Tesla gets 500+ Model S bookings in first week
Apr 3, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies, Social Initiatives, Startups
A week after unveiling the all electric Model S sedan, Tesla says that 520 customers have shelled out $5,000 each for reserving the car which is scheduled to be on roads in 2011.
The base price for the Model S, which will be available starting in 2010, is $57400, before a federal tax credit of $7,500 in US, a bargain compared to the Roadster’s $105000 price tag. A limited edition of the Model S is also available for a $40,000 reservation fee.
The base Model S will do 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds (compared to the Roadster’s 3.9 seconds) and has an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. The car will be available with a variety of battery options with upto 300 miles per charge.
New Honda Insight ad debuts in Belgium
Mar 30, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
The new Honda Insight is the cheapest hybrid on sale and now, the car has an innovative ad as well. Enjoy the “Let it shine” video here:
The commercial, called ‘Let it Shine’, was created by the Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and uses a bank of Insights parked in a grid near the mountains as pixels in a giant LED-like display. When the sun goes down, the headlights begin flickering on and off to create a cutesy animation to the tune of “This Little Light of Mine”. Read the rest of this entry »
Grenbird captures world land speed record for wind powered vehicles
Mar 29, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Greenbird
Richard Jenkins, a British engineer recently rewrote the world land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle. He reached 126.1mph (202.9km/h) in his Greenbird car on the dry plains of Ivanpah Lake in Nevada. American Bob Schumacher set the previous record of 116 mph in 1999, driving his Iron Duck vehicle.
The Greenbird was a carbon fibre built vehicles, with a solidwing, instead of sails to harness the power of winds. It weighed just 600 kg, but at high speeds, created enough downforce to avoid being flippping over.
Though wind powered vehicles may not be practical in real life, such initiatives will help focus public attention on alternate sources of energy. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: land speed record, wind energy
Tesla Model S is here
Mar 27, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Tesla Model S
After teasing us for months, Tesla took the wraps off its Model S, its all electric family sedan. It is currently accepting bookings. So, if you are interested, you could head over to their website and place your order now, though production will start from 2011!
The standard Model S does 0-60 mph (0-100 kmph) in under 6 seconds and will be electronically limited to 130 mph. Sports versions will have under 5 second 0-60 mph time! Just like the Tesla Roadster, the Model S will have a single speed gearbox.
The Model S will offer various battery configurations with a range of upto 300 miles (480kms). It will carry its charger onboard and can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes.
Model S and Roadster
So one could go out for a drive in the morning and let it charge at a public charging outlets being set up by Better Place or Coulomb Technologies, while you enjoy your lunch and then drive off into the horizon! When these start offering battery swap stations, you could also swap your discharged floor mounted battery in less than the time it takes to fill up at a gas station and make a scorching getaway.
The interiors are no less alluring, with a 17-inch touchscreen with in-car 3G connectivity allows passengers to listen to internet Pandora Radio or consult Google Maps, or check their state of charge remotely from their iPhone or laptop!
All this comes with prices starting at $57400 and thats before a government tax credit of $7500 further sweetens the deal in US.
Tesla Model S prices revealed
Mar 24, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Model S
Tesla has just announced some details about the pricing of its upcoming Model S sedan. The base version will reportedly cost $57400 when it goes into production sometime probably in 2011. In US, buyers will get a $7500 government tax credit, so the effective price will be less than $50000. Compare this with the almost $90000 price tag of the Fisker Karma and the reportedly $40000 price of the Chevrolet Volt, both of which are range extended electric vehicles (i.e. a petrol motor acting as a generator along with the electric motor powering the wheels), compared to the all electric Model S.
Tesla plans to show the Model S to the public for the first time in California on March 26, 2009. Thats just a couple of days from now!
Tesla also said that it has delivered its 250th Roadster.
Tags: Fisker, General Motors, Tesla
US allocates $2.4 billion for greener automobiles
Mar 24, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
US President Obama
US President Barack Obama reiterated his promise for a greener US, at his latest speech at Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center in Pomona, California, announcing plans for a $2.4 billion infusion into the US domestic electric vehicle industry. The funds will be drawn from the $787 billion economic stimulus law and will include plans like a $7500 tax credit for purchasing a plug-in hybrid.
The new funding for electric vehicles will be divided between the automakers and the parts suppliers. The automakers will receive $1.5 billion, while parts makers who are building electronic vehicle components will get $500 millions. These will be in form of loan guarantees and other investments. The remaining $400 million will be devoted to research and on building infrastructure. Both electric vehicle repair centers and community charging stations are targets for this funding. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Barack Obama, EV, Solyndra
Nissan-Renault takes its EV to US while Coulomb comes to Europe
Mar 24, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Nissan Renault takes its EV to US
The Renault-Nissan Alliance has announced its partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) “to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network.”
Nissan plans to bring its electric cars to the U.S. next year and SDG&E will help build up the charging infrastructure. The partners will also work with local groups to get the network up and running, maintain it, and teach people how to use it.
Nissan has also developed a partnersip with Better Place to set up electric vehicle charging infrastructure in various countries. Renault-Nissan has set its sights on Zürich, London amongst others.
Meanwhile, Better Place’s competitor, Coulomb Technologies expanded its global footprint by opening a Berlin office, that will help expansion into the European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) markets. . Coulomb already has pilot project runing in San Jose and Los Angeles, California.
The partnership between car manufacturers and charging companies is important because lack of public charging infrastructure could be a deterrent to the acceptance of electric and plug-in vehicles.
Tags: Better Place, Coulomb, Nissan, Renault
Hybrid diesel bus with in-wheel electric motors revs up in Netherlands
Mar 23, 2009 Auto Tech
Hybrid bus
Public transport is any day less polluting than private vehicles. Now Netherlands based e-Traction may widen the environmental friendliness gap by developing a diesel-electric hybrid bus that they say offers fifty percent better fuel economy over existing diesel buses.
The bus can run upto an hour on its batteries. It also employs a GPS-based system that switches off the diesel engine entirely while operating in areas with dense traffic, reducing emissions. e-traction has been awarded contracts to retrofit seven commercial buses with the technology.
e-Traction’s design uses in-wheel electric motors on rear wheels and recharges its batteries harnessing energy from braking, that can later be employed for acceleration. The in-wheel motors confer additional savings by eliminating the need for a transmission, differential, and related mechanical parts. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: e-traction, GPS, hybrid buses, Netherlands
Tata Nano launches; bookings start in April, deliveries in July
Mar 23, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Tata Nano
The Tata Nano has finally got a concrete on-sale date at yesterday’s glitzy launch party, sidestepping the myriad of hurdles plaguing the project since last year. With a base price tag of a magical Indian Rupees 100000 (1 lac), which translates to less than $2000 at current exchange rates, hundreds of thousands are expected to put their name down for a Nano, including many Indian middle class families previously limited to motorbikes or public transport.
The Nano comes with a 624cc 2 cylinder engine and while its claimed 25 kmpl (56 mpg) fuel efficiency may have otherwise put a smile on the face of environmentalists, the expected huge numbers to be sold may make a not so negligible contribution to India’s oil import bills and the congestion and air pollution in its cities.
One can book the car between April 9 and 25 and it is expected to be delivered in July. With demand set to far outstrip supply, the first 100,000 owners will be picked at random, till a new plant in Gujarat, India comes onstream next year. The Nano can be booked at more than 30,000 locations in 1,000 cities across India, including Tata’s department and electronics stores, with booking forms costing 300 rupees ($6). It can also be booked online (www.tatanano.com).
The Nano has and is going to have a profound environmental, social and economic impact. Read the rest of this entry »
Fisker ads now on TV
Mar 14, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Fisker has put out TV ads for its upcoming Karma luxury plug-in hybrid sedan. The 0-100 kmph time is advertised a little conservatively as 6.0 seconds, while “eco chic” makes one cringe! Overall, the ad is not that catchy. Hope the car turns out better than this.
Tags: Advertisement, Fisker Karma