Edmunds put the following list of EVs though a 105.5 mile test loop to see what they're like to drive in the real world.
Source: Edmunds.com
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Edmunds Road Test 9x Electric Cars [VIDEO]
Monday, January 28, 2013
National Geographic - Megafactories Tesla Documentary [VIDEO]
The National Geographic Channel Megafactories documentary series have aired a 45 min look inside the Tesla Model S factory in Fremont, California.
Tesla Model S Vs Dodge Viper SRT10 Drag Racing 1/4 Mile [VIDEO]
Drag Times has been at it again this time putting a Tesla Model S Performance up against a 2005 Dodge Viper SRT10 down a 1/4 Mile at Palm Beach International Raceway.
The Model S ran a best of 12.371 @ 110.84 MPH.
Source: Drag Times
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Toyota Prius best-sold vehicle in California in 2012
Toyota’s Prius became the best-sold vehicle this year in California, followed by Honda’s Civic.
Toyota, which is the biggest seller of gasoline-electric vehicles, managed to sell 60,688 of the new Prius hybrids in 2012, nearly one out of every five subcompacts, the California New Cars Dealers Association reports. It bested the Honda Civic, at 57,124. Prius' ascent shows how hybrids, once considered exotic because of their ability to run on electricity alone, are becoming mainstream.
Toyota held a 21.1% market share in the state, followed by Honda at 12.5% and Ford and General Motors, each with a bit more than 11%, based on a new-vehicle registrations. Kia had the biggest increase in market share, up 53.3%.
Tesla Now Building 400 Cars Per Week - 20,000 Per Year
Tesla Motors original plan was to deliver 5,000 Model S in 2012. In their November letter to shareholders, they reduced their 2012 plan to between 2,500 and 3,000 while reaffirming 20,000 deliveries in 2013. This basically "shifted" the production ramp back about two months for all options not available at start of production.
Once Tesla begin producing Model S with each option, they will be producing about 400 cars per week as each option phases into production, which roughly equates to 20,000 units per year.
At the end of the third quarter of 2012, the company had orders for 13,000 units. Jerome Guillen, the company's director of Model S programs said the updated number is "significantly higher." The number of Model S orders on hand at the end of 2012 will be disclosed in early February.
With Tesla's Fremont, Calif., assembly plant running at its full annualized run rate of 20,000 vehicles per year, the waiting time for a Model S has been trimmed to four to six months, depending on content, Guillen said.
Tesla are working on an as-yet unnamed electric sedan about the size of the BMW 3 series. With a target price of $30,000 to $35,000, the smaller sedan will arrive in the next three or four years.
"The focus is on cost down," Musk said in an interview. "We've got the range. We've got the capability and ride and handling. Now it's a question of how to optimize it."
Musk expects Tesla to turn a quarterly profit in 2013 as sales volumes of the Model S sedan reach an annualized run rate of 20,000 units.
The production timeline for 2013:
Source: Tesla, Automotive News
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Multi-Junction Solar Cell to Break 50% Efficiency Barrier
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory scientists in the Electronics Technology and Science Division, in collaboration with the Imperial College London and MicroLink Devices, Inc., Niles, Ill., have proposed a novel triple-junction solar cell with the potential to break the 50 percent conversion efficiency barrier, which is the current goal in multi-junction photovoltaic development.
"This research has produced a novel, realistically achievable, lattice-matched, multi-junction solar cell design with the potential to break the 50 percent power conversion efficiency mark under concentrated illumination," said Robert Walters, Ph.D., NRL research physicist. "At present, the world record triple-junction solar cell efficiency is 44 percent under concentration and it is generally accepted that a major technology breakthrough will be required for the efficiency of these cells to increase much further."
In multi-junction (MJ) solar cells, each junction is 'tuned' to different wavelength bands in the solar spectrum to increase efficiency. High bandgap semiconductor material is used to absorb the short wavelength radiation with longer wavelength parts transmitted to subsequent semiconductors. In theory, an infinite-junction cell could obtain a maximum power conversion percentage of nearly 87 percent. The challenge is to develop a semiconductor material system that can attain a wide range of bandgaps and be grown with high crystalline quality.
By exploring novel semiconductor materials and applying band structure engineering, via strain-balanced quantum wells, the NRL research team has produced a design for a MJ solar cell that can achieve direct band gaps from 0.7 to 1.8 electron volts (eV) with materials that are all lattice-matched to an indium phosphide (InP) substrate.
"Having all lattice-matched materials with this wide range of band gaps is the key to breaking the current world record" adds Walters. "It is well known that materials lattice-matched to InP can achieve band gaps of about 1.4 eV and below, but no ternary alloy semiconductors exist with a higher direct band-gap."
The primary innovation enabling this new path to high efficiency is the identification of InAlAsSb quaternary alloys as a high band gap material layer that can be grown lattice-matched to InP. Drawing from their experience with Sb-based compounds for detector and laser applications, NRL scientists modeled the band structure of InAlAsSb and showed that this material could potentially achieve a direct band-gap as high as 1.8eV. With this result, and using a model that includes both radiative and non-radiative recombination, the NRL scientists created a solar cell design that is a potential route to over 50 percent power conversion efficiency under concentrated solar illumination.
Recently awarded a U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) project, NRL scientists, working with MicroLink and Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, N.Y., will execute a three year materials and device development program to realize this new solar cell technology.
Through a highly competitive, peer-reviewed proposal process, ARPA-E seeks out transformational, breakthrough technologies that show fundamental technical promise but are too early for private-sector investment. These projects have the potential to produce game-changing breakthroughs in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and to have large commercial impacts.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Nissan Confirm Leaf Nismo Concept for production
Nissan has officially confirmed a production version of the Leaf Nismo Concept.
In an interview given to Autocar, Nismo chief Shoichi Miyatani said the model is slated to go into production this summer in Japan.
There are no performance upgrades planned as the Nismo variant will only come with a different aerodynamic body kit inspired from the Leaf RC. It will also boast new alloy wheels and a revised interior cabin.
Based on the feedback received in Japan, Nissan will decide whether the Leaf Nismo will be launched in Europe as well but due to small volumes, this sort of decision would be hard to justify, according to Miyatani.
Although the Leaf RC was previously confirmed for a one-make race series, Miyatani said this probably won't happen after all.
Ford offers $10,750 discount on leased Focus EV
Ford Motor Co. is offering hefty discounts of more than $10,000 on leasing its Focus electric vehicle.
The Dearborn automaker also said on its website that it has dropped the base price of the Focus EV by $2,000 for cash sales and is offering up to $10,750 off for three-year-leases.
Ford is also offering a $2,000 cash discount on the Focus EV and 1.9 percent financing if purchased through Ford Motor Credit.
The automaker sold just 685 Focus EVs in 2012, while it built 1,627 Focus EVs — making it one of the poorest performers among electric vehicles on the market.
Last week, Nissan Motor Co. dropped the price of its new 2013 Leaf EV by 18 percent to $28,800 and last year offered incentives in the wake of far lower than expected sales. Ford's new discounts came just days after the announcement.
"We certainly are not in a situation where we have to completely discount but we do have to respond to competitive pressures," Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said. "We're not anywhere close where Nissan has gone with the Leaf."
The Leaf's sold about the same number as in 2011. Last year, Nissan sold 9,819 Leaf EVs in the U.S. — up 1.5 percent over 2011.
Last week, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn called the Leaf sales "a disappointment for us."
Ford's website says it is offering $10,750 off "Red Carpet leases," if taking retail delivery by April 1. The incentive program started last week. Ford says not all Focus EVs will qualify. The lease includes the value of a $7,500 federal tax credit.
Ford says a customer could get a 36-month lease with 10,500 miles a year for $285 a month and $930 due at signing.
Sherwood said Ford was offering the Focus EV for around $350 a month on lease last year.
Last year, the base price of the Focus EV was $39,995. Ford's website now lists the base price as $37,995 for "cash-only" sales.
Ford is also offering long-term financing — $500 a month over 72 percent at 1.9 percent interest with a 10 percent down payment.
The incentives are similar to what General Motors Co. was offering last year on its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt, when it offered about $10,000 discounts on Volt leases - a figure that also included the $7,500 tax credit. GM tripled Volt sales in 2012 to more than 23,000.
Ford executive chairman Bill Ford Jr. said he couldn't predict when Focus EV sales might increase.
"It's the right bet to make — trying to guess timing is always difficult, because there are so many variables," Ford said. "This is a long journey. Anytime you introduce new technology and particularly powertrain technology it's a long ramp-up."
Ford said the company is meeting true demand that customers want "so we're not stuck playing the game of having to either incentivize or close factories."
The Focus EV, Leaf and Chevrolet Volt all qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit and some states offer $2,500 tax credits which when added to the Ford lease incentive could see a total of over $20,000 discounted, more than halving the cost of the Focus EV.
Toyota, BMW to Research Lithium-Air Battery
Toyota Motor Corp and BMW AG will jointly research a lithium-air battery expected to be more powerful than the lithium-ion batteries used in many hybrid and electric vehicles, the two firms said.
Toyota uses lithium-ion batteries in its Prius plug-in hybrid, some Prius v, and the eQ electric car.
A lithium-air battery has its anode filled with lithium, and cathode with air. Theoretically, the battery can store more than 5,000 watt-hours per kilogram. (A123 M1 cells are around 120 wh/kg).
The technology is being studied by researchers including IBM , which is working to develop a lithium-air battery that will let electric vehicles run 500 miles on one charge.
Toyota and BMW also said they would work on a shared platform and technology for a mid-sized sports car, and develop technologies to make cars lighter and thus more fuel-efficient.
Eager to strengthen its diesel engine line-up in a sagging European market, Toyota agreed in 2011 to collaborate with BMW on lithium-ion battery research in exchange for a steady supply of BMW-made diesel engines starting in 2014.
BMW, which needs to cut carbon emissions of its new car fleet by roughly a third by 2020, agreed with Toyota in 2012 to work on fuel cells and electrified powertrains too.
Toyota's Uchiyamada said they wanted to decide as soon as possible on how to collaborate on the electrified powertrains.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tesla Model S vs Mercedes E63 BiTurbo 0-110 MPH [VIDEO]
Drag Times have uploaded a video showing a 0-110 Mph comparison between a 416 hp (310 kW) Tesla Model S Performance and a 518 hp (386 kW) Mercedes-Benz E63 5.5-litre V8 BiTurbo.
Disclaimer: EV News does not endorse nor condone racing on public roads, this video is featured for information value only.
Motion Control Keeps EV's Four Wheel Motors on the Road
It weighs half as much as a sports car, has four wheels that turn independently, each with its own built-in electric motor and set of batteries and turns on a dime—so its no surprise that the electric car being developed at Ohio State University needs an exceptional traction and motion control system to keep it on the road.
“It is considered one of the promising future vehicle architectures,” said Junmin Wang, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and Director of the Vehicle Systems and Control Laboratory at Ohio State. “It would make a good in-city car—efficient and maneuverable, with no emissions. Our task is to make a robust control system to keep it safe and reliable.”
In a paper in the January 2013 issue of the journal Control Engineering Practice, his team described the car’s ability to follow a specific trajectory.
In tests on good road conditions at the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty, Ohio, the car followed a driver’s desired path within four inches (10 cm). To test slippery road conditions, the researchers took the car to an empty west campus parking lot on a snowy day. There, the car maneuvered with an accuracy of up to eight inches (20 cm), and the vehicle traction and motion control system prevented “fishtailing” through independent control of the left and right sides of the car.
Wang characterized these results as more accurate than a conventional car, though the comparison is hard to make, given that conventional cars are much more limited in maneuverability by the transmission and differential systems that link the wheels together mechanically. The four independent wheels of the electric car give drivers greater control and more freedom of movement.
The experimental car also weighs half as much as a conventional car—only 800 kg, or a little over 1,750 pounds—because it contains no engine, no transmission, and no differential. The researchers took a commercially available sport utility vehicle chassis and removed all those parts, and added a 7.5 kW electric motor to each wheel and a 15 kW lithium-ion battery pack. The wheel motors are controlled by a central computer.
One hundred times a second, the onboard computer samples input data from the steering wheel, gas pedal and brake and calculates how each wheel should respond. Because the wheels are independent, one or more can brake while the others accelerate, providing enhanced traction and motion control.
In fact, a driver who is accustomed to conventional cars would have a difficult time driving a car of this experimental design, known as a “four-wheel independently actuated” (FIWA) car without the help of the vehicle motion and traction control system. With its ability to turn sharply and change direction very quickly, the car could be hard to control. Wang has tried it.
“Without the controller, it’s very hard to drive. With the controller, it’s quite nice—quiet, and better control than commercial four-wheel drive,” he said.
The main challenge for his team—which consists of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students as well as a few local high school students—is to make the whole traction and motion control system energy-efficient and fault-tolerant, so if one wheel, motor or brake malfunctions, the others can compensate for it and maintain safety. It’s a situation analogous to a multi-engine plane losing an engine: the other engines have to adjust thrust and angle to keep the plane safe and on course.
Future work will concern the FIWA car’s energy efficiency for increasing its travel range in urban environments, and optimizing the weight distribution in the car.
Wang estimates that we won’t see a FIWA car on the road for another 5-10 years, as researchers continue to develop new algorithms to control the car more efficiently and add more safety features.
A123 Expects Wanxiang Sale To Be Finished By Feb 1
A123 Systems today provided an update regarding the previously announced asset purchase agreements with Wanxiang and Navitas.
Wanxiang Group Corp., a Chinese auto parts maker whose North American headquarters is in Elgin, Ill won A123 Systems at an auction in December against bidders Johnson Controls, NEC Corp. and German electronics giant Siemens AG.
A source close to the deal said the purchase price was about $250 million. Wanxiang was excluded from the purchase A123’s U.S. government and military contracts. Wanxiang, a unit of China's Wanxiang Group, made an offer to purchase the lithium-ion-battery maker earlier this year when a $465 million deal collapsed.
A123 continues to work with Wanxiang and Navitas to prepare for the closing of the transactions contemplated by the asset purchase agreements. A123 currently expects that the transactions will close pursuant to the terms set forth in the asset purchase agreements by February 1, 2013.
Nissan cuts electric Leaf prices in Europe
Nissan Motor Co. is lowering the price of its all-electric Nissan Leaf car by 3,000 euros, or nearly $4,000, in Europe.
The price is being cut by £2,500 in the UK, cutting the price of the LEAF to £23,490 (after the £5,000 taxpayer bribe to buy an EV), and in addition Nissan are offering a deal at just £249 a month for a new LEAF.
Nissan recently slashed Leaf prices by $6,000, or nearly 20 percent, from around $28,800 in the U.S.
The Japanese carmaker said it wanted to make the zero-emission Leaf more affordable in its three main markets — Japan, Europe and the U.S.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Honda Accord Plug-in Now Available in New York and California
Residents of California and New York state, or any one willing to go to either state, can now purchase the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid, a car that the company says is “the most fuel-efficient sedan in America.”
As of January 15 the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) went on sale at select Honda dealers, with a base price of $39,780.
With an EPA rating of 115 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), the Accord PHEV currently holds the MPGe lead among mid-size sedans, with Ford’s Fusion Energi PHEV rated next highest at 100 MPGe.
In addition to being Honda’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Accord Plug-In is the first production car in the U.S. to meet the new, more stringent LEV3/SULEV20 emissions standard, and will also qualify for single-occupant carpool-lane access in California.
The 2014 Accord PHEV is powered by an all-new Honda two-motor hybrid system utilizing a 124-kilowatt (kw) electric motor that also acts like a continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) mated to a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine. A 6.7-kilowatt-hour (kwh) lithium-ion (li-Ion) battery provides power in all-electric mode, and regenerative braking is handled by an all-new electric-servo braking system.
Drivers will have the option to manually select from the default start-up all-electric mode to hybrid mode.
The plug-in Accord can be fully charged from a low-charge indication point in less than three hours using the supplied 120-volt charger when plugged into a standard 120-volt household electrical outlet, and in less than one hour using a 240-volt Level 2 charger.
Honda’s smartphone app, HondaLink EV will allow owners to remotely monitor the charging state of the car.
Source: Honda
BMW i3 to be range extended by 2 cyl motorcycle engine
BMW will offer a two-cylinder motorcycle engine and a generator to extend the range of its i3 electric.
Herbert Diess, BMW's head of r&d, said the package will be offered as an option on the i3. He did not say how much it will cost. The option will be available when the i3 goes on sale globally in the fourth quarter.
The i3 has a range on a single electrical charge of 60 to 90 miles. A two-cylinder gasoline engine, derived from a BMW motorcycle, extends the range to about 250 miles on a tank of gasoline, Diess said last week at the Detroit auto show.
The engine is housed in the trunk and connected to a generator that recharges the battery. The engine doesn't transmit mechanical power directly to the wheels.
"I imagine many buyers will order the range extender to cure their range anxiety, discovering later they need it very seldom," Diess said.
He expects the order rate for the option could exceed 50 percent with early buyers, then stabilize at about 20 percent.
He said an electric car fits the needs of urban daily commuters, who could use the gasoline engine for longer trips on the weekend. He added: "For those who plan a daily use of the range extender, probably the i3 is not the right choice, with a plug-in hybrid model being a better suitable solution."
Saturday, January 19, 2013
AC Propulsion and GAC group unveil SUV EV Concept in Detroit
AC Propulsion, the company that developed the technology behind the Tesla Roadster, and Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) unveiled their Trumpchi GS5-BEV Electric Vehicle Concept at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Based on the internal-combustion Trumpchi GS5 SUV which was introduced in March of 2012, the new concept was jointly developed by GAC and California-based AC Propulsion.
AC Propulsion’s Gen 3 Integrated Drive & Recharge System features a high-efficiency induction motor that delivers 225 Nm of torque and 150 kW (200 hp) of power. The Power Electronics Unit integrates the motor drive electronics and an 18 kW onboard charger, and features bi-directional power capability to enable Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications. The 35 kWh Li-ion battery pack is mounted low to improve vehicle stability, and is managed by AC Propulsion’s LOM control system. The concept SUV has a driving range of 100 miles.
AC Propulsion President Paul Carosa said, “We are delighted to work with forward-looking companies such as GAC Group that share a vision of developing environment friendly vehicles without sacrificing vehicle performance.”
Friday, January 18, 2013
Nissan UK Plant Begins Making LEAF Batteries
Nissan's new £200m battery plant in Sunderland has begun producing batteries for electric vehicles at the factory next to its Wearside car plant.
Sunderland will begin building the electric Leaf later this year and confirmed earlier the company would be producing batteries at Sunderland before it announced which plant had won the race to build the European Leaf. US Leaf production and batteries began earlier this month.
News that batteries would be produced at a new plant on Wearside came in July 2009. Although securing the battery plant did not guarantee Leaf production would come to Sunderland, it did make the Wearside plant a front-runner.
Confirmation of the deal arrived in March 2010, when Nissan senior vice-president Andy Palmer announced: “Nissan Leaf will be built at Sunderland, making the UK the third country in the world to produce this revolutionary car.”
Work on the battery plant began just a month later, with the company’s global chief operating officer Toshiyuki Shiga performing the ground-breaking ceremony.
Shiga said Nissan was determined to be at the forefront of the green transport revolution, and the battery plant development would put Sunderland at the cutting edge of the new technology.
“I know we can rely on the Sunderland management team and workforce to deliver this exceptional vehicle to our customers,” he said.
“This is a big responsibility, but you have earned the trust and confidence Nissan has placed in you.”
US production has allowed Nissan US to add new paint colours, offer a black interior with leather trim option and re-specifiy trim levels, adding a new entry level version that costs less than the previous imported model.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Tesla Model S Performance - Dyno Run - 386 HP [VIDEO]
We've found a Youtube video of a Tesla Model S Performance being tested on dynamometer.
The DynoJet recorded 386 horsepower at the wheels with peak at 55 mph. Factory specified horsepower for this 85 kWh model is 416 horsepower so the calculated transmission loss is approx 7.25%.
Factory specified peak torque is 443 lb/ft (600 Nm) although unfortunately no torque number was given for this dyno run.
Bentley Announce Plug-in Hybrid For 2016
Battery-powered Bentleys will become a reality in as little as three years time, according to CEO Dr Wolfgang Schreiber. Speaking to us at the Detroit Motor Show, Schreiber also explained why he felt no need to add diesel models to the range.
"To be honest diesel is not really a priority for us - our main markets such as China, the US and the Middle East don't care about diesel," Schreiber told us. "It's only really popular in Europe and not even the whole of Europe, Russia for example isn't interested.
"It might actually be too late for diesel now, plug-in hybrids offers even better fuel economy and don't alienate petrol-only markets," he explained. "We won't see them for the next three years, but for us a plug-in hybrid is a must."
Bentley's big debut in Detroit was the new Continental GT Speed Convertible, but another high-performance drop-top could also be on the way. We saw sketches of a Mulsanne Convertible last August, while a physical prototype was shown to a select group at the Pebble Beach Concours in California, but there's been no word on that model's progress until now.
"Feedback on the car was absolutely fantastic," Schreiber revealed. "We have so many exciting options to choose from, this is just one of them, but there's still a chance it will be made."
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Bugatti Type Zero Electric Sports Car Concept
French designer Marc Devauze has come up with the the Bugatti TypeZero concept, a proposal for an electric-powered, single-seat Bugatti sports car..
Inspired by the 1920s' Type 35 - Bugatti's most successful racecar ever – this study of a single-seater electric hypercar features four electric motors, one in-board of each wheel, with energy stored in detachable lithium-air batteries installed on either side of the driver.
Lithium metal-air batteries can store more than 5,000 watt-hours per kilogram. (A123 M1 cells are around 120 wh/kg) That's more than forty-times as much as today's high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
The vehicle’s battery pack is located either side of the driver and can easily be removed through separate openings, which gives the drivers the possibility to easily hot-swap discharged batteries with charged ones during a race, although at 5 kWh/kg this feature seems intended only for endurance racing.
(click on any picture to see Slide Show)
Source: Behance.net
Bosch and partners launch project to develop 250 Wh/kg EV batteries
Robert Bosch GmbH and other partners BASF, Wacker Chemie AG, SGL Group, Daimler AG and BMW AG have launched a joint project named Alpha Laion to develop high-energy traction batteries for electric vehicles
Electromobility is an important key to a low carbon and sustainable change mobility. This is the core of the National Platform for Electric Mobility, which is composed of the most important industrial and academic partners in Germany and follows the vision of making Germany in 2020 to lead provider and leading market for electric mobility.
Establishing technological leadership in the field of electrochemical cells and batteries and an integrated production in Germany, are of central importance. Yet, the electrical properties of the battery the most basic challenges, to which both the industry and the academic environment with high motivation to work. Thus the range of electric vehicles and the cost of energy storage are the most important market-dominating figures of helping to electric mobility breakthrough.
Established in 2012, launched joint project Alpha Laion is exactly effective at these points. The objective is the development of lithium-ion cells with particularly high energy density based on innovative materials for cathodes, anodes, separators and high-voltage stable electrolytes.
The combination of these components allows new future a whole new electrochemical system for use in a lithium-ion cell. Only with the right combination of materials, the appropriate cell design and adapted to the new materials, process technology, the storage properties of the new lithium-ion cell used optimally and high long-term stability can be achieved.
This joint project is one of the flagship projects of the National Platform for Electric Mobility and is over three years funded with 13 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
The consortium partners provide equity in the amount of approximately EUR 19.5 million. goal of the joint activities is lithium-ion cells to achieve with an energy density of about 250 Wh / kg. Thus, the range of compact electric cars are significantly increased to 250 to 300 kilometers. The benefit for the customer is obvious - it is much longer mobile and independent of recharging stations.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Cadillac unveil Voltec powered ELR plug-in Hybrid coupe [VIDEO]
The 2014 Cadillac ELR electrified compact luxury coupe drives with the performance-bred DNA of all the brand’s vehicles, connecting the driver to the road with responsive driving dynamics expected from a Cadillac.
“The ELR is first and foremost a Cadillac and it brings a driving standard that customers will recognize regardless of what’s driving the wheels,” said Chris Thomason, vehicle chief engineer. “It is a communicative driving experience that rewards with a great feeling of control and reassures with excellent power on demand – all reinforced with exceptional refinement.”
Unique features, including a driver-selectable Sport driving mode, combine with advanced chassis and suspension systems to deliver responsive and precise performance, while the ELR’s advanced propulsion system is calibrated for confident and engaging power delivery. With 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400 Nm) – about 12 percent more than the 3.6L V-6 in the SRX – acceleration in the city and on the highway, including merging and passing, is achieved with reassuring power on demand.
The ELR’s Sport driving mode also contributes to its responsive driving experience, automatically reconfiguring the accelerator pedal response to provide quicker torque application and more sensitive feedback to driver inputs through altered suspension and steering settings.
Sport mode is one of four driver-selectable choices that help make the most of the ELR’s driving experience for a variety of driving styles and conditions. The others are:
Driving confidence is further enhanced by advanced suspension and damping systems, including Continuous Damping Control – which adjusts damping every two milliseconds – to maintain optimal vehicle ride control over varying road surfaces and profiles. The ELR rolls on 20-inch wheels wrapped in tires designed to balance excellent control and cornering capability with efficiency.
Advanced chassis and suspension systems
A solid, stable foundation underpins the ELR, featuring a body-frame-integral structure with main underbody rails running continuously from front to rear. Advanced, high-strength steels add strength and conserve weight. Additional contributors to the ELR’s driving experience include:
An isolated four-mount front cradle contributes to the ELR’s overall quietness, noise and vibration performance, and ride and handling dynamics. This is achieved by mounting the engine to the cradle, and then the cradle to the frame. Specifically tuned mounts are tailored to the engine’s inherent torque axis (when running), effectively damping transfer of vibration and noise.
The ELR’s structure also features an exclusive cross-vehicle brace that contributes to a firmer, more precise steering feel.
HiPer Strut front suspension: The technologically advanced HiPer Strut (derived from High Performance Strut) front suspension design helps reduce torque steer and provide more linear and communicative steering through improved camber control. That improves ultimate grip levels in dry and wet conditions, as well as improving the direct feel of the road, while isolating undesirable feedback.
HiPer Strut is based on the MacPherson strut front suspension design and features dual-path top mountings that separate the transfer of spring and damper loads to the body structure, for greater impact isolation on bumps and rough surfaces. Reduced torque steer helps maintain acceleration linearity with a powertrain that delivers 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400 Nm).
Hydraulic ride bushings in the front control arms result in a higher degree of ride isolation, quieter performance, and more controlled transfer of road input loads. The control arms and knuckles are constructed of aluminum for more nimble handling and weight reduction. A hollow, direct-acting front stabilizer bar is routed for minimum mass with maximum stiffness designed to result in better performance. The bar is mounted to the rear portion of the cradle with each end of the bar connected to the front strut via a direct-acting link.
Electric power steering: The rack-mounted electric power steering system is designed to provide excellent feedback and make the most of efficiency by requiring energy only when the wheels are turned. It is a dual-pinion system – one for steering and one for power assist – with variable assist. A combined electric motor and sensing unit monitors steering angle and delivers appropriate assist to the steering gear in all scenarios.
A premium ZF steering gear is used with the electric steering system and is designed for outstanding torsional stiffness with less operating friction for near-perfect linear response, smooth, predictable transitions and enhanced connection between the driver, vehicle and road at steering inputs.
Compound-crank rear suspension with Watts link: The ELR’s semi-independent rear suspension features a specifically adapted compound crank (torsion beam) with double-walled, U-shaped profile at the rear and a Watts link. The design combines the advantages of a conventional torsion beam axle with low weight and consistent camber control giving the vehicle excellent stability and enhancing interior space.
The technically advanced Watts Z-link helps center the rear axle during cornering, helping keep the ELR’s handling responses symmetrical on both left-hand and right-hand turns. The linkage’s capability to center the axle during cornering delivers a more balanced driving experience as the rear suspension better follows the lead of the front suspension.
The space-saving layout of the rear axle also helped the engineers achieve a low center of gravity for improved agility. It also allows the fuel tank to fit between the rear wheels, enabling lower positioning of the rear seats.
Cast iron control arms are attached to the steel cross-car beam with a patented “magnetic-arc” welding process, which uses magnetic forces to drive the components together and weld them. The trailing arms on the ELR’s rear suspension incorporate an advanced, thin-wall structure of only 3.3 mm, for a mass savings of about 3.9 lbs. (1.75 kg).
Regenerative braking and Regen on Demand: The ELR is equipped with a fully blended electro-hydraulic brake system that enables seamless blending of regenerative braking – recharging the batteries during braking – and traditional disc braking based on the brake pressure applied by the driver.
During regenerative braking, the system converts the vehicle’s momentum to electrical power and stores the energy in the battery pack. If the battery is fully charged, the brake controller directs the system to conduct traditional friction braking. The system uses a high-pressure hydraulic pressure accumulator to provide boosted braking.
ELR’s exclusive Regen on Demand feature allows the driver to temporarily regenerate energy from the vehicle’s momentum via steering-wheel paddles adapted from traditional performance cars. The electricity is stored in the vehicle's high-voltage propulsion battery for later use. When engaged, Regen on Demand also provides vehicle deceleration that is slightly more than what a typical vehicle experiences while coasting, providing control and dynamic performance characteristics typical to downshifting in a manual-transmission vehicle.
To engage Regen on Demand the driver simply takes his or her foot off the accelerator and pulls back on either the left or right steering-wheel paddle to begin regenerating electricity. Releasing the paddle disengages Regen on Demand, allowing the vehicle to coast normally. The driver can engage and disengage Regen on Demand as desired and as traffic conditions allow.
A four-channel anti-lock braking system is standard and includes electronic Brake Force Distribution, which uses independent rear control for improved stability and braking during cornering, as well as more effective use of the rear brakes as vehicle loading occurs. Also, the disc brake system features large, vented front and solid rear Duralife rotors with Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing (FNC) finishing technology to reduce corrosion and deliver longer life.
Propulsion and charging systems make the most of pure-electric driving range: The ELR is powered by GM EREV technology, which combines pure electric drive and an efficient, range-extending gas engine to provide approximately 300 total miles (480 km) of range, including pure-electric driving and generator-assisted driving.
When power from the advanced lithium-ion storage battery pack is depleted, the range-extending gas-powered electric generator kicks in to deliver continued power for the electric drive system, extending the ELR’s range, while also ensuring the vehicle’s dynamic performance. That combined power is delivered through the electric traction motor.
Positioned under the hood, the electric drive unit packages a pair of electric motors and a multi-mode transaxle with continuously variable capability. Inside the drive unit, a large electric drive motor propels the vehicle while a smaller, second electric motor serves as a generator to keep the battery pack at its minimum charge level and assists the drive motor with propulsion, based on performance, speed and efficiency requirements.
The propulsion system optimizer evaluates the best efficiency point hundreds of times per second and seamlessly switches from one-motor to two-motor operation to use as little energy as possible while meeting the driver’s needs for dynamic performance.
Lithium-ion battery system: The ELR’s battery is a T-shaped, 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, located along the centerline of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels for optimal weight distribution. The 5.5-foot-long (1.6 m), 435-pound (198 kg) pack supplies energy to an advanced electric drive unit capable of 295 lb.-ft. of instant torque (400 Nm) to propel the vehicle.
The battery pack is protected by ultra-high-strength steel. It comprises nine linked battery modules that contain 288 prismatic lithium-ion battery cells, each of which functions as a building block. Each is the size of a 5x7-inch photo frame, less than a quarter-inch thick, and weighs about a pound. Each cell contains a carbon anode (negative electrode), manganese cathode (positive electrode) and safety-reinforced separator to isolate the electrodes while still allowing the transfer of electrically charged ions between the elements.
Charging the ELR’s battery can be done with a 120V electrical outlet or a dedicated 240V charging station. The vehicle can be completely recharged in about 4.5 hours using a 240V outlet, depending on the outside temperature.
Once the vehicle is plugged in, owners can schedule either immediate or delayed charges, even coordinating charging according to departure time or when electricity rates are lower. Owners also can manage and monitor the ELR online or with their smartphone and RemoteLink, a mobile app powered by OnStar.
The ELR’s battery is covered by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.
BYD Delivers 500 e6 EVs to Shenzhen Police Dept
BYD has delivered 500 pure-electric, e6 police vehicles to the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau this week
The BYD e6 reaches speeds of over 140 km/hr (~87 mph) with a range of 300 km (187 miles), making it ideally suited for the demands of police utility vehicles. The virtually silent engine of the BYD e6 is beneficial to police as they perform daily patrols and law enforcement activities in Shenzhen, and with no direct emissions, the e6 reduces total CO2 emissions, improving the city environment.
In addition to police vehicles, BYD has deployed over 300 all-electric, e6 taxis which have been in service in Shenzhen for the last several years, with an accumulated mileage of over 38.5 million kilometers (or 24M miles as of Dec. 30th, 2012).
Individual BYD e6 mileages have reached 250,000 km (or 156K miles), equivalent to over ten years’ service life in a standard consumer car. The city of Shenzhen also operates 200 BYD pure-electric 12m (40 foot) rapid transit buses which have an accumulated mileage of over 12.8 million kilometers (or 7.9M miles). Shenzhen city is currently planning to add 500 additional BYD e6 pure-electric taxis and over 500 additional BYD electric buses to the public transport system.
Infiniti unveil 2014 Q50 AWD Hybrid in Detroit [VIDEO]
Building on Infiniti's legendary sports sedan design, performance and technology leadership, the all-new 2014 Infiniti Q50 is designed to create a new, distinct level of customer engagement when it launches in the North American market in summer 2013. The Q50 rollout will be followed by other Infiniti global markets later in the year.
Said Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen: "This exciting new Infiniti Q50 stretches the boundaries of what a sports sedan can be, propelling Infiniti in a bold new direction."
A New Dimension in Dynamic Design
While Infiniti sports sedans have always been noted for their outstanding proportions and presence, the new Infiniti Q50 adds a new dimension of premium style.
Its strong first impression is anchored by the smooth yet dynamic character line arising from its "double arch" grille. It energetically flows through the bodyside like a wave and merges with the rear end, creating a highly fluid and intriguing profile and fully illustrating the Infiniti Q50's dynamic and athletic stance.
"The Infiniti Q50 reflects the direct influence of the Infiniti concepts known as the ‘Infiniti Trilogy', particularly Essence, while honoring the iconic design dynamics of earlier Infiniti sports sedans. The new Q50's athletic and tightened appearance blends its lower and wider proportions with enhanced interior roominess to stunning effect inside and out," said Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president and chief creative officer.
Signature Infiniti exterior design features include the "double arch" grille, dynamic arch roofline and Crescent-cut C-pillar. The front end is decidedly aggressive, with a sport front fascia offered on the Q50 sport models. The new grille's three-dimensional, textural quality is provided by elaborate detailing of the waved mesh pattern surface and chrome surround, while the distinctive LED headlights and marker lights' sharp lines suggest an almost human look.
The lean, robust body sides are designed to anchor the performance stance with a strong, solid "bone" and arched roofline that flows to the Crescent C-pillars that are similar to those that originally appeared on the Essence Concept. In the rear, the side character lines smoothly merge with the shape of the rear LED combination lights. The familiar rear double-arch trunk line completes the strong, unforgettable view from behind. Heated outside mirrors with integrated LED turn signals are standard, while a power sliding and tilting glass sunroof is optionally available.
Other exterior refinements include new door architecture with narrower, roll-formed A- and B-pillar sashes that provide improved ingress and egress, as well as a more open cabin environment. A new color palette has been specially selected to accent the Q50 contours and sculpted surfaces and includes a range of eight premium colors.
The new body design also offers enhanced airflow over both the upper and lower body portions, resulting in a coefficient of drag of just 0.26. The Q50 also features zero front and rear lift.
"Moving forward, we want all Infiniti vehicles to reflect an energetic force rooted in nature, such as the shape of a dynamic wave," said Nakamura. "The Q50's enhanced sense of three-dimensionality gives it a look of strength and agility – a look that is highly personal, seductive and slightly mysterious."
Performance With a Personal Touch
Throughout the Infiniti Q50's development, compromise was never an option. No compromise on innovation, design or performance targets, allowing the development teams to stretch the boundaries of what a sports sedan can be.
"The new Q50 amplifies every driver's performance preference and enjoyment behind the wheel. We have one of the fastest accelerating hybrid engines, which also happens to be projected as one of the most fuel-efficient. We have advanced performance and safety technologies that can see and react before the driver can. And, we have the world's first quick and precise Direct Adaptive Steering technology," said de Nysschen.
At launch in North America, two advanced powertrains will be available, followed by additional engine options in other global markets later in the year. The Q50's refined 3.7-liter aluminum-alloy DOHC 24-valve V6 is rated at 328 horsepower (est.) and 269 lb-ft of torque (est.) and features Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) and Variable Valve Event & Lift (VVEL®).
The available hybrid powertrain features the Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid™ system with Intelligent Dual Clutch Control. It combines a 3.5-liter 24-valve DOHC aluminum-alloy V6 and compact laminated lithium-ion battery design with an innovative one-motor/two-clutch motor control. The system's V6 is rated at 296 horsepower (est.) and 255 lb-ft of torque (est.), while the advanced 50 kW electric motor is rated at 67 horsepower (est.) and 199 lb-ft of torque (est.). The hybrid system net power is 354 horsepower (est.), providing strong acceleration and lean fuel economy.
"True to the Infiniti DNA, our hybrid powertrains put performance first, without compromising fuel efficiency. It takes full advantage of the electric motor's instant torque for exceptional acceleration and, in combination with the 3.5-liter V6, provides a sporty driving feel under all driving conditions. We have targeted the best balance of performance and fuel economy and hit it dead center," said de Nysschen.
Both Q50 powertrains are matched with an advanced 7-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with manual shift mode and available steering column-mounted magnesium paddle shifters. The Q50 is available in rear-wheel drive and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive with both powertrains.
Precise handling is provided by the 4-wheel independent multi-link suspension. The front is a single pivot double-wishbone design, while the revised rear design utilizes a multi-link design with coil springs and Dual Flow Path® shock absorbers, with increased camber stiffness and improved ride comfort. The suspension features extensive use of lightweight aluminum components, along with front and rear stabilizer bars. A sport-tuned suspension is available with Sport models. Also supporting the enhanced handling is an improvement in front body stiffness (versus the previous generation).
The Q50 rides on 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with machine-finished surface with 225/55R17 all-season run-flat tires. Also available are 19-inch aluminum-alloy sport wheels with 245/40R19 run-flat all-season or summer tires. Confident braking is provided by 4-wheel power-assisted vented disc brakes with 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution and Brake Assist. Also available are sport brakes with upgraded rotors, 4-piston front calipers and 2-piston rear. Steering is provided by a power-assisted vehicle-speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion system.
The new Q50 also features available Infiniti Direct Adaptive Steering™ technology, a world's first production vehicle design. The system allows independent control of the Q50's tire angle and steering inputs, transmitting the driver's intentions to the wheels faster than a mechanical system.
This increases the direct driving performance feel by quickly and intelligently communicating road surface feedback to the driver. Four different steering settings are offered, allowing customization by driver preference or road conditions. This world's first technology provides the flexibility for the driver to change both steering effort and the steering gear ratio. A backup mechanical steering system is provided with models utilizing the new Direct Adaptive Steering technology.
Also offered is another world's first, Active Lane Control™, which uses a camera-based straight-line stability system to further enhance on-center driving capability and improve vehicle stability. The system is included as part of the Lane Departure Prevention system, not only adjusting for unintended lane drift, but also making finer adjustments for minor road surface changes or crosswinds (as detected by the camera-based, lane marker detection system).
The system goes beyond the traditional Lane Departure Prevention system, taking it a step further by not only reading the road ahead (the camera is located above the rearview mirror) for unintended lane drift but also by making small steering input angle adjustments if the Q50 undergoes minor direction changes due to road surface changes or crosswinds (as detected by the lane marker detection system). By reducing the need for steering input for the driver, the driver's effort may be reduced.
"The beauty of these advanced systems is to allow a more personal driving experience, with more input when desired and less intrusion of road imperfections in the steering wheel," said de Nysschen. "These are just the start of a range of future technologies that are becoming a point of differentiation for our Infiniti customers."
In fine-tuning the Infiniti Q50's exceptional performance standards, Infiniti's partnership with Red Bull Racing enabled three-time Formula One World Driver's Champion Sebastian Vettel and the team's Test & Reserve driver Sebastien Buemi to provide an extra dimension to its development. With the goal of making the new model the most dynamic and exciting sports sedan on the market, Vettel provided input on the Q50's performance and handling at Infiniti's Tochigi facility in Japan. Buemi tested at Nurburgring – one of the toughest proving grounds in the world – pushing prototypes to the limits to help produce a chassis with outstanding handling characteristics.
Infiniti recently announced that from 2013 it will be Title Partner and Technical Partner to ‘Infiniti Red Bull Racing.' This deep collaboration will lead to joint technical projects for mutual benefits on the track and the road.
"Having the opportunity to receive feedback on chassis development from two world class drivers is priceless," said de Nysschen. "Our partnership as ‘Infiniti Red Bull Racing' is an extensive one. We are working together to identify a number of areas for technical collaboration and to apply the benefits of partnering with the Formula One World Champions to our own people, processes and technology."
Another way that the new Infiniti Q50 raises the performance standards in class is the high degree of available personalization, which is made possible with the new fully customizable digital environment. The system works with the vehicle's advanced i-Keys to recognize the vehicle settings for up to four different drivers.
Offering a sense of "my car knows me," the i-Key can recognize each driver and automatically engage pre-set preferences for driving position, heating and cooling, audio, navigation and telematics. For example, up to 96 optional settings in are offered in the custom mode alone. Easy setting or changing of settings is accessed through the innovative dual touch-screen displays.
In addition, by using the drive mode selector located on the center console, engine, transmission, handling and steering adjustments can be instantly tuned, for example, for sport or touring settings.
Modern Luxury Meets Meticulous Craftsmanship
Matching the inspired Infiniti Q50 design and performance is an interior created to the same extraordinary standards. The interior environment offers a powerful blend of three-dimensional textures, highest craftsmanship and premium quality, combining modern luxury and user-focused advanced technology.
"An interior is a confluence of thousands of parts and many materials, including leathers, fabrics, metals and glass. The harmony with each element is an important part of the Q50's warmth and high quality feel," Nakamura explained. "Our designers approached the integration of every element in the interior in terms of not just function but also of stimulation of the senses – color, touch, texture, finish and beauty – creating an environment that is both intuitive and indulgent."
The Q50 interior is also designed as an invitation to drive – to celebrate the elation of driving that is often lost in the modern world. As such, special attention was paid to the driver position, offering a generous range of customizable adjustments within a cosseting yet comfortable cockpit. The Q50's instrument panel honors Infiniti's "double wave" design tradition, while updated with a new asymmetrical flow from the top of the center cluster to the wide center console. Access to all key operations and controls is designed so that the driver does not need to change driving posture, including use of hard switches, touch panels and drive mode selector controller.
The front and rear seats are a new ergonomic design, developed to help distribute body pressure across a wider range of the upper seating surface. When sitting, the pressure load on the backbone is about 1.4 times greater than while standing. The bending moments that become a factor of load are reduced by the new seat design, with the additional support for the pelvis and the self-weight of the chest.
The roomy interior space offers ample front and rear head room, ample rear knee room enhanced by the new, thin front seatback design, and greater front seat slide and lift adjustability. Front and rear seat hip points have also been adjusted for greater comfort. The rear seat foot room is also expanded by moving the B-pillar forward nearly an inch (versus traditional designs), making it easier to enter and exit. Effective luggage space is expected to be the best in the segment at 18.0 cubic feet with the 3.7-liter V6 and 14.1 cubic feet with the hybrid powertrain. The Infiniti Q50 features a choice of interior fabrics and colors, including available leather-appointed seating surfaces. Three interior colors are offered:
Wheat, Graphite and Stone.
Finishing off the elegant interior is a combination of "Kacchu" aluminum inspired by traditional Samurai armaments and genuine maple wood trim, which is representative of the 16th century Urushi painting technique.
"Quality is another Infiniti Q50 strong point," added Nakamura. "Our designer's passion, obsession with detail and devotion to craftsmanship and continuous improvements ensure we are producing a truly premium product of the best quality."
The Q50's quiet cabin is augmented by standard Active Noise Control, with cancelling of intrusive low frequency noise from four door-mounted speakers, allowing easy conversation with passengers. Premium audio systems include an available next-generation Studio on Wheels by Bose® audio system with a new instrument panel 3-speaker array (14 speakers total throughout the cabin) and Advanced Staging Technology®. SiriusXM Satellite Radio (SiriusXM subscription required, sold separately) and High Definition (HD) radio are standard.
Other features include Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, RearView Monitor and available Advanced Climate Control System (ACCS) with Plasmacluster® air purifier and Around View® Monitor with Moving Object Detection.
Infiniti Connected Technologies
Building on Infiniti's unique approach to making owners' lives easier, which includes the Infiniti Personal Assistant program with 24-hour access to a live team of professional assistants, the new Infiniti InTouch™ telematics system brings the future of in-car connectivity to the Q50 interior today. Unlike conventional interfaces, the Q50 has not one but two touch capacitive screens with intuitive hand gesture screen operation to easily connect drivers to their lives outside the car. "We have new technologies that embrace the way people live today – seamless connectivity and personalization everywhere they go, including while in their cars, with an optimized human-machine interface for ease of use," said de Nysschen.
Along with the large dual screens, the Infiniti InTouch™ system is designed to effortlessly synchronize car and driver. Content and functions directed to the upper screen includes the most frequently used applications, such as navigation maps. Other content is directed to the lower display screen.
The two screens work together so that, for example, the navigation map can be viewed on the top screen while setting destinations or finding points-of-interest can be done on the lower screen. A limited number of critical functions, such as heating and cooling, are operated by hard switches. Content can be customized using easy-to-understand menus. A selection of vehicle-centric apps will be pre-loaded into the system. Owners will also be able to download, update and synch personal apps through their smartphones and USB drives. Additional details on the system's operation will be available at a later date.
Safety Shield Technologies
The final area of segment leadership for the new Infiniti Q50 is its advanced safety systems. Building on the long list of safety and security technologies already found in other Infiniti models, the Infiniti Q50 offers available Intelligent Cruise Control with Full Speed Range, predictive Forward Collision Warning (world's first technology), Forward Emergency Braking, Distance Control Assist, Blind Spot Intervention, Back-up Collision Intervention®, Lane Departure Prevention and Active Lane Control™.
Coming Soon
The all-new 2014 Infiniti Q50 will be initially offered in the United States and Canada beginning in summer 2013. At launch, two powertrains – the 3.7-liter V6 and 3.5-liter Hybrid – will be available, each in a choice of rear-wheel drive or Intelligent All-Wheel Drive and in a selection of trim levels, including Sport models.
The Q50 will roll out in other global Infiniti markets beginning in summer 2013 and will include additional powertrain offerings adapted to respective market needs. "The new Infiniti Q50 is a true game changer in the sports sedan segment," said de Nysschen. "With its cutting-edge performance, design and technology, it breaks away from ordinary – just like the Infiniti brand."
VW unveils CrossBlue plug-in Hybrid SUV concept [VIDEO]
The versatile CrossBlue SUV concept that is making its global debut at the North American International Auto Show was developed specifically for the U.S. and Canada. If it goes into production, the CrossBlue would flesh out the Volkswagen SUV lineup with a seven-seat midsize crossover that slots in above the Tiguan and below the premium Touareg.
The CrossBlue features a highly innovative plug-in hybrid powertrain that mates a TDI® Clean Diesel engine with two electric motors, a DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission, and an electric all-wheel-drive system that is dubbed "propshaft by wire." Volkswagen's manufacturer estimated fuel economy rating is 89 mpge combined in electric mode and 35 mpg as a hybrid. As well as offering excellent economy for a mid-size crossover SUV, the CrossBlue has impressive performance from a powertrain that produces up to 305 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque: 0 to 60 mph is estimated to take just 7.2 seconds.
The CrossBlue runs in zero emissions mode either at the press of a button or automatically. With a fully charged 9.8kWh lithium-ion battery, the CrossBlue can travel a distance of 14 miles in all-electric mode; to achieve optimal driving range, the top speed is reduced from 127 mph to 75 mph. The overall driving range is 661 miles if the 18.5-gallon fuel tank is filled with ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel.
The CrossBlue concept, which boasts six individual seats, combines the visual impact of an SUV with the spaciousness and flexibility of a minivan. With a comfortable highway ride, good all-around visibility, and a full raft of safety features that includes up to 12 airbags, the concept car is a spacious and safe cruiser.
The CrossBlue was designed in Germany under the leadership of Walter de Silva (Head of Design, Volkswagen Group) and Klaus Bischoff (Head of Design, Volkswagen Brand), in close coordination with Volkswagen of America. The vehicle merges the clean lines of German Volkswagen design DNA with the masculine character of an American SUV. This results in a very realistic vehicle that eschews showcar gaudiness to give a glimpse at a potential new Volkswagen SUV.
"The CrossBlue concept is exactly the right type of vehicle for the U.S. market," said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "It combines a truly versatile interior layout with sophisticated Volkswagen design, to give a unique and supremely stylish offering in this segment. Moreover, the vehicle showcases our innovative German powertrain engineering and the bandwidth of the new MQB architecture."
A Volkswagen Made for America Painted in "CrossBlue Glass Flake", the concept is 196.3 inches long, 79.3 inches wide, and 68.2 inches high. It assumes a very confident stance on the road thanks to wide front and rear tracks of 66.4 and 66.8 inches respectively, 21-inch aluminum-alloy wheels shod with 235/45 tires, and significantly flared wheelarches.
Contrasting with the body color is stainless-steel trim that runs all around the SUV's lower body section. Developed by a team led by Marc Lichte (Senior Designer, Volkswagen Brand), the CrossBlue features a very prominent and long hood that integrates the engine's air intakes, a roofline that is also long, and a very short frontal overhang. The vehicle's silhouette ascends slightly towards the rear, a visual impression that's reinforced by a widening character line that runs from the headlights back to the taillights. Typically for a Volkswagen, there's a precisely styled line above this.
The CrossBlue is equipped with two "fuel doors"-the filler neck for the diesel tank is on the passenger side, and engineers integrated two electrical sockets behind the door on the driver's side. The first socket is used to charge the lithium-ion battery and the second can be used to connect electrical devices such as coolers or camping lights. In this case, the CrossBlue acts as an auxiliary electrical generator.
A key element of Volkswagen design DNA is the predominance of horizontal lines at the front and rear of the vehicle. The Volkswagen design team has further developed this in the CrossBlue. The radiator grille trim, consisting of two solid aluminum struts and a centrally positioned VW logo, is now a three-dimensional element that extends into the headlights and defines the entire front end. The upper aluminum strut frames the dual headlights, while the lower strut transitions into a line that extends across the entire front end and visually lengthens the grille. This gives the CrossBlue the appearance of being wider than it actually is.
The Volkswagen designers attended to even the smallest of details with great care. The air intakes in the bumper are an example. They are trimmed by horizontally mounted, black-painted pieces that are actually three-dimensional honeycomb structures when you examine them closely. Beneath the bumper, the front end is finished by stainless-steel-style trim and integrated underbody protection.
As at the front end, the designers accentuated the sculpted LED taillights with aluminum elements as well. From a styling perspective, the taillights are designed in the form of an "E" that opens towards the vehicle centerline. In the inner area, the contours of these two "Es" are trimmed in aluminum. The prominent tailpipes have a stainless-steel look and are integrated in a trim panel that features underbody protection.
Ample Space and Maximum Comfort
The interior is a key part of any crossover utility vehicle and the CrossBlue's is ultra-stylish, luxurious, and versatile. The team headed by Tomasz Bachorsky (Lead Designer, Volkswagen Brand) equipped the concept car with six individual seats in three rows. In a production version, the second row would have the option of three seats to make it a full seven seater. Although the third row features stadium-style seating, which children will appreciate, headroom is excellent throughout the vehicle: 42.4 inches up front, 40.2 inches in the middle, and 37.6 inches in the rear. Legroom is ample, too, with 37.3 inches in the second row and 36.1 inches in the third row. Convenient access to the rear seats is assured by sliding second-row seats that can be managed with a single hand movement.
Behind the third seating row is a spacious cargo area. With the third row folded, load length is 48.8 inches, a figure that increases to 83.5 inches with the second row stowed. A fully folding front passenger seat means that objects up to 118 inches long can be accommodated inside the CrossBlue, perfect for the weekend run to the home improvement store.
The CrossBlue is not only an extremely spacious and comfortable SUV; it is also a very sophisticated one from the point of view of its materials and its precise styling and form language. In the process, the designers and engineers created an interior that will likely set new standards for this class.
As soon as the driver starts the SUV, the round-shaped controls for the lights, climate control, and the four-wheel-drive system emerge from their flush resting positions. The controls have rugged aluminum surrounds: aluminum is one of the predominant materials in the interior and is used for the air vent surrounds and the array of switches as well as for such features as the steering wheel spokes.
Leather and wood are also used to finish the interior. Oona Scheepers, Head of Color & Trim, decided to use especially distinctive dark stained banana tree wood accents. The lines of these wood accents "flow" from the sporty gearshift area and ascend the center console and across the lower instrument panel to the door trim, playing a large role in defining the interior space in the front of the vehicle. Above these wood accents and around the two-part center armrest, dark "Marble Gray" leather is used, with light beige "St Tropez" leather, trim pieces, and fabrics used beneath the wood accents and on the seats.
Contemporary technologies are integrated with these refined materials to make a clear design statement. Positioned centrally on the center console is a 10.2-inch touchscreen that is framed by an aluminum surround and central air vents. The large touchscreen is not only used to control all infotainment functions, but also to access the status of the hybrid system. Another new feature is a 3D display of either the navigation route or the contents of the media center. All the important switches in the passenger compartment-except for the hazard flasher switch-are soft-touch components that have a similar feel to using a touchscreen.
The instruments are also high-tech. The instrument cluster is designed to be user programmable, offering a wide variety of functions and displays. For example, the CrossBlue can be driven in different powertrain modes: information related to the "Eco" mode is shown with a blue background, while the "Sport" setting is shown in red.
The on-board entertainment system is as cool as it gets. To ensure that second- and third-row passengers can fully enjoy audio, video, and online entertainment, iPad® mini devices are integrated as monitors in the front-row head restraints. A Fender® Premium Audio System ensures concert-hall-quality sound throughout the vehicle. Second- and third-row occupants also have full control over the climate-control system in their part of the vehicle.
Drivetrain Combines Efficiency and Fun
The CrossBlue is based on Volkswagen's new Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) components set. This vehicle brings together MQB elements that could underpin a future generation of SUVs, such as the front and rear suspensions, the 190-horsepower TDI Clean Diesel engine from the new EA288 family, and a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. These components are combined with electrical parts that are also "made by Volkswagen," such as the lithium-ion battery in the center tunnel and the 54-hp front and 114-hp rear electric motors. The Cross Coupé compact SUV concept-also being shown for the first time in the U.S. in Detroit-uses a similar powertrain concept, showing the extent of the MQB's modularity.
The CrossBlue is as efficient as it is sporty. As already noted, Volkswagen estimates 89 mpge in electric mode and 35 mpg combined running as a hybrid, as well as a 0 to 60 mph time of just 7.2 seconds. Although the combined power output of 305 hp is impressive, the torque characteristics are amazing. The TDI Clean Diesel engine makes 295 lb-ft from just 1750 rpm, while the electric motors produce their torque-133 lb-ft at the front wheels and 199 lb-ft at the rear-immediately. Combined, the system can produce up to 516 lb-ft, a stout number.
Different Operating Modes: The CrossBlue's default mode is as a classic hybrid. The electric motor is used for propulsive power as often as possible in this situation. The driver can also switch to "Eco" or "Sport" modes by pressing a button to the right of the shift lever. In Eco mode, parameters such as the throttle map and air conditioning are controlled for minimal fuel and electrical consumption. In Sport mode, the drive system's maximum power potential is exploited. Other available modes are: offroad, where all-wheel-drive is permanently engaged; charging; and EV mode, where it drives as an electric vehicle.
Powered by its lithium-ion battery, the CrossBlue can cover a distance of up to 14 miles as an EV, although top speed is reduced from 127 mph to 75 mph. In E-mode, only the 114-hp rear electric motor propels the vehicle and the TDI engine is shut off and decoupled from the drivetrain. Even at speeds of up to 75 mph, the internal combustion engine is not engaged as long as the battery has sufficient charge. As soon as there is a need for TDI power, it is coupled to the drivetrain again, jolt-free, within fractions of a second.
The CrossBlue's lithium-ion battery has an energy capacity of 9.8 kWh and is housed in the center tunnel. The power electronics unit integrated in the engine compartment operates at a level of around 370V and manages the flow of high-voltage energy to and from the battery and the electric motors. A DC/DC converter supplies the vehicle's electrical system with the 12-volt power it needs. The battery can be charged either by external power sources or by the TDI engine while the vehicle is in motion.
The driver can intentionally switch over to a charging mode by pressing another button on the center console. The TDI engine charges the battery while driving in order to store enough electrical energy for EV operation later in the journey-for instance, in an urban area.
There are also a number of other specific modes that automatically come into play, depending on the circumstances.
Coasting: As soon as the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the engine and electric motors are decoupled from the drivetrain and the engine is shut off, provided that the battery is sufficiently charged. This is referred to as "coasting." No emissions are generated.
Battery regeneration: Whenever the driver releases the accelerator pedal or applies the brakes, and the battery is insufficiently charged, the two electric motors act as generators and feed energy recovered from the brakes into the lithium-ion battery. In this case, the TDI engine is also shut off and decoupled from the drivetrain to ensure maximum regeneration.
Boosting: When very sporty performance is required, the electric motors form an alliance with the TDI engine known as "boosting": in this mode, all four wheels are driven.
Offroad ("propshaft by wire"): All four wheels are also driven whenever offroad mode is intentionally activated. In this case, however, the front electric motor-which is now supplied with energy by the TDI engine-operates exclusively as a generator and a power source for the electric motor at the rear. Since the energy for driving the rear wheels is electrical rather than mechanical, this is referred to as "propshaft by wire". Because the TDI engine drives the front wheels in off¬road mode, the four-wheel-drive system is still operational even when the battery doesn't have much charge.
TDI only: When the TDI engine is the sole source for propulsive power, the CrossBlue is a pure front-wheel-drive vehicle. Thanks to the efficient turbocharged, common-rail, direct fuel-injection diesel engine, the concept car is still very fuel-efficient. Based on manufacturer estimates, the CrossBlue would attain 37 mpg highway and 33 mpg city, values that a gasoline-engined SUV would find hard to match.
Nissan's New 2013 LEAF Launched with Major Price Reduction
Nissan has announced that U.S. pricing for the new 2013 Nissan LEAF will start at an MSRP of $28,800 for the newly-added S grade, making it the lowest priced five-passenger electric vehicle sold in the United States. Depending on location, some consumers may purchase the vehicle for as low as $18,800 with qualifying federal and state tax credits, putting the LEAF on par with gas-powered vehicles of its size.
Nissan's objective for the LEAF has always been to produce an affordable zero-emission vehicle for the mass market, and the 2013 LEAF is a prime example of that commitment with increased value at every trim level, making it more accessible for more people.
"With nearly 50,000 LEAFs on the road globally, we are the leaders in zero emissions vehicles and our class-leading product just got better," said Billy Hayes, Global vice president of LEAF sales for Nissan. "From the very outset, Nissan has continuously advanced and refined the affordable zero emissions vehicle ownership experience. Now customers won't have to pay a premium for owning a green car that's really fun to drive, and that's exciting."
Nissan recently began U.S. assembly of the 2013 Nissan LEAF at its manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tenn., a localization initiative that further drives efficiencies by leveraging already-existing equipment and processes while also reducing exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency. The battery packs that power LEAF are built in an adjacent facility in Smyrna while the vehicle's electric motor comes from Nissan's powertrain plant in Decherd, Tenn., further supporting efficient manufacturing.
Eligible consumers can take advantage of a $7,500 federal tax credit, and some states and municipalities offer additional incentives. For example, California residents can get a 2013 Nissan LEAF for as low as $18,800 after the federal tax credit and state rebate of $2,500.
Nissan will also continue its lease offer for the 2013 LEAF, allowing consumers to lease the electric vehicle for as low as $199 per month for 36 months, which includes tax credits and destination charges.
Additions to the 2013 LEAF include: 17-inch alloy wheels and leather appointed interior on SL models, available Around View® Monitor and 7-speaker Bose® energy efficient audio system and a 6.6 kW onboard charger that significantly reduces 220V charging times and is standard on SV and SL models.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices* (MSRP) for the 2013 Nissan LEAF:
| Model | MSRP* |
| LEAF S | $28,800 USD |
| LEAF SV | $31,820 USD |
| LEAF SL | $34,840 USD |
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