Monthly Archives: April 2010

Tesla’s getting the world’s best battery from Panasonic

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

JB Straubel, chief technology officer of Tesla Motors, was in Japan to visit the Panasonic factory that will manufacture the lithium-ion cells with the highest energy density in the world. They are the same size as the batteries used by … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric cars (EVs), EVs batteries and BMS | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Former GM EV1 drivers test drive the Chevy Volt

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

General Motors is about to launch the Chevrolet Volt, the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car. To get unbiased views on what it’s worth, GM invited some past customers to test drive it.

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25 Prius plug-in hybrids on the road in France

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

We’ve been talking about plug-in hybrids for years. These cars are the future, and we’re waiting for them. Well, the future starts today. 25 Prius plug-in hybrids have been leased by the city of Strasbourg, in France. These Prius have … Continue reading →

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The Gran Coupe concept, the return of the classic BMW

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

What’s a BMW? To most people, BMWs is a leading manufacturer of sports sedans. But have you been to a BMW dealer recently? Several sedans are there, but there’s also wagons. And SUVs, with the X5, the X3, the X6 … Continue reading →

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Unneeded energy use at its worst in the Maybach

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

If you belong to the lucky few who can afford a Maybach, you know it is one of the finest automobile money can buy. Its build quality is awesome, as its performance, confort and equipement. Our pictures are worth a … Continue reading →

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Super-frugal Opel Astra ecoFLEX now available, 57 MPG!

Posted on April 25, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

The Opel Astra is not sold in the US, but americans will get to know its platform, since it’s also used by the Chevrolet Cruze. The Astra is more suited to european tastes with a four-door-hatchback body and a diesel … Continue reading →

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EcoBoost’s going all the way down in the Ford Start

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

We know about the downsizing idea in Ford’s EcoBoost engines. To replace a big low-tech engine with a hi-tech smaller one. That’s what we get in the Ford Edge, with a strong turbocharged V6 where you expected a V8. Ford’s … Continue reading →

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BMW’s electric Megacity will come in 2013

Posted on April 23, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

The fact is not widely known, but BMW is today a leader in electric mobility. 600 electric Mini are currently on the road. Thanks to AC Propulsion, the californian company which provided the drivetrain, they have the best technology available. … Continue reading →

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New V6 from Mercedes to be less thirsty

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

This week-end in Beijing, Mercedes will show its new concept-car: the Shooting Break. It gives a pretty good idea of what the next CLS will look like, but the name sounds strange. We usually call a wagon based on a … Continue reading →

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A pretty chinese, the electric hybrid JAC Vision IV concept

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

Quite often, we don’t have a good opinion of chinese design. Chinese manufacturers are young, and so are their designers. It shows. A good solution then, is to hire a respected designer for some contractual work. Most likely he will … Continue reading →

Posted in City cars, Concept-cars, Hybrids | Tagged , | 2 Comments