Zoomi Life

Ian Wright, inventor and builder of the Wrightspeed X1 electric race car we featured not too long ago, has announced that the car will not be manufactured for sale in the foreseeable future. Economic woes, lower gas prices, and other factors have made the car unrealistic to sell on the market.

Instead, Wright plans to focus on the drive train technology and battery power in order to further perfect it and offer it for license to other EV manufacturers. In this way, he hopes to continue in the industry and make it easier for upstarts and smaller manufacturers to compete by alleviating some of their R&D costs as far as the propulsion tech goes.

Source: AutoBlogGreen

London is famous for its double-decker buses (among other things). When you see a two-deck, red bus you assume it’s a London bus. Well, a couple hundred of those buses are going hybrid.

By the end of January, 56 hybrid buses will be on the road in London with about 300 more operating by 2011. The buses are Transport for London’s latest green initiative in the UK, hoping to meet the nation’s emissions standards for public transportation well before the 2012 deadline.

The buses are much quieter than their diesel counterparts and have 40% lower emissions. The buses will be designated as hybrids by their colorful green-leaf motive painted around the lower portion of the chasis.

In addition to this development, Transport For London has also stated that by 2012, every new bus entering the fleet will be a hybrid. This means that their 8,000 total bus fleet will eventually be completely replaced.

Sources: 1, 2

A man by the name of Neil Bailey has a vision: to build a car with all of today’s modern sports and speed refinements based on the classic Shelby Cobra look. The inspired design has become the Bailey Blade, a great-looking concept car design.

Mr. Bailey then had his long-time friend Eric Rodela join him and formed the company BaileySpeed and has begun the hard design phase. The foam and computer modeling is done, now the car is taking shape for real. Originally, the car was to be a high-end, ultra-custom gasoline-powered speedster, but during development, Bailey started to realize the benefits of using different technologies.

Now the Bailey Blade is being developed in three configurations: the XTR, EVR, and HDR.

The XTR is a 750hp, 5.4L V8 with a 6-speed transmission and a top-notch motor from ROUSH. This was the original configuration of the Bailey Blade.

The EVR is a hybrid with both front and rear hi-torque electric motors, giving 300×2 foot pounds of torque to each axle. This 4WD system will give 600fp of torque up to 3,000 rpms and utilize lithium-iron phosophate batteries. A small gas-powered, 100hp 30kw generator on-board will provide recharge for longer distances.

The Blade HDR is the same ROUSH motor as the XTR, but with a Hydrogen on-demand injection system to save a projected 20% in fuel.

No hard numbers on the fuel economy of the gasoline or hydrogen versions is available, but the 100hp generator they’re utilizing is capable of 140mpg or better, depending on the size of the battery bank it’s to charge and how often it has to run. It’s likely that the gasoline motor will get 18-20mpg under standard driving conditions.

The Bailey Blade is a 2-seater and is only a concept at this point. But what a concept! Even if it never goes into production on a scale higher than the one this guy builds in his garage, it’s a totally hot car and the photos make a great computer desktop for your dream car salivations. So far, the cost on this puppy has reached nearly $200,000 in development, which Bailey has footed entirely from his own pocket. He projects it will be another $100,000 before the first XTR is completed and road-worthy.

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Source: Baileyspeed.com

Miles is putting a new electric car on the market, which we covered not long ago. That car has seen some updating. It’s name is changed from the XS500 to simply “Miles EV.” Probably a good choice, since XS500 sounds pretty 1950s futuristic.

The other change is in the style. Not a big change, but one that makes a big difference in the car’s looks. Formerly, it looked like a standard economy-sized sedan with four doors, a hood, and a bumper. Well, it still looks like that, but since it’s electric, they’ve done away with the grill. This gives the car a sleeker, more sporty look, I think.

Otherwise, little has changed with the new Miles EV’s other statistics. The motor, batteries, etc. have all stayed the same and the car is still slated for release in early 2010. With a top speed of 80mph and a range of about 150 miles, it’s a good car, even at $45,000 (minus government incentives).

This Post via OnElectricCars

Piaggio makes unique scooters, to say the least, that utilize 3-wheeled designs. Unfortunately, Piaggio decided to name this machine the MP3, which their marketers failed to tell them would instantly make it seem less hip as it tries to rip off the popular music format’s household status.

When I tell you I’m riding an MP3, you’ll assume I’m using a creative euphemism for listening to a song. No one thinks of scooters when they hear “MP3.” If you see a scooter and someone tells you it’s called an “MP3,” you’ll just shake your head and say “what a stupid name.”

Other than the lame name, though, these scooters do have a lot of great technology behind them. Stuff you don’t see, like the great engineering that allows it to tilt 40 degrees to either side, allowing for motorcycle-style turning without fear of spilling.

This plug-in hybrid can move around too, doing a reported 0-60 in 5 seconds. That’s impressive. It charges to full in about three hours, travels 13 miles on batteries alone (about the average one-way commute) and utilizes regenerative braking. The little 125cc motor can charge the batteries even while underway at top speed.  All told, the Piaggio MP3 gets about 141 MPG.

This stylin’ machine will be out next year, worldwide. Check out the Piaggio USA website for more information.

French carmaker Peugeot, darling of the Paris Auto Show, has unveiled a fascinating concept hybrid scooter at this year’s show. The Hymotion 3 concept vehicle is a three-wheeled hybrid scooter which bridges the gap between a scooter and automobile by providing the driver with a roof and partially enclosed driver’s cabin. This small, stylish vehicle has a top speed of 70 mph and gets an amazing 118 MPG.

The Hymotion 3 was designed to bridge the gap between a scooter and a car and from the looks of the design, it looks like they did a good job. The roof will come in handy on overly cold, windy or rainy days and should help provide some protection against the elements for the scooter’s driver.

The Hymotion 3 has three wheels - two in the front and one in the back. Its front wheels are each equipped with an electric motor, while the back wheel is powered by a diesel engine. Since the Hymotion 3 is a hybrid, it can be driven in the city in electric mode (powered by Lithium-ion batteries), while its diesel engine allows it to keep up on the open highway.

No word yet on when and if Peugeot will mass-produce this vehicle, or what the pricing will be. But based on the specs and the pics, we’re hoping it will be soon, and at an affordable price.

This Post via Inhabitat and Peugeot