New York 2010: Second generation Volkswagen Touareg makes U.S. debut, Hybrid too
Filed under: Hybrid, Volkswagen, New York Auto Show
2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
Volkswagen has just unveiled its 2011 Touareg for the first time in the States, giving us Americans a chance to see the slimmed down SUV and its hybrid sibling that we first saw at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. This second generation Touareg will still have a diesel option, but for those who like to feel even better about themselves while they gently crush wildflowers in the Arctic National Preserve, there’s also a hybrid model offered for the first time in a VW SUV.
The hybrid model gets a 3.0-liter, supercharged, direct injection V6 gasoline engine paired with an electric motor and eight-speed automatic transmission that help it to a mileage rating of 21 miles per gallon city and 25 highway. That V6-plus-electric-motor combo also combines for 375 horsepower and 428 lbs.-ft. of torque, allowing a healthy towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds. There’s a full rundown of the details in the press release you’ll find after the jump, and a gallery of live images from the show floor here at the 2010 New York Auto Show below.
Live photos by Frank Filipponio / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
California couple powers home – and Mini E – with sunshine
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar, Green Daily
Mini E – Click above for high-res image gallery
Peder and Julie Nordby, two southern California residents, can proudly announce that both their homes and their beloved Mini E operate “virtually free” of charge. You see, the Nordbys are part of an ever-growing group of people nationwide who have decided to harness the power of the sun. They’ve installed solar panels on the rooftop of their home to meet their electrical needs and can proudly say that they no longer rely upon the grid for juice.
The solar panels located on their rooftop generate 12,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That much power is enough to power the entire home (9,000 kWh) and their Mini E (3,000 kWh). Generating all of the power consumed for their yearly use makes their home and driving needs a zero-energy-from-the-grid experience.
Yes, there is an upfront cost associated with the solar panels and an additional cost for purchasing an EV over a traditional vehicle, but its trivial when put into perspective. For example, the Nordbys figure the cost of equipment needed to power the Mini E comes in at $8,000. A replacement inverter will need to be purchased for $2,000 every ten years, bringing the total to $10,000. If a conventional vehicle is driven 12,000 miles per year at current gas rates, and driven for 10 years, fuel would cost north of $20,000, a difference of $10,000 which should make up the price difference for a EV over a traditional vehicle.
Upfront cost is a significant concern for many buyers. EVs cost more than traditional vehicles, and solar panels are expensive. But what price tag can you put on making your own electricity, eliminating your dependency on foreign oil and breaking away from the electrical grid? Let’s not forget to mention, no more blackouts from downed power lines. What’s that worth?
New York 2010: The inside story of the Nissan Leaf price
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, New York Auto Show
Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery
With all of the reveals and partnership announcements here at the New York Auto Show the most important thing we’ve heard is a number: $25,280. That’s the price that Nissan said yesterday it will sell the Leaf for when it goes on sale later this year (full production starts in 2011), and it’s much lower than rumors we’ve heard from competitors in the plug-in vehicle space. We sat down with Mark Perry, Nissan’s director of product planning, to talk about this price – how it came to be, what the reaction has been, etc. – because we’re pretty sure readers would like to know more details about Nissan’s strategy.
Perry was all smiles when he talked about how Nissan got to the $32,780 price – of course, the headline is that this turns into $25,280 after $7,500 worth of federal tax credits – and we understand why. He told us that this price is the result, in part, of 17 years of work Nissan has done on lithium-ion batteries. By doing everything in-house for so many years, Nissan doesn’t need to charge the customer for battery research like other companies that are freshly bursting into the electric vehicle (EV) market and are just now figuring out how to make EVs that work. Plus, by spreading the R&D over many years, selling the Leaf for just under $33,000 allows the company to make a profit off the car.
Of course, the Leaf does not exist in a vacuum, and Perry said that the $33k was most definitely based on market factors. Government incentives played a role in setting the price, Perry said, as did estimating what other companies will price their plug-in vehicles at. Considering we don’t know for sure yet what cars like the Chevrolet Volt or the Ford Focus Electric will be, we can’t say yet how Nissan’s announcement will impact those MSRPs. Still, we assume there was a lot of hand-wringing in offices that didn’t belong to Nissan. There was a lot more to our talk, so go ahead and take a listen after the jump.
2010 New York: Finally, Some New Products for Scion
Scion violated its own product code three years ago, when it introduced a second-generation xB box to the U.S. market. When the Toyota youth sub-brand launched early last decade, the plan was to never do more than one generation of a single model. For 2011, the new Scion tC launching this fall gets new sheetmetal and its 2.4-liter engine is replaced with the new 2.5-liter from its large four-cylinder family, making 180 horsepower, up 19, and 11 foot-pound of torque more than the old engine. A six-speed manual or six-speed automatic with paddle shifters will be available.
New York 2010: Scion reveals better looking, more powerful 2011 tC
Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Japan, Scion
2011 Scion tC – Click above for high-res image gallery
The big reveal for Scion at the 2010 New York Auto Show is staring you square in the face. Meet the 2011 tC. Scion describes the car as defining “refined aggression.” They called it, “masculine,” too. Even though the new car borrows fairly heavily from the 2006 Fuse concept (not to mention the outgoing tC), our collective jury is still out on the refined aggression part. But we’ll go ahead and agree that the new model does indeed look more masculine, which is good for Scion, as the tC demographic not only skews young (most youthful in the industry it turns out), but very male as well.
As for what’s new, the engine is now a 2.5-liter I-4, up from 2.4 liters. Power is up as well. The new tC ships with a respectable 180 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque. That’s plus 19 ponies and 11 pound feet. The suspension is now “sport tuned” and the power steering is electronic, which Scion assured us better allows the engineers to dial in more steering feel. Uh-huh.
The new tC also gets better gas mileage than the previous car (no word yet on exactly how much better) and comes with two new transmissions. There’s a six-speed automatic that features sequential-shift (Scion-speak for a manual shift mode) as well asa six-speed manual that promises more refined shifting than the old five-speed.
Other goodies include 18-inch wheels and larger tires, bigger brake rotors (Scion claimed 16-inch rotors front and back during the press conference, but that’s… insane) and a flat-bottom steering wheel. The tC has been our favorite Scion ever since Scion replaced the fist-gen xB with the fatter second-gen model. As such, it looks as if we have a new favorite. Press release, after the jump.
Chrysler shows off eight Mopar concepts at Easter Jeep Safari 2010
Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Performance, SUV, Truck, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Military, Design/Style, Diesel, Off-Road, Racing
2010 Easter Jeep Safari Mopar Concepts – Click any image to enlarge
Chrysler’s engineers have been busy lately. Mark Allen, head of the Jeep design studio, has introduced a total of eight new concept vehicles at this year’s Easter Jeep Safari. Each one has been worked up by the company’s off-road engineering team, and while most are nothing more than pure fantasy, at least a few can be crafted out of parts available from the Mopar go-fast catalog. Even better, all have the off road guts to go anywhere you please.
That includes the Jeep Wrangler J7. Consider this the stripped-down beast we would build if Chrysler gave us the keys to the kingdom for a week. Fluffy stuff like carpet, the stereo and alloy wheels have been ditched in favor of more utilitarian goods. New all-steel bumpers, complete with helicopter hooks, join a sturdy rear gate and steel wheels wrapped in 35-inch rubber. A small 2-inch lift helps accommodate the larger rollers, and the eye-searing Mustard Plug paint sets the truck apart from the crowd. While we have no problem with the 3.8-liter V6, we would probably swap the four-speed automatic gear box for a row-your-own.
Speaking of rowing your own, the Jeep Patriot Extreme is more than happy to accommodate third-pedal lovers everywhere. While Wrangler guys may be quick to rag on the baby Jeep, this Patriot is more than capable of dispatching rough terrain. A two-inch suspension lift gives the trail-rated package just a little more clearance, and custom rock rails protect the bodywork from getting too close to the trail. We’re also digging those 16-inch TJ Moab wheels, extra lighting on the bumper and roof rack for… snowboards?
Chrysler says it turned out the Wrangler Trail Boss (right) just to show off all of the products available from the Jeep trail catalog. The truck’s specs read like a recipe for a Wrangler wish list. Outside, the most noticeable difference between the Trail Boss and a standard Wrangler is the addition of new AEV off-road bumpers, complete with a Warn 9.5ti winch, though the half-doors and sun bonnet do much to alter the truck’s attitude, too. A 3-inch lift kit allows for healthy 35-inch rubber down below, wrapped around those slick Hutchinson Rock Monster beadlock wheels. Click the jump to read about the rest of the Mopar monsters.
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New York 2010: 2011 Scion iQ is a little intriguing
Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Japan, Hatchback, Scion
2011 Scion iQ – Click above for high-res image gallery
Well, well, well – it looks like Toyota’s iQ is coming to the U.S. after all, only it will be (as reported) sporting a Scion badge. Makes sense. Especially as according to Scion, the world’s smallest four-seater is aimed squarely at a very young demographic. Not just young, but hip and urban, too. In fact, we were told that the iQ represents a “new urbanism,” and is a vehicle for a “progressive buyer.” We can hear Glenn Beck’s aneurysm from here.
As for details, the “mini-er, smart-er” iQ sports a 1.3-liter engine delivering its not-yet-divulged power through a CVT. Mileage should be in the high 30s, which is reasonable but far from overwhelming for such a small package. The iQ will also ship with stability control, traction control and ABS, as well as ten – count ‘em – ten airbags, as well as the industry’s first-ever rear window bag. As for now, that’s the whole story. We’ll update you on price, performance specs, and on-sale date when we know more. Press release after the jump.
Gallery: New York 2010: Scion iQ
