Attention Hollywood! That includes you, Cameron Diaz! Still trying to save the world with your Toyota Prius? Well, you're missing out on all the awesome luxury that petrol cars provide. Luckily, help is at hand, because if you want a car that's green, expensive, and luxurious at the same time, Fisker has come to the rescue. Introducing their new, sexy Karma EVer (Electric Vehicle with Extended Range). As you can see, it is a bit of a looker, but what's astonishing is how Fisker pieced luxury and electricity together in perfect harmony. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter 255 horsepower GM Ecotec turbo-4 engine, which doesn't sound like a lot. But, this engine feeds power to a 315-cell 606 lb. 20 kW lithium-ion battery pack, which then sends power to two 201 horsepower electric motors. Which means that the petrol engine actually doesn't do any work on the wheels. Altogether, you have yourself the most powerful hybrid ever created with 657 horsepower and a whopping 981 lb.-ft. of torque. 0 to 60 is done in just 5.9 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 126 MPH. When it comes to fuel economy, there are two modes that this car can be in. In sport mode, the maximum range of the tank is 300 miles, about as much as my Range Rover in normal mode. In stealth mode, which is like normal mode, Fisker says that you'll be averaging about 100+ miles to the gallon. The tank only holds 9.5 gallons, so this is astonishing. But, what is more astonishing is what's hiding in the interior of this car.
Interior View
Look at that! That is just the business! This is luxury beyond any field really. Now, because this is somewhat of an expensive luxury sedan, there are only four seats. So, that middle console stretches all the way into the back, as you can see here.
Rear Seats
But, nonetheless, I think this car is supremely luxurious for any EV. As a driver's car, this can be as comfortable and as hard as it can be. In the corners, it is well balanced. Since the engine is in the front-middle of the car and the electric motors are in the rear, this car delivers perfect weight distribution allowing you to take corners with ease and feel comfortable while doing this. This is astonishingly good for a rear-wheel drive car. Now, here comes the best part: the price. You would imagine that a car with this much power, this much luxury, and absolutely brilliant handling would cost as much as the ridiculous Lexus LFA, since it took these guys about 6 years into making it. In reality though, it isn't. Prices start at $96,850 and go all the way up to $108,000, which is pretty good value for a car that's from the future and actually works. So, there you are Hollywood Movie Stars and Cameron Diaz. You can kiss your ugly Prius goodbye. Cuz once you buy this, you'll never want to see your Prius again.
Should luxury go electric? That's a question even Rolls-Royce wants an answer to. The Geneva Motor Show begins in about a week and Rolls-Royce is planning to bring their newest concept car to the showroom. They've labeled it the 102EX, but in essence, it is an Electrified Phantom. The massive V12 has been replaced with some massive electric batteries and motors. Even the flying lady (picture shown) at the front of the car lights up when you turn the car on. But, this is just a teaser pic. We'll be able to see the whole car in a few days. Then, we'll see if luxury should go electric.
2012 Land Rover Range_E Sport Plug-in Diesel Hybrid
It seems Land Rover's gonna leave it to the Range Rovers to wow the crowd at Geneva this year. They'll be bringing out some very exciting new models including this Plug-in Diesel Hybrid Rover. Land Rover promises that this car will get 700 miles in one tank with just 20 miles on electricity. This is all thanks to a 3.0-liter Turbodiesel V6 engine mated to a new 8-speed automatic ZF gearbox, along with an electric motor.
2012 Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate
Then, there's this rather stunning Range Rover Autobiography for those who think that the Rover couldn't get anymore luxurious. The cost: $170,000. For that, you get luxury yacht-like interior including, expensive leather seats, teak flooring, drinks-globe luxury all around, iPads for entertainment, and 510 horsepower for your driver. So, for those wealthy businessmen or women out there who love the Range Rover and want a taste of the good life, you can now blow off $200k on an SUV that you can actually enjoy some expensive wine in.
When I first saw the concept version of this car, I thought it was just a preview of what's to come for BMW vehicles. It turns out that that car has been turned into a production model. This is the 2012 BMW ActiveE. Based off the 1-series Coupe, this all electric sports car, BMW say, will revolutionize the efficient dynamics of their cars for a very, very long time. What troubles me though is that it isn't as fast as its potential competition: the Tesla Roadster; but I guess speed isn't really what matters in this car. This car will do 0 to 60 in about 9 seconds. The Tesla will do it in under 4 seconds. It could be that the ActiveE has an electric motor that only produces 170 horsepower compared to the Tesla Roadster's 250 horsepower. But, as I said before, speed is irrelevant with this car. It's all about durability and endurance. While the Tesla's batteries take 16 hours to be recharged, this car's batteries take almost half that time. As for styling, it's a 1-Series coupe with white paint, 16" Rims, and some circuitry vinyl-ige on each side of the car. You'll only be able to lease this car for 3 years in Connecticut and following cities: Los Angeles, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego. Prices have not been announced yet, but will be soon.
Tesla is really pulling a lot of strings to let everyone drive their renowned Tesla Roadster. First, Gameloft and Facebook have teamed with them to create a contest in honor of their new racing game, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline, in which you can invite your friends to help you win one. Now, the car is the Jackpot at the Casinos. Today, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas now has a Tesla Roadster on display and if you win the roulette there, you win the car. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? What's also so staggering is how they managed to get the car inside. Now, normally it is a danger to get some massive sports cars in because of their size and Carbon Dioxide fumes coming out of the exhaust tips. But, this is an all-electric car. Driving it inside a large Casino is like driving a Remote-Controlled Car in your house. It's unbelievable. See how the dudes at The Cosmopolitan did it in the video below.
Here's another Prius-alternative. Straight out of Tesla, it's the Model S, Tesla's first electric sedan. We've seen the actual car unveiled a couple of years ago. But, before it goes into production next year, the Model S will be thoroughly tested by computer programs and test drivers. The model you see here is the Αlpha stage model, which was tested last year. The βeta Stage begins this year. But, it seems the car is making progress as it is. Test drivers of the Model S have already acknowledged the car for being nimble and agile for a car of its size. They also complement it for being very comfortable and very futuristic. Tesla has released a small clip showcasing the Αlpha Stage car in action. Check it out below.
Don't underestimate electric cars either. They may not make a sound and have lithium-ions powering their wheels, but some of them power-wise can rival with popular supercars. For example, this peppy-looking Tesla Roadster was one of the first all-electric cars ever produced. Now, it's currently one of the most powerful with power ratings of 288 horsepower with 295 lb.-ft. of torque. 0 to 60 is done in a blistering 3.7 seconds making it unbelievably quick. So, to put it in short, this car can run fast, save the earth, save your wallet (240 MPC) and scare children, as you shall see in this next video.
2010 Audi R8 E-Tron Prototype
Here's another example: Audi's all electric R8 E-Tron Prototype car. Now I know that this car isn't even out yet, but just imagine driving a no-emissions car with 313 horsepower from lithium-ion batteries and electric motors. And, unless you're Iron Man, or even Superman, just imagine driving such a car with over 1030 lb.-ft. of torque. That's more than you get from a Bugatti Veyron! Unbelievable! And it's fast, too, with a 0 to 60 time of 4.8 seconds! If I were really wealthy, I would buy one of these!
2011 Chevy Volt
My last example: the all-new Chevy Volt, which has just been named the 2011 North American Car of the Year. The electric motors and lithium-ion batteries in this car deliver 150 horsepower. That doesn't sound like much, does it? But, it produces 273 lb.-ft. of torque. That's more torque than you get from some turbocharged V6 car. It might be limited to 100 MPH, but for a 150 horsepower phone on wheels, it's pretty powerful. Not to mention it gets 327 miles per charge (MPC) Electric and Diesel-Powered cars are the future of the automobile. They will save our earth from global warming and at the same time, save you from bankruptcy.
Electric cars are all the rage these days, and it seems like Ford has joined the fray with their all-electric Focus. Debutting in Las Vegas at the CES 2011 (Computer Electronics Show), this new Focus is powered by energy-efficient lithium-ion batteries. Ford hasn't revealed to us the power output yet, but they did say that this car's top speed is 84 MPH and has the same EPA mileage rating of the Chevy Volt. Charging the battery only takes about 3-4 hours, half as much time as the Nissan Leaf. The car also features a new interior with new stitchings and a new dashboard with details and specs about your car. The Focus Electric is also MyFord optimized. MyFord is a new system developed hand-in-hand with MapQuest giving you the ability to unlock and lock doors from anywhere in the world. You can also locate your car via MapQuest from anywhere in the world. This app will be available on Blackberries, Androids, and iPhones everywhere. With all this new technology coming out, it seems that we have entered the future. No pricing has been revealed for this car, but it will be sold in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Detroit, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Tucson, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Richmond, Seattle, and Washington D.C. Check out the video below to see this car in action.
What's with this car? Ever since its release, it's been receiving all sorts of praise. It's the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year for bringing the future of motoring to our doorstep. Automobile Magazine have also named this car their Car of the Year for being a car that is unlike any vehicle they have ever driven. It's the Green Journal Green Car of the Year for being one of the first affordable electric vehicles. It's on the Car and Driver 10Best list for being futuristic; that's the first time C&D ever put an electric car on their 10Best list. It just so happens that this car is in the running for North American Car of the Year against the Nissan Leaf, another electric car, and the Hyundai Sonata. This is truly amazing because this car made it out of a list of really good cars like the Infiniti M, the Audi A8, and even the noble Jaguar XJ! I think I'll have to drive this car for myself to see just what makes it so applaudable. But anyway, Chevy has come a very long way to make it back on the top as one of the best automotive companies on earth. If the Volt wins the North American Car of the Year, it will definitely change the future of motoring.
