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What It Is: Audi’s upcoming, race-bred hypercar, based directly on the R18 e-tron Quattro Le Mans racer that took victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. Audi intends to use the new car, known internally as Scorpion, as a rolling showcase of the technologies the brand has developed throughout its racing endeavors. A design has [...]
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Why Tesla Survived and Fisker Won’t
Fisker Automotive and Tesla Motors, two startups founded to make battery-powered cars, are both in the news, but for very different reasons. Tesla Motors recently announced that it is selling cars faster than it expected, which the automaker says will make the first quarter of 2013 its first profitable quarter ever. Fisker Automotive, in contrast, has furloughed workers [...]
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Tesla’s sales target for Model S exceeded, 40 kWh battery pack axed
Tesla Motors announced yesterday Model S sales surpassed the target established in February. The target mentioned in the shareholder letter was 4,500 units but Tesla Motors was able to sell 4,750 cars. This was Tesla’s first-ever profitable quarter (both GAAP and non-GAAP), despite the dispute with The New York Times which could have affected sales.
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This Is Why Ferrari, Porsche, And McLaren Went Hybrid With Their New Hypercars
In the last 24 hours we entered a new golden age of unreal supercars, ushered in by the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder, and Ferrari LaFerrari. They are all their own unique interpretations of the ethos of each brand. But they all have one thing in common: They’re all hybrids.
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VW Will Build 250 Of Their 260 MPG Diesel Hybrid
VW’s been teasing us with 1930s World-Of-Tomorrow-looking teardrop-shaped streamliner experimental efficiency cars since 2002′s L1. The latest revision, and the first one slated for any kind of production was just unveiled at Geneva, the XL1. VW says the two-seater will get about 260 MPG, and they’re planning on making at least 250 of them to start.
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Citroën’s Air Hybrid Replaces Batteries With Air
I know it’s hard, but forget the funky DS3 Cabrio or the Technospace MPV Concept for a second. Citroën will give the center stage to its air-hybrid system at the Geneva Motor Show, and I’m really excited to see it from up close. I also hope it works.
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This Is What America’s High-Speed Rail System Should Look Like
America is a car country. We always have been, and we probably always will be. But as much as we all love driving, we have to recognize that there are some downsides to not having a first-rate rail system like Europe or Japan.
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The Spark is Gone: What’s Going On with Electric Cars
Last October, Audi announced that it was canning its R8 e-tron electric supercar, in development for three years, before a single vehicle came to market. While the R8 e-tron certainly wasn’t going to sell in huge volumes, its cancellation is just the latest setback in the electric car’s slow—some might say false—start. From all the hoopla, [...]
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Tesla Bumping Model S Prices by $2500 at Start of New Year
Tesla is raising prices on its all-electric Model S sedan by $2500, despite not having yet rolled out the entire Model S lineup. (Until now only the expensive Signature launch-edition model has been shipped to customers.) The increase applies to every Tesla Model S ordered after December 31, 2012.
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Driven: 2012 Audi A6 3.0 Bi-TDI electric biturbo Prototype
As impressive an engine like the 3.0 Bi-TDI is, there’s always room for improvement and Audi engineers are experimenting with one particularly intriguing new technology. Recently we had a chance to drive an A6 Bi-TDI development mule boasting a very interesting new component fitted to this motor – an electric biturbo.
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2013 Lincoln MKZ Gets EPA Ratings, Hybrid Rings In at 45 mpg
The new Lincoln MKZ sedan has received official EPA fuel-economy ratings, and much like the car, they too are Ford Fusion–based. At pole position, the MKZ hybrid is rated at 45 city mpg and 45 on the highway. Two mpg were shaved off each cycle from the Fusion hybrid‘s scores, perhaps because refinement-oriented materials in the Lincoln add some weight.
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California takes wraps off dirtier, “winter” gasoline to ease prices
For Californians, the start of “winter” can’t come soon enough. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has responded to a request from Governor Jerry Brown to allow slightly dirtier gasoline to be sold about three weeks before the state usually switches to the so-called “winter blend” of gas. Brown made the request to bring the [...]
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Motor Trend runs 0 to 60 in Tesla Model S in 3.9 secs, averages 100.7 MPGe
The guys over at Motor Trend recently got a hold of the new Tesla Model S and reported some very impressive figures: 0-60 mph: 3.9 seconds. 1/4 mile: 12.5 seconds at 110.9 mph.
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Check Out the Audi R8 e-tron’s Cool, Digital Rearview “Mirror”
Lacking rearward visibility, Audi’s R8 e-tron coupe has little use for a traditional rearview mirror. Rather than stick drivers with the Lamborghini Countach experience—”Look behind me? There’s something behind me?”—Audi will use a rear-mounted video camera and a high-tech digital screen in lieu of a mirror. It’ll be the first sort-of production car to feature a display [...]
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Video: Watch Audi’s R8 E-Tron quickly and quietly round the ‘Ring in 8:09
Silent but deadly fast. The Audi R8 e-tron may have set the record for a production EV on the Nürburgring in June, but the video of Marcus Winkelhock won’t win any awards for its sound track. During the eight minutes, nine seconds of driving, the car offers hardly any sound.
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BMW ActiveHybrid 7 starts from $84,895
The German automaker BMW has announced the U.S specification price list for the 2013 ActiveHybrid 7 model which starts at $84,895. For this money the luxury hybrid comes with a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder, twin-scroll turbocharged engine and a 40-kW electric motor. This hybrid powertrain generates 348 hp and 367 lb-ft of torque, enough for a 0-60 mph sprint [...]
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2012 Coda First Drive
As modern electric vehicles begin to proliferate, there appear to be two separate camps when it comes to exterior style. There’s the low-key, blend-in-with-the-pack crowd, and then there are the mad scientist conveyance types who want an EV that screams “Alternative propulsion!” The new Coda all-electric sedan does no such screaming.
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