All Entries Tagged With: "electric cars"
CT&T’s Multi-Amphibious Vehicle Lets You Drive Its Six Wheels On Water
Need a glorified golf cart that can haul a bigger entourage and run after balls that go in the water? Okay, we’re not exactly sure what CT&T is planning with their Multi-Amphibious Vehicle, but it looks designed to do just that.
Combining an electric powertrain with amphibious capabilities, it marries two downright cool talents in a single ride. Of course, that also means when your neighborhood’s flooded and the power lines are down, you’re screwed – but, hey, I ain’t complaining. It’s not like 2012 is real or anything, right? Right?
The Multi-Amphibious Vehicle can accommodate up to four passengers (driver included), all while rolling on six wheels with a 200 cm ground clearance. According to the company, it can go up to 40 mph on ground and swim at a ridiculous 95 mph on water. The latter is most likely a misprint – 9.5 mph sounds more plausible. Please crucify your [...]
Audi eTron Could Be The Sexiest EV Of 2012
Watch out, Tesla and Fisker. A new and improved Audi eTron just showed up at the Detroit Motor Show and it looks sleek. In fact, people are already proclaiming it as the sexiest EV on the block.
Compared to the concept eTron shown off at Frankfurt and LA last year, this new iteration boasts considerably less power. That’s not a bad thing actually, since that means Audi is gearing it for actual road use, rather than showing off their advances in electric car technology.
Audi eTron version 2.0 is just leaner, with more aggressive lines and plenty of stylish cues. Measuring 70 inches wide, 154.72 inches long and 48 inches tall, the car sports body panels made up of mostly carbon-reinforced plastic that’s held together on a space carbon fiber and aluminum frame. It weighs 550 lbs less than the original version and looks particularly tight.
It’s no longer an all-wheel drive, with [...]
ECOS Harbinger: Lambo-Inspired Looks, All-Electric Powertrain And Up To 117 Mph
For $12,500, you can bring your car down to Electric Cars of Springfield (ECOS) and have it retrofitted with an all-electric powertrain. If you have a little more cash to spare, you can skip the entire conversion process when visiting their facilities and spend it on the Harbinger, the company’s newly-unveiled, Lamborghini-inspired electric sports car, instead.
With dozens of electric cars suddenly popping up, what makes this new creation so special? In a nutshell, it’s cheaper than a Tesla, all while providing similar race-worthy power and attention-grabbing European lines.
The Harbinger features a German-engineered, all-aluminum chassis, with a carbon/kevlar composite bodykit and Lambo-style scissor doors that mirror the glance-inducing appearance of Italian supercars. Underneath the luxury exterior lies an 11-inch Netgain DC motor, fed by a 30kW LiFePO4 battery pack. Together, the powertrain combines for an electronically-limited top speed of 117 mph, with a maximum range of 150 miles (if you drive [...]
Gordon Murray Intros The T.27, Planned To Be The World’s Most Efficient Electric Car
With a name like that, one would naturally expect a new Terminator robot. Hmmm…not exactly. Instead, the T.27 is Gordon Murray’s new project, which he believes to be the future of automobiles.
For one, it’s bound to be the world’s most efficient electric car. At least, that’s the plan. For now, Murray is showing off the petrol version of the ride, with every intent to convert it into full-electric mode over the next 16 months, just in time for the EU’s new emissions targets in 2012.
The £9 million project will be helmed by Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive Technology, with the funding coming from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board. When finished, the all-electric car will post a top speed of 60 mph, managing to run a full 100 miles on a single charge. Those are pretty impressive numbers. Given Murray’s record with F1, though, I’m inclined to be expectant.
According to [...]
Nissan Land Glider Concept Tilts On Turns, Sports Futuristic Cabin
How fun would it be to drive a car that tilts? If the Nissan Land Glider concept does make it into production, you’ll know soon enough.
Barely wide enough to fit one driver in the front seat, the tiny electric car features a computer-controlled steering system that literally leans the chassis during turns. The effect is quite the sight to look at, with the entire vehicle shifting its weight on one side like a speeding motorcycle.
The Nissan Land Glider appears to have enough room for only one driver, plus a small space in the back for a single passenger to squeeze in. Cabin looks particularly futuristic, sporting what looks like a flight yoke, instead of steering wheel, and a dash-mounted camera display, in place of rear and wing mirrors. To keep the car as aerodynamic as possible, Nissan removed as many outer fittings that can affect air resistance.
No details on the [...]
Peugeot BB1 Electric Concept Could Very Well Be The Strangest Car Of The Year
Last week’s 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show laid witness to plenty of visually-distinctive vehicles. When it comes to craziness, though, few came as close to the downright insanity of the Peugeot BB1 electric concept car.
Named after the famous motorized bikes from the 1960s, the BB1 literally seems like a cross between a scooter and an ultra-compact car, coupled with the most eccentric designs the French can come up with. Accommodating as many passengers uncomfortably appeared to be the order of the day, as the Smart-like electric rider fits in four seating areas (all three passenger seats are removable) within its 2.5 meter long body (which the company claims can probably park legally in a position perpendicular to pavement edges).
Suffice to say that the Peugeot BB1 isn’t the easiest ride to figure out. Sure, it has four wheels, two doors and a car-like body. Driver seating is much more scooter-like than usual, [...]
Audi E-Tron Electric Concept Runs On Four Motors, Torque Equivalent To A Patton Tank
At this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show, Audi is showing off a re-imagining of the R8 sports car if it were an electric vehicle. The result, while it’s just a concept (and will likely stay that way), is an impressive gas-less powerhouse called the E-Tron.
Since one motor isn’t about to match a sports car’s performance, Audi outfitted the ride with four electricity-powered machines. Together, those four motors produce a respectable (though not entirely overwhelming) 313 bhp, but a ridiculously high 3,319 lb/ft of torque, a number they claim to be the same as that of a Patton Tank.
The E-Tron should get a top speed of 127 mph, with a decent 0 to 60 jump of 4.8 seconds. While 4.8 seconds of acceleration along that distance isn’t exactly supercar performance, a rolling start proves otherwise, as the vehicle goes from 37 mph to 75 mph at only 4.1 seconds, no doubt a [...]
Segway Rolls Out New Transporter: Like A Wheelchair, But A Car
It’s fair to say that the Segway has been one of the more interesting failures of our time. Despite receiving a lot of attention and coverage, the single-passenger motorized transport device simply never took off. That’s not to say Dean Kamen’s about to give up, though.
Apparently, Segway has been working with General Motors to develop a new personal vehicle that looks like a logical evolution of the original machine. Dubbed the P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), it retains the Segway Personal Transporter’s two-wheeled capabilities, while allowing for a comfortable seat, two passengers and a considerable upgrade in speed. Yes, it now looks like the coolest wheelchair ever!
The new self-balancing ride can run at speeds of up to 35 mph, well above the original Segway’s paltry 12 mph. Juicing up on pure electricity, it offers a maximum driving range of 35 miles with a single charge on the onboard lithium [...]
