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Revised Tesla Roadster v1.5 Is Released, Still Doesn’t Mean Your Pathetic Ass Can Afford One

 

Well technically, the car itself didn’t receive the upgrade, but rather the automatic gearbox. Highly anticipated by the handful of people who can afford one [whom mostly work in the tech department], the Powertrain 1.5 delivers 30% more torque and 10% more range to the Tesla Roadster’s Borg-Warner transmission. Helping you make that Dungeons and Dragons tournament on time, the power boost kicks the Tesla Roadster’s acceleration rate into warp speed,  zooming from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds. The greenest, most impressive part? The all-electric Tesla Roadster still averages 244 miles off a single charge.

Since production began last March, 27 Roadsters have been delivered to buyers, all presumably with the Roadster’s original Powertrain 1.0 transmission. Tesla will upgrade those owners to the Powertrain 1.5 for free, and now that initial kinks in the transmission dynamics have been ironed out, expects production output/consumer demand to more than double. “Now that we have a final powertrain design, in a matter of months there will be hundreds of Tesla Roadsters across the country,” CEO Ze’ev Drori told Autopia, “We’re heralding nothing less than a new era of the automobile.”

[News Source: Autopia, Wired Blog]



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Автор: SharaMoore на 07:13 0 коммент.
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The New Toyota Hybrids: They Tryin’ To Stop Me Ridin’ Dirty

As much as I singularly resent the level of obnoxious elistism that seems to enshroud the Toyota Prius, I have to admit - if Toyota manages to produce a hybrid vehicle that isn’t as ugly as the Prius or as tiny as the Chevrolet Volt, there is a distinct possibility that I will succumb to the siren song of Toyota’s cost-effective fuel efficiency.

Say what you will, but those guys at Toyota know how to churn out a quality, eco-friendly automobile. Their first hybrid car on the market, the Prius, was introduced in North America in 2001 and was met with almost instant success. Even though it wasn’t the only one of its kind, the fact that it’s price tag was so consumer-friendly gave it a significant competitive edge. Over the years, the Prius has become an image representative of the hybrid car movement, and its sales have obviously been very successful. So much so, in fact, that Toyota is “upping the ante”.

According to Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota is planning the release of two more hybrid vehicles. Although production of the Prius will continue as usual, in 2010 Toyota plans to introduce two new members to the Toyota and Lexus fold (respectively). In addition, Toyota has also announced its new partnership with Panasonic EV Energy Co. and subsequent plans to begin manufacturinglithium-ion batteries. The new breed of batteries will initially be used for testing purposes, but long-term goals call for the mass production of the lithium-ion batteries for use in Toyota’s plug-in hybrid vehicle, set for release in 2010.

But wait, it gets greener still…

Toyota’s unbending commitment to the environment also includes immediate plans to begin research in pursuit of a cleaner, even more efficient battery than the lithium-ion. Toyota has also declared that, by 2010, they will effectively cut emissions produced by their manufacturing plants since 2001 by 35%.

[Source: Automotive News]



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Автор: SharaMoore на 11:22 0 коммент.
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