After the luxury car builders from Germany Audi and Mercedes Benz unveiled their electric super car concepts at the Frankfurt Motor show, it looks like the luxury super car builder Rolls Royce is planning a shocking ride of their own. Apparently back at the Goodwood revival a spokesman for the classic English brand turned German owned coachbuilder has been toying around with the idea of a battery powered Rolls Royce Phantom. The Phantom is one of the unique cars that could actually see some weight savings by replacing the rather large gas burning V12 power plant with a lithium ion battery pack, not that the bulky electric motors would make much of a difference to the current luxury sedan’s nearly three ton curb weight.
The obvious benefits of an electric car that would fit in perfectly with Rolls Royce’s perfect passenger experience like an almost silent ride, zero emission operation and loads of torque that will be instantaneously available starting at 0 RPM, perfectly suiting the luxury brand’s wafting acceleration. The only problem that we foresee with an all electric Phantom, and is the same for any battery powered vehicle, is how will the German engineers be able to give the large luxury sedan a suitable range due to the weight of the components that are driven by the flow of electrons.
Perhaps Rolls Royce’s parent company, BMW can figure out how to fit the working parts of the new Vision EfficientDynamics Concept underneath the coach built bodywork of a next generation Phantom. Perhaps the answer to an all electric super car is a small displacement diesel engine with its incredible range and efficiency is the ideal solution to keeping the ultra low emissions hybrid luxury vehicle running long after any lithium ion battery would run out.
Let’s just put it out there: the Myers Motors NMG2 has taken the words ‘quirky’ and ’efficient’ to all-time levels.
We do have to give brownie points to Myers for their creativity and ingenuity. The two-seat, three-wheel model NMG2 integrates elements from cars and motorcycles thanks to those headlights, which, if you noticed, comes in threes: Two on either side and one on the center. Yes, the center.
Not only that, the car’s dimensions are such that the front resembles – apart from the center-mounted headlights, of course – a standard car while the back looks more like a performance bike.
In any case, Myers seems to have tremendous faith in their product, especially as far as eco-friendly efficiency is concerned; something all of us can agree with.
The vehicle runs on lithium-ion batteries and has a top speed of 75 mph with a 60-mile range. Myers has also hinted that a 100-mile model will eventually be offered for customers down the road. For now, the NMG2 is slated to hit production by the tail-end of 2010 and customers who are interested in buying one of these cars can do so for a little under $30,000.
We’ve been talking about Gran Turismo 5, Forza 3 and Need for Speed SHIFT so much we kind of feel bad that we’ve left other racing games out to dry.
In the midst of the hoopla surrounding the three aforementioned games, one game we haven’t gone on record as worth playing is Vertical Run, a racing game you can find in Sony’s Playstation Home community. The game is the first to be developed by ‘Audi Space’, which, if you don’t know, is Audi’s new virtual community inside the Playstation Home.
While it’s not in the class of GT5 or Forza 3, Vertical Run is a pretty fun game to play, especially if you’re the type who considers yourself a card-carrying member of the Wipeout franchise. The objective is pretty simple enough: all you need to do is win a race while zooming past a vertical course – hence, the name Vertical Run – while gathering the most electrical energy in the process. Simple enough, right?
The game becomes all the more exciting because of the presence of one car, the Audi E-Tron concept, which we first saw at the recently-concluded Frankfurt Motor Show. We don’t know whether or not the actual Audi e-tron concept actually makes it to production, so this may be the only chance we’ll ever get to see the car in a racing situation.
The German tuning firm Brabus recently got together with the electric car builders at Tesla to produce a very special zero emissions Smart Fortwo. The Brabus Ultimate High Voltage is a high performance electric vehicle based on the popular city car from Mercedes Benz. The tuning house Brabus has a long history taking high end luxury cars to new heights with bold exterior treatments as well as extremely plush interiors, that is why Tesla Motors was included in order to give the all electric Smart Fortwo an extra jolt of adrenaline.
The Ultimate High Voltage is powered by a very special electric motor that was developed with the help of the American electric sports car maker that produces a maximum output of 82 HP and a peak of 207 lb-ft of torque which helps the 1,600 pound Smart sprint from 0 to 38.5 MPH in just 3.7 seconds and hit 60 MPH from a standstill in under 9.8 seconds.
The exterior of the Brabus Ultimate High Voltage is painted in a very unique shade of cream called matte Tridionzelle and features a few distinct touches like LED driving lights integrated into the front bumper as well as meaty Widestar fender flares and side skirts and a set of 18 inch split five spoke rims wearing transparent Plexiglas covers to get as much milage as possible from the electric Smart car.
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Despite all the reports about Audi not having anything electric to share with the world at their home show in Frankfurt was debunked when Audi chairman Rupert Stadler and Audi board member Michael Dick unveiled the 2010 Audi e-Tron concept last Tuesday.
The e-Tron concept takes the R8 super car to the next level, gone are the notions a gas burning TFSI V8 or even a high revving V10 because the e-Tron is powered by a purely electric drive system made up of four electric drive motors, two at the front and two more at the rear axle that uses lithium-ion that allow the e-Tron to travel nearly 150 miles on a single charge. The total output of this electric drive system is 313 HP and 3,319.03 lb-ft of torque, meaning that the car can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 4.8 seconds and is expected to be in showrooms as early as 2012.
Just like the power train, the exterior design of the e-Tron differs from the standard R8, for example the signature side blades and huge air inlets will be reduced or completely eliminated as they are unnecessary for an electric vehicle, the front grille will disappear as well. However it’s the deep air intakes in the front bumper underneath the while LED headlamps that will set this particular R8 apart from the standard model. One of the best things about Audi is that almost every single on e of their concept cars goes into production, and the German automaker has said that they will build a small batch of these electrified R8s in 2012.
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As part of the late night comedian Jay Leno’s newfound power with his own prime time television show appropriately named the "Jay Leno Show" the automotive enthusiast is using that newfound fame to promote environmentaly friendly vehicles with a Green Car Challenge. The bit is very much like the BBC’s Top Gear segment, "star in a reasonably priced car" except that the American show will feature an environmentally friendly vehicle, in this case an Electric Orange Ford Focus battery electric vehicle.
As we learned a few days ago, actress Drew Barrymore will be the first famous person to lap the specially designed track inside of the NBC compound inside a zero emissions vehicle. The show airs tonight, so check you local listing for the time and channel in your area.
The Green Car Focus features a sophisticated electric power train that delivers almost as much torque to the wheels as a V6 powered 2010 Ford Mustang and is capable of storing enough energy to power an average household for an entire 24 hours. Thanks in part to the design team’s attention to detail, the Ford Focus BEV has a nearly 50/50 weight distribution due to the battery’s placement and a set of front springs and dampers from a Ford Focus RS as well as a unique rear suspension make this the perfect Focus to see constant time on the track.
More information after the jump.
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Fresh off of the release of the all new Volvo C30 hatchback, the safety conscious Swedish automaker is also planning on producing an electric vehicle version of the new car. The electric Volvo will be known as the C30 Battery Electric Vehicle and will be powered exclusively by batteries feeding electric motors which will result in absolutely zero emissions and give the Volvo C30 BEV a range of up to 150 kilometers.
Volvo has already built a handful of the BEVs in order to conduct internal testing with the electric vehicles and advance their development of a plug in hybrid Volvo that is set to debut sometime in 2012. The Volvo C30 BEV is currently powered by a highly efficient Lithium-ion battery that can be recharged through a regular A/C power outlet, and after eight hours of storing juice is ready to travel up to 150 kilometers, perfect for the everyday commute to work or even a quiet and carefree Sunday drive. The C30 BEV is limited to 130 km/h and sprints from 0 to 60 MPH in less than 11 seconds.
Volvo feels that electricity is the fuel of the future and that zero emissions highways are what the next generation of new car buyers will be looking for. By combining an environmentally friendly power train with a stylish hatchback body, the Swedish automaker feels that the 2010 Volvo C30 BEV is the car of the future.
Press release after the jump.
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The French automaker Renault has just unveiled the the Kangoo Z.E. Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the third of Renault’s four electric vehicles that accoding to the company will go into production by 2011, and the the Kangoo Z.E. Concept is the one intended for everyday use.
The concept is powered by a 70 kilowatt motor delivering a maximum of 226 Nm of torque. Power is derived from a lithium-ion battery, that with a full recharge have an autonomy of four to eight hours, while a 20-minute quick charge you can take a short trip around the house.
With a weight of only 1520 kilos, the Kangoo ZE can hit a top speed of 130 km/h.
Press release after the jump.
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Most car manufacturers who go to the Frankfurt Motor Show probably have one thing on their minds: make an impression with your new cars. While that is, of course, what the purpose of auto shows are, sometimes, a car brand is fortunate enough to leave Frankfurt with something more than they expected. Take the case of Tesla, for example.
The California-based electric sports car brand came to Frankfurt without the faintest idea that they would find a company willing to spend $82.5 million to become an equity investor in Tesla. But that’s exactly what happened after a group led by Fjord Capital Partners approached Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk with regards to purchasing equities in the brand.
Not one to turn a good deal down, Musk accepted the offer, saying that “It was an opportunistic investment. We were not looking for money.”
Now armed with a sweet sum of $82.5 million, Musk plans to use the ‘added finances’ to expand the brand’s global retail stores.
We don’t know about you, but we believe that things happen for a reason – whether it’s pre-determined or just by sheer luck – and Tesla’s appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show ended up with the company becoming $82.5 million dollars richer.
The second of the four electric concepts unveiled by Renault in Frankfurt is the Zoe Z.E. - a perfect car for school or work run, or shopping trips. The Zoe ZE is powered by an electric motor that delivers 95 HP and 166 lb-ft of torque. With this motor, the Renault Zoe ZE can reach a top speed of 87 MPH.
With a length of 4,10 meters, the Zoe Z.E. features rather large 21 inch wheels and large body panels, a retractable spoiler deploys at speeds in excess of 55 MPH to make a further contribution to Zoe ZE Concept’s aerodynamic efficiency and also serves as one of the car’s brake lights.
The Zoe Z.E. concept’s dashboard is covered with an intelligent, mineral like membrane and the lightest of touches calls up a range of touchscreen controls while the wide TFT (Thin Film Transistor) screen is housed in a glass bubble. This is the central information point for Zoe ZE Concept and serves to display navigation data, the charge indicator and remaining range.
Press release after the jump.
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