Tesla's Model X has secured a major accomplishment: it is officially the first SUV to receive 5-star crash-test ratings in every single category. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Model X uniform 5-star ratings, which Tesla says is due to the design of the all-electric crossover utility vehicle. As in the Tesla Model S...
One of the earliest acts of the Trump Administration was to announce that it would re-examine emission rules finalized by the EPA in the waning days of the Obama Administration. Making good on that promise, EPA administrator (and climate-science denier) Scott Pruitt reopened the commenting period on tailpipe-emission limits of carbon dioxide...
Honda's head of research and development, Sekino Yosuke, has revealed the next-generation Honda NSX could be based on the firm’s 1,000 hp Pikes Peak race car, the NSX-inspired 4-Motor Acura EV Concept.
The 4-Motor Acura EV finished third overall at the Pikes Peak hill climb in 2016. That was thanks to its all-electric all-wheel-drive powertrain, comprising four electric motors that developed around 740 kW and 800 Nm of torque, a 70 kwh lithium-ion battery pack and only 1,500 kg kerb weight. Honda claims the electric NSX is capable of 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and 0-200 km/h in 6.2 seconds.
With the current all wheel drive hybrid NSX having only been on sale since last year, an all-new NSX is unlikely to be launched before 2023, when battery technology is expected to have progressed significantly.
Honda first demonstrated a 4-Motor EV CR-Z prototype in 2015 with journalists who test drove the vehicle suggesting torque vectoring gave it cornering ability in a whole other league to a Model S.
While there's no denying Tesla, especially with ludicrous mode, have re-calibrated the auto-industry's definition of 'quick', it's probably less well known that Tesla's powertrain is actually based on 1990s technology with the 3 phase AC induction motor and controller designs originally licensed from EV1 drive system engineer Alan Cocconi.
Unlike current high performance all-wheel drive electric vehicles, like Tesla's Model S P100D, which use 2x motors and conventional mechanical differentials, Honda's electric NSX features four electric motors — one for each wheel.
With a dedicated motor at each corner, the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system can precisely apply either positive or negative torque individually to each wheel. This opens the door to torque vectoring and full-time active yaw control - something that will make consumer EVs safer and more energy efficient.
How does this work? Imagine electronic stability control that, instead of applying friction brakes (wasted energy), applies negative torque (regenerative braking) to individual wheels. Unlike friction-brake based ISC, the NSX 4-Motor system can also apply positive torque to individual wheels. Combining that range of precise control with a multi gyro inertial measurement platform unlocks an entirely new level of safety and high performance active dynamic control.
While it might be another 5-6 years before Honda's 4-Motor Super Handling All-Wheel Drive makes it into production, the team at Evans Electric are developing an AWD torque vectoring system based on compact Axial flux induction motors.
Today, rumors about an all-new electric car, why trucks can be cars even if their owners don't know what they are, a frustrating Ford experience (but not because of the car), and lease pricing on the all-electric Honda Clarity. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, we ran down our top green-car stories from last week. The...
Electric-car charging infrastructure in the United States is getting better, but still has a very long way to go. While anyone that's given even a passing glance to plug-in vehicles would likely tell you the same thing, I experienced the impact of a charging-free society first-hand while driving a Ford Fusion Energi. The plug-in hybrid Fusion...
What would you pay to lease a smooth, quiet, comfortable, relatively luxurious mid-size electric sedan with only about 90 miles of range? Honda hopes the answer is $269 a month with $1,730 down, on a three-year lease that takes advantage of the federal income-tax credit for electric-car purchase. Pricing is now out for the 2017 Honda Clarity...
Honda's smallest of vehicles—the Fit hatchback—has received some incremental updates for the new model year. The 2018 Honda Fit now has updated styling, additional safety features, and a new Sport model to add to the little hatch's variants. While not a drastic departure, the 2018 Fit's new grille now features a two-piece chrome and...
Tesla's five New York state stores could increase four-fold should a new piece of legislation pass the state legislature. The bill calls for an increase "certificates of registration for entities that manufacture or assemble zero-emissions vehicles." In turn, it would "authorize 20 certificates with at least five to be located in certain upstate...
What's a truck? If you tell your average suburban family that they're hauling their kids to school and sports practices in a truck, many will push back. "It's an SUV," you'll likely hear, or perhaps, "it's called a crossover"—short for crossover utility vehicle, or a car-based SUV. DON'T MISS: Are you driving a car, a crossover, an SUV, or a...
With the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV on the market since December and Tesla Model 3 deliveries said to start within a few months, the upcoming 2018 Nissan Leaf is in danger of getting lost in the noise level. The second generation of Nissan's pioneering electric car will likely be unveiled within the next three months. But what happens after that?...
Tesla's Model X has secured a major accomplishment: it is officially the first SUV to receive 5-star crash-test ratings in every single category. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Model X uniform 5-star ratings, which Tesla says is due to the design of the all-electric crossover utility vehicle. As in the Tesla Model S... 
One of the earliest acts of the Trump Administration was to announce that it would re-examine emission rules finalized by the EPA in the waning days of the Obama Administration. Making good on that promise, EPA administrator (and climate-science denier) Scott Pruitt reopened the commenting period on tailpipe-emission limits of carbon dioxide... 
![Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/tesla-store-los-angeles-photo-misha-bruk-mbh-architects_100449434_t.gif)
Today, rumors about an all-new electric car, why trucks can be cars even if their owners don't know what they are, a frustrating Ford experience (but not because of the car), and lease pricing on the all-electric Honda Clarity. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, we ran down our top green-car stories from last week. The... 
Electric-car charging infrastructure in the United States is getting better, but still has a very long way to go. While anyone that's given even a passing glance to plug-in vehicles would likely tell you the same thing, I experienced the impact of a charging-free society first-hand while driving a Ford Fusion Energi. The plug-in hybrid Fusion... 
What would you pay to lease a smooth, quiet, comfortable, relatively luxurious mid-size electric sedan with only about 90 miles of range? Honda hopes the answer is $269 a month with $1,730 down, on a three-year lease that takes advantage of the federal income-tax credit for electric-car purchase. Pricing is now out for the 2017 Honda Clarity... 
Honda's smallest of vehicles—the Fit hatchback—has received some incremental updates for the new model year. The 2018 Honda Fit now has updated styling, additional safety features, and a new Sport model to add to the little hatch's variants. While not a drastic departure, the 2018 Fit's new grille now features a two-piece chrome and... ![Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/tesla-store-los-angeles-photo-misha-bruk-mbh-architects_100449435_t.gif)
Tesla's five New York state stores could increase four-fold should a new piece of legislation pass the state legislature. The bill calls for an increase "certificates of registration for entities that manufacture or assemble zero-emissions vehicles." In turn, it would "authorize 20 certificates with at least five to be located in certain upstate... 
What's a truck? If you tell your average suburban family that they're hauling their kids to school and sports practices in a truck, many will push back. "It's an SUV," you'll likely hear, or perhaps, "it's called a crossover"—short for crossover utility vehicle, or a car-based SUV. DON'T MISS: Are you driving a car, a crossover, an SUV, or a... 
With the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV on the market since December and Tesla Model 3 deliveries said to start within a few months, the upcoming 2018 Nissan Leaf is in danger of getting lost in the noise level. The second generation of Nissan's pioneering electric car will likely be unveiled within the next three months. But what happens after that?...