Wheelies: The Bye Bye Bus Edition
After 56 years, Volkswagen ends production of the Type 2 Kombi van in Brazil, and a gold-plated Cadillac that may have belonged to Liberace is headed for auction.
Nissan to expand EV lineup to 5 models all with Wireless Charging
Nissan Motor Co. says it will expand its global EV product line to five models.
The company has not announced what additional models it is planning and has not specified a timetable. But it indicates Nissan is taking a long-term view of the slow-growing EV market.
"We haven't announced what models they will be, but we have plans for five," Carla Bailo, senior vice president for R&D at Nissan Americas, told reporters. "The others will come in due time."
Bailo said future Nissan-brand EVs will use inductive charging -- an emerging advanced technology for recharging the batteries of electric cars wirelessly. Inductive chargers enable an EV owner to park on top of a charging mat to recharge a battery without hooking up a connector.
"Once that technology is ready, we will use it across our brands," she said after her presentation.
Previously, Nissan had said inductive charging was critical to differentiate the luxury EV planned for the Infiniti brand.
Production of the cargo van begins later this year in Europe, initially for the European market. But this spring, Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen said the Infiniti EV will be delayed. Infiniti said it wanted to wait for improvements in inductive charging technology.
That means that only the Leaf has made it to market so far, after more than three years of promoting the idea of EVs. The company spent $1.8 billion to move U.S. production of that model to Smyrna, Tennessee, and to construct a lithium ion battery module plant there. That factory, which began production in January, gives Nissan the capacity to build up to 150,000 Leafs a year and 200,000 batteries.
Sales of the car in the United States have more than tripled since last year, when it was still being imported. Through July, Nissan dealers sold 11,703 Leafs, up from 3,543 in the first seven months of 2012.
Toyota Reveal 420hp AWD Yaris Hybrid-R Powertrain Details
Based on the Yaris 3-door, the Yaris Hybrid R concept hybrid powertrain configuration combines the powerful 1.6l petrol Global Race Engine with two powerful electric motors to provide an ‘intelligent’ electric four-wheel drive capability.
The front wheels are driven by a 300hp 4-cylinder 1.6 turbo engine with direct injection specifically developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) according to the rules of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) for a Global Race Engine to be utilised in various motorsport disciplines.
At the rear, each wheel is individually powered by a 60hp electric motor – the same as those used in the standard Yaris Hybrid.
Taken together, the hybrid powertrain system develops a total system output of up to 420 hp. The two electric motors work as electric generators during the braking phase, and supplement the petrol engine during the accelerating phases.
Super-capacitor
Just like in the TS030 HYBRID, the energy recovered during the braking phase is stored in a super capacitor. Compared to the standard NiMh hybrid battery, the super capacitor has a higher power density and a fast power charge / discharge speed. It is perfectly suited to the requirements of sporty driving on track, which requires brief and immediate bursts of power.
Nevertheless, level of power depends on the duration of energy delivery desired. In road mode, the super-capacitor releases the energy recovered under braking for a maximum duration of 10 seconds per charge and the total power of the two electric motors is reduced to 40 hp. In track mode, the rear electric motors reach a combined maximum power of 120hp for up to 5 seconds per charge, reflecting the higher frequency of braking and acceleration events during circuit driving.
Advanced traction control
A 3rd 60hp electric motor, located between the engine and the 6 gear sequential transmission, operates as a generator in two different cases: during deceleration to feed the super capacitor and during acceleration to directly power the rear electric motors.
The latter will only happen when the engine power and torque exceed the grip potential of the front wheels. The generator behaves like an advanced traction control system, redirecting the torque as electric energy to the rear wheels, to boost the acceleration and improve the handling rather than to simply limit the engine power.
Torque vectoring
Rear electric motors - one per wheel – can greatly influence the Yaris Hybrid-R handling characteristics during cornering by altering the distribution of torque between the left and right rear wheels.
Each motor can be used independently as a generator or a motor to achieve the same effect as an intelligent torque vectoring differential.
Depending on the radius of the curve, the system can send more torque to the outside rear wheel allowing higher cornering speeds into the corner (middle-speed curves), apply more braking force to the inside wheel (fast curves), or even brake and accelerate each wheel independently (slow curves) to adjust the yaw effect for a better line, to limit steering angle, and understeer.
Wondering if Tesla Can Get There From Here
Tesla Motors gets raves for its Model S, and Wall Street loves the company’s soaring stock. But it remains to be seen whether Tesla can meet its ambitious growth targets, which will mean actually selling the cars. How Does Tesla’s 5-Star Safety Rating Inform Overall Vehicle Safety?
The Tesla Model S just received the government’s highest safety rating. What are the implications for electric vehicles in general?
A Marriage of Economy and Serenity
The appeal of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the impressive 45 miles per gallon it achieves and its understated wood-and-leather ambience. U.S. to Bring Gas Mileage Rules to Era of Hybrids
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would update its labeling rules to resolve disparities among the growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the market. Ford’s Big Payout on the C-Max Hybrid
After Ford’s fuel-economy downgrade on the C-Max Hybrid, the company will pay owners $550 each and lessees $325.
Half Of All Electric Cars Are Sold In 5 Cities
Can you name them?
Wheelies: The Government Motors Edition
The federal government sold nearly $900 million worth of General Motors stock last month, and Chrysler will unveil a new performance pickup truck at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit this weekend.
Could Outmoded Phone Booths Become E.V. Charging Stations?
New York City is full of dormant, albeit still electrified phone booths. Some say the unused infrastructure could be repurposed for electric vehicle charging.
Motorweek test drive the Volkswagen XL1 [VIDEO]
MotorWeek take VW's futurecar for a spin around Wolfsburg, Germany and the Autobahn. They managed 147 miles per gallon on their trip (not 261 mpg as VX claim)
UNSW Sunswift launch 140 km/h “eVe” Cruiser Class Solar Racecar
UNSW Solar Racing Team Sunswift revealed their solar racing car eVe at the University of New South Wales last Friday.
The latest addition to the Sunswift family is designed for the new Cruiser class, which consists of four-wheeled vehicles that must meet regulations for a normal vehicle in the country they come from (i.e., the challenge is to design truly road-worthy vehicles). They’re also required to have both a driver and a passenger.
The new Sunswift racer is powered by 2x 1.8 Kw direct drive CSIRO wheel motors, now manufactured under license by Marand Precision Engineering, giving a top speed of 140 km/h. A 15 kWh Lithium Ion battery, weighing only 63 Kg, gives eVe a single charge highway speed cruising range of over 500 km, as much as a 85 kWh Tesla Model S!
This incredible range is achieved by a combination of light weight carbon fiber monocoque construction, extremely low drag coefficient and 98.3% energy efficient direct drive wheel motors.
eVe has a 1800 x 4500 mm footprint with four square metres (WSC rules allow up to six square metres) of Mono-crystalline silicon cells provided by SunPower.
The World Solar Challenge starts on October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.
Spy Shots: Venucia E30 EV Spotted in China
New spy shots showing the production version of the Venucia e30 EV have surfaced. Venucia is a sub-brand of the Dongfeng-Nissan joint venture, the e30 EV is based on the Nissan Leaf. The Venucia e30 debuted as the Venucia E-Concept on the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, and re-appeared as the ‘Venucia e30′ on the Shanghai Auto Show in April.
Small-batch production will begin later this year with deliveries starting in 2014, but only for local demonstration projects. Deliveries to the general car market will only start in 2015. Power will come from the same electric motor as in the Nissan Leaf, output is 110hp and 280nm. Top speed will be 144km/h and range 228km.
A Clean-Car Boom
Having more hybrid and electric vehicles on the road will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Is the Tesla Model S the Best Gadget Ever? [VIDEO]
IGN is a Videogame review media network with 152 Youtube channels, 27 Million subscribers and 7 Billion Video views. They don't 'do' cars but they recently tested the Tesla Model S all-electric sports sedan to see if it is the Best. Gadget. Ever.
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Side Impact [VIDEO])
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Side Impact Test)
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Side Pole Impact [VIDEO])
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Side Pole Impact Test)
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Frontal Impact [VIDEO])
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Frontal Impact Test)
FIA Formula E announces FOX Sports as Broadcaster
FOX Sports, one of the largest global sports networks, has today (August, 9th 2013) signed a multi-year, international multi-media deal with the FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric car racing series beginning in September 2014.
Formula E is a new FIA Championship featuring open-wheel cars powered exclusively by electricity and racing in the heart of 10 of the world’s leading cities, including two in the US with Los Angeles and Miami. Designed to promote interest and investment in electric vehicles and sustainable motoring, 10 teams each with two drivers will compete in one hour races using Formula cars capable of reaching speeds of more than 220kph with zero emissions.
“This series makes racing very relevant well into the future,” said Carlos Martinez, President Latin America for FOX International Channels, who helped broker the deal. “With a global approach to acquiring knowledge and fast-tracking technology through the world of international racing competition, the FIA Formula E Championship is much more than just another weekend at the track…it makes racing an integral part of solving one of the world’s most daunting challenges and we are thrilled to be a part of that process.”
As well as full US broadcast exclusivity across the FOX family of networks, including FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network set to launch on August 17th, FOX Sports also has exclusive and non-exclusive rights in more than 80 territories including Canada, Latin America/Caribbean, Netherlands, Italy, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, key Asian territories and other areas of Asia, India and Africa.
The deal, across all territories, includes exclusive and non-exclusive on-line and mobile transmission rights.
“We are very proud to announce this major agreement between FOX and the FIA Formula E Championship and to be partnering a truly global organization that fully believes in the future of racing,” said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Championship promoter Formula E Holdings. “This global broadcasting deal will bring our Championship to nearly 90 countries and a potential 180 million households worldwide, giving our partners, our teams, and our team’s partners a platform to visualize the association to the values of this competition. We are particularly happy to join FOX at the time when FOX Sports 1 is being launched. America is a key market for electric cars and to show our races live in the US will be central to promoting this type of mobility.”
As well as two races in the US, last month saw leading IndyCar outfit Andretti Autosport become the first US team to join Formula E. Six of the 10 teams have now been signed for the inaugural season, three of which have already been announced with Andretti Autosport, China Racing and British-based Drayson Racing.
FOX Sports internationally is largely operated by FOX International Channels, 21st Century FOX’s international multi-media business operating over 300 entertainment, sports, factual and lifestyle pay-TV network and non-linear services worldwide.
