Fiat's 500 Goes Atomik, Gets Electrified

Atomik Cars wants to make an electric Abarth 500, which is a good idea from the start.

Claimed to have "supercar performance in a city car's size", Atomik's 500 features a bunch of fancy tech under its carbon fiber skin: "high performance LiFePO4 batteries", brushless synchronous motors, two new transmissions (resulting in permanent AWD), a ceramic heater, and a carbon/Nomex rear chassis (by the way, Nomex is what Batman's suit is made out of).

Power at the front comes in at 80 kW and a very electric 840 Nm (619 lb-ft), while the rear engine makes the same power and a silly 1,710 Nm (1,261 lb-ft). Combined, that's good for 160 kW (215 hp) and an unadjusted 2,550 Nm (1,880 lb-ft) split 33/67 front to rear.

Atomik says the electrified 500 should hit 100 km/h in under 5 seconds with a top speed of around 200 km/h (electric cutoff is at 180 km/h), while providing a range of 200 km (124 miles).

By Phil Alex

Via: Autoblog Green & Atomik

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First Pre-Production 2012 Opel Ampera EV Rolls off the Line

The first pre-production 2012 Opel Ampera, or the European market version of the Chevrolet Volt, rolled off the line at GM's assembly plant in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, April 23, marking an important milestone in the project.

General Motors said that the it build more pre-production Amperas in the coming months. The pre-production vehicles will not be sold at dealerships, but used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and control.

"We're right on target for producing the Ampera for European markets later next year," said Andrew Farah, Vehicle Chief Engineer for the Ampera "There's still work to be done, but being able to drive an Opel Ampera off our pre-production line is a great accomplishment for the teams here and in Europe."

The Opel Ampera is the sister car to the Chevrolet Volt sharing the same extended-range electric drivetrain, interior and basic sheet metal, but with some minor unique styling cues up front and at the back of the car.

Like the Volt, it can deliver up to 60 kilometers of pure electric
driving before a small displacement petrol engine /generator kicks in to recharge the battery and extend the range to more than 500 kilometers. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe by the end of 2011.

»»  read more

First Pre-Production 2012 Opel Ampera EV Rolls off the Line

The first pre-production 2012 Opel Ampera, or the European market version of the Chevrolet Volt, rolled off the line at GM's assembly plant in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, April 23, marking an important milestone in the project.

General Motors said that the it build more pre-production Amperas in the coming months. The pre-production vehicles will not be sold at dealerships, but used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and control.

"We're right on target for producing the Ampera for European markets later next year," said Andrew Farah, Vehicle Chief Engineer for the Ampera "There's still work to be done, but being able to drive an Opel Ampera off our pre-production line is a great accomplishment for the teams here and in Europe."

The Opel Ampera is the sister car to the Chevrolet Volt sharing the same extended-range electric drivetrain, interior and basic sheet metal, but with some minor unique styling cues up front and at the back of the car.

Like the Volt, it can deliver up to 60 kilometers of pure electric
driving before a small displacement petrol engine /generator kicks in to recharge the battery and extend the range to more than 500 kilometers. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe by the end of 2011.

»»  read more

Official: BMW to Launch All-Electric Megacity Vehicle in 2013

The BMW Group will be bringing its first series-production electric-drive model (codenamed Megacity Vehicle) to the market in 2013, the company announced on Thursday.

"With this innovative vehicle, designed from the ground up, we will be creating new benchmarks for electric mobility from 2013 on, said BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer. "Our Megacity Vehicle will be significantly lighter than conventional cars and, in terms of sustainability, will set a new standard across the entire value-added chain."

The car is currently being developed as part of BMW Group's "project i" programme and will be available under a sub-brand of BMW, comparable to the firm's "M" badge. In other words, expect to see something in the likes of 'E' or 'EV' series.

Even though details remain sketchy, the Bavarian automaker has confirmed that the finalized Megacity will make extensive use of ultra-light yet high-strength composite CFRP (carbon fibre-reinforced plastic) materials to dramatically reduce weight thus increasing its range and performance.

Previously, Reithofer had noted that aside from a fully-electric drive, the Megacity will also be offered with the option of a high-efficiency combustion engine.

*Opening Photo: BMW's 1994 Z13 Concept

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2010 Beijing Auto Show: Chevrolet Volt MPV5

After we showed you some of the designs a few days ago, the plainly-named Chevrolet Volt MPV5 crossover concept has rolled silently out of the gates.

Big things first: power comes from GM's lithium ion T-battery and a 1.4 liter engine generator, as one would expect. The battery will provide 51.5 km / 32 miles per charge, while the gasoline generator contributes an extra 482 km / 299.5 miles.

So, what is it other than a smaller Orlando with a Volt nose-job and power train? An expander, that's what. This model is GM's next step in creating a new sub-brand within GM, much like Audi's upcoming e-tron line.

Other fun facts: the Volt MPV5 sits on 19s, seats 5, and is extra aerodynamic "thanks to its closed grille and aero-optimized lower air dam,...a full-underbody belly pan, along with rocker claddings, creased tail lamps and specially designed blades on the rear quarter".

It also offers more passenger space all-around, a glass-panel roof, and even provides up to 1,764 liters / 62.3 cu ft of cargo space with the back seats down (863 liters / 30.5 cu ft seats up).

While this new Volt vehicle is neat (and definitely important), it would have been nice to see a modern take on the Volt's face (which is SO 2008).

By Phil Alex

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Volkswagen Unveils Milano Taxi EV Concept at Hanover Trade Show

A new member has been added to Volkswagen's Up! city car concept series. Revealed at the Hanover Trade Show, the Milano Taxi is a potential prototype for a new generation of emission-free taxis powered by an electric motor.

The mini-MPV-esque show car measures just 3.73 meters in length, 1.66 meters in width and 1.60 meters in height, making it shorter and narrower than the Fox. It features a single swivel-sliding door on the passenger's side that opens in a forward direction.

Volkswagen says that the Milano Taxi concept is capable of carrying two passengers at the rear in comfort with legroom at the back measuring a luxury-saloon-rivaling 120mm. To improve space, the car uses the front passenger seat to carry luggage.

Special features include an iPad-like LCD display mounted on the reverse of the driver's seat that allows rear passengers to see an overview of the route being taken, pay the fare or change the climate functions in the back of the vehicle.

The driver gets similar screen that can be personalized to show any combination of information relating to the vehicle systems, passenger fare or navigation functions.

The Milano Taxi is motivated by an electric motor capable of generating a peak output of 115-horsepower. Energy is provided by a lithium-ion battery integrated into the underside of the vehicle with a storage capacity of 45 Kilowatt-hours.

Weighing in at a hefty 1,500kg or 3,306 pounds, the Milano Taxi can travel at speeds of up to 74 mph or 119 km/h and up to 186 miles or about 300 km between charges.

The German maker also claims that the charging time of the lithium-ion batteries has been substantially reduced with over 80 per cent of its total capacity being reached in just over an hour.

Volkswagen plans to have its first all-electric model on the road by 2013.

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