New posts from Gas 2.0!

Audi Debuts Diesel-Hybrid e-Tron Spyder, Wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Azhar Hussain, Founder of TTXGP, Honored by the Queen
e-Wolf Alpha2 Exotic Electric Car Gets Green Light
MotoCzysz Takes a Bittersweet Victory at Isle of Man
Video: Bicyclist Argues That Staying in Bike Lane Not Always Safe

Audi Debuts Diesel-Hybrid e-Tron Spyder, Wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 02:38 PM PDT

It was a big weekend for Audi, which debuted a new e-Tron diesel plug-in Spyder. And after losing two of three cars to horrifying crashes, an Audi diesel went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Audi just dominated the track and the news all weekend, starting with the debut of the e-Tron Spyder plug-in diesel hybrid concept. A twin-turbocharged 3.0 liter turbo diesel TDI engine sends 300 horsepower and 479 ft-lbs of torque to the rear wheels, while dual electric motors send 87 horsepower and 260 ft-lbs of torque to the front wheels. For those of you doing the math, that is a grand total of 387 horsepower and 739 ft-lbs of torque. Oh, and there's a seven-speed transmission all up in there. I'd hate to be an Audi mechanic reading this right now.

Now here's the impressive part; this concept could get as much as a 107 MPGe rating on the EPA cycle, thanks to its 31-mile all electric range. On top of that it emits just 95 grams of CO2/mile. A single fill-up of the 13-gallon gas tank can take you as far as 621 miles, which would average out to around 47 mpg on the road. Not bad for a car that can go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, and has a governed top speed of 155 mph. I hope we see more diesel-hybrids soon.

And then there is the news from the track. After the three-car Audi diesel team suffered two awful crashed (one at around 200 mph), somehow the remaining car team pulled it together and beat Peugeot by just over 13 seconds, completing 355 laps in total. The Peugeot team tried to conserve fuel, and had just 28 pit stops, compared to the Audi's 31. But that wasn't enough, and Audi pulled it together to take the win, their 10^th overall. It was a good weekend to be an Audi fan, that's for sure.

Oh, and personal favorite team Corvette Racing (running on E85 ethanol) won the GTE class. Good to see Jake bake on top.

Source: Green Car Congress | USA Today

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.

Azhar Hussain, Founder of TTXGP, Honored by the Queen

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 01:23 PM PDT

: photo courtesy ttxgp.com

Azhar Hussain, Father of Electric Motorcycle Racing, is Knighted

In 2009, there were less than a handful of crackpot engineers toiling away in their garages, trying to make fast electric motorcycles. In 2011, there are OEM’s like Brammo and Zero supporting their racing endeavors with sales of electric motorcycles. Then we have the top speed contenders- Lightning, MotoCzysz, and Chip Yates. Rounding out the field are a number of competitors also striving to keep up: Mavizen, eCRP, Zhongshen, Amarok, and many more struggling to make it in electric motorcycle racing. In less than 3 years, Azhar Hussain has launched not only a racing series, but an entire industry.

OK, so they don’t really call it “Knighthood” anymore. But “Awarded MBE” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Here’s the press release and Sir Hussain’s letter to the electric racing community. However you call it, it’s wonderful to see him being honored for all his hard work, especially at a time when so many teams are dropping out. Many teams have been unable to make it to the grid this season, so he’s had to cancel the Portland and Loudon rounds of the US TTXGP. However, a full turnout is expected for Laguna Seca. In fact, I’m hoping to secure a ride and be able to race the TTX75 at Laguna Seca. Unfortunately, there’s no lack of talented, willing racers, only a lack of funding to be able to build competitive bikes.

The industry is in a tough place right now. While there are a few companies working hard to create competitive sportbikes, many are not quite ready to race. Previous years’ fields were deeper because it was wide open. But perhaps now that people see what they’re up against (Brammo at Infineon, and Czysz in 2010 and 2011, as covered here) I suspect a lot of the teams with smaller budgets are staying home. Although the racing is not up to the level of what we’re accustomed to, the technology is developing rapidly, far more rapidly than it did with ICE vehicles. With the partnerships and R&D happening in this industry, we’ll see tremendous advancements.

e-Wolf Alpha2 Exotic Electric Car Gets Green Light

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

The power potential of electric cars is enormous, and sports car makers are really starting to exploit that fact. The e-Wolf Alpha2 can sprint from 0-60 mph in under 4 four seconds…and will actually be built.

Now while it is true that the Tesla Roadster is also capable of such crazy speeds, the Tesla lacks that supercar flair that comes with so many European exotics. One look at the Alpha2 though, and you know its an exotic car that means business. The two electric motors can provide bursts of power up to 375 ponies and 590 ft-lbs of torque (800 Nm), allowing it to hit a top speed of 230 mph.

Of course none of that matters if the battery doesn't last long enough to get you home. The range is said to be in the 185 mile/300 km range, which is actually rather impressive given the performance of this car (though driving flat-out will surely drain the battery quickly). What is also impressive is the price; $423,000, before you add any options. But at least you get an impressive soundtrack to go along with the vehicle, as the Alpha2 will also make fake car noises. Because why spend all that money if nobody can hear you?

The Alpha2 will be built, albeit in very limited numbers, and I'm adding it to my Cars-to-buy-when-I-win-the-lottery list. What say you? Yay or nay on this latest e-exotic?

Source: Emissionslos (German) via Treehugger

MotoCzysz Takes a Bittersweet Victory at Isle of Man

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

photo courtesy iomtt.com

In order to finish first, you must first finish

The Third Annual electric motorcycle race at the Isle of Man, now called TTZero, ran Friday. MotoCzysz was the team to beat with last year’s bike seriously updated and a completely new bike for 2011. Czysz is an innovation machine, cranking out new patents the way most manufacturers crank out marketing plans. Everyone expected Michael Rutter to break the ton, as he’d come so close last year at 92mph. But at 99.60mph, he’ll have to wait until next year for that £10,000 prize. There’s bound to be more competition for that title next year. Brammo has promised to return, and others may also be ready. Although the field has thinned out over the years, it’s only a matter of time before the big boys (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki) decide to join the fun. Next year the ton will be broken, I only hope it’s a tight race. Be sure to see Charge (reviewed here) to get an idea of just how awe-inspiring Isle of Man racing is, and the sweat that went into racing electric motorcycles there.

Only 5 of 8 bikes that started completed the race, with the competition well behind the two Czysz bikes. Results sheet is here. But of course, what we all really want to see is footage. Sadly, the organizers have not embraces the modern world, and do not have a proper video of the race available for those of us beyond the reach of UK Television. For now, there is just this short snippet Hell for Leather managed to unearth. (requires $2 subscription). We can only hope MotoCzysz decides to post some on-board camera footage.

Czysz’s 1-2 win has proven they’re capable of building the greatest electric motorcycles on earth. Powerful, quick, and able to go the distance on the world’s most grueling course. What more could we want? More juice, as always. Although the 2011 Czysz is capable of 200hp, Miller was forced to hold back in order to complete the race. He said that if he’d had more time to practice, he’d have been able to perfect that difficult balance of speed and conservation. This remains the big challenge for EV’s, and is constantly improving. MotoCzysz has partnered with Dow Kokam to develop the battery packs for their 2011 bike. Journalist and former IoM competitor Mark Gardiner discusses the downside of Czysz’ claimed-with-a-caveat horsepower figures here. I’m looking forward to the TTXGP race at Laguna Seca July 26th, which will undoubtedly have a deeper field.

Video: Bicyclist Argues That Staying in Bike Lane Not Always Safe

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 07:04 AM PDT

To what extent should one follow the law? That's the question raised by a pissed-off New York City bicyclist, who was ticketed for riding outside the bike lane. His argument; sometimes the bike lane isn't the safest place to be.

First, I'd like to address this guy's slight superiority complex. Stating "I'm doing the world a favor!" to a cop who is issuing you a summons probably isn't going to get you out of a ticket. As a result of not riding his bike in the bike lane, the angry young YouTuber named Casey ends up with a $50 ticket. That sucks, but without knowing where or how he was riding, we're only left with one side of the story.

However, as the rest of the video goes on to prove (in an over-the-top fashion) riding in the bike lane, at all, times, can be quite detrimental to one's health. As it turns out though, it is not illegal to ride outside of the bike lanes. As section 4-12 of the New York City DOT paper in bicycling laws states;

Bicycle riders must use bike path/lane, if provided, except for access, safety, turns, etc

There it is, in black and white. Young Casey could have simply plead not guilty, quoted this section of the traffic law, and not had to pay $50. Instead, he made an angry YouTube video that has gotten over two million hits. That is, unless, he was actually in the wrong, and riding outside a lane when there was nothing obstructing his way.

Sigh.

Turns out neither the police officer, nor the cyclist, knew the law, which actually doesn't surprise me at all. Don't trust the po-lice, yo.

Source: YouTube