GreenGT H2 eyes-on: the first fuel cell-powered racer to tackle Le Mans

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

The 24 hour race at Le Mans held every year is among the most punishing automotive tests on the planet: race-bred machines running top-speed (or close) for a full day. Recently, gasoline-powered cars have had their dominance usurped by diesels, who themselves are now losing to hybrids. The next step? It could be EVs. The GreenGT H2 will take the grid of next year's 24 hour race as an experimental entry, driving the full race distance pushing only water vapor out its tailpipe. Hydrogen is stored in the two large tanks running down the sides, while the massive fuel cell stack itself is situated behind the driver. Power output is somewhere north of 500 horsepower, which is quite healthy for a car that the company hopes will be down under 1000Kg (2,200 pounds) by the time it hits the track in anger. Enough to win Le Mans? Almost certainly not, but it'll be fun to watch it try.

Gallery: GreenGT H2 LeMans Hydrogen-powered race car

Steve Dent contributed to this report.

Filed under: Transportation

GreenGT H2 eyes-on: the first fuel cell-powered racer to tackle Le Mans originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video)

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Steve Dent

Auto show concept cars are all whizzy styling and impractical interiors, and Smart's latest offering, the Forstars EV at the Paris Auto Show, has all that in spades. But the stubby car has another show-stopping feature we'd love to see in production -- a projector installed right into the vehicle's grill. That would let you and a special friend pull the two-seater up to any white wall and beam the flick of your choice from an iPhone's bluetooth port, while blasting the audio through the sound system. Other friends not in the Forstars' confines would also get the sound from speakers located in the ventilation grills behind the doors. Once rolling, the concept Smart moves along with an 80 horsepower electric motor and 17.6 kWh battery, boasting 127 lb/ft of torque and an 80MPH top speed. Since the car's currently a one-off, don't get any ideas about heading to Lookout Point with a screen in tow -- but you can head to the video after the break to see how it works.

Gallery: Smart forstar concept EV

Gallery: Smart forstars EV concept press images

Continue reading Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video)

Filed under: Displays, Transportation

Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exagon Motors Furtive-eGT electric supercar eyes-on

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

There are few things we love more than custom-crafted carbon fiber cars with meaty all-electric powertrains and torque for miles and miles and miles. So, when we wandered by the display for the Furtive-eGT from Exagon Motors and, we couldn't help but stop and throw together a gallery -- despite that company trotting out mildly modified versions of this concept for a few years now. The all-electric supercar weighs just over 3,600 pounds and has dual electric motors, one for each rear wheel, pumping out a combined 402 horsepower. That's good for a 0 - 60 dash in 3.5 seconds and, with its carbon ceramic brakes, it can pull 1.2G while doing a hard stop. Exagon says it could manage up to 225 miles on a charge. When will it ever go into production, and how much will it cost if it does? The company still isn't saying, but if you have to ask...

Gallery: Exagon Furtive-eGT

Steve Dent contributed to this report.

Filed under: Transportation

Exagon Motors Furtive-eGT electric supercar eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Venturi announces 300HP, €300K America all-terrain EV, coming in 2014

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Steve Dent

If you feel the need to rapidly hit the great outdoors without despoiling it, Venturi just may have your ride -- provided you have about $400,000 to spare. The company just launched the America EV at the Paris Auto Show, packing a 300HP powerplant, 53 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and projected 200 mile range to go along with the breathtaking price tag. Venturi's touting the car as more than just a smooth pavement flyer though, saying that it has a go-anywhere attitude with its high stance, generous clearance and tough carbon-fiber chassis. Still, if you want to go fast, the car can hit a top speed of 120 mph, and once you've burned off all the volts, can be fast charged in four hours, or ten from a 230V socket. Despite its off-road gumption, the rear-driver has considerable competition for sports EV dollars -- and a smooth road to its 2014 availability target is no given.

Gallery: Venturi America Sports EV

Filed under: Transportation

Venturi announces 300HP, €300K America all-terrain EV, coming in 2014 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

Your average fuel cell powered car is something like the Mercedes B Class F-Cell: tiny, light and hugely efficient. Nissan is trying to break that rather restrictive preconception with its latest concept, the Terra. Like its cross-prefixed predecessor, the Xterra, and similarly quirky Juke, the Terra is designed to take the rougher road while cosseting its occupants in a particularly trick interior featuring both a dashboard that's actually a removable tablet. The idea is you can take it inside and keep tabs on your car, but we wonder what happens when you leave it sitting by the bed as you groggily stagger out to your vehicle in the morning.

Impractical concept car interior design decisions aside, the machine is powered by a trio of electric motors (yes, three) driving all four wheels and receiving their power from Nissan's latest hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Nissan says this unit costs just one sixth that of its predecessor, but presumably such a system has a long way to go before it can be placed in a reasonably priced machine. No word on what this might cost -- if indeed it ever goes into production. This one, we think, isn't too likely.

Gallery: Nissan Terra

Steve Dent contributed to this post.

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Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

We're pretty sure we've suffered some amount of vision loss from staring at the ridiculously bright paint scheme on Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell over the past few years. MB has rolled it out at virtually every auto show it can and we've always stopped for a gander, but now we finally have the full production version -- and it's in a slightly more tame but visually perhaps even more stunning color, a sort of chrome blue that even in the flesh looks CG rendered. It's the SLS AMG Electric Drive, it's launching next June and we have the full details after the break.

Gallery: SLS AMG Electric Drive

Continue reading Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled

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Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW i3 sheds its skin, shows off carbon skeleton

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

Want to know how the BMW i3 electric car can be so light (2,800 pounds) despite hauling around a massively heavy battery pack? A lot of it has to do with its carbon chassis. BMW uses something called CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) to create a material that is light, strong and, crucially, cheap enough to actually be used in production. The car is still on track for its 2013 release, where it will be sold out of posh i Stores like the one recently opened in London.

Gallery: BMW i3 cutaway and car

Steve Dent contributed to this post.

Filed under: Transportation

BMW i3 sheds its skin, shows off carbon skeleton originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept is a plug-in shooting brake

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

The shooting break -- basically a long and low sporty station wagon -- isn't exactly a huge hit in the United States, but in Europe Porsche is pushing that body style to a new level with the Sport Turismo. It's a concept of what it believes a future, hatchback version of its Panamera four-seater grand tourer might look like. But, look beyond the dramatic styling and distinctive LED headlights, and there's plenty of tech to be spotted. Details after the break.

Gallery: Porsche Panamera sport turismo concept

Continue reading Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept is a plug-in shooting brake

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Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept is a plug-in shooting brake originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 06:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus LF-CC Concept shows the future of touchscreen interiors

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

We're boots on the ground at the 2012 Paris Auto Show and Lexus is one of the first auto makers to roll out its concept hardware for the show. The company had a few machines to unveil, but the highlight is definitely the curvaceous LF-CC. It is, alas, just a concept that is intended more to show the future design direction of the company than give a clue into an actual production model to come, but more interesting is the clues this is hinting about both interior design and electrification on the powertrain front. Join us after the break for more details -- and more pictures.

Gallery: Lexus LF-CC