2014 Cadillac ELR electrifies the luxury market

Cadillac introduced the 2014 ELR at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and according to Bob Ferguson, Cadillac global vice president, "is an unprecedented combination of luxury, advanced engineering and progressive design in a coupe that is both sporty and environmentally friendly,”.

The good looking luxury coupe is the first of its segment to use the Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) technology, that provides a full driving range of over 480km (300 miles). This system combines an electric motor with a range extender generator.

The battery can be completely recharged in about 4.5 hours using a 240V outlet and is a T-shaped, 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack located in the middle of the coupe, between the front and rear wheels. It has 1.6m long (5.5ft) and weighs 198kg (435lb). When only using the battery the range drops to 56km or 35miles.

With the help of the range-extending 1.4liter gasoline-powered electric generator, which has 207hp (154kW), the electric motor is able to produce 400Nm, so we can expect a good 0 to 100km time. It will be manufactured at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant.

Audi A6 e-tron Sportback Plug-in Hybrid Concept

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At the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013, the Audi A6 e-tron Sportback will be revealed to the world, showing a new design that eliminates the use of the traditional single grille, used in all the current models of the German brand.

 

Will have the 2 liter petrol engine that will be used in S3 and an electric motor, connected to the rear wheels, producing a total of 400hp. Capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in less than 5 seconds, will have a limited top speed of 250km/h and a consumption of 2.5litres every 100km. A full battery charge will power the car, in pure electric mode, between 75 to 100km. That is really good considering the car weighs almost 2 tons.

Besides the new front, the car will have a length of approximately five meters (197 inches) with a long wheelbase and short overhangs, and a sloping roof line which is reminiscent of the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake. Sales should start in 2017 with a €70.000 price tag in Germany.

Source: motorvision

 

Audi A2 canceled [Video]

It seems that Audi is not very interested in electric cars and decided not to continue with the development of the A2, which had production scheduled to start in 2015. This comes after the development of the R8 was also canceled, meaning that Audi gave up trying to produce an electric vehicle.

Yet they say "lessons learnt from the new A2 project" will be included in future projects., we just have to wait and see what projects. But in the end this means that BMW will not have a direct competitor for the i3.

The now canceled A2 would have a "sandwich" style floor where the lithium-ion battery would be stored, and would be able to provide a range of approximately 200km (125miles) after a four-hour recharge. An electric motor with 114hp would drive the front wheels.

But that is not truly unexpected, the market for pure electric vehicles is much smaller than expected, meaning that fewer companies are focusing on this type of vehicle. The Nissan Leaf and GM Volt / Ampera are not selling what they had expected, Renault is afraid that the same happens with Zoe, and Toyota with the Rav4 and iQ. The future does not look good for electric cars.

Source: autocar

Audi’s Diesel-Electric R20 Supercar

Seems Audi is not happy with R8 and want a new supercar to sit above it, and to do so they will build a street-legal Le Mans racer based on the R18, with a diesel engine and an electric motor.

 

The appearance of the car will be shaped based on the Le Mans race car, including the trademark full-length tailfin, a downsized single frame grille, stacked LED headlights, ventilated front and rear wings, an adjustable rear spoiler, and a relatively narrow canopy-style cockpit accessed through gullwing doors, so it will have a long, wide, and low look like a racing car.

The diesel engine is said to be a twin-turbo V6 producing 550hp, while the two electric motors connected to each of the front wheels will help with 150hp adding torque vectoring, zero-emissions capability, ultimate traction, an on-demand boost effect, and an improved torque curve reaching 1000Nm.

Of course there are no acceleration, top speed, or consumption figures available for now, but we expect the vehicle to do 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in around 3.0 seconds and a top speed of more than 320km/h (200mph).

The hybrid technology allows for staggered brake energy recuperation, high-speed coasting, and a broader start-stop application. Supposedly the car will be shown to the public in 2015 and will begin to be delivered to its buyers in 2017, ready to tackle the Porsche 918 Spyder, the Lamborghini Aventador, McLaren P1 and the Ferrari F70 (codenamed F150).

Source: automobilemag

 

The first electric monster truck. The Bigfoot! [Video]

Who said electric vehicles are small and weak? Here you have the world's first all-electric monster truck, the Bigfoot #20.

 

Odyssey Battery and the famous Ford monster truck team Bigfoot joined forces to create this vehicle that for now will only be displayed at trade shows and won't compete anytime soon.

To create this beast Odyssey provided 36 batteries, each weighing a little over 17kg (38 pounds) will give around 540 amps and a maximum of 1200 amps for up to 5 seconds, but will only last about 400 cycles. The batteries are connected to an engine with 355ps (261kW) and weigh in total 624kg (1375 pounds).

 

In the end it is really weird to not hear the noise of the V8 or V10 engines in a full stadium. For more you can visit the Odyssey and the Bigfoot 4x4 websites

Source: Iepieleaks and AOL Autos

 

The Smart E-Bike. Will take you everywhere, easily [Video]

Imagine living in a city full of hills and you love riding your bicycle but don't want to get to work or school all sweaty and smelling bad because, well, it isn't good. But don't fear, the future is here!

To help solve those problems Smart created this bicycle with a 250W electric engine mounted on the rear axle that is able to achieve 25km/h (close to 16mph) but the engine only works when you want it, so you can ride it like a normal bicycle.

It uses a lithium ion battery with a range of 100km that can be removed for charging or can be charged when the driver uses the brakes.

Another inovation is the USB port that is fitted in the handlebar to connect your smartphone and charge it when you pedal.

The Pedelec system multiplies the force applied by the rider, eliminating the effort it would be done on a climb with a normal bike.

It is expensive and at the price of almost €3000 or $3900 you could buy an electric scooter but the style is unmistakable and you don't need a license or insurance. The e-Bike weighs 26kg.

Source: VeiculosElectricosPT

BMW i3 Coupe Concept revealed, will also be at the L.A. Motor Show

BMW will take advantage of the Los Angeles Motor Show to introduce the 2-door version of the electric vehicle, i3. The car looks more "production ready", with the headlamps and taillights of a normal size.

The interior of this concept has the normal "clean" design, offering a sleek look, normal in BMWs concept cars. The model uses sustainable materials like wool, leather, eucalyptus wood and aluminium. It also includes a 6.5 inch screen where the speedometer and tachometer are displayed together with more information about the car and a 8 inch media screen.

The electric engine has 170hp and 250Nm (184lb/ft) and powers the rear wheels. The batteries are situated under the floor. To help move the car and be efficient the car has 155/60 R20 tires in the front and the back has 175/55 R20.

Source: MotorMais

Chevrolet Spark EV will electrify your world

Chevrolet is getting ready to release the Spark EV, a fully electric vehicle that will have his premiere at the Los Angeles Motor Show, starting November 28. It will be the first car in the world with a triphasic charging system.

Together with the the Spark EV, Chevrolet will also introduce the next generation of the MyLink infotainment system that will first arrive in the Chevrolet Impala.

Power and range haven't been confirmed by GM but rumors point to 134 metric hp (132bhp), 524Nm (394lb/ft) of torque and a 0 to 100km/h (0 to 62mph) time under 8 seconds. It has a 20kWh battery placed under the back seats, made by A123, with a warranty of 8 years or 160.000km (100.000miles).

Source: VeículosEléctricosPT

Volvo develops new EV charger, will charge a car battery in 90 minutes

One of the major problems of electric vehicles, in addition to the storage capacity of batteries, is the time it takes to fully charge an electric car. Volvo now seems to have a solution that promises to fully recharge an electric Volvo C30 in just 90 minutes and in 30 the car will have a range of 80km or almost 50miles.

The Swedish manufacturer claims that their system is the first phase on-board charger hat runs six times faster then current devices in comparison to current charging times which may vary from 8 to 10 hours.

Lennart Stegland, Volvo's Vice President of Electric Propulsion Systems, said "We know that short recharging times and extensive operating range are a necessity for potential electric car consumers. The fast-charging unit helps cure what is known as ‘range anxiety' since the car can be more easily recharged during the day."

Source: Volvo