Leo Motors introduces 120kW EV powertrain for commercial vehicles
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily
Though we commonly focus on electric powertrains that can move a typical passenger car, there are a slew of vehicles out there that need a propulsion system that can put out substantially more oomph. As luck would have it, Leo Motors has just introduced an electric powertrain – consisting of a motor, controller and battery – that’s capable of fulfilling those needs.
Leo Motors markets its new 120 kW electric vehicle powertrain as “equivalent to a 5,000cc internal combustion engine” (that’s 5.0-liter to those more familiar with U.S. nomenclature). Nestled within the confines of Hyundai’s 24-seat County bus, the Leo Motors 120 kW powertrain has performed admirably over the last six months. Leo Motors said in a statement that, “According to the test results, the converted bus ran faster and smoother than its ICE counterparts, but without emissions, noise or vibration.”
Leo Motors hopes that its 120 kW electric powertrain will find a home in large passenger cars, mid-size buses and commercial-duty trucks, but we’re hoping that the tuner crowd will get wind of this powertrain and shoehorn it into a compact car to make a really smokin’ electric vehicle.
[Source: Leo Motors]
Continue reading Leo Motors introduces 120kW EV powertrain for commercial vehicles
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Akio Toyoda Stays On-Message for the World’s Largest Automaker
Akio Toyoda’s great grandfather invented the non-stop shuttle change Toyota Automatic Loom, Type G, on display in the company’s Shinegawa, Japan, museum where the scion explained the 1920s technology to a group of American automotive and business journalists. Akio is justifiably proud of Toyota’s heritage. As you know, the company overtook General Motors a couple of years ago to become the world’s largest automaker, and the world’s largest automotive target. GM had held that position for the previous 80 years.
Consumers’ groups, environmentalists, safety advocates, U.S. Congress, car-haters and Volkswagen AG all are taking aim at Toyota; the latter wants to replace it in the number-one spot by later in the decade.
And so, we, the American journalists, anticipated the hour-long Akio Toyoda interview in Shinegawa, following the loom demonstration last Friday as a potential breakthrough, a close look at how the president and CEO would restore the company’s quality and safety reputation while bringing more passion to its products’ designs, as promised last year before all hell broke loose.
It was Akio’s chance to prove that Toyota hasn’t become like pre-bankruptcy GM.
Akio Toyoda let Toyota down. His statements Friday all stuck closely to company message.
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2011 Mercedes C-Class Coupe spied
These are the very first spy pictures of the forthcoming Mercedes C-Class coupe, returning to the R&D centre after doing some hot-weather testing in Germany. The C-Class coupe will replace the aging CLC in Mercedes range in 2011. The CLC will be axed once the C-Class coupe goes on sale.
Mercedes approved the C-Class coupe in March while outlining their plans to increase production at the Bremen plant, which will assemble the C-Class saloon, estate, coupe and GLK SUV from 2011.
The C-Class coupe will be the second 2dr based on the current C-Class, but the first to take the ‘C-Class coupe’ name into production. The coupe has been envisaged to replace the CLK, which was discontinued earlier this year after 12 years in production and two model generations. Unlike the E-Class coupe, however, the C-Class version will not be modified and offered in cabriolet guise.
“We did look at an open-top version but in the end the costs were too high given the short model life,” said an insider.
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Report: Jaguar X-Type replacement aims to fight the 3 Series
Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, SUV, Wagon, Jaguar, Land Rover
With the all the news coming out of Jaguar, it’s obvious its Indian parents are intent on making the leaping cat a credible competitor to the world’s luxury automakers. To wit: not only has Jag green-lit the XE – a next-generation XK-based competitor to the Porsche Boxster – it ready to take the fight to the BMW 3 Series in the form of a reborn X-Type.
While the previous Mondeo-based X-Type fared poorly during its run, Tata Motor’s chief executive, Carl-Peter Forster, told Automobilwoche that in order for the British brand to compete on a global scale, a smaller sedan is a requirement. To that end, a new sedan is under development to slot in below the XF, likely utilizing a new aluminum architecture based on its next-generation sedan.
In addition to X-Type replacement and the new, smaller coupe – rumored to arrive in 2012 – Forster says that work is underway on a long-wheelbase version of the XF for the Chinese market and a wagon version of Jag’s mid-size sedan is slated for sale in Europe (XFR estate, anyone?).
On the Land Rover front, the recently revealed Evoque is the first of three new products to debut in the next five years, including an all-new Freelander with seating for seven and a revised Defender which is set to arrive in 2015.
[Source: Automobilwoche] Read more…
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Autoblog Podcast #186 – The PT Cruiser is dead, blind drivers, Tesla and Toyota, and more!
Filed under: Podcasts, Etc., Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, GM, Lexus, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Tesla
Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!
Chris Shunk, Alex Nunez, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan Roth convene yet again for Episode #186 of the Autoblog Podcast. Topics are the final passing of the long-suffering Chrysler PT Cruiser, General Motors’ “Build your own engine” for Chevrolet Corvette buyers, Tesla and its dalliance with Toyota prototypes, and the work being undertaken to develop vehicles that can be driven by the blind. There’s the inevitable tangential excursions, and we finish up by responding to your feedback and questions before wrapping at an hour and twenty-five minutes. Thanks for listening, see you next time!
Autoblog Podcast #186 – The PT Cruiser is dead, blind drivers, Tesla and Toyota, and more!
In the Autoblog Garage:
Porsche Boxster Spyder
Buick LaCrosse CX
Lexus LS 460L AWD
Subaru Legacy 2,5i
News:
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2011 Porsche 918 Spyder Concept – in Europe from 500 000 euro
The German company Porsche plans to begin European sales of supercars 918 Spyder Concept at the end of 2010.
It is assumed that the car will cost at least 500 000 euros and will make the market competitive sports car Ferrari 599 GTO.
Recall that the first Porsche 918 Spyder Concept was shown to the public last spring at the Geneva Motor Show. Sports car, which is deprived of a full roof, equipped with a powerful hybrid power plant consisting of a petrol turbo engine and three electric motors. The total capacity of units – 708 hp
Also the model is equipped with brake energy regeneration system, seven-gear and mass ultramodern electronics.
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Report: Subaru to dump “quirky” image
Filed under: Subaru
Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept – click above for high-res image gallery
As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And while many of us look at a Subaru and describe the brand’s styling as “awkward” or “quirky,” owners of the competent, all-wheel drive conveyances tend to show unconditional love. More recent, Subaru designs like the Legacy or Impreza are less “outside the box” than past efforts, but some hardcore Subaru fanatics look at the change in styling as an aesthetic neutering. Still, sales have improved immensely over the past few years, as Subaru has not only survived the Great Recession, but thrived. So what’s in store for the future of Subaru styling?
In a recent interview with AutoWeek, Subaru’s new design boss Osamu Namba claims that the Japanese automaker is looking to ditch its odd designs once and for all, with cleaner lines that appeal to a wider audience. Namba joined Subaru back in 2008 after spending a decade heading his own design firm, and he’s said to be working on the next-generation Impreza; his first production Subaru. But to see where Subaru’s design direction could go, look no further than the Hybrid Tourer Concept from the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. The Namba-designed concept is a totally new look for Subaru, with clean, modern lines and an aesthetic that’s far less challenging than past models.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Subaru design staff is to improve styling without alienating its loyal audience. While some critics may mention that the Hybrid Tourer Concept would rub Subaru owners the wrong way, the Japanese automaker is hoping that those loyal fans will continue to love their products because of their all-wheel drive, boxer engine and entertaining driving characteristics. Head over to AW to read over the interesting article about Namba and the future of Subaru design, and make sure to weigh in on the poll below.
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