Fisker Karma at Harrods

The world’s first luxury electric vehicle, the Fisker Karma, will take pride of place in the prominent Brompton Road window display at Harrods, Knightsbridge, until the 4th of February.

“Harrods is one of the most prestigious retail sites in the world, which is perfect for our car,” said Henrik Fisker, co-founder and CEO of Fisker Automotive.  “The landmark store attracts hundreds of thousands of customers from all over the world during January, and we look forward to introducing them to the Fisker Karma.”

The Karma is one of the most efficient, low-emission vehicles available today and it can travel from 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds,was recently given an emissions rating of just 51 g/km CO2 and this luxury EV saloon car offers up to 112 mpg. The car also has a range of 50 miles on “electric only” operation with zero emissions. 

If you go to see the car you will be able to take a tour of the vehicle and offered the chance to virtually configure your own model. The 2012 Fisker Karma is already on sale in the United States, priced from $102,000, and will soon be available at dealerships internationally, in the coming weeks.

Following the successful launch of the UK’s first eco motor show Ecovelocity in 2011, the organisers of the ground-breaking show have announced details for the 2012 event. The show will also move from Battersea Power Station to ExCeL, London and will run from May 10^th  through to the  13^th 2012.

Giles Brown, managing director of organisers IGME Ltd commented: “EcoVelocity got off to a fabulous start at Battersea Power Station, and really stood out from other car events.  The show featured 17 of the leading low carbon automotive brands and between them 7,000 test drives were taken during the event by enthusiastic show visitors.”

EcoVelocity 2012 will see car makers showing off their latest green car models including electric, hybrid and very low carbon derivitaves.  The show provides motorists the chance to get up close to the cars and the chance to have test drives on a special test drive circuit.

Vauxhall Ampera

Vauxhall has announced that its eagerly awaited Vauxhall Ampera E-REV is now ready to order, as full pricing and vehicle specification details are announced. The car is offered in three trim levels with the entry model available to order from May 2012, with prices starting from £29,995 (inclusive of the £5,000 government plug-in grant).

The other two models in the range will be the Positiv (£32,250 with the grant) and Electron (£33,995 with the grant) and all models are backed by Vauxhall’s Lifetime Warranty comprehensive cover (or 100,000 miles whichever comes sooner). The battery is not covered by the Lifetime Warranty however.

Toyota NS4 Advanced Plug-in Hybrid Concept Car

Toyota has unveiled its new NS4 advanced plug-in hybrid concept car at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The NS4 concept signals a new styling direction for Toyota and the advanced power hybrid plug-in system features a reduction in size and weight, improved fuel economy, better acceleration, a longer all-electric range, while still maintaining a short charge time.

The NS4 concept has a human-interface machine (HMI) centred round a multi-touch screen that resembles a smartphone and conveys information to the driver quickly, while minimizing distractions. It also controls air conditioning, audio, battery-charge and navigation functions and even “learns” driver preferences to anticipate driver responses in a variety of situations.

Toyota NS4 Advanced Plug-in Hybrid Concept Car

Toyota has installed its latest safety system developments in the NS4 concept, including next generation pre-collision (PCS), adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlights and blind spot monitor systems. Four new glass technologies are integrated into the windscreen, front and rear windows to improve driver mobility, fuel economy and electric driving mode efficiency. The new glass technologies are as follows;

• Rain-resistant ‘hydrophobic’ coating – Fluorine coated glass causes rain drops to form intosemispherical shapes for improved visibility and rain drop elimination.
• ‘Anti-fog’ coating – High performance resin material with anti-fogging characteristics and increased durability.
• High ultraviolet (UV) absorbing inner-layer – Removes 99 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays
• Anti-solar film with radio-wave transparency – Reduces the internal vehicle temperature and improves electronic device functionality

The inner and outer rear view mirrors have also been replaced by cameras displaying a panoramic view to the rear on a dashboard-mounted screen, providing the driver with a much wider field of vision compared to a normal rear view mirror.

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Toyota has released the first pictures of Yaris Hybrid ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show in March 2012. The new model brings together the packaging and agile handling of the Yaris, with Toyota’s innovative Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain.

Yaris is Toyota’s best-selling car in Europe and the Yaris Hybrid follows the launch of Auris Hybrid in 2010 as the second core Toyota model to feature full hybrid technology. The intention is to now introduce the powertrain to the largest volume segment in the European market. As the new flagship car of the Toyota Yaris range, it shares the same new-design “face” of Toyota but places greater priority on aerodynamic efficiency.

New Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Toyota has downsized its Hybrid Synergy Drive for Yaris, combining a new 1.5-litre petrol engine with a more compact electric motor, transaxle, inverter and battery pack and the result is a system that is 20 per cent lighter than that used in the Auris Hybrid.

The location of the fuel tank and hybrid battery is under the rear seat and the Yaris Hybrid offers the same occupant space and 286-litre luggage capacity as conventional petrol and diesel Yaris models. Automatic air conditioning and e-CVT automatic transmission are fitted as standard on the car, signalling that customers do not have to compromise on comfort in order to achieve low CO2 emissions performance.

Kia Rio diesel returns 88.3 combined mpg

The driver training specialist IAM Drive & Survive is offering weekly motoring tips to drivers from its head of training, Simon Elstow. This week, Simon is advising on saving fuel and money and how green driving will save you up to 15% on your fuel bills:

• Keep your vehicle moving for as long as possible, even in traffic queues. This is far more fuel efficient than stopping and starting your vehicle, so slow down earlier, to avoid braking harshly and too often.
• Your cruising speed has a major impact on the fuel economy of your car or van so stick to the speed limit. This offers a good compromise between economy and getting somewhere on time. There’s a significant saving made by doing 70 instead of 80 – and you also avoid any risk of speeding fines.
• Reverse into parking bays when parking. If you do all the manoeuvring with a hot engine you can drive straight off when you come back and warm the engine up more quickly, thereby saving fuel.
• Check your vehicle regularly to ensure it operates efficiently and in particular check the condition of your tyres, and measure tyre pressures when they’re cold.
• Remove all unnecessary weight from your vehicle, including roof racks, car clutter and heavy items in the boot. The more weight you carry in the car, the more fuel your vehicle will burn.
• Keep the inside of the front and rear windscreens squeaky clean. Traffic fumes form a film on the glass which attracts moisture and makes them mist up easily – a clean screen will rarely mist up, so you won’t be using the heater and air-conditioning to clear them.

Elstow said: “We’ve all got better things to spend our money on than petrol. This will help you save cash and reduce your carbon emissions.”

Great advice from the IAM’s Drive & Survive, however choosing a fuel efficient car can also save you hundreds of pounds in fuel bills annually.

For example the new Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi 1 EcoDynamics 5-door hatchback returns a staggering 88.3 combined mpg and only emits 85g/km of CO2. The combined mpg of 88.3 is a remarkable performance and you can search for the most fuel efficient new cars using our Vehicle Type Shopper and see the vehicle lease rentals too.

New Toyota Aygo

Toyota has updated the Aygo for 2012 with a fresh new look and front end treatment with a wider front bumper, integrated fog lights and a large trapezoidal air intake. The new car will be unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show on the 10th of January 2012 and prices will be announced nearer the UK on-sale date. This is the first major revision to the Aygo since its launch in 2005 and the car now offers sub-100g/km of CO2 and fuel economy above 65mpg.

The car comes with dark-tinted rear privacy glass for both three- and five-door versions, new 14-inch wheelcap designs, plus a range of seven colour choices including a new metallic orange. Inside you get a new steering wheel design with leather trim and paddle controls on the steering column (for models using Toyota’s Multimode automated manual transmission).

Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept

The new Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid concept is being unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) , in Detroit and is an innovative petrol plug-in hybrid car. It is an electric car, economical hybrid and powerful high-performance car all rolled into one.

You can decide which mode you want to drive in by the touch of a button on the instrument panel and then select Pure, Hybrid or Power, giving you three cars for the price of one.

In Pure mode the Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid has a range of around 28 miles and is powered by an electric motor producing 70 horsepower. Charging is via a normal 220V household socket and a full charge with 12A takes just 3.5 hours, or with 110V/12A it takes 7.5 hours.

In Hybrid mode (which is the standard setting whenever the car is started), the four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (powering the front wheels) is coupled to the electric motor (powering the rear wheels) and CO2 emissions are 53g/km, which provides fuel economy of around 100mpg and a total operating range of 600 miles, without refuelling.

In Power mode the 280hp turbocharged petrol engine kicks in with the electric motor giving you a 0-60mph of 5.8 seconds with instant torque being provided.

Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid - rear view

The car carries a “T8″ badge which emphasises the combined horsepower of 350 hp and has other innovative features reducing the weight of the vehicle. The Integrated Starter motor and Generator (ISG) replaces the conventional starter motor and alternator and is capable of delivering an extra 45hp during acceleration, while constantly recharging the battery when braking.

The “Save” option on the car also saves battery power for later and don’t forget the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept has electric four-wheel drive (AWD) which provides excellent handling and better traction in snow and mud for example.

The muscular appearance of the car is complimented by a special white colour and 21-inch wheels. Inside the instruments are tailored to give you all the necessary information about petrol and electricity consumption, battery charge level, remaining range plus much more. The interior colours of the car features unique dark-blue leather upholstery with inlays of blue-grey wood and this concept certainly looks a winner for Volvo.

Hubert Waltl

Volkswagen Passenger Cars has set some ambitious environmental targets for car production, with a plan to reduce energy consumption, waste volumes, air borne emissions, water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 25 per cent by 2018, at all its factory production plants worldwide.

The “Think Blue. Factory” initiative is an addition to the “Think Blue” portfolio and the new Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee,was the first factory worldwide to receive a platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental) certificate. This certification confirms Volkswagen’s compliance with some of the most demanding standards for sustainable, environmentally compatible vehicle production.

Hubert Waltl (pictured) , Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand, said,”Through the growing efficiency and productivity of our plants, the Volkswagen brand is already making a key contribution to the achievements of Group strategic targets for 2018. However, we are going a step further: by 2018 we intend to make production at all our plants 25 per cent more environmentally compatible”.

Kia Ray EV

Kia has just launched the Kia Ray EV, which is their first production electric vehicle, offering a range of up to 86 miles on a single charge. The car is being produced exclusively for the Korean market at this stage and is based on the 1.0-litre petrol Ray CUV.

The EV version is quicker than the petrol equivalent, reaching 0-62mph in 15.9 seconds and a top speed of 81mph, with recharging times taking six hours using a 220V household supply, or just 25 minutes in fast-charge mode. The automatic transmission offers two driving modes while in ”D” drive. ”E” mode (eco mode) gives you minimum battery consumption and maximum driving range and “B” (brake) mode can be selected when driving down a steep hill.

Some of the features of the Ray EV include a unique instrument cluster showing electic motor operation, battery status and distance to recharge. You also get the first ever EV-specific equipped navigation system which provides crucial information on the nearest EV charging stations, as there are only 500 slow/fast recharge stations in Korea currently.

The Kia Ray EV also gets a regenerative braking system, VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control), HAC (Hill Assist Control), VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) plus a VESS (Virtual Engine Sound System), which emits “petrol engine” noises at speeds less than 12mph, to prevent accidents. Kia plans to manufacture around 2,500 Ray EVs which are destined for government departments and public offices.