Silent Motorsport: Trophée Andros Electrique Val Thorens Race 1

The annual ice racing championships held in the French Alps during the off season is again running the EV race class. I

Each Andros Car, built by Exagon engineering, is rear wheel drive, weighs just 800 kg and is powered by a 90 Kw (122 hp) Siemens 3 phase AC electric motor with 200 Nm of torque.

Nicolas Prost, Son of four time World Formula One Champion Alan Prost, got the first win during the opening round of Trophee Andros Electrique,

Renault F1 Boss Says Turbos and KERS will "opens up the game"

Jean Francois Caubet, general manager of the Renault Sport F1 unit, which is now solely an engine supplier in F1, after the marque sold its stake in the F1 team to Genii Capital and Lotus, in French magazine Auto Hebdo this week, praised the announcement by the FIA of the new 2013 engine based on a small capacity turbo engine with KERS.

He said  “The 2013 engine opens up the game, the FIA dossier is clear; if we have technological innovations it’s up to us to introduce them. The competition is totally open. We will limit costs with precise rules; materials, number of engines per season, rev limit etc. But we are free in terms of technology. It’s a clean sheet of paper for everyone and may the best one win! 1600cc, twin turbo, direct injection, big KERS, 600 horsepower in the engine and another 150 in the KERS boos and controlled fuel consumption. ”

Caubet believes that after several years of frozen engine specifications in the interests of cost saving, the new engine rules will give the chance -at least initially – for the engine to be the differentiator in performance, “There are three groups of manufacturers,” he said. ” The French, including Renault; the Germans including Mercedes. It’s too soon for BMW to return and then there is VW which is hesitating.

Why because from 2013 the engine could be the difference between winning and losing/ The risk is there. The third group? It is the Japanese – they have all been there at the meetings and I’ve been surprised by their interest in the new engine. Of course talking is free, but I sense that they’ve evolved their thinking.. the Europeans are there, it’s new technology…we can’t afford not to be there too.” Honda are thinking very seriously about it.

Rick Hendrick Cast winning Bid for First Chevy Volt

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, has purchased the first Chevrolet Volt offered for sale. Proceeds will benefit science, math, engineering, and technology education initiatives through the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

The vehicle, bearing the vehicle identification number BU10002, was sold for $225,000 through an online auction that closed Tuesday, Dec. 14.

“This was an opportunity to own a piece of history while giving back to the community,” said Hendrick, an avid car collector. “I have been a Chevrolet dealer for more than 30 years, and the Volt is one of the most exciting and important new cars since we opened our first dealership in 1976.

“Hendrick Motorsports has been racing Chevys since 1984, and any success we’ve had is due to the quality of our people,” continued Hendrick, who has won a record 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner championships. “The Detroit Public Schools will prepare the next generation of talented engineers and technicians who will help Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports compete at a high level on the racetrack every weekend.”

Detroit Public Schools Foundation President and CEO, Chacona W. Johnson, believes the donation will make a meaningful difference for many Detroit students:

“With Mr. Hendrick’s contribution, we have the opportunity to inspire thousands of children to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Johnson. “That inspiration will help make Detroit Public Schools students more successful in higher education, and better prepared for careers in the 21st century workforce.”

Peugeot Claim EV Performance Records with EX1 Concept

Peugeot has put its EX1 concept to work before a crowd of 200 invitees in the Chinese city of Chengdu to set a few records for an all-electric vehicle.

The EX1 was driven by French explorer Nicolas Vanier and Chinese blogger Han Han as the car set several new records for an electric racer.

The event took place at the Chengdu military airport in the province of Sichuan. Vanier established a new unofficial record for the 0 to 100 km/h sprint for an electric car with a time of 3.49 seconds, matching the $560,000 456kW Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Vanier also set a symbolic longitudinal acceleration of 1G over 39 m.

Han Han set new record times for the EX1 on the 1/8 mile and 1/4 mile run with respective runs of 7.0862 seconds and 12.6754 seconds. These are a slight improvement on times publicized by Peugeot in September.

Still not sure which 'record' the French auto maker is claiming here. When road registered EVs like the Datsun 1200 White Zombie routinely doing 10.258 @ 123.79 mph over the 1/4 and 0-60 in 2.9 sec we don't think Peugeot have a firm grip on any EV speed record.

The Peugeot EX1 concept is powered by two electric motors, one mounted on each axle, producing a total output of 250 kW (340 PS / 335 hp) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque.

Source: Peugeot

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics gets a tentative price tag of £150,000

BMW has put an unofficial price tag on the upcoming Vision EfficientDynamics of no more than £150,000 (€176,624 / $235,000), according to Inside Line.

Ian Robertson, sales and marketing chief at BMW Group, told Inside Line at the launch of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe recently that the diesel-hybrid supercar's price would not exceed that amount when it makes its market debut in the spring of 2013.

That price makes the model competitive with the $250,000 (£160,000 / €187,000) upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell, which will be one of its main rivals.

The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics comes with a 3-cylinder diesel engine coupled to 'hybrid synchronous' electric motor at the front and another electric motor on the rear axle. Total output is 328 PS (241 kW / 323 bhp) and the 0 to 100 km/h sprint takes just 4.8 seconds. Consumption on the EU test cycle comes in at 3.76 liters/100 km (62.5 mpg US) and CO2 emissions are 99 g/km.

The model, which may come to be called the i100 or the i1, has a range of 50 km (31 miles) on electric power alone and a total range of 700 km (434 miles) with the 24 liter tank feeding the diesel unit.

Source: Inside Line

VW EV Taxi Concept Makes Its Debut In London

A conceptual twist on a British institution has been unveiled in the form of the Volkswagen Taxi Concept – the latest evolution in a series of 'World Taxis' based on the underpinnings of the forthcoming UP! city car.

The man behind the project, Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design at Volkswagen, was present in Central London earlier today to unveil the car.

Designed to meet the challenges faced by vehicles in modern cities, with ever tighter restrictions on space and emissions, the Volkswagen Taxi Concept is powered by an electric motor fed by lithium-ion batteries. With a capacity of 45 kW/h the batteries allow the electric motor to generate a maximum power output of 115 PS, translating to a theoretical top speed of 74 mph.

The range of the Volkswagen Taxi Concept is estimated at 186 miles between charges with an 80 per cent charge taking around one hour to complete.

The Concept, which measures 3,730 mm in length, 1,680 mm in width and 1,600 mm in height, is shorter than the current smallest Volkswagen, the Fox. However its long wheelbase and minimal front and rear overhangs allow it to have a spacious cabin with room for two adults to be seated in comfort plus an allocated area for luggage. At the front, the driving environment is similarly spacious, an impression emphasised by the large glass area.

The theme running throughout the vehicle is simplicity, with an elegant, clutter-free look to the interior. The major functions of the vehicle including climate, entertainment and fare information are all grouped onto one touchscreen display mounted next to the driver. In the back a similar screen relays information to the passengers on their route and their immediate environment. Despite its modest size, the Volkswagen Taxi Concept feels luxurious, with use of cream leather and individual, as opposed to bench, seats.

The styling draws on that of the UP!, Space UP! and Space UP! Blue concept cars and features deliberately tongue-in-cheek details such as the silver Union Jack on the roof and the City of London's coat of arms resplendent on either side of the vehicle as well as on the dashboard.

Elegant daytime running lights mounted within the headlight units are joined by a distinctive 'Taxi' light on the roof. This has two settings – it glows green, indicating when it's free and red when it's not.

At the rear the light units are integrated into the 60:40 split tailgate, behind which are a pair of cubbies to house the belongings of the driver.

While the concept doesn't adhere to current legal requirements regulating taxis in London it does offer an insight into the possibility of a future small, efficient taxi that offers an alternative to conventional fuels.

Mitsubishi to Engineer All Future Models to be Electric

The new 2012 Mitsubishi I may be the latest and greatest electric vehicle from the Japanese automaker, but the company's electrification efforts don't stop there. New reports suggest virtually every new Mitsubishi model will be developed with either an electric or hybrid spin-off in mind.

"Every new car we develop will also be able to be driven by electricity," (translated) Helmut Bauer, Mitsubishi's German spokesman, told Automobilwoche.

Perhaps the first instance of this will be the company's new crossover. We know such a model, based upon the PX-MiEV concept shown at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, is already under development. Automobilwoche suggests the model will be based off the existing Outlander, but sport a hybrid drive system similar to that used in the PX-MiEV concept. As a result, look for the system to pair dual electric motors with a small 1.6-liter I-4, the latter functioning primarily as a generator to extend the PHEV's range. Mitsubishi has confirmed the car is already in the first stages of development, and will launch sometime in 2013.

Another possibility lies with performance cars. We reported earlier this year that the company's next-generation Lancer Evolution (the Evo XI, for those keeping score) could possibly adopt a hybrid-electric system similar to that of the PX-MiEV. An electric motor will drive the front wheels, while a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 will primarily power the rear axle. Drivers may be able to select a pure EV setting for short, low-speed jaunts, but the entire system could be tuned to give a net output north of the 350 horsepower mark.

Even if a hybrid-electric Evo doesn't pan out, this plan seems like a no-brainer for Mitsubishi. Since the cost of developing new vehicles is tremendously expensive, insuring each new launch is capable of being manufactured with several different powertrain offerings -- electric and hybrid systems included -- may be the best way to leverage limited R&D budgets.

Source: Automobilewoche