Autoblog

T3 Motion introduces three-wheeled CT3 personal commuter, plans to enter Auto X Prize

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:29:00 EST

T3 Motion CT3 - Click above to enlarge

T3 Motion, creators of the Segway-esque non-balancing T3 Series Electric Stand-up Vehicle for police and security use, has detailed its plans to launch an electric three-wheeled called the CT3. The new vehicle is the first machine from T3 that was specifically designed for personal commuter use, and it's based on the company's CT low-speed electric four-wheeled vehicle.

Using a three-wheeled design should allow the company to classify the CT3 as a motorcycle in most states, which means it won't necessarily need to be restricted to low-speed use as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, though the machine will be capped at a 45 mph top speed regardless. All three of the CT3's wheels are powered by electric motors that get their electrons from T3's proprietary Power Management System and lithium polymer batteries.

At this time, the vehicle exists only in rendered form (pay close attention to the wheels and tires in the above image), but T3 plans to enter a special CT-S version of the machine in the Auto X Prize that will reportedly be capable of 80 miles per hour and an equivalent mpg rating of over 100 miles per gallon. Click past the break for the official press release. Thanks for the tip, Deepa!

[Source: T3 Motion via Green Launches]

Continue reading T3 Motion introduces three-wheeled CT3 personal commuter, plans to enter Auto X Prize

T3 Motion introduces three-wheeled CT3 personal commuter, plans to enter Auto X Prize originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rocky Mountain "Hi": Lightning Hybrids to debut prototype at Denver Auto Show

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Green

Click above for a high-res image gallery of Lightning Hybrids LH4 renderings

In less than a month at the Denver Auto Show, a new contender for the Progressive Automotive X-Prize is scheduled to be revealed by a startup automaker called Lightning Hybrids. There's plenty of innovative thinking here, including the use of a 2-stroke engine running biodiesel mated with a hydraulic hybrid powertrain. Combined, the team of engineers behind the vehicle expects it to hit 100 miles per gallon and offer up 240 horsepower.

An aerodynamic shell is crucial when aiming for such high efficiencies, and the team seems to have achieved at least that part with a .20 C_d. The final form will be shod in carbon fiber for a light curb weight, which should also help the Lightning LH4 make the run to 60 mph in under six seconds.

If all goes to plan, which is certainly a very big "if", Lightning hopes to put its first cars into production sometime in 2010 with two cars that it's currently got on the drawing board. Of course, winning the $10 million X-Prize purse would likely go a long way towards achieving that lofty goal.

Gallery: Lightning Hybrid renderings

[Source: Lightning Hybrids via Canadian Driver]

Rocky Mountain "Hi": Lightning Hybrids to debut prototype at Denver Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automotive X-Prize recommends EPA adopt MGEe rating

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:25:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Contests, Government/Legal, Green, Chevrolet, GM

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt

Now that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has an agreement with General Motors regarding how to measure the fuel mileage of the 2011 Chevy Volt, our attention turns to the EPA, which now has to decide what official mileage rating will appear on the new car's window sticker and how to determine what that number will be. The first recommendation comes from the Automotive X-Prize, the foundation of which will award $10 million from Progressive Insurance to the winner of its competition to design a production-viable car that people would want to drive that gets 100 MPGe or more.

What's with that little 'e' after the familiar miles per gallon? Basically, the X-Prize crew wants to convert all units of energy to a figure that's equivalent to the power from a gallon of gas. That way, a car's powerplant - regardless of where it gets that energy from - earns a rating that can be easily compared with everything else. So, EPA, the ball's in your court... still.

Psst - GM, maybe you should enter the Volt in the X-Prize competition. Just a thought.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - Live Reveal

[Source: Automotive X-Prize via AutoblogGreen]

Continue reading Automotive X-Prize recommends EPA adopt MGEe rating

Automotive X-Prize recommends EPA adopt MGEe rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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