Tuesday, July 15, 2008

car shootout in London



We've discussed these electric cars before but now Whatcar? has gathered the NICE Mega City, the Smart ed, the Micro-Vett Fiat Doblo, and the Reva G-Wiz together for a group evaluation on the streets of London town to "...decide whether or not they do make a practical alternative to urban transport.". The first thing they discovered about the cars as they prepared for the initial shoot is that people are now extremely interested in electric vehicles as the quartet attracted "masses" of people with lots of questions.

So, how did they do? Somewhat surprisingly the G-Wiz seemed to best the Mega City as it was quicker, stronger and less expensive. The G-Wiz is set to get even better in Q4 when lithium ion batteries become an option and it's range and, no doubt its power, receive a welcome boost. The presenter, Peter Lawton, enjoyed the Smart ed saying that after driving the quadricycle entrants it "felt as safe as a tank.". This is another vehicle whose performance will greatly improve when they are produced with a lithium ion battery though the sodium-nickel chloride version is already quicker then the gas burning one. Lastly, the electric Doblo was the only vehicle already equipped with li-ion and had the best range and top speed. It also had the seating for 5 and a "boot". Although it was also the most expensive at £30,000 (nearly $60,000), it seemed the best choice for both the streets of London and those of America. Hit the jump to check all the shootout action as well as a bonus visit to a fuel price protest at the end of the clip.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Alfa Romeo to get crossovers, hybrids and stop/start



Car-obsessed Americans will get another chance at the historic Alfa Romeo brand soon enough, as the company is planning on a resurgence for the U.S. market. As is the current trend among automakers, along with the beautiful range of automobiles that the Italian marque will be bringing to our shores, it plans on offering a crossover as well. Expect something in line with BMW's current utility vehicle offerings. What's more interesting to us at AutoblogGreen, though, is a possible hybrid system snagged from Fiat, which owns Alfa. Even if the full hybrid drivetrain is left off the docket, at the very least, a mild hybrid system in the form of stop/start will almost assuredly be available.

As an aside, take a good look at the Kamal concept from 2003. Looks a bit like the Subaru Tribeca before its last redesign, wouldn't you say?

Friday, May 9, 2008

Fiat 500 billboard in Berlin talks back


Since its debut last year, the new FIAT 500 has been one of the most talked about small cars in Europe. Now people in Berlin can share their thoughts on the 500 with th everyone in the immediate vicinity. A pair of billboards installed near the former Checkpoint Charlie reflect the words of passers-by. Along with videos and other messages, the 3,100-square foot boards also invite viewers to send a text message to a special number. The messages then scroll across a 65-foot wide ticker on each board. Presumably the messages are moderated in some way (either human or automated) before they appear on the boards, otherwise this PR stunt could get very interesting.

Fiat to introduce natural gas fueled Palio in India


Fiat is reportedly planning on introducing a natural gas-fueled version of its Palio compact in the Indian market in 2009. Compressed natural gas is a popular fuel in India, especially for buses. There are also experiments ongoing with using Hythane, a blend of 10 percent hydrogen gas along with the natural gas. The Palio hatchback is already available with both gas and diesel engines in India. Fiat is planning several vehicle introductions in the coming months in India including the tiny 500 and locally-produced versions of the Grande Punto and Linea. The 500s will be imported from the plant in Poland that produces them for the European market.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Fiat replaces water with special wax


Fiat Spain has decided to make an effort to reduce the amount of water used to wash cars by using a special wax. The wax will be used at dealers and repair shops when cars are cleaned before delivery to customers. What will it do? Fiat expects the wax to reduce water use by up to 145 million liters of water (about 40 million gallons) per year. The wax treatment is part of Fiat's "Ecoproject," which aims to offer customers greener dealers and post-sale services. Other "Ecoproject" measures include discounts for customers with the greatest "ecologic" commitment (whatever that means) and free "green" check-ups.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Methane version of Fiat Grande Punto coming later this year


Fiat was recently named the lowest CO2-producing automaker in Europe. One reason if the brand's collection of small cars, some with alternative powertrains. Buried in an article about Fiat's low-CO2 win, reader Justin C. noticed that Fiat is readying a new version of its Grande Punto, one that can use methane for clean forward motion. Carpages says that the methane-petrol dual fuel system Grande Punto is supposed to be on sale by the end of this year. Other Fiat models that have this system include the Doblò, Doblò Cargo, Multipla, Panda and the Panda Van. Fiat says the Natural Power system is excellent for many Fiat users, especially trade customers. Fiat also offers a T-Jet version of the Grande Punto that gets 35 mpg on the combined EU cycle and emits 155 grams of CO2 per km. Thanks to Justin C. for the tip!