Before the start of 2011 the first mass-market electric vehicles are about to go on sale in selected cities, kicking off the beginning of a wave of new green vehicles.
The Chevrolet Volt, from General Motors and the Leaf, from Nissan both launching in December, are just the beginning of the electrification trend. At least eight hybrids and 12 plug-in electric cars in every price range are planned for 2011, with another batch of electric vehicles (EVs) expected in 2012.
The rollout of these vehicles will be regional, starting with California and a handful of other states, including New York, Texas, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee, among others. It could be several years before EVs are readily available across America. Each employs different powertrain technologies, so it pays to do your research at sites like www.hybridcars.com or pluginamerica.org.
But here are the basics:
A hybrid, as the name suggests, uses both a gasoline engine and electric motor to power the car, switching back and forth as necessary. A plug-in hybrid is similar, but comes with a larger battery that allows the vehicle to travel solely on electric power for short hops, but not for long stretches. An extended-range electric vehicle, like the Volt, can go up to 40 or so miles on electricity, after which a small gasoline motor kicks in to recharge the battery and keep driving. A pure EV, like the Leaf, runs solely on electricity and needs to be recharged every 100 miles or so.
When it comes to hybrids, Toyota's Prius is the only one anyone ever really talks about, so it might surprise you that there are 27 other hybrid models already on the market today, including hybrid versions of the BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-class and Lexus LS.
Many more are coming. They include luxury cars like the recently introduced Porsche Cayenne S hybrid SUV, which, at $67,700, sells for about $4,000 more than the gasoline version of Porsche's bestselling vehicle, and the Lexus CT 200h compact, due in early 2011, which is aimed at a younger, Gen-X crowd, and will likely be priced under $32,000.
German carmakers, which had been trying to steer more Americans to clean diesels, are now making a big push on hybrids and plug-ins, too. A hybrid version of the Volkswagen Touareg SUV comes out next month, followed by a hybrid VW Jetta small car in 2012.
Meanwhile, virtually every carmaker, including many industry newcomers, is working on some sort of electric plug-in car, though not every company is ready to take them into the mass market. They're rolling them out slowly, to utilities and government fleets, until there's a charging network that can support them.
Some exceptions: The Coda sedan is an electric vehicle assembled in California with parts imported from China that will sell for $44,900. A federal tax rebate will bring the cost down to $37,400, and buyers could be eligible for additional state and local incentives. The car will be marketed through a unique network of retail stores and delivered to customers in person. The first deliveries are expected before the end of the year, and Coda says it plans to produce 14,000 by the end of 2011.
Another small company with big plans is Think, based in the Netherlands. It's building its tiny Think City at a factory in Indianapolis, which is expected to sell for about $34,000 when it goes on sale next year. Think plans to sell 2,000 to 3,000 of the cars in 2011.
Ford Motor hasn't even started selling its next-generation Focus compact (it goes on sale at the start of the year), but it's already planning an electric version. The Focus EV will go on sale in late 2011, and will be manufactured alongside the gasoline version at a factory in Michigan. Chrysler, controlled by Italy's Fiat , will sell the Fiat e500, a plug-in version of Fiat's cute 500 city car, beginning in 2012.
Toyota, which sold an electric version of its Rav4 SUV a decade ago, is now working on the second generation with help from Tesla, the Silicon Valley startup that markets a $100,000 electric roadster. Tesla will build and supply the lithium-ion battery pack and other components. A small fleet of new Rav4 EVs will be tested in 2011, with the expected full-market launch expected in 2012.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Best Cars of 2011
Some of the hottest cars to hit the scene in 2011 make their way to showrooms this spring.
Here is a list ,which will make you dream of owning one starting with Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport the world's fastest production car (it hit 268 miles per hour last summer in Germany) but it is also one of the most refined--with interior cues taken from its sister company, Bentley. Its cockpit is wrapped in hand-stitched soft-grain leather and trimmed to the hilt in carbon-fiber; the rear-view camera, Bluetooth capability and Satellite radio make driving to the store a pleasant experience rather than the sweat- and stress-inducing jolt provided by other exotic autos.
Exterior of Super Sport's is too hot, with bold lines that look modern but evoke Bugattis from the 1920s and '30s . At a retail price of $2.5 million, only the world's wealthiest people can afford to put a Super Sport in their garages.
Ferrari's street-legal 599XX variant, the GTO, the elegant Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro and McLaren's first-ever solo production car, the MP4-12C, will quicken lots of heart rates when they hit the streets next year.
A common thread between some of the hottest new cars is an emphasis on weight control. Almost every car in 2011 including the Range Rover Evoque, boasts a streamlined frame, light-as-air carbon fiber components or a super-efficient, whittled down engine. More emphasis on Fuel efficiency.
Porsche's latest 911 variant, the lightening-quick GT2 RS, embraces that ethic. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is also lighter than its closest family member, the M3. The much-anticipated Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, a Detroit-made animal whose $75,000 limited-edition Neiman Marcus variant sold out in three minutes last month. The standard version will have a 312-horsepower V6 engine and will go to production in the first quarter of 2011. There will also be a V8 SS option, which will likely be priced near $36,000.
Sure the Camaro packs a lot less punch than the Super Sport, as will even Lamborghini's Jota, the code-named successor to the Murcielago coupe. But for drivers in need of an ego boost next year, either will easily do the trick.
Here is a list ,which will make you dream of owning one starting with Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport the world's fastest production car (it hit 268 miles per hour last summer in Germany) but it is also one of the most refined--with interior cues taken from its sister company, Bentley. Its cockpit is wrapped in hand-stitched soft-grain leather and trimmed to the hilt in carbon-fiber; the rear-view camera, Bluetooth capability and Satellite radio make driving to the store a pleasant experience rather than the sweat- and stress-inducing jolt provided by other exotic autos.
Exterior of Super Sport's is too hot, with bold lines that look modern but evoke Bugattis from the 1920s and '30s . At a retail price of $2.5 million, only the world's wealthiest people can afford to put a Super Sport in their garages.
Ferrari's street-legal 599XX variant, the GTO, the elegant Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro and McLaren's first-ever solo production car, the MP4-12C, will quicken lots of heart rates when they hit the streets next year.
A common thread between some of the hottest new cars is an emphasis on weight control. Almost every car in 2011 including the Range Rover Evoque, boasts a streamlined frame, light-as-air carbon fiber components or a super-efficient, whittled down engine. More emphasis on Fuel efficiency.
Porsche's latest 911 variant, the lightening-quick GT2 RS, embraces that ethic. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is also lighter than its closest family member, the M3. The much-anticipated Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, a Detroit-made animal whose $75,000 limited-edition Neiman Marcus variant sold out in three minutes last month. The standard version will have a 312-horsepower V6 engine and will go to production in the first quarter of 2011. There will also be a V8 SS option, which will likely be priced near $36,000.
Sure the Camaro packs a lot less punch than the Super Sport, as will even Lamborghini's Jota, the code-named successor to the Murcielago coupe. But for drivers in need of an ego boost next year, either will easily do the trick.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Hybrid Efficiency Meets Lincoln Luxury in the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.
Lincoln has always been synonymous with luxury. In fact, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid has more standard luxury. Features include the SYNC® voice-activated communications and entertainment system, walnut swirl or olive ash wood trim and Bridge of Weir leather-trimmed seating. This leather employs a chromium-free tanning process and can be recycled at the end of its life. And the wood trim comes from forests that are managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards.
The 2011 Lincoln MKZ features the standard dual-LCD SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide that provides feedback on fuel efficiency and your driving performance. It has a full-color display with leaves that appear or fade in real time based on short-term driving efficiency. As your driving becomes more efficient over the long term, flower blossoms appear in the display.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
James Bond Cars for sale in London
Three James Bond sports cars – and one helicopter – will be auctioned Oct. 27 at RM Auctions’ Automobiles of London sale at the Battersea Evolution arena.
The highlight of the lot is a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in “Goldfinger”. There’s also the green 1998 Jaguar XKR driven by the villain ‘Zao’ in “Die Another Day” and the 1969 Lamborghini Islero GTS driven by Sir Roger Moore in “The Man Who Haunted Himself”.
The helicopter at stake is a 1960 Hiller UH -12 E4, which was flown by actress Honor Blackman in her role as Pussy Galore. (Its first time on film was for a 1963 movie called “The VIPs”, which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.) RM says the chopper will likely go for nearly £400,000.
Admission requires the purchase of a £50 auction catalog, which admits two and must be presented at the entrance to the sale to be granted entry. Previews start Oct. 26.
The highlight of the lot is a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in “Goldfinger”. There’s also the green 1998 Jaguar XKR driven by the villain ‘Zao’ in “Die Another Day” and the 1969 Lamborghini Islero GTS driven by Sir Roger Moore in “The Man Who Haunted Himself”.
The helicopter at stake is a 1960 Hiller UH -12 E4, which was flown by actress Honor Blackman in her role as Pussy Galore. (Its first time on film was for a 1963 movie called “The VIPs”, which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.) RM says the chopper will likely go for nearly £400,000.
Admission requires the purchase of a £50 auction catalog, which admits two and must be presented at the entrance to the sale to be granted entry. Previews start Oct. 26.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Aerodynamics of Formula 1 cars
A modern Formula One car has almost as much in common with a jet fighter as it does with an ordinary road car. Aerodynamics have become key to success in the sport and teams spend tens of millions of dollars on research and development in the field each year.
The aerodynamic designer has two primary concerns: the creation of downforce, to help push the car's tyres onto the track and improve cornering forces; and minimising the drag that gets caused by turbulence and acts to slow the car down.
Several teams started to experiment with the now familiar wings in the late 1960s. Race car wings operate on exactly the same principle as aircraft wings, only in reverse. Air flows at different speeds over the two sides of the wing (by having to travel different distances over its contours) and this creates a difference in pressure, a physical rule known as Bernoulli's Principle. As this pressure tries to balance, the wing tries to move in the direction of the low pressure. Planes use their wings to create lift, race cars use theirs to create downforce. A modern Formula One car is capable of developing 3.5 g lateral cornering force (three and a half times its own weight) thanks to aerodynamic downforce. That means that, theoretically, at high speeds they could drive upside down.
Early experiments with movable wings and high mountings led to some spectacular accidents, and for the 1970 season regulations were introduced to limit the size and location of wings. Evolved over time, those rules still hold largely true today.
By the mid 1970s 'ground effect' downforce had been discovered. Lotus engineers found out that the entire car could be made to act like a wing by the creation of a giant wing on its underside which would help to suck it to the road. The ultimate example of this thinking was the Brabham BT46B, designed by Gordon Murray, which actually used a cooling fan to extract air from the skirted area under the car, creating enormous downforce. After technical challenges from other teams it was withdrawn after a single race. And rule changes followed to limit the benefits of 'ground effects' - firstly a ban on the skirts used to contain the low pressure area, later a requirement for a 'stepped floor'.
Despite the full-sized wind tunnels and vast computing power used by the aerodynamic departments of most teams, the fundamental principles of Formula One aerodynamics still apply: to create the maximum amount of downforce for the minimal amount of drag. The primary wings mounted front and rear are fitted with different profiles depending on the downforce requirements of a particular track. Tight, slow circuits like Monaco require very aggressive wing profiles - you will see that cars run two separate 'blades' of 'elements' on the rear wings (two is the maximum permitted). In contrast, high-speed circuits like Monza see the cars stripped of as much wing as possible, to reduce drag and increase speed on the long straights.
Every single surface of a modern Formula One car, from the shape of the suspension links to that of the driver's helmet - has its aerodynamic effects considered. Disrupted air, where the flow 'separates' from the body, creates turbulence which creates drag - which slows the car down. Look at a recent car and you will see that almost as much effort has been spent reducing drag as increasing downforce - from the vertical end-plates fitted to wings to prevent vortices forming to the diffuser plates mounted low at the back, which help to re-equalise pressure of the faster-flowing air that has passed under the car and would otherwise create a low-pressure 'balloon' dragging at the back. Despite this, designers can't make their cars too 'slippery', as a good supply of airflow has to be ensured to help dissipate the vast amounts of heat produced by a modern Formula One engine.
In recent years most Formula One teams have tried to emulate Ferrari's 'narrow waist' design, where the rear of the car is made as narrow and low as possible. This reduces drag and maximises the amount of air available to the rear wing. The 'barge boards' fitted to the sides of cars also helped to shape the flow of the air and minimise the amount of turbulence.
Revised regulations introduced in 2005 forced the aerodynamicists to be even more ingenious. In a bid to cut speeds, the FIA robbed the cars of a chunk of downforce by raising the front wing, bringing the rear wing forward and modifying the rear diffuser profile. The designers quickly clawed back much of the loss, with a variety of intricate and novel solutions such as the ‘horn’ winglets first seen on the McLaren MP4-20.
Most of those innovations were effectively outlawed under even more stringent aero regulations imposed by the FIA for 2009. The changes were designed to promote overtaking by making it easier for a car to closely follow another. The new rules took the cars into another new era, with lower and wider front wings, taller and narrower rear wings, and generally much ‘cleaner’ bodywork. Perhaps the most interesting change, however, was the introduction of ‘moveable aerodynamics’, with the driver able to make limited adjustments to the front wing from the cockpit during a race.
The aerodynamic designer has two primary concerns: the creation of downforce, to help push the car's tyres onto the track and improve cornering forces; and minimising the drag that gets caused by turbulence and acts to slow the car down.
Several teams started to experiment with the now familiar wings in the late 1960s. Race car wings operate on exactly the same principle as aircraft wings, only in reverse. Air flows at different speeds over the two sides of the wing (by having to travel different distances over its contours) and this creates a difference in pressure, a physical rule known as Bernoulli's Principle. As this pressure tries to balance, the wing tries to move in the direction of the low pressure. Planes use their wings to create lift, race cars use theirs to create downforce. A modern Formula One car is capable of developing 3.5 g lateral cornering force (three and a half times its own weight) thanks to aerodynamic downforce. That means that, theoretically, at high speeds they could drive upside down.
Early experiments with movable wings and high mountings led to some spectacular accidents, and for the 1970 season regulations were introduced to limit the size and location of wings. Evolved over time, those rules still hold largely true today.
By the mid 1970s 'ground effect' downforce had been discovered. Lotus engineers found out that the entire car could be made to act like a wing by the creation of a giant wing on its underside which would help to suck it to the road. The ultimate example of this thinking was the Brabham BT46B, designed by Gordon Murray, which actually used a cooling fan to extract air from the skirted area under the car, creating enormous downforce. After technical challenges from other teams it was withdrawn after a single race. And rule changes followed to limit the benefits of 'ground effects' - firstly a ban on the skirts used to contain the low pressure area, later a requirement for a 'stepped floor'.
Despite the full-sized wind tunnels and vast computing power used by the aerodynamic departments of most teams, the fundamental principles of Formula One aerodynamics still apply: to create the maximum amount of downforce for the minimal amount of drag. The primary wings mounted front and rear are fitted with different profiles depending on the downforce requirements of a particular track. Tight, slow circuits like Monaco require very aggressive wing profiles - you will see that cars run two separate 'blades' of 'elements' on the rear wings (two is the maximum permitted). In contrast, high-speed circuits like Monza see the cars stripped of as much wing as possible, to reduce drag and increase speed on the long straights.
Every single surface of a modern Formula One car, from the shape of the suspension links to that of the driver's helmet - has its aerodynamic effects considered. Disrupted air, where the flow 'separates' from the body, creates turbulence which creates drag - which slows the car down. Look at a recent car and you will see that almost as much effort has been spent reducing drag as increasing downforce - from the vertical end-plates fitted to wings to prevent vortices forming to the diffuser plates mounted low at the back, which help to re-equalise pressure of the faster-flowing air that has passed under the car and would otherwise create a low-pressure 'balloon' dragging at the back. Despite this, designers can't make their cars too 'slippery', as a good supply of airflow has to be ensured to help dissipate the vast amounts of heat produced by a modern Formula One engine.
In recent years most Formula One teams have tried to emulate Ferrari's 'narrow waist' design, where the rear of the car is made as narrow and low as possible. This reduces drag and maximises the amount of air available to the rear wing. The 'barge boards' fitted to the sides of cars also helped to shape the flow of the air and minimise the amount of turbulence.
Revised regulations introduced in 2005 forced the aerodynamicists to be even more ingenious. In a bid to cut speeds, the FIA robbed the cars of a chunk of downforce by raising the front wing, bringing the rear wing forward and modifying the rear diffuser profile. The designers quickly clawed back much of the loss, with a variety of intricate and novel solutions such as the ‘horn’ winglets first seen on the McLaren MP4-20.
Most of those innovations were effectively outlawed under even more stringent aero regulations imposed by the FIA for 2009. The changes were designed to promote overtaking by making it easier for a car to closely follow another. The new rules took the cars into another new era, with lower and wider front wings, taller and narrower rear wings, and generally much ‘cleaner’ bodywork. Perhaps the most interesting change, however, was the introduction of ‘moveable aerodynamics’, with the driver able to make limited adjustments to the front wing from the cockpit during a race.
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