Toyota and Yamaha to Jointly Display Concept Bikes

It's a very little-known fact, but one of, if not the most famous Toyota sports cars of all time, the late 1960s 2000 GT, was designed and manufactured in collaboration with Yamaha, which is mostly recognized as a maker of motorcycles, marine engines and pianos.

The two Japanese companies are now combining forces once again with a joint display of two concept models at this week's 2011 Tokyo Motor Show to highlight their new collaboration in the development of communications-linked next-generation vehicles.

The two concepts are the three-wheeler electric commuter "EC-Miu" and the electrically power assisted bicycle "PAS WITH".

As part of their broad partnership, Yamaha Motors and Toyota plan to build a charging infrastructure that can be shared by both two-wheeled vehicles and automobiles, and also establish common systems such as navigation and telematics services that utilize smartphones and Wi-Fi communications.

Mazda Develops i-ELOOP

Regenerative braking systems that store energy into batteries during braking are becoming increasingly common in new cars because they help reduce fuel consumption.

Today, Mazda presented what it claims to be the world’s first passenger vehicle regenerative system that uses a capacitor instead of a battery pack for storing energy, named i-ELOOP (“Intelligent Energy Loop”).

According to Mazda, a capacitor is superior to batteries because it does away with the need for an electric motor and can be charged and discharged rapidly while it also doesn't deteriorate after prolonged use.

The i-ELOOP system comprises a new 12-25V variable voltage alternator, a low-resistance electric double layer capacitor and a DC/DC converter. It captures energy that would otherwise be dissipated as heat the moment the driver lifts his foot of the accelerator pedal and the vehicle starts to decelerate.

At that time, the alternator starts generating electricity up to 25V before sending it to the capacitor where it is stored in mere seconds. The DC/DC subsequently converts the electricity from 25V to 12V before powering the vehicle’s climate control and audio systems, various other electric systems and can even charge the battery if necessary.

Mazda claims that the i-ELOOP, which will be combined with the firm's i-stop auto stop-start system, reduces fuel consumption by approximately 10% and will be available in production vehicles in 2012.

The i-ELOOP will make its public debut at next week’s Tokyo Motor Show in the Takeri concept car, which previews Mazda’s replacement for the mid-sized Mazda6 family saloon.

Top Gear Producer Praises Electric Car Test Spoof

The world’s most famous car show, BBC’s Top Gear, has had more than its fair share of controversies, mainly due to the sardonic comments of host Jeremy Clarkson.

Never mind the “greens”, Jeremy’s current favorite car is the Mercedes-Benz SLS. He is a petrolhead and apparently, not too fond of electric vehicles. Especially since the Tesla Roadster incident which led to the two parties becoming engaged in a legal battle.

Apart from being a car show, though, Top Gear is also about entertainment. This prompted two fans of the show to record a spoof video demonstrating an “eco race” between two zero emission vehicles: a “Nissan Leaf” and a “Peugeot iOn”.

The funny thing is that they aired the video on YouTube before the actual show did a similar eco race. Surprisingly, BBC approved of it, with Andy Wilman, Executive Producer of Top Gear, releasing a short statement praising the creators of the clip.

If you missed it, you can watch “Jeremy Clarkson” and “James May” in this not-the-Top-Gear-special right after the break.

Mitsubishi MINICAB-MiEV

Leaving its problems with the Volkswagen Group momentarily on the side, Suzuki said on Tuesday that it is pursuing a deal with Mitsubishi regarding the supply of electric mini vehicles on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis from February of next year.

If the two automakers reach an agreement, Mitsubishi will provide Suzuki with the new MINICAB-MiEV, a minicar-class light commercial electric van. The EV will be marketed under Suzuki's own brand name in Japan.

"The talks towards an agreement are intended to increase economies of scale for MMC [Mitsubishi Motors Corporation] which will in turn contribute to lower production costs and increased productivity," the company said in a statement.

The Mitsubishi MINICAB-MiEV was announced in April and is scheduled to go on sale in Japan before the end of the year

Daimler and BYD EV with a New Concept Model

Joint venture partners Daimler AG and BYD Auto revealed plans today to preview their upcoming dedicated electric-car for China with a new design concept at the next Beijing Auto Show in April of 2012.

Last year, the two companies formed a 50-50 joint R&D venture called "Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd" or "BDNT" for short, to create a new brand that will focus on the development of pure electric vehicles for China.

Mercedes-Benz's parent company said that in addition to showing the concept car which previews the production model's exterior and interior design, BDNT would also use the show to reveal the brand’s identity, including its name, logo and positioning in the Chinese car market.

As for the actual production model, Daimler said that work on the first prototypes has already begun with the target to have them running by springtime next year.

Volkswagen Transporter Future with New eT! Concept Van

Volkswagen has been in the business of making light commercial vans for over 60 years now, ever since the introduction of the famous T1 / Type 2 (also known as the Kombi and the Microbus) based on the legendary Beetle in 1950.

Now, the German automaker wants to reinvent the commercial van and show the road it will follow with the future generations of the Transporter through an innovative concept model called eT!.

For the creation of the eT! study, Volkswagen Group Research worked closely with the German Post Office (Deutsche Post AG), which is one of the largest customers of lightweight commercial vehicles and the University of Art at Braunschweig.

“We analysed process flows and customer needs in detail, and from these analyses we derived ideas on how the segment of delivery and courier vehicles could be further developed over the long term," said Jürgen Leohold, Director of Volkswagen Group Research.

"In this context, we focused on zero-emissions driving and available space in urban areas, semiautomatic driving functions that offer relevant support and simplify work processes and the integration of new communication technologies," he added.

The eT! concept is a zero-emissions van powered by four electric wheel hub motors, which Volkswagen says help optimize the van's interior space.

One of the many novel features of the study is the 'drive stick' that allows the driver to steer the vehicle from the passenger's side, while the eT! can also be operated semi-automatically in certain situations, such as to follow the delivery person from house to house (“Follow me”), or return to the delivery person on command (“Come to me”) driverless.

The eT! also gets two electrically-operated sliding doors on the passenger side while at the rear, there's a split door with a section of the roof extending out to protect the user of the vehicle from the elements of nature.

"Naturally, the eT! is not a vehicle which – unlike the Golf or up! with an electric motor – could become available very soon," says Rudolf Krebs, Group Manager for Electric Traction at Volkswagen AG.

"But we must make plans today for what the world of lightweight commercial vehicles might look like starting in the second half of this decade, including with regard to electrical drives."

Audi A3 e-tron Hatchback Pure-Electric

Up until now, we’ve seen all kinds of Audi EV concepts with “e-tron” label ranging from the A1 supermini to a sub-R8 supercar. At the 2011 LA Auto Show, the Ingolstadt-based company presented yet another e-tron model, this time based on the current A3 Sportback five-door hatchback.

The new A3 e-tron is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor. It produces a continuous output of 82HP with a peak output of 114HP, and a maximum torque of 270 Nm (199 lb-ft), with power directed to the front wheels through a single-speed transmission.

The electric motor is fed by a 300 kg (661 pounds), 26.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is spread out in blocks under the luggage compartment, the rear seat, and in the center tunnel. It consists of 30 modules that are water-cooled with the dissipated energy used to heat the car’s interior.

Audi says that at low temperatures, the system is assisted by an electric PTC heating element, while an air conditioner is activated in hot weather.

The A3 e-tron accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 11.2 seconds and reaches a limited top speed of 145 km/h (90 mph), while recharging the battery takes about nine hours with a 230V house socket.

Audi states that the A3 e-tron has an average driving range of about 140 km (86.99 miles). This, however, depends on the driver as well, as he can choose between three operating modes (efficiency, auto and dynamic) and four settings concerning the degree of kinetic energy recovery during braking or coasting.

Despite been based on a stock A3 Sportback, the A3 e-tron’s interior features an Alcantara and leather upholstery that is warmer than pure leather and a heated windshield that, according to the company, is much more efficient than a conventional air conditioning unit in maintaining the glass free of condensation.

Infiniti Electric Sports Car Concept 2012

We're more than four months away from the next Geneva Motor Show in 2012, but Infiniti cannot contain its excitement about a new sports car concept that it is currently working on and which could give birth to a production model in the very near future.The as-of-yet unnamed concept model is a range-extending electric sports car, and according to the company, it is being created to "to extend the potential for high performance, low emission electric cars."

The Japanese automaker published two teaser photos of the study as well as a video featuring Nissan vice president, Andy Palmer, who explains the strategy behind the concept car.

"At the Geneva show next year, we will present our vision for a totally new kind of inspired premium performance car," says Palmer. "Infiniti already has hybrid and clean diesel models on sale. And with an all-electric sedan on the way, the natural next step was to push the boundaries where performance and the environment intersect."

Palmer added that the concept will also hint at the next step in Infiniti's design language after the well-received Essence GT study.