Well folks, from the look of things, the electric vehicle concept car that Audi showed at the IAA last month has just gone to full production, and with a whole new name besides, the Audi R4.

But it’s not just electric for this one, no sir or ma’am, as the case may be.  Seems that the R4 is likely to have a few purely gas-engine spinoff varieties too, likely to get the most bang for the design buck, metaphorically speaking.

There’s two sides to the Audi R4 that are downright interesting.  Check out the math on this one:  acceleration is slated to be zero to sixty in 4.8 seconds.  Maximum speed is now slated to be a hundred and forty miles per hour.  And this is the fun one: maximum range on its lithium-ion battery pack?  A whopping one hundred fifty five miles.  This thing’s got a range of ONE HOUR at top speed!

I’m not too sure about the whole EV trip just yet–and with specs like these, it’s not hard to see why.

Tags: Audi, concept car, electric car, gasoline engine, production car

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Mazda will be among the many car manufacturers at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show on October 24. For their part, Mazda is expected to debut the Mazda Kiyora Concept Car although that is not the only thing they will be unveiling. They will also unveil their next-generation engine and automatic transmissions lineup. This includes the Mazda SKY-G direct injection gasoline engine Mazda SKY-D clean diesel engine and the Mazda SKY Drive high-efficiency automatic transmission.

These new technological advancements are expected to help in the improvement of fuel-efficiency as well as some eco-friendly enhancements and optimized combustion systems. But a lot of the focus is sure to be on the Mazda Kiyora Concept car which highlights the next-generation Mazda SKY concept powertrain technologies and comprehensive advancements in weight reduction for better fuel economy at 32 kilometers per liter.

(Source) Auto Racing

Tags: auto racing, automatic transmission, automatic transmissions, car manufacturers, combustion systems, concept car, diesel engine, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, gasoline engine, generation engine, high efficiency, kilometers, Mazda, new technological advancements, october 24, powertrain, sky drive, tokyo motor show, weight reduction

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Thanks to a tax incentive announced by the Japanese government on low-emission cars, Nissan received a large orders for its eco-friendly cars. Among the notable vehicles that may lead the uprising demand in Japan included the NV200 Nissan Vanette light commercial vehicle bringing the total to 15 on domestic cars that are eligible for tax breaks.

Japan had lowered taxes on green vehicles last month which is foreseen to put an additional 310,000 vehicles in sales in the financial year to March 2010. Nissan for its part took the initiative for the impending demand, improving their engines with a big marketing push.

Nissan’s Shiga acknowledged that the lack of a hybrid car was a concern it often heard from dealers, but stressed that its extensive offering of fuel-efficient gasoline-engine cars would help lower emissions on the whole at the automaker.

(Source) Asia One

Tags: domestic cars, eco friendly cars, emission cars, emissions, engine cars, gasoline engine, hybrid car, initiative, Japan, japanese government, marketing, Nissan, nissan cars, nissan vanette, shiga, Tax Breaks, tax incentive, uprising

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Already being billed as the cheapest and logical car to own, this early the Honda Insight is being billed as the top car in Japan once it hits the streets. It ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan for April, the first time a hybrid has clinched that spot.

Honda Motor Co. has pitched the Insight as an affordable hybrid though such vehicles have a bigger price tag than gasoline engine cars because they’re packed with expensive green technology.

The Insight starts at 1.89 million yen ($19,000) in Japan, where it went on sale in February, and $19,800 in the U.S., where it is starting to arrive in showrooms.

Honda sold 10,481 Insight cars in April in Japan, according to data released Monday by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

(Source) Business Week

Tags: auto sales, automobile dealers association, engine cars, gasoline engine, Honda, honda insight, honda motor, hybrid, japan auto

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It looks like Kia is pushing the level of in-car comfort with its proprietary Climate Control Seat (CCS) system will be offered as an option for the rear seats only in the new 2010 KIA Opirus full-size sedan. The KIA Opirus, the first KIA vehicle to offer CCS, is expected to be in showrooms this summer.

The new KIA Opirus has a more modern look, an enhanced interior with new high-tech features like CCS, and a larger, more powerful and more fuel-efficient V6 gasoline engine.

CCS, the premier actively heated and cooled seat system in the global automotive seat market, delivers year-round comfort to automotive seat occupants by providing both active heating and cooling. The system is completely independent of the automobile’s heating and air conditioning system and does not reduce power available to the engine. It also emits no CFCs or other gases and is completely friendly to the environment.

Amerigon President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Coker commented, “We are extremely pleased to enter into this partnership with KIA, a brand known and respected all over the world. It is a strong endorsement of our technology for KIA to offer the CCS system in this vehicle. With our climate control seat systems, vehicle occupants will be introduced to an enhanced riding experience in the heat of summer or the cold of winter. We look forward to building a strong relationship with KIA for years to come.”

(Source) Press

Tags: automotive seat, climate control seat, gases, gasoline engine, heating and air conditioning, KIA, kia opirus, seat market, seat occupants, seat system, seat systems, vehicle occupants

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We all know that the Mercedes Benz has been known to project class if you are seen owning and riding one. But apparently, today’s celebrities are getting these Mercedes Benz models for the green of it. Just take the case of singer, musician, songwriter and environmental supporter, Sheryl Crow, who is part of a growing group of well-known musicians and actors who have become passionate about the benefits of the Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC clean diesel vehicles.

Her Mercedes-Benz R320 BlueTEC is one of today’s modern diesel vehicles that are extremely quiet, environmentally clean, and can achieve a range of 500 miles on a single tank of diesel fuel. A benefit of driving a green car like a Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC beyond not sacrificing space or luxury is the IRS alternative-powertrain tax credit.

Owners of new clean diesel vehicles are eligible for the same tax credit as hybrids. The current Diesel Tax Credits for owners of a 2009 Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC are $1,800 for the GL320; $1,550 for the R320; and $900 for the ML320.

According to the EPA, the nation would save 1.4 million barrels of oil a day if just one third of all light-duty vehicles in the USA were state-of-the-art diesel vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC vehicles combine a smooth, quiet ride with fuel efficiency that delivers 20-30 percent higher fuel economy than a comparable gasoline engine making it the GREEN choice for Sheryl Crow and several other celebrities including Kim Cattrall, Billy Baldwin, Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber, and Nicole Richie and Joel Madden.

(Source) Press

Tags: billy baldwin, comparable gasoline, diesel vehicles, driving a green car, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, gasoline engine, going green, kim cattrall, kyle maclachlan, light duty vehicles, mercedes benz bluetec, mercedes benz models, Mercedes-Benz, ml320, naomi watts, naomi watts and liev schreiber, nicole richie and joel madden, r320

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Hyundai will officially introduce the Hyundai Nuvis at the New York Auto show, the vehicle that will serve as Hyundai’s bet in the future-generation crossover, blending attributes of a tall urban car and a premium utility vehicle.

The Nuvis is the eleventh signature concept car to be designed at the company’s California Design Center in Irvine, Calif. In addition to showcasing the brand’s cutting-edge capabilities, Nuvis also hints at a possible design direction for a future-generation crossover, blending attributes of a tall urban car and a premium utility vehicle.

Consistent with Hyundai’s pledge to lead all brands in U.S. fuel economy by 2015, Nuvis is powered by Hyundai’s Hybrid Blue Drive architecture, which uses breakthrough lithium polymer battery technology.

Hybrid Blue Drive has an all-electric mode and a parallel drive mode, meaning that the wheels are turned by power coming directly from the gasoline engine, or the electric motor, or both together, as conditions demand. This parallel hybrid drive architecture will serve as the foundation for future Hyundai hybrid drive vehicles, starting with the next-generation Sonata in the United States.

(Source) Press

Tags: concept car, gasoline engine, new york auto, nuvis, Sonata

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If you are in the market for a great but cost-friendly hybrid car, chances are you should check out the new Honda Insight. The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on sale March 24 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist(TM) (IMA(TM)) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC(R) gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon(2). The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

“The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers.”

(Source) Press

Tags: american honda motor, american honda motor co, gasoline engine, highway fuel economy, honda insight, hybrid car, hybrid technology, hybrid vehicle, kilowatt, new era

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Among the highlights of the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva include the unveiling of a 1.5 L MCE-5 VCRi engine integrated into a car prototype with two-stage Turbocharger – 420 Nm and 160 kW.

MCE-5 technology already has a 12 year lead on what should be a fundamental stage in the development of IC engines: an “intelligent” variable compression ratio. VCRi heralds the renewal of car engine technology.

The Peugeot 407 type demonstration vehicle presented on the MCE-5 DEVELOPMENT stand (No 3000 in the Green Pavilion) is powered by a 1.5L MCE-5 VCRi engine that develops 220 hp, equal to that of a 3.0L V6 engine, and 420 Nm of torque as of 1500 rpm, comparable to that of a V8 gasoline engine.

A 2010 version of MCE-5 VCRi engine will be equipped with GDI, optimized combustion chambers as well as the advanced management of engine temperature, of the cylinder head, pistons and exhaust manifold.

The power and torque will respectively be ramped up to 270 hp and 460 Nm, while average consumption on the NDEC will drop under the 6.0 L / 100 km mark (less than 140 g of CO2/km). With this type of engine, reaching the target of 120 g of CO2/km seems realistic by 2012-2013 for high-performance vehicles, with a strong reduction in fuel consumption for the whole vehicle range.

This proposal makes even more sense in the current economic, energy and environmental context, by addressing the main factor that will condition the automotive industry for the next 20 to 30 years: gasoline engine efficiency.

(Source) Press

Tags: car prototype, combustion chambers, engine technology, exhaust manifold, fuel consumption, gasoline engine, geneva motor show, mce 5, performance vehicles, peugeot 407, variable compression ratio

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Electric vehicle development seems to be one of the themes at the North American International Show and China is not about to allow itself to be left behind. While everyone is focusing on the much expected Toyota Prius, Shenzen-based company BYD is getting ready to unravel its own electric vehicle; the F3DM.

BYD, which stands for “Build Your Dream” offers a simpler way to charge up the vehicle. It can be plugged in to any wall socket. However, it takes 9 hours to charge which may be the only chink in this China-based model.

The car has a gasoline engine that kicks in when a driver accelerates to more than 37 mph; up to that point, it runs completely on electricity.

(Source) NPR

Tags: byd, electric vehicle, electricity source, gasoline engine, Toyota, toyota prius, wall socket

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