Italian looks, German engineering and American electrics. Zero to 60 in five seconds, scissor doors, and you'll even get some change back from a $100,000 bill
ECOS says it's taking orders on the Harbinger, which also comes with a new, touchscreen EV monitoring system providing real-time info on power consumption as well as GPS navigation, stereo and wireless internet. The Italian-supercar look comes by way of a carbon-kevlar composite body over a German-engineered aluminum frame. Power comes from an 11" diameter Netgain DC motor and 30kW battery pack, which enables a 150-mile range, if you can refrain from racing tuned Civics between stoplights.
The company says it's taking reservations on a limited run of Harbinger models at a base price is $89,995. Production is scheduled to start in February 2010, and you can even follow ECOS's progress from aftermarket supplier to full-on sports-car builder on Twitter.
[via Autoblog Green]
]]>Starting this week, Mercedes buyers can sign up for a service that'll connect their cars with their smartphones. And a load of new apps could be on the way
Hughes developed the software platform for flexibility, allowing Mercedes to add new applications as they are developed. Hughes has demonstrated additional systems that can deliver other types of digital media to vehicles, including web-based music and video content and PC connectivity. No word on whether Mercedes plans to incorporate such services into the mbrace system, which costs $280 a year.
Hughes had been scheduled to include the system in 2010 Chrysler vehicles, but the deal dissolved during Chrysler's recent bankrupcy.
[via Automotive News]
]]>Will GM find great success selling a version of its Volt extend-range electric car with more upscale goodies and wearing a Cadillac badge?
GM unveiled the Converj as an upmarket cousin of the much heralded Chevrolet Volt at the Detroit auto show earlier this year. The Converj shares the Volt's extended-range electric powerplant, but sports a more aggressive look reflecting Cadillac's angular "Art and Science" design language, along with more luxurious interior appointments.
GM's financial troubles had put the kabosh on a production Converj early on, but company insiders have reportedly been trying to get the project greenlit for most of the year. Last week the Converj was included in a production plan Cadillac officials presented to GM's board of directors, according Detroit News sources. If they bite, it's a vindication of one theory that well-heeled buyers will lead a charge toward the gas-electric Voltec system only if it's wrapped in a higher-end brand.
With no production date set, a decision to build the Converj would still mean a few years of waiting, though spreading the Voltec powerplant's development cost to another model would mean party time for some of the company's accountants. The Chevrolet Volt is due to be released next year as a 2011 model.
]]>BMW debuts the most powerful hybrid ever made
This is the most powerful hybrid ever made. Its 400-horsepower gas engine and two electric motors combine to produce 485 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque. It can race to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds -- just 0.1 second slower than the X6 xDrive50i on which it's based. It delivers power to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. It is, in short, a monster.
Why would BMW choose such a beast to become its first full hybrid? The company says it's because of the high-percentage gain in fuel economy you get from making low-mpg vehicles more efficient. Turn a 12mpg vehicle into a 17mpg vehicle, and you're getting more than 40 percent better mileage.
To get there, the ActiveHybrid X6 uses a two-mode hybrid system developed in conjunction with General Motors and the former DaimlerChrysler; it's the system already found in the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. An electric continuously variable transmission (ECVT) distributes power through two different drive modes; one is used during stop-and-go driving and the other when driving at higher speeds. The two-mode system allows the X6 to cruise up to 37 mph on electric power alone, only switching to engine power if the driver depresses the throttle more forcefully.
We noticed sluggish response when attempting to accelerate rapidly, as if the system was having trouble coordinating all the components, and the regenerative brakes feel oddly spongy at first, before rapidly firming up. Nevertheless, handling is superb and power output seems inexhaustible when the V-8 is doing the work.
But back to those fuel economy numbers. The ActiveHybrid X6 is rated at 17 mpg city, 19 mpg highway -- up from 12/18 in the xDrive50i. Yes, combining city and highway ratings, that's a 20-percent improvement. But in a pricey, small-batch, decidedly niche vehicle, numbers like that don't inspire much love.
Particularly when you consider the $89,725 starting price. The ActiveHybrid is a supremely comfortable vehicle loaded with all the usual premium gadgets, including head-up display, rear-view camera, gorgeous leather seats and a great audio system. But so is the X6 xDrive50i on which the ActiveHybrid is based -- and the ActiveHybrid is a full $22,000 more expensive. That premium will be hard for all but the most die-hard (and shockingly well-off) greenie to swallow.
There's no reason to doubt that BMW is serious about making efficient vehicles, but the reason for the existence of the ActiveHybrid X6 is unclear. If you want to buy a large crossover and help save the world, look into the 26mpg highway X5 xDrive35d. You'll save nearly $40,000 and gain some headroom in the process.
2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6
Price: $89,275 (including destination and handling)
Mileage: (city/highway): 17/19
Horsepower: 485
Torque: 575 lb-ft
0-60: 5.4 seconds
BMW debuts the most powerful hybrid ever made
This is the most powerful hybrid ever made. Its 400-horsepower gas engine and two electric motors combine to produce 485 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque. It can race to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds -- just 0.1 second slower than the X6 xDrive50i on which it's based. It delivers power to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. It is, in short, a monster.
Why would BMW choose such a beast to become its first full hybrid? The company says it's because of the high-percentage gain in fuel economy you get from making low-mpg vehicles more efficient. Turn a 12mpg vehicle into a 17mpg vehicle, and you're getting more than 40 percent better mileage.
To get there, the ActiveHybrid X6 uses a two-mode hybrid system developed in conjunction with General Motors and the former DaimlerChrysler; it's the system already found in the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. An electric continuously variable transmission (ECVT) distributes power through two different drive modes; one is used during stop-and-go driving and the other when driving at higher speeds. The two-mode system allows the X6 to cruise up to 37 mph on electric power alone, only switching to engine power if the driver depresses the throttle more forcefully.
We noticed sluggish response when attempting to accelerate rapidly, as if the system was having trouble coordinating all the components, and the regenerative brakes feel oddly spongy at first, before rapidly firming up. Nevertheless, handling is superb and power output seems inexhaustible when the V-8 is doing the work.
But back to those fuel economy numbers. The ActiveHybrid X6 is rated at 17 mpg city, 19 mpg highway -- up from 12/18 in the xDrive50i. Yes, combining city and highway ratings, that's a 20-percent improvement. But in a pricey, small-batch, decidedly niche vehicle, numbers like that don't inspire much love.
Particularly when you consider the $89,725 starting price. The ActiveHybrid is a supremely comfortable vehicle loaded with all the usual premium gadgets, including head-up display, rear-view camera, gorgeous leather seats and a great audio system. But so is the X6 xDrive50i on which the ActiveHybrid is based -- and the ActiveHybrid is a full $22,000 more expensive. That premium will be hard for all but the most die-hard (and shockingly well-off) greenie to swallow.
There's no reason to doubt that BMW is serious about making efficient vehicles, but the reason for the existence of the ActiveHybrid X6 is unclear. If you want to buy a large crossover and help save the world, look into the 26mpg highway X5 xDrive35d. You'll save nearly $40,000 and gain some headroom in the process.
2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6
Price: $89,275 (including destination and handling)
Mileage: (city/highway): 17/19
Horsepower: 485
Torque: 575 lb-ft
0-60: 5.4 seconds
The inflatable seat belts blow up upon impact of a certain force, quickly expanding and providing added restraint and protection for people riding in the back seat of cars. And since the passenger in the back seat is more likely to be a child or elderly person, that extra protection really goes a long way.
Ford plans to introduce the inflatable seat belts in their next version of the Explorer, with the belt presumably included to the rest of their line as time goes on.
To see the belts in action, check out this video:
]]>The inflatable seat belts blow up upon impact of a certain force, quickly expanding and providing added restraint and protection for people riding in the back seat of cars. And since the passenger in the back seat is more likely to be a child or elderly person, that extra protection really goes a long way.
Ford plans to introduce the inflatable seat belts in their next version of the Explorer, with the belt presumably included to the rest of their line as time goes on.
To see the belts in action, check out this video:
]]>
Based on a race-ready Sube WRX STI, the car was tweaked by Vermont SportsCar to pack 400 horsepower, competition dampers, a turbocharged, intercooled STI engine and, of course, cat tracks where the tires used to be. Although not shown in the video below, the backcountry badass also can pull a custom fiberglass four-person sleigh that can hold four snow boarders and their gear.
The goal? Delivering boarders to backcountry locales traditional ski lifts–much less traditional automobiles–could never reach. That’s not to mention the fun you can have simply racing around in the snow with rally car speed and handling. But don’t take our word for it, check out Block’s test run in the video below. “0-60” magazine also has more pics and an interview with Block about his high-powered, high-country toy.
[AutoBlog]
]]>
Named for French driver Michele Mouton, the first female rally driver to win the Pikes Peak rally in 1985, Shelly’s trunk is loaded with computer gadgetry and a $100,000 GPS system that will help direct the piloting software through the course’s 12.4-mile, 156-turn ascent to more than 14,000 feet above sea level. With the exception of a couple of exterior fixtures on the roof, Shelley looks and acts like a normal Audi TTS, running on gasoline and handling via standard braking and steering systems. But unlike the average roadster, a software package designed by Stanford’s Dynamic Design Lab will execute the actual driving maneuvers, which are designed to closely mimic those of an actual racecar driver.
Other autonomous cars have run the Pikes Peak course before, but those vehicles topped out at around 25 miles per hour; Shelly, whose top speed in the desert is 130 miles per hour, will navigate the course at close to race speeds, a first for a driver-less vehicle.
The students hope Shelley will be the first step toward creating autonomous driving systems that will one day be integrated into all vehicles as a safety measure. "If we can design a car that can autonomously go up Pikes Peak, we can design a car that can take over when a driver falls asleep," Kirstin Talvala, one of the students working on Shelley, told the AFP.
Funded partially by Volkswagen, Shelley will take her first runs to the peak early next year with a driver at the wheel so the software can monitor human reactions to the course, incorporating them into the software. Shelley’s first autonomous race to the peak should follow shortly thereafter.
[PhysOrg]
]]>Named for French driver Michele Mouton, the first female rally driver to win the Pikes Peak rally in 1985, Shelly’s trunk is loaded with computer gadgetry and a $100,000 GPS system that will help direct the piloting software through the course’s 12.4-mile, 156-turn ascent to more than 14,000 feet above sea level. With the exception of a couple of exterior fixtures on the roof, Shelley looks and acts like a normal Audi TTS, running on gasoline and handling via standard braking and steering systems. But unlike the average roadster, a software package designed by Stanford’s Dynamic Design Lab will execute the actual driving maneuvers, which are designed to closely mimic those of an actual racecar driver.
Other autonomous cars have run the Pikes Peak course before, but those vehicles topped out at around 25 miles per hour; Shelly, whose top speed in the desert is 130 miles per hour, will navigate the course at close to race speeds, a first for a driver-less vehicle.
The students hope Shelley will be the first step toward creating autonomous driving systems that will one day be integrated into all vehicles as a safety measure. "If we can design a car that can autonomously go up Pikes Peak, we can design a car that can take over when a driver falls asleep," Kirstin Talvala, one of the students working on Shelley, told the AFP.
Funded partially by Volkswagen, Shelley will take her first runs to the peak early next year with a driver at the wheel so the software can monitor human reactions to the course, incorporating them into the software. Shelley’s first autonomous race to the peak should follow shortly thereafter.
[PhysOrg]
]]>