Showing posts with label Industry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Industry. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Official: 2011 Dodge Journey


Chrysler is continuing to update its lineup with fresh interiors and engines. The 2011 Dodge Journey is powered by a new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that delivers 20% more boost than the previous unit. With this engine, the 2011 Dodge Journey develops 283 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The power is sent to the wheels via a six-speed transmission.

The exterior of the 2011 Dodge Journey hasn’t received many upgrades, shy of the new Dodge brand grille surrounded in black honeycomb with some enlarged foglights in the lower fascia.  Dodge teases that the new V6 models will include a sportier front fascia with late availability for those models and you can see from the picture in the slideshow on the left that very little has changed on the outside of the 2011 Journey… but the inside is another story.

The interior remains a five- or seven-seat configuration, but gets what Dodge calls "world-class levels of craftsmanship and comfort." If the Journey follows on the success of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango, the claim may not be far off the mark. The new Journey interior redesign includes a larger instrument cluster with a center-positioned, full-color electronic vehicle information center, a center stack that's sculpted to be more comfortable for the driver's knees, more cushioning on the center console, redesigned seats, repositioned cupholders, a larger center storage bin, and a range of six new interior colors and trims.

Revised steering and suspension geometry round out the mechanical updates for the tweaked Journey, along with reduced noise, vibration and harshness thanks to higher-quality sound-deadening materials.


2011 Dodge Journey 2011 Dodge Journey 2011 Dodge Journey 2011 Dodge Journey


Press Release

2011 Dodge Journey Crosses Over: A Gorgeous New Spirit and a Driver’s Soul


It's not over yet. Dodge continues to unleash new products to the market, today introducing the new 2011 Dodge Journey, its mid-size crossover with "right sized" proportions, five- or seven-passenger seating, innovative storage solutions, abundant safety and security features, all-wheel drive capability and models packaged for a variety of lifestyles.

For 2011, Dodge takes what was good and makes it better. The Dodge Journey receives a major overhaul with a completely redesigned and retuned suspension, a new V-6 engine and a gorgeous new interior. And that's not all. Journey also features the latest and greatest in vehicle connectivity and customization with the Chrysler Group's new PowerNet electrical architecture. Owners will feel like they have the world at their fingertips with the Journey's available touch-screen command center, Uconnect Touch.

From navigation to dual-zone climate controls to the ability to check fuel prices, the all-new Uconnect Touch media center makes life in the new 2011 Dodge Journey an excellent adventure for the driver and passengers. Four Uconnect Touch models are available, all featuring easy-to-use controls and class-leading technology. With its touch-screen display and user-friendly touch-key categories, connecting and controlling personal devices is simple, intuitive and customizable.

The 2011 Dodge Journey is nimble, composed and handles well in all driving and road conditions. Chrysler Group engineers improved routine ride handling by re-engineering the suspension geometry, adding new, improved premium tires and redesigning the steering for a more precise and coordinated response. Overall, customers will be treated to an energetic, fun-to-drive experience behind the wheel.

In addition, at 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2011 Dodge Journey equipped with the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivers a 20 percent boost in power compared with the V-6 engine it replaces. It's mated to the smooth-shifting six-speed transmission.

Drivers also will be treated to a smooth, quiet ride. Engineers reduced noise, vibration and harshness by installing new, premium sound-deadening treatments and insulation throughout the vehicle.

But perhaps the most rewarding surprise is Journey's new interior. Customers will step into world-class levels of craftsmanship and comfort. A beautifully crafted one-piece instrument panel sets the tone. A new, larger cluster with standard electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) is positioned in the center of the new gauges. It's a full-color display backlit in Dodge red lights, giving it a soft glow unlike any in the segment. New, integrated center stack bezels are less angular and more sculpted, and designers softened the radius to make more room for the driver's knees. The heating and cooling outlets are also redesigned to make them better looking and better functioning.

The center console gets a lot of extra cushion on the tilt-and-slide armrest. Lift the lid, and there's a larger center storage bin with a 12-volt outlet and USB port where owners can hook up their MP3/iPod charging connections and hide them away.

The design team also worked to make the Journey's interior more comfortable. They moved the shifter and cupholders, making it easier for drivers and passengers to get their coffee and soda without having to lean over and under the dash. There's also a larger front storage bin with side nets. The new multi-functioning three-spoke Dodge brand steering wheel with integrated controls and a wider, longer, soft-touch armrest transform the driver's seat into a cockpit-like experience. Comfortable new seats might just make drivers want to take the long way home to get a little extra seat time. The Dodge Journey offers six new interior color and trims to complete the makeover.

On the outside, Journey maintains its sculpted, clean, aggressive lines, and adds a new front fascia that sports the signature Dodge Brand "split crosshair" honeycomb grille. The fog lamp bezels are bigger and bolder, and Journey models with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 get a new, unique more aggressive lower fascia with the honeycomb texture in the grille (late availability). New 19-inch wheels, a new, less angular rear fascia and "ring of fire" LED taillamps wrap it up from front to back.

Journey also is loaded with an abundance of safety and security features, including: standard advanced multi-stage front passenger air bags, active head restraints, electronic stability control (ESC) with all-speed traction control, electronic roll mitigation and brake assist, new driver-side knee blocker air bag, supplemental side-curtain air bags covering all three rows, supplemental front-seat-mounted side air bags, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, LATCH child seat anchor system and trailer sway control.

The Dodge Journey is built in at Chrysler Group LLC's Toluca Assembly Plant in Toluca, Mexico. It will arrive in U.S. dealerships in fourth quarter of 2010.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

GM Backtracks On Plan To Nix Chevy Nickname [Video]


General Motors Co. on Thursday backed off a "poorly worded" internal memo that asked employees to refer to the brand only as "Chevrolet" -- not its long-standing nickname -- in an effort to create consistency.

In the original memo, employees were discouraged from using the "Chevy" nickname for the Chevrolet brand. GM later issued a statement to clarify the intention of the memo, saying that it was only meant to help establish Chevrolet as a global brand and that employees needed to be more focused in their communications in referencing the brand.

General Motors said " 'Chevy' will continue to reflect the enthusiasm of customers and fans."
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The internal memo was part of an effort to develop a consistent brand name as it establishes a significant global presence.

In a video also issued by GM to correct itself, Alan S. Batey, vice president for Chevrolet sales and service, said, "Chevy is our nickname. It comes from selling vehicles here in the U.S. for 100 years. We love it when people call us Chevy." Batey was one of the two GM officials who signed the original memo.

On Facebook, brand pages include Chevy Camaro, Chevy Silverado and Team Chevy.

General Motors also stated that they were reconsidering resurrecting the talifin. A sudden resurgence of the love for the 1959 Chevrolet is rumored to be the reason.





Press Release

Statement on the use of Chevrolet and Chevy

"Chevy" will continue to reflect the enthusiasm of customers and fans

2010-06-10 DETROIT -- Today's emotional debate over a poorly worded memo on our use of the Chevrolet brand is a good reminder of how passionately people feel about Chevrolet. It is a passion we share and one we do not take for granted.

We love Chevy. In no way are we discouraging customers or fans from using the name. We deeply appreciate the emotional connections that millions of people have for Chevrolet and its products.

In global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet, and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes. The memo in question was one step in that process.

We hope people around the world will continue to fall in love with Chevrolets and smile when they call their favorite car, truck or crossover "Chevy."

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Volvo Concept Truck 2020


Swedish manufacturer Volvo Trucks recently unveiled the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 design concept, The Volvo Concept Truck 2020 displays a long distance vehicle, which can be combined in length, equipped with autopilot. The Volvo Concept Truck 2020 will be able to drive non-stop in nose-to-tail convoys that run at 90 km/h (56 mph) while the cars communicate with each other via a wireless connection.

Moving on to driver’s comfort, the driver’s seat looks more like a modern office chair with a thin ventilated mesh backrest. Behind the driver seat you will find a futon sofa which can be turned into a wide comfortable bed. The luxury experience is further complemented by the customizable lighting that can be changed as per in-cab tasks or resting. The driver may also control the privacy screening and blackout electronically.

Outside, the concept truck features LED headlamps and turn indicators that are integrated into the front of the vehicle. The rear-view mirrors have been replaced by cameras, while images are projected onto the inside of the windscreen.

The Concept Truck 2020 has rear-view cameras that project an image onto the inside of the windscreen and helps the driver to orientate better, LED headlamps and indicators, and collision protection panels on the truck's nose.


Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020 Volvo Concept Truck 2020


Press Release

TRUCKS OF THE FUTURE; CLOSER TO REALITY THAN YOU THINK

Progress is getting ever faster. In just ten years' time trucks are going to be a lot different to those of today. At least that is according to Rikard Orell, Design Director at Volvo Truck Corporation and one of the brains behind Concept Truck 2020, the Volvo Truck Corporation's bold vision for the future.

Long distance haulage for the future: long combinations, controlled by autopilot, driven non-stop in nose-to-tail convoys on green super-motorways linking the continents.

This is the vision of the future that generated the ideas behind the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 design concept. But will it really look like this in just ten years?

"That is the whole point," says Rikard Orell Design Director at Volvo Trucks. "Progress is getting ever faster. Because of this our vision for the future is not that far away. Much of the technology in the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 is already available; other technology needs to be developed. One needs to dare to stride firmly into the debate, demonstrating what one can and will do. Just tinkering at the edges runs the risk of progress slipping away."

Safer and more efficient commercial transport

As road transport expands it must also become safer and more efficient. Volvo's design concept contains ideas about how that can be achieved. Some of these ideas can be integrated into production today, while others are there to arouse interest and start a discussion.

One of the more startling ideas is to link vehicles together wirelessly into long road-trains that rush across the continents at 90 km/h (56 mph).

"This will be possible when the transport sector's vision of green corridors becomes reality," says Rikard Orell. "Here heavy goods vehicles are separated from other traffic, driving in their own lanes, rather like a railway, but without the rails."

There are many advantages. Road safety increases, transport services require less space and wear and tear on the roads decreases. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions drop thanks to reduced drag when a truck is in the slipstream of the vehicle in front. In addition the driver can rest behind the wheel while the truck effectively drives itself. If this is counted as idle time, transport times can be cut, deliveries will be made more quickly and drivers can get back to their friends and families earlier.

Spacious and airy driver environment

The driver is at the centre of Volvo's world. It goes without saying that a design concept from Volvo Trucks contains a great many ideas about the development of the driver environment. In the Volvo Concept Truck 2020 the driver's environment is spacious, airy and free of disruption.

"We have replaced the traditional dashboard with a thin film panel on which information is tailored to suit the driver," says Rikard Orell. "The panel is operated like a touchpad, just like an iPhone. We have saved a lot of space that way."

Another space-saving idea is the sleek driver's seat with its thin, ventilated mesh backrest, more like a modern office chair than a traditional driver's seat. Behind the driver is a futon sofa which folds out into a wide, comfortable bed in the evening.

The lighting in the cab is divided into zones customised for the driver's various in-cab tasks, or for resting. Around the driver are large areas of glass providing good visibility out of the vehicle and even into it. This benefits eye contact between the driver and other road users preventing accidents. Privacy screening and blackout in the evening are also controlled electronically.

Aerodynamic collision protection

The design team also aimed for a sleek look for the exterior, reducing the perception of the vehicle's size. The LED headlamps and indicators are integrated into the front of the vehicle. The rear-view mirrors have been replaced by cameras that project their images onto the inside of the windscreen.

The lower section of the front of the vehicle features integrated collision protection projecting forwards about half a metre. This ‘nose' is gentler on oncoming cars in the event of a head-on collision and has also been shown to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle.

As Rikard Orell points out, "Because the nose is a safety function, our starting point has been that it does not count as part of the maximum permitted vehicle length, just as rear-view mirrors today are outside the maximum permitted width."

Some things you just do not change. The ‘Globetrotter' sign on the roof is still there, but has been redesigned so that it harmonises with the lines of the vehicle and reduces drag. The driver can also change the text on the sign from the instrument panel.

The rear end is the next stage

So work on the external design focuses largely on aerodynamics, but by how much is it really possible to reduce drag on a truck ?

"We have come so far with the front of the vehicle that further changes to the basic shape provide only marginal improvements," says Rikard Orell. "However, a lot will happen when we start work on the design of the rear end of the vehicle. There is a great deal of untapped aerodynamic potential there."


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

BMW will build electric cars in Leipzig

BMW ActiveE Concept

BMW plans to assemble their electric cars at a manufacturing facility in Leipzig, Germany. Amongst these vehicles is a subcompact, referred to internally as the "Megacity," which the automaker plans to release midway through 2013 with a different name.

BMW ActiveE Concept

“The BMW Group will build the car of the future in Leipzig with high-tech innovations from Bavaria,” BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said in a statement. “The main reasons behind this decision are the qualities that Germany has to offer: we have a tried-and-tested production network here and high levels of education and outstanding competencies at our disposal.”

BMW ActiveE Concept

BMW plans to launch an entire family of electric vehicles from the Megacity subcompact, which is designed for major metropolitan areas. BMW hasn't decided on a production name for the car.

BMW ActiveE Concept

A heavy use of carbon fiber will help keep the Megacity lightweight. A joint venture with BMW and SGL Group will produce a carbon fiber fabric that will later become carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The automaker has not said what parts will be made from the material.

BMW ActiveE Concept

At the Detroit auto show in January, BMW presented its ActiveE concept, an electric-drive vehicle based on the 1-series coupe. Next year, BMW development chief Klaus Draeger plans to launch another test fleet of electric cars based on the ActiveE.
More Photos

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Geneva Motor Show: Valmet Eva

Valmet Eva

The new electric concept vehicle of Valmet Automotive gets its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2-14th. "Eva" represents the company's latest know-how in new ecological vehicle technologies.

The concept vehicle is a 2+2 seat electric city car with a range of up to 160 km per one charge. In engineering the vehicle, lightweight and safe body structures have been combined with innovative electric and recharging systems.

Fortum, a leading energy company focusing on the Nordic countries, Russia and the Baltic Rim area, brought to the project its extensive know-how in recharging systems. Thanks to the cooperation with Nokia, the car is equipped with a pioneering Human Machine Interface through mobile handset connectivity. The booth will also showcase a demo based on NAVTEQ's high-quality map data and content which enables green routing and driving functionality use cases.

Valmet Eva

Valmet Automotive is a forerunner in engineering and manufacturing electric vehicles. Already last year the company started the series production of one of the world's first urban electric vehicle, the THINK City, as well as the luxury Golf Car Garia. Valmet Automotive is also an engineering and manufacturing partner of the world's first premium plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Fisker Karma. The production of the Karma will start later this year.

The manufacturing of Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayman represents Valmet Automotive's experience and recognized know-how in the production of premium vehicles.

In line with its new strategy, Valmet Automotive today offers to its automotive customers a large portfolio of services from product and process engineering up to series manufacturing and business services.
Photos:zercustoms

Thursday, February 4, 2010

VW intends to topple Toyota



10 million sales by 2018 is new goal

BY ANDREAS CREMER
BLOOMBERG NEWS

Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, said it plans to increase sales to more than 10 million vehicles by 2018 as it seeks to dethrone Japan's Toyota.

VW's management board approved business targets, including profit margins, measured by earnings before interest and taxes, of at least 5% for the automotive business in the "medium term," Wolfsburg, Germany-based Volkswagen said in a statement Wednesday. The target doesn't include Porsche, which will be integrated by 2011, it said.

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has a target of beating Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, in global deliveries and profit margins. VW sold 6.29 million cars and SUVsworldwide last year, an increase of 1.1% from 2008. Toyota said last month that 2009 vehicle sales, including those of affiliates, fell 13% to 7.81 million vehicles.

"It shows plenty of ambition in the whole Volkswagen Group," said Stephen Pope, chief global equity strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald in London. "By being able to learn from Porsche's discipline, it gives them that extra springboard."

By 2018, Volkswagen, which includes the Audi luxury division and Czech unit Skoda, should have a pretax profit that exceeds 8% of sales, the company said.

Volkswagen shares fell 18 cents, or 0.3%, to 65.72 euros after rising as much as 1% on the Frankfurt exchange before the announcement. The automaker has a market value of 25.7 billion euros ($36 billion).

"With the implementation of 'Strategy 2018,' the Volkswagen group is seeking global economic and environmental leadership in the automotive industry by 2018," VW said in its statement. The plan would include "significant cost cutting, in part through the more prominent use of the modular design principle."

VW foresees steps to promote research and development of hybrid and electric cars, according to the statement. VW will also maintain "strict discipline" on spending and aim to keep the expenditure on fixed assets in automaking at about 6% of sales in the medium and long term.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Video: MINI E Drivers Delighted with Electric Vehicle Experience


UCDavis study shows participants enjoy driving MINI E. Feedback sets stage for next phase of BMW Group Mega-City Vehicle initiative
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - January 26, 2010 12:55pm EST... The BMW Group today announced at the Washington Auto Show the first results from a comprehensive study conducted in cooperation with the University of California (UC Davis) and consumers leasing MINI E electic vehicles as part of a year-long program to acquire real world use patterns. The MINI E program is the first large population field test of current generation electric vehicles and therefore sheds a realistic light on both the opportunities and challenges from this innovative new form of mobility.

All-Electric Mini E

The UC Davis study results of 57 drivers, combined with updates continually provided from the log books of all 450 users show the following:
  • The range of about 100 miles is sufficient for most daily needs
  • Charging at home provides enough energy for most daily driving
  • Demand for additional charging is centered on the place of work, or where sufficient time is spent during the day (shopping centers, stadiums, etc.)
  • Driving the MINI E is a delightful experience and there is no sacrifice of "real car" values
  • Unmet demands focus on having enough space for four passengers and more cargo to stimulate even more use of an electric vehicle

All-Electric Mini E

"There's been a lot of conjecture about electric vehicle user demands and being the first to the market with obtaining ‘real world use' patterns, we're now able to shed some accurate light on this subject," said Rich Steinberg, Manager - EV Operations and Strategy for BMW of North America. "What they shared with us is that, for the most part, the MINI E suits their daily driving needs and that they really enjoy driving it. This makes us optimistic that electric vehicles have a role in the future of mobility in America by being a part of the overall vehicle mix."

All Electric Mini E

More than 1,800 people and organizations applied to be part of this ground-breaking field trial of 450 MINI Es now on the road in the US. From that, 450 were selected based on specific criteria that included the amount and type of use in which they would engage, home suitability to installation of a fast charging system and desire to be engaged in a field trial that requires continual feedback.

All-Electric Mini E

MINI E drivers provide ongoing feedback that has already proven invaluable to the development work being done by the BMW Group's Project i on what is called a Mega-City Vehicle - the company's innovative program to develop a volume transportation solution to the demands of the world's biggest cities in the 21st century. This vehicle is scheduled to be introduced just before the mid-point of this decade.

All-Electric Mini E

The self-selected group of 57 that agreed to participate in the UC Davis survey is part of a more extensive research project. Feedback from this program shows that the range of the MINI E enables drivers to use it for most daily driving needs. Reported range under normal circumstances varies between 70 - 100 miles with 45 percent reporting a typical range of 100 miles. MINI E drivers reported an average trip length of approximately 30 miles. Other studies have found that driver's in the US average about 40 miles per day1. This makes the range of the MINI E suitable for most daily driving needs.

All Electric Mini E

Many households in the study have replaced the primary vehicle of one driver with the MINI E. One-third of the participants have reported driving the MINI E even more than the household vehicle it replaced. The lack of a back seat and a usable trunk, rather than range, is most often the reason the MINI E is not chosen for a particular outing.
Drivers have also reported that driving the MINI E is fun. Most adapted quickly to the characteristics of the Brake Energy Regeneration function and like the feeling of control it gives them in being able to proactively extend the range of their MINI E by how they drive. Brake Energy Regeneration captures energy ordinarily lost on deceleration and coverts it into electrical energy to recharge the batteries. All drivers in the US study said they enjoy using one pedal to accelerate and decelerate. Many reported that once they became acustomed to the BER function, they enjoyed driving their conventional vehicles less.

All-Electric Mini E

The study found that keeping the MINI E charged did not pose a problem. Recharging in the US requires four - five hours and, while it wasn't always necessary based on their driving needs, about half of the drivers in the study report recharging daily as a matter of routine. Additional recharging away from their home charging station by-and-large proved unnecessary.

All-Electric Mini E

This first field-trial has provided Project i with invaluable insight as it prepares for its second field trial with the BMW ActiveE. The electric drivetrain developed for the BMW ActiveE will be used in the BMW Group's first Mega-City Vehicle. The newly developed and more compact lithium-ion battery pack in the BMW ActiveE vehicle features liquid heating and cooling in order to provide a more consistent and predicatable driving range. Smartphone apps will enable the user to remotely check the available range of the BMW ActiveE's battery. The apps will also enable the driver to begin heating or cooling the interior of the BMW ActiveE and thus the battery while still connected to the grid. This will allow the battery to function at its optimal operating temperature without affecting the range of the car.

All-Electric Mini E

The field trial for the BMW ActiveE will begin in 2011. As announced at the North American International Auto Show earlier this month, lease extensions will be offered to a number of MINI E drivers who wish to continue their electric driving experience until the BMW ActiveE becomes available.until the BMW ActiveE becomes available.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

GM To Be First Major U.S. Automaker to Manufacture Electric Motors

GM Announces it Will Design and Manufacture Electic Motors

  • Electric traction motors are ‘engines' for electric vehicles and hybrids
  • First GM electric motors will debut in next-generation rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrids
  • Total investment of $246 million in electric motor and electric drive facilities in the U.S.

WASHINGTON - GM will expand its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities by becoming the first major U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors, a core technology for hybrids and electric vehicles.

By doing so, GM will lower costs and improve performance, quality, reliability and manufacturability of electric motors by controlling design, materials selection and production processes. The first GM-designed and built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in next-generation, rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrid technology.

GM Announces it Will Design and Manufacture Electic Motors

"Electric motor innovation supported the first wave of automotive growth a century ago with the electric starter, which eliminated the need for a hand crank, and revolutionized automotive travel for the customer," said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. "We think the electrification of today's automobiles will be just as revolutionary and just as beneficial to our customers. Electric motors will play a huge role in that."

In conventional cars and trucks, automakers design and manufacture engines to efficiently use energy provided from a gas tank to provide power to the wheels. Motors and batteries, respectively, fill that role in hybrid and electric vehicles. As the range and speed of electric-only propulsion increase, so do the importance of motors and batteries.

GM Announces it Will Design and Manufacture Electic Motors

Electric vehicles are powered solely by electric motors, while hybrid vehicles also use an internal combustion engine for propulsion. GM's next-generation rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrid system will use two unique motor designs and an internal combustion engine to provide improved fuel efficiency compared with the current Two-mode Hybrid technology in GM's full-size pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles.

"In the future, electric motors might become as important to GM as engines are now," Stephens said. "By designing and manufacturing electric motors in-house, we can more efficiently use energy from batteries as they evolve, potentially reducing cost and weight - two significant challenges facing batteries today."

GM Announces it Will Design and Manufacture Electic Motors

GM has been building this in-house capability for years, expanding electric motor research and development, design and validation capabilities at facilities in Michigan, Indiana and California. GM also has developed state-of-the-art math-based design and computing capacity for electric motors. The electric motors will be manufactured in the U.S. at a GM facility.

GM was selected in August by the U.S. Department of Energy for a $105-million grant for the construction of U.S. manufacturing capabilities to produce electric motors and related electric drive components. "The new GM is about speed, and we are delivering quickly on the government's desire to grow domestic expertise in electric vehicle technologies, such as batteries and electric motors," Stephens said.

GM Announces it Will Design and Manufacture Electic Motors

Similar to today's internal combustion engines, automotive electric motors require an unparalleled combination of exceptionally low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH); high reliability and affordability that is achievable only by understanding the entire value chain. In addition to growing in-house capabilities, GM will continue to purchase and co-design electric motors with suppliers.

"This is a strategy we use today with batteries," Stephens said. "We are partnering with suppliers to create innovations faster than ever before. Our goal is simply to establish GM as a leader in automotive electric motors. We see that leadership as a key enabler - both to our long-term success and to our nation's move away from oil dependence."
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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Entry-level Ariel Atom 3 priced from $49,980


For 2010, the Ariel Atom becomes more attainable. Well, just. TMI AutoTech, the U.S. builders of the highly worshipped track toy, has introduced an entry-level Atom for $49,980.


The engine is still the Japanese-spec 2.0L Honda mill, though here it makes 219 hp. Keep in mind, there are just 1375-lbs to haul; TMI claims acceleration to 60 mph takes 2.9 seconds. Or, if you want silly, the naturally aspirated 245-hp and supercharged 300-hp variants are still available. TMI also offers a rolling chassis to customers who want to add their own drivetrain.


All models feature a six-speed manual with close ratios, limited-slip differential, PBR single-piston floating disc brakes, and Bilstein suspension. Options include Wilwood and Alcon brake packages, adjustable Bilstein suspension, chromoly aerofoil wishbones, quick-release steering wheel, and carbon fiber bodywork, among others.


Source: TMI AutoTech via Motor Trend