That’s right, twenty million dollars in tax credits went from the beleaguered former auto giant state into the hands of a US-French partnership set up to build lithium-ion batteries for Ford.

The twenty million in tax credits will be handed out over the course of three years to Johnson Controls, a subsidiary of Parisian firm Saft Advanced Power Solutions.

But this cash isn’t just going to be lost–Saft et al intend to invest about eleven times that figure in the state and add just under eleven hundred jobs to the sagging state of Michigan by hiring at a plant in Holland.

Electric batteries, folks…seems more and more we’re getting away from the gas car and getting closer to a day without gas.  Hopefully, also, we won’t be surrendering a speed anywhere near fifty five miles per hour, either.

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Remember the HYmotion4 hybrid technology we’ve seen in a couple of Peugeots at the Paris Motor Show? They were the Peugeot RC and the Prologue. Besides those the Citroen Hypnos and C4 WRC share the same technology and it’s the C4 WRC we’re going to talk about today.

The C4 WRC is a hybrid race car which we might soon see in various races. The car has a 125kW electric motor at the rear axle attached to 990 lithium ion cells which produce 400-volts. The driver can choose which motor to use and when. S/he can couple both engines for more power. What’s innovative about the system is the regenerative braking which allows you to recharge the batteries while driving.

I’ll be interested to seeing a hybrid race car in action. We’re probably going to have more manufacturers looking into this solution for their racing models.

via Press

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We have an Opel ready to show you. It’s the Insignia ecoFLEX which was reveled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. And it’s said to be an ecofriendly car.

The ecoFLEX will probably have a 2.0 CDTI ECOTEC engine which will get you some 118kW and 350Nm of torque. The overboost will get you 30 extra Nm for 15 seconds.

The Insignia ecoFLEX is still in development so we’ll have to wait for more official news from Opel. Here’s what Adam Opel’s managing director, Hans Demant said about the new car for now:

We designed the Insignia as a particularly efficient car from the beginning, By making a multitude of detailed improvements to the powertrain and to the road and wind resistance factors of the ecoFLEX model, our engineers are able to minimize consumption without affecting driving fun. Though we are still developing the new Insignia ecoFLEX with the 2.0 CDTI ECOTEC engine, we are confident it will emit CO2 gases well below 140 g/km.

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Looking for something spicy from the Paris Motor Show? Well you should check out the Venturi Voltage.

It’s a concept car designed by Sacha Lakic and not only does it look good but it’s quite interesting too. Each wheel has 2 electric motors. One drives the wheel while the other one handles the suspension. The “Michelin Active Wheel” is the name of the system in case you will be interested in one for your current car.

The batteries that power the Venturi Voltage are 45kWh liquid-cooled polymer lithium batteries which will get you a driving autonomy of 320km at 90km/h. Top speed is at 150km/h so don’t try to make it fly if you’re lucky enough to get one.
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We are already used to Renault bringing in a Megane version after another. It’s time to check out the third edition which presented itself neatly at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

There are two models available and Renault made sure both of them got enough room in Paris so their local potential customers will get a good look at them.

First there’s a Megane five-door hatchback and then there’s a new coupe available. Six Megane bodystiles are going to be available and all of them will have distinctive features.

Enjoy the images for now, and choose your Megane 3 later.

via Autoblog

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The 2009 Mitsubishi Colt has show its face at the Paris Motor Show. So let’s get down to business, the Colt comes with three engine versions: a 1.1 liter that brings 75 horsepower, a 1.3 liter which will give you some 95 horsepower and a 1.5 liter 109 horsepower version. Add a turbocharger to the 1.5 liter and you’re going to boost those horses to 150.

While I’m sticking to my Mini obsession, I wouldn’t mind having a one night stand with this baby.

via Jalopnik

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We’ve seen some very interesting concept cars present at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and we have even more coming up. Today we’re taking a look at the new Toyota Avensis. Sure it might not be as interesting as the Estoque from Lamborghini or the Cirtroen GT but it’s surely a dependable car.

The new Avensis was designed in France. Besides the obvious or not so obvious design changes, you’ll probably notice the car is 5 cm longer and wider than its predecessor. Under the hood we have three new Valvematic gas engines and two diesels. As for transmission you can choose between a 6-speed manual stick or the dual-mode Mutlidrive S automatic.

The Avensis won’t really impress you with anything in particular but if you are a Toyota fan, you’re going to definitely enjoy the new version.

via Autoblog

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We’ve seen the new 2009 Lexus IS 250C but we were left wanting for more. The shots we came up with showed a convertible car that wasn’t looking like one at all. Well now we have the video above which shows us exactly how to fold the top. We imagined a button would do such a thing when pushed but we wanted to see it with our own eyes.

What do you think about the IS 250C now that you’ve seen it perform? Would you get this convertible or not?

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Just like the Prologue we’ve seen before the Peugeot RC HYmotion4 is a hybrid concept using a new system. The new hybrid motor has no mechanical connection between the electric motor and the internal combustion engine.

The RC comes with a 1.6 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine placed in the back. It pumps some 218 horsepower and 206 lbs.-ft. of torque to the rear wheels. The 70 kW electric motor is placed between the front wheels and it powers the front wheels. The RC could be driven using any of those two engines independently or you can combine them for a great all-wheel-drive experience.

The RC might be a hybrid but it’s also a fast car. Both engines will get you to 60 mph in about 4 seconds. Like the Prologue the RC concept is a good car for saving money on gas. The new hybrid system will get you 52.3 mpg. Let’s just hope that Peugeot will send these concept cars to massive production soon.

via Autoblog

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The 2008 Paris Motor Show is the main event of the week and we have more cars for you to view. Peugeot has a hybrid concept ready to be tested. It’s the new Prologue HYmotion4.

The Prologue has the new HYmotion4 system we’ll see in the RC concept later on. The CUV comes with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine capable to offer you some 163 horsepower for the front wheels. The rear axle will get power from a 27 kW motor. That’s right the powertrain is arranged from front to back.

You will end up with 200 horsepower from the combined engines and a 221lbs.-ft. torque for the front wheels and 148 lbs.-ft. to the back. That means you can choose to drive the HYmotion4 by using the front, the rear, or both engines. The Prologue is a car I would definitely drive. It’s the 57.4 mpg that attracts me to it.

via Autoblog

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We couldn’t overlook the GT made by Citroen. We’ve gone through the teasers and we were waiting to seen how this beauty will look in live pictures. If I was to choose between the GT and the Estoque, I think I’d go for the French supercar here. It has a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to it.

It must be the doors. Or all those horses under the hood which will get you from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Would I drive it? Hell yeah! Where do I sign up? When is it going to be available? How much will it cost? I am ready to turn that piggy bank into little pieces…

OK I must admit the design is a little weird but I like weird.

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As long as there are girls around the car that means the photo was actually taken on location in Paris at the Motor Show. So that’s how the displayed Estoque looks like. No more teasers, no more photoshopped pictures or official video releases.

The Estoque is live in Paris as we speak so if you’re there you have to definitely go and check it out. From where I am watching it, and I am nowhere near Paris, the concept car is spectacular. And not because it bears that Lamborghini name.

via Autoblog

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Every motor show brings out some weird concepts. In Paris we have a Nissan Nuvu concept car which is right down ugly. Is it just me or the car looks really weird. I’ll buy a Mini right this second if this is the future of small cars.

The Nuvu will have an electric drivetrain, 2+1=3 passenger seats and a bubble-like design which needs some readjustments. The Nuvu could be useful in heavy traffic and by 2010 when it will enter production we’re hopefully going to have it redesigned.

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The 2008 Paris Motor Show has started and we’re going to offer you a sneak peak at it. We’re starting it off by looking at the Lexus IS 250C which is similar to the IS 250 only it has fewer doors. The car is going to be released in 2009 in Europe and the USA.

The IS 250C has a cool aluminum roof which retracts in about 20 seconds. How’s that for a mid-life crisis car? Hopefully you get one long before that.

Besides the retractable roof the IS 250C has the 2.5 ultra-smooth V6 powerplant the 250 has. Bundled with a 6-speed automatic transmission it will get you some 208 horsepower. Get that top down and enjoy the beautiful days.

via Autoblog

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After taking a look at Audi’s concept car let’s go to another German manufacturer and its concept. BMW has a Concept X1 car ready to be inspected at the Paris Motor Show tomorrow.

The Concept X1 is a CUV will join the curent X versions from BMW and I am sure the German manufacturer has great plans for it. And what’s there not to like? It’s a BMW which will get you places. Sure you might X5 and X3 ready to be picked up and driven home. But why not go all new with the Concept X1. We’d like to see some detailed features but we’ll have to wait a couple of days to see what Paris brings us.

via Autoblog

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