New Battery Technology Promises Recharge Time Similar to Filling Your Tank

George Delozier — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:55:38 -0800

While many people who have looked into battery electric vehicles are turned away due to range limitations, others are more worried about the long recharge time. In some cases, these vehicles can take up to a full 8 hours to recharge, which is too long for some people to live with. However, a newly developed kind of battery may provide the answer to this problem.

BMW Lovos Concept to be Green...Not so Simple

George Delozier — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:37:10 -0800

Automotive styling has undergone some very extreme changes over the past 20 years, and mostly for the better. Sometimes however, a new concept comes along that breaks that mold and really makes us step back and stare. The BMW Lovos is a perfect example of this kind of concept.

Honda to Include Cylinder Deactivation on Upcoming Touring Series

George Delozier — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:18:41 -0800

Honda has been working hard on the upcoming VFR1200 touring bike, with the introduction of a dual clutch gearbox into the motorcycle being among the many pieces of technology they plan on including. On top the more efficient transmission, it now appears that Honda is planning on cylinder deactivation to help keep fuel consumption down as well.

Spectre Performance Sets New Gasoline Powered Land Speed Record

George Delozier — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:53:45 -0700

Speed is one of the few obsessions we as a society will almost certainly never get away from. Every time someone sets a new speed record, regardless of how and using what, we feel the need to break it. This past month has proved not to be the exception.

Nissan Land Glider Drives Like Jet and Leans Like a Motorcycle

George Delozier — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:05:51 -0700

The Tokyo Motor Show is looking more and more like the focus will be put on the zero emissions scene, rather than the hybrid realm. Not to be outdone, Nissan is also planning on bringing out their latest all electric city scrambler, aptly named the Land Glider.

Nissan Develops Crash Avoidance System by Studying Fish

George Delozier — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:53:52 -0700

Crash avoidance systems have been at the top of nearly every automaker's list when it comes to research and development, and for good reason. In an interesting press released, Nissan has revealed what could be the next generation of these systems, and the unique idea that led the engineers to it.

Mazda Drops Preview of New SKY Clean Engine Series

George Delozier — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:12:21 -0700

It is no secret that Mazda refuses to separate driving excitement with environmentally friendliness. The engineers and designers are adamant that a car can be fun to drive, and still be clean and efficient. It is from this thinking that Mazda has been able to create the SKY clean engine concepts.

Suzuki Prepares 3 Fuel Cell Concepts for Tokyo

George Delozier — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:32:25 -0700

It has been known that Suzuki is planning on bringing the hybrid powered Swift to the Tokyo Motor Show for quite some time. What they didn't tell us, was they have been working on 3 other fuel cell powered vehicles they are going to unveil alongside the Swift Hybrid.

SIMPLE Concept from BMW Leans Like a Motorcycle, Seats 2, and Gets 118mpg

George Delozier — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:36:04 -0700

Back in 2002, BMW revealed a tricycle-based concept that called the CLEVER. It stood for Compact Low Emissions Vehicle for Urban Transport and was light enough to be powered by a small compressed natural gas engine. Now, BMW has released another of their tricycle-based concepts that has been dubbed the SIMPLE.

New Active Safety System to Debut on Next Volvo S60

George Delozier — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:46:40 -0700

Few automakers can match the safety and reliability Volvo has been able to work into nearly every one of their vehicles. Their innovative methods and cutting edge technology have gotten them more than a few life-long customers and more are sure to come. Their latest piece of safety hardware could very well be one of the key factors in driving these new customers in.

Lotus Engineering Releases Range Extending Engine Design

George Delozier — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:27:16 -0700

Over the years, we have come to expect great things from the Lotus Engineering team, which they have been more than able to provide. The research and development they accomplish has been used in a myriad of applications extending far beyond their automotive realm. Recently, they unveiled a new range extending motor that will most likely follow the same path of global application.

Volkswagen L1 Claims Title of World's Most Fuel Efficient Automobile

George Delozier — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:20 -0700

Since first being introduced in 2002, the Volkswagen L1 Concept has been dubbed the most fuel efficient automobile in the world. While this is a lofty claim on the part of VW, the evidence to support this title seems to be sufficient.

Audi E-Tron Concept Promises 3319lb/ft of Green Excitement

George Delozier — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:27:29 -0700

Even the most exotic sports cars available today cannot match the potential acceleration of a high output electrically powered sports car. This is mostly due to full torque available at 0 RPMs. To really drive this point home, Audi has developed the E-Tron, which could easily become the next generation of high end sports cars.

10 Craziest Concept Cars from the Tokyo Motor Show

George Delozier — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 06:06:03 -0800

Mazda Taiki

On the 26th of October, the Tokyo Motor Show kicked off with a roar . Some of the highlights included the Lancer EVO X and the highly anticipated Nissan GT-R. Manufacturers also introduced a handful of concept cars that can only be described as "unique." Here are my picks for the 10 Wackiest Concept Cars from the Tokyo Motor Show: read more »

Dual Fuel Bus to Decrease Emissions and Increase Public Transit Usage

George Delozier — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:39:03 -0700

Even though using public transportation within a city greatly reduces the overall amount of pollution, this doesn’t stop people from demanding cleaner and more efficient means. A new kind of bus being launched in Britain may be able to provide the perfect solution to such demands, as well as bring a halt to the reliance on diesel.

Next Fisker Model to Get Plug In Capability...Priced in Chevy Volt Territory

George Delozier — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:34:11 -0700

With as much attention as the Fiskar Karma go, it only makes sense that the up and coming automaker would start planning something new. The rumors now are that this next Fiskar model will be a Plug In Hybrid with a starting price somewhere in the $39,000 range.

Ford Unveils Smallest and Most Efficient EcoBoost Engine Yet

George Delozier — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:34:00 -0700

In keeping with their plan to rely heavily on the EcoBoost engine line up, Ford has introduced another variant of the potent powerplant. This time, the turbocharged engine displaces a total of 1.6 liters, making it the smallest and possibly the most widely used for the upcoming model years.

New Gasoline-Diesel Mixture to Raise Efficiency and Lower Emissions without Breaking the Bank

George Delozier — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:59:22 -0700

Both gasoline engines and diesel engines have their advantages over the other when it comes to certain applications. However, they both also suffer from drawbacks that some people find too difficult to live with. This may all change though, as a new gasoline-diesel mixture is being researched and tested that promises to bring the best of both worlds into the hands of the consumer.

Volkswagen Teams Up with Lichtblick to Provide Clean and Affordable Energy

George Delozier — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:31:27 -0700

Lichtblick, a German based Energy Company specializing in environmentally friendly systems, has been working on a new in-house energy system that could very well replace large nuclear or coal burning power plants. Even more interesting, is that Volkswagen is now on-board with the business plan and providing funding to get the project moving.

Turbine Powered Bus to Clean Up New York

George Delozier — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:03:08 -0700

Anyone who has ever been to New York City knows how heavy the traffic can get at pretty much any time of the day. To combat this, the city began developing different forms of mass transit that they hoped would eventually replace personal vehicles inside the crowded city. Among these, was the diesel burning kneeling bus, which has undergone very few changes until just recently when a new turbine powered unit was developed.

Mothers against Drunk Driving Aims to Increase In-Car Breathalyzer Usage: Some Worry it will Go too Far

George Delozier — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:06:25 -0700

About 13,000 lives are lost each year to alcohol related vehicle accidents and the number of injuries is even higher. Had the driver been unable to start their vehicle, nearly all of these accidents could have been averted. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is now working with congress to impose new laws that will increase the usage of in car breathalyzers, which some say will become mandatory for all new vehicles.

Ethanol Production to Get a Boost From Watermelons

George Delozier — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:59:06 -0700

Scaling up the amount of ethanol produced every year is no easy task. Aside from the huge amount of corn needed to produce a decent amount of fuel, the process also requires an almost constant flow of water. While many people are working to solve the issues, others are looking for alternative methods to produce the cleaner fuel. Interestingly enough, that alternative method may end up being watermelons.

Lexus Reveals Lf-Ch Hybrid Concept: Could be Hinting at Future Styling

George Delozier — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:23:37 -0700

Not too long ago, Lexus let it slip that they were working on a hybrid coupe, at the time called the LF-CT, which would likely be competing in the same ring as the recently released BMW 1-Series. Now, they have offered up some sketches of the soon-to-be-revealed concept and given us its true name.

Full Hybrid Auris Concept Ready for Market...Could be Priced Lower then Prius

George Delozier — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:06:33 -0700

Since introducing the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system on the Prius, Toyota has been promising to expand the technology to other platforms. The first vehicle in the sights for the next generation HSD powerplant is the upcoming Auris.

BMW Releases More Information about the Upcoming EfficientDynamics Concept

George Delozier — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:01:02 -0700

For the past few weeks or so BMW has been teasing a new hybrid concept sports car dubbed the Vision EfficientDynamics. Now, BMW has finally unveiled the concept and offered the public some highly desired information regarding the new hybrid sports coupe.

Solar Roads Project Could End US Dependence on Power Plants for Electricity

George Delozier — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:37:05 -0700

Solar energy has been at the top of many people's list when it comes to renewable energy sources. While some companies have designed vehicles to run on solar energy, others are still focusing on the lack of a power grid able to handle a significant load increase. A new concept funded by the Department of Energy may be able to offer a solution to this problem.

Department of Energy Announces $1 Million Prize for New Method to Store Hydrogen

George Delozier — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:57:24 -0700

Even the most die-hard fans of hydrogen powered vehicles have a hard time finding a solution to the problem of storage for their fuel. Currently, it requires a high pressure tank and a maze of fittings and lines to ensure the proper delivery in the proper amount at the proper time. However, the Department of Energy (DOE) has just challenged the general public to find a new way to store hydrogen and offered a six digit prize to anyone who can meet this goal.

Mercedes Begins Leasing New Fuel Cell Sedan

George Delozier — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:46:26 -0700

Earlier this year, Mercedes Benz released information regarding their development of a new Fuel Cell vehicle called the F-Cell. Since then, they have been refining the project and now believe it is ready for small scale production.

GM Presents Bare Necessities Concepts……Could Become Part of Future Lineup

George Delozier — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:00:40 -0700

Recently, General Motors held a press conference to introduce some of the vehicles thy plan on debuting by the 2012 model year. While there were several all electric vehicles and hybrids throughout the presentation, the upcoming concepts that got the most attention were a pair of vehicles listed as “Bare Necessities.”

Volkswagen to Bring 71MPG BlueMotion Polo to US....May Hurt Prius Sales

George Delozier — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:22:53 -0700

Since first being introduced, the Volkswagen Polo has been one of the most fuel efficient vehicles on the road. Years of diesel development and improvements to powertrain design have improved the overall efficiency ever more. Now, VW is offering a BlueMotion version of the Polo and promising even more miles for every gallon.