A load of bloggers (and a vlogger!) were invited to the Vauxhall Ampera launch at the Geneva Motor show… The car will run on battery alone and run 60km on plug in only, but it also has a range extending engine built in that charges the batteries, similar to the Chevy Volt. Nice idea…great looking car…but can it save GM? Click on the image to view video.
Links:electric car vlogging GM Ampera opel Range Extender Chevy Volt Vauxhall Vauxhall Ampera
A look at the Opel Flextreme – Europe’s version of the Chevy Volt. 40 mile range on the battery and a small engine purely for recharging purposes. They say we’ll have it by 2010. Gosh, that’s only 2 years away. Doubt we’ll even have the Smart ED and Subaru R1e by then, but there’s always hope….
I’m back to posting some of my remaining BMS footage. I have a ton of content to cutdown and upload (including a trip in a Tango and a Tesla. Yeeeeehaaaa!).
Click on the image to view video.
Links:electric car vlogging video podcast flexstreme Chevy Volt Tango Smart tesla Tesla Motors Subaru R1e EV
Here’s some more pictures and detail of the Flextreme. Autoblog Green are reporting on similar releases from Dodge and even an EV Jeep Renegade.
Don’t let’s get too excited. Each and everyone is a concept right now
and we may well be driving a lead acid g-wiz for years to come! Click
on an image to see it in more detail.
Links:electric car vlogging video podcast opel flextreme Opel Flextreme Chevy Volt Dodge Jeep Autoblog green Gwiz
Is this really happening? Are some of the mainstream manufacturers really spending more time and money on EV technologies? Detroit 2008 seems to be heralding a whole range of EV concepts.
The big guys seem to be concentrating on using EV and battery technology but charging those batteries with an on board generator (usually diesel and known as a range extender). They’ll also have an option to plug in. In the States the cars thats best known in this form is the Chevy Volt. Here in Europe, Opel have been showing the Flextreme Concept. It’s a four seater EV that has a range of 55km when charged up, but has an extended range when the batteries are charged using a 1.3 litre diesel engine of 715 km (not connected to the wheels like a hybrid). Top Speed will be 160kmh with a 0-100 kmh of 9.5 seconds.
I’m hugely excited about it all. Let’s hope there’s something in this for the future…Here’s a short video of its unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2007. Mind out for those Segways. They’ll be everywhere before you know it… Click on the image to view video (2.3 Meg QT)
Links:electric car vlogging video podcast opel flextreme Opel Flextreme Chevy Volt Detroit 2008