Toyota reveals iQ-based FT-EV Concept

Toyota has announced that it will display its new FT-EV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, while also confirming that it will launch an urban commuter ‘battery-electric vehicle’ (BEV) by 2012. The carmaker also revealed that it will start consumer trials of a fleet of 150 plug-in hybrids towards the end of this year and launch as many as ten new petrol-electric hybrid vehicles next year.

This announcement, coupled with its compressed natural gas powered Camry Hybrid concept display at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, signal Toyota's intention to broaden the scope of its advanced alternative-fuel vehicle development.

The all-electric FT-EV concept shares its platform with the iQ urban commuter vehicle, and can drive up to 50 miles on a single charge.

Although BEVs and new smaller vehicles like the iQ will be a key component of Toyota's sustainable mobility strategy, the conventional gas-electric hybrid, like the all new third-generation Prius, also set for this month’s Detroit event, is considered Toyota's long-term core powertrain technology. Additionally, Toyota plans to showcase a brand new Lexus dedicated hybrid called the HS250h.

Towards the end of the year, Toyota will start global delivery of 500 Prius plug-in hybrids powered by lithium-ion batteries. Of these initial vehicles, 150 will be placed with U.S. lease-fleet customers. The cars will be used for market and engineering analysis. Lease–fleet customers will monitor the performance and durability of the first-generation lithium-ion battery, while offering real world feedback on how future customers might respond to the plug-in process.

10 Cool Cars We Want Now

Like everyone, we've got a Christmas wish-list of stuff we'd love to find under the tree but don't expect to.

We've been lusting after Audi's R8 V12 diesel since it rolled out of the fog-machine smoke at the Detroit auto show 11 months ago. But so far, Audi has no plans to build it.

That's typical. Automakers are famous for seducing us with sweet concept cars that get amazing fuel economy, offer insane performance or just plain look cool. We fall in love and the automakers tease us with suggestions that one day we might possess the object of our desire. Sometimes we do. Often we don't. And occasionally our hearts break when they are sold only in Europe or Japan.

We're tired of being teased. Here are 10 cars we want now.

Audi R8 V12 TDI concept - This diesel demon gets 24 mpg and meets the ultra-stringent EU emissions rules coming in 2014. But the best thing about the R8 TDI is it does zero to 60 in 4 seconds, hits 186 mph and produces glorious quantities of tire-shredding, neck-snapping torque when you stomp it. Photo by Audi.

BMW M1 Hommage - BMW marked the 30th anniversary of the legendary M1 with a sexy prototype that masterfully updates Giorgetto Giugiaro's original design. The Hommage doesn't actually run (hence the Photoshop job above) and some say it looks like the new Camaro, but at least it doesn't have a Bangle butt. Photo by BMW.

Citroen C-Metisse concept - Maybe it's the absinthe, but no one designs cars quite like the French. Take the C-Metisse that appeared at the Paris Auto Show in 2006. It's a diesel. It's a hybrid. And it's got four scissor doors. The only thing that could make it any cooler is hydropneumatic suspension. Photo by Citroen.

Ferrari Millechili - Millechili is Italian for 1,000 kilos, which is what the next pavement-peeler from Maranello will weigh. That's less than a Mazda Miata, and it shows Ferrari is serious about improving fuel economy by reducing weight. The next-gen Enzo won't be named Millechili, but with 600 horsepower, it will again mean Ferrari is Italian for awesome. Photo by Ferrari.

Fiat 500 - This beautiful update of the iconic microcar isn't a concept, but it may as well be because we can't get it here in America. Too bad, because the 500 is everything you want in a city car -- stylish, efficient (how's 45 mpg sound?) and a blast to drive. We hear it's even reliable, so Fiat no longer means "Fix it again, Tony." Photo by Fiat.

Ford Verve Concept - Ford builds some great fuel-sippers that are sold only in Europe, and the company raided its European stable to design the Verve. The sedan arrives in 2010, but we really want the hatchback concept (shown here at the Detroit auto show) because it's a small car that doesn't look cute or cheap or both. Besides, the world needs more purple cars. Photo by Ford.

Honda CR-Z concept - Someone has finally designed a sexy, affordable hybrid. Honda says it absolutely, positively will build the sweet gas-electric sports car it's been showing off for about a year now, but so far it hasn't said when. No matter -- the fact it's coming is enough to make us finally forgive Honda for killing the CRX. Photo by Honda.

Mini-E - The all-electric runabout that debuted at the L.A. Auto Show is the ultimate city car, and we wish BMW would build more than 500 of them. BMW says the limited run is a field-test for the new technology, but we suspect the company discovered only 500 people can meet the leasing requirements and afford the $850 monthly lease. Photo by Jim Merithew / wired.com

Tesla Motors Model S - Yes, Tesla is laying off employees and cutting expenses and its plans for the Model S aren't going anywhere without $350 million from Uncle Sam. But that doesn't make the idea of a $58,000 all-electric sedan any less seductive, even if the company ought to be focusing its attention on ramping up production of the Roadster. Photo by Tesla Motors.

Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - A growing cottage industry is busy converting Prius hybrids to plug-ins capable of 100 mpg. Heck -- three ecogeeks did the job in the L.A. Convention Center parking lot. Yet an automaker synonymous with hybrids says it won't have a plug-in Prius until 2010 and even then will offer them only to fleets. What gives? Hurry up already! Photo by Toyota.

The Clean and Safe : Honda PUYO

PUYO is eco friendly design car from Honda, this car is “clean, “safe” and “fun”. Puyo also has great functionality, environmentally responsible and people friendly. Honda PUYO fuel-cell vehicle is intended to create a gentle, friendly impression and entertain the passenger and the people around it.

The exterior of this cool car has "seamless soft box" design and PUYO's "gel body" made from soft material. It has minimalist design featuring an ultra high efficiency. PUYO a spacious interior design because of the seamless exterior design. PUYO has the charm of a cute car that begs to be touched. This eco-friendly car was designed to improve safety, while embedded headlight and other illumination shines through the soft, translucent skin.

Honda PUYO was first introduced at the 2007 Tokyo Motorshow and supposed to be the hope of a more tender relationship between human and machine.

Eco Cars: Peugeot OMNI – Sporty, aerodynamic car gets powered by the sun

In 1973, a Swedish automobile designer, Bengt Ilon dreamt of a car that could move sideways on “Omni-wheels”, which could speed up transport and take it to a whole new level. The concept was not obviously picked up or developed through the decades. Now, finally we have a model that has been designed for Peugeot – OMNI.

The car which is perfect for future megalopolis has a sporty, aerodynamic body that represents evolution of the new age. The small city car has been made for just two occupants, keeping in mind that in 95% cases a car just has one occupant at a time. The exterior body is intended to be developed with carbon fiber, which should guarantee strength without adding much to the body of the car.

Solar cells are placed on the body of the car to refuel the lithium batteries sitting beneath the hood of the car. Traditional side cameras in this car are replaced by cameras, which enable the driver to see all objects in sides on the dashboard mounted display.

The most stunning feature of the car still remains its ability to move sideways at a speed of 5 km/h, which would ease parking and will make sure that the car does not always get stuck in traffic jams.

 

The Dark Side:
Apart from high cost fears, the “Omni-wheels” technology still seems a couple of decades away from realism. However, if the technology is made then it could truly refine the way we drive.

Via: ProductDesignForums

Eco Cars: Scarab electric concept can impress James Bond

Some concepts vehicles look weird, some lack the basic safety features, some are just too futuristic, but Scarab is safe, developed using current technology and is one hot machine that could just be great for the next James Bond flick. Developed by David Miguel Moreira Gonçalves, Scarab is powered by a permanent battery plus three options for the main energy pack – battery, fuel cell or biofuel.

 Eco Factor: Concept vehicle powered by electric in-wheel motors.

 
Not only environmentally safe, the vehicle packs a big enough technical punch with multiple driving modes, perfect park mode, embedded sensors, Lidar, radar, transponders, GPS, Drive by Wire, tactile HUD embedded in the Lexan canopy, regenerative braking through EW brakes. The vehicle is composed of interchangeable modules that can easily be customized to give desired looks to the vehicle.

The Dark Side:
The high use of electronics in the car would utilize a major part of the car’s battery capacity, which could show its effect on the car’s performance, speed and range.

Via: YankoDesign

cityAnt Concept – Another wannabe urban traffic buster

Urban traffic is increasing everyday, and so are the concept solutions to the problem. What isn’t exactly coming up is a complete solution. All concepts have more or less the same features – electricity powered, less space consuming vehicles. The cityAnt is another concept in that general direction; the electricity powered car has small dimensions to fit well with the urban traffic. What we like about this concept is that it does not need dedicated lanes or hyper advanced technology, users can simply drive about this car like ordinary cars, it however does require extensive infrastructure, according to the vision of the designers.

The design team envisions a network of cityAnts available for rent, with regularly spaced stations, much like the bicycle renting facilities. Comfortable for two people, the concept has a luggage space and racks for two bicycles.

 

Via: Tuvie

Eco Cars: EVA – Aerodynamic hybrid vehicle betters speed, range and efficiency

Eco Factor: Hybrid vehicle powered by lithium polymer batteries.

Electricity alone cannot provide the speed and distance we require sustaining our lives in future. Hybrids can take over conventional fossil fuel vehicles without making us too slow in the process. Cobus Marx has designed a futuristic vehicle called the EVA (Electric Vehicle Africa) that can carry two passengers on its three wheels and a hybrid engine.

The vehicle enhances the possibilities of a cost-effective alternative approach to a personal transport vehicle. The vehicle is based on the future needs of the urbanized user who needs extended range at a high speed to travel long distances when needed. The vehicle’s specifications needed it to be extremely aerodynamic, which the designer accomplished by a height adjusting air suspension system.

When the vehicle is stationary the suspension is at its maximum height enabling the commuters to get in and out of the vehicle easily. When the car is running at a high speed the suspension drops down taking the car as close to the road as possible.

Large door handles of appropriate shape and diameter will help the user open and close the door with ease if the car has been parked in a congested space. The body of the car has been designed in a fashion to reduce drag at high speed, which again helps in increasing the efficiency of the car.

 EVA is powered by a conventional 250CC, two-cylinder, four stroke engine generating 16 KW. This engine is coupled with a Li-ion polymer powered electric motor which generates an additional 120KW. Running on electricity the car has a range of 400 km at a top speed of 160 km/h, which can be enhanced by running the gasoline engine simultaneously.

The Dark Side:
The car can carry two passengers. With the growth in population, cars which can carry more and more people are likely to attract more customers in future. The ever increasing cost of fuel has already attracted many people to commute on shared basis. In such a time a car with two seats is unlikely to comply with the demands of the future.

VW Delays Roadster Concept Launch

Say it ain't so! Apparently even Volkswagen is feeling the pinch in the auto market at present, despite its worldwide sales increase of 15 percent for the third quarter. As such it has decided not to release the mid-engined Roadster concept at the LA Auto Show next week, according to the U.K.'s AutoCar. The earliest we might see the Roadster would be in January at Detroit's NAIAS.

Volkswagen sources claim the delay is simply because they feel the Roadster will resonate better with showgoers in Detroit. But speculation says it's the economy.

The Roadster is expected to use a fuel-efficient four-cylinder along the lines of VW/Audi's 2.0-liter TFSI engine found in products like the GTI, Tiguan, A3, and A4. We'd love to see VW's excellent 1.4-liter twincharger (turbo- and super-charged) engine make its way into this little Roadster, especially as sources claim the Roadster will be very lightweight and feature an aluminum-intensive suspension and body. VW's EcoRoadster concept used a turbodiesel for torquey performance and stellar economy, another concept we really like. Either the twincharger or a turbodiesel in a light chassis would easily yield real world economy of 30+ mpg combined (probably 40+ for the diesel). Who said the spirit of the MR2 was dead?--Colin Mathews

Preview: Pontiac's Pair of GXP Concepts for SEMA

While Pontiac's GXP division isn't necessarily known for producing staggeringly fast performance cars, the minor visual and power tweaks are usually enough to move a good amount of GXP-badged vehicles off of GM dealer lots. For this year's SEMA show, however, Pontiac is bringing two new concepts -- the Solstice GXP Coupe and G8 GXP Street Concept.

The Solstice Coupe features a Stage 2 GM Performance Parts kit, intake kit, and a cat-back exhaust system, along with an upgraded sport suspension, graphics kit, iPod interface, custom leather-trimmed seats, and race-inspired pedal covers. While the basic engine mechanics are largely unchanged, the added performance modifications boost horsepower from 260 to 290 ponies.

On the other hand, Pontiac's G8 GXP Street Concept gets a whole raft of performance modifications, including the new LSX454 crate engine from GM Performance Parts. Yep, that's the ZR1's engine, and it will crank out 638 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque under the G8's hood. Stiffer springs have been added as well as the Cadillac CTS-V's brake kit wrapped behind twenty-inch black chrome wheels. A more aggressive front fascia rounds out the front while a new rear fascia incorporates a performance exhaust system and rear diffuser.

Both of these cars will officially be unveiled in Las Vegas next week.

Audi Calamaro: Hottest flying car you've ever seen

Most concept cars are relatively unrealistic. Heck, they're just concepts, they don't have to be realistic. But this Audi Calamaro concept really takes things to the next level. For one, it's a flying car. No wheels here. Yeah, you could say it's futuristic.

It certainly is slick-looking though, isn't it? If we lived in a magical fantasy land in which this thing would be anything other than a shiny lawn ornament, I would definitely take it for a test drive. Although I have a hunch that even if it flew, it just wouldn't be practical enough. I mean, where's the trunk?

Automotto, via Jalopnik

Peugeot teases with 'Prologue…' next gen hybrid

French car maker Peugeot is revealing a "next generation hybrid" car at next month's 2008 Paris Motor Show. Judging from the photos, the 'Prologue…' is not the 'RC' coupe that Peugeot has already been teasing us with, and it's certainly not the 307-based diesel hybrid concept the firm has touted at previous shows. So what do we know?

Not a lot, yet. It produces 109g/km CO2 -- hardly spectacular even for today's tech, as the current Prius is on 104 -- and it's a 'strong hybrid'. In other words, it's capable of running solely on electric power for short distances. We also know the car's rated at 200bhp, and Peugeot claims its eco creds won't compromise decent performance.

For more on the Prologue… (yes, it has an ellipsis as part of its name), come back here on 2 October, when I'll be covering the Paris Motor Show with reams of live news and photos.

Lexus LF-Xh hybrid concept headed for Paris

Green car fans can glimpse the next generation of Lexus' hybrid 4x4s next month at the Paris Motor Show. The Lexus LF-Xh hybrid isn't a new concept car and it's been 'hanging' in a Milan art gallery, but this is its first European motor show debut.

The car has a V6 engine and promises "excellent fuel efficiency", athough mpg and CO2 figures are still under wraps. That's about it for details, so in the meantime, cast your eyes over the pics below.

Lexus sells a range of hybrids today -- a limo and a 4x4 -- which fall in the efficient luxury car class rather than the truly low emissions camp.

VW busts 74mpg with Bluemotion Golf concept

VW is launching a new Golf that hits dizzy heights of fuel economy. The Bluemotion Golf concept goes on-sale mid 2009 and should clock a stonking 74.3mpg, better than the Prius and VW's existing Bluemotion Polo.

The current Bluemotion Golf already manages a respectable 62.8mpg, but VW says it's bumped the economy of the new model through low resistance tyres, new gearing and other efficiency tweaks. It'll pack a 1.6 litre diesel engine and do 0-60 in 11.3 seconds. Pricing is to be confirmed.
If you're after a green VW right now, check out our reviews of the Bluemotion Polo and Bluemotion Passat.

The new Bluemotion Golf Concept's rated at 99g CO2 per km

GYM concept car makes you exercise for your ride

We’re nuts about the open-wheel design of this GYM electric car, but might be too lazy to get it to go anywhere. That’s because inside this far-fetched design concept of a rowdy-looking roadster is also a gym full of exercise equipment, urging you to use your own elbow grease to get this show on the road.

Sure, you can plug it into the wall for easy charging, but that wouldn’t be as much fun as hopping on the car’s stepping machine, grunting through a few reps on its bench press, rowing for a while and then doing a set of pull-ups.

Only thing missing is pushups, but wait, that might be possible by strapping the car’s arm weights onto your back. So Corporal, you want to go Oscar Mike? Hit the deck and give me twenty!




100 Percent Car, via Gizmo Watch

Peugeot 888 future car is a concept done right: shape-shifting and green

The Peugeot 888 is billed as the "personal vehicle for the future Metropolis." For designer Oskar Johansen from Norway, that means a car with space for two with room for luggage, as well as a nifty shape-shifting body. On the highway, the Peugeot 888 stretches itself out flat so that it's stable and aerodynamic. In the city, however, it scrunches up for easier parking and taking up less of the road in general.

Just to make sure it'll fit in with the eco-minded future, the 888 is powered by electric motors in each of its wheels, runs off of an array of lithium-ion batteries stored in the trunk, which, in turn, is covered with solar panels.