Volkswagen ID. Buggy Concept 2019 New York Auto Show Event

Volkswagen ID. Buggy Concept 2019 New York Auto Show Event

volkswagen id. buggy concept   4/25/2019 02:04:00 PM

Volkswagen ID. BUGGY concept uses the MEB chassis to bring the legendary dune buggy into the age of electric mobility Minimalistic design has no roof, no doors, and weatherproof interior 155-mile estimated range (WLTP) from 62 kWh battery.

Drawing inspiration from the classic Californian dune buggies of the 60s, the Volkswagen ID. BUGGY concept was shown today for the first time in North America.

With a minimalistic design with no roof, no doors, and a weatherproof interior, the 2-seater ID. BUGGY shows the versatility of the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) and puts the fun in functional.

The MEB chassis integrates a 62kWh lithium-ion battery into the floor and a 201-horsepower electric motor in the rear to give it an expected range of 155 miles on the WLTP cycle.

Volkswagen ID. Buggy concept exterior

Like the classic Beetle and Bus, ID. BUGGY has no need for a grille, and yet the summer cruiser is instantly recognizable as a Volkswagen.

The prominently raised hood, fenders and tail end hint at the concept’s off-road chops, while three-dimensional oval LED headlights and taillights, an LED VW logo, and a body that seems to float above the chassis lend an air of approachability.

The floating effect is created by the use of two colors next to each other. The top half of the car—most notably the striking fenders and shoulders—is painted in matte Fern Green, while the bottom portion is painted in a textured Grey Tech Blue. The green part visually floats above the dark blue area.

ID. BUGGY is equipped properly for an all-terrain vehicle. It features standard 18-inch wheels and BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A® off-road tires (255/55 at front and 285/60 at rear). A solid aluminum underbody guard ensures that the front axle and ancillaries are not damaged during off-road driving, and the aluminum side sill panel assumes the function of an additional underbody guard.

Should another vehicle need a tow or should the BUGGY itself be incapacitated, two robust red steel eyelets are integrated in the bumpers.

The reinforced windscreen frame and the Targa bar, which is also open at the side, provides rollover support.

There are no doors and no roof, but a black tarp can be stretched between the windscreen frame and the Targa bar as a sun shield or as light weather protection.

The open concept car is 160.0 in long, 74.4 in wide and 57.6 in high, featuring short front and rear overhangs (27.0 and 28.6 in respectively). The wheelbase is 104.3 in and ground clearance is 9.4 in.

Volkswagen ID. Buggy concept interior

The ID. BUGGY’s minimalist interior is characterized by easy handling and waterproof materials. All elements surrounding the exterior are a continuation of the body, painted in Fern Green, while the majority of the interior trim is finished in a robust Grey Tech Blue soft-touch paint.

The driver and passenger sit on seats with headrests and belt guides integrated into the backrests, while the floor plate is outfitted with anti-slip knobs.

Despite the shortened wheelbase of the concept car, passengers have an unusually large amount of space.

This is due to the ID. family’s compact electric drive and axles arranged further to the outside. This open space always provides room that is about one class above that of comparable cars with a conventional drivetrain.

The minimalistic cockpit has been designed to match the character and design of the ID. BUGGY. With the “Hey you” display in the cockpit, the concept car greets its driver and draws attention to the fact that it is ready for operation.

A hexagonal steering wheel, covered with water-repellent Nappa leather, features touch controls in the crossbar, and a digital instrument cluster keeps the dash uncluttered.

Volkswagen ID. Buggy concept Electric drive

The zero-emissions drivetrain of the ID. BUGGY is made up of the electric motor integrated in the rear axle, power electronics, a single-speed gearbox, the high-voltage flat battery (62 kWh) arranged in the car floor to save space, and the additional units integrated in the vehicle front end.

The electric motor delivers 201 horsepower and maximum torque of 228 lb-ft from standstill. This means that the electric vehicle always provides enough power on the rear axle, even off-road. The concept car sprints from zero to 62 mph in just 7.2 seconds. The maximum speed is electronically controlled at 99 mph.

As an alternative to the rear-wheel-drive layout, it is also possible to fit a second electric motor in the front axle of the ID. BUGGY. In this case, an “electric propshaft” would distribute the power of the 4Motion® four-wheel drive between the front and rear axles in fractions of a second.

Regardless of rear drive or four-wheel drive, power electronics control the high-voltage energy flow between the engine and battery.

The power electronics convert direct current (DC) stored in the battery into alternating current (AC). The on-board electronics are supplied with 12V via a DC/DC converter.

The position of the battery in the vehicle floor gives ID. BUGGY a lower center of gravity for better handling.

Aston Martin Rapide E - First all-electric production car

Aston Martin Rapide E - First all-electric production car

videos   4/18/2019 09:29:00 AM

Aston Martin Lagonda has revealed the final production-ready iteration of its first all-electric production car, with the spectacular Rapide E making its world debut at China’s Auto Shanghai motor show.

Unveiled by Aston Martin Executive Vice President & Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, Rapide E is a pivotal model for the luxury marque.

Following the success of previous special-edition models, including Aston Martin Vulcan, the Vanquish Zagato family and DB4 GT Continuation, Rapide E continues to deliver a superior level of performance, craftmanship and exclusivity, while also propelling Aston Martin into the all-electric realm.

The first car to be built at Aston Martin’s state-of-the-art St Athan production facility – the brand’s Home of Electrification – Rapide E represents a pioneering first step towards achieving the company’s wider electrification strategy and the successful fruition of Lagonda – the world’s first zero-emission luxury brand.

A special edition with a production run strictly limited to 155 units, Rapide E has been developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE).

Shown for the first time here in Shanghai today, Aston Martin’s design and engineering teams have worked in partnership to extract the optimal aerodynamic performance available from the Rapide’s elegant form.

Traditional metal vanes give way to a striking honeycomb front grille. With lower cooling requirements demanded of the EV powertrain, Aston Martin’s aerodynamic engineers have been given the freedom to optimize the aperture of the frontal area, minimising airflow through the car’s body, improving the car’s aerodynamic efficiency and increasing range as a result.

A re-designed underfloor streamlines airflow from the front splitter right the way through to Rapide E’s new larger rear diffuser – a feature that is now wholly dedicated to aero efficiency due to the removal of the exhaust system required before.

The model’s forged aluminium aerodynamic wheels – shod with bespoke low rolling-resistance Pirelli P-Zero tyres – have also been re-designed to give greater efficiency, without compromising brake cooling capability.

The sum of these changes gives Rapide E’s aerodynamic package an 8% improvement over the previous internal combustion model.

Kia Habaniro Concept - Driving Exterior and Interior Design

Kia Habaniro Concept - Driving Exterior and Interior Design

videos   4/17/2019 03:35:00 PM

Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled its vision of the future of electric vehicles and it’s hot. And spicy. The HabaNiro concept is a fully-electric, all-wheel drive, four-seat wonder car with an

All Electric Range (AER) of more than 300 miles, level-five autonomous mode, butterfly wing doors and more advanced tech than what helped land men on the moon.

But this is no fanciful supercar that will likely never be built, but a prescient look into the future of mobility where automobiles will seamlessly integrate design, capability, usefulness and creativity.

“We wanted this concept to be comfortable navigating city streets, carving turns on a coastal road and off-roading with confidence to remote wilderness adventures,” said Tom Kearns, vice president of design for Kia Design Center America (KDCA).

“We imagined a car for everyone and nearly everything. Then, when we saw the finished product, we were blown away by the imagination of the HabaNiro’s creators and its laboratory of technology and we want it in our driveways. Today.” With its rugged 20-inch wheels, short overhangs and big haunches, the HabaNiro exudes coiled muscularity and capability, whether you’re on a grocery run, en route to a meeting or in search of a remote fishing bore.

“We couldn’t be more proud of our design center,” says Michael Cole, KMA chief operating officer and executive vice president.

“The HabaNiro is a genius work of skill and imagination. Not only does its beautiful design incorporate the needs of future mobility, but its engineering and technology anticipate the way people will want to move in the near future.”

A Whole New Category of Vehicle

The HabaNiro is a compact crossover utility vehicle only in terms of existing industry category language. But the HabaNiro can’t be so easily defined. It’s essentially an all-electric Everything Car or ECEV – commuter, crossover, sport utility, state-of-the-art technology workroom and adventure vehicle.

An Exterior to Move You

The HabaNiro design is defined by the energetic interplay between the protective metallic grey cladding that encompasses the front wheels and extends onto the body sides and the bright “Lava Red” aero panel that defines the C-pillar and extends up and over the roof.

These two elements create a vibrant energy and a forward-leaning posture that suggests the HabaNiro is ready to launch.

This latent forward energy is reinforced by the single elegant character line that wraps around the front end, extends through the shoulder, and ends dynamically pointed at the rear wheels.

The HabaNiro grille resembles a shark’s snout, complete with a slit-like gap full of gloss black aluminum “teeth” similar to the cooling blades found on high-end electronic equipment.

The EV chassis architecture allowed the wheels to be pushed to the corners, giving the HabaNiro its wide and confident stance.

Satin aluminum skid plates, milled billet aluminum tow hooks, anodized Lava Red aluminum accents, and the embossed HabaNiro name complement the upscale look while suggesting the vehicle’s adventure-ready attitude. Perhaps most importantly, the heartbeat pulse of the daytime running lights announces the HabaNiro’s animated energy – “I’m alive.”

Audi AI: ME – how an Audi show car is made

Audi AI: ME – how an Audi show car is made

videos   4/17/2019 06:01:00 AM

The making of shows the different steps in the development of the concept car Audi AI:ME. Starting with the construction of the bodywork to interviews with designers and the big reveal at Auto Shanghai in April 2019.

The body line of the Audi AI:ME demonstrates how emotion and spatial economy can form a perfect synthesis in an electrically driven compact car.

There is a reason that the name AI:ME emphasizes the relation to the Audi AIcon, the study of automated long-distance operation introduced in 2017.

The affinity of the body line and the concept of these two cars will become evident in Shanghai, as the AIcon will flank the world premiere on the stage of the Audi booth at Auto Shanghai 2019.

Compact architecture, electric drive: The concept
With an exterior length of 4.30 meters (14.1 ft) and a width of 1,90 meters (6.2 ft), the Audi AI:ME takes up as much traffic space as a present-day compact car.

However, the wheelbase of 2.77 meters (3 ft) and the height of 1.52 meters (5 ft) indicate interior dimensions that are more likely to be found in the next higher class at least.

This is made possible by the architecture of the electric drive. It allows for short overhangs and a large-volume interior without a propeller shaft tunnel.

The drive unit is positioned on the rear axle and mobilizes 125 kW (170 metric hp).

For the occupants, the compact drive package offers a maximum amount of objectively available space, spatial comfort, and a great deal of variability.

The Audi AI:ME is designed as a 2 plus-x-seater. Its layout relies on a variety of configurations for seat positions and stowage space.

While only the individual seats at the front will be used during most journeys, the car offers space for up to four people in the front and on the rear bench if necessary.

Audi AI:ME Vision of an autonomous city car of the future

Audi AI:ME Vision of an autonomous city car of the future

videos   4/15/2019 03:40:00 AM

The body line of the Audi AI:ME demonstrates how emotion and spatial economy can form a perfect synthesis in an electrically driven compact car.

There is a reason that the name AI:ME emphasizes the relation to the Audi AIcon, the study of automated long-distance operation introduced in 2017.

The affinity of the body line and the concept of these two cars will become evident in Shanghai, as the AIcon will flank the world premiere on the stage of the Audi booth at Auto Shanghai 2019.

Compact architecture, electric drive: The concept

With an exterior length of 4.30 meters (14.1 ft) and a width of 1,90 meters (6.2 ft), the Audi AI:ME takes up as much traffic space as a present-day compact car. However, the wheelbase of 2.77 meters (3 ft) and the height of 1.52 meters (5 ft) indicate interior dimensions that are more likely to be found in the next higher class at least. This is made possible by the architecture of the electric drive.

It allows for short overhangs and a large-volume interior without a propeller shaft tunnel. The drive unit is positioned on the rear axle and mobilizes 125 kW (170 metric hp).

For the occupants, the compact drive package offers a maximum amount of objectively available space, spatial comfort, and a great deal of variability.

The Audi AI:ME is designed as a 2 plus-x-seater. Its layout relies on a variety of configurations for seat positions and stowage space.

While only the individual seats at the front will be used during most journeys, the car offers space for up to four people in the front and on the rear bench if necessary.

Audi AI:On our way to automated mobility

Audi AI:ME and Audi AIcon: two concept cars whose very names refer to the new, two-letter abbreviation under which Audi is bundling an entire cluster of innovative mobility technologies.

Audi AI is the cipher for a variety of electronic systems that relieve strain on drivers and simultaneously offer them new possibilities to use the time spent in the car. To this end, Audi AI also uses strategies and technologies from the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Audi AI also combines vehicle intelligence, which makes automated driving possible in the first place, and interaction intelligence, which turns the vehicle into the occupants’ partner.

The name of the Audi AI:ME thus already makes the connection between AI and the users themselves.Audi AI systems are capable of learning and thinking, while also being proactive and personal.

Thanks to Audi AI, models bearing the four rings will be both intelligent and empathetic in the future.

They will be able to continually interact with their surroundings and passengers, and thus adapt themselves in a better way than ever before to the requirements of those on board.

Automated driving at level 4: Relax while gliding through the city

What is long established in rail transportation and even aviation is at the threshold of a breakthrough in automotive transportation—automated driving.

The Audi AI:ME is designed for use in the city and for driving at what is known as level 4. This is the second-highest level on a standardized international scale for increasing automation.

Although systems with level 4 do not require any assistance on the part of the driver, their function is limited to a specific area—such as highways or a specially equipped area in inner cities. In these places, the driver can completely transfer the task of driving to the system.

The driver needs to resume the task only when the car leaves the area defined for fully automated driving.

By contrast to the Audi AIcon, a vehicle with level-5 function that is always fully autonomous, the Audi AI:ME is therefore equipped with the traditional steering wheel and pedalry control elements in addition.

This means that the car, as well as the remaining road users, will drive automatically in a defined traffic area equipped with the corresponding infrastructure in the future.

Self-regulating and self-controlling flows of traffic allow the vehicle to glide along calmly, avoiding heavy longitudinal or lateral acceleration.

This is an important requirement for the occupants of the car to be able to detach themselves mentally from the traffic around them.

Luxurious refuge and high-tech control center: the interior

Audi AI fundamentally changes how automobiles are used and significantly enhances the time spent on board. The car is increasingly becoming a “third living space” alongside our homes and workplaces.

It is thus only consistent that the Audi designers did not subordinate the interior of the Audi AI:ME to the shape of the body. On the contrary.

They prioritized the interior and made it the core of the whole vehicle. The focus here is less on the traditional connection between driver and vehicle—steering wheel, instruments, pedals—and more on the time spent in the automated vehicle.

This is why these control elements are retracted with an elegant and sophisticated choreography and are then almost fully concealed by a stowage compartment with a surface made of open-pore walnut wood.

Fiat Centoventi Concept Electric Car - Interior Exterior Design

Fiat Centoventi Concept Electric Car - Interior Exterior Design

videos   3/06/2019 03:02:00 AM

Fiat presents its Fiat Concept Centoventi concept car, a new milestone in Fiat history, in Geneva for its 120th anniversary.

A pioneer of democratic mobility throughout its history, Fiat today offers an affordable mobility solution for everyone.
It's all part of the DNA of the democratizing "Democratize" brand: "ABC of Cars. Economic But Cold."

With the Fiat Concept Centoventi, the customer can configure the interior, select accessories, and tailor the spaces to create a truly unique car.

Privatization goes a step further. The Fiat Concept Centoventi's modular battery pack allows drivers to purchase or rent additional battery units to increase the range from 100 to 500 km.

The Fiat Concept Centoventi is an "empty canvas". The product, which is produced in just one single piece, can be painted by the customer using the 4U, 4 bays, 4 rims and 4 outer cladding options.

Mopar is an FCA brand dedicated to aftermarket products and services and partnered with Fiat to develop the Fiat Concept Centoventi. Mopar will develop, manufacture and manage accessory logistics for the Fiat Concept Centoventi.

The Fiat Concept Centoventi has chosen the world-famous styling elements of the brand, which became unique to Italian design and creativity.

The 2019 Geneva International Motor Show introduced the concept of Fiat Concept Centoventi, a concept car that perfectly expresses the idea of ​​electric mass mobility of the Italian brand in the near future. It is an expression of the vision of a bold, democratic future based on 120 years of history and experience in this field - hence the name of the prototype in Italian, which means "Twenty-Twenty"; push away from the past and beyond. As in the Fifties, for example, when the Fiat 500 leads to an industrial and cultural revolution, the traditional realities of appearance, design and engineering are overcome, as opposed to anything else in the history of the automotive industry, the first true example of affordable mobility to the mass market.

Honda e Prototype introduced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show

Honda e Prototype introduced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show

videos   3/05/2019 06:17:00 AM

Honda e Prototype is more proof of Honda's ambition for electrification. Introduced for the first time in Geneva, Honda's first electric battery for the European market is anticipated.

Further expansion of full hybrid technology

In early 2019, Honda successfully launched the brand-new CR-V Hybrid with two-engine i-MMD full hybrid technology. Honda expects full hybrid technology to play a key role in meeting the target of 100% electrification by 2025.

Honda to develop energy management business for Europe

Honda used the opportunity for a Geneva press conference to share the first details of the developing energy management solutions for Europe. This announcement is based on the concept of Power Manager two-way charging first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017.

The new Audi Q4 e-tron SUV concept - interior exterior design and vehicle features

The new Audi Q4 e-tron SUV concept - interior exterior design and vehicle features

videos   3/05/2019 04:42:00 AM

It has been roughly a year since Audi launched the first series of electric drives. Audi e-tron * is still covered with camouflage wrapping foils at this point.

The four-ring brand is now looking at another car using the electric car at the Geneva Motor Show: The Audi Q4 e-tron concept is a compact 4-door SUV with an external diameter of 4.59 meters.

Compact on the outside, wide inside: dimensions and interior

4.59 meters long, 1.90 meters wide, 1.61 meters high: The Audi Q4 e-tron concept takes its place in the third row of the compact class with its dimensions. For this reason, road space requirements describe the electric SUV as an agile, versatile, suitable for urban driving. On the other hand, the 2.77-meter wheelbase puts it in at least one class. The Q4 e-tron concept offers unexpected refreshment and comfort, especially in terms of front and rear footwells, since there is no transmission tunnel that limits the area.

Efficient performance: driving system and suspension

The modular electrification platform (MONE) offers a wide range of driving and power levels. The performance version of the electric drive is mounted on the Audi Q4 e-tron concept. Each front and rear axle is powered by an electric motor - Q4 is a quattro. There is no mechanical connection between the axles. Instead, the electronic control ensures that the torque distribution is optimally coordinated and does so in fractions of a second. This allows the electric SUV to achieve optimum traction in all weather conditions and on any surface.

Sporty, precise handling

The main factor for the sporty character and exceptional transverse dynamics is the low and central position in which the drive components are mounted. The high-voltage battery system matches the dimensions of the Audi Q4 e-tron and is located in a flat, wide block under the passenger compartment between the axles. The battery system weighs 510 kilograms. For this reason, the center of gravity of the Audi Q4 e-tron concept is similar to a sedan with a conventional drive system. The axle load distribution is perfectly balanced at almost 50:50. The front wheels of the Q4 e-tron are guided on a MacPherson axle with an adaptive damper. At the rear there is a multi-link axle with separate springs and adaptive dampers.

smart forease Mercedes-Benz interior exterior design introduction

smart forease Mercedes-Benz interior exterior design introduction

videos   1/12/2019 08:40:00 AM

Everyone knows that they are smart to practice. This cleverly cool Smart forease showcases the visitors at the Paris Motor Show.

When reduced to basic conditions, it is uncompromisingly open, does not care about the congress and is, of course, supported by an electric drivetrain. It takes the original slogan of the smart, maximizes it, defends the authentic urban mobility that continues to be the concept underlying the brand with a twinkle in the eye.

Both smart brand and Smart forease means sensuality, lifestyle and attitude. The vehicle owes its unusual beauty to the opening of the interior, the absence of the roof and the shorter glass.

With its bright, dramatic metallic white and colorful ısız green current iyle emphasis, the smart forease promises a carefree, uncompromising, carefree driving experience.

Or Smart forease creates a refreshingly simple form of fun driving in the city, which keeps the electric drive in the city without compromise - because if you are in doubt, the smart always prefers a consistent approach. The result is a sustainable driving experience based on freedom. E says Katrin Adt.

Smart forease is proof of cleverly unusual thinking,. Said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Daimler AG. Design is reduced and pure, saf he says. Id Smart forease is an expression of urbanism and individual style. It has the coolness of the metropolis and shows a truly free spirit. Metrop

2019 Nissan LEAF e + The world's best selling electric car

2019 Nissan LEAF e + The world's best selling electric car

videos   1/09/2019 11:22:00 AM

Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF e +, further expanding the world's best-selling electric car * 1 by offering a new power transmission system with additional power and range.

"E +" refers to the increased energy density of the model's 62 kWh battery pack and a higher output of the powertrain. The new powertrain EPA estimates the 226-mile-long EPA with an estimated range of around 40 percent to the car's range, enabling a broader customer base to meet the driving needs of the Nissan LEAF.

The new Nissan LEAF e + offers all the style, comfort and electric vehicle advantages that help make LEAF the best selling electric vehicle in the world, plus more driving excitement, range, power and choice,. Said Denis Le Vot. senior vice president and vice president, Nissan North America. ”Customers now have a variety of power and model options that best suit their driving needs.“

LEAF e + will be sold under the LEAF PLUS Series in the US and Canada, and each trim level will be named S PLUS, SV PLUS and SL PLUS. In general, the car is referred to as Nissan LEAF e +.

Nissan Smart Mobility

Nissan LEAF e + stands out in all three key areas of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision: Intelligent Power, Intelligent Drive and Intelligent Integration.

Nissan Intelligent Power: increased range and performance

The Nissan LEAF e + has a new version of the LEAF's revolutionary electric powertrain and offers excellent energy efficiency and robust torque and power output. While the current LEAF meets the needs of many customers with the EPA-estimated 150-mile drive range, the LEAF e + offers a range of up to 226 miles of EPA-forecast, which allows customers to do more between wages. * 3