click > enlarge
One of its most innovative features two steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters which control the intensiveness of regenerative braking. The E-tron is custom-fit with an electric motor and a pair of lithium-ion battery packs, which allows for 134 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. The batteries themselves hold 26.5 kilowatt-hours of energy. Its driver may choose from one of several driving modes (Efficient, Normal, or Sport.) It also features a roomy interior and big, clean graphics on its exterior. Currently, this vehicle is a prototype and only a dozen or so are being driven within Audi throughout North America. Audi is planning to introduce the third-generation A3 to the States in 2014.
producer: audi
period: 2013
click > enlarge
On the 24th of April, the Dutch Company Tuk Factory, known for their taxis, launched a new vehicle, the e-Tuk Vendo. The e-Tuk Vendo is 100% electric vending van intended for mobile catering. The first customer, Toeti Froeti, will use the vehicle for selling fruit shakes and fruitcups. Chicago has been waiting for the food truck concept and in 2012 they are now legal but only as mobile vending and catering vehicles because cooking is not allowed per the Chicago Sanitation Department. So the news of an electric vending van seemed as hot as a habanero taco. Well, you won’t find Tuk Tuk taxis buzzing around Chicago and you probably won’t see the Vendo here either. The business end, the kitchen, appeals to the needs of the urban lunch crowd, but the single seat, three-season (glass half-full) cab rates one-half star. Tsk-tsk.
above] Here’s proof that the food truck concept is alive and well in Chicago, it’s first year. In this photo is the Pastymobile, a GEM ( global electric motorcar ) sandwiched in between the stinkpots, an endearing term sailors call motor boats. The GEM’s cab, three stars.
above] Here’s a GEM, that’s bigger than the Pastymobile. The soon-to-be introduced Bluebird electric commercial vehicle in the video below promises a gourmet electric food truck recipe. “Road chef’s! Start your electric ovens!”
[
bluebird ] [
global electric motorcar ] [
milk float corner ] [
pastymobile ] [
pr newswire ] [
tuk tuk ]
BMW recently unveils two concept cars, the all electric i3 concept and a hybrid i8 concept. There’s no question which car I would like to have. But let’s talk about the all electric i3, designed for mass production, an urban environment, and no slouch in performance from a standstill start. an electric motor, maximum torque is developed from standstill, in contrast to an internal combustion engine where torque increases with engine rpm. This makes the BMW i3 Concept highly agile and provides impressive acceleration. The BMW i3 Concept accomplishes 0-60 km/h (37 mph) in under four seconds and 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in under eight seconds.
wide-opening opposing “coach” doors
The drivetrain called eDrive consists of an agile electric motor developed and built by BMW, innovative battery technology and an intelligent engine management system. The i3 Concept is nimble and a joy to drive.
The interior Life module is open and airy. The use of renewable raw materials is another defining characteristic of the interior, offering passengers a further means of “experiencing” the sustainability of the vehicle. Parts of the instrument panel and door paneling are visibly made from natural fibers. The car’s footprint is small but has four seats, wide-opening opposing “coach” doors, a boot capacity of around 200 liters and an additional functional compartment in the front. It’s also an intelligent car taking stress off of the urban driving experience.mThe BMW i3 is set for launch in 2013
[ bmw ] [ bmw i8 concept ]
Earlier this year Mitsubishi touted the comparatively low price of its all-electric i: $27,990 (which drops to $20,490 after the $7,500 tax credit is applied) for the base ES version. The SE and SE Premium were $2,000 and $4,790, plus $720 destination charges tacked on. At the time, Mitsubishi tried to get the after-tax credit price of the entry-level ES under $19,990, but that the Japanese earthquake prevented this.
All models will see a price increase of $1,135:
ES: $29,125 ($21,625 after tax credit)
SE: $31,125 ($23,625 after tax credit)
SE with Premium package: $33,915 ($26,415 after tax credit)
The cars are still lower than other all-electrics in the U.S.
After examining the options and driving the cars, it was a pretty easy decision via techcrunch [RK]
The Ford Focus Electric will use the embedded AT&T wireless connection to send and receive data about the car. via cnet [RK]
a toy for ages 8 thru senior citizen.
#5 is the real article if you are wondering
Last year, Audi had become the first car manufacturer ever to bring a line-up of model cars and new products to the Nuremberg at the 62nd International Toy Fair. The main attraction of the 2011 show will be Auto Union Type C e-tron study with electric drive.
This car is based on the earlier limited edition car model from Audi AG sold through their subsidiary Quattro GmbH. The car is hand finished and made of aluminum and carbon-look material. It can comfortably seat children or grown-ups of up to 1.80 meters (5’11’’) in height. The study is 2.32 meters (7.61 feet) long and 97 centimeters (38.19 inches) wide.
The electric motor produces a peak torque of 60 Nm (44.25 lb-ft) and steadily 40 Nm (29.50 lb-ft). The Audi e-tron reaches a top speed of 30 km/h (18.64 mph) and has a range of 25 km (15.53 miles). Charging can be done through a standard 230V household socket; a recharge will take 2 hours depending on the battery charge status. It also comes with a reverse gear. Ages 8 thru senior citizen.
The show will be held from February 3 to 8.
[audi gran prix history] [uncrate]
about boo hill
GM has announced it was dispatching demonstration Volts to Chevy dealerships in the Volt’s initial launch markets of California, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. GM said the move would allow people to test drive the vehicle – and would likely boost business for its other models as well.
500-plus demo Volts will be delivered to dealerships in the first quarter of 2011, and by the end of the year, “more than 2,500 U.S. dealers will receive a dedicated Volt for consumer demonstrations and test drives.”
Interestingly, GM feels the extended-range electric car believes 85 percent of people looking up information about the Volt end up checking out other models, too. “We are seeing that the Volt is increasing traffic onto our dealer showroom floors and is exposing consumers to Chevy’s line of ‘gas-friendly’ vehicles, including the Cruze Malibu and Equinox,” Cristi Landy, Chevrolet’s marketing director, said in a statement.
How to achieve a worry-free electric driving experience ? The problem isn’t the car it’s “range anxiety” about “refueling.” How to find charging stations: U.S. Department of Energy; Better Place.
The 2011 Fisker Karma still on track to reach the U.S. in March or April. The price will be $95K. If you’ve been following you’d also know in 2008: $80K, 09:$87K. Full story [RK]
click > enlarge
