Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Powers Japanese House For Six Days

While many new plug-ins boast the convenience and simplicity of recharging the car battery from a household wall socket, how many vehicles can claim to provide the opposite?

Honda has installed an inverter in the trunk of one special FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, providing output power that could supply up to 8 kilowatts of electricity for more than seven hours from a full tank of hydrogen — a figure that is supposedly enough to power the average Japanese home for six days. This particular FCX has been delivered to the Saitama Prefecture government, which was also an early-adopter of a solar-powered hydrogen station.

Concerns over power shortages have heightened since last year’s natural disaster and the subsequent nuclear plant shutdown, causing a spike in interest for electric vehicles that may double as emergency power suppliers for homes. Last year, Nissan demonstrated its Leaf-to-Home, which claimed the power output could generate enough to sustain an average household for two days. Unlike fuel cells, an electric battery can only store electricity rather than generate it, resulting in a less flexible application when compared to fuel-cell technology.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/03/honda-fcx-clarity-fuel-cell-powers-japanese-house-for-six-days.html

Honda Ridgeline Dually April Fools Joke

I just about fell out of my chair looking at this!!!!
This is interesting. A friend sent me this screen capture of Honda Thailand’s site. Is Honda Thailand officially offering the Ridgeline? If so, will it be offered in Malaysia too? All I know is that site is now taken off. An April’s Loof prank?

Source;
http://www.theophiluschin.com/?p=3961

New Honda Civic Touring Car Wins Brands Hatch

Touring car racing is the mainstay for the Honda Civic, as the hatchback gets its image there. With the arrival of the 2012 Civic, a new touring car has also been developed, and it looks like it’s going to be a top contender this year.

The Honda Yuasa Racing Team kicked off its 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship challenge with victory for its new Civic at the Brands Hatch season opener.

Race one was lost, as a BMW won due to a clash that delayed the Civic. But in race two, reigning champion driver Matt Neal manages to fight off rival Jason Plato.

Race three only saw a seventh place finish for the Civic, but Neal is still second overall now.

“When he hit me the second time I smiled – in a good way!” said Neal. “He was quicker than me at that stage. Once ahead he braked a little early at Druids and I gave him a nudge. Then, at Clearways where he had been strong all day, he ran wide and left the door open.”

“The car is good,” he said. “Honda had a one-two in race two [with Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Civic following Neal home], which is great, but it’s personally frustrating. I don’t think it’s anything the team is doing or I am doing. Everything electrical was changed and we still had the problem.

When I’ve been running I’ve been fine. To start from the back and finish fourth isn’t a bad effort. The tyres last well and we had a good balance when the car was running well.”

Source;
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/new-honda-civic-touring-car-wins-brands-hatch-43831.html

BMW i8 Spyder Concept – topless i8 set for Beijing debut

Wow... Is this ever nice....
This is the BMW i8 Spyder Concept that will debut at the upcoming Beijing motor show. This topless i8 comes barely a year after BMW wheeled out the i3 and i8 concepts at Frankfurt. The i8 also famously starred in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, driven by Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt.

Described as an open top with genuine sports car performance, but with fuel consumption no higher than you would expect from a small car, the i8 Spyder has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length compared to the fixed-top i8.

Highlights include the upward-swivelling windowless doors and a range of purpose-oriented on-board equipment such as electric kickboards stowed under a transparent tailgate.

Based on BMW’s LifeDrive architecture, the i8 Spyder Concept is a plug-in hybrid powered by an eDrive drivetrain combining an electric motor and a petrol combustion engine.

The 131 hp electric motor on the front axle works in tandem with a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine sending 223 hp through the rear wheels.

Both units are in-house BMW developments and generate an aggregate system output of 354 hp and 550 Nm. That is enough to accelerate the car from 0-100 km/h in five seconds flat. This performance is married to super low fuel consumption of just three litres of unleaded per 100 km!

The lithium-ion battery can be fully charged from a domestic power socket in less than two hours. The pack is located in the “energy tunnel” between the front and rear axle modules to keep the car’s centre of gravity as low as possible – the i8 Spyder also features BMW’s famous 50:50 weight distribution. Fully charged, the car can travel 30 km on electric power alone.

We’ve covered the i3/i8 launch extensively – click here for the full story, gallery and various videos explaining Munich’s i sub-brand.

Source;
http://paultan.org/2012/04/02/bmw-i8-spyder-concept-topless-i8-set-for-beijing-debut/

Peugeot is Planning a Convertible, and SUV of the 208?

Peugeot has apparently made ​​it his task to make the new 208 for bestsellers. Following the press launch this week, you can order it now. The first reviews are at least been quite positive. Now the French plan also includes 208 well-branch as a convertible and SUV, which indeed is not inconceivable.


Currently you can order the new Peugeot 208 at the dealers, where you can choose between five gasoline and three diesel engines. As a beginner with a small gasoline engine gets the Peugeot 208 to 14 800 € for time. That will change however, as early as June and September are joined by two petrol engines, which are associated with lower purchase prices. First, a 1.0-liter engine with 68 hp (11,600 €) and the second a 1.2-liter with 82 PS (14 150 €). For 18 700 € you can get from September, the top model with 156 horsepower.

The choice between a 95 and a 120 hp petrol engine you have now. In addition, three diesel engines come with 68, 92 and 115 hp 13600-19300 €. Should there be a convertible and an SUV-offshoot, one must reckon with a good price from 17,000 €. Take place if and when the market has been followed by Peugeot unfortunately not yet confirmed officially.

Ferrari Developed First Production Hybrid

The British Autocar reports that Ferrari currently developing a 12-cylinder hybrid engine. In a production vehicle, it has not yet announced anything yet and also because of the sporting Leistungsbestrebung, the Ferrari has finally tradition, one would have thought a step in this direction unlikely.


But there are other motivations in favor of a lower CO2 emissions. The EU limits, for example, where you can meet and therefore will avoid penalties. A win-win situation?


We remember: The 599 GTB Ferrari introduced a hybrid before and competitors such as Lamborghini and Porsche are currently developing in similar solutions. While there is little information so far from Lamborghini on similar efforts, you sit at Porsche already on their homework. But hear sounds: CEO Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari From it should have even been given expressions that even hybrid drives could be standard on all models. At least he could imagine. 

Ferrari will probably introduce its first hybrid with the successor to the Enzo. Such statements by the manager himself also suggest that with the development is already very far. We are curious if there will be a hybrid sports car future!

The most realistic rendering of 2013-2014 Toyota RAV4

Tip of the hat goes to www.woodyscarsite.com for giving me the idea for searching this pic out....
The Mag-x of Japan is agian post latest rendering of the next generation Toyota RAV4.The rendering is based on Mag-x spyshots photos of the car while testing in Japan.Altrough the new car cover with heavy camouflage,Autotintrends can see some lines and light’s shape.The same source also post the computer generate image and Autotintrends can see that this rendering is most realistic we have seen until now.

The car will fallow styling of the current 3rd generation that not look too sporty and too conservative.The headlight’s shape is look similar of what wee seen in Land cruiser and Fortuner.The front grille have aluminum place horizontal like we have seen in some trim level of new Toyota Vitz/Yaris.The shoulder line is more sharper than current car.The roof line look slope and rear side’s window look very similar to current Nissan Qashqai.

The fourth generation RAV 4 wheelbase will have 2660 mm long (Compare to current generation of 2560 mm in short wheelbase version and 2660 mm of LWB). Overall size expect at 4500 mm long and 1815 mm wide and 1660 mm hight .The SuzukiFan’s website have reported that next Toyota Rav 4 will be longer but reduce to single model.

The new car (Codename 410A) will powered by block 3ZR-FE),4cylinder 2.0 liter and block 2AR-FE),4cylinder 2.5 liter petrol engine.While european version will carry on the 2.2 L 2AD-FTV turbodiesel I4 and the 2.2 L 2AD-FHV D-CAT turbodiesel I4.The car will goes one sale in Japan at november 2012 and rest of the world in 2013

Source;
http://autointrends.com/2012/02/02/the-most-realistic-rendering-of-2013-2014-toyota-rav4/