vehicle
Latest
Reconfigurable Performance Display to show off engine stats in select GM cars
We'll be honest -- we still kind of prefer the days when hacking Wiimotes and other household gadgets was the preferred method for extracting more enjoyment from one's vehicle, but we suppose there's no stopping progress. Starting in 2009 (a few years too late for the Fast & Furious crowd), General Motors will begin to offer up a $295 Reconfigurable Performance Display option in the Cobalt and HHR SS. Said display will enable easily distracted drivers to quickly see how many Gs they're pulling, enable / disable Traction Control, Stability Control and Competition Mode, and get a visual on boost, cam phaser angle, spark advance, engine torque, etc. Oh, and it totally adds 10-horsepower when installed alongside a spare NoS sticker.[Via Autoblog]
Chrysler's $499 Uconnect Web in-car EV-DO system coming this month
Wait, wait. Something that was promised for next year is arriving... this year? Be still our hearts! Chrysler will reportedly offer up its in-car EV-DO solution (dubbed Uconnect Web) starting on August 25th, and owners of 2009 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles (along with a few "earlier models") will be able to have the $499 box retrofitted into their rides. Apparently the auto maker isn't planning to install the units directly at the factory, so those who want it will be forced to pay an additional $35 to $50 installation charge, a $35 activation fee and a $29 monthly subscription fee. The service is said to provide download speeds between 400Kbps and 800Kbps with uploads hovering around 400Kbps, and provider Autonet Mobile has promised that you'll "never lose the connection." That's a pretty bold claim -- thankfully we'll be able to test it out in just a few weeks.[Via CrunchGear, image courtesy of Flickr]
Nissan shows off two more collision avoidance prototypes
Nissan has a knack for pumping out novel safety advancements every few months, and the latest two are in the same vein as a few previous efforts. Two new technologies, Side Collision Prevention and Back-up Collision Prevention, fit into the auto maker's Safety Shield concept to "help protect the vehicle and its occupants from potential risks coming from multiple directions." As for the first, the tech utilizes side-mounted sensors to activate a warning if an approaching vehicle is detected in the drivers intended lane; from there, a yaw mechanism is "activated through brake control of individual wheels to help prevent a potential collision." For the second, an array of sensors detect potential obstacles and triggers an alarm / puts on the brakes if a collision is about to happen. Per usual, there's no mention of when these brilliant ideas will be implemented into production vehicles, but our insurance bills are pleading for "soon." [Via Gizmag]
Tesla's in-car charging computer gets touched on video
Your retinas have been treated to plenty of external shots of Tesla's Roadster, but have you ever stopped to wonder what kind of excitement sat just southwest of the steering wheel? CNET's UK branch managed to get their camcorder within a Roadster parked on display over in Britain, and what they found was a rather robust interface that enables owners to get all sorts of involved with how and when the car charges. The representative did note that typical navigation functions were controlled via the JVC head unit, but the small panel just under the gauges enables motorists to control a number of aspects in relation to charging. There's even a guide that explains which choices are cheaper and more beneficial for the long-term life of the battery. Have a look at the video in the read link.[Via Digg]
$2,000 Giant Twist Freedom DX electric bicycle gets pedaled on video
For those balking at the $2,000 price tag, you should really take a look at the competition before scrunching your nose up and walking away. That being said, two large is still a lot to drop on something that could still require at least some bodily exertion, but a recent video review over at Popular Mechanics could help you determine whether this particular bike is worth you while. The Giant Twist Freedom DX can roll up to 75 miles on a mixture of battery and human-powered pedaling, and the motor touts three different modes (Eco, Normal and Sport) to satisfy your mood / riding requirements. Nah, Ironman participants won't want anything to do with this heap, but those looking for a greener (and oftentimes quicker) way to commute in the city may find lots to love. The video, as promised, is waiting in the read link.[Via Digg]
Lightning's 120,000 all-electric sports car unveiled in London
Well, would you have a look at that. That, dear friends, is Lightning's immaculate GT -- a £120,000 ($239,400) motorcar that is just one of two vehicles in the world to rely on lithium-titanate battery technology. Said innovation enables the vehicle to go from dead to fully charged in "just minutes," though you will have to find a location that provides three-phase industrial power in order to see the benefits over traditional Li-ion cells. The firm's Chris Dell asserts that the nearly exclusive quick charge tech more than justifies the exorbitant price tag, and he's even looking to UK-based businesses to hopefully strike a deal in which motorists can swing by, juice up and be on their way while traveling. Anxious to take delivery? Looks like you'll be waiting until sometime next year.
Electric MINI hitting US streets in summer 2009
Not that electric MINIs are anything new, but unless you were willing to pay for all the mods yourself, procuring one wasn't exactly simple. Now, however, we're hearing that MINI itself will be bringing scads of these buggers to American streets in the summer of 2009. Yeah, like, one year from right now. MINI USA VP Jim McDowell was the source of said statement (so it's pretty much official, yeah?), though he didn't mention whether all of them would be reserved for California or if they would be available sold out nationwide. Hey MINI, we'd say you've got a hit on your hands.
Subaru features STELLA electric car at G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit
With just about every other automaker on the planet champing at the bit to showcase its newest electric prototypes, Subaru's doing its best to hang on to the briskly moving bandwagon. Said company has just recently announced that its plug-in STELLA concept will be showcased at the upcoming G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, and four of the five on hand will actually be used to "transport government officials and other participants" while the other offers itself up for test drives. The four-seat vehicle in question utilizes the same EV (electric vehicle) system employed in the R1e, suggesting that it can cruise around 80-kilometers (50 miles) on a full charge and hit a top speed of 100km/h (or just over 62mph).[Via AutoblogGreen]
Mercedes-Benz aiming to ditch petroleum by 2015?
While Audi is over there planning to produce an electric car within the next decade, Mercedes-Benz is hoping to be completely petro free within seven years. At least that's the word according to a recent report in The Sun. Dr. Herbert Kohler, who is responsible for Mercedes' advanced engineering, has reportedly suggested that "by 2015 motorists will have switched almost completely to alternative fuel cars." In order to make sure it's not left out, the automaker already has an electric car in the works for 2010 as well as plans to use its DiesOtto engine which will give motorists the ability to use biofuels should they choose. Still, aiming to phase petroleum completely out of its lineup by 2015 sounds overly ambitious from here, but we certainly won't complain if it achieves said goal.[Via AutoblogGreen, thanks Dan]
Original K.I.T.T. up for auction: impressive exterior, laughable interior
Enough of these kit (ahem) cars, we're ready for the real deal. Up on the auction block today is a genuine 1984 Pontiac Trans Am that was used in the third and fourth seasons of Knight Rider. Yep, this is the one with the coveted Super Pursuit Mode, and legend has it that cops won't even ticket you for using it. At first glance, one can't help but be impressed with how spectacular this bona fide piece of history looks, but one glance at the interior and you realize there's quite a bit of work left to do. Personally, we could think of a limitless number of better ways to spend 26 large, but hardcore Hasselhoff fans will likely insist on differing.[Via Autoblog]
Fallen Earth video showcases lots of gameplay
We've been following Fallen Earth for a while now, so it's very nice to finally see a new official video after waiting patiently for several months since the last. Everything looks like it's running incredibly smoothly too, which is a relief given the nature of the combat system in the game. Speaking of that, the combat looks pretty solid to us, but don't be fooled by the run-and-gun gameplay. Fallen Earth's MMO qualities are littered about in-between all the blazing guns you see in the footage. We do love those details. For instance, if you listen closely to the scene with the sniper scope you'll hear a nice clicking sound as the sharpshooter zooms in slightly.Beyond the guns, girls and giant mutants in the video, you'll also be seeing some footage of players riding their very own mounts. It's some sort of buggy from what we can gather, some might even consider it to be puma-like. Here's hoping for some mounted gun upgrades so our friends can have something to do while we drive them around the wastelands!
Terrafugia hopes to showcase drivable airplane this summer
Make no mistake, Terrafugia's outlandish airplane / motorcar hybrid has been on the drawing board for years, but it looks like the rubber is about to hit the proverbial road (or take to the skies, whichever) this July. A team of ten is working feverishly to ready the Transition for its debut at this year's AirVenture, where it hopes to catch more than a few eyes with its zany "roadable aircraft." As you can likely guess, this thing is meant to both fly and drive, and yes, that means it'll have to pass safety regulations from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If all goes well, the startup expects to deliver its first vehicle to a customer in 2009, while mass production isn't scheduled to happen until 2012. We're no experts in the field, but it seems like it'll take a Christmas miracle for either of those feats to actually be accomplished.[Via Slashdot]
California man builds his own solar-electric vehicle
Although Brent Hatch's homegrown solar-electric whip looks eerily similar (read: just as ugly) to the SUNN solar car kit, this one was actually created without the help of any pre-packaged parts or sophisticated schematics. After his gas bill rose well over $700 a month (he and his wife have seven kids, after all), he decided to purchase a rather unsightly eight-seater bicycle and figure out a way to enable roof-mounted solar panels to power an electric motor. Nah, the top speed isn't very impressive, and you certainly wouldn't want to head out on I-5 with it, but it sure makes picking up the offspring from their nearby school a whole lot less painful on the wallet. Check out the video in the read link for more.[Thanks, Dave]
Cin King vehicles are just slightly ahead of their time
Yeah, Cin King has been tickling people's fancy for a small while now, but with a lineup consisting of the Slim Jim, Full Power Flagship, Naked Wonder and Circular 360, how could we not pass this along? Barring some sort of miracle, it's safe to assume that all of these motorcars are patently fake, but that doesn't mean you can't get a laugh out of such a cleverly designed website meant to showcase the whole family, right? Go on, you know you can't wait to read more about "the first electric car with diesel drive," a compact with twin turbines, anything codenamed "Naked Wonder," and a round-mobile ripped straight out of 2184 (or an obscure episode of The Jetsons). 'Tis a shame these aren't anywhere near production -- they'd go over so well in America.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Hummer H3 converted into remote controlled vehicle
After this, you'll never have the same mental image when hearing "remote controlled car" again. Ever. Resident engineer and all around madman Dr. James Brighton took a break from his rigorous teaching duties at Cranfield University and whipped up a RC Hummer H3 -- as in, the man converted an actual Hummer H3 into a remotely controlled toy. Amazingly, the conversion was completed in just a month, and it's reportedly able to "climb a 407-millimeter vertical wall, traverse a 40-percent side slope and operate in up to 610-millimeters of water." Hit up the read link for a few more images of this guy having the time of his life.
Toyota already looking beyond lithium-ion batteries
If you can believe it (and we think you can), Toyota is already hard at work on a new battery system to replace its lithium-ion units currently slated for use in upcoming models. According to a report in Automotive News Europe, the company is hoping to adopt a more advanced battery for its hybrid vehicles in about 12 years as part of its Global Vision 2020 plan. The automaker won't say what technology it plans on moving towards, though it has suggested that air-zinc batteries could be a possible solution for maintaining its dominance in the hybrid vehicle market. In June the company will launch a new division dedicated to developing technologies for future cell power, while its lithium-ion vehicles will hit the roads around 2010.[Via Autoblog]
Tesla hopes for $250 million in funding for electric sedans
Remember that elusive WhiteStar we first got wind of earlier this month? Apparently, Tesla Motors is doing its best to round up a quarter-billion dollars over the next two years in order to produce the aforementioned electric sedan. Reportedly, the firm is deciding between Albuquerque, New Mexico or the East Bay area in California to construct its plant, and if all goes to plan, it'll use that facility to crank out the 2010 luxury sports sedan. As expected, concrete details are scant at the moment, but we are hearing that it hopes to launch the WhiteStar for around "half the price of its roadster," which currently retails in the US for a shade under $100,000.
16-year-old converts gas truck to electric, reminds us of our wasted youth
We don't know about you, but we were doing far, far less productive things than Andrew Angelloti when we were 16. The green-minded youth -- a forum member over at Ecomodder -- has taken his 1988 Mazda pickup truck and converted it to run solely on electricity using $6,000 he'd earned as a part-time lifeguard. According to Andrew, the truck reaches a top speed of 55 MPH, sports a range of 40 miles per charge, and has acceleration that's, "Not that bad." The mod uses 20 flooded lead-acid batteries (for 120 volts), and a 60 HP, 9-inch electric motor. For most of us, that one major conversion would be enough, but Andrew is cracking away on his second EV mod, working his magic on a 1992 Toyota Tercel and gunning for more speed and a larger motor. Who said kids were lazy these days?[Via Digg]
Vehicle-based networks get sexy names, remain impractical
While the idea of the networked car has been simmering on the back burner for years now, the farthest we've gotten is niche single-vehicle products like AutoNet -- but a pair of new proposed systems could actually get past the drawing aboard before flaming out and failing like all the rest. The first is a collision-avoidance system being developed in Europe called Vehicle2Vehicle (or V2V), which uses GPS and wireless networking to constantly analyze the speed, position and trajectory of nearby cars and alert drivers to impending collisions. The developers say the tech is simple enough to be deployed relatively rapidly, but that the mess of different in-car integration standards is keeping costs high and interest low -- which is the same problem faced by the developers of a different system called CarTorrent at UCLA. CarTorrent is more about getting cars connected, and it's pretty much what the name implies -- distributed networking across cars. The system is based on something called digital short range communication over the 5.9GHz spectrum, and it allows cars to transmit and receive navigation, media, and telemetry information -- and what's more, it's based on a proposed IEEE car-to-car networking standard called 802.11p, which should speed adoption by automakers when it's finally approved. Even still, we've been burned too many times in the past to keep our hopes alive -- guess it's back to eBay for that KITT auction.Read - V2VRead - CarTorrent
Saturn aims for 2010 with plug-in hybrid Vue Green Line -- take that, Toyota
Just as Toyota saw fit to pimp its own forthcoming plug-in hybrid, General Motors is hitting back with "hopes" to produce a similarly equipped Saturn Vue Green Line in 2010 as well. We know, GM doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to delivering on time, but you say what you have to in order to keep up, right? Nevertheless, this vehicle is slated to house a "modified version of GM's two-mode hybrid system and plug-in technology" along with an obligatory Li-ion, and current testing has shown it able to traverse ten miles at "low speeds" when running on battery power alone. It's also stated that the SUV can be fully recharged in just under five hours, but alas, GM isn't opening its mouth even a little to address pricing expectations. Hit the read link for a gallery of photos -- who knows when you'll see it in the flesh.
