Cars and Accessories: 2007

Monday, October 15, 2007

Biking the Web with Yamaha.

If the robust HyperBike is the bicycle equivalent of a Hummer, then the high-tech Yamaha Bobby is the BMW one.

Yamaha Bobby concept bike connects to the Internet.(Credit: Yamaha)

The Bobby prototype from Yamaha Motor is an electric bicycle that lets riders connect to the Internet. Ubergizmo pointed out that the bike can also be turned on and off from select cell phones.
Bobby is one of 19 concept bikes Yamaha Motor plans to show at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. The Bobby is part of Yamaha's "Art of Engineering" theme for this year's show, according to Yamaha.
Yamaha Motor also seems to be partnering to build a motorcycle engine for a Toyota, according to earlier reports.

Crave.Com

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Photos: 2008 Infiniti EX35

Click on the image to view the full gallery.
(Credit: CNET Networks)

Japanese car makers continue to keep us in work here at CNET car tech. Just when you thought that today's models had as much gadgetry onboard as possible, along comes Infiniti with its 2008 EX35, a model that introduces two brand new car technology features. The EX35 is the first production car to come with Around View Monitor, a camera-based parking aid that gives drivers a top-down surround view of the car and any obstacles in its vicinity. It is also the first car in the United States to come with a nonemergency active safety feature in the form of its Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system, which builds on the Lane Depature Warning (LDW) of earlier Infiniti models by using a combination of cameras and ABS inputs to keep drivers in their lane on the freeway. The EX35 also comes with a barrage of entertainment tech and a paint job that apparently heals itself from scratches. Oh, and it packs some pretty peppy performance credentials, too. Check out our photos of the crossover space-age tech mobile here.

Read more ...

The Cadillac of golf carts, literally

(Credit: SkyMall)

Let's say you want to impress your golfing buddies but are afraid of accidentally doing bodily harm to them with a mini-Hummer. There's another way to state your machismo, with the "Berline Cadillac Escalade Golf Cart."

It's actually a little cheaper than the Hummer too--if $13,995 can be called cheap at any juncture, that is, for a golf cart. That buys you "a hand-laid fiberglass body, marine-grade vinyl seats, custom paint and chrome mirrors," according to Uncrate, though a custom hard top will cost more.

The Escalade cart is electric despite its SUV appearance, so it's a fair compromise without going the full solar-powered route. And you won't make a complete fool of yourself tooling around in one, as long as you stay on the golf course.

Start-up promises to slash the costs of plug-in hybrids

EnerDel says it will come out with a lithium-ion battery for plug-in hybrids that will cost $1,500, a development that could go a long way to making these cars palatable in terms of price.
The Indianapolis-based company, which recently received a $6.5 million grant from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), hopes to deliver the battery to car manufacturers for their 2010 lineups, according to Charles Gassenheimer, vice chairman of the company. The 2010 model cars will start coming out in September 2009, he said.

By then, there will probably be 65 hybrid cars on the market, he estimated. Right now, there are 15, he said. No major manufacturers currently make plug-in hybrids. Plug-ins have larger batteries than conventional hybrids, can be charged through a socket and get better gas mileage. However, they cost a lot at the moment. Converting a hybrid to a plug-in costs about $15,000, money that even plug-in hybrid proponents admit is nearly impossible to make up for with better fuel economy.

"You're not going to spend thousands of dollars to save $600 to $700 at the pump a year,"
Gassenheimer said. "Until you make this a positive return on investment, you won't see these (plug-ins) at 50 to 80 percent penetration."

EnerDel will mostly aim at selling batteries to manufacturers to incorporate into cars coming off the line and not aftermarket modifiers.

How much cheaper will an EnerDel-energized plug-in hybrid be compared to a regular one? It's hard ... (Read more)

Friday, September 14, 2007

2007 Frankfurt auto show: Day three roundup

The Porsche 911 GT2 is one of the new models on display at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show
(Credit: CNET Networks)

The 2007 Frankfurt auto show officially opens to the public on Saturday, but we've been getting a preview of the automotive delights on display for the past couple of days. CNET Car Tech Senior Editor Wayne Cunningham has been busy scouring the show floor to bring you a whole slew of picture galleries. His roundup of the show's speed kings includes close-ups of the V-8 BMW M3, the Porsche 911 GT2, and the Mercedes C63.

Meanwhile, Frankfurt is showing off its fair share of concept cars, including the futuristic Nissan Mixim and the Porsche Cayenne hybrid. Among the new models on show, BMW's 1-Series sedan and updated 6-Series coupe have been real crowd-pleasers, as has the production version of Volkswagen's Tiguan crossover. As ever, you can check out all the coverage from the show on our new, dedicated Car Tech blog. [...]

2007 Frankfurt auto show: Day two roundup

Mercedes' F700 is being used to demonstrate prototype cabin technology at Frankfurt
(Credit: CNET Networks)

The new models and concept cars just keep on coming at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. One notable trend at this year's event is the willingness of luxury German automakers to finally embrace hybrid technology, with Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes all either announcing production hybrids or showing off advanced hybrid concepts. Meanwhile, the 2009 Jaguar XF shows that concept technology can make it off the auto show floor, as the latest Big Cat retains its futuristic shifter for production. On the subject of cabin gadgetry, automotive equipment manufacturer Siemens VDO showed off its next-generation in-car touch screen technology, among other things, while Mercedes used its F700 research vehicle to demonstrate a prototype of a new version of its COMAND interface. All this plus a badass million-dollar Lamborghini, a look at the clean diesel-hybrid vehicles of the future, and tons more from the show can be found over on our new Car Tech blog, right here. [...]

Read more ...
Kevin Massy. CRAVE

Microsoft alum shows his ethanol race car

DAVIS, Calif.--Reporters who covered software in the '90s will remember Karl Jacob. Microsoft bought his company, Dimension X, in 1997. He was chatty. Occasionally, some reporters referred to him as "sources close to the company."

After leaving the big M, he went off to Keen, Benchmark Capital and a few other things. And now, he's the world record holder of the standing mile speed record.

This Viper runs on ethanol.
(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET News.com)

In July, Jacob cranked up his modified Dodge Viper from a standstill to finishing a mile in 27.41 seconds. He hit 220.7 miles an hour during the sprint, a record. The old top speed for the standing mile was just under 218 miles an hour. He did eight runs on the day.

Jacob didn't drive the car on the record run. Instead, it was driven by Ron Misjak of Super Viper, which modified the car. In any event, Jacob did pay for it, has driven the car and says it's a kick. That puts him ahead of Alcibiades, who won a first in chariot racing at the ancient Olympics without getting behind the reins. (It was a common practice among the nobles.)

We spoke at the green car pavilion at the GoingGreen conference in Davis. Karl and Ian Wright of Wrightspeed showed off their performance cars. Others were showing off low-speed electric vehicles.

Jacob and a team of mechanics had to tinker quite a bit with the Viper. [...]

Photos: Frankfurt auto show

Behold the four-cylinder VW Tiguan.
(Credit: Volkswagen)

The summer driving season has come and gone--just in time for us to give our undivided attention to the Frankfurt auto show.
On the home turf of BMW, Audi and Volkswagen, the 62nd International Motor Show is playing host this week to carmakers from around the world. They've promised to bring scads of new rides, from the green to the lean to the turbocharged driving machine.
Consider these, for starters: Ferrari's 430 Scuderia has classic sports car lines, Nissan's Mixim packs a pair of electric motors, Volvo's ReCharge is a plug-in hybrid and Ford is trotting out names like Econetic and Kugo.
To see those models and more, click here: "Photos: Cleaning up at the Frankfurt Auto Show."

To see CNET Car Tech's coverage from the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, click here. [...]

Read more ...
Crave staff. CRAVE

Google offers $10 million to 'sustainable transportation' firms

Google is earmarking more greenbacks to make cars greener.

The nonprofit arm of the Web search giant, Google.org, on Wednesday issued a $10 million request for proposal from companies involved in commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and other forms of sustainable transportation.

The RFP process--to be done entirely online--is meant to accelerate development of cleaner forms of transportation at a large scale in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Google.org.

Google intends to invest between $500,000 and $2 million in companies that are approved and will not take up position on those firms' boards.

Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page plug their wheels into the grid.

(Credit: Google)

t is looking for "for-profit companies whose innovative approach, team and technologies will enable widespread commercialization of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles and/or vehicle-to-grid solutions," according to the RFP.

Submissions can be anything from battery technologies to services that encourage plug-in hybrids. The proposals will be reviewed by Google employees and experts in the field.

In June of this year, Google launched RechargeIT, a program to convert company cars to plug-in hybrids, which can be recharged and potentially feed power back into the electricity grid during times of high demand. The company has also installed a large 1.6-megawatt solar array and dedicated $1 million to nonprofit groups working to address global warming.

"While $10 million is a fraction of the total investment needed to transform our transportation sector, we hope this RFP will [...]

World's first gullwing Ferrari limo

(Credit: Limousine and Chauffeur Show)

Decades ago, seeing a Ferrari on the street was as common as spotting a Blue-Footed Booby in Golden Gate Park. That's hardly the case anymore, in this Age of Wretched Excess. But it's still possible to make a statement with the storied automobile--namely, in the form of a stretch limo.

The vehicle pictured here is no prom-night special--it's the world's first gullwing Ferrari limo," according to organizers of the annual European Limousine and Chauffeur Show in England this month. Gizmag says the black Ferrari 360 Modena is also the fastest limo in the world, which we don't doubt for a nano-second: Despite having a 23-foot-long body, it goes from zero to 60 in less than 6 seconds and tops out at 170 mph.

The custom-built stretch Ferrari, commissioned by Style Limousines of Manchester for nearly $400,000 in modifications, skips the usual mini-bars in favor of 9-foot gullwing doors. Because what good is a Ferrari limo without a grand exit? [...]

Read more ...
Mike Yamamoto. CRAVE

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

2007 Frankfurt auto show: day one round-up

The Volkswagen up! debuted today in Frankfurt
(Credit: CNET Networks)

We've been trawling the floor on the first day of the Frankfurt auto show, and there have been plenty of new model launches and concept car unveilings to keep us busy. Mercedes Benz delivered on its promise to take the wraps off a fleet of new cars, including hybrid versions of its C300 wagon and its ML450 SUV, as well as its F700 research vehicle. Volkswagen and BMW also took advantage of being on their home turf, with the latter unveiling its partnership with Google for a local-search-enabled in-dash navigation system, and VW showing off its up! concept, an ultra-compact rear-engined mini-Golf with removable seats. Meanwhile, Fiat's own microcar, the 500, turned out not to be so micro in the flesh.

On the hybrid front, GM showed off its E-Flex-powered Opel Flextreme concept complete with built-in Segways, while Honda displayed a sport-tuned version of its Civic Hybrid that had earned its stripes racing in the 2007 Nurburgring race. Check out our continuing coverage of the show on the new CNET Car Tech blog, here. [...]

Read more ...
Kevin Massy. CRAVE

GM goes electric in Frankfurt

The future of electric propulsion...
(Credit: CNET Networks)

We're not convinced about the wisdom of this one. GM is using this week's Frankfurt auto show to reiterate its commitment to alternative fuel cars with the unveiling of the Opel Flextreme, a concept plug-in car that builds on the buzz of the E-Flex drive train from the Chevy Volt. The car itself relies on a series hybrid drive train, which combines a lithium-ion powered-electric motor with a biodiesel combustion engine that is used solely for running the electric motor when the battery's charge runs out.

...or the past?
(Credit: CNET Networks)

However, as blue-sky as the vehicle's power train may be (lithium-ion batteries have a long way to go before they're ready for production vehicles), that is not the main cause of our concern. What troubles us is the fact that the GM has integrated two Segways into the back of the Flextreme--presumably to highlight its electric-mobility message. Now, we're no marketing mavens, but we suspect that a company trying to promote a fledgling technology would try to avoid association with a device that ended up falling--commercially and physically--flat on its face. [...]

Wrightspeed: Sports cars first, then electric pickup truck

Wrightspeed's X1 prototype car
(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)

DAVIS, Calif.--Ian Wright, founder of electric sports-car maker Wrightspeed, wants to get into pickup trucks too.
The company is looking at making an electric drivetrain for trucks that the company would then sell to established manufacturers, he said during a hallway meeting at the GoingGreen conference taking place here. The top-three selling vehicles in the United States in 2006 were the Ford F-150, the Chevy Silverado and the Dodge Ram, he said. "No. 4 was the Camry."
Converting trucks from gas to electric could have a big impact on carbon monoxide emissions, he added. Trucks emit a lot of fumes and don't get great mileage.
It won't be easy. A new crop of electric cars is just coming to market, and a big issue is battery life. The high-end Tesla Roadster, coming out later this year, only goes 200 miles on a battery charge. It costs $98,000 and a big part of the cost is the battery. How far will a truck priced in the $40,000 range go with a load of lumber? Wrightspeed would face competition from clean diesel trucks too.
The company also is still in the prototyping stage. Wrightspeed has built a fast electric car, but it's a demonstration vehicle and won't resemble a final product. (It doesn't have doors, for one thing, sort of a tough feature for selling a car in the United States.) Wrightspeed is not manufacturing cars yet.
But who knows. A number of companies are tinkering with electric car ideas.

'Land Rover on steroids' ready to rip

There's a silver lining in the war on terror. The need for beefy, bulletproof buggies to patrol the Afghan and Iraqi outback has translated into factory jobs on the home front for at least one NATO ally.

Described as "a Land Rover on steroids," the new MWMIK (Mobility Weapon Mounted Installation Kit) 4x4 looks more like an armored forklift chassis. But with a top speed of 80 mph and wide range of armaments, it won't be pulling pallet duty anytime soon.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence has ordered 130 of the new vehicles from Plymouth-based Devonport Management Limited (DML) to the tune of 30 million quid. Traditionally a shipbuilding outfit, DML has "been forced to expand its skills base and diversify into new markets such as the super yacht sector because of the dwindling need for surface ship work," according to The Herald newspaper of Plymouth. The new line is expected to generate 120 jobs.

Designed by Supacat, it will have a chassis by Universal Engineering, a Cummins engine and an Allison transmission; assembly will be at DML's Devonport dockyard. The vehicle, which carries a team of four, a .50-caliber machine gun or a grenade launcher, will augment--and possibly replace, eventually--the Brits' current fire support model WMIK, which resembles something that saw duty in the Falklands. (See clip below.)

DML has its eye on the prize. "Once people understand that this is what we can do and what we are ...

The Lightning: Britain's take on electric sports cars

The Lightning GTS, an all-electric sports car coming from England next year, will go 0 to 60 in four seconds, the company says.

But what I like is the '60s styling and the Union Jack license plate.

The car is one of several relatively new entrants into the electric auto market. They can be roughly divided into three categories: sports car specialists (Tesla Motors, Lightning, Lightspeed) and the sedan makers (Zap, Miles Automotive, etc.) and economy cars (Riva, Think). Some will make cars for different categories. Established companies like Nissan, of course, are tinkering at this too.

Right now, Tesla and Think are the furthest along among the new companies in their production plans and are the best funded. Both are trying to release cars this year. Who knows what will happen with these other, smaller companies. If the early 20th century car industry is any indication, most of them will die, but a few may become successes. The one thing that many have going for them is that they are buying their batteries, perhaps the most difficult challenge in electric cars, from third-party suppliers.

Motorcycles from Zero Motorcycles and Vectrix are already out there. Not only are cycles cheaper to make, there's less crash testing. (The government assumes you will biff anyway, so why bog down marketing?)

Lightning will buy its batteries from Altair Nanotechnologies, which makes a lithium-titanate battery. Altair also sells batteries to Phoenix Motorcars, makers of an all-electric SUV. Phoenix recently ...

Photos: BMW Hydrogen 7

BMW rolled into town last night with a fleet of Hydrogen 7 sedans for us to test drive. Having already driven hydrogen cars from Honda and GM, we were intrigued to get behind the wheel of a hydrogen Bimmer, which differs from most other hydrogen-powered cars in that it doesn't rely on a fuel cell and electric drive train. Instead, it uses a modified version of the BMW 760Li's V-12 internal combustion engine to burn hydrogen in the cylinders in the same way as gasoline. It also differs from the pack in that that the hydrogen is stored in a liquid state rather than as a gas. Check out our gallery of the experience and more details on the car here.

BMW tops carbon-conscious list

Besides Toyota Motor and BMW, automakers haven't done a great job of building fleets that emit less carbon dioxide, according to an Environmental Defense report.

The organization's 80-page report, called "Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens" (PDF), evaluated the carbon dioxide emissions of vehicles from major automakers between 1990 and 2005. Companies graded were: Ford Motor, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Honda Motor, Nissan Motor, Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, Subaru and Mitsubishi Motors.

"The rate of carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and light trucks in the U.S. dipped for the first time in two decades, but their overall contribution to global warming has continued to grow steadily since 1990," Environmental Defense said in a statement.

BMW achieved a 12 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions across its entire fleet of cars, more than any of the other car companies included in the study. Environmental Defense attributes the drop to the company's addition of the low carbon dioxide-emitting Mini Cooper to its lineup, as well as efficiency improvements made across its entire line of cars.

Toyota was rated the second best, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3 percent overall during that period, due in large part to its introduction of the Prius hybrid to its lineup and efficiency improvements made to the Corolla.

The report also rated the overall "carbon burden" that automakers placed on the environment, based on factors that included the emissions of their cars and the number of cars sold.

In this area, GM ...

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Audi A4 photos show bling LEDs

Audi has released photos and some spec info on its new A4, which will officially debut at the 2008 Frankfurt auto show in September.
Most notable to tech enthusiasts may be the optional xenon headlights that include 14 LED lights. These are "daytime driving lights," aka LED bling, for your car. Audi refers to them as "wings." I think they look more like eyelashes. You can see what they look liked turned on below.
As for the goodies for the driver who's into automation, the new A4 will include lane departure warning, blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control.
The A4 also has a an electro-mechanical parking/emergency brake button in lieu of a parking brake lever. With more room in that area, Audi offers an armrest with two 12-Volt power sockets beneath it as an extra. A new radio-operated key can store car settings, lock and unlock the car, and start the ignition with a button push.

Nissan Mixim concept

It's showtime again in the auto world--that time of the year when manufacturers trot out their latest fleets of new models and wacky concepts. In preparation for the forthcoming Frankfurt auto show, Nissan this week unveiled details of its Mixim electric concept car. According to Nissan, the Mixim (which is unlikely to make it to production) is aimed at young, Web-savvy, digital-age drivers with a penchant for gaming. Check out our photo gallery here.