Green Tech Straightline Archives

At first blush, the idea of running a hybrid on a chassis dyno is silly. A dyno is all about power and performance, and a hybrid, well, isn't.

That is, unless the hybrid is the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6, of which its creators reckon is the most powerful in the world. Have a look at its stats as claimed by BMW -- 480 horsepower and a staggering 575 lb-ft of torque.

This prodigious output comes by way of a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and a two-mode hybrid system. The product of the now-defunct collaboration between GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW, this hybrid system is fundamentally similar to that of the Chevy Silverado Hybrid and Tahoe Hybrid. Pairing these two power generators together is like dashing creatine powder onto a medium-rare strip steak.

This ActiveHybrid X6, then, is a hybrid with a chip on its shoulder, just begging to have its claims put to the test. And test it we did, strapping it down to a chassis dyno and making it sing. Er, whir and hum quietly.

Dyno charts and photos after the jump.

Continue reading Inside Line Dyno Tests the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6.

Categories: BMW,Car Tech,Crossovers,Green Tech,Hatchbacks,Hybrids,Luxury Cars

The papers are signed and the agreement is done. Nissan has sealed the deal on a Department of Transportation loan that will be used to modify Nissan's Smyrna, TN plant for production of the Leaf electric car and the lithium-ion batteries that will power it.

According to the press release, the plant will be capable of producing 150,000 Leafs a year and 200,000 batteries a year when fully operational.

Hope it works. That's a pretty big chunk of change to hand over for a completely unproven product. Then again, both Fisker and Tesla got half a billion each for cars that don't exist yet, so we'll see who pulls through first.

Revealed: Nissan Leaf Electric Car

Categories: Auto Industry,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hatchbacks,Nissan,Trends

The results are in, and what do you know, people who pay $900 a month to lease a two-passenger car love it. That's the conclusion of a study done by the University of California at Davis in conjunction with BMW.

The UC Davis researchers questioned 57 out of 450 Mini E owners about their driving habits and overall experience with the car. Notes from the other 393 drivers also contributed to the findings. And what were the conclusions?

"Driving the MINI E is a delightful experience and there is no sacrifice of 'real car' values."

"The range of about 100 miles is sufficient for most daily needs."

"Charging at home provides enough energy for most daily driving."

Uh, okay. Now don't get us wrong, we're part of the program and we generally like our Mini E. But reading through the report you would think that it's nearly faultless in its ability to replace a conventional vehicle. Much of this has to do with the fact that the drivers in the program are essentially electric car advocates who volunteered their time and their wallets to be part of the experiment. Did we really need a study to tell us that they like their cars?

Long Term Test: 2009 Mini E
 

Categories: BMW,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,MINI

The production version of the 2011 Honda CR-Z was just introduced at the 2010 Detroit Auto show, but a magazine in Japan has already taken a test drive on a closed course. Here's a translated version of their thoughts on the car.

"The production version of the car looks sharp sitting on the track thanks to well balanced proportions. The character line that runs down the side of the car looks more pronounced on the silver paint than it does on a red or blue color. The tires and wheels are noticeably less spectacular then the ones from the show car as the wheels are only 16-inches in diameter with 195/55R16 tires. That said, the wheels look of high quality and don't make the car look cheap.

Now we climb into the cabin. The tachometer sits at the center of the instrument cluster with a digital speedometer readout located immediately beneath it. The entire dashboard layout has a distinct sporty look and feel to it, leaving no doubt in the driver's mind that he's sitting in a performance-oriented car. Despite the car being labeled a 4-seater, the rear seats are quite cramped and look just large enough to fit two children.

The shift knob of the 6-speed manual transmission slides into each gear with a resounding click. We throw the lever into 1st gear and launch. The car leaves the line spritely, but accelerates in a milder way than anticipated. You can feel the presence of the electric motor, but it's quite subtle almost transparent. Continued after the jump.

2010 Detroit Auto Show: 2011 Honda CR-Z

Continue reading Japanese Mag Takes Honda CR-Z For a Drive; Says It's Slow, But Handles Well.

Categories: Detroit Auto Show,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hatchbacks,Honda

Kia just released this teaser shot of its Ray concept car that will debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. It was drawn up in Kia's American design studio and is intended to give some direction to the company's idea for a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Doesn't look half bad. We'll see the rest in a few weeks when the 2010 Chicago Auto Show opens for the press on Feb. 10th. 

Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Concept Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,Kia

After apparent success with its Mini E lease program (it was just extended indefinitely), BMW has decided to offer a similar deal for the Active E electric 1 Series. BMW officials told trade publication Automotive News that it intends to lease the Active E to customers in Europe and the United States beginning next year. Data gathered during the limited leases will help BMW as it pursues a commercially viable electric vehicle. The company says it plans to start selling a purpose-built EV in the 2014-2015 time frame.

Green Car Advisor

Categories: BMW,Detroit Auto Show,Future Vehicles,Green Tech

Remember that Martin Eberhard guy who co-founded Tesla and then left after butting heads with Elon Musk? Well, now he's back in the car game, and this time he's signed on with a serious player, at least when it comes to regular cars that is.

Green Car Advisor has confirmed that Eberhard was hired on full-time at Volkswagen's R&D center in Palo Alto, CA. That's the same Palo Alto that will soon house the headquarters of Tesla Motors. Small world eh?

What is Eberhard doing exactly? Volkswagen officials weren't about to go into that level of detail, probably because they don't know either. Stands to reason that he might be helping the company develop the electric cars it keeps showing off at auto shows. Wouldn't Martin just love to help develop a production version of the electric Up! city car and get it on the road before Tesla's planned "affordable" car?

Green Car Advisor: Tesla Co-Founder Martin Eberhard Now Working at Volkswagen R&D
 

Categories: Auto Industry,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Tesla Motors,Volkswagen

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

Mitsubishi's i car is part of the kei car class in Japan. Basically, this is the smallest type of car you can buy there, and the Japanese government subsidizes them (in the form of tax breaks and insurance savings) to encourage people to buy them. The dimensions of the cars are limited to 3.3 meters long by 1.4 meters wide; there's no height limit. The maximum engine displacement is 660cc.

The Mitsubishi i car was somewhat revolutionary when it entered this segment because of its rear-midship engine layout and rear-drive architecture. By locating the engine in the back, Mitsubishi opened up more space in the cabin and improved ride and handling dynamics (generally not a strong point of these ungainly little cars).

So there's the Mitsubishi i, which has a 660cc three-cylinder gasoline engine. There's also the i MiEV, which is an i car that swaps out that gas engine for a rear-drive electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. The i MiEV is Mitsubishi's first electric car. It's already being sold to commercial fleets in Japan, and Mitsu has said it will start selling it to Japanese consumers in April. Eventually, the plan is to bring the i MiEV to North America.

We tested the i and the i MiEV on the same day. The numbers are definitely not the stuff of champions, but this is the first time we've ever had an electric car outperform its gasoline counterpart -- and with a 300-pound weight disadvantage to boot.

Continue reading IL Track Tested: 2010 Mitsubishi i MiEV vs. Mitsubishi i.

Categories: Green Tech,Hatchbacks,IL Track Tested,Mitsubishi

Chrysler officials had zero information about the Fiat 500 BEV ("Battery Electric Vehicle") in their booth at the Detroit auto show. They told us only that it's a one-off concept that explores possibilities for the future -- a future that evidently includes Fiat 500s of all colors and varieties being sold in the U.S.

We got to see the possibly electric car with its hood up while a support staffer pasted an "Electra" label on the nose of the car. There's a metal box and some coated wires in there suggesting a front-drive electric motor. But there's no telling if they're real. And those big black wheels certainly don't seem to be wrapped in typical EV low-rolling-resistance rubber.

2010 Detroit Auto Show: Fiat 500 BEV

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Detroit Auto Show,Fiat,Green Tech,Hatchbacks

It's well known that Porsche is working on a four-cylinder Porsche Boxster. Our spy shooters caught a turbo-four prototype testing on the Nurburgring this past October. We've speculated Porsche might be sourcing the engine from Volkswagen, possibly adopting the 265-horse version of the 2.0T powerplant used in Audi's TTS.

But a report on Autocar today suggests Porsche might go even smaller than that.

Smaller, as in a three-cylinder turbo.

"A Boxster with a four-cylinder engine, or maybe even a three-cylinder turbo, could produce between 180 and 200 horsepower and emit just 180 grams/kilometer of CO2," Hans-Jurgen Wohler, Boxster model line manager, said in an interview with the British magazine. "Given the Boxster's history -- that it started with a 200-horsepower, 2.5-liter engine -- I think this is possibly something that customers could accept."

We suspect a three-cylinder turbo Boxster is far, far off, whereas an official announcement on an entry-level four-cylinder turbo Boxster is expected sometime this year. But in a wildly hypothetical world, could you ever see yourself driving around in a three-cylinder Porsche Boxster?

Autocar via Green Car Advisor

Inside Line: 2011 Porsche Boxster Turbo Exclusive Spy Video and Photos

Categories: Convertibles,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Porsche

Nope. Tesla still doesn't have a plant to build the Model S electric sedan, as John O'Dell of Green Car Advisor reports that the company hasn't worked out a deal with the city of Downey, California. Last month Downey's mayor, Mario Guerra, announced that Tesla would build its second model at an 80-acre site there that formerly housed a Boeing/NASA factory.

Keep in mind Tesla has said it will start selling the Model S sometime in 2011, so the clock is ticking rapidly. The company was approved for $465 million in federal loans this year, and most of that sum is designated for developing a plant to build the Model S. The loan agreement stipulates that Tesla must refurbish an existing U.S. factory.

Green Car Advisor: No Deal Yet For Tesla 'Model S' EV Manufacturing Plant, Company Says

Categories: Auto Industry,Green Tech,Sedans,Tesla Motors

No, it's not because it's ineffective or too expensive. In fact, it doesn't really cost all that much and it does help improve overall economy. The problem is the EPA test cycle.

At least that's what Mazda's product development chief Robert Davis told Automotive News. He said that because the EPA test cycle doesn't reveal any benefits of shutting down the engine when a vehicle stops, the technology doesn't improve official window sticker numbers. And if the numbers aren't there why bother having it?

We would like to think that consumers would be smart enough to know the difference, but we know Mr. Davis is right. If it's not there on the window sticker, most buyers will assume there's no improvement no matter what explanation you give them.

Automotive News

Categories: Green Tech,Mazda

Yes, it's an electric BMW 1 Series with room for your in-laws.

Straightline: BMW Concept ActiveE to Debut at 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Categories: BMW,Concept Vehicles,Coupes,Detroit Auto Show,Green Tech

BMW's Project i electric-car program marches on, and at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, we'll see step number two, the BMW Concept ActiveE. It's exactly what it looks like: an electric BMW 1 Series coupe. And just like with step one of the program, the Mini E, you'll have the opportunity to fund BMW's research: The BMW Concept ActiveE will be offered to U.S. consumers as part of a special lease program, or in BMW's words, "large-scale electric vehicle test program."

Unlike the Mini E, the 1 Series-based Concept ActiveE is rear-wheel-drive. The rear-axle synchronous electric motor develops up to 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, according to BMW. Curiously, these ratings are lower than the Mini E's and on a car that weighs some 700 pounds more (3,900 lbs). Engineers have apparently worked, though, to make this new electric motor's torque curve behave more like an internal combustion engine -- with thrust building as you approach higher engine (er, motor) speeds and then tapering off gently.

We'll have to see how well that works out. For now, BMW is claiming an 8.5-second 0-to-60-mph acceleration time for the Concept ActiveE. Compare that to 7.7 seconds for our long-term Mini E. Top speed is only 90 mph.

As on the Mini E, range will be about 100 miles with a recharge time of 4.5 hours using a high-current charging box and 4.5 days using anything else. As on the Nissan Leaf, you'll be able to monitor the electric 1er's state of charge via an app on your mobile phone.

The lithium-ion battery pack was developed by BMW's partner SB LiMotive, a joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI. It's packaged in the location formerly occupied by the 1 Series' prop shaft. Trunk capacity is reduced, though, with only 7 cubic feet remaining for your stuff. But unlike on the electric Mini, there's no enfringement on cabin space -- this is still a 4-seater.

BMW hasn't gotten specific on the timing for or out-of-pocket costs for the electric 1 Series lease program, but we're expecting those details to come out during the Detroit press conference.

We're not surprised by the debut of the Concept ActiveE, as BMW officials have told us they consider rear-drive electric cars dynamically superior. The company plans to launch its Megacity electric-car sub-brand by 2015, and when that happens, we're expecting the productions cars to be rear-drive.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading BMW Concept ActiveE to Debut at 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

Categories: BMW,Concept Vehicles,Coupes,Detroit Auto Show,Green Tech

Hey remember the Volt dance? Sure you do. You might wish you didn't. But if you saw it, we're guessing it was seared onto your noodle. Remember the Solid-Gold style dancing-ladies and -- why not -- a break dancer? Remember its soundtrack -- that ear-worm of a jingle known as the Volt song (although known casually to us as "Oh For The Love Of God, Get The Hell Out My Head!").

The lameness of the presentation that Chevrolet marketing put on during the public days of the Los Angeles Auto Show now has General Motors PR trying to distance itself from the thing. In fact, the head GM PR his-ownself, Chris Preuss, has tweeted (yes, tweeted), "CIA now using Volt dance video to crack terrorists." That's funny. Not as funny as the dance, but funny.

The performance along with the song are no sneaky viral marketing ploy by GM. No, indeed, this silliness was commissioned by the earnest marketing staff within GM and written by folks at Chevrolet's long-time advertising firm, Campbell-Ewald. And, no, it was not apparently created with any sense of irony.

The whole fracas amounts to, well, not much and pales in comparison to some of the choicest PR oddities, such as the 2000 Detroit Auto Show Pontiac Aztek "mosh pit" (pictured below). Or the time at a Daewoo press conference where thousands of live lobsters released on stage began clawing at the journalists in the front row who were too infirm or drunk to escape. Oh no, wait: that was a dream. Sadly, the Aztek wasn't.

Categories: Chevrolet,Future Vehicles,General Motors,Green Tech,Hybrids,LA Auto Show