Porsche has decided to begin taking orders for their highly-received 918 Spyder Plug-in Hybrid. Dealers have been given the go-ahead to begin taking orders for the limited (918 units) $845,000 car. The 918 Spyder is powered by a 500-plus horsepower V8 gas engine which gets assistance from two electric motors producing an addition 218 horsepower. 0-60 times are estimated to be near 3 seconds. → Read More
In order to squeeze out that last mile from a gallon of gas, Ford has come up with the SmartGauge with EcoGuide. It’s essentially a visual meter that lets drivers know when their foot is overly plumbum, coaching them to back off and slow acceleration. Ford was recently granted the two patents that makes their gauge unique from others. → Read More
We drove the 2011 Infiniti M37S a few months back; we liked the car for the most part, but couldn’t seem to get over how much gas it sucked down — even for the V6 we tested. Now, Infiniti has put a hybrid system into the M sedan, improving both power and fuel economy over the V6 in a move Infiniti considers “A challenged notion of what a hybrid should be.”
Press release after the break. → Read More
With all the Volt excitement, we haven’t really talked a lot about what other electric offerings GM has planned. GM has a new hybrid system they think can raise fuel economy about 25% higher. It’s called eAssist and it’s somewhat a mild hybrid modifier for existing vehicles. GM already plans to offer this technology in the 2012 Buick LaCrosse and now, they’ve announced it for the Buick Regal. → Read More
Last year at the NAIAS in Detroit, Cadillac introduced the Converj concept, a vehicle based on the Chevrolet Volt. Most of it’s electronics were shared from the Volt, including GM’s new Voltec power system. While it was definitely a cool looking car and was much talked about at the auto show, nothing came of it—most concept cars rarely make it further then the tenure of a GM CEO.
GM’s new CEO Dan Akerson, was in Detroit last Thursday where we heard him say that GM will be offering different versions of the Volt, not specifically a Chevy nor a car. Now the speculation is just what will be coming out. Andrew Farah, the Volt’s chief engineer, has recently stated he has been picked as chief engineer for GM’s next electric vehicle. Just what exactly, we don’t know. → Read More
For some, the end of 2012 bring upon us, well..the end. For Toyota, the end of 2012 marks the beginning of their conquest to build the largest fleet of hybrid vehicles. With six new hybrids coming, Toyota has stated that hybrids are here to stay and their benefit to us will be great. All of the hybrids will be totally new models. → Read More
We’ve known about Porsche’s GTR 3 hybrid for a while now, but it’s nice to know that it’s not just lurking in a lab somewhere. No, it’s enjoying the Monterey sun and doing its damnedest to not appear ecologically sound. Of course, hybrids aren’t just about fuel efficency, so even if CAFE requirements are forcing badges like Porsche and Corvette to appear on hybrids, you can be sure they’re going to make the best of it. → Read More
President Obama wanted his motorcade to be as environmentally friendly as possible. To that end, he requested his presidential limo be a hybrid. That’s nice of him. Unfortunately, the Secret Service said, “Um, no. That’s not going to happen, sorry.” → Read More
Working off of the post from earlier today concerning Lotus adding artificial engine noise to hybrid cars in the name of safety, we thought we might see how a few alternatives might work instead of the boring artificial car engine sound. → Read More
Following the lead of Nissan and NEC, which both recently have started down this track, the German carmaker is looking into lithium-ion batteries to improve its hybrids and electrics. It sounds like the Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries in their cars are both heavier and more toxic than the alternative. The Li-ion batteries would lower the weight of the car by hundreds of pounds, improving handling and mileage. You’ve already got them in your phones, media players, and so on, but adapting them for the high-capacity, high-throughput application of powering a car is a serious endeavor — which must be why Sanyo is pledging nearly a billion dollars over the next couple years to developing the technology. → Read More
We’ve been talking quite a bit about Casio’s new Exilim DSLR/point-n-shoot/video hybrid camera, the EX-F1. In short, it’s not quite a DSLR, though it handles like one, but it also shoots up to 1,200 frames per second for ultra slow-mo or making sure you get THE perfect shot. At CES it was behind lock and key, visible only through a glass cell. At Macworld, though, Casio let me have my way with the camera, and I must say I was impressed by the things it can do, while at the same time wondering why there are some things it can’t. → Read More
If you haven’t heard of Aptera yet, you’ll probably be hearing a whole lot about the company in the coming months. It’s got two models of automobiles coming out next year. One is just about ready — named the Aptera Typ-1 e — which is all-electric and gets 120 miles per charge. The Typ-1 h is a gasoline/electric hybrid that’ll be available in 2009 and is apparently capable of getting 300 miles to the gallon. Both will cost less than $30,000. That’s a nice price to be able to either rarely or never have to put gas in the thing. Popular Mechanics just took the Typ-1 e for a spin. Click the link below to watch the video. Aptera Electric Typ-1 e – Video Test Drive – First Look Details and Slideshow – 300 MPG [Popular Mechanics] → Read More
We don’t link much to DailyKos here. We try to keep away from politics, lest we finally piss off everyone, but this is something worth sharing. There is a man with an eighth-grade education who has developed a way to mod cars for biodiesel in a way that doubles their horsepower and doubles the gas mileage. It makes them faster and more powerful, using off-the-shelf parts. Detroit says it’s impossible to increase fuel economy without sacrificing horsepower. Jonathan Goodwin says that’s total crap. In the video above, we see a 1965 Impala Goodwin had modified blowing away a Lambo in a straightaway. It runs clean. This is what we want. → Read More
We’re RICH! Not content with hegemonic domination of the Internets, Google is now seeking dominion over the open road. Earlier this week (read: yesterday), Google and Pacific Gas & Electric tested a collection of hybrid vehicles that could turn the industry on its head (roof?). → Read More
The Aptera concept car’s three-wheeled, egg shaped design makes for an incredibly efficient vehicle, purporedly achieving 330mpg. It seats two people, weighs 850 pounds and utilizes a super-efficient hybrid diesel engine. A clear downside of the Aptera, however, is the complete lack of cargo space, a factor that will surely prevent many consumers from becoming early adopters. Nevertheless, even in light of its oppressively nerdy design and its absence of cargo room the Aptera marks a step in the right direction. As more vehicles of this nature are developed and produced, they will inevitably expand in size, decrease in nerdiness and, in time, eliminate gas guzzling vehicles from the road altogether. Accelerated Composites, the vehicles manufacturer, has vowed to make make this incredible egg available for under $20,000 within the next two years. Aptera Concept Car [SciFiTech] → Read More
