GridPoint rep: How battery leases can help increase electric vehicle ownership
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily
Th!nk City – Click above for high-res image gallery
Some automakers are toying with the idea of leasing the batteries of their electric vehicles (EVs) when they sell their wares on the market (Think, for example). Others, like Nissan, have decided that this arrangement is too complicated and just want to sell the batteries outright with the car. However we end up getting our EV batteries, the issue of warranties for these expensive packs is a big, big deal. Joby Lafky, senior director of business development and partnerships for GridPoint, said at a conference in California this week that automakers need to rethink how they warranty the packs because of all the extra wear and tear the batteries will suffer when used to stabilize the grid.
The packs will do this by feeding energy into the smart grid when parked during the day and collecting energy at night when rates are cheaper and that electricity might otherwise be wasted. If this happens a lot, the packs could be depleted before the warranty period is up, and that’ll cost automakers a pretty penny. Lafky thinks battery leasing is the way to go because it’ll give automakers the chance to re-use (or sell) the battery after it’s served its duty in the car. This will also make the cost for the average driver to get into an EV much lower since the battery is the most expensive item in the car. Of course, we know a lot of driver who want nothing to do with leasing anything when it comes to EVs. Not exactly an easy needle to thread.
[Source: BusinessWeek]
GridPoint rep: How battery leases can help increase electric vehicle ownership originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Lexus, Infiniti reportedly not interested in taking on BMW’s 5 Series Gran Turismo
Filed under: Wagon, Crossover, Hatchback, Acura, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, Design/Style, Luxury
BMW 535i Gran Turismo – Click above for high-res image gallery
Depending on who you ask, BMW is either at the forefront of an exciting new automotive genre with the 5 Series Gran Turismo, or is inventing market segments with no real purpose other than to grab several thousand new sales from those who simply must be seen in the latest trendy niche. In other words, the 5 Series GT is nothing if not polarizing.
For now, it seems that you can put such luxury brands Lexus and Infiniti in the latter camp, though fellow upmarket Japanese automaker Acura is headed down a similar path as its German counterpart with the new ZDX – at least with regard to the X6. Speaking to Auto Observer at the New York Auto Show, Ben Poore, Nissan North America’s vice president of the Infiniti business unit, said, “What [we are] seeing is a much stronger preference (among consumers) for a trunk.”
Granted, some may see little difference between such vehicles as the 5 Series GT and Infiniti’s own EX and FX crossovers, but Poore suggests the machines aren’t direct competitors. “I’d rather be on (either) the crossover styling or the trunk styling,” he said. Dave Nordstrom, Lexus’ vice president of marketing, concurs, saying, “We don’t have any plans for it right now. We have not seen the demand from our customers – but we continue to look at it.”
As for us? Well, you can read all about our initial impressions of the 5 Series GT by looking back at our First Drive. Suffice it to say, our own office is split on the effectiveness of this new giant hatchback trend just like everyone else.
Report: Audi outsells Mercedes-Benz globally for first time in Q1 2010
Filed under: China, Audi, Mercedes-Benz
For the first time ever, Audi has managed to outsell Mercedes-Benz in global sales for the first quarter of 2010. Some of the European press are treating it like the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, but before we break out our Mayan calendars and go all 2012 on you, here are the hard numbers: Audi sold 264,100 vehicles worldwide between January and March while Mercedes sold 248,500 units over the same time period. For what it’s worth, BMW has yet to release its final first-quarter sales figures.
Audi has repeatedly signaled its desire and intent to become the world’s leading luxury car brand by 2015, which would mean passing both of its German rivals, the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz and BMW, along with Japanese automaker Lexus. Plus, Audi offers a pretty compelling lineup of vehicles with which to do battle with those formidable competitors.
According to Autocar, the biggest single contributor to Audi’s passing of Mercedes-Benz is the Chinese market, where Audi sells twice as many vehicles per year as Mercedes-Benz. In fact, one out of every five Audis built is sold in China. Considering how rapidly the Chinese market is expanding, Audi is certainly finding itself in an enviable position. Time will tell if it’s able to maintain that growth in the face of constant pressure from its German and Japanese rivals.
[Source: Autocar]
Report: Audi outsells Mercedes-Benz globally for first time in Q1 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
CAR takes a hack at rendering Muller’s Saab 9-2 drawing for themselves
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Saab, Design/Style, Luxury
With word that Saab wants to do battle with Mini in the quirky compact segment, the web has exploded with renderings of what the tiny Swedish machine could look like. CAR is the latest publication to try its hand at imagining the face of a new-world 9-2, and has been so kind as to share its take with the rest of the world. Supposedly, Spyker CEO Victor Muller gave the CAR artists a peek at his own hand drawing of how he envisions the little sedan. The publication’s team of rendering gurus took things from there.
We can’t say we’re exactly smitten with what the artists came up with. There’s plenty of Bentley in that nose, sure, but it doesn’t quite fit on a car the size of one’s slippers. The good news is, Saab has plenty of time to turn the design into something mouth watering. While Muller made waves at this year’s Geneva Motor Show by saying he would like to bring the 9-2 back from the grave, it’s going to be a long hard road before the Swedish automaker is introducing any models that are new from the ground up.
We’ll keep our ears to the rails, though, just in case the company happens to pull a miracle out of thin air and surprise us all.
[Source: CAR]
CAR takes a hack at rendering Muller’s Saab 9-2 drawing for themselves originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Engadget takes six iPhone navigation systems for a spin
Filed under: Etc., Technology
Occasional Autoblog contributor and Associate Editor at Engadget, Tim Stevens, is our go-to guy when it comes to navigating the intersection of technology and automobiles. So it’s fitting that Stevens has published a comprehensive shoot-out pitting six iPhone navigation systems against each other to see which app reigns supreme in the race from point A to B.
The review covers everything from Mapquest’s free GPS app to the far pricier Navigon MobileNavigator, along with progs that span the price spectrum from CoPilot, TomTom and AT&T. There’s a great breakdown of available features and functionality, along with initial and reoccurring costs, but in the end, only one gets the Engadget tip of the hat. Check it out.
Engadget takes six iPhone navigation systems for a spin originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Audi completes 3 years in India, launches Limited Edition Q7 Diesel
German luxury car maker Audi has completed 3 years of its operation in India . Celelbrating the occasion Audi has launched Limited Edition Q7 Diesel SUV priced at just Rs 59.68 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) which is Rs 7.45 lakh less than the existing model.
Audi Q7 Limited Edition comes with 4.2 TDI V8 engine that does 0-100 kmph in just 6.4 seconds. It can achieve top speed of 240 kmph with good fuel efficeincy of 9.9 liters/100km.
Fastest Ferrari show at 2010 Beijing Auto Show
Ferrari published the first official photos of the 599 GTO model, the world premiere of which will be held at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show.
Novelty is the fastest road Ferrari: a record dynamo she will provide 6.0-liter V12, which develops 661 hp power and 619 Nm of torque, paired with a lightweight six-speed gearbox. Dispersal 1,495-kilogram super car to 100 km / h takes just 3.35 seconds and top speed is 335 km / h. Suffice to note that the standard terms on a test track in Fiorano 599 GTO overcomes for 1 minute 24 seconds – one second faster than the Ferrari Enzo.
One of the most interesting technical innovations used in this model – the system of “Virtual Racing engineer. It is a real-time projected on the screen on-board computer the whole car telemetry, tracking the state of the engine, fuel consumption, activation of those systems or other options. Ferrari 599 GTO will be released only 599 copies, the cost of which is not yet known.
