General Motors has been accused of a lot of things in the past year, and personally, I feel like that horse is dead, beaten, and buried. For all intents and purposes, it is a new company now. Or at least that is what we are being told.
One very important aspect of the new GM is its commitment to electric vehicles. The Chevy Volt is due out later this year, and the Cadillac Converj is also on the table. Today GM has announced that it was launching a program to start building its own electric motors in house, improving quality while cutting costs. And even better, GM says that the first vehicle to get a GM electric motor will come in 2013, and will be rear-wheel drive.
Think about all the cool cars in Mitsubishi’s lineup.
Chances are, you could only think of one; the Lancer Evolution.
Turbocharged, 300 horsepower, all-wheel drive; the perfect prescription for New England snowfall and the doldrums of conventional family sedans. It has worked for Mitsubishi for years now, and a cult of fanboys (and girls) has cropped up around this car. So why would Mitsubishi consider making it a hybrid?
Depending on who you ask, Cash for Clunkers was either a spectacular success, or a spectacular failure.
These are the facts though. Cash for Clunkers helped sell 690,000 car sales in 30 days, at the cost $3 billion to taxpayers. While overall auto sales are down in 2009 compared to 2008, December was a strong finish for almost every brand. In the four months since the program, car sales have also been up as a whole. Chrysler and General Motors are out of bankruptcy. 2010 is looking like a much better year for car buyers.
Still, the question lingers. Are we going to get a second round of Cash for Clunkers?
File this one under over-engineered.
Bayerische Motoren Werke, better known as BMW, has come up with some eyebrow-raising concepts and engine ideas before. But this one is certainly far out. Bimmer has reportedly filed a patent for a hybrid system that features two separate-but-equal petrol powered two-cylinder engines, PLUS an electric motor. Those crazy Germans, always making things so… complicated.
I just want to pre-empt this post by saying I’m not a fan of pedaling. I always look awkward on bikes. Personal preference.
But I know there are millions of people out there who enjoy cycling (they always seem to get in my way on the road) and that there are plenty of people who would bike to work if they could. Inclement weather, distance, and rough terrain are probably the biggest factors in why most people don’t bike to work. For those of you still considering the trek, there is the Goblin Aero…and as awkward as it looks, these guys might be on to something.
By Lisa Wojnovich •
June 30, 2009
Most odd stories relating to the environment tend to revolve around researchers and scientists and their slightly off the wall discoveries. But not so today. Today, in news of the weird – or at least slightly surreal – I bring you Daimler, the German automaker, who announced last week their very first hybrid car, the Mercedes Benz S Class. It’s a limousine.
By Dave Harcourt •
October 11, 2008
South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently hosted the country’s first solar car race. However, the department had a much more significant role in the development of the Joule electric Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV). The car was designed and built by Optimal Energy, a company born in 2005 with the help of the DST Innovation Fund. DST have contributed about US$ 4.5 million of the 6.2 million required to develop the car, which was launched at the Paris Motor Show last week.
The Joule is a 6 seater mini MPV with a top speed of 135 and the normal nippy acceleration of an electric car. It is designed to be able to accept a range of battery packs and can accommodate 1 or 2 packs giving it a range of up to 400 km. This range identifies it as a car suited to urban use.
