General Motors is heading in a new direction with the scheduled production version of the Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicle that is set to come out sometime in the near future, however it was the luxury version of this economical EV, the Cadillac Converj, that most recently stole the spotlight at the 2009 Miami Auto Show, taking home the Concept Vehicle of the Show award. The Converj is set to be built upon the same platform as the Chevrolet Volt, and it was back in January at the 2009 North American International Auto Show where the Converj made its debut, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said if the luxury EV was approved, that the production model would resemble the concept, much like the Camaro did.
The Converj concept is a strict four seater, and although it has a swept back coupe like profile which is used to give this car a sportier image, the seating arrangement is also necessary because a large part of the car’s center section is taken up by the "T" shaped battery used to power the car. The battery pack contains more than 220 lithium ion cells that can power the car for up to 40 miles. After the battery runs out, the electric will be replenished by a gas powered engine that exclusively charges the battery. Just like the Volt, the car is designed to be fully charged after plugged in for eight hours on a normal household 120 volt outlet, or in as little as three hours if you have a high capacity 240 volt socket.
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Renault revealed today the ZOE Z.E concept electric car - a preview of the Renault production vehicle set for launch in 2012. The Zoe Z.E. is a 100% electric, zero-emission city car.
The car can be fastly recharged in 20 minutes, while a standard charge takes between 4 to 8 hours. The concept features an exclusive "Quickdrop" system that allows an empty battery pack to be swapped with a fully-charged pack in a matter of minutes.
The roof has been designed as an intelligent protective membrane that insulates against heat and cold, optimizes climate control, and recovers energy using honeycomb photovoltaic cells. The car features a
shield of polyurethane gel at the front and the back, acting as a second skin that protects vulnerable parts of the body in the event of mild urban impact.
Press release after the jump.
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In the not-so-distant future, car record-seekers are more likely to pass up on chasing the any sort of speed marks in favor of a new trend that seems to be sweeping the electric car world: how far can you go on one charge.
This week, Australia played host to the Global Green Challenge, where among other things, a new record was set by Simon Hackett on how far a lithium-ion battery-powered car can go on just one full charge. Driving a Tesla Roadster across the plains and valleys of Australia, Hackett established a new mark of 313 miles (501 km) on one charge, beating the previous record holder - ironically, another Tesla Roadster – of 241 miles set earlier this year at the Rallye Monte Carlo d’Energies Alternatives.
While the record itself is impressive in its own right, we can’t help but wonder exactly how far the Roadster was going when it reached that numbers. We know for certain that when the Roadster flexes its muscles, it would be a stretch to even think that it can reach 200 miles on one charge.
Press release after the jump.
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The Japanese automaker Honda has just revealed three new vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show. The EV-N, SKYDECK and CR-Z Concept made their world debuts at the 41st annual auto show. The EV-N is an electric concept model that is powered by a lithium ion battery pack, creating a a fun and easygoing relationship between person and car ushering in a new era of people friendly future mobility. The Skydeck is a six seater hybrid vehicle that transcends generational and lifestyle boundaries to offer multipurpose transport suitable for motorists of all ages. The last of Honda’s new offerings is powered by a compact, lightweight and efficient Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system, the CR-Z Concept 2009 features a broad, low-slung stance with a short wheelbase creating an attractive 21st century vehicle that is both stylish and fuel efficient.
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Besides bringing the updated Nissan GT-R to the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese luxury car maker has confirmed that Infiniti is preparing a "a stylish, compact, high performance four seat luxury model with zero emissions." that will be unveiled sometime in the near future. According to Nissan’s president Carlos Ghosn: "The world is eager to address concerns about global CO2 emissions, and we are proposing solutions to meet the environmental challenge. The solution is mass-marketed zero-emission mobility on a global scale."
Nissan’s latest EV, the Leaf, will go into production for the Japanese, United States and European markets starting in 2010 and will be followed by an electric version of the NV200 commercial van shortly thereafter.
Press release after the jump.
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Just like their luxurious Japanese rivals at Lexus, Infiniti is also preparing a competitor for other premium compacts like the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, the only difference being that the Inifiniti will be electric. Ever since the high end arm of Nissan unveiled the Infiniti Essence concept back in March at the Geneva Motor Show, the automaker has been looking on upgrading both the styling of their lineup as well as their power trains. This particular example should arrive sometime in the next two years.
The difference between the Lexus Lf-Ch and the future Infiniti compact car is that the latter will still feature a conventional internal combustion engine, just like the Essence. According to an inside source at Nissan, the next generation model might be built on the same platform as the automaker’s current electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf by saying that: "A small electric Infiniti is definitely on the horizon, as are larger electric models too."
Over at Tesla, a new motto is apparently taking shape: “you don’t come to us; we come to you.” In an attempt to establish a reputation as a brand that caters to the needs of its customers, Tesla Motors is keeping true to its mission of being of service to its patrons. So, as a way to ensure that they have the customer’s back in ways no other brand has, the California-based company recently announced that the arrival of their new at-home service vehicle.
It’s called the Tesla Mobile Service Rangers and it was created to allow Tesla owners to have all their auto needs taken cared off right at the confines of their own homes. Whether it’s the annual service tune-ups or unsuspected malfunctions, the Tesla Mobile Service Rangers seeks to provide Tesla owners with the most personal of care.
The flip side of this new service is that it comes with a price, and it’s not a cheap one at that. Anybody who wishes to give these guys a call will be charged a dollar per round-trip mile with a minimum charge of $100. Then again, the price for convenience is well, priceless. Besides, if you can afford to buy a Roadster, then we think you won’t have any problems forking over $100 for its maintenance.
While quite a few automakers will be absent from the upcoming Tokyo Moor Show, the Nissan Motor Company has prepared a new zero emissions concept car that is ready to solve the problem of personal transportation in congested urban environments while still offering a spirited driving experience for both the driver and passenger; Nissan is calling it the Land Glider. Now the Japanese automaker is not the first to come up with an inline two sear that leans into turns, however they are the first to combine the concept with the forward thinking power train of a battery electric vehicle. This is quite convenient because crowded cities like London for example charge significantly higher taxes on automobiles based on their emissions, while some low emissions and especially zero emissions vehicles are exempt from some of those additional charges to operate inside the city center, making the efficient Land Glider a perfect choice to not only navigate congested cities but escape from them as well.
The Land Glider offers seating for two in tandem, with the driver sitting up front and room for only one passenger behind. The traditional round steering wheel is replaced with a unit more like the stick on an airplane, and the gauges match the aviation theme and make the concept’s cabin feel more like a cockpit. The only thing that reminds you that the Land Glider is intended for road use are the leather wrapped bucket seats and a more traditional three pedal layout. On the outside the Nissan Land Glider comes complete with 21st century styling like swept back headlights, floating fenders, angular body panels, large glass surfaces and a strip of LEDs for a taillight. From the side, the Land Glider has a profile similar to a Smart car, but from head on the Nissan concept is no more than a few feet wide.
Aside from having a very narrow footprint, the instant torque of its electric motor and lightweight construction make the Land Glider reasonably quick off the line. The low drag design means that the shape will be able to slipstream up to speed and then carry it through the curves by using a sophisticated suspension and drive train setup that makes the zero emissions concept lean into the turns and increase its capacity for high speed cornering.
Press release after the jump.
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Over on the other side of the pond, the UK is getting set to unveil their all-new bad guy-chasing police cruiser, but unlike the new 2011 Chevrolet Caprice, which will be used in the US, the chaps from the UK have decided to crack down on their own criminals with the new Mitsubishi all-electric i-MiEV.
It seems odd to us that the UK police’s vehicle-of-choice in apprehending the baddies is an electric car is neither fast nor intimidating. But as it turns out, the compact electric car was displayed in full police regalia at the National Police Show last month. Since then, the i-MiEV, which runs on an electric motor and has a top speed of 130 km/h, has become somewhat of a hot item among police units in the country, a lot of them even resorting to asking Mitsubishi for some trial cars.
From our end, we have no idea how the i-MiEV can hold its own in against, say, a runaway Aston Martin, but then again, the UK Police Force must have something up their sleeves as far as tinkering with the i-MiEV is concerned.
We just can’t picture the electric car to exude the kind of menacing badass-ness police cruisers are known to have.
Now that you have delighted quite enough with the FT-86 Concept, is time to move our attention to the second Toyota concept to be revealed in Tokyo: the FT-EV II, which stands for "Future Toyota Electric Vehicle II". It is a four-seater concept that previews the upcoming small city electric vehicle set to be released by 2012. The FT-EV I was revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
The FT-EV II Concept is placed under the iQ in Toyota’s line-up. It measures 2730 mm in length, 1680 mm in width and 1490 mm height. The vehicle has no steering wheel or foot pedals-symbols of vehicle performance. In addition, it has not been designed simply as a means of transport, but instead based on the premise of collaboration with communications functions, a concept that differs from earlier vehicles.
The car is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that has an autonomy of 56 miles and can hit a top speed around 62 mph.
Press release after the jump.
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