800kW Rimac One EV Concept to be unveiled @ Frankfurt show

Croatian company, Rimac Automobile, will be unveiling an all-new 800kW electric supercar concept called the Rimac One Concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Rimac has released a video to build anticipation.

Although the body and design of the Rimac One Concept is concealed under a cover, we know that the Rimac will use four separate liquid cooled permanent magnet electric motors each with it's own reduction gearbox and inverter.

Overall output is said to be 800kW, or 1088 hp with 3800 Nm of instant torque. Other claimed figures include a 0-100km/h time of just 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 305km/h. Rimac says it all weighs 1650kg and has a 92kWh battery giving a range of 600km on a single charge.

If these details are accurate, it would make the Rimac one of the fastest electric cars ever made.

We look forward to providing full details of the car upon its unveiling. The show starts on September 13.

Rimac

Toyota to produce only 600 iQ EVs in 2012

New details have emerged about the iQ EV city car indicating a limited production run of 600 vehicles in 2012, with 400 destined to remain in Japan, with 100 each earmarked for the US and Europe.

The iQ EV will be produced at Toyota’s Takaoka Plant in Toyota City starting from August 2012. Although the first year of production will see only 600 cars made, Toyota is ready to increase production from the following year in response to customer demand.

Source: Nikkan (Japanese)

Smart Forvision Concept (by Mercedes and BASF) [video]

A promotional video has now been released of the Daimler and BASF developed Smart Forvision EV concept vehicle that we reported earlier this week.

Lola-Drayson all electric prototype partners revealed

Lola Group and Drayson Racing Technologies (DRT) today announce at the 2011 Cenex LCV event at Rockingham, UK, further detail on the groundbreaking Lola-Drayson B12/69EV all-electric prototype.

The major partnership between Lola and Drayson to build an electric powered LMP (Le Mans Prototype) car was announced in July. Today, both Robin Brundle, Managing Director of Lola Group and Lord Paul Drayson, founder and Chairman of DRT release the names of the technical partners for the project and what each of the six technology companies will be contributing and developing.

The official partners and suppliers on the B12/69EV are:

PARTNERS
BAE Systems - Structural Carbon Battery
Multimatic - Dynamic Suspensions Energy Recovery Damper (DSERD)
Halo IPT - Wireless Charging
Cosworth - Electronic Control Systems

SUPPLIERS
Oxford YASA Motors - Motors
Mavizen A123 - Batteries
Rinehart Motion Systems - Inverters
Warwick University (AMRC) - Advanced Sustainable Materials

Opel/Vauxhall to unveil 2-seat EV concept @ Frankfurt

Vauxhall/Opel is to reveal a striking concept with ‘production potential' at this month's Frankfurt show that could revolutionise urban transport, especially for younger drivers and those on a very tight budget.

A battery-powered electric vehicle, the low, rakish concept will be highly affordable, have a 60-mile range and be capable of 75mph, making even the odd motorway trip feasible.

Yet despite its aesthetic appeal, the concept will be practical, affording two seats in a tandem layout, and its light weight - around a third of a small modern car's - would allow it to be agile and fun to drive.

Inspired by the Ampera, the concept has the potential to create a new class of light-weight, zero-emissions electric vehicles in the UK and Europe.

More details will be revealed at the Vauxhall/Opel press conference at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 13.

Audi A2 EV Concept - First Pictures

With the electric-only powertrain of the A2 concept, Audi is offering another peek into the future of electric mobility at the 64th International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The technical study features a classic, premium-standard space concept that offers plenty of room for four people.

The lithium-ion battery mounted in the sandwich floor stores 31 kWh of energy, 24 kWh of which are usable. The electric motor is transversely mounted in the front of the vehicle. It delivers 85 kW (116 hp) of peak power (60 kW continuous) and 270 N·m (199 lb-ft) of torque (160 N·m (118 lb-ft continuous) to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission.

The Audi technology study has a range of 200 km (124 miles) in the European driving cycle. It takes roughly 1.5 hours to fully recharge the battery with 400 volt three-phase current and approximately four hours with 230 volt household current.

The show car weighs less than 1,150 kilograms (2,535 lbs). This is due primarily to its body, which features the most advanced state of Audi’s ultra-lightweight construction. The A2 concept marks the first time that the ASF has been combined with hybrid multi-material construction, in which very different materials are combined with one another. In this case, the superstructure is made largely of aluminum components and is complemented by add-on parts of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).

The Audi A2 concept accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 9.3 seconds; top speed is limited to 150 km/h (93 mph) in the interest of range. A McPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam axle in the back provide for agile handling. The steering and brake systems are purely electric (steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire), requiring no mechanical or hydraulic connection to the steering wheel or the pedals, respectively.

The 18-inch wheels are fabricated using cladding technology. The alloy base wheel and the cladding are manufactured separately and bonded together, reducing the amount of material used. The new hybrid technology, which Audi already uses in some production models, saves roughly two kilograms (4.41 lb) per wheel. The wheels of the A2 concept combine the blade look of the e-tron family with Audi’s classic spoke design.

The Audi A2 concept is just 3.80 meters (12.47 ft) long, 1.69 meters (5.54 ft) wide and 1.49 meters (4.89 ft) high; even so, it makes an elegant, powerful and sporty impression on the street. Its clean appearance concentrates on the essentials; all details are subtle but shaped for visual impact. The dark glass roof of the white-painted show car switches to transparency with the push of a button.

With its headlights, Audi is presenting the next phase in LED technology, known as matrix beam. A package of LEDs and microreflectors generate a high-resolution and non-glaring high-beam light. Delicate daytime running light fibers frame the highly efficient LED low-beam light module. Intelligent tail lights adapt their illumination to the visibility conditions. The rear fog light, produced by laser diodes, is seen as a beam of light in fog and projects a red triangle onto the road as a warning.

The dynamic light runs below the edge of the window from the front to the rear of the A2 concept – a band of light that contains a multitude of innovative, dynamic light functions. Integrated approach sensors detect the owner and unlock the doors via gesture control. While driving, the dynamic light functions as a continuous side marker light. If the car’s indicator is activated, light impulses run throughout the entire band of light.

In addition, a red bar of light flows forward from the tail lights when braking and demonstrates the strength of the brakes intuitively for other road users.

The dynamic light is also located in the cockpit area of the show car, structured in two separate arches. Like the entire interior, the dash panel has a light and clean look and intuitive controls. The driver manages many important features via touch-control areas on the inside of the steering wheel. All driving function use by-wire technology. Components such as the steering or brakes, for example, are actuated purely electrically. Two additional control surfaces fold up at the driver’s right when starting the vehicle. An open profile serves as the steering column; a seven-inch display and two secondary displays are located at its end.

The Audi A2 concept has a flat interior floorboard. The center console is attached to the driver’s seat; the rear console extends forward between the two rear seats. The four individual seats add lightness, and there is storage space under the fold-up seat cushions. There is room between the rear seats for a city bicycle with its front wheel removed. The load area has two levels; a frame with functional nets creates the upper level.

The colors and materials in the interior support the impression of lightness and functionality. The large areas from the door top shoulders to the floor bear a new and innovative covering material made of polyurethane with a neoprene surface feel; a ribbed material made from recycled polyester covers the central floor area. The seat shells are made with a plastic blow molding technique. Aluminum elements create highlights the cockpit.

Jaguar C-X16 Hybrid EV Concept [video]

Jaguar have released details of a compact, rear-wheel drive, two-seater, hybrid ahead of a full launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday September 13.

Powered by an supercharged 3.0-litre V6 producing 380 PS (280 kW) and 332 lb ft (450 Nm) of torque with a 70 kW and 235 Nm 'Push to Pass' electric Hybrid system.

Top speed of 186 mph, 0-62 mph in 4.4 seconds and 50-75 mph acceleration in 2.1 seconds with CO2 emissions of 165 g/km

Under the clamshell bonnet is a next-generation supercharged V6 petrol engine producing 380 PS (280kW) and 332 lb ft (450 Nm) of torque. Already boasting a power output of 126 PS-per-litre, the performance of the C-X16 is further supplemented by a Formula 1-inspired hybrid boost system with a steering-wheel mounted button for on-demand acceleration.

Integrated into the eight-speed gearbox is a motor generator which draws power from a 1.6kWh battery pack mounted behind the seats for ideal 50:50 weight distribution. Charged through a brake energy regeneration system, the batteries allow the motor to provide an additional 95 PS (70 kW) and173 lb ft (235 Nm).

Mounted in an aluminium chassis structure, the result is 0-62 mph acceleration in 4.4 seconds, a top speed of 186 mph and acceleration from 50-75 mph of 2.1 seconds. The C-X16 is also able to travel at speeds of up to 50 mph under electric power alone and has CO2 emissions of 165 g/km.

The C-X16 measures 4,445 mm in length, 2,048 mm in width and 1,297 mm in height and has a wheelbase measuring 2,622 mm. In terms of overall length, the C-X16 is the smallest Jaguar created since 1954 and the XK120.