Author: Christopher DeMorro

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Last year I was a little taken aback when Koenigsegg teamed up with NLV Solar to showcase the Quant at the Geneva car show. While some Koenigsegg supercars supported biofuels (and actually made more horsepower on them), they never struck me as much of a green company. The car they designed was definitely influenced by their line of supercars.

Well the Quant has returned to Geneva in 2010, and is more than just a pretty concept sitting on a pedestal. Though their current relationship with Koenigsegg is unclear, NLV says they should have a running prototype up this year, with a full production model slated for 2012.

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Apparently Mercedes is so excited about their F-800 hybrid concept, that they just had to get it out there for public consumption.

And I can see why.

I’ve never been much of a fan of Mercedes automobiles, unless we are talking about the turbo-diesel boxes from the 1980’s. Those cars refuse to die. But beyond that, I just shrug my shoulders at most Mercedes for being, well, boring looking. But the F-800 concept may just change my mind.

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The surprise US victory over Team Canada in the mens’ ice hockey game brought back many memories of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” at the Lake Placid games. It also happened to be the 30th anniversary of that game. As a hockey fan and devout goalie (yes, I let people shoot pucks at my head) I was ecstatic at the victory.

What I was not so happy about was the apparent failure of three Olympia electric ice machines last Monday. Touted as a green solution to ice resurfacing, one machine after another broke, prompting officials to bring in the good, old fashioned, American-made, and fossil-fuel powered Zamboni ice resurfacers.

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The Chevy Volt is costing GM a pretty penny to produce, and GM execs like Bob Lutz think the company will continue to lose money on hybrids for years to come. But one way of offsetting those costs is to delegate the Voltec technology across brands to other markets. We already know GM is planning on making the Cadillac Converj. And now GM has just unveiled another voltec platform-based concept for its Euro-brand, Opel, ahead of the Geneva Auto Show.

Called the Opel Flextreme GT/E, it is a very muscular looking sedan with a sleek drag coefficient. The GT/E seats four and incorporates some rather surprising performance enhancers, like a rear spoiler that deploys at high speed to keep drag down.

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If you’re like me, you were more than a little disappointed in Honda’s CR-Z hybrid coupe. The sharp looking hybrid two-seater, a spiritual successor to the CRX of the late 80’s/early 90’s, lacked both sportiness and the fuel efficiency of its predecessor. With just 122 horsepower on tap, a 3,900 pound curb weight, and MPG ratings 31 city/37 highway, it was a major let down for lots of people.

But Honda seems to be listening. AutoExpress is reporting that Honda is working with in-house tuning company Mugen to produce a sportier, more powerful CR-Z Type-R. But will fuel economy suffer?

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Waaaay back in the yesteryear of 2008, AMP (Advanced Mechanical Products) announced that they would begin performing electric car conversions on the GM Kappa cars. A lot has changed in the past year and a half.  The Kappa cars, the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice, are as dead as their respective brands. But AMP is still proceeding with its conversion plans, and has signed “a letter of intent for a potential long‐term electric motor supply agreement” with Remy International.

So does that mean we can have our electric Kappa cars soon?

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Part Bat-Mobile, part jet fighter, all race car. That is the best way to describe the DeltaWing IndyCar Concept, which is on display at the Chicago Auto Show right now. The DeltaWing’s creators hope that the revolutionary design could be “the future of open wheel racing”. It certainly looks like something straight from the future.

The DeltaWing combines slick aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, the DeltaWing should be able to achieve speeds in excess of 200 mph using less horsepower and as much as half the fuel of current Indy cars. It is slated to begin testing this summer.

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Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admire Bob Lutz’s ability to speak his mind, consequences be damned. And, as GM’s Vice Chairman and Volt front man, he’s somebody the world tends to pay attention to.

The same guy who once called global warming a crock of crap has now remarked that the hybrid car market is unlikely to ever comprise more than 10% of the U.S. market. Furthermore, Lutz seems to think that General Motors will always lose money on hybrids, driving up the costs of its other cars. If you ask me, that seems like a bit of a paradox.

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I am a big fan of Local Motors and their crowd-sourced Rally Fighter. A custom vehicle with its own frame and body–built borrowing many bits from dozens of other cars–the Rally Fighter manages to merge fun and fuel efficiency in one cool-looking body. Plus, CEO Jay Rogers built it to prove that there is a better way to build an automobile.

The Rally Fighter has been under development for some time now, but it is finally ready to take flight, as this video (after the jump) shows. The video combines some quality off-roading with interviews, some technical info, and a brief explanation of why Teddy Roosevelt and Pancho Villa adorn the Rally Fighter’s doors.

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I remain on the fence regarding the Chrysler-Fiat merger. On the one hand, Chrysler needed saving and Fiat was willing to lend a hand (though no cash). On the other hand, Fiat’s reputation for reliability both here and abroad remains shaky at best. Fiat also shed over a billion dollars in 2009, and says it won’t make it back into the black without the help of another Cash for Clunkers program. Of course, Fiat still managed to outsell any of Europe’s other big car makers, and actually saw its market share increase by almost 9%. See why I am on the fence?

But then there is the Fiat 500. While I may not care for small cars… there is something about the 500 that makes me want to give it a chance. It is cute and fuel efficient, but it also has the mean Abarth edition that looks like it could be a lot of  fun. And according to Ralph Giles, design chief of Chrysler, the Fiat 500 could go on sale earlier than expected, coming to US showrooms by the end of this year. What about the Abarth edition, Ralph?

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2009 was a pretty terrible year for auto sales, and the most obvious culprit is the economic downturn. While things are looking up for 2010 (ignoring the whole recall scandal blown entirely out of proportion), new car sales may not return to pre-recession levels for years, if ever. And while the economy may still be a factor, that may be an important paradigm shift in how people regard their cars.

According to a study by Auto MD, which is owned by the US Auto Parts Network, Inc. (i.e. people who have a vested interest in making parts for used cars) 77% of people are, on average, planning on driving their current cars at least 50,000 miles more than their previous cars.

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Last month we came across the Trexa, an old idea with some new life breathed into it. The old idea was to use a self-contained “skateboard” as a vehicle chassis which included all the components necessary for propulsion. The skateboard could then use interchangeable bodies, or customers could design their own. It takes the idea of car ownership to a whole new level.

But what about the price? Surely something so savvy, eco-friendly, and customizable would cost a pretty penny. Well Trexa seems to be bucking conventions, because the whole self-contained skateboard can supposedly be had for $15,999.

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General Motors is gaining traction these days. Their new and upcoming lineup of cars looks strong, they’ve shed a lot of dead weight, and they still have lots of low-interest loans backed by the gov’ment. Plus, with its number one competitor, Toyota, recalling millions of cars, GM looks even better.

Looking into the future a few years, there is even more to look forward from the General. Chief among them; a rear-wheel drive Cadillac hybrid that will supposedly share the same platform as the next-generation Camaro.

GM has already announced that it plans on building its electric motors in-house, and taking its two-mode hybrid system from trucks and implanting it into cars. They showed off the XTS hybrid concept at the Detroit Auto Show as well, and that car is due out sometime in the next year or two.

Rear-wheel drive may not make sense for a lot of people. That’s just fine. For those of us with a more performance-tuned mind, rear-wheel drive equates to fun. Fun is exactly what hybrid cars are lacking right now. The new Cadillac will be dubbed the ATS and is slated to fight the BMW 3-series cars. Making their first hybrid a Cadillac will help with sales, since hybrid buyers are used to paying a premium anyway. It also means they can actually make money off of them.

The other half of this news that gets me all giddy is that Motor Trend recently reported that the Camaro will downsize and likely move to the Alpha platform, the same one being used by the Cadillac ATS. Now I want to be very clear here; I think the Camaro, and all muscle cars for that matter, should always have a V8 engine as an option. Nothing can compare to the deep, guttural growl of a well-tuned V8 engine.

But, that doesn’t mean I’d be opposed to a V8 hybrid. Just because I want to go fast, doesn’t mean I want to spend all my money on gas. A Camaro hybrid is looking more and more like a possibility. Hey GM, at least give us the option!

Source: Motor Authority | Motor Trend | Image: GM

Electric cars and the cold generally do not go well together because of the whole depleted range thing. That is, unless, you’re racing.

This past December the Andros Electric Trophy racing series began. Featuring eight AC 03 Evo2 electric cars built specifically for this series, the race challenged drivers to take their electric rides around seven different icy, snowy courses. The winner was Nicolas Prost, son of four-time F1 champion Alain Prost. No surprise there!

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This is one of the coolest racing series I never heard of. All the vehicles are built to the same specs, featuring a 90 kw (122 horsepower) single electric engine. The cars (we’ll call them Evo2 for short) have enough electric juice in them to run full-tilt in less than ideal conditions competing on courses in the Swiss Alps and across Europe.

Prost managed to stay at the front of the pack throughout the seven-race season and finished with 250 points. That was 23 points more than his nearest competitor.

Surprisingly, the Evo2 managed to round the track just a few seconds behind their petrol-powered counterparts. And maybe it is just me, but these Evo2s look pretty awesome for electric cars. If you take the time to watch the video, you’ll see just how tight the competition was, and how close these guys come to wiping out on every turn. It may not be the fastest race in the world, but it still looks like a blast.

Somebody needs to do this here in America. ASAP.

Source: AutoblogGreen | Trophee Andros

I’m probably more conservative than many of our dear readers. If you’re still reading, good! Because I’m not the only conservative who can see that we need a much better public transportation system.

The Infrastructurist recently interviewed Bill Lind, author of Moving Minds: Conservatives and Public Transportation. As you might have guessed, Mr. Lind is a conservative. But he also believes that a strong public transportation system will help Americans become more productive. As Mr. Lind puts it in his interview, “…conservatives do not enjoy being stuck in traffic any more than liberals.”

[Editor’s note: We strive to make gas 2.0 a forum where ideas are evaluated regardless of ideology. And really, we can place all the labels we want on things, but in the end it’s a varying shade of gray that separates individuals instead of the “with us” or “against us” mentality that has become so popular].

Mr. Lind’s point is simple. Traffic is a time waster, and wasted time is wasted money. He also says that the government has only two legitimate functions in a conservative train of thought; provide for the national defense, and provide an adequate infrastructure. While we’ve got the whole world’s best army part taken care of, our infrastructure is certainly lacking. But Lind argues that many conservatives still use the public transportation that exists today, despite having access to expensive cars. Why? Because they hate wasting time. They don’t ride public transportation because they have to (as opposed to those who can’t afford a car), but because they want to be productive on their way to or from work. Or at the very least, they want to be able to do something other than drive.

And that is the most interesting point in the interview. How many people, given the option, would prefer to take public transportation over driving themselves? I love cars, but if I could hop a train to Hartford, get my drink on, and then get back home without stepping foot in a car, I absolutely would. But as of right now, that option does not exist for me or my farm town.

As far as high-speed trains go, Mr. Lind is not a fan. He says that all the countries that have high-speed trains already had an existing, dense network of commuter trains. America doesn’t have that yet. Depending on where you are located, the nearest train station could be twenty miles away or even further. So until we get to the point that almost everyone has access to commuter trains, he thinks high-speed trains should be on the back burner because A) they cost too much and B) they serve fewer people than lots of “light rail” options, as he calls it. Mr. Lind wants streetcars to make a comeback, which would do double duty of providing jobs and infrastructure at a time when we need both.

Check out the Infrastructurist for yourself and decide if Mr. Lind makes a good case. And try not to hate me too much. I’m a Libertarian, I swear!

Source: The Infrastructurist | Image: Mjobling

For many years, electric cars didn’t look so much like cars, as they did… well… they didn’t much look like anything anyone would want to drive. I never understood half-covering the rear-wheels (that has never been cool) or the funky lines and shapes electric cars inevitably filled out. And so, in recent years, electric cars have begun to look more like… well… cars. Whether or not this is a good thing is up to you, but Protoscar apparently thinks electric cars should look funky.

Hence the undramatic unveiling of the Protoscar Lampo 2. An awkward name for an awkward car that actually has some impressive features, like a ten-minute charge good for about 60 miles and a 0-62 mph time of under 5 seconds.

So why the horrid name?

I haven’t heard much of the Lampo 2 (I keep thinking of National Lampoon for some reason) but the car will come out guns a-blazin’ during the Geneva Auto Show. But beneath the awkward looks and silly name is a car with a performance pedigree. The Lampo 2 is based on the outgoing Kappa platform from GM. This is the same platform that underpinned the attractive but undersold Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, which makes me wonder how exactly Protoscar plans on keeping this car in production… and how they managed to make it so ugly.

Ok, I’ve gotten a little too hung up on the looks. A neat feature of the Lampo 2 is that each axle has its own motor driving two wheels; in essence, all-wheel drive. While the Lampo 2 weighs in at a hefty 3,400 pounds, it also manages to make 408 horsepower and 472 ft-lbs of torque. That gives it a sub-5 second 0-62 mph speed, as well as the ability to top out at 124 mph. It has a supposed range of about 120 miles, and an off-board charging system can deliver an extra 60 miles in just ten minutes. No word on pricing, probably not until the “official” unveil.

Give it a new name, more aggressive looks, and an affordable (at least compared to Tesla) price, and we’ll talk. Maybe. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Source: Protoscar

For me, the biggest letdown in recent memory was the Honda CR-Z. Touted as a spiritual successor of the CR-X, the CR-Z managed to get it all wrong. Whereas the original CR-X was lightweight, sporty, and frugal with its fuel, the CRZ is underwhelming at best. The hybrid manages to get just 37 mpg in a two-seater that has a combined horsepower output of just 122 ponies in a 3,000 pound package. Like I said, underwhelming, at least in the Americanized version.

But Europe is also getting the CR-Z. Strangely enough, their version gets two extra (albeit small) seats, converting the CR-Z into a more practical 2+2 for people with small children or petite friends. But what really got me is that the European CRZ gets much better gas mileage… 47 mpg, in fact. How did that happen?

For clarification, that is 47 mpg on the US cycle. In European cycle, the estimate is 56.4 mpg.

I don’t know how this happened. The European CR-Z has the same 122 horsepower, 1.5 liter engine as the American version, plus the added weight from two extra seats. In my mind that means it must come down to weight and safety. In Europe, small cars are the norm, and rarely do they have to go head-to-head with an over-sized SUV. Therefore, maybe (pure speculation on my part here people) the European version of the CR-Z may not have the same safety or rigidity necessary for cars in the US, thus cutting down on weight.

The US and European tests are similar, but not identical, and the vehicles are built to different standards (like Ford cannot import its Ka to the US for being too small). But even so, the CR-Z would have to shed a lot of weight to gain 10 mpg over the US version with 37 mpg on the highway (that that is with the CVT automatic… opt for the manual, and the CRZ gets just 33 mpg on the highway).

The 56.4 MPG rating in Europe translates to 46.9 mpg in the US, which would put it in the top-tier of efficient hybrids on the market. But in Europe, which has access to vehicles which routinely get 60+ mpg on the US cycle, it is merely a middle-ground hybrid coupe. I can’t help but feel shafted… I even seriously considered the CR-Z as a hybrid I could one day live with. Not anymore.

If someone from Honda reads this, please, give me a straight answer. Barring that, maybe someone who makes it to the Geneva Auto Show, where the Euro-CR-Z will be “officially” unveiled, can ask them what gives.

Otherwise I can only conclude that Honda likes Europe better than the US. And that hurts my feelings.

Source: Carscoop | Image: Honda

I love blimps and zeppelins. Besides my fascination with steampunk and my hatred of airplanes, there is something just inherently cool about airships. I’ve never gotten a chance to ride on one, but I would jump at such a chance.

Maybe, just maybe, one day I will. And if this AIRCRUISE zero emissions airship ever gets off the ground and past the pretty-picture design stage, it is definitely the airship I would want a ride on.

Nothing more than a creative concept right now, the AIRCRUISE was designed by Korean-based Samsung Construction and Design. The idea is to create a zero emissions airship with lots of luxury in place of a hurried, cramped flight that has become the norm for air travel these days. I cannot emphasize how much I hate flying. It isn’t that I’m afraid of flying… but I’ve got wide shoulders. I don’t fit comfortably into the seats, and I rather dislike the idea of shelling out hundreds of dollars extra just to have a comfortable seat.

The AIRCRUISE does away with such nonsense. Rather than an expedited flight, the AIRCRUISE will take its time getting to its destination; think of it sort of like an airborne cruise liner. The inside would resemble something like a hotel, with multiple levels and attractions during the extended flight. A cruise between London and New York would take about 37 hours, while LA to Hong Kong would take about four days. Which is fine by me; what is the big rush these days anyway?

Power for the AIRCRUISE would come from solar cells and hydrogen fuel cells and it would be held aloft by four hydrogen-filled air bags. Each bag is capable of self-sealing in case of rupture, though how this airship would hold up in detrimental weather could be a deal breaker. With a top speed of just 90 mph, it would be huge, ponderous, and luxurious. I really hope it works.

Samsung hopes to bring the AIRCRUISE to life sometime around 2015. I won’t hold my breath… but I will cross my fingers.

Source:  The Design Blog | Images: Seymourpowell

Commercial vehicle sales are a big part of Ford’s portfolio, and most commercial buyers are looking for two things; efficiency and utility. Knowing this, Ford elected to import its popular Transit Connect light van to America beginning last year. The Transit has already proven rather popular with commercial buyers, selling 2,000 units in the first month. The Transit was even popular with the motoring press, who elected it the 2009 Truck of the Year.

Keeping the momentum, Ford plans to unveil an all-electric version of the Transit Connect at the upcoming Chicago auto show, which should make it the first mass-market electric truck or van to come to the U.S. market.

The Transit Connect Electric should be available some time later this year. Rather than perform the conversions themselves, Ford has elected to hire Azure Dynamics, based in Detroit, to convert them. We won’t know the details surrounding the Transit Connect Electric, but expect a range somewhere between 80-100 miles and a top speed of 70 mph… more than enough for local deliveries. Ford is clearly aiming the TC electric at small business owners with defined routes, so it should be on the affordable side too (under $50,000 if they want to sell any, under $35,000 if they want to sell a lot).

Obviously, with a full payload, the TC electric probably won’t be going 100 miles. But even having the option of buying an electric fleet vehicle goes to show how far we’ve come in just a few short years. All it took was a global recession, skyrocketing gas prices, and the threat of impending climate dooooooooooom. But a bit of a fan club has popped up around these vans, and there is even a forum dedicated to them. The van is cool again!

I wonder it they are going to make a camper version? Hmm…

Source: Ford | Image: Ford