Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics i8 Caught Winter Testing

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 03:30 PM PST

One the members over at the high-end car forum TeamSpeed snapped some photos of BMW’s upcoming i8 (better known as the Vision EfficientDynamics hybrid) which the company presented on its website as a “near production-ready vehicle“.  That’s usually PR-speak for “we’ll build it if you order 20,000 units”, but – from these pictures – BMW wasn’t bluffing, and the i8 is undergoing what is typically one of the final phases of testing before a new car is released to the public. BMW has also publicly stated that the i8 is destined for production, so BMW seems serious about this funky concept. The i8 will be one of the cornerstone vehicles of BMW’s new “i” sub-brand, which will be devoted to fuel efficient and alt-fuel vehicles.

The i8 is expected to take its driver 100 km on just 3.76 liters of fuel, which works out to just over 62 mpg from the slinky, radically-styled hybrid.

ts_i81 ts_i82 ts_i83 ts_i84

Source:  TeamSpeed.com

Green Speed: Veritas RSIII KERS / Plug-in Hybrid

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 12:00 PM PST

This is the new Veritas RSIII Hybrid sportscar … which (for better or for worse) looks an awful lot like the “regular” Veritas RSIII sportscar it’s based on.

The new Hybrid Veritas is powered by a 600 hp version of the 5.0 liter V10 found in BMW’s M5 sports sedan, which powers the rear wheels.  It’s a high-tech piece, but the real electro-trickery happens on the other end of the car, where the front wheels are driven by a 140 hp (105 kW) electric motor, “fueled” by a 500-lb li-ion battery pack.  Those batteries, by the way, are enough to power the Veritas in pure electric mode for over 30 miles of around-town driving, with the big V10 barking to life “on-demand” in response to aggressive throttle inputs.  The Vertias’ batteries can be charged with a standard outlet, and also charged “on the go” with a KERS-style regenerative braking system that allows the front wheels to help “pull” the car from a dig or out of slow corners, just like its Formula 1 cousins.

Even with the added weight of the batteries and KERS, however, the Veritas tips the scales at a lithe 3800 lbs., enabling 0-60 runs in the low 3-second range – making the Veritas a good deal quicker than most of its supercar rivals.

Veritas’ board has announced plans to unveil an ever-so-slightly more practical coupe version of the car this summer, and a full electric version before 2013.

01-veritas-rs-iii-hybrid-612 03-veritas-rs-iii-hybrid-612 04-veritas-rs-iii-hybrid-612 05-veritas-rs-iii-hybrid-612

Source / Photos:  Translogic.

Project Better Place Announces Pricing Plans in Denmark: Not So Cheap

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 10:40 AM PST

One advantage EV advocates push is that charging an electric vehicle is cheaper than filling it full of gas. Project Better Place just announced its pricing plan for the country of Denmark. How does almost $600 a month sound?

That's for the top-tier pricing plan, which would give EV drivers about 40,000 kms of driving per-year as well as access to Better Place's battery swapping stations. Better Place has partnered with Renault, whose vehicles will work with Better Place's charging stations, which can deliver an 80% charge in under 30 minutes, or the swapping stations that give you a brand new battery in just "minutes." That said, there are just a handful of these stations operational right now, and while I’m sure Better Place has huge plans, right now you’re talking about a very limited driving area.

And of course, none of this comes cheap, and on top of the $38,000 price tag for the Renault Fluence EV, pricing plans range from about $288 a month to nearly $600 a month, as well as a tone-time fee of around $1,800 for a home EV charging station. But wait…if you have a home station, why would you need a monthly subscription to Better Place?

Gas prices in Denmark are well over the $8 a gallon mark, making electric vehicles an attractive solution. So the $300 a month pricing plan might actually make sense for those who are using about 10 gallons of fuel a week. But with many European vehicles getting well over 50 mpg, filling up with petrol might still be the cheaper solution, especially when the Fluence EV itself is nearly $40,000.

I love electric vehicles, but if I was facing down those numbers, I think I'd rather suck it up and boy a scooter instead. How about you?

Source: Project Better Place

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.

Jalopnik: the Mitsubishi Evo Must Die

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 10:20 AM PST

Will Mitsubishi kill the EVO?

That question has been lighting up the automotive forums for days now, ever since Gayu Eusegi (Mitusbishi’s Global Product Director) told Autocar that, although “there is still a demand … we must stop (building the EVO).”  One week on, and it seems like the answer is a definite “Yes.”, and the 2012 version of Mitsubishi’s famed rally monster will – indeed – be the last.

Should Mitsubishi kill the EVO?

That question, which is (perhaps) more relevant, hadn’t been getting as much airplay … until this morning, that is, when Jalopnik editor Mike Spinelli posted an excellent op-ed piece titled “Why the Evo Must Die“.  In it, Spinelli takes a look at Mitsubishi’s motorsports past and determines that “It was fun while it lasted, kids, but it’s time to end it.”  He goes on to say that, “Whatever you think about electric cars, or how many Evo snaps you once taped into your locker, Mitsubishi is correct to bow out of motorsports and ostensibly phase out its mo-sport halo car. Not because racing is anathema to today’s car business, but because racing and building series-production cars spawned from motorsports development isn’t for dabblers.”

Neither is electric car technology for dabblers, however, as Tesla, Fisker, and Ford will likely agree.  Mitsubishi, then, seems to be betting the farm on electric.

Let’s hope it pays off.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of Spinelli’s excellent post.

Source:  Jalopnik.

Japanese Vending Machines to Double as EV Chargers

Posted: 08 Mar 2011 07:57 AM PST

Vending machines are everywhere, dispending everything from soda to iPods and maybe even some sage advice. A Japanese company thinks vending machine locations are perfect for charging electric vehicles too.

In order to save costs and build around an existing power infrastructure, the Forking Co. along with Panasonic plan to install about 10,000 EV charging stations at the sites of vending machines. Many (though certainly not all) vending machines require a 240 volt hookup, which is the same voltage required for "Level 2" charging stations. By installing charging stations on the sites of old vending machines, a lot of cost can be cut out from the installation. Plus, vending machines are already placed in high traffic areas, so these EV charging stations will be easy to find. I wonder about parking though.

There is the potential for up to 1.2 million of these vending/charging locations, and perhaps even one day a machine that dispenses both products and power. It is an idea that I hope catches on in America. That would be pretty damn baller if I do say so myself.

Source: Psyorg | Picture: sanchome

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.
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