Switzerland-based Catecar extended-range vehicle is tested in Geneva

by Danny King on February 4, 2012

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A Switzerland-based company is testing an extended-range plug-in mini-vehicle that it says gets more than 200 miles per gallon and has a single-tank range of more than 300 miles, according to website TechnologicVehicles.com.

The company, Catecar, tested a prototype of the vehicle at the Geneva Airport this week. The car weighs less than 800 pounds, while its batteries account for about 10 percent of the vehicle's weight, according to the website. Making the car even more energy efficient are the solar panels on the vehicle's roof.

At just under 10 feet long, Catecar is about a foot longer than Daimler's Smart ForTwo two-seater and about two feet shorter than the Mini Cooper. In other words, it's not big - but the company does have big plans, and production could start next year, TechnologicVehicles reports.

Switzerland-based Catecar extended-range vehicle is tested in Geneva originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switzerland-based Catecar extended-range vehicle is tested in Geneva

by Danny King on February 4, 2012

Filed under: ,



A Switzerland-based company is testing an extended-range plug-in mini-vehicle that it says gets more than 200 miles per gallon and has a single-tank range of more than 300 miles, according to website TechnologicVehicles.com.

The company, Catecar, tested a prototype of the vehicle at the Geneva Airport this week. The car weighs less than 800 pounds, while its batteries account for about 10 percent of the vehicle's weight, according to the website. Making the car even more energy efficient are the solar panels on the vehicle's roof.

At just under 10 feet long, Catecar is about a foot longer than Daimler's Smart ForTwo two-seater and about two feet shorter than the Mini Cooper. In other words, it's not big - but the company does have big plans, and production could start next year, TechnologicVehicles reports.

Switzerland-based Catecar extended-range vehicle is tested in Geneva originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XLVI Superbowl ads: Acura NSX

by Adrian on February 4, 2012

Acura introduces the ad that will promote the new NSX during the XLVI SuperBowl, which will see the New York Giants and the New England Patriots battling each other at the Lucas Oil Stadium of Indianapolis, Indiana. The model is basically the long awaited heir of the iconic Honda NSX sportscar of the 90s, but will be marketed in North America with Honda’s luxury brand Acura. The car was unveiled in mid January in Detroit, at the North American International Auto Show, and is powered by a V6 Vtec engine in combination with two electric motors. Its innovative Super Handling All Wheel Drive system makes sure that the ideal torque in any situation gets constantly transferred to all four corners of the car, implying an obvious benefit to its overall performance.

However, the real star of this commercial is Jerry Seinfeld, the famous American comedian that owes his worldwide popularity to the successful “Seinfeld” sit-com of the 90s. Simply put, Seinfeld finds out he is just number two on the customers’ waiting list for the new Acura, and tries to convince the holder of the number one spot to switch places through a number of different odd offers, with no success. Then, as soon as the number one guy gets persuaded, another special guest gets in the way..

The car is frankly a bit neglected in the commercial, but if you want to take a closer look, check out our photo galleries: the official one dispatched by Honda and an exclusive one taken live at the 2011 NAIAS a few weeks back by our colleagues from Autoblog.it.

View Honda/ Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 NAIAS photo gallery
View Honda NSX Concept official photo gallery

Honda/ Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 NAIASHonda/ Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 NAIASHonda/ Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 NAIASHonda/ Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 NAIASHonda NSX ConceptHonda NSX ConceptHonda NSX ConceptHonda NSX Concept




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Toyota, Hasbro will create Monopoly ‘course’ at Chicago Auto Show

by Danny King on February 4, 2012

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Could Toyota be dropping us all a hint about its place in the hybrid-vehicle world?

The Japanese automaker is teaming up with board-game maker Hasbro to create a mini road course based on the Monopoly board game at the Chicago Auto Show, which Toyota will use to pitch its latest batch of hybrid vehicles.

Toyota and Hasbro are using more than 30,000 square feet, or about two-thirds of an acre, inside McCormick Center's South Hall for the course, where trained drivers will pick up visitors in Prius V wagons, Camry Hybrids and Highlander Hybrids, and drive them through the S-curve-filed course. Among nods to the iconic board game will be "train tracks" for Reading Railroad and the chance for participants to meet the "Mr. Monopoly" character.

Toyota is using the promotion to publicize its broader range of hybrid vehicles, including the recently-launched Camry Hybrid and Prius V. Toyota will also start selling the Prius C compact and a plug-in-hybrid version of the model this year.

Whether Toyota's association with "Monopoly" is a veiled nod to its place in the hybrid food chain is open to interpretation. What's not up for debate is that Toyota accounts for about two-thirds of all the hybrids sold in the U.S., with the Prius making up about half of all domestic hybrids sold. The Chicago Auto Show takes place from Feb. 8 - 19.

Continue reading Toyota, Hasbro will create Monopoly 'course' at Chicago Auto Show

Toyota, Hasbro will create Monopoly 'course' at Chicago Auto Show originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XLVI Superbowl ads: Chevrolet Sonic

by Adrian on February 4, 2012

During the imminent XLVI Superbowl, Chevrolet is going to show the TV audience a new ad featuring a few extreme stunts performed by the Sonic, the recent subcompact model known as Aveo on the European side of the pond. The commercial shows some of the crazy numbers arranged by Chevy for the model’s commercial launch, including the recent, breathtaking kickflip, bungee jumping, sky diving and also a few glimpses of another brand new ad, that will be premiered during the ‘big game’ as well and featuring L.A. rock band OK Go. Just as a quick reminder, Chevrolet Sonic/Aveo’s engine range is made of a 1.2-litre petrol unit available in two power configurations (70 hp or 86 hp), a 1.4 petrol delivering 100 hp and a diesel unit, a 1.3-litre available in power steps of 75 and 95 hp.




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XLVI Superbowl ads: Kia Optima and Motley Crue

by Adrian on February 3, 2012

Kia Motors America (KMA) introduces a new commercial that is set to air during the fourth quarter of XLVI Super Bowl. In the spot, titled “Drive the Dream”, the new 2012 Optima Limited races through a Gen X couple’s wildest thoughts as they sleep, including: Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima waving the checkered flag at a speedway; an in-your-face Motley Crue concert; mixed martial arts legend Chuck Liddell battling in the ring; a heroine and hunk on horseback in a romance novel setting; champion bull rider Judd Leffew taming a bucking rhinoceros and a fairy tale ending.

“With more than 100 million people watching the Super Bowl broadcast and millions more viewing content online around the world, Kia will once again deliver a memorable, one-of-a-kind campaign that entertains people before, during and after the game and leaves them wanting to see the Optima Limited fantasy again and again, - said Michael Sprague, KMA’s vice president, marketing & communications - We selected an eclectic group of celebrities and personalities for ‘Drive The Dream’ to enable us to tap into a diverse body of fan bases and leverage each talent’s expansive social media footprint.“




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Excellence in Energy Efficiency Act promises $1 billion prize for 100 MPG car

by Domenick Yoney on February 3, 2012

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Dan Lungren with speech bubble saying,

Are you a U.S. automaker? Do you want a billion dollars? Have we got a deal for you! Just build 60,000 cars that get 100 miles per gallon and the government will send a truckload of cash to your office doors (or, perhaps, mail a check).

H.R. 3872 - the Excellence in Energy Efficiency Act of 2012 - was just introduced by Representative Dan Lungren (R) of California's 3rd Congressional District. If passed, the legislation would have the Secretary of Energy "establish a program to award a prize in the amount of $1,000,000,000 to the first automobile manufacturer incorporated in the United States to manufacture and sell in the United States 60,000 mid-sized sedan automobiles which operate on gasoline and can travel 100 miles per gallon."

That's right, no cheating with subcompacts toys or fancy all-electrics, it's for adult-sized gasoline burners only, baby! It's unclear whether plug-in hybrids such as the Chevy Volt or upcoming Ford Fusion Energi might be eligible, but we doubt it since OpenCongress says the subtitle is "To provide a prize to the first manufacturer of highly-efficient mid-sized automobiles powered by gasoline" and the Volt already comes in at 93 MPGe.

While established automakers couldn't be lured in by the measly $1 million offered by the Progressive X-Prize, we're sure they'd be more than happy to accept a check with the big B on it. The question this proposed law begs, though, is would they make an extra effort to achieve this sort of sky-high efficiency goal under other circumstances?

Excellence in Energy Efficiency Act promises $1 billion prize for 100 MPG car originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Excellence in Energy Efficiency Act promises $1 billion prize for 100 MPG car

by Domenick Yoney on February 3, 2012

Filed under: , ,

Dan Lungren with speech bubble saying,

Are you a U.S. automaker? Do you want a billion dollars? Have we got a deal for you! Just build 60,000 cars that get 100 miles per gallon and the government will send a truckload of cash to your office doors (or, perhaps, mail a check).

H.R. 3872 - the Excellence in Energy Efficiency Act of 2012 - was just introduced by Representative Dan Lungren (R) of California's 3rd Congressional District. If passed, the legislation would have the Secretary of Energy "establish a program to award a prize in the amount of $1,000,000,000 to the first automobile manufacturer incorporated in the United States to manufacture and sell in the United States 60,000 mid-sized sedan automobiles which operate on gasoline and can travel 100 miles per gallon."

That's right, no cheating with subcompacts toys or fancy all-electrics, it's for adult-sized gasoline burners only, baby! It's unclear whether plug-in hybrids such as the Chevy Volt or upcoming Ford Fusion Energi might be eligible, but we doubt it since OpenCongress says the subtitle is "To provide a prize to the first manufacturer of highly-efficient mid-sized automobiles powered by gasoline" and the Volt already comes in at 93 MPGe.

While established automakers couldn't be lured in by the measly $1 million offered by the Progressive X-Prize, we're sure they'd be more than happy to accept a check with the big B on it. The question this proposed law begs, though, is would they make an extra effort to achieve this sort of sky-high efficiency goal under other circumstances?

Excellence in Energy Efficiency Act promises $1 billion prize for 100 MPG car originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin V12 Zagato: new official pictures and details

by Adrian on February 3, 2012

Aston Martin V12 Zagato

Aston Martin has released new pictures and technical details about the V12 Zagato, the car that is supposed to revive elegance, exclusivity and sporty attitude of the glorious Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, which was unveiled at the 1960 London Motor Show and is now an extremely expensive collector’s item. As the names suggest, both models have been designed by renowned Italian styling house Zagato.

The Aston Martin V12 Zagato is meant to be a modern rendition of that masterpiece: it comes with an aluminum body-shell and bodywork panels made of the same material as well as some carbon fiber, all of which hand-crafted. The car measures 4,385 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width, and 1,250 mm in height, with a wheel base of 2,600 mm, front track of 1,570 mm and rear track of 1,575 mm. The V12 Zagato weighs in at 1,680 kg and uses independent double wishbone suspension on both axles.

Under the bonnet pulses a feisty 6.0-litre V12 engine delivering 517 hp and 570 Nm of peak torque, capable of pushing the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds, with a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph). The 6-speed manual gearbox is coupled with a limited slip transmission, while average fuel consumption is rated at 24.3 l/100 km in urban traffic and at 16.4 l/100 km on motorways. Braking comes from a couple of 398 mm carbon-ceramic discs at the front and 360 mm discs, mated to 6- and 4-piston calipers respectively.

Aston Martin V12 ZagatoAston Martin V12 ZagatoAston Martin V12 ZagatoAston Martin V12 Zagato




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Who was for, who was against CARB’s ZEV mandate "over-compliance" rule

by Sebastian Blanco on February 3, 2012

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California Air Resources Board

What impact will the "over-compliance" rule - some would say loophole - in the California Air Resources Board's recent changes to the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate have? The short and obvious answer is that only time will tell, but one can make the case both that it's a good thing and that it's a bad thing. Odd, but true.

Before we get too far into this, a primer on the ZEV Mandate changes and what the over-compliance rule actually is is important. The basic idea is that CARB wants to reduce the amount of CO2 and other pollutants in the air that come from transportation. Zero-emission vehicles - whether they be plug-in or hydrogen powered - will do this, so CARB decided that at least 15.4 percent of all the cars sold by a major automaker in California needs to be either an EV, a plug-in hybrid or a hydrogen fuel cell vehcile by 2025. To go along with this new rule, some automakers asked for - and got - an over-compliance rule that will "allow manufacturers who systematically over comply with the proposed LEV III GHG fleet standard to offset a portion of their ZEV requirement in 2018 through 2021 model years only."

Some argue that the over-compliance rule will lead to a smaller environmental benefit from ZEVs because, quite simply, there will be fewer ZEVs on the roads than there would be without the rule. This is true. It's also true, as others will argue, that what matters most is lowering the amount of nasty pollutants and emissions from the air, so who cares if this happens because there is a true ZEV driving around or a much-improved (read: cleaner) gas-powered car that emits fewer greenhouse gases than today's vehicles?

We didn't want to try and answer that question. But we did think it made sense to try and capture the landscape of the recent battle over the rule, and so we asked some of the involved automakers and other concerned parties for their opinions. We put together a list of responses after the jump.

Continue reading Who was for, who was against CARB's ZEV mandate "over-compliance" rule

Who was for, who was against CARB's ZEV mandate "over-compliance" rule originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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