Thursday, 28 February 2013
VOLAR-e | PR
APPLUS+ IDIADA SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL PROTOTYPE ELECTRIC SPORTS CAR
The project undertaken by the Spanish company on behalf of the European Commission* shows that electric vehicles can have sporty performance
BARCELONA, February 28, 2013 - Applus+ IDIADA, a company specialized in engineering for the international automotive industry, has successfully completed the Volar-e project, an innovative prototype electric car with high performance, comparable to or even better than conventionally-powered sports cars.
Volar-e has been presented today at the Circuit de Catalunya during the F1 Test Days, in an act that has been attended by, among other authorities, Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission, Sebastian Salvado, President of RACC, and Carles Grasas, CEO of Applus+ IDIADA.
Applus+ IDIADA, a division of Applus+ specialized in the provision of design, engineering, testing and homologation services, was awarded the project by the European Commission in late 2012 in a tender in which companies across Europe took part. In just four months, the company has managed to meet and exceed the performance features required by the EC, among others:
Powertrain:
- Provide maximum motor power and torque to the vehicle (1000 HP, 1000 Nm)
- Achieve fast-charging (15-20 minutes)
- Regenerative braking system
- Aerodynamics
- Independent power control for all 4 motors, iTORQ original by Applus + IDIADA
The project, which is co-funded by the European Commission, will allow the Applus+ prototype to become a flagship for the promotion of electric vehicles in European society. Users, the car industry, energy sector and government have a reference in this demonstrator of the great potential of electric vehicles.
Excellence in electric vehicles
Applus+ IDIADA has in recent years made a significant commitment to acquiring electric vehicle know-how. The company’s Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence, presented in December 2011, is as such one of the main centers of technological knowledge regarding the vehicles of the future.
Together with iShare, an innovative electric car concept designed for car sharing that the company presented in China at the end of last year, Applus+ IDIADA has developed other projects such as eBorn3, focusing on functionality and versatility in an electric passenger car; eTruck with the full electrification of a light commercial vehicle, and eScooter, an electric motorcycle developed by local partners.
Technical specifications:
| Motor | 4 electric motors |
| Vehicle category | Supercar |
| Body | Carbon fibre |
| Chassis | Tubular Cr-Mo Steel |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2770 |
| Front / rear track (mm) | 1540 / 1534 |
| Maximum power (kW/CV) | 800 / 1080 |
| Maximum torque per wheel (Nm) | 1500 |
| Maximum speed (km/h) | 300 |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h (sec.) | 3.4 s |
| Acceleration 0-200 km/h (sec.) | 6.5 s |
| Acceleration 0-300 km/h (sec.) | 12.1 |
| Acceleration 0-402 m (sec.) | 10.3 |
| Traction | 4WD |
| Brakes | Carbon-Ceramic |
| Front suspension | Independent height and stiffness adjustable |
| Rear suspension | Independent height and stiffness adjustable |
| Front tyres | 245/35R20 |
| Rear tyres | 295/30R20 |
2014 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale revealed ahead of the Geneva Motor Show
Like most new cars that were introduced in the last weeks, the 2014 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale will also have its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show with an updated engine, a few improved exterior details and one big change inside.
And the big change in the interior is the inclusion of the rear seats, since the Stradale versions did not have them to help reduce weight. But while the car is heavier it also has an improved 4.7 liter V8 engine that now produces 460hp with lower CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
The gearbox is the six-speed manual robotized MC Race Shift, and the car now achieves a top speed of 303km/h (188mph) while the 0 to 100km/h (62mph) run is done in around 4.5 seconds.
Outside Maserati added a new carbon fiber bonnet/hood with a central air intake, two rear extractors and 20 inch forged alloy rims around the standard Brembo carbon ceramic brake discs.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport "Bumblebee" Special to Debut at the Qatar Motor Show
General Motors isn't the only company pushing out a black and yellow themed edition of one of its cars as Bugatti is doing the same - fortunately without the toy-ish / kitsch Transformers decals...
Whether you like the color combo or not, Bugattihas presented another one-off edition of its Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which is the open-top variant of the series, ahead of its world premiere at this week's 2012 Qatar Motor Show that runs from January 25 to 28.
The one-off Grand Sport has a horizontal color split with a bright yellow body encased in visible black carbon, including black-tinted wheels.
The same theme continues inside with the seats and the upper and lower sections of the door panels and dashboard finished in yellow-colored leather with black stitching. The center console comes in black carbon, while the middle sections of the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and gearshift are made of black leather with yellow stitching.
This particular Grand Sport model carries a price of €1.58 million (about US$2.05 million) compared to the standard version that costs €1.4 million (~US$1.8 million), with both prices excluding taxes and delivery.
Bugatti says that production of the Grand Sport is limited to 150 units of which 45 have already been spoken for.
PG Elektrus is a $312k Pure Electric Lotus Elise with a Carbon-Fiber Body
Production of the Tesla Roadster may have ended but the pure-electric roadster model from Silicon Valley showed the way to other companies – and we mean that in the literal sense, as the PG Elektrus is an all too similar proposal.
Created by German manufacturer PG and Düsseldorf-based automobile designer Michael Fröhlich, the roadster model is once again based on the Lotus Elise and features an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery.
However, the Germans went one-step further and dressed the body in a carbon fiber suite to reduce the car's weight. Another highlight is the solar panel mounted behind the driver that collects the sun's energy and converts it into electricity to power up the batteries – or so the company claims.The roadster model's electric motor produces the equivalent of 272-horsepower and 350Nm (258.2 lb-ft) of constant torque, which is said to be enough to propel the PG Elektrus to 100km/h (62mph) in less than three seconds and on to a top speed of up to 300km/h (186mph) – which if true, would probably drain out the batteries and significantly reduce the car's autonomy.
A special audio-based system allows the drive to select from a range of sounds that emulate real engines including a full-bodied V8 and a Formula-One racecar.
PG says that the Elektrus has a driving range of up to 350 kilometers or about 217 miles under normal conditions.
The German company has plans to produce a total of 667 examples of the Elektrus, each with a starting price of €240,000 (US$312,400).
