Gizmodo Australia » autos

Tesla Model S Electric Sedan Prototype Has a Giant Touch Dashboard

Jason Chen — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:35:24 +0000

Kevin Rose, the Silicon Valley’s John Mayer, just got a few Tesla S concept shots leaked to him. The S, Tesla’s $US50,000ish electric 4-door Sedan, is supposed to be unveiled in Los Angeles today.

What’s most interesting to tech enthusiasts is the fact that the middle panel seems to be one gigantic screen. Is it touchscreen? I damn well hope so.

The pure electric car manufacturer has already delivered US$100,000 Roadsters, which are fun to drive, but get into accidents easily. (I saw one myself last week.) Even Governor Schwarzenegger wants to return his, but only because he’s slightly too big to fit. The S, on the other hand, can be quite an interesting step in electric car design and manufacturing of Tesla actually manages to deliver enough of them to service more than just a niche market.

By the way, the price is only $US50,000 once you factor in the $US7500 in tax credit. It actually starts at a base price of $US57,400.

By the way, Jalopnik has some great (if a little autosnotty) analysis on what chassis the car is built on.
[Kevin Rose's Twitter]

Rumoured Toyota Hybrid Sportscar is Prius-based

Adrian Covert — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:30:00 +0000

The thing that’s always kept me from wanting a hybrid car is that they aren’t all that fast. And the ones that are fast cost too much money. That might change with Toyota’s MR2 Hybrid.

The rumoured MR2 Hybrid is said to be built around the Prius design, but would go 0-100 in under 7 seconds and come equipped with paddle shifters. Jalopnik thinks that the engine would be similar to the FT-HS’s 3.5-liter, V6 Hybridised innards from a few of years ago. The price? Supposedly it’s would only be around $US24,000. I think I’m starting to get hot flashes. [Auto Express via Jalopnik]

Chinese Car Maker Begins Selling the F3DM, the World’s First Mass Produced, Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle

Adrian Covert — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:20:00 +0000

I never expected the world’s first mass produced, plug-in hybrid car to pop up for sale in China, mecca of e-waste and air pollution. But BYD Auto did just that with the F3DM.

According to the Grist, the F3 Dual Mode began selling this week with a $US22,000 price tag, aimed initially at the Chinese government agencies and other corporate entities. The hybrid plugs into any normal wall outlet, and has a range of 100km on a full charge. According to the New York Times, it charges fully in 7 hours, and at special stations, can be charged halfway in 10 minutes. Keeping in the spirit of a hybrid, it also has a 1.0 litre gas engine that is used to recharge the batteries when a power outlet isn’t nearby.

While numerous other car makers have announced plans to sell a plug-in hybrid, none have actually brought one to market, with the nearest release date not until 2010. Worth noting is that BYD started in 1995 manufacturing mobile phone batteries until they acquired a bankrupt auto company in 2003. Now they have Warren Buffet as a 10% shareholder in the company. [Grist via NYT]

Mercedes-Benz Integrates iPhone into Its Cars with Special Cradle

Gizmodo US Edition — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:45:00 +0000

German car manufacturer Mercedes is buying the iPhone-is-God credo, and has come up with a designated piece of gear to allow Benz drivers to integrate their iPhones into the car system. The US$249 gadget works with the C-, E-, CLK-,
CLS-, S-, CL-, SL-, M- and R-Class cars, as well as the forthcoming GLK-Class. It connects your phone to the car’s audio system via either the optionally available Media Interface or the retrofittable iPod® Interface Kit. Full press release below.

New cradle allowing full integration into the vehicle architecture: Mercedes-Benz makes in-car iPhone® connection even easier

Stuttgart – Whether it be a quick call to a business colleague for an important discussion, listening to favourite music tracks or checking home and office e-mails whilst on the move – the Apple iPhone® is a leading-edge business tool with multimedia capability, available in Germany and other markets. Now Mercedes-Benz allows the iPhone® connection to be fully integrated into the vehicle architecture for the first time – once again pointing the way ahead for the automotive industry. The new Apple iPhone® cradle allows simple switching between the telephone and audio functions. What’s more, thanks to the location of the cradle in the centre console, the iPhone® is within easy reach of both the driver and the front passenger. For ease of use, the iPhone® is controlled via the multifunction steering wheel, while the vehicle display is used to indicate the phone status or music functions and information such as the track title and artist.

Over 100,000 people in Germanyhave already purchased an iPhone® – made by US electronics giant Apple – since its launch in November 2007. By introducing the new cradle for the Apple iPhone®, Mercedes-Benz has made it even easier to enjoy the special benefits of this trend-setting multimedia application, even when on the move in the car. This fully integrated solution – the first of its kind – enables either the phone functions or the audio functions on the iPhone® to be activated. As ever, the device is easy to use thanks to the controls on the multi-function steering wheel, all of which enhances road safety, as the driver’s hands remain on the steering wheel, leaving them free to concentrate on the traffic and the other controls in the cockpit.

Perfect reception is assured as the iPhone® connects to the vehicle aerial automatically when inserted into the cradle. A further advantage is the automatic recharging of the iPhone® battery whilst the phone is sitting in the cradle.

This function means that the iPhone® stays fully charged, which is ideal if the user has to leave the vehicle.

New design to influence the style of further cradles

As well as impressing on a technical level, the Apple iPhone® cradle’s exclusive design allows it to be integrated seamlessly into the interior of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The all-new design is based on a black-and-silver colour scheme that adds hallmark Mercedes-Benz touches. The leading-edge design will be used in future cradles for mobile phones available from Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH.

The iPhone® cradle can be inserted into the centre console – where it is within easy reach of both the driver and the front passenger – with a single click and without the need for any tools whatsoever. The portable device is therefore easy to plug in and unplug.Optional convenience telephony (Order Code 386) must also be specified. The cradle connects to the audio system either via the optionally available Media Interface or the retrofittable iPod®Interface Kit available from the range of genuine accessories. Both variants use an integral adaptor lead that has to be installed by a specialist workshop, ensuring an ideal connection between the cradle and the Media Interface or iPod® Interface.

The fully integrated iPhone® is available now for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E‑Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, CL-Class, SL-Class, M-Class and R-Class. The product will also be offered for the new GLK-Class when this model is launched in October. In Germany, the Apple iPhone® cradle retails at € 249 (including VAT) and is obtainable from all Mercedes-Benz dealers.

The adaptor leads for the Media Interface or iPod® Interface are available for € 39 (including VAT) in Germany.

[eMercedesBenz]

Toyota Gosei Creates 360º Airbags, Plus One on the Front for Unlucky Pedestrians

Gizmodo US Edition — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:15:00 +0000

We’ve already seen a version of this: Autoliv’s hood airbag system, but Toyota Gosei (an offshoot of, no prizes for etc etc, Toyota) has gone one better. As well as protecting the pedestrian from being squished like a bug on a windscreen, it has airbags down the side of the car, both front and back, protecting passengers from injury in the event of a nasty shunt from every which way in the car.

The two cushions on the hood are supposed to protect the pedestrian’s head and waist. There’s no saying if and when Toyota will implement them in their vehicles. The system also includes an inbuilt radar and camera for pedestrian detecting, but my personal opinion is that too much “helping-hand” tech turns drivers into lobotomised eejits. If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. [FarEastGizmos via Technabob]

Paint Thickness Tester Won’t Determine the IQ of Your Walls

Addy Dugdale — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:30:00 +0000

A handy little gadget for those of you who prefer to buy second-hand cars rather than brand spanking new models that smell of plastic, Westfalia’s paint-thickness tester will let you know if the vehicle has had a paint job—which can often mean it’s been involved in a crash somewhere down the line. Here’s how it works:

First of all you have to test the paint on the roof, as a reference point, before going for areas that look like they might have had a shunt. If there’s evidence of one, then I guess you can either pull your bargaining pants on and haggle like the geezer you are, or walk away. The paint-thickness tester costs just under US$20, including battery. [Westfalia via Red Ferret]

Car Engine Meets NES Controller

Jason Chen — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:50:05 +0000

I’m confused, but happy to see this ~~Civic’s~~ Corolla’s engine block get a cover that looks like a NES controller. When this baby redlines, it sounds like me mashing buttons in bionic commando. Hello! Just build the turbo function INTO THE GAME. Prediction: The urge to punch down on running temperature A,B, and cross pad buttons during an oil change could lead to some pretty bad blistering. Recommendation: Sawzall the hood and give NESTER some breathing room! [Kotaku]

Tesla Sues White Star Ex-Designer for Sabotage

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Tesla Motors, maker of the much hyped (and well reviewed) electric Roadster is suing Fisker Automotive, the outfit behind fake vroom-y Karma, for stealing Tesla’s design and trade secrets. Supposedly, this pushed the sale date for Tesla’s four-door sedan, White Star, back six months, to 2010. Henrik Fisker (the eponymous founder) was hired by Tesla to design White Star. Tesla alleges he took the US$875,000 contract, sabotaged Tesla’s project with sub-par work, and then made off with their secrets and designs, using the money to launch his rival electric car effort.

To fill the design gap and move things along, Tesla got some of the guys at Lotus to step in and massage the body design. Man, I thought people designing green tech were out there to help people and keep us from dying in crazy “Day After Tomorrow” freak weather. Not you know, actively undermining each other for their own selfish benefit. Capitalism at its finest. [NYT]

MonoTracer Bike Is Singularly Fantastic

Mark Wilson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Traditional motorcycles are OK, but this is the future. We need future things. And the US$82,350 glass/kevlar/carbon/steel MonoTracer bike certainly feels like it’s from the Utopian, roundmobile world to come. Featuring a fully enclosed cabin for less drag and less pebbles in the face, the MonoTracer’s 130hp BMW engine goes 0-100 in 5.6 seconds and hits speeds up to 250kph. We’re not exactly sure what you’ll do at stoplights, but apparently there are little training wheels that pop out for parking…a solution that’s admittedly not much more suave than toppling over at every stop.

[MonoTracer via DVICE]

Self Inflating Tires Do Just That

Mark Wilson — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:31:00 +0000

If Coda’s claims are true, their Self Inflating Tires in development now seem like an inevitable future for car owners. The simple mechanism works with classic principles of a peristaltic pump: a tube is placed in each tire’s sidewall. As it’s run over, the tube’s compression forces air in (filling the tire). A cut-off makes sure the tire doesn’t explode. That’s it. Sound too good to be true? Maybe. But having all tires on the road at optimal inflation could lead to a huge gas/energy savings every year (and as our friends at Jalopnik point out, it’s pretty good for safety as well). So our ears are perked waiting for more information. (Note: the choice for no hyphen was that of the manufacturer, not our editors.)

AU: And the choice to spell them “tires” was also the manufacturers choice, not your local editor’s.

[product via jalopnik]