Automotive Technology News

Renault has announced the pricing of the new 2013 ZOE, which was announced at the Geneva Motorshow in 2012. The starting price is just £13,650 OTR. 2013 Renault ZOE is 100 % electric vehicle offering great range and versatility at low price. With an NEDC homologated range of 209 km (130 miles), ZOE is the first affordable car for everyday use to have been designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle. ZOE is available in three trim levels – Expression, Dynamique Zen and Dynamique Intens – and is packed with a raft of innovations for a new form of motoring. The sleek supermini is the first vehicle to be equipped with ‘Range OptimiZEr’ which combines three major innovations, bi-modal regenerative braking, a heat pum...

Hyundai has announced the 2013 ix35 Fuel Cell, which has been selected for the second consecutive year by the European Commission-backed Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) to demonstrate the real-world benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology. The world’s first production fuel cell electric vehicle, the ix35 Fuel Cell, will be made available throughout 2013 to members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials and other policymakers for test drives in Brussels, Belgium. “We are delighted that the FCH JU has chosen the ix35 Fuel Cell as its European...

Volkswagen has revealed the new all-electric version of the 2013 Up!. The four-seat car – which operates with nearly zero noise – is being shown at today’s Annual Press and Investors Conference in Wolfsburg. It impresses with its driving range of 150 km and excellent everyday practicality. The electric motor has a maximum output of 82HP (60 kW)  and a continuous power of 55HP (40 kW). The torque is 210Nm (155 lb-ft) from the first rev. 0-100 km/h in 14 seconds and a top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph). The 18.7 kWh lithium-ion battery pack can be charged up to 80 % in just 30 minutes....

11 March 2013 | Audi, Technology Audi is now offering the A1 and A3 1.4 liter TFSI engine with Cylinder-on-Demand technology. The manufacturer is moving CoD technology from Audi S and RS models to bring 60 mpg economy potential to A1 and A3. The 1.4 liter TFSI has 140HP (103 kW) at 5,000RPM And 250Nm (184 lb-ft) at just 1,500RPM. 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds for A1 with S-tronic and 8.3 seconds for A3 with 6-speed manual. The...

22 February 2013 | Technology, Volkswagen Volkswagen has announced the new Golf Plug-in Hybrid, which is based on the 7th generation of the hatchback. It is expected to hit the market in the beginning of the next year. The Golf VII Plug-in Hybrid is powered by a 1.4 liter TFSI with 150HP (110 kW) and a 102HP (75 kW) electric motor coupled to a dual-clutch S-tronic 6-speed gearbox. The powertrain is the same as in Audi A3 e-Tron Plu...

14 February 2013 | Chevrolet, Technology Chevrolet will exhibit the new Spark EV at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The car will be sold in select European markets as of 2014 model. The Chevrolet Spark EV is anticipated to set a benchmark in performance for an urban city electric car and is powered by the most advanced electric motor and battery system General Motors has ever built. The Spark EV is powered by an electric motor wi...

22 January 2013 | Audi, Technology Here is an interesting video clip of Audi’s latest automatic parking system. It operates with the help of ultrasound or cameras, which display images via the onboard monitor. This is a very convenient solution for parking and saves a lot of time. Furthermore, you can pick up your car from the destination you left it. Audi’s Automatic Driving for Parking seeks for suitable spot and perfo...

11 January 2013 | Honda, Technology Honda US is planning to invest $23 million and hire approximately 50 new associates at its Marysville, Ohio auto plant to add production of the new two-motor Accord Hybrid Sedan, scheduled to go on sale nationwide this fall. "With more than 30 years of continuously building eight generations of the Honda Accord close to our customers, our team now is using its experience and flexibility to ...

19 October 2012 | Technology Kepler Motors has officially announced the Motion Hybrid Super car at the 2009 Dubai Motor Show. The first deliveries of this monster were scheduled for the end of 2011, but that not happened. Still, the manufacturer has released a new promo video of their model. Kepler Motion Super car is powered by a modified twin-turbo 3.5 liter V6 EcoBoost engine with 550HP (410 kW) driving the rear whe...

18 October 2012 | Scion, Technology Scion has announced the new 2013 iQ EV, which is essentially a rebadged Toyota iQ with an electric motor. However, the iQ EV is a battery- electric four-seater city commuter car designed for car-sharing programs, in urban and campus environments. "Toyota believes battery-electric vehicles have the potential to play a role in future mobility strategies," commented Chris Hostetter, TMS group ...

16 October 2012 | BMW, Technology Rimac Automobili has finally finished their project – an electrically driven BMW E30. The project name is “Rimac e-M3” and it has broken several world records. Currently this is the fastest electric car in class 3 (above 1000 kg). "I owned an old BMW E30 (MY 1984) which I used for drift and circuit races. At one of these races, the gas engine blew up. Then I decided to try building an EV....

27 September 2012 | Concept Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Technology Local emission-free electric vehicles are a key element of the Mercedes-Benz strategy for sustainable mobility. The advances that the Stuttgart-based premium manufacturer has achieved in this field are demonstrated by electric passenger cars which are already being manufactured under series production conditions and demonstrating high everyday practicality today. Such vehicles include the B-Cl...