Land Rover EV prototypes tread lightly uphill, recharge on the way down

Land Rover EV prototype treads lightly uphill, recharges on the way down

Instant torque feels delicious on the highway, but it could be an even bigger asset in an offroader. Land Rover has been experimenting with electric versions of its Defender 110 for a while now, and claims its latest prototypes benefit from a reduction in wheel spin due to the single-speed motor, making them more adept at climbing and less likely to churn up the environment. The prototypes don't necessarily stand out in terms of raw specs: they're 25 percent heavier than turbodiesel models, with lower horsepower and torque ratings, and with a range of just 50 miles. They try to make up for it in other ways, however, with the ability to deliver up to eight hours of slow, grueling off-road time, where range is secondary to staying upright, and by exploiting Land Rover's Hill Descent Control feature for faster recharging through regenerative braking. There's no plan to bring an EV Defender to market any time soon, or to run the Dakar gauntlet like some rivals have, but the prototypes are due to make appearance at the Geneva Motor Show before being tested for painful-sounding "specialist applications" later in the year.

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Via: Autoblog, Forbes

Linux Foundation forms Automotive Grade Workgroup, aims to open-source your ride with Tizen

Linux Foundation forms Automotive Grade Workgroup, aims to opensource your ride with TizenIt doesn't take much driving to notice that many in-car infotainment systems are custom-built and locked down tight. The Linux Foundation sees it differently and wants our cars to embrace the same notions of common roots and open code that we'd find in an Ubuntu box. Its newly-formed Automotive Grade Linux Workgroup is transforming Tizen into a reference platform that car designers can use for the center stack, or even the instrument cluster. The promise is to both optimize a Linux variant for cars and provide the same kind of years-long support that we'd expect for the drivetrain. Technology heavy-hitters like Intel, Harman, NVIDIA, Samsung and TI form the core of the group, although there are already automakers who've signaled their intentions: Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota are all part of the initial membership. We don't know how soon we'll be booting into Tizen on the morning commute, but we'd expect in-car systems to take a step forward -- just as long as we don't have to recompile our car's OS kernel.

Continue reading Linux Foundation forms Automotive Grade Workgroup, aims to open-source your ride with Tizen

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Linux Foundation forms Automotive Grade Workgroup, aims to open-source your ride with Tizen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 15:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Little Land Rover

The super compact CliQ concept is a futuristic look into the Land Rover brand’s inevitable need to design smaller EVs if it wants to hang in for the long haul. Designed with modularity in mind, the CliQ’s primary feature is a “remixable” exterior of body slices (yes, slices) that make it possible for drivers to easily change up the aesthetic of the vehicle on a whim. The aim was to create a vehicle that’s not only clean running, but has a long and evolving lifespan to further reduce it’s overall carbon footprint.

Designer: Thomas Gilbert

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(Little Land Rover was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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New Range Rover unveiled with All-aluminum Monocoque


Jaguar Land Rover has launched official images of All-new Range Rover. It is all set to make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show and will go on sale by early 2013. The all new Range Rover will...

Apple teases Eyes Free, Siri car integration

Apple teases Eyes Free, Siri car integration

Apple's VP of iOS Software Scott Forstall just demoed Eyes Free, Siri's new vehicle integration. The feature is being framed as a safety booster, letting you tap a steering wheel-mounted button to toggle Siri on your iOS device, rather than reaching around for your iPhone or iPad and taking precious seconds away from the road. This being Apple, there are already plenty of partners lined up -- BMW, GM, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda are all said to be on board, with Siri support making its way to vehicles within the next 12 months. It's certainly not the first example of smartphone/car integration we've seen, but it could soon end up being one of the most widely utilized, despite the years-long head-start competing technologies have enjoyed.

Check out our full coverage of WWDC 2012 at our event hub!

Apple teases Eyes Free, Siri car integration originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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