Transportation

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, BMW, China

Zinoro, Zhi Nuo, po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to, let's call the whole thing on. Whatever the pronunciation, the BMW China joint venture Brilliance Automotive will use the new Z-brand to sell its upcoming electric vehicles in the country, Automotive News China says.

Brilliance will make the cars at its Shenyang plant, where 3-series, 5-series and X1 vehicles are also made, with sales starting early next year. No word on which model or models will be used for the EV. Automotive News says BMW sold more than 80,000 vehicles in China through March, up 7.4 percent from a year earlier but about 20 percent less than Audi among luxury automakers.

BMW recently announced the new Zinoro/Zhi Nuo badge, which roughly translates as "The Promise," and may expand the brand beyond China. Brilliance, which was established in 2003, has been in the plug-in game for a few years now, showing off a plug-in hybrid 5-series vehicle at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2011.

BMW JV will sell China EVs under new Zinoro/Zhi Nuo badge originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Diesel

General Motors has announced the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel will return 46 miles per gallon highway based on Environmental Protection Agency estimates, besting original projections by some 4 mpg. As GM points out, the figure is better than "any non-hybrid passenger car in America," including the Volkswagen Passat TDI at 43 mpg and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI at 42 mpg. The Toyota Prius, meanwhile, still bests the Cruze Diesel thanks to the hybrid's 48 mpg highway rating.

Still, Chevrolet should be proud of its four-door. The car's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission. Drivers will also enjoy an overboost function that can crank the engine to 280 lb-ft of torque for brief stints. This all means that the Cruze will be able to travel 700 miles on a single tank of fuel, while achieving a 0-60 time of 8.6 seconds. You can check out the full press release below for more information.

Continue reading 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel gets 46 mpg

2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel gets 46 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Asia

Nissan is conducting field tests with FedEx in Singapore for its all-electric NV200 commercial van. The road test for what Nissan now calls the "e-NV200" is part of a comprehensive field test program that was started up by Nissan and FedEx at the Hannover Motor Show in Germany last September.

Once the Singapore project is completed, the program will be taken to other countries, including the US and Brazil. Field tests have already been conducted in the UK and Japan.

Singapore was chosen by Nissan and FedEx because of the nation's stance on environmental policies including efforts to reduce air pollution. It ties together commitments from the automaker and delivery company to improve the environmental impact of their operations.

The field test will not be elaborate, as only one e-NV200 will be monitored as it makes delivery trips for a month. After that, both companies will evaluate whether the vehicle is ready for local delivery of international air cargo. Nissan will also utilize the data for future development of the e-NV200. The company press release is available below.

The Nissan e-NV200 will be launched in 2014, and will be the second electric vehicle in Nissan's lineup. There may be an opportunity for Nissan to provide the electric cargo van in other markets, especially now that that the Ford Transit Connect Electric has gone away.

Continue reading Nissan expands NV200 electric van tests in Singapore

Nissan expands NV200 electric van tests in Singapore originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, SAE World Congress

Protean Electric is ready for the rubber to hit the road for its in-wheel electric-drive system. With one of those systems powering those tires, of course.

The Michigan-based company, which last year secured an $84-million funding round, is showing off the production version of its electric-drive propulsion system this week at the 2013 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. The motor's most-recent iteration boosts torque from earlier iterations by 25 percent, up to a whopping 735 pound-feet of torque, not to mention delivering 100 horsepower. Each motor weighs just 68 pounds and, paired with a gas engine, can boost fuel economy by as much as 30 percent.

Protean Electric said last July that it would use its newfound funding to open a factory in Liyang, China. And last December, Car and Driver named the Protean Electric system one of the 10 Most Promising Technologies for 2013. Check out Protean Electric's press release below.

Continue reading Protean Electric shows off production-ready in-wheel electric-drive system

Protean Electric shows off production-ready in-wheel electric-drive system originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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