Archive for October 21st, 2008
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Porsche
Click above for high-res gallery of the E-Ruf
We only heard about the latest modified Porsche from Ruf about a week and a half ago when the tuner unveiled its new E-Ruf via press release. Apparently we weren’t the first to learn of the all-electric 911, as Road & Track has already driven it and just published its first impressions, including details about the car’s inner workings that were previously unknown.
Unlike most Ruf Porsches, the E-Ruf hasn’t had its internal combustion engine boosted to within an inch of its life. It doesn’t even have an ICE. Instead, the staff in Germany have ripped out the boxer 6-cylinder, back seat and fuel tank. The back seat area and front trunk have been stuffed full of lithium-ion batteries and an electric motor’s been bolted to the stock 6-speed gearbox. Turns out that the E-Ruf is very different from other high-profile EVs like the Tesla Roadster in some interesting ways, but you’ll have to click through to Road and Track to find out exactly why and what it means for the future of EVs.
[Source: Road & Track]
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Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Sports/GTs, Tech
Click above for high-res gallery of Tesla Roadster v1.5
Last January we landed an exclusive first drive of the Tesla Roadster. We were impressed, but well aware that the particular two-gear model we drove that wet afternoon wasn’t identical to the version set to land in customers’ hands later in the year. Last week, we were invited back to briefly test drive a genuine production model with the latest transmission and software updates (aka “powertrain 1.5″). Check out our round-two impressions after the jump. (Ed. Note: Sorry for the lack of live images, but we literally had about half-hour to drive the car before it was whisked away.)
Continue reading Driven: 2009 Tesla Roadster v1.5
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Perhaps the recent lowering of gas prices means you’re not quite as concerned about filling up and driving about. But, if your car has a tendency to sit while you walk or bike, consider a sun-powered way to maintain your car’s battery. If you’re more likely to go fast than sits still, check out the all-electric race car from Greenstage (above, left). AutoblogGreen also brings you more coverage from the Austin Alt Car show.
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Filed under: Maintenance, Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Mercedes-Benz
Click above for a high-res gallery of the MB GL320 BlueTEC
Owners of the new crop of clean diesels will have another maintenance item to concern themselves with if their new cars are equipped with urea injection. The EPA requires that all diesels meet strict new emissions standards, which almost always requires the use of either a NOx trap or urea injection. To ensure that the system is working, a sensor checks both the level and the quality of the urea solution and will keep the car from starting if the tank is empty. The new VW Jetta TDI doesn’t use urea, but the new Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC vehicles do. According to Mercedes, a counter will appear on the dash when there are twenty starts remaining. If the driver ignores the message, the car will not operate until at least two gallons of urea solution is added to the tamper-proof tank that resides in the spare tire well.
Engineers have designed the urea tanks to be large enough to last about 15,000 miles. This should be large enough that drivers never run out, as the tanks will be checked at every schedules service. As an alternative, small bottles of the urea solution will be available for owners who want to maintain the system themselves. The cost of the urea solution, which MB refers to as AdBlue, will mirror the cost of diesel fuel, so a refill shouldn’t cost more than or so. Before anybody asks, yes - urea is a component of urine, and no - peeing in the tank will not fool the sensors. You’ve been warned.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Chevrolet
Back when GM rolled out the Volt concept, there was less discussion about its design than there was about its underlying technology. Sure, it looked ok, but with gas prices at the time headed straight up, its promise of cheaper driving overshadowed its sports car roofline.
Upon introduction of the more aerodynamic production Volt, there seemed to be a re-Volt. Our Hot or Not poll showed 65% of readers responded negatively to the dramatic redesign. You gotta wonder how that makes the Volt’s designers feel.
Two members of the Volt design team are from Ohio, and Cleveland’s “Plain Dealer” newspaper asked them what they think of the Volt’s new look. Apparently they either disagree and/or just really like being able to cash GM’s checks at the end of the week.
“There were probably a small number of people expecting the electric Camaro,” Volt design team director Bob Boniface (in photo above) told the newspaper. “I’m more proud of this car than I am of the concept car,” he says later in the story.
Many people saw the production Volt and wondered why GM couldn’t come up with something that didn’t look so “Prius-y.” GM aerodynamics engineer Ken Karbon has an explanation: “The laws of aerodynamics are the same if it’s a Toyota or a Chevy.” Maybe Chery should have tried that line in court.
[Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer]
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
On Friday, we finally got a peek at the Electric MINI E. It’s the same look on the outside - well, plug the giant plug logo - but totally different under the hood. We’re very much looking forward to the LA Auto Show, where we’ll learn much, much more. AutoblogGreen also has lots of coverage of the Austin Alt Car expo from the past weekend.
More headlines after the jump.
Continue reading AutoblogGreen for 10.20.08
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Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hatchbacks, MINI
Click above for high-res gallery of the MINI E
BMW has finally unleashed some information and photos of the much anticipated MINI E set to debut next month at the LA Auto Show. For those who haven’t been paying attention, late last spring BMW announced plans to build and lease a fleet of 500 battery powered MINIs starting sometime in 2009. The front wheels of the MINI E receive torque through a single speed gearbox from a 204 hp, 162 lb-ft electric motor. Those numbers are rather unusual for an electric drive system which usually has much more torque. Nonetheless, the MINI E can hustle to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds and, according to BMW, can cover about 150 miles on a full charge of its lithium ion battery pack.
Anyone who has driven a MINI knows that the back seat is for small kids or occasional use only. For the purposes of this electric version, that is no longer an issue as that area has been completely consumed by the battery pack. The pack itself has a capacity of 35 kWh and judging by the description the company has used a similar set up to the Tesla Roadster. Instead of larger cells specifically designed for automotive applications, this pack uses 5,088 cells arranged in 48 modules. As always, charging time depends on the current and voltage of the outlet the car is plugged into. MINI will be supplying a high current charging station with the cars that can be installed in the driver’s garage to facilitate quicker charges, providing a full charge in 2.5 hours. The regenerative braking system can provide three-quarters of the braking requirements when running in urban stop and go driving. Aside from the battery pack replacing the rear seat and the yellow trim, the main change inside is a battery meter that replaces the tachometer in front of the driver. BMW will be leasing the 500 cars to commercial and private customers in California, New York and New Jersey starting early next year. They may eventually expand the program to Europe as well.
[Source: MINI]
Continue reading LA Preview: 204-hp lithium battery-powered MINI E revealed!
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Long ago (last month for example) when fuel prices were high and looked likely to get even higher, it seemed everyone had an idea to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. While some aftermarket companies played with magnets, it looked like the major OEMs were looking at some form of electric propulsion. Toyota has taken a mostly hybrid route, while GM looks to be investing in plug-in, rechargeable vehicles and Honda likes hydrogen fuel cells. In the end, they’re all different ways to create electricity.
But none of those methods are as efficient as an engine design invented in 1928. It’s called a free-piston engine, and until now it’s been less than ideal for transportation use but could prove to be 50% more efficient than fuel cells at generating electricity.
Basically the engine is two opposed pistons pushing each other back and forth. One past use of the design was as an air compressor where each piston was connected to a compressor cylinder.
But researchers at the Sandia National Laboratory have come up with a new use for this decades-old tech. They have attached magnets to the two opposing pistons that move back and forth past metal coils, thereby creating electricity. The researches claim the free-piston design can easily be modified to run on almost any liquid fuel including hydrogen, ethanol and diesel.
One major problem they’ll need to tackle to make the design successful, though, is how very loud the engine operates. The engine also will require a computerized, active control system to keep the piston movement in check.
Trust us, it’s explained much better and in much more detail here as well as in a PDF here.
[Source: Technology Review]
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