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Chrysler
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Wednesday, 24 September 2008 10:30 |
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 Chrysler LLC is readying 3 electric vehicles to be released within the next 3 years.
The Dodge EV will be a full electric car like the Tesla Roadster. It will feature a 200 kW (268-gp equivalent) electric motor that will power the rear wheels. Instant torque will be 480 lb-ft ... there will be no gasoline engine. Using the Lotus Europa chassis from the demo, the car should run 0-60 mph in less than 5 seconds and have 150-200 miles range. Recharge times are expected to be 8 hours from a 110-volt outlet, and 4 hours from a 220-volt outlet. Both the Jeep and Chrysler EVs are series hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt. They will have a battery pack that is strong enough to power the car for up to 40 miles, and then a gasoline engine that will act as a generator to recharge the batteries. The Jeep EV is based on a Jeep Wrangler chassis and uses a 200 kW (268-hp) motor with 295 lb-ft of torque and will need only 8 gallons of gas to travel 400 miles (about 50 mpg). The Chrysler EV is based on a Town & Country chassis and uses a 190 kw (255-hp) motor with 258 lb-ft of torque. It should get similar fuel economy to the Jeep EV. Full Chrysler press release after the jump.
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Read more...
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Audi
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Tuesday, 23 September 2008 18:10 |
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 The 2010 Audi S4 will make it's debut at the October Paris Auto Show. Here's some of the information that we know:
The 4.2L V8 engine will be dropped in favour of a 3.0L supercharged V6. Although power will be down slightly to 333-hp (from 340-hp), torque should be up to 325 lb-ft. The engine will be mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Pricing should start around $48,610 ... similar to the current model.
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Volkswagen
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Tuesday, 23 September 2008 10:36 |
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 2009 will be a busy year for high-performance Volkswagen models.
First up, in April, will be a high-performance diesel Golf dubbed the GTD. This will have an upgraded 2.0L TDI engine producing 170-hp (up from 140-hp). In June the next generation GTI will be released with a 210-hp 2.0L turbocharged gasoline engine.. In November a limited edition R version will be available with the same 2.0L gasoline turbo but with an uprated 270-hp. The R version will also feature all-wheel drive.
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Saab
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Friday, 19 September 2008 09:16 |
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 An Australian court has ruled that Saab's ads where 'misleading' when they claimed that "Every Saab is green. With carbon emissions neutral across the entire Saab range".
In the ads Saab said that during the first year after purchase they would plant 17 trees to offset the CO2 emissions produced over the life span of the vehicle. This was found to be misleading because the 17 trees would only offset the car's emissions for one year. Saab's parent company GM Holden has said that they will "retrain its marketing staff in relation to making green claims, and has promised to plant 12,500 native trees equalling to the number of cars sold during the campaign". Source : http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=57063&vf=12
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Volkswagen
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Friday, 19 September 2008 08:34 |
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AutoblogGreen has managed to get information from Volkswagen executives on the forthcoming diesel models offered by the brand. Out right now is the Jetta TDI. This features a turbocharged 2.0L inline-4 diesel producing 140-hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. Next up, in late March will be a Volkswagen Touareg with a 3.0L turbocharged V6 diesel. Followed next fall by the re-designed Rabbit which will also get the Jetta's 2.0L TDI.
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BMW
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Thursday, 18 September 2008 20:20 |
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 According to MotorAuthority BMW is contemplating a 1-series based roadster, the Z2 to slot in below the BMW Z4.
The roadster could could see production by 2012 and would probably be powered by various 4-cylinder engines, starting with a 120-hp entry model up to a 211-hp turbocharged unit. It is unlikely the Z2 would come over to North America as it would be in direct competition with the BMW 1-series, which over here is available with a 300-hp turbocharged V6. Also, BMW has already learned with the original Z3 that North American consumers don't like premium priced cars with 4-bangers. Further down the road, however, as BMW produces more high-performance inline-4s and the environmental cause increases, there may be room for the Z2 in the North American market.
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Environmental
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Thursday, 18 September 2008 18:40 |
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 The U.S. House of Representatives passed Resolution 6899 yesterday. Although mostly known as the offshore drilling bill, it also contained a plug-in tax credit for all electric vehicles.
Toyota had originally complained about this bill, mostly because only one vehicle in or near production would be available to the tax credit. Here's a hint ... it's not the Prius. The tax credit applies to any vehicle with a battery of at least 5 kWh. The credit will start at $3,000 with an additional $500 for every kilowatt over 5 up to a maximum of $5,000. The only vehicle this applies to is the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. It's 16 kWh battery will enable it to qualify for the full $5,000 tax credit. This credit will not last forever, though. Only the first 60,000 manufactured vehicles will apply with diminished tax credits going to later vehicles. If passed into law it will go into effect on December 31st, 2008.
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Acura
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Written by Russell Sturmey
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008 12:23 |
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 Acura has finally revealed the pricing for it's re-designed 2009 Acura TL.
The entry level model will start at $34,995 ... roughly $1,000 more than the entry level last year. Pricing goes up to $38,505 for the Type-S model which features a 305-hp V6 running through Acura's SH-AWD system.
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