The Chevrolet Volt isn't scheduled to hit the market for another whole year, but there's so much anticipation for the vehicle that some are already asking if The General will try to make a brand out of the Volt name. The answer, according to Brent Dewar, Chevy's chief of global operations, is no:

Our thought is to take the Volt technology to other products... The Volt was the original vehicle that we started, but I wouldn't see that as a brand marketing direction for us.

While other models in GM's lineup are likely to get their own versions of the Voltec powertrain, those vehicles won't fall under the Volt brand name. Toyota, on the other hand, says it is considering extending the instantly recognizable Prius moniker to a whole family of hybrid vehicles that may include a smaller coupe and a larger MPV.



[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Earlier this year at the annual time trials at the famed Isle of Man, the inaugural TTXGP electric motorcycle race proved that battery-powered bikes can be just as entertaining and exciting as their gasoline-swilling and emissions-spewing siblings. Not quite as fast, of course, but still a thrill over the 38-mile winding race course through the mountains.

Now, the event organizers are looking to bring the excitement of electric motorcycle racing to the United States. The first real competition has been scheduled from May 14th through 16th of 2010 and will take place at Infineon Raceway in California. That location strikes us as a good idea as a number of TTXGP participants hail from the West Coast, including Mission Motors, MotoCzysz, Brammo and Electric Motorsport.

In addition to the aforementioned teams, we also hope to see participation from new entrants using the newly-available Mavizen TTX02 platform, which was just officially unveiled at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Hit the jump for the official press release.

[Source: Infineon Raceway]

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These days, we hardly give any thought at all to driving our precious cars and trucks over rough, potholed pavement. Sure, it's uncomfortable and we avoid the nastiest stretches when possible, but the worst thing that we expect might happen is a blown tire or bent wheel. In the grand scheme of things, not that big a deal.

Electric cars, though, are different animals entirely. Back when the automobile was in its infancy and the internal combustion engine first staked its claim as the powerplant of choice, it was sometimes possible to practically ruin a car when traveling over harsh terrain. That just won't do in today's modern society. For proof that electric vehicles need just as much care as other cars, look no further than Lyle Dennis from GM-Volt.com, who's own Mini E broke down after hitting a nasty pothole.

So, what is General Motors doing to ensure that the Volt doesn't rattle its delicate electrical bits to pieces over the course of its life? Glad you asked. Click past the break for a video showing the rigorous durability testing that GM is currently inflicting on its fleet of pre-production Volts.

[Source: GM-Volt.com]

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Can a Hummer be green? The brand that most obviously represents American excess in the minds of environmentalists – though Hummer's vehicles aren't actually any worse than any other large SUV – has seemingly been fighting off its negative stigma since shortly after the introduction of the larger-than-life H2. Part of the brand's hopeful transformation includes giving each model a flex-fuel variant, and the latest application of that principle is seen on the 2010 H3 and H3T.

Interestingly, the engine that gets the E85 capability is the largest and most powerful option: the 5.3-liter V8 as fitted to the top-level Alpha series and not the slightly more fuel efficient inline-five. In any case, anyone who ticks the V8 box on the options list will be blessed with 300 horsepower, 320 lb-ft of torque and the ability to pump ethanol into the tank if he or she should so desire.

Not green enough for you? Baby steps, people... Hummer CEO James Taylor (no, not that James Taylor) promises bigger eco steps in the near future, saying, "This is just the first step in Hummer's evolution to offer responsible, yet highly capable all-terrain vehicles. Future models will be lighter, more efficient and will continue to offer the best blend of off-road capability and on-road performance."

In related news, the 2010 Hummer H3 and H3T will be offered with three new premium exterior colors for 2010: Red Rock Metallic, Silver Stone Metallic, and Canyon Metallic. Huh, no green? Each of the three new hues can be seen in our photo gallery below. Enjoy!



[Source: Hummer]

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Nissan has electricity on the brain. The Japanese automaker is readying its opening salvo in the alternative propulsion wars in the form of the Leaf compact hatchback. Carlos Ghosn, though, announced at the Tokyo Motor Show that there would be plenty more to come, including an unknown Infiniti model, something like the unique leaning Land Glider concept and an electric version of the NV200 light commercial van that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show.

Naturally, there needs to be some sort of differentiation between the standard-fare NV200 and its battery-powered sibling, and Nissan has just released the first official sketch of that new electric commercial vehicle. As you can see from the above image, the vehicle will take plenty of inspiration from the Leaf, including the steeply-raked windshield, flowing headlamps, front-located plug receptacle and general bottom-feeder shape.

No real details besides the sketch have so far been provided, but you're more than welcome to click past the break to read the sparsely-worded press release.

[Source: Nissan]

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This year's iteration of the annual Design Challenge at the LA Auto Show asks the question: How will a new generation of drivers age 16-23 – raised with cell phones, web cams and online communities – emotionally connect to the automobile in 2030? We don't know the answer either, but at least six designers from some of the world's top automakers decided to give it a go with their own ideas. if you thought the Aptera was futuristic, check these out.

First up are the eSpira and eOra from Audi, which are controlled by thought and by the minutest adjustments to the pilot's body. Next we have the General Motors Car Hero... yes, the name is borrowed from the popular Guitar Hero line of games and the car, as you might imagine, "turns driving into gaming." What happens when the inevitable "Game Over" comes at the end? Moving along, we come to the Honda Helix, a shape-shifting vehicle that borrows actual DNA from its owner. Yuck, we don't want to be a car, we want to drive a car.

Which brings us to the Mazda Souga, easily our favorite out of this crop of concepts. This vision for the future would have each owner design his own car for the low price of $2,000 while paying an additional monthly usage fee that also covers the price of electricity to power the Souga.

Nissan's vision for the future includes cars that get their power from an electrically-charged roadway called the GRID, and the vowel-challenged V2G UNLMTD is quickly hacked into an OFF-GRID transportation device by the next breed of young hackers. Lastly, we have the Toyota Link. According to Toyota, future college students will have nearly no income and will rely on mass transit vehicles like the Link that allow them to interact via their various social networks on their daily commutes. Sounds boring to us, but what do we know?

Be sure to check out all six designs in our high-res image gallery below and hit the jump for the official press release.



[Source: LA Design Challenge]

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Right on schedule, Mavizen has released its TTX02 electric motorcycle at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Well, if you listen to Azhar Hussain, TTXGP founder and the entrepreneur behind this racebike, the TTX02 is a "laptop on wheels." How so? For starters, each machine is fitted with an dash-mounted computer that runs on Linux, comes with its own dedicated IP address, on-board web server and connectivity to wireless networks.

While all of that consumer electronics gadgetry is cool, it's the platform of the TTX02 that interests us the most. As rumored, it definitely appears that the TTX02 is based on the chassis of KTM's highly acclaimed RC8 superbike, which means it's a proven platform that's capable of solid handling and high speeds... good thing, as it's reportedly capable of hitting 130 miles per hour.

Twin Agni 95 electric motors push out a total of nearly 100 peak horsepower along with what's surely an admirable torque figure that peaks right off the bat at just about zero RPM. Three lithium ion battery packs will be made available with up to 11 kWh of power, which is reportedly capable of tackling all 38 miles of the TTXGP Isle of Man course. Pricing is not yet announced, but Hussain suggests a competitive machine can be had for around $40,000. Hit the jump to watch a couple videos of the bike's launch at SEMA.

[Source: Asphalt and Rubber]

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Green pavement? What's so exciting about that? If I wanted to test out some green pavement, all I'd need to do is make a run to the local Home Depot, pick up a can of green paint and dump it outside my driveway, right? Well, that's not exactly what we're talking about here, of course. But just what is "green pavement" anyway?

In this case, the pavement in question has been designed to suck up the nasty pollutants from vehicles and fertilizers from rainwater runoff. Here's what EPA Acting Regional Administrator George Pavlou has to say on the subject:

Runoff from parking lots and driveways is a significant source of water pollution in the United States and puts undo stress on our water infrastructure, especially in densely-populated urban areas.

There are literally millions of parking lots all over the United States and the rest of the world, and many of those are concentrated in densely-populated urban areas. What can we do about all that potential water pollution? That's exactly what the EPA is working to figure out. Over the next ten years, the EPA will be testing various porous pavement materials in its parking lots along with plants that are good at filtering and absorbing parking lot pollutants.

[Source: Wired | Photo: China Photos/Getty Images]

Listening to Chrysler's long and rambling 2010-2014 Business Plan, it was clear that the company and its dealerships are very much looking forward to finally getting the fuel efficient Fiat 500 in North America. Much like what happened when BMW launched the Mini brand eight-odd years ago, it's hoped that the cute little 500 will attract a whole new customer to the Chrysler fold.

In order to properly court those new wallets buyers, Chrysler plans to open "specific interior showroom branded salons" in select dealerships, mostly in metropolitan areas. A dedicated set of salespeople will be assigned to sell the Fiat 500 in the States... ya know, since they otherwise wouldn't know how to sell the important car to American consumers.

There will also be a full line of accessories made available to customize the new car, which we would expect will include unique color and stripe packages both inside and out along with a slew of optional wheel designs. Whatever, make ours an Abarth and we're good. Expect all of this to take place before the end of 2010 as the Fiat 500 finally starts to show up in those selected dealerships.

Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. While some cars seem to be almost universally loved for their gorgeous lines and undeniable sense of style – the Lamborghini Miura and Shelby Daytona Coupe certainly come to mind – others, such as the new Honda Crosstour and even the latest Nissan GT-R – not to mention nearly everything currently wearing the Acura badge – sport more debatable duds.

And what of the car that's most commonly associated with the green movement? Of course, that would be the Toyota Prius, and we know that some happen to find the car rather attractive... whether that's for its slip-through-the-wind styling or the high fuel mileage – made possible in part by that styling – that its owners happily enjoy. According to BusinessWeek, though, the second-gen Prius is one of the 50 Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years. Not a distinction any owner wants their car to carry.

Take heart, Prius owners. There are a number of questionable vehicles on the list. For instance, the classically boxy Volvo 240 isn't ugly at all... it's purposeful and practical. Neither are the Lamborghini LM002, 2002 BMW 7 Series, Tata Nano or Toyota iQ deserving of inclusion on this unflattering list. Lastly, does anyone really think the DeLorean is that unattractive? Unabashedly '80s? Sure. Ugly? Nah.



[Source: BusinessWeek]