Green Autos

Expensive cars and expensive watches have been paired together as often, and for as long, as ice cream and chocolate syrup. Every year various watch manufacturers come out with special editions aimed at the performance driver. Usually they sport multiple chrono dials, exotic light-weight materials, and a price that is proportional to the car by which they're inspired.

The 2010 TAG Heauer Tesla Roadster is the same idea, flipped. Tesla and TAG Heuer joined forces to design a limited edition roadster, which they showed off at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Tesla's chief designer Franz von Holzhausen worked closely with the Swiss watch designers to develop a look that was true to both companies.

Without any delay, this is one of the coolest concept cars I have seen in my entire life. It looks incredible, its technology is incredible, its performance makes me feel tingly and the best part is I can tell that cute brunette at yoga class, “When it comes down to it I put the earth first, so I bought a hybrid.” At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Porsche brought out what is probably the most exciting concept in years: the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept.

By designing this car, Porsche has essentially answered a request of mine, to show the world that the word “hybrid” is not synonymous with word “coma.” I'm so grateful to see something like this, I feel I owe them a thank you card.

Ferrari stepped into the limelight once again this year at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show where they debuted their vettura laboratorio, the Ferrari 599 HY-KERS hybrid concept sports car. Known for their screaming V-12 exotic sports cars, Ferrari is for the first time experimenting with the inevitable future of electrification. The HY-KERS is based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, which is one of the best torque producing vehicles Ferrari has to offer, now amplified with the hybrid-electric motor rated at an astonishing 107 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque.

The new hybrid system incorporates pioneering engineering principles into every detail of the vehicle. The flat lithium-ion batteries are located on the floor pan of the car resulting in a lower center of gravity. The compact electric motor of the HY-KERS is coupled with a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission. Ferrari’s goal was to offset every kilogram increase in weight by a gain of at least one hp from the electric motor.

Seeing the unveiling of the new 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, has me looking at hybrid technology in a new and much more positive way. I believe hybrids are good for the planet, and spending less money on gas - usually used for mundane errands - is a good thing. But the current hybrids available are boring. Well I'm happy to report that this is not your art teacher's Prius. And of course it's not, it's a GT3 race car built by Porsche, which will be competing in the upcoming 24 Hours of Nurburgring.

Like the developing F1 systems, it has regenerative braking, and the extra electric power (up to 120kW) can be used in 6-8 second bursts. What's new about this system is that instead of carrying heavy batteries, it has a generator that rides shotgun to the driver. The energy is sent from the flywheel to the motor and saved as potential energy. Two electic motors then deliver power to the front axles.

The Automotive X-Prize is a series of events and programs whose purpose is to inspire a new generation of viable, safe, affordable and super fuel-efficient vehicles. In September of this year, a number of applicants will compete in three events totaling $10 million in prize money.

One of the most innovative entries for this year’s Auto X-Prize is Peraves E-Tracer, an aerodynamics combination of the motorcycle and the automobile propelled by 204hp of electric energy. Sure to make heads spin, we’ll leave it to the consumer to decide whether the enclosed two-passenger motorcycle is impressive.

I don't put much faith in the mainstream media anymore. Not because I believe the government is listening to my brain-waves and controlling CNN from an underground base in a Nevada desert, but because I've found they leave out a lot of important information. It's not that the news doesn't talk about cars, they do. Hybrid technology stops by monthly, and Toyota's recall was all over the TV for days. These are important, but so is the progress Tesla is making (leaps and bounds).

Here, Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk sits down with actor/comedian/talk show host Kevin Pollak for an hour-long interview on Kevin Pollak's Chat Show. No script, no censors, no filters. Just Mr. Musk talking about his passion and determination to design a car that is both loved by consumers and benefits mankind. It sounds cheesy, but he is the real deal. Here Elon explains the future of Tesla, including: Rental cars, rental battery packs, electricity infrastructure and expansion, and how a $25k Taurus is more expensive to own than a $50k Tesla.

It was only a matter of time before Audi got into the compact hatchback market, a segment that they have been trying to aggressively go after by downsizing their sheet-metal and powerplants. The A3 has been a big success but after watching MINI Cooper sales take off, they knew they had to go even smaller, much smaller. Back in 2007, the Metroproject Quattro concept was debuted and now we finally have the official word on the 2011 Audi A1 after months of teasers and various concept iterations.

The new Audi A1 follows fairly closely to the visual representations and design studies we've seen. It measures 155.5 inches long, 68.5 inches wide and 56 inches tall, making it more than a foot shorter and 10 inches narrower than the A3. This squat hatchback will be available with a choice of 10 alluring exterior colors and 4 different colors for the roof arches. Some of the options available include LED lamps front and rear as well as Xenon headlights.

The name Westfield Sportscars may not immediately ring a bell but the Lotus 7 should. The same British company responsible for producing various stellar replica Sevens is now working on a full-on electric sportcar, known as the iRacer, with aspirations to compete in the EV Cup.

The iRacer weighs a super light 1,300 pounds, of which 440 pounds comes by way of lithium phosphate batteries mounted inside and underneath its tubular chassis. The design is flexible enough to allow for additional batteries to be mounted at the front of the vehicle as well.