Lola-Drayson B12/69EV – a 850 HP EV That Accelerates From 0 to 60 in 3 Sec

January 17th, 2012 by GreenDan No comments »


The 6th MIA International Low Carbon Racing Conference was the place where people were able to witness the presentation of the mind-blowing electric racecar created by Drayson Racing and Lola.

Dubbed the Lola-Drayson B12/69EV, the vehicle is able to generate 850-horsepower (640 kW) from an electric charge.

It also boasts acceleration from 0 to 60mph in just 3 seconds and from 0 to 100mph in 5.1 seconds, being able to reach a top speed of 200 mph.

It is worth mentioning that this car is the first in a series that Drayson Racing looks forward to bringing to the 2013 world championship for electric racing cars called FIA Formula E series.

Here are a few specs of the vehicle: it has 4 YASA-750 axial flux motors that power the the car’s 700 volt system, a composite three part 60 kWh battery that can be recharged using the brand new inductive Qualcomm Halo system.

[via Green Autoblog]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Concept, Electric Vehicle, Supercars

Tags:

Lexus Presents LF-LC Hybrid Sports Coupe Concept Vehicle at NAIAS 2012

January 10th, 2012 by GreenDan No comments »


Recently Lexus has presented its brand new LF-LC Hybrid sports coupe. The presentation took place at the NAIAS 2012 in Detroit.

The design is very attractive, managing to catch the attention of the crowd at Detroit Auto Show.

The vehicle boasts an aerodynamic body and it’s probably the most futuristic hybrid car Lexus has ever launched.

It would be interesting to note that with LED details the vehicle’s headlights were inspired by jet fighter afterburners. In addition, Lexus LF-LC is currently the only car to boast a front to back glass roof.

Inside one will be able to discover two 12.3-inch LCD screens that show information about the speed and current position of the vehicle.

The design of the car allows it to be even more fuel-efficient.

So far there has been no word on when the concept will hit the market.

[via Detroit Free Press]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Concept, Hybrid

Tags:

Joule – The First EV from South Africa

November 30th, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »

For the first time information about the first electric vehicle from South Africa appeared online in 2010 and recently some additional data and images were brought.

Called “Joule”, the five-seater passenger car is not as technologically advanced as its famous counterparts Nissan Leaf and Honda Fit, but it is worth talking about.

The vehicle was built by Optimal Energy (Pty) Ltd, a private company established in 2005. The project got assistance from the government so that Joule would meet all standards set by UN-ECE.

The vehicle boasts a city range of 186 miles and a lithium ion battery that is fully recyclable, which makes South Africa even more proud of its car. The battery requires about 7 hours to get fully charged using a 220 volt home outlet.

It is worth mentioning that the South-African carmaker has its headquarters in Cape Town, the city where most of the nation’s renewable energy projects are being developed.

The vehicle’s top speed is 87mph. It measures 12.8 feet long, 5.9 feet wide and its trunk has a volume of 185 gallons.

Joule is expected to hit the South-African market by 2015 and later be rolled out in other countries.

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Electric Vehicle

Tags:

Moto Undone – Electric Bike Designed for Silent Ride

November 21st, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »


The latest concept unveiled by designer Joey Ruiter is an electric motorbike that looks nothing like a regular bike.

Dubbed Moto Undone, the vehicle features two wheels, a motor and brakes, all of them being probably the only things that may give a clue about the resembles of the vehicle with usual motorcycles.

The things that make it special are: the somewhat futuristic design, absence of noise and lack of fancy paint. At first glance the vehicle seems to be trapped in an aluminum case. Ruiter’s goal was to create a bike that would eliminate the fanciness and coolness of regular motorcycles.

Inside the bike one will be able to discover a 1000 watt, 48 volt electric motor that, according to the designer, allows the vehicle to run 90 miles or about 3 hours on a single charge.

All the necessary information, such as like speed and GPS info, is wirelessly transmitted via smart phone.

[via Earthtechling]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 8.0/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Bike, Electric Vehicle

Tags:

RYNO – Compact, One-Wheeled Self-Balancing Electric Vehicle

November 14th, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »


RYNO Motors, a company with headquarters in Portland, Oregon, has recently presented an electric vehicle that has just one wheel.

Dubbed RYNO, the vehicle is not meant to replace the motorcycle, though it looks like one. It can reach a top speed of 25 miles per hour (40km/h) and can run on a single charge up to 30 miles (48 km). With its dimensions, the vehicle can be ridden even among pedestrians.

The developers look forward to launching RYNO onto the market, with the target being those who like scooters, meaning small, low cost vehicles that can be easily maneuvered in tight quarters.

The vehicle is equipped with a lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack, which, according to the company, can recharge in just an hour and a half. RYNO is also rather light, weighing 125 pounds (57 kg).

Its turning radius ranges from 0 to 3 feet (0.9 meters). In case the rider tries to exceed the speed or tilt limits, the vehicle’s Auto Balance System will initially signal about it, and then take control of the machine for a short time.

Currently the company is hand-building 50 limited edition pre-production RYNOs. These will be launched onto the market wearing a price tag of $25,000 each. The production model is expected to appear early next year and its price will be around $3,500.

Check out the video below to see the RYNO in motion:

[via RynoMotors]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (3 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Bike, Concept, Electric Vehicle

Tags:

Varley evR450 – Ultra-light Electric Sportscar

October 31st, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »


A new powerful electric car is going to be built by an Australian firm that specializes in aerospace, defense and EVs.

The prototype of the Varley evR450, which costs just under $215,000, was unveiled at the Third Annual Australian Electric Vehicle Conference.

The materials used in the vehicle make the car extremely lightweight and the 125-year-old company looks forward to collaborating with experts from Tritium and Ultramotive in order to introduce new features in its vehicle.

Varley has equipped its electric car with two Ultramotive CARBON motors. Weighting just 30 kilograms, each motor can generate a maximum of 150kW and provide continuous power of 58 kW.

According to the Australian company, its new car will be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and register a top speed of 200 km/h (125 mph).

In case an extra lithium-ion battery pack is added, the range of the car will double from 150km (93.21 miles) to 300km. the batteries used in the car can be recharged if plugged in to mains power.

[via Gizmag]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Concept, Electric Vehicle

Tags:

Student-Built Electric Vehicle Sets New Land Speed Record

October 13th, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »


A group of students from the Brigham Young University managed to set a new speed record for EVs with their electric bullet car.

The event took place on the Salt Flats of Utah, where the student-built electric vehicle was able to reach a top speed of 175mph. It would be interesting to note that the record is the ideal close for Professor Perry Carter, the leader of the group, who is retiring after spending 31 years teaching and 7 on this project.

The average speed registered by the one-seater aerodynamic car, dubbed Electric Blue, was 155.8 miles per hour, which is a new speed record for its weight class.

The wheels of the Electric Blue are enclosed so the vehicle could deter air resistance. The body is made carbon fiber and was designed using a 3D modeling wind tunnel program that helped students build a more aerodynamic car able to reach maximum speeds for its class.

In addition, the car was able to show good results thank to lithium iron phosphate batteries. The hovers of the vehicle are just an inch above the ground. It is worth mentioning that in 2010 the car created by the same team was able to reach a speed of only 139 miles per hour and the current result is definitely a win.

[via Physorg]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 9.7/10 (3 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Electric Vehicle, Supercars

Tags:

Nissan Working on Fast EV Charger

October 13th, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »


Probably the biggest problems that make customers doubt electric vehicle is a low driving range and long charging time.

With this in mind the famous car-maker Nissan decided to solve one of these problems – recently the Japanese news agency Nikkei announced that the company managed to come up with an experimental system that makes it possible to fully charge an EV battery in just 10 minutes.

The technology features a capacitor in which the electrode is created using a mix of tungsten oxide and vanadium oxide that replace the conventional carbon. This considerably increases the power of the charger, allowing it to function much faster.

Nissan has carried out tests on the batteries and did not find any considerable effects concerning voltage or their storing capacity.

The new charger is about half the size of the fast charger that Nissan currently uses. It was also said that the new device will be able to charge batteries from different manufacturers. At the same time it is worth mentioning that it might take about 10 years before the EV charger hits the market.

[via NY Daily News]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Electric Vehicle

Tags:

Ford Sees Coconuts As Alternative to Petroleum

October 10th, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »

Throughout the past couple of years, Ford managed to increase the use of various eco-friendly materials in its vehicles.

The famous car-making company started making cushions using soy foam seat, instrument panels using castor oil foam, underbody systems using recycled resins and more.

Recently Ford started experimenting with coconut fibers that are also known as coir.

The new material is expected to make door and seat trim, plastic storage bins, and cup holders mode durable, as well as making its vehicles more recyclable.

It would be interesting to note that coconut fibers can be used to make lightweight products, which means that a car can save more energy.

In addition, these fibers create more pleasant interiors due to the fact that they have a more natural-looking textured finish.

According to Dr. Ellen Lee, technical expert for Plastics Research at Ford, the company is continuously looking for ground-breaking renewable technologies able to cut the amount of petroleum used.

[via Cnet]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Hybrid

Tags:

Electric Scooter from Czech Republic Sets World Record Traveling 706 Miles in 24 Hours

September 30th, 2011 by GreenDan No comments »


Akumoto, the company with headquarters in Czech Republic, in collaboration with ČEZ, an electricity generation conglomerate, managed to create an electric scooter that set a new world record among its electric counterparts for the longest distance crossed in 24 hours.

This week the Akumoto electric scooter managed to register a figure of 1,136.3 kilometers (706.1 miles). The companies calculated that the trip needed only 40.8 kWh of electricity and cost only 190 Czech Korunas, which is about $10.35.

Lukáš Drahovzal, the sales manager at Akumoto, outlined that the test of the new electric scooter and the record it set was meant to illustrate that two-wheeled electric vehicle are more versatile than some might think.

ČEZ mentioned that in the near future there plans to carry out tests of electric vans and trucks.

[via Akumoto]

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 10.0/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)
Share

No comments »

Posted in Bike, Electric Vehicle

Tags: