All-Electric Taiwan Studio X-Gene Avant GT

It’s called the Avant GT and it looks like someone tried to make a Porsche Panamera out of a Honda Crosstour. The pure-electric model was first shown in Shanghai earlier this year and it’s the product of five companies – none of which have any real experience building cars – including Taiwanese design firm Studio X-Gene, financial partner Altair ProductDesign and technological partners Delta Electronics, Wistron and Qisda.

The Avant GT is being marketed as, “a pure electric sports grand tourer” – which I suppose makes it Taiwan’s Tesla or Fisker wannabe. Let’s see what the company bigwigs have to say about it, starting with Studio X-Gene executive director Albert Yang:

"The Avant GT is a unique project for Studio X-Gene and represents the quality of automotive design expertise available in Taiwan today. Partnering with Altair ProductDesign proved invaluable. Combining our design knowledge with Altair's engineering and optimization expertise has allowed us to deliver this exciting, high-performance new vehicle to the Shanghai Auto Show and really make an impact on the automotive community."

When will it be on sale? We don’t know. How much will it cost? We don’t know that either, though we guess we'll find out soon enough.

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Ford will Build Electric Cars and Selling Lincolns in China

Ford Motor Company’s CEO, Allan Mulally, recently told Bloomberg Television that his company might build electric cars with its partner in China while the automaker is also looking to introduce the Lincoln brand into the market.

“As we move towards electrification, you’re going to see more hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars”, said Mulally while on a trip to Chongqing, China, for the founding of a new transmission plant in partnership with Changan Automobile Group.

The CEO did not specify when or which EVs Ford is considering to make in China in cooperation with its local partner, only that it depends on infrastructure and progress in battery pack technology. The Chinese government’s intention is to have at least one million electric cars on the streets by 2015 in order to reduce emissions.

Mulally added that Ford, which aims to double its presence in all segments in the local market, is considering bringing the Lincoln brand to China: “We have a great luxury brand in Lincoln. There’s going to be tremendous pull from China to have access to these great vehicles.”

Introducing Lincoln to the Chinese market might prove a profitable movement, since JD Power estimates that luxury car sales will increase by 15% in 2011 alone.

Ford came a little late to the China booming car market party, but intends to make up for it by investing $1.6 billion USD in the construction of four new plants in order to achieve its goals. Currently its share in China is just 2.7%, while GM’s is more than triple, at 10%.

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IAA 2011: BMW i3 Study

BMW chose the Frankfurt Motor Show to tease its upcoming pure-electric model, the five-door i3 city car with a concept study of the same name.
The concept, formerly known as the Megacity, features a 170 HP electric motor placed over the rear axle that is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.
It generates 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque and drives the rear wheels, providing a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time of under 8.0 seconds while its top speed is electronically limited to 150 km/h (93 mph).
Recharging the battery pack takes six hours using a standard socket, while BMW claims that with a high-speed charger you can have an 80% charge in just one hour.
BMW has also revealed that the production i3 will be offered with a range-extending small-displacement gasoline engine that drives a generator which in turn charges the battery, thus significantly increasing the car’s driving range.
Expect the bodywork of the production version to be close to that of the concept displayed in Frankfurt, and the interior to be ditched in favor of a more conventionally styled cabin.

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IAA 2011: Opel Envisions the RAK e Concept

Not to be outdone by its German counterparts, Opel displayed its vision for a low-cost urban commuter with the two-seater RAK e concept car. According to GM's German subsidiary, the study has "production potential".
The battery-operated vehicle with the exposed wheels is based on a steel space-frame structure beneath a skin of conventional synthetic material.
The reason why Opel avoided the use of exotic materials is to keep the RAK e as affordable as possible. Nevertheless, Opel managed to keep the weight down to just 380kg (837 lbs) or about 80kg (176 lbs) less than VW's NILS concept.
The RAK e measures around three meters long and 1,190mm high and can seat two people, including the driver, in a tandem layout.
Powering the concept is an electric motor that generates a peak output of 49HP (36.5kW) and a continuous 14HP (10.5kW), while energy is drawn from a 5kWh battery. According to the German automaker, after charging the battery for three hours at a cost of about one euro (equal to US$1.37), the experimental vehicle has a range of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The company claims that over an annual 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles), the RAK e’s energy consumption would be 525 kWh, which could be supplied by a five square-meter, 500-Watt solar panel mounted on the roof of the garage.
Opel added that the RAK e has a projected top speed of 120 km/h (75mph) and zero to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration in less than 13 seconds.
"We want to develop electric vehicles that everyone can afford," said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Opel CEO, in Frankfurt.
"The range-extending concept of the Ampera demonstrates our leadership in electrification of the automobile, the RAK e experimental vehicle aims to deliver pricing that even younger customers can afford. The RAK e has cool looks and production-potential." Stracke added.

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IAA 2011: Third Generation of Smart’s Electric ForTwo

Electric cars seem like a perfect means of transportation in the city, thanks to their zero emissions. The problem is that they are usually priced out of the reach of most customers.Smart claims that its third-generation ForTwo Electric displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show is not only Eco-friendly, but will also be available at a "customer-friendly" price.
The previous electric version of the ForTwo launched in 2009 was available in 18 markets and sold more than 2,000 units. It used a Tesla-sourced lithium-ion battery pack with a constant output of 20 kW (27 HP) and could peak at 30 kW (40 HP), accelerate from zero to 60 km/h (0-37 mph) in 6.5 seconds and top out at 100 km/h (62 mph).
Smart has improved the new ForTwo Electric considerably. Its battery still uses lithium-ion technology, but this time it is a 17.6 kWh unit from Deutsche Accumotive. The electric motor is also more powerful with a 35 kW (47 HP) constant output and a 55 kW (74 HP) peak output, while it accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h (0-37 mph) in 5.0 seconds and can reach a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).
The pure-electric Fortwo has driving range in excess of 140 km (miles) while thanks to its 130 Nm (95.8 lb-ft) of torque it is more responsive at higher speeds. The battery can be fully charged at a regular household outlet or a charging station in eight hours, and in less than one hour with the optional rapid charge function that features a 22 kW on-board charger.
The new Smart ForTwo Electric will be available in more than 30 markets from next spring and the company expects its sales to reach five-figure numbers. Its price in Germany will be less than €16,000 (US$22,000) but buyers will also have to pay a €60 (US$82.7) monthly fee for battery rental.

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