Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, I.C.E., GM
Click above for high-res gallery of the Fisker Karma
Fisker Automotive has apparently decided that 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque should be plenty of power to recharge some batteries. Those 260 galloping ponies will come courtesy of the General in the form of its 2.0L direct injected and turbocharged Ecotec four banger, an engine that we've sampled ourselves plenty of times. We feel well qualified, therefore, to suggest that this is an excellent motor, but it really sounds like a major case of overkill for this particular application. Perhaps that's better than "underkill" (if such a word actually existed) as that powerful engine ought to be able to recharge the Fisker Karma's on-board lithium ion batteries at an extremely brisk pace. The faster the internal combustion engine can charge up the battery pack, the quicker the car can revert back to its native electric-only operation. Plus, that engine is a relatively light chunk of alloy, so the Karma's motor shouldn't be burdened by the gasoline-fed boat anchor too horribly under electric power.
We also find it a bit interesting that Fisker chose GM as its powertrain supplier, which means that the Karma and GM's own Chevy Volt are now even closer cousins than before. Both vehicles will sport four doors, lithium ion batteries and an extended-range electric vehicle drivetrain; and with this announcement, both are now slated to share four cylinder engines from GM. This kinda makes 'em second-cousins through marriage, no?
Continue reading Fisker Karma to use GM's 2.0-liter turbo'd four
Fisker Karma to use GM's 2.0-liter turbo'd four originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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There are three main obstacles to making electric cars a viable alternative to those powered by internal combustion engines: the weight, cost and range of the batteries. Internal combustion engines have range limits based on the size of their fuel tank, but it only takes a few minutes to dump 10-15 gallons of liquid fuel in the tank and be on your way. It takes hours to recharge a battery. Fast charging systems are being developed, but they will require new infrastructure for the high currents and voltages required. The cost issue also works against range. You can reduce cost with a smaller battery, but you know what happens then. A battery with more range is both heavier and more expensive. How about a smaller swappable battery? That's one of the possible alternatives that Tesla is considering for the Model S sedan. This brings a whole different set of problems with it. Even smaller batteries will weigh several hundred pounds, making them difficult to handle. There are also safety issues with handling high voltage batteries. You also need a distribution infrastructure for the batteries and automakers have to standardize on common pack formats to make the whole idea viable. It's not like popping into a drug store for a set of AAs for you camera. Tesla's bright idea just goes to show that electric cars have a long way to go before they can replace internal combustion engines completely.
[Source: Inside Line]
Tesla Model S sedan could have swappable battery pack originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Comments Complete news at...Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Videos, Hatchbacks, Toyota
Click above to watch video after the jump
Toyota's irritatingly slow leak of seemingly insignificant 2010 Prius teasers has shown us such riveting details as the hybrid car's startup screen, power seat switch and some sort of all-knowing seeing-eye camera. A much more interesting set of leaks has also granted us an early but pixelated peek at the car's external shape, along with detail shots like the rear LED tail lamp assembly and a few different looks at the interior. Now, we've discovered a set of YouTube videos that definitely don't seem to have come from Toyota itself.
In the videos after the jump we see the new 2010 Prius spinning on a rotating stage, we see buttons on the steering wheel that change the digital readouts on the central dash and we see a brief glimpse of the car's generous storage capacity via its hatchback body style - all of it set to wonderfully numbing elevator music. There is one interesting bit that we've recently seen: an air conditioning button on an old-school key fob that allows the climate control to run via rooftop solar panels even while the car itself isn't running. Fortunately, we only have about two more months to wait for the car's official debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January. Thank God for small miracles. Check out both videos for yourself after the jump. Thanks for the tip, everyone!
[Source: Prius Chat]
Continue reading 2010 Toyota Prius revealed more in YouTube video
2010 Toyota Prius revealed more in YouTube video originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Click above for high-res image gallery of the smart fortwo BRABUS
The BRABUS edition of smart's diminutive little fortwo is, as we like to say, officially official as of yesterday when the brand pulled the wraps off the new-for-USA model. Unlike the Europeans who have had access to BRABUS smarts for the last few years, we won't be getting the force-fed 112-horsepower three-cylinder engine here in the States, but that means we get to keep the 41 miles per gallon efficiency of the standard smart fortwo. You win some, you lose some, right? It's a nice package that definitely stands apart from other fortwo models thanks to its unique alloy wheels, monochromatic paint in either black or silver and numerous BRABUS emblems inside and out. Want one? It'll cost you $17,990 for the coupe or $20,990 for the cabriolet, which initially strikes us as a fairly steep sum considering it comes with the same 70 horsepower engine of the standard smart. As of right now, only those with fortwo reservations are eligible for the new BRABUS, but that seems likely to change in the near future if the model continues to prove as popular as smart claims it has.
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sebastian Blanco and Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading LA 2008: U.S. smart fortwo BRABUS is officially official
LA 2008: U.S. smart fortwo BRABUS is officially official originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Perhaps, with all of the unveilings going on at the LA Convention Center, Miles EV felt they wanted to make a bit of news over in Santa Monica. That's where AutoblogGreen got our hands on the first-ever rendering of the company's new highway speed electric sedan. Grill-free is the way to be, apparently.
- Miles EV highway speed sedan, first official rendering
- LA 2008: Green Car of the Year is the Volkswagen Jetta TDI
- LA 2008: Nate Holden's electric car non-conference
- LA 2008: Kia's offers ex-Scion buyers a Soulful alternative
- LA 2008: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI, 25 mpg highway
- LA 2008: AFS Trinity booth
- LA 2008: Nissan unboxes its Cube
- LA 2008: Porsche RS Spyder all boxed up
- LA 2008: smart officially announces 2009 smart fortwo BRABUS coupe and cabriolet
- LA 2008: Brabus smart fortwo revealed
- Zap! runs out of juice in Kentucky
- Volvo announces Greenline initiative: Refurbished with a warranty
- Porsche officially announces diesel Cayenne for Europe
- smart enthusiast drives his two seater to Italy for charity
- VIDEO: Zero Carbonista wind car update
- VIDEO: Renault's new diesel V6
AutoblogGreen for 11.21.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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