Nissan testing electric version of NV200 compact commercial van

Nissan has announced it will begin global proving tests of an electric vehicle based on its NV200 compact commercial van this month. Since going on sale is Europe and Japan in 2009, the gasoline-fueled NV200 compact commercial van has picked up numerous awards. It was also also recently chosen as the next generation New York taxi, so the announcement of an electric version offers up the possibility that at least some of New York's iconic yellow cabs may soon be getting a green tinge.

To evaluate the electrified NV200's capabilities under normal customer usage conditions, the first phase of testing will see one vehicle provided to the Japan Post Service to carry out postal collection and delivery tasks for approximately two months in the city of Yokohama. Following this, other companies will carry out similar proving tests in Japan and Europe.

The gasoline-fueled NV200 first appeared as a concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show sporting a sliding removable pod design with the cargo pod sliding out to provide space for a mobile office inside the van. Unfortunately, that feature didn't make it to the production model, which has been available in Japan and Europe since 2009 and in China and Singapore from 2010. Future launches are also planned for the U.S. and India.

In May this year, the NV200 was selected as the exclusive taxi for New York for a period of ten years, beginning in 2013. Nissan and the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) have already signaled their support for electric vehicles with Nissan also providing up to six all-electric Nissan LEAFs to New York taxi owners in 2012 as part of a pilot program to study the use of electric vehicles as taxis.

So although Nissan is only at the early testing phase of the electric NV200, if all goes well then there's a possibility that at least some of the more than 13,000 strong New York taxi fleet will be made up of electric NV200s at some point over the contract period.-gizmag.com

Toyota's Electric-Car Hat Trick: Three New EVs for 2012

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV Prototype

Enlarge Photo

It’s official: next yearToyota will launch not one, but three plug-in vehicles in the year ahead. 

Announced at Toyota’s Annual National Dealer meeting in Las Vegas, the trio of vehicles will consist of one plug-inhybrid and two pure electric vehicles to the U.S. market by the end of 2012. 

While each vehicle will be an electric adaptation of an existing car, Toyota’s new plug-in vehicles span a range of uses and lifestyles, from city runabouts through to long-legged commuting vehicles. 

Here’s a quick guide to the three plug-in cars you’ll see from Toyota next year. 

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV

As promised last year at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and featuring a drivetrain developed in partnership with Californian electric automaker TeslaMotors, the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV will be a no-compromise electric drivetrain version of Toyota’s existing RAV4. 

Toyota claims the RAV4 EV will have the same luggage capacity as its gasoline sibling, and almost identical performance, thanks to the Tesla engineered battery pack and drivetrain. 

From a market perspective, the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV should be a roaring success with consumers and the industry alike.

Leveraging the RAV4’s existing reputation, familiarity and Tesla’s legendary performance, we think the new RAV4 EV could make Toyota a market leader in a segment currently crying out for an all-electric model. 

Toyota iQ EV prototype

Enlarge Photo

2012 Scion IQ EV

Also joining the product lineup for 2012 will be the 2012 Scion IQ EV.Just like the RAV4 EV, the Scion IQ EV is based on a gasoline car already made by Toyota.

Barely longer than aSmart ForTwo, the Scion IQ is Toyota’s city car. Popular in Japan and Europe already as a 3+1 car for those wanting something a little bigger than the aging Smart ForTwo, an all-electric IQ is obviously Toyota’s attempt to offer a similarly sized car for urbanites. 

But with subcompact minicars representing a tiny proportion of the total automotive market, we’re not sure if the clever Scion IQ EV will be be well received in a market where space is a given, not a luxury. 

Toyota Prius Plug-In

Enlarge Photo

2012 Toyota Plug-in Prius

Finally, Toyota’s plug-in trio will be completed by its 2012 Plug in Prius. 

Offering better gas mileage than Toyota’s standard 2012 Prius along with an all-electric range of around 14 miles at city speeds, Toyota’s Plug-in Prius could make an excellent transitional vehicle for those hybrid drivers looking to make the switch to electric.

But with slower performance and poorer handling than the standard 2012 Prius thanks to its larger battery pack, we’re not sure how many consumers will stump up the extra cash to get plugged. 

After all, at an estimated $33,000 the 2012 Prius Plug in is roughly the same price as the 2011 Nissan Leaf SV, capable of much further range between charges. -allcarselectric.com

BMW set to pioneer intelligent active motorcycle suspension

The trouble with setting up the suspension on a motorcycle is that you're constantly compromising. If you want a nice firm ride that's suitable for hard cornering on fast, smooth roads, you're sacrificing comfort on the highway and optimal roadholding on a bumpy surface. Electronic suspension adjustment goes some way towards addressing these concerns - at least you can change your suspension settings without having to get down under the bike with a c-spanner and a screwdriver. Now, BMW is looking to eliminate this fundamental compromise using automated, active suspension adjustment - a system that works out exactly how you're riding the bike at a given moment, what the road surface is like, and automatically adjusts the suspension to make sure you've got the perfect ride at all times. The BMW Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) system is said to be hitting the market "in the near future."Active suspension is hardly big news in the automotive world - it's been used on all sorts of cars, right down to the Ford Mondeo - but as usual, adapting the technology to the motorcycle world has taken a lot longer. That's partially because the dynamics of motorcycle suspension are a lot more complicated - car shocks don't have to deal with bumps on a 50-degree angle, for example, or take into account a contact patch that moves slightly off the central axis as the vehicle turns. But I suspect it's also because the consequences of getting it wrong can be far more severe on two wheels.

Still, the average motorcyclist is probably far more likely to go and push the limits out in the hills than the average car driver. We tend to ask more from our suspension than car drivers, and we tend to be much more aware of our vehicles' abilities and deficiencies - so you'd have to say there will be a big market for active suspension systems once they make it onto showroom floors.

The BMW DDC system isn't as fancy or immediate as the magneto-rheological damping fluid in Audi's active suspension system - which makes virtually instantaneous changes to the effective viscosity of the shock fluid to effect damping rate changes on the fly. Instead, BMW uses a simple variable ring aperture to make its compression and rebound damping adjustments.

The DDC system takes data from a number of other systems and sensors into account to decide when to make suspension adjustments, including:

• The bike's ECU
• ABS sensors at each wheel
• Spring travel sensors at the forks and shock
• Tilt and roll sensors

Here's a few examples of the kinds of on-the-fly suspension adjustments the bike can then make:

When the rider gets hard on the gas, the bike automatically activates stronger damping at the rear shock to prevent squat and wheelie effects and help get the power down more effectively. Likewise, as the rider brakes, the front forks receive increased damping to help combat nose-dive and keep the bike stable and ready for corner entry. Damping in these situation is added in proportion to the acceleration and deceleration forces the bike is experiencing, and the added damping is removed as soon as the acceleration or braking conditions disappear.

As a bike leans over, the suspension is gradually firmed up relative to the bike's lean angle, and this effect loosens off as you approach vertical again. This one seems a little counter-intuitive given that under heavy lean angles, the wheels need to move further than usual to compensate for bumps - but where smooth roads are concerned, this will certainly be a helpful feature.

The bike will also recognize bumpy terrain, be it potholes, ruts, rail crossings and the like. When the front wheel suspension travel sensors detect a bumpy section of road, both front and rear suspension will immediately loosen off to provide the smoothest ride possible over the obstruction. It's unclear how quick this process will be, or whether the rear shock will be able to compensate for incoming data quickly enough such that a bump that hits the front wheel can be adjusted for by the time you ride over it with the rear.

The system seems to be at a fairly crude level at this point, but with the sensors and quick-adjust dampers in place, refining it is more or less a software issue. BMW claims the DDC system will premiere on BMW Motorrad motorcycles "in the near future" - putting BMW another broad technological step in front of the competition.

With traction control, ABS, quickshifters, tiptronic semi-automatic transmissions, tire pressure sensors, electronic and now active suspension hitting the motorcycle market, it's safe to say that the days of simple "two wheels and an engine" motorcycling are numbered. Traditionalists can take some solace in the fact that no significant upgrades have been made to the nut that joins the seat and the handlebars.-gizmag.com

Bugatti unveils $2.2m sports car with a porcelain caviar tray

Bugatti, the maker of the world's fastest production car, has developed a €1.65 million ($A2.2 million) special edition of the Veyron Grand Sport model with porcelain accents, including a caviar tray.

The L'Or Blanc, the first vehicle equipped with porcelain, according to Bugatti, is a joint effort between Volkswagen AG's supercar brand and Berlin-based KPM, a 248-year-old porcelain maker that traces its roots back to King Frederick the Great of Prussia.

The roadster, which will be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, was unveiled last week in Berlin.

Advertisement: Story continues below

''Installing porcelain in the world's fastest convertible car seems like a pretty odd idea,'' Stefan Brungs, the brand's sales chief, said. ''But Bugatti has made a name for itself by not shying away from extravagant ideas.''

VW purchased Bugatti in 1998 along with the Lamborghini and Bentley ultra-luxury nameplates to compete with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's Rolls-Royce. Under VW's reign, the brand, which was founded by Italian-born car designer Ettore Bugatti, started production of the two-door Veyron 16.4 in 2005. The last of 300 models of the limited series was sold last week to a European-based customer, spokeswoman Emanuela Wilm said.

Bugatti, which makes about 50 cars a year from its headquarters in Molsheim, France, may build the four-door 16C Galibier model after getting the go-ahead from Germany-based VW.

The model has a 1000-horsepower engine and may cost about €1 million.

The L'Or Blanc, which is painted in vibrant white with royal blue lines curving along the exterior, was developed as a one-of-a-kind model for an unidentified businessman from the United Arab Emirates, who has a collection of about 800 cars, Ms Wilm said.

The vehicle features 12 porcelain elements, including wheel badges and fuel and oil caps. A panel depicting an elephant standing on its hind legs, a Bugatti symbol, is mounted between the seats. A sceptre, the logo of KPM given to the company in 1763, is inlaid at the top of the windshield.

A highlight of the car is a porcelain dish in the centre console. The dish can serve as a caviar tray, when used together with an ice bucket that's part of a specially designed picnic set, said Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti's design chief.

''It's all arranged in a way that allows for maximum comfort during the drive,'' he said.-smh.com.au

Limited Edition smart fortwo 'night orange' lobs at Australian International Motor Show

The smart fortwo which is one of the lowest emission petrol vehicles for sale in Australia with a C02 rating of 100g/km and a combined fuel consumption of 4.4L/100km) has added a limited edition model to its range.

The smart fortwo “night orange” offers unique paint and trim finishes in addition to extra equipment for an additional $2800 over the smart fortwo mhd . The value of the “night orange” package is $4800 offering added customer value of $2000.

The paint and trim items specific to “night orange” are

3-spoke sports steering wheel and gear shift know in black nappa leather

Accent parts coated in matt finish (instrument cluster, steering arms, additional intruments, inner door trim, speakers, bezal gear shift knob, boomerangs)

Floor mats with ‘night orange’ stitching

Leather optic kneepad with orange trim strips

Seats in nappa Leather/fabric mix with orange trim stripes

Black painted 15-inch 3itwin spoke wheels

Black painted exterior mirror caps and grill mask

Body panels finished in orange metallic

Front headlights with titanium cloured background

‘night orange’ logos in the mirror triangles

To these unique ‘night orange’ equipment items the following optional equipment items are added from the Primo package available on all smart fortwo’s.

Surround sound system

Automatic transmission

Electrically heated and adjustable mirrors

Electrically heated seats

Leather seats (Nappa leather and fabric on ‘night orange’)

The Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mr Horst von Sanden said “ We got a fantastic response to our bright orange C63 AMG known as “Jaffa” last year at AIMS. Whilst the ‘night orange’ smart fortwo has significantly less power than the “Jaffa” it has 100% of its street presence. It was a no brainer for us to order fifteen for Australia. It is truly a sibling of “Jaffa” we call it ‘Jaffette’ “

smart fortwo "edition nightorange" - $22,790

Importantly, the MLP includes GST and any LCT applicable to the base / standard specification models but EXCLUDES DEALER DELIVERY AND ALL ON ROAD COSTS such as, for example, registration fees, stamp duty, CTP and the like.

Accordingly, please ensure that when you publish the details contained above, your publication makes it clear to its readers that:

the above pricing is the MLP;

the MLP excludes on road costs and dealer delivery; and

for drive away price information, consumers should contact dealers.

Whilst we are unable to provide you with drive-away pricing due to the wide variation in on-road costs between states and territories, and the different ranges of dealer delivery charges imposed by dealers, we encourage you to contact one of our authorised Mercedes-Benz passenger car dealers in order to obtain relevant and accurate drive-away information for your specific audience.-theautochannel.com