Ford

Ford Focus Electric Hatchback runs exclusively on electricity stored in powerful, advanced high-voltage lithium-ion battery system, which means it never needs a drop of gas. Its electric motor is designed to help reduce energy loss and heat generation, while reducing your carbon footprint.

The Focus Electric Hatchback is powered by a 23 kwh high-voltage, lightweight lithium-ion battery system. It uses an advanced active liquid cooling and heating process to regulate battery temperature and help maximize battery life, so you can get the most miles out of each charge.

240-Volt Charging Station

To charge the high-voltage, lithium-ion batteries of the Focus Electric more quickly, you can have an optional 240-volt charging station installed. It gives you a full charge in approximately 3 to 4 hours. Focus Electric also comes with a standard 120-volt convenience cord, which allows you to charge the batteries in your own garage, using a standard 120-volt household outlet.

Illuminated Charge Port

You’ll always know when your car is fully charged and ready to go. When you plug the connector cord into the Focus Electric charge port – located between the driver’s door and front wheel well – it activates light rings around the port to indicate that it’s connected. When the rings are flashing, that means a charge is in progress. When all rings are solidly lit, the charge is completed.

Single-Speed Transmission

The single-speed transmission is built specifically to handle the high rpm range that comes with an all-electric motor. It not only helps give you a quiet, energy-efficient ride, but also delivers quick responsiveness and smooth acceleration.

Eco-Friendly Seats

The standard innovative Earth-friendly cloth seat fabric in Focus Electric is made from 100 percent post-industrial materials – polyester fibers that would have ended up in landfills otherwise. The cushions also use a bio-based polyurethane foam derived from the oils of various plant seeds such as soybeans.

Push-Button Start

You don’t even have to have the keyfob in your hand to unlock or start your car. It can be in your pocket, your handbag, anywhere on you. And once you’re in, you don’t need to dig it out. Simply press the button to start the vehicle and you’re on your way.

Brake Coach

This feature, found in the instrument cluster screen, helps you optimize the use of the car’s regenerative brakes. It displays a graphic that shows the amount of energy captured each time you stop, so you can make adjustments to help maximize your range.

Regenerative Braking

This remarkable technology helps you achieve maximum energy-efficiency. It captures more than 90 percent of the energy normally lost as heat during braking, and recycles it to recharge the battery.

MyFord Touch™ Navigation System

The MyFord Touch™ map-based navigation system inside Focus Electric can help you calculate the routes that give you the most mileage out of each charge. Using the eight-inch touch screen or simple voice commands, you can add your driving destination along with the next planned charging station and let the system coach you on how best to achieve the desired range. The system also provides an EcoRoute option, which gives you the most energy-efficient route to your destination.

MyKey™ Technology

MyKey™ lets you assign separate keys for additional drivers. It’s designed to help parents encourage teenagers to drive responsibly, by programming certain limits such as restricting top vehicle speed to 80 mph or stereo volume to 44 percent of max volume. You can also set the key to give a warning chime when the car’s battery life is starting to get low. And because each key is programmed differently, MyKey™ allows you and any other drivers in your family to customize your own MyFord Touch screens and vehicle settings, without having to worry about the next driver making changes to them.

Competitive MPG

The Focus Electric will offer an mpg equivalent competitive with other electric vehicles on the market (Based on Ford preliminary testing. Class is Small Electric Cars). It comes with a suite of advanced driver information technology to help you better manage your energy consumption and get the most miles out of every charge.

Ford has been perfecting electric vehicle technology for more than a decade. In fact, Ford was the first to introduce a hybrid SUV. Today, Ford is creating the future of electric vehicles with its development of plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles. When introduced, they will be the state of the art in electric vehicle technology. Ford has set the bar very high. And you can be confident these innovative new electric vehicles will live up to that high standard.

The first Wiesmann Roadster was created in 1993 and since then has become a symbol for timeless elegance. The Wiesmann Roadster has evolved continuously since then. To-date, over 680 Roadsters have been produced. There has been a wide range of detailed visual and technical modifications undertaken in recent years. However, the classic design has not been changed in the process.

The body of the Wiesmann Roadster MF3 has captivatingly distinct, curved lines and an unmistakeable face. The roadster MF3 has a body made of glass-fibre reinforced composite material and the power-to-weight ratio of 3.44 kg/hp.

Under the body, the hot-dip galvanised space frame chassis with tremendous torsional rigidity also contributes to the vehicle’s safety. It is aluminium-panelled and equipped with sturdy side-impact protection, a unique detail in the automotive landscape.

The Wiesmann  Roadster’s engine technology comes from the BMW stable. The 6 Cylinder 3.2 Litre 343 HP BMW engine powers the Wiesmann Roadster MF3. The powerful BMW engines are well known for their agility and sporty pretensions, and provide impressive performance in the Wiesmann Roadster. The roadster sprints from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.9 Seconds and has a top speed of only 255 km/h.

Every Wiesmann roadster and GT is therefore genuinely unique and is like no other sports car when it comes to exclusive and individual enjoyment of driving. Continuous upgrading of the interior and modest changes to the external appearance of the Roadster contribute to the fascinating further development of the vehicle design. This is a timeless design combined with time-sustaining German engineering — a true classic for sure.

Experts have designed the world’s first practical flying car aimed at frustrated commuters – and it looks like a Reliant Robin.

The bizarre three-wheeled vehicle promises relief to motorists stuck in traffic jams by turning into an aircraft capable of soaring up to 4,000ft above congested roads. With a top speed of 125mph on land, the Personal Air and Land Vehicle, or PAL-V, corners like a motorbike by automatically tilting as it negotiates each bend. But hidden in its roof and rear are a foldable rotor, propeller and tail section which allow it to take off and fly at speeds up to 120mph.

Its comical appearance betrays its rapid acceleration from 0 to 60 in just 5 seconds – a far cry from Del Boy Trotter’s yellow Robin Reliant in Only Fools and Horses. Its inventors believe that when the the one-seater cars go on sale to the public, they would cost little more than an executive saloon car. When airborne, the PAL-V is similar to the tiny autogyro aircraft Sean Connery flew in the 1967 James Bond movie ‘You Only Live Twice’.

The PAL-V Europe NV’s design includes a rotor on the roof to lift it through the air, and a propeller at the rear to provide forward thrust.

To fly the PAL-V you need a recreational pilot’s licence, which takes between 10 and 20 hours training to obtain, while a normal driver’s licence covers you for use on the road.

Your first questions will probably be: How does it work and why is this suddenly possible now? PAL-V Europe NV started in 1999 to study many technologies and evaluated various concepts. Experts have spent six years developing concept versions and are now building the first commercial prototype with a view to begin manufacturing the vehicles soon. It made numerous designs and patented all its findings, leading to the PAL-V One.

Their target audience are motorists who are fed up with traffic jams. John Bakker, who invented the PAL-V, said: “Since Henry Ford built the Model T Ford, people have been dreaming of a vehicle that could drive and fly.”

PAL-V Europe NV combines the safe and easy principle of flying, the gyrocopter with the recent “tilting car” technology of the Carver . PAL-V has the exclusive rights to all the basic patents covering this magnificent concept. In addition, PAL-V Europe NV has patents pending for, amongst others, a foldable rotor.

After 7 years of concept work, PAL-V Europe NV entered the next phase. It is building the first commercial prototypes to combine all technologies, to fine-tune the design, to start-up production and carry out the market launch of the PAL-V One.

European and American regulations allow people to fly the PAL-V with a sports aviation license. It takes between 20-40 hours getting a pilot’s license while driving can be done with a regular car driver’s license.cense.

In countries with underdeveloped infrastructure it means safe and faster transportation but also in developed countries it will save people lots of time.

Potential customers for professional applications like police surveillance, first aid or courier services as well as consumers for mobility and fun are registering at our company on a daily basis.

The PAL-V is a solution to the increasing levels of congestion in our cities, highways and skyways.

It took almost 90 years before this dream could be realized. Now it will.

It’s fun, it drives like the most sporty solution on the road and it also flies. This will be a revolution in door to door mobility in the near future.

The vehicle needs 165 ft to take off in and just 16ft to land, and it can fly for 340 miles under its fuel-efficient and environmentally certified car engine.

The same engine works for both road and air travel and runs on normal unleaded petrol, which means you can refuel at any roadside service station.

It can be driven and flown using the same controls by switching between two different modes.

On the ground, the slim-line vehicle is as comfortable as a luxury car but has the agility of a motorbike, thanks to its patented “tilting” system.

The single rotor and propeller are folded away until the PAL-V is ready to fly.

In the air, the PAL-V flies under the 4,000 feet floor of commercial air space and can therefore take to the sky without having to file a flight plan.

The autogyro technology means that it can be steered and landed safely even if the engine fails as it descends upright rather than nose-diving.

Unlike a helicopter, the rotor of an autogyro is driven by aerodynamic forces alone once it is in flight.

The PAL-V’s Dutch makers anticipate a time when such vehicles are so widely used that people will fly along sky highways, directed by GPS and using radar to prevent collisions.

They also claim there are already plans to build up to 60 heli-sites across their home country to cope with a new era of air traffic.

Besides, the skill level for good weather flying is very close to that for driving. The new Light Sport Airplane FAA specs call for just 20 hours total time in the aircraft before you are ready to make trips on your own, just about the same time a responsible parent would require of a new driver in the family.

The first Personal Air and Land Vehicle (PAL-V) available for anybody.

Terrafugia, a start-up created by Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winner Carl Dietrich and colleagues at MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is aiming to show off what it calls the Transition “personal air vehicle,” a vehicle resembling an SUV with retractable wings, to the EAA AirVenture Conference in Oshkosh, Wis., at the end of July 2009.

TMIT students, from Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, have successfully flight tested the prototype of a winged car for the first time. This car took off from a runway in Plattsburgh, New York. It flew for 37 seconds. The engine used in this whole exercise was 100 hp Rotax engine that gets 30 mpg on the highway using regular unleaded gasoline.

Carl Dietrich, who runs the Massachusetts-based Terrafugia, said: “This is the first really integrated design where the wings fold up automatically and all the parts are in one vehicle.”

The plane has a 20-gallon tank and 450-mile range. Its speed is 115 mph. The pilot can switch from one mode to another with perfect ease within 30 seconds. How this is achievable? From a pilot you can become a car driver by folding up the wings and shifting the engine power from the rear-mounted propeller to the front wheels.

The MIT students have floated a company named as Terrafugia. They will conduct further tests of the plane for longer duration of fights and hold trial for handling characteristics too. The timing of launch of this flying car is just right. The Federal Aviation Administration has created a new category of plane, Light Sport Aircraft. They have also made provision for a new license category just for pilots of such craft, including Terrafugia’s two-seater Transition. The “sport pilot” license requirement is quite lenient compared to regular pilot’s license. If you want to fly the Transition it will take only about 20 hours of training time.

Carl Dietrich is the Terrafugia CEO and co-founder. He is of the view that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) rule change and the Transition could help alter the way public travels round the country particularly in country areas. He says, “One of the biggest problems pilots have right now is that most of the 5,000 general aviation airports in the U.S. don’t have any car rental facilities, or even a cab stand.” He made his stand clear by saying that the Transition could open many of these underutilized airports to easier, more convenient use by private pilots.

The vehicle may also lead to better safety. If you are a piloting such flying car, you can withstand the bad weather too. If you can detect the conditions of bad weather a little in advance, just fold up the wings and land at the nearest airport and start driving on the roads. Once the storm has passed, take off again from another airport!

If you want to be the owner of a flying car, the company is taking deposits now and hopes to start delivering its first Transitions (“roadable planes”) in late 2011.

Flying cars are technically feasible; Terrafugia points out that inventor Molt Taylor built prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s – but they haven’t been practical from an economic perspective.

Dietrich is optimistic. He said: “In the long term we have the potential to make air travel practical for individuals at a price that would meet or beat driving, with huge time savings.”

Nissan Motor Company

“The exterior incorporates a soft, sleek-looking body that appears to be protected by a special armor,” explains Takashi Nakajima, Nissan’s Project Design Director. “And while it is very mechanical in its nature, the four-wheeler boasts a dynamic body design that almost seems alive. As part of Nissan’s expanding zero emission family, the Nissan Land Glider Concept exudes a clean, friendly attitude.”

Technical Specifications

• Length: 3,100 mm;
• Width: 1,100 mm;
• Height: 1,415 mm;
• Wheelbase: 2,180 mm;
• Seating Capacity: 2 seats.

The Nissan Land Glider Concept is targeted at inhabitants of the city of all generations. It is a serious auto statement of the future era of mobility that Nissan intends to lead.

To ensure the high level of safety whilst driving, engineers have fitted a car-robotics style accident avoidance system in which sensors mounted in the body detect other vehicles in the same way as fish swim in schools without colliding. This system directs the vehicle’s path away from any obstacles.

In creating the Nissan Land Glider concept, designers of Nissan Motor Company have conceived an absolutely new form of personal zero emission mobility that combines clever, new driving experiences, all-in-one compact, 4-wheeled package.

Honda

Honda P-NUT, according to representatives of the Japanese company, demonstrates the vision of designers that might look like ultra-compact city vehicle in 10-15 years.

Honda says the P-NUT is ready for one of three possible powertrains: an efficient gas engine, a gas-electric hybrid, or a pure electric set up.

The central driving position will be flanked by two rear seats and has been built to provide ample legroom. All of 11.2 x 5.7 x 4.6 feet size, it has its rear seats with a foldable option in case you need more storage space. Honda says legroom for all occupants is the equivalent of a mid-sized sedan.

Falling in the micro-car category, the concept P-NUT is designed for cities and tight urban areas with its small, micro-car footprint.

Honda has conceptualized the design with exteriors making the car a single piece combination windshield and roof. The windshield serves as a head-up display for the navigation system.

“A new generation is discovering the benefits of living in urban centers that provide convenient access to business, entertainment and social opportunities,” said Dave Marek, director of advanced design at Honda’s U.S. R&D center. “The Personal-Neo Urban Transport concept explores the packaging and design potential for a vehicle conceived exclusively around the city lifestyle.”

Specifications:

• Length: 3,400 mm
• Width: 1,750 mm
• Height: 1,439 mm
• Powertrain: Internal-combustion engine, hybrid-electric or battery-electric
• Size class: Ultra-compact
• Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
• Passengers: 3

The Jaguar XJ is built on a light and strong all-aluminum structure. Two engine options are available: a 300-hp 4.2-liter V8, or a 400-hp 4.2-liter supercharged V8. Both engines send power through a six-speed automatic transmission. An adjustable air suspension is responsible for the XJ’s impressive road handling abilities and luxurious ride. Safety features part include advance dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, and front side-impact airbags. Anti-lock brakes, traction control, and auto electronic stability control are standard.

At the gas pump, the EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy for the Jaguar XJ at 16/25 mpg. All  Jaguar XJ models require premium fuel.

The 2009 Jaguar XJ8 and XJ8 L add new standard equipment, including a DVD-based navigation system, 320-watt Alpine Premium Surround Sound audio system and a twin-needle stitched and tailored dash cover.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

It is absolutely new car model because it evokes a sense of “adventure and technical innovation,” as well as “flair and style.”

“Simplicity is the hardest part in design principle to follow. It’s at the heart of our approach to Ghost. Seductively simple, it offers the presence you’d expect from a Rolls-Royce underpinned by the latest technology and ideas in luxury car design. Ghost is the essence of Rolls-Royce in its simplest, purest form. Every inch delivers on the power of simplicity.” – Rolls-Royce says.

Rolls-Royce also announced final specifications for the advance new car. The 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 will pump out 563 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque and will mate to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. Rolls-Royce says the engine has also been retuned for more low-end torque, to provide a quieter and more relaxing driving experience in the tradition of the company’s cars.

The Ghost can shuffle you to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, despite weighing 2.4 tones. The top speed will be achieved at 155 mph. Base price for the Ghost is between €200,000 and €300,000.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost aims to be the next great superlux car, competing with storied auto marques like Bentley and Aston by offering both a sumptuous cabin and engaging driving dynamics.

At 212.6 inches long, with a 129.7 inch wheelbase, 76.7 inches wide, and 61 inches tall. In pictures, the Ghost looks small by Rolls standards, yet the new Rolls-Royce is slightly longer and taller than the Bentley, but a smidge narrower and it’s seven inches larger than the BMW 7-Series.

The Continental lineup also includes GT coupe and GTC convertible versions, and we expect two-door and drop top iterations of the Ghost to launch after the sedan.

Every Ferrari is the result of an uncompromising design approach that integrates styling and aerodynamic requirements. The Pininfarina design features compact, aerodynamic lines, underscoring the concepts of performance-oriented efficiency that inspired the project.

“Just brilliant to drive, it worths its price” published Autocar, 10 November 2009.

The new model is a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology, characteristics for which Italy as a nation is well-known. For this reason Ferrari chose to add the name of its homeland to the traditional figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders.
The Ferrari 458 Italia is a completely new car from every part and point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics, just to name a few.

Ferrari 458 Italia Technical Specifications:

Dimensions and weight

• Overall length 4527 mm/178.2 in
• Overall width 1937 mm/76.3 in
• Height 1213 mm/47.8 in
• Wheelbase 2650 mm/104.3 in
• Front track 1672 mm/65.8 in
• Rear track 1606 mm/63.2 in
• Kerb weight 1485 kg/3274 lb
• Dry weight 1380 kg/3042 lb
• Weight distribution 42% front – 58% rear
• Boot capacity 230 l/8.1cu ft
• Fuel tank capacity 86 l/22.7 US gall./18.9 Imp. gall.

Engine

• Type V8 – 90°
• Total displacement 4499 cc/274.5 cu in
• Bore/stroke 94×81 mm/ 3.7×3.2 in
• Maximum power 425kW (570CV) @ 9000 rpm
• Maximum torque 540Nm (398lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm
• Specific output 127 CV/litre/1.55 kW/cu in
• Maximum revs per minute 9000 rpm
• Compression ratio 12.5:1

Performance

• Maximum speed >325 km/h/>202 mph
• Dry weight/power ratio 2.42 kg/CV/7.16lb/kW

Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions

• Fuel consumption (European market version) 13.3 l/100km
• CO2 Emission (European market version) 307g CO2/km

Electronics

E-Diff3, F1-Trac, High-Performance ABS

source Ferrari

The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV new hybrid-electric system can operate in several modes including pure electro vehicle, series hybrid, parallel hybrid, charging, regenerative, and power supply mode.

The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV car is powered by a 114-horsepower, 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine and two electric motors; one turns the front wheels, the other is for the rear. The vehicle can run in all-electric or gasoline-electric modes.

Powered by the new Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid System, which significantly extends the frequency an advanced hybrid vehicle is driven in electro vehicle  mode, the Mitsubishi Concept-PX MiEV returns fuel economy better than 2.0L/100km.

As with the production i-MiEV, Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV features a 3-way battery charging system using either a 100-volt or a 200-volt domestic supply or a high-power quick-charging station. The system also incorporates a Wireless Charging Program feature that allows the owner to start charging the battery or start the air conditioner at a preset time even when away from the vehicle.

Besides the hybrid system the concept car also brings Mitsubishi’s all-new S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control), which utilizes E-AYC (Electric-powered Active Yaw Control) that transfers torque to the rear left and right wheels.

Interior design is replete with high-tech, soft-touch materials such as seat upholstery that destroys allergens, kills bacteria, and breaks down odors and volatile organic compounds, all while offering heating and cooling features for all four passengers. Heat-reflecting windows and exterior paint and lots of insulation help regulate the interior temperature and cut energy usage by the automatic climate control system. Regarding the design, the new vehicle features an exterior design suitable for a next-generation crossover and includes LED headlamps and rear lamps, a newly-developed metal color and a new road wheel design that improves brake cooling and aerodynamic performance.

Other advanced technology on the PX-MiEV includes the new Multi-around Monitor system. Mitsubishi has strategically placed cameras around the exterior of the vehicle to give a complete panoramic view of the area around the vehicle to aid in parking.