BMW Hydrogen 7 - Dual fuel - Petrol/Hydrogen limited production car

"Water is the coal of the future. The energy of tomorrow is water which has been broken down by electrical current. The elements of water thus released - hydrogen and oxygen - will secure the earth's energy supply indefinitely" - Jules Verne 1874.

All seems to have gone quiet on the 'Hydrogen for cars' front recently - well at least as far as the major Automobile manufacturers are concerned - So a little refresher on one of the more exciting developments is in order.

This 7-series BMW is a Bi-fuel car being able to use both petrol and liquid Hydrogen in it's Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). BMW did extensive research starting in the 1970's and culminating with a 12 cylinder test vehicle (which set 9 FIA sanctioned world records for Hydrogen powered cars!) called HR2, before committing to building this vehicle in series production in 2007.

It's  260HP V12 has been re-mapped from the standard petrol engine and configured to work with the Hydrogen fuel. Interesting to note that it produces significantly less power than it's petrol only counterpart, and significantly fewer emissions - in fact when running on Hydrogen it produces virtually zero emissions.

In 2007 the 100 or so produced were loaned to high profile individuals, and, as is the usual fate of this type of vehicle, it will probably be crushed when it is re-called by BMW.

View video of the Hydrogen 7 below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcsRk_gtO2U&feature=BFp&list=PL803B72149F6CF6FD

Suzuki G70 concept - Fuel efficient concept car

First seen at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show and called the Regina, this Suzuki was rolled out again at the Geneva Motor Show as the G70 concept.

It's looks will, no doubt, cause some heated debate, the rear end seems influenced by Post-war Citroens, whilst the front has got some sort of angry cartoon face, complete with eyelashes!

Suzuki are billing this as a 'world-car' fitted with an 800cc Turbocharged engine, which will attract tax advantages in some Asian markets, front-wheel drive, stop-start technology, ultra-low weight (730KG) and slippery aero-dynamics help this little Suzuki to attain a very low 70g/km CO2 emissions, hence the name change from Regina to G70.

Video from the motor show can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpr9otHHUps&feature=BFp&list=PL803B72149F6CF6FD

Nissan ESFLOW - Electric concept car

Electric chic

The Nissan ESFLOW concept is a 2 seater electric sports car designed with the cool geek in mind. It sports an aluminium chassis with wraparound composite body. 

Two electric motors powered by a similar Lithium-ion battery set up as the Nissan Leaf give a 0-60 MPH time under 5 seconds and a range of 149 miles. The motors independently control the left and right rear wheels, with Nissan claiming a control mechanism that distributes the torque split between the wheels, maximising traction and stability.

Nissan issued a press release describing the typical ESFLOW customer:

[From Nissan Press Release]

"The Driver

Daniel, an ESFLOW owner, works in tech, but lives for the weekend. On Friday night after work, he gets behind the wheels of his ESFLOW which instantly links with his pocket PDA and determines the fastest route to his girlfriend’s home. Finding street side parking is a synch as the ESFLOW’s compact dimensions allow it to slip into the narrowest of spaces. On Saturday he drives to a popular club to exhibit his DJ skills and his friends are impressed by his cool EV sports car.

On Sunday he drives through the mountains for leisure. ESFLOW’s superb weight distribution and unobstructed view ahead enables him to effortlessly nail every apex, every time. His descent from the mountains is more relaxed and he allows the ESFLOW to overrun on the long sweeping curves, turning the potential energy he and the car gained climbing up the gradients back in to electrical energy he can use once he hits the roads around Barcelona.

As his ESFLOW sips energy in its garage Daniel prepares himself for the week ahead, batteries fully recharged."

VW Golf 6 TDI Bluemotion - Diesel Car

VW Golf 1.6TDI Bluemotion in motion

This 5 door 5 seat diesel hatchback is a little fuel-saving marvel, with stop-start technology (basically a beefed-up computer controlled starter motor!) which cuts the engine at traffic lights etc. and re-starts as soon as you depress the clutch ready to set off again, some aerodynamic tweaks and a 105ps, 185lbs/ft torque 1.6litre turbo diesel engine.

74.3 MPG

99 g/km CO2

With it's exceptionally miserly fuel consumption and a fairly large tank, the Golf Blue motion can go for almost 900 miles without re-fueling! Quiet, refined and practical too, it qualifies for zero road tax in the UK and costs from £18,500 new.  


video review


http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL803B72149F6CF6FD

Porsche 918 Spyder - 78 MPG Plug-in Hybrid Supercar

Porsche's scintillating 918 Spyder

Debuted  as a concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, and with overwhelming interest shown in it's Hybrid Hyper-car, Porsche have committed to making 918 examples of this marvellous machine, which is rumoured to cost around $845,000. 


Porsche have endowed this beast with massive power, a high-revving mid-mounted 4.0l V8 with 'over' 500 Horsepower, allied to two electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear, giving at least 218 Horsepower! This makes the 918 Spyder 4 - wheel drive.


0-60 MPH .............. 3.1 seconds (est)
Top Speed............... 199 MPH (est)
Fuel consumption ....  78 MPG (est)


Scheduled for delivery in 2013, Porsche say the vehicle will be able to do 16 miles on electric alone, with recharging of the liquid-cooled Lithium-ion battery pack taking around 7 hours on a US domestic 110v feed.


Porsche are aiming for sub 7 minutes 30 seconds around the infamous Nurburgring.


Click the link below to see video of the 918 Spyder:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J-vYph6abI&feature=g-playlist&list=PL803B72149F6CF6FD

Fisker Surf - Range extended Plug-in Hybrid Electric

Fisker Surf - at rest

Describing itself as an environmentally responsible American car maker, Fisker is head-quartered in Anaheim, California and has manufacturing plants in Wilmington, Delaware and  Uusikaupunki, Finland.

They already have 'on-sale' the fabulous Karma a  Range extended Electric Vehicle - though that doesn't do this fabulous plug-in sports car any justice - and the new Surf, unveiled to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September, and using the same technology, is set to double the model range when it arrives in 2013.

This is what Fisker have to say about their new creation:

'The new Fisker Surf is the world’s first electric luxury/sports automobile for an active and eco-friendly lifestyle. The Fisker Surf builds on the success of the ground-breaking Karma Electric Vehicle with extended range (EVer™) by adding additional, flexible load-carrying capability, along with a spirited new attitude all its own. Fisker Surf combines performance, luxury, style, utility, and economy with an enduring concern for the sustainable use of resources and respect for our natural environment. As a global company Fisker Automotive will offer the Surf in all its markets around the world for the 2013 model year. The Surf is Fisker’s vision of a crossover between a sport car and a station wagon and shows how Fisker is expanding its Karma platform rapidly with additional models that again create a new market niche.'
“The Surf is a first-of-its-kind eco-friendly lifestyle vehicle that offers space, performance and luxury design for people who live an active, environmentally conscious lifestyle and like to drive beautiful cars,” Henrik Fisker, CEO/Executive Design Director, Fisker Automotive.

The Karma/Surf is driven by 2 electric motors delivering massive instantaneous torque to the rear wheels, via a 20Kwh rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery developed in conjunction with A123 systems Massachusetts. According to Fisker it takes 6 hours to charge using a 220 Volt charging system, but you don't need to wait for that as Fisker have fitted a 2-litre turbocharged gasoline engine/generator combination to provide additional power to the battery or to charge it up on the move. The battery is expected to last for 10 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first. Additionally Fisker have fitted the worlds largest car-mounted Solar panel on the roof and regenerative braking!
All electric range is 50miles, total range is 300miles, and a 100mpg fuel consumption equivalent plus            0-60MPH in 5.9 seconds in Sport mode and on to 125 MPH top speed. Emissions are a paltry 83g/km.

Wherever possible the company has used sustainable materials, such as wood reclaimed from the bottom of a lake. The Karma is selling from $103,000 and a display model is available for viewing at the exclusive Harrods store in Knightsbridge, London or at one of the 47 state-of-the-art showrooms across the states.Prices aren't yet available for the Surf crossover.

Reva NXR & NXG - Electric Vehicle

Reva NXG  (left) & NXR (right)

The Indian company which manufacturers the Reva-i (or G-Wiz as it is known in the UK) quadracycle, unveiled these two new proposed models at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show. The NXG is a sporty 2 seater electric car, with radical looks and an aggresive stance, while the NXR is a 4 seat electric car. 

The NXR is pencilled in for export production this year (2012), with the NXG being manufactured in 2013, both cars feature electric motors and a choice of lead-acid or the more up-to-date lithium-ion battery technology, the latter giving better performance and a longer range. A unique feature will be access to Reva's REVive battery management system. Telematic remote access to the car's on-board Energy Management System allows REVA to analyse a near depleted battery upon request. Their support centre can individually determine the battery condition within seconds and allow access to the remaining charge. This serves as a virtual back-up battery while minimising the risk of damage to the power-pack due to depletion. Full specification is yet to be decided upon, but it's almost certain that they will be cars and not classified as quadracycle's, meaning they will have to pass Euro NCAP tests to be sold in Europe. Top Gear will almost certainly still be blowing them up! 

Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) has also recently completed a state-of-the-art factory in Bangalore India, which, it's claimed, can produce up to 30,000 units per year, making it the largest production plant for battery powered electric vehicles in the world. The entire facility is LEED (leadership in Energy & Environmental design) accredited.  The company also recently concluded a deal with Bannon Automotive to produce vehicles in Upstate New York.