Engineering services firm Tata Technologies has been displaying its Electric Mobility Electric Vehicle (or eMO EV for short) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The project was a participant in the 2012 Michelin Challenge Design programme, which had the theme ‘City 2046: Art, Life and Ingenuity - Transforming Personal Mobility.’
Entrants were asked to develop a vehicle that could carry between two and ten people, giving consideration to what transport infrastructure and needs might be like in the future.
Tata’s solution has been designed to maximise internal space while keeping the exterior dimensions as small as possible. The eMO EV concept - which was engineered with input from teams in India, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States - is a full four-seat car, although there’s no dedicated luggage compartment.
Drive to the front wheels is via a pair of electric motors that are fed by an 18.4 kW air-cooled, high density / high energy battery pack. Estimated range between recharges is 100 miles (161 km), and the eMO EV is capable of reaching a top speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). Not exactly quick then, but more than enough for congested city centres.
For the time being at least, the eMO EV will remain just a concept as there are no plans to put it into mass production.
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Saturday, 14 January 2012
Friday, 13 January 2012
Top 10: Irish car sales 2011
Despite continued bleak economic conditions, the Irish car market managed to grow slightly during 2011. Figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show that total registrations were 89,904, an increase of 1.7% compared to the previous year’s 88,373.
Around 12,000 of 2011’s sales were due to the scrappage scheme, which closed at the end of June. This gave Vehicle Registration Tax relief of €1,250 per new car, provided that the customer’s trade-in was at least ten-years-old.
While the Focus was the most popular model, Ford slumped to third place in the manufacturers’ rankings. That left Toyota to take the top spot, closely followed by Volkswagen.
BMW slipped into the top ten, thanks mainly to 2,163 new 5 Series registrations. The entire Mercedes-Benz range combined couldn’t beat that performance, which contributed to BMW achieving a massive 37.7% year-on-year sales upsurge.
Even that wasn’t quite enough to beat rivals Audi, though, because it too experienced an impressive growth rate and ended the year with 3,464 registrations.
The other stand-out success was Hyundai, which posted 1,052 extra sales compared to 2010.
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Around 12,000 of 2011’s sales were due to the scrappage scheme, which closed at the end of June. This gave Vehicle Registration Tax relief of €1,250 per new car, provided that the customer’s trade-in was at least ten-years-old.
While the Focus was the most popular model, Ford slumped to third place in the manufacturers’ rankings. That left Toyota to take the top spot, closely followed by Volkswagen.
Ireland's most popular car in 2011: The Ford Focus. |
BMW slipped into the top ten, thanks mainly to 2,163 new 5 Series registrations. The entire Mercedes-Benz range combined couldn’t beat that performance, which contributed to BMW achieving a massive 37.7% year-on-year sales upsurge.
Even that wasn’t quite enough to beat rivals Audi, though, because it too experienced an impressive growth rate and ended the year with 3,464 registrations.
The other stand-out success was Hyundai, which posted 1,052 extra sales compared to 2010.
Top 10: Irish Car Sales 2011 - By Manufacturer | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Manufacturer | 2011 | 2010 | +/- | % +/- |
1 | Toyota | 11,812 | 10,660 | 1,152 | 10.8% |
2 | Volkswagen | 11,247 | 10,301 | 946 | 9.2% |
3 | Ford | 10,519 | 11,215 | -696 | -6.2% |
4 | Renault | 8,580 | 9,746 | -1,166 | -12.0% |
5 | Nissan | 6,763 | 5,494 | 1,269 | 23.1% |
6 | Opel | 6,387 | 6,603 | -216 | -3.3% |
7 | Škoda | 4,651 | 4,915 | -264 | -5.4% |
8 | Hyundai | 4,011 | 2,959 | 1,052 | 35.6% |
9 | Audi | 3,464 | 2,723 | 741 | 27.2% |
10 | BMW | 3,433 | 2,493 | 940 | 37.7% |
Figures provided by SIMI Statistical Service |
Top 10: Irish Car Sales 2011 - By Model | |||
---|---|---|---|
Position | Manufacturer | Model | Registrations |
1 | Ford | Focus | 4,242 |
2 | Volkswagen | Golf | 3,980 |
3 | Toyota | Avensis | 3,661 |
4 | Renault | Fluence | 3,016 |
5 | Volkswagen | Passat Saloon | 2,975 |
6 | Ford | Fiesta | 2,953 |
7 | Nissan | Qashqai | 2,653 |
8 | Toyota | Corolla | 2,592 |
9 | Renault | Mégane | 2,530 |
10 | Toyota | Yaris | 2,311 |
Figures provided by SIMI Statistical Service |
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Thursday, 12 January 2012
2012 Suzuki GSR750 ABS
When Suzuki’s naked GSR750 was introduced last year, one key item was missing from the spec sheet: anti-lock brakes.
Now that omission has been fixed with the launch of the GSR750 ABS, which goes on sale this month.
The UK on the road price has been set at £7,478, which is just £350 more than the non-ABS version. As an extra incentive, there’s currently a £650 cash back offer that runs until the end of April, but to qualify the bike has to be bought using Suzuki’s finance scheme.
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Now that omission has been fixed with the launch of the GSR750 ABS, which goes on sale this month.
The UK on the road price has been set at £7,478, which is just £350 more than the non-ABS version. As an extra incentive, there’s currently a £650 cash back offer that runs until the end of April, but to qualify the bike has to be bought using Suzuki’s finance scheme.
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