Renault announced today that its Valladolid, Spain plant will become the home of a new electric vehicle based on the Twizy Z.E. concept that was show at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The Twizy is a peculiar looking two-seat city vehicle and it will be probably change quite a bit before production. The open sides will likely become fully enclosed and the wheel covers probably won't make it to the road, at least not in their current form. That makes two EV production announcements this week for Renault, following yesterday's decision to build a car based on the Zoe concept in France. The Twizy goes into production in 2011 alongside Mégane Hatchback, Mégane Estate, Modus and Grand Modus.


[Source: Renault]

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Zytek Automotive has worked on electric drivetrains for the Smart ED and the Mercedes F1 KERS system. This week, Zytek announced a partnership with Gordon Murray Design for a new all-electric city car called the T.27. Gordon Murray is the force behind the T.25, the tiny three-seater that was designed to use a 660cc turbocharged engine. The T.27 is basically a plug-in version of the efficient T.25.

The UK government, through the Technology Strategy Board, is funding the project with 4.5 million pounds. This is half of the 9 million pounds it will take to make four prototypes by February 2011. Aside from the vehicles, the project will also:

further explore the possibility of scaling up and building a manufacturing facility in the UK, with the ultimate goal of producing the T.27 in Britain; to keep the new technology and intellectual property rights within the UK; and to make this affordable, fun and environmentally friendly car available for purchase.

Many more details after the jump.

[Source: Gordon Murray Design]

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Is it too harsh to say that the Trinnovator is a solution without a problem? At the very least, we don't think that a flexible, extendable prod coming out of the front bumper of a plug-in car and creepily finding its way into a grid of receptacles is the best way to recharge a vehicle. This is the method that the Swedish team behind the Trinnovator has come up with to make getting electrons into a PHEV or BEV somewhat automatic. It's kind of hard to explain, so we recommend just watching the video pasted after the jump.

A few immediate thoughts: real-life implementation of this system seems needlessly complicated. The receptacle grids would also have to be much wider (and maybe taller for trucks and SUVs) and installed all over the place – regular plugs make more sense, no? Plus, shouldn't there be prods on the back of the car, too? And what about parallel parking spots? We've used plug-in cars and it's really not that difficult to remember to plug in every night. If we're going to have automatic and easy recharging, we want to see wireless/witricity get real. Thanks to Anders J. for the tip! Watch the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

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Rolls-Royce unveiled the production version of its new "smaller" car, the Ghost, at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it goes into production next year. AutoCar is now reporting that the Rolls engineers are working on a hybrid version of the Ghost using BMW's mild hybrid system. The mild hybrid is getting its first application in a BMW right about now in the new ActiveHybrid 7. The Ghost shares most of its platform with the new 7-series, so installing the electric assist should be a no-brainer. The main difference is that the BMW pairs the electric motor and battery with the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 while the Roller would retain its 6.2-liter V12. AutoCar estimates the Ghost hybrid would boost mileage by up to 15 percent, which might be a stretch but in a car of this type every little bit helps. The 20 kW motor is sandwiched between the engine and transmission and can't drive the car purely on electricity. It does provide start-stop capability and reduces parasitic losses by using regenerative braking to supply some of the electrical needs of the car.



[Source: AutoCar]

Let me be blunt: I don't like luxury crossovers. At all. It's a niche with no appeal to me whatsoever. Not a car, not a truck – just a fat sedan jacked up on stilts to woo trophy wives with fancy badges and reassure soccer mammas that their children are "safe." And the Lexus RX gets the sharp point of my spear of anger because it's basically responsible for the high-end CUV craze. Not a fan of hybrids, either. That said, I'm absolutely smitten with Branew's Lexus RX450h.

I think it's the stance, has to be. But there is just something very desirable – from an aesthetic standpoint. The big 24-inch wheels help tremendously, perching Branew's at just the right height. And the lower fascia helps the quite handsome – if not distinctive – OEM grill pop. And I know it's going to be a controversial opinion, but the koi fish on the hood totally work. In fact, I know a certain Subaru WRX that could use a koi or two. Anyhow, while I'd rather gargle nails than rock a luxo-CUV, if forced at gunpoint, Branew's RX450h would be my first (and only) choice.

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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The clean exterior of this 1970 Chevelle hides a wicked little secret. If you take a look at the photo above, you'll see what we mean. The bundle of plumbing you see spilling out of the engine bay tells only part of the story. That's no overworked Chevy small block in there, it's a Duramax diesel that has been pushed to new heights via an outrageous custom twin-turbo setup. The stripped-out interior and racing slicks out back show the true purpose of this ride. It was built by Mike Racke and made Popular Hot Rodding's Top Ten Builds this year. We couldn't agree more.



Photos copyright ©2009 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

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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