Posts tagged Geneva
First Pre-Production Opel Ampera Electric Vehicle Rolls Out
May 3rd
After a solid showing at this year’s Geneva Auto Show in March, European automaker Opel, a part of GM, has passed another milestone with the first pre-production Model Year 2012 Opel Ampera electric vehicle (EV) was successfully developed at GM’s Pre-Production Operations assembly line.
As the term ‘pre-production’ implies, these vehicles are not ready to be sold to dealerships. Instead, they will be “used instead for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and controls,” according to Opel. In fact, some of the vehicles will meet a rather grisly demise: some will be used to tweak the vehicle’s overall driving experience, but others “will have very short lives as they will be used in safety and structural integrity testing.” Crash dummies, anyone?
Image via Opel
Capable of 60 kilometers of electric driving before the engine-generator takes over to extend the range to over 500 kilometers, the Opel Ampera’s battery can be charged by plugging the vehicle’s on-board charging system into a standard outlet. The Ampera said to be on target for release in the European market in 2011, according to Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah.
Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid To Hit Nearly 100 MPH In Electric Mode
Apr 1st
Porsche, which recently debuted its new Cayenne SUV hybrid in Geneva, announced this week in New York its plans to bring this luxury green car ride to the United States. The Cayenne S Hybrid will hit dealer showrooms this fall and will price around a whopping $67,700.
The Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid, said Porsche, said “fuel consumption is down by up to 23 percent in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC)” compared to the previous Cayenne models.” Exact MPG of the Cayenne S Hybrid is not yet available from the manufacturer, The New York Times reports, but good facts to note include (1) that this vehicle can get up to 150 MPH and (2) it can reportedly be run in electric only mode “at up to 97 miles per hour.” Damm!
image via Porsche
At the heart of the S Hybrid is a three-litre supercharged V6 married to a electric motor by a separator clutch that runs the vehicle either on its electric motor or combustion engine alone, or with both drive units operating together. Porsche says that “the 34 kW (47 hp) electric motor is of course the ideal partner for the 333 hp compressor engine with its high torque at low speeds.”
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Lexus CT 200h Luxury Hybrid Due Out In United States In 2011
Apr 1st
Lexus, which recently premiered its new CT 200h luxury at the annual auto show in Geneva, is now showcasing this vehicle at its American debut in New York. The luxury brand of Toyota said the CT 200h will go on sale in the United States in early 2011 as “the first dedicated hybrid vehicle in the premium compact segment.”
The CT 200h from Lexus, said the company, is powered by a 1.8L Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gas engine with “Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and Lexus Hybrid Drive technology.” The hybrid technology is set to include two motor generators which each perform specific functions and can “operate as both a motor and generator.” The engine-driven generator will either charge the battery pack or provide additional power to the drive motor as needed while the drive motor itself is driven by electrical power from the hybrid battery pack or generator to move the front wheels.
image via Lexus
Four drive modes will be featured in the CT 200h, including an eco mode that “adjusts air conditioning settings and the throttle for the best possible fuel economy” and an electric only mode that lets the vehicle be driven up to a mile on the electric motors only. As this is a Lexus, a huge focus will be put upon luxury as well, with the car sporting features like fold-flat rear seats, tilt and telescopic steering wheel column, steering wheel audio controls, front sport seats, an eight-way power and memory driver’s seat.
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Tesla, Tag Heuer Announce Roaming Global Roadster Road Show
Mar 18th
The other week at the Geneva Auto Show, if you’ll remember, luxury electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors announced it had teamed with luxury watch maker Tag Heuer to unveil a one-of-a-kind Tesla Roadster branded with the Tag Heuer label. That vehicle, after leaving the Geneva Auto Show, made its way over to Baselworld, the world’s largest watch exhibition. It was at Baseworld, the two companies said, that they would be making some more big announcements. Well, they just did – plans are in motion to take the “Foucault Field Gray” colored electric ride on a world tour, said to be “the first round-the-world tour by a zero-emission GT car.”
Tag Heuer, in kicking off its Baselworld presence, unveiled as well a new concept watch that fits in the Roadster’s specially-designed center console (see below). As for the world road show, the special Roadster will embark on what is being called the Odyssey of Pioneers, a really long trip around the globe (we say this because Tesla says it will be 12,000 miles, while Tag Heuer is saying it is 37,000 km/24,000 miles – given that the distance around the globe is a little over 24,000 miles, we will let you ponder if the Roadster can motor across oceans while we seek an actual real number). Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, along with the Tesla and Tag Heuer CEOs, are kicking the trip off apparently. Telsa says “there will be a variety of ways for Roadster owners and fans to get involved with the trip.”
image via Tag Heuer
The travel schedule for the Odyssey of Pioneers road tour goes something like this: Monaco (March 25-28), Milan (April 7), Budapest (April 15), Warsaw (April 22), Moscow (April 29-May 2), Delhi (May 20-23), Beijing (June 3-6), Shanghai (June 17-18), Tokyo (July 8-11), Los Angeles (July 29-30), Miami (August 19), New York City (Sept. 2-5), London (Sept. 16-19) and Paris (Sept. 30-Oct. 17). One can follow the trip as it unfolds on the tour’s Web site. The Roadster will, of course, be accompanied at the different stops by a variety of Tag Heuer watches.
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