The new Kia Cadenza luxury sporty sedan The Cadenza is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine boasting 290hp and 338 Nm of torque
Sunday, November 29, 2009
2010 Ford Fiesta S2000 Pictures
Interior Ford Fiesta S2000 Pictures
2010 Ford Fiesta S2000 PicturesIndia electric car pioneer plans biggest plug-in car plant
Chetan Maini, the engineer who pioneered India’s first electric car, had his eureka moment two decades ago when he drove a vehicle fuelled by solar power across the blazing Australian outback.Now Maini, the man behind Reva Electric Car Co., is building in southern India what he says will be the world’s biggest factory making battery-powered city commuter cars.
“It’s the first attempt at mass production of a green car,” said Maini, who studied hybrid electric technology at California’s Stanford University and developed the no-clutch, no-gears Reva as head of a 75-member engineering team.
“With growing climate change awareness, I think we’re at the tipping point for electric cars,” Maini told AFP in an interview.
The drive in 1990 which set Maini on his career track was a General Motors-sponsored solar-powered race in which his car finished third, beating many of the global car companies.
“Driving across the continent on the sun’s energy made me think how we could use alternative energy to power cars in the Indian context,” he said.
“When I saw how our cities were getting polluted, I realised employing clean, alternative energy could make a lot of sense — we needed to develop this kind of technology,” he said.
Maini has put some 3,000 of the zero-polluting three-door Revas on the roads in India and Britain — where it is known as the G-Wiz — in the eight years since the company started selling the cars.
Reva was formed in 1994 as a joint venture between the family-owned Maini Group and AEV of the United States to manufacture environment-friendly vehicles.
But it took seven years for the first Reva to go on sale as Maini and his team worked on the design.
Afterward, “we were in a test marketing phase, trying to see how people used electric cars, what were their needs. But that’s now over and we’re ready to move to the mass-market stage,” Maini said.
In September, Reva got a big endorsement when GM announced it would team up with the tiny car company to develop a plug-in version of the best-selling GM Spark mini-car as the US giant embraces electrically powered driving.
“We think their technology is the best,” said GM India president Karl Slym.
The Reva — named after Maini’s mother — can seat two adults and two children and cover 50 miles (80 kilometres) on a single charge of electricity. New models feature sleeker looks than the Reva, which resembles a modified golf-cart, and will offer greater distance.
The company’s next generation three-door, four-seater hatchback NXR is intended to be a family car and will go into production in 2010. It will have a top speed of 65 miles per hour and travel 100 miles on a single charge.
The car will go on sale for around 10,000 euros (15,000 dollars) and can be charged in 90 minutes.
The higher-end NXG will have a 125-mile range and an 80 mile per hour top speed and sell for 23,000 euros in Europe.
The price of the new vehicles is not fixed for India but the cars are expected to sell for “much less,” said Maini.
The Reva currently retails for around 350,000 rupees (7,500 dollars) and is built at a small factory outside the southern city of Bangalore.
Maini is targeting people who want a vehicle for city jaunts or as a second automobile.
The cost of running an electric car in India is a tenth of a petrol-fuelled car, Maini said. The car has no oil filters, spark plugs or radiators so maintenance costs are also low.
“Since we started, there’s been quite a big change in consumer mind-sets,” said Maini, whose love affair with cars began when he was a child assembling remote-controlled toy vehicles.
“We are also seeing a large policy shift by governments to environmentally friendly vehicles,” he added.
Maini is eyeing annual sales of “5,000 plus” for the next three years and then 30,000 annually from cars produced at his new Bangalore factory, which is being built with venture funding.
There is a large market as the infrastructure for electricity is widespread — even in India, he said.
“All you need is the installation of a standard plug point — 15 amps — that is used for an air conditioner or an iron. Most people only need a larger car if they are going out of town.”
The tie-up with GM is part of a three-pronged strategy for Reva which wants to make its own cars under the Reva brand, franchise production in countries such as the United States and license the company’s technology for use by global companies.
GM and Reva have promised the new electrically powered Spark mini-car will be on Indian roads in a year and they see a market later abroad.
Cambodia: ‘Telepathic’ Car Symbolises Auto Industry
The gold-coloured convertible turns heads on impoverished Cambodia’s roads — not least because of creator Nhean Phaloek’s outlandish claim that it can be operated telepathically.“I just snap my fingers and the car’s door will open. Or I just think of opening the car’s door, and the door opens immediately,” says the 51-year-old as he proudly shows off the homemade car, named the Angkor 333-2010.
Onlookers gasp as he demonstrates the trick, and with the fibre-glass vehicle having cost him $5,000 and 19 months of labour he is in no mood to reveal the remote control system behind it.
But as with a handful of other Cambodians who make their own curious cars, he dreams the two-seater will help foster an automobile industry in the country, still poor after decades of conflict.
“I am very excited and proud of this car because many people admire me and keep asking me about how I can make it,” he says, adding that it reaches speeds of up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour. Kong Pharith, a 48-year-old former maths and physics teacher who has also produced his own car, says an auto industry is about to blossom in Cambodia.
“Our works will be part of a motivating force for the next generation to access new inventions and show the world that Cambodia has an ability to do what you think we cannot,” he says.
The inventor, who first came to national attention in 2005 for building a solar-powered bicycle, thinks he has now hit on a truly unique product with his orange, jeep-like vehicle with solar panels on its roof. Kong Pharith says it took him four months to design and put the final polish on his “tribrid” car which operates on solar energy, electricity and gasoline, hitting speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour with its 2,000 watt motor.
“I’m really happy about my achievement but not very satisfied with it yet,” he says, adding that Cambodia’s lack of modern technology and materials are a minor obstacle to efficient manufacturing. The dream of building cars in Cambodia may not be far-fetched. Officials have announced plans for South Korean automaker Hyundai to open a plant in southwestern Cambodia, assembling some 3,000 vehicles per year.
Cambodia did actually assemble cars in a factory during the 1960s, before the country was caught in the maelstrom of the Vietnam War.
The Angkor 333-2010 is the third he has built, and his first to talk. When Phaloek slams the door a voice out of the dashboard moans: “Why do you close me too strongly?”
“Dozens of local and foreign guests have come and seen my car,” Nhean Phaloek says with a smile. “One British man told me that it is the Cambodian James Bond car.”
New Car: 2010 Fiat Doblò
The car is based on a new, larger platform and Fiat is claiming that it offers more passenger and luggage space than ever, plus reduced emissions thanks to new engines. Since the Doblò is sitting on a 2,755mm wheelbase, luggage capacity is now at 790 litres. For added practicality, the 2nd & 3rd row seats can be folded and tilted.
In Europe, the Doblò will be offered with four different engines: a 95bhp MultiAir petrol, and three Multijet diesel engines with 90bhp, 105bhp and 135bhp. A dual fuel engine (petrol/methane) and a diesel engine mated with a Dualogic robotized gearbox with paddle-shift will be offered. The former will not come to the UK.
Start-stop will be offered as standard to reduce overall CO2 emissions. The lowest powered diesel, 1.3 litre MultiJet 90bhp emits just 129g/km of CO2.
start assist control, x4 airbags, electronic stability control and ABS with electronic brake force distribution as standard.
Fiat says the Doblò offers automatic climate control, cruise control, rear parking sensors, integrated Blue&Me hands-free communication system, and a Blue&Me TomTom navigation system will be offered. Besides the standard passenger variant, Fiat has also introduced the new Doblò Cargo. Featuring a larger load compartment than the previous model, the Doblò Cargo will be available in seven different body configurations (short/long wheelbase, high top, short/long wheelbase 5 seater combi and short/long drop-framed versions for easy conversion into refrigeration vans and flatbed trucks).
The new Doblò will rival the Renault Kangoo, Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot Partner, Volkswagen Caddy, Vauxhall/Opel Combo, Ford Transit Connect/Tourneo, Nissan NV200 and , is due to be launched from mid-January 2010, but it will be possible to order the vehicles from the end of November in Italy and from December in other European markets. No details of pricing have been released.
U.S sales could start in 2012 where it will where the RAM badge instead.
World premiere New Fiat Doblò: meet the first 'family space'
Meet the new Doblò, the Fiat car that is all about space.
A space to be shared with family and friends: a liveable space for people who travel and love to be in company; for people who choose the Doblò as a partner for leisure or work.
A vehicle designed to meet a need for functionality and comfort that makes the most of interior space and can accommodate up to seven people. An authentic 'family space' that can rely on top-class safety, economy and respect for the environment.
Compared to the previous version that sold approximately one million units, the new model has been completely revamped in terms of style, engines and technical specifications. These aspects make the new Fiat Doblò the "best in class" both in terms of space and in terms of reduced emissions.
All this has been achieved through the use of a new platform, more passenger space (with a wheelbase of 2755 mm, the biggest in its segment), a roomy 790 litre luggage compartment, reduced CO2 emissions (129g/km with the 1.3 Multijet 90bhp engine, the lowest in its category), standard safety features and highly modular interiors with seats that can be folded and tilted.
Style and comfort:
The look is very cutting-edge. With a central shield and side bumpers that are perfectly integrated with the body, the front end blends protection and sophistication while the pronounced wheel arch and sloping shoulder contribute to the vehicle's strong and agile look. The tailgate's essential lines emphasise the accessibility and size of the generous load compartment; clear, sparkling light clusters and expanses of glass give the new Doblò a touch of elegance.
The interiors have also been designed to offer functionality and create attractive, welcoming environments through combination of colours, materials and trims.
Smart solutions for the best use of on-board space, such as a range of storage compartments and flexible interiors, offering up to 7 places, will satisfy the needs of those who make the Doblò a car to be enjoyed with family or friends.
Environment and economy:
The Fiat Doblò will offer 4 power units at its launch: a 95bhp petrol engine and three diesel Multijet engines, 90, 105 and 135bhp, which will later be joined by a Natural Power engine with dual fuel system (petrol and methane) and an additional diesel engine with Dualogic robotized gearbox.
All units are lively and offer smooth torque delivery. They are remarkable for driving satisfaction, excellent performance, low noise levels, low operating costs (fuel consumption and maintenance) and also for their reliability and eco-friendliness.
The range is available with Euro 4 and Euro 5 versions and offers a Start&Stop device as standard, which cuts off the engine temporarily when the car is stopped to guarantee reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
Safety:
To ensure optimum dynamic behaviour, comfort and active safety in all road surface and load conditions, the vehicle has been equipped with innovative mechanical features including a bi-link rear suspension system available with various component calibrations depending on vehicle application. The Doblò's consistent and predictable road-holding is also guaranteed by the use of state-of-the-art electronic devices for stability control, namely ABS with electronic brake force distribution EBD and, above all, ESP complemented by a hill-holder system that helps the driver during Hill starts and comes as standard on this model.
The vehicle has been designed and built to achieve the highest levels of passive safety, due to a body with crumple zones, front air bags and innovative front side bags. The latter offer protection for both head and chest.
The vehicle also offers technical solutions and equipment that create optimum comfort conditions and help keep attention on the road: these include an automatic climate control system with distribution to rear seats, cruise control, parking sensors, a built-in Blue&Me hands-free system and a “Blue&Me TomTom” navigator.
The Doblò Cargo, also new, is at the top of the professional vehicle category:
The new Fiat Doblò is joined by the new Doblò Cargo which has been designed to take its place at the top of its category in terms of performance and functional characteristics. It offers a more roomy load compartment than the previous model: square, regular, fully exploitable and equipped with sliding side doors and generously-sized rear doors to make light work of loading and unloading operations. Record-breaking statistics (interior length up to 2.2 metres, width between wheel arches of 1.23 metres, volume from 3.4 to 4.2 cubic metres, payload from 750 to 1000kg, combined fuel consumption of 4.8 litres/100 km and range of 1250km with the 1.3 Multijet engine) ensure that the new vehicle can offer substantial benefits in terms of optimisation and reduction of running costs.
The range finds expression in 7 different body types: short and long wheelbase van, high top van, short and long wheelbase 5-seater combi; a particularly appealing and brand-new short and long drop-framed version can be easily and cheaply converted for specific trades (refrigeration chambers, fixed and tilting flatbed trucks).
The new models are due to be launched from mid-January 2010, but it will be possible to order the vehicles from the end of November in Italy and from December in other European markets.
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