It may not be the most aesthetically-pleasing car out on the market, but the Tango electric car does have Jay Leno’s stamp of approval. And in the auto industry, that speaks volumes.
The pencil-thin, yet surprisingly-fast electric car was the subject in the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage. In the episode, Leno talks with the inventor of the Tango, Rick Woodbury, and the two discuss the uniqueness of the car despite its rather peculiar appearance. In a rare moment of seriousness, Leno looked as if he was genuinely interested in what Woodbury had to say, which is pretty significant because the comedian wastes little time in trying to crack jokes at other people’s expense. One particularly important point that was stressed was the Tango’s use of lead acid batteries as compared to the lithium-ion variety, which Woodbury admits the company still doesn’t have the budget for. Nevertheless, the inventor of the Tango stressed that the company is proceeding plans with putting lithium-ions in the Tango in the near future.
After their conversation, Leno then takes the Tango out for a ride and is pretty impressed with the ride, even saying that the car’s unique ability to split lanes – according to 63 police officers Woodbury asked, all of them have said that it’s perfectly legal – makes it the perfect traffic buster.
Another Leno quip that made us crack was when he said that the Tango’s the only car that you can hang both your arms on both windows. The man hasn’t lost his touch.
John Surtees holds the distinction for being the only man in history to become world champion in two-wheel and four-wheel racing competitions by achieving this feat with a Grand Prix motorcycle road race championship and a Formula One championship.
And now, decades after his racing career ended, Surtees has achieved another distinction to add to an already impressive resume: becoming the first man to drive an electric sports car through the Channel Tunnel.
Surtees’ feat occurred as part of the 37th annual Beaujolais Burlington Run, which coincides with the 15th anniversary of the opening of the tunnel that connects the United Kingdom with France and the rest of the European continent.
Surees’ car-of-choice was a Ginetta G50 EV electric sports car and he began his 31-mile run at the Folkestone terminal in the UK all the way to Calais terminal in France. Surees’ momentous achievement also marks the first time a production sports car – electric or not – has been given the opportunity to drive through the Channel’s service tunnel.
For anybody to accomplish that feat is remarkable enough, but for a 75-year old man - never mind that he’s a former F1 champ - to do it without even breaking a sweat is simply awe-inspiring.
This animation ad isn’t in any way shape or form associated with Tesla, but judging from the professionalism done behind it, you’d figure that it would be something that they’d wanted to have on their portfolio.
The homemade video was done by some dude named Kirk Perry and, suffice to say, it’s pretty good – good enough to get our endorsement, at least. The modest designer even said that this particular work involving a digital model of the Tesla S is nothing more than just practice for him, saying that he was just experimenting with some new techniques using After Effects.
If anybody over at Tesla happens to see this, you might want to give Mr. Perry a project - or two.
It looks very familiar, but its pretty new. Its the future Citroen C-Zero - a new a 100% electric, zero CO2 emissions and zero noise vehicle, set to be released in the last-quarter 2010.
The C-ZERO is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 64 bhp EEC from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm and 180 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a single-speed reduction gear. The motor is powered by a latest-generation 330-volt lithium-ion battery system comprising 88 50-Ah cells (for onboard energy of 16 kWh) mounted in the center of the vehicle.
The car is the perfect vehicle for trips under 30 km. It takes only just 30 minutes for a 80% recharge, and six hours for a complete charge.
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.
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 fast 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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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