Automobili 312 P, the 2012 Ultima GTR, the 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS 396, the 2010 Renault Clio RS, the 1966 Ford Country Squire, the 1995 BMW 850CSi, the 2011 Wiesmann GT MF5, the 1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza, and our personal favorite, the 1986 Alfa Romeo GTV-6.%Gallery-149222%
Renault debuts R-Link, an in-dash Android system with app market
Renault is taking app development to its lineup of vehicles with a new integrated system that's based on Android. The product, known as R-Link, is essentially a seven-inch touchscreen computer that's very much akin to CUE, an infotainment system that was recently announced by Cadillac at CTIA. Unlike CUE, however, Renault is opening its platform to independent developers and will host an app store, which it hopes will create a new source of revenue for the company. The French automaker plans to launch R-Link with nearly 50 apps, which will appear first in the Clio 4 and Zoe, and eventually spread across the Renault's entire product range. Whether app developers simply choose to flood the marketplace with countless gas mileage and location-sharing apps is yet to be seen, although we have a great idea for one that shares contact details simply by "bumping" your car into the one in front of you. Hey, it's a nice way to exchange insurance information, anyway. You'll find the full PR after the break.
TomTom announces Z.E. Live navigation system to measure EV battery juice, keeps you truckin'
There's nothing worse than going for a late-night chili dog run only to find your EV sucked dry in a 7-11 parking lot. To reduce so-called "range-anxiety," there's the Carminat TomTom Z.E. Live, an in-dash navigation system that not only keeps drivers from getting lost, but also offers a visual cue to how much power's left. Sticking with the green theme, the device provides the most eco-friendly and efficient routes (with nearby charging stations) -- leaving drivers feeling good about putting the pedal to the metal. The nav will come pre-baked in all future Renault Fluence Z.E.s -- but we wouldn't be surprised to see other EV manufacturers implement similar add-ons in the future. Check out the full PR after the break.
Denmark lands Europe's first Better Place EV battery swapping station
Better Place continued on its quest of global EV-battery-switching domination, Tuesday, bringing its special drop-and-swap charging solution to the fine folks of Gladsaxe, Denmark. An automated robot arm ceremoniously traded out the battery in a Renault Fluence Z.E., marking the beginning of a nine-month roll out across the country. The aptly titled Battery Switch station is the first of its kind in Europe and the first of 20 to be installed in Denmark. It was a monumental occasion, to be sure, one that could have only benefited from a performance of Michael Jackson's Heal the World as sung by Danish humanoid (and ladies' man) Geminoid-DK. Full PR after the break. [Thanks, Tesoo]
Hertz launches hourly EV rentals in London, self-satisfaction comes free
Contract-free cellphones, declining marriage rates and car-sharing services all tell us you're a bunch of commitmentphobes. Lucky for you the world is willing to oblige your wishy-washy ways, and for those who also happen to have a bit of a green streak, Connect by Hertz offers hourly rentals on electric cars. After launching its EV rental program here in New York last year, Hertz promised to expand to several other cities and countries by the end of 2011, with London being the next to go online this Friday. British urbanites averse to car ownership will be able to pick from a fleet of vehicles including the iMieV, Nissan LEAF and Renault Kangoo, range anxiety diminished thanks to the city's 16 charging stations. It's not exactly the Jetsons, but if this is the future of transportation, we're ok with that -- we're thinking Mother Earth is too.
Israel gets its first EV battery swap station, makes charging stations obsolete
Don't get us wrong, we think electric vehicles are totally rad and all, but there's still the whole recharging thing that makes us a little wary. That's why we're stoked to hear that Better Place's first battery swap station for EVs (and not just special Japanese cabbies) has officially opened its doors in Israel... for owners of the Renault Fluence Z.E. All it takes is an RFID card to enter the carwash-esque structure, and robots from below swap out your empty battery for a fully charged alternative while you occupy yourself for three minutes. No word on how much it'll cost for the opportunity, but we've got an inkling it won't be cheap. Fortunately, we've got apps and "get you home" guarantees for that additional peace of mind, but we do hope the concept eventually makes its way over to our shores. Of course, we're also still waiting for eternal battery life in all of our electronics, but until that day comes invisible robots changing batteries for us will suffice.
Renault introduces new 'get you home' guarantee for electric vehicles, but there's a catch
European auto-maker Renault wants EV buyers to know that if you run out of juice, it's got your back. Dubbed the "get you home" guarantee, the company will provide you with a loaner while they recharge your dead locomotive's battery. Of course, the offer only stands if it's due to 'uncontrollable circumstances' like inclement weather or unwieldy traffic, so don't just start trying to push that recommended range tough guy. The new policy should give folks without many charging stations or PlugShare participants nearby some added peace of mind. Sure beats having to wait for Enterprise to come pick you up, huh?
Better Place swappable EV batteries priced, Renault is definitely onboard
It's going to be a little while before you're able to recharge your battery-electric EV as quickly as you can refuel your gasoline-powered machine. Until then there's Better Place, offering a suite of options including traditional recharging and fast battery-swapping. The idea is you don't buy a car with a battery you buy a car then lease the battery, and now we're getting an idea of what that lease is going to cost. It's launching first in Denmark with the Renault Fluence Z.E., a €27,496 ($38,500) car. If you're okay with driving less than 20,000km per year you can get by with monthly battery fees between €199 and €249 ($278 to $348), which includes recharging at Better Place locations or five-minute battery swaps if you're in a hurry. For €399 monthly ($558) you get unlimited mileage, but all plans get stuck with a €1,341 ($1,874) up-front fee to install a home charging station -- a bit steep compared to Ford's $1,500 option but not bad overall. Renault is also announcing Better Place support for its Twizy, which is featured in a video below. It's a tiny little thing that will cost just €6,900 ($9,640) and is due to ship this year. That's astonishingly cheap for an EV but, of course it comes without a battery pack, so you'll need to be leasing one. However, we're told there'll be a 7,500km lease option for just €45 ($63) per month. It also won't be coming to the States, planned only for a European launch, a land of smaller roads that'll be better suited to this flea-sized creation. And now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be sending our poor currency-converting intern on break. Poor gal really needs a coffee.
