GM has already announced making its entire SUV segment into the Hybrids. It will be interesting to see if Toyota also does the same, by deploying fuel saving technology in the new Sequoia.

Expecting that Sequoia will start coming out of production lineup in the spring of 2008 after its premier at Chicago Auto Show early next year, but nothing can be made sure of. It is not clear that what will be its price tag and whether it will be a model year vehicle for 2008 or 2009.

Via : MotorTrend

From its looks any one will interpret Toyotas newest of hybrids as another one of those boxy looking things which comes with tyres attached, one of those of which the market looks fed up with from the past some time.

But, once you take a peak deeper into the box, you will see that Toyota has came up with pretty new innovations, which have been put inside to please the youth around.

The new Hi-CT Plug-in hybrid comes with a drivetrain of 1.5L engine accompanied with an electric motor deriving its power from a lithium-ion battery.

The whole arrangement is hidden underneath the floor which helps to make the most of the interior space and also enhances the dynamics with a low center of gravity.

The car comes with a detachable trunk and a deck which offers lots of space for keeping equipment like bicycles, surfboats and the like.

This made for two can unquestionably be a concept for a bigger car for a jam-packed urban area. All that remains merely an idea, until Toyota formally announces that this one will be making it to the production lineup or not.

[Source: MotorAuthority]

There is great news for all of the environment friendly groups and the alternative fuel industry. With times more and more of Americans are drifting towards alternative fuel automobiles. Americans bought nearly half a million alternative fuel automobiles for the second quarter of 2007, does this indicates something...

According to the study, sales for clean diesel vehicles were up by 16 percent from 93,012 last year to 108,044 this time. The E-85 capable vehicles and the Hybrids are also on an upward move. The ever increasing fuel prices and the increase in availability for the AFAs were surely the reasons for this upward move.

According to Dave McCurdy, President and CEO for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers,

Yet even though more AFAs are being sold, we still need more gas stations to offer biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel.

In a recent survey report by R.L. Polk and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers made known that about three-fourth of consumers were familiar to Alternate Fuel Autos with a single drawback: the availability for biofuels.
[Source: Domesticfuel]

The truth is that it is highly adaptive and looks like the thing for the day and can truly be defined as a legend. Redefining this legend Piaggio is set to launch a new version of the teenager at sixty-one, dubbed the Vespa S.

Vespa S has its origin based on the present 50cc and 125cc LX models. Moreover, as the Vespa is and always will be a symbol of modernity, it is been given a complete face-lift based on a reincarnated 70s vintage looks.

It has a squared head light which tells apart the slightly curved handle bar area. With its mudguards slashed backwards, it reveals a large region of suspension. To give it a vintage look a whole lot of hulking plastic has been detached to divulge the steel framed back, one of the characteristics from older counterpart.

Its availability and price still remains a secret untold from the makers Piaggio, but is expected to be priced around £2000 for the 50cc model and £2500 for the 125cc and is predicted to hit the market sometime around autumn or winter this year.

Credit: Telegraph

As number of defects have been cited at the production stage JIS found it very important to share the defect information along with the improvement know-how’s with the member of the firms, so as to get rid of these defects.

These new regulations will be fabricated by The Battery Association of Japan, with Information Network Association along with the Communication and Information Association of Japan and the Camera & Imaging products association.

With help from these organizations the safety tests will be made tougher and used as the new JIS. These tests will include short circuiting these batteries with the insertion of metallic shavings, running a brawny shock on fully charged batteries among the worst hot and cold conditions that can be. The tests are made to ensure that the batteries do not get overheated or ignite.

If the firms fail on the new standards they will have to stop supplying there batteries. It is a matter of time that these newly set up standards for Japan can soon be applicable internationally. As there are lots of batteries which are made out of the country for inland use, the Japans battery association urges the overseas Standards Associations and various other groups to follow these newly formed regulations.

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[Via:GreenCarCongress]

The HumanCar built for four, runs on a rowing machine styled propulsion system and an additional DC electric motor for some extra muscle. Its bio-motion transmission system converts the oscillatory motion into rotational motion to make the car roll.

For steering the car along the road the travelers inside bend over to left or right, which triggers the steering mechanism, turning the front wheels. The car also has a lithium-ion battery pack just in case its engines (the occupants) stop propelling.

Greenwood plans a manufacturing facility for HumanCar by coming January and there are plans for a dealership at Tony San Francisco suburb of Menlo Park as Mr. Greenwood is accepting pre-order for the upcoming production models. The car is expected to be priced between $ 5,000 to $ 17,000.
Watch the car in motion..

[Source: Autopia 1, 2]

Here is some more good news for all you adrenaline junkies trying to catch every bit of exhilaration whenever possible; Can-Am Spyder Roadster from BRP is set to get you all on the road with a style statement.

This raging speedster carries a Rotax 990 V-Twin engine (manufactured at BRP Rotax Austria) to materialize your need...your need for speed. It promises performance of a traditional motorcycle with contentment of a sports car.

The very first units of this roadster will be making it to some selected North American dealerships by this October, while the dealers from the international scene will have to wait until early 2008.

For 2008 the company plans to roll out the spyder in 20 additional American states, few Canadian provinces and 15 countries of Europe, South-America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

[Read]

The team put together an old BMW motorcycle, fitted it with high performance diesel engine which was only available in Europe. It was a long and a wearing process more like solving a zig saw puzzle of putting the fundamentally distinct pieces together to work collectively. The team also had to spend a lot of its time in developing a fuel delivery system, with parts which were compatible with bio diesel.

Die Moto is an emerging work of art with a diesel engine, from a car fitted in a motorcycle chassis, put together in a hand crafted ¾ aluminum fairing to reduce the air drag. It has achieved a remarkable 130 mph and its designers are aiming for a record 160 mph.

To register a considerable rise in its speed the team came up with an innovative idea of adding a bicycle chain like add to its gear box. When the motor spins one sprocket the chain wrapped around it turns to a second sprocket with just half of the gear teeth doubling the speed per revolution, making upto 82, 00 rpm.

Initially the Bike is stable while in motion but since its gear shift and clutch leavers are both to be controlled by foot, the real problem was to get it in motion. They had to add a switch enabling it to start in gear with the clutch also making it stable while the biker begins to ride. The team is also working on a handle bar clutch.

In September 2007 the team plans to go to the renowned Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for testing the land speed record for any diesel motorcycle. It is claimed, that a commuter running on bio diesel emits 78% less Co2 compared with a standard diesel engine.

Taking all the above into consideration ; it looks that the quest for an alternative technology which ensures a clean and green environment has a little time left before it makes its way into high performance everyday vehicles.

Intel joined hands with OCC to make a themed bike for the debut of its Xeon processor. This custom made bike has 250-hp with dual V-twin engines making it a fearsome beast but it has been tamed with a computer and a fully embedded quad-core processor.

Black diamond advance technology came in with a demand for a computer that will take all the hardships of the bike and still be handy and supple and is powerful enough to power all the systems of the bike. The computer is a switch back P.C, developed by black diamond advanced technology, which provides flexibility and connectivity of commercially available UMPCs, simultaneously making it according to the demand of users working in a ruthless environment.

OCC founder Paul Teutul cited:

We have made the most powerful and technologically advanced bike we’ve ever made .This may be the world’s fully computerized chopper.

It is having no ignition key; instead it has finger print recognition for ignition. The motorcycle is uploaded with a 3-pound, 5.6 inches, LCD screen which recognizes finger print deactivate security functions and allows access to start ignition button .The LCD screen is fully viewable in sunlight with a digital speedometer, tachometer, voltage meter, battery voltage gauges and turn signal indicators .

It displays the rear images with the rear mounted cameras making rear view mirrors obsolete and in addition it has electronically controlled hydraulic kickstand, making everything in the bike integrated with a computing system.

This digital dashboard can go from the simple functionalities of driving to a fully loaded PC with Bluetooth, GPS, USB drives, with a QWERTY keyboard and all of the windows applications. This computerized contraction is detachable as per the convenience and also for the security reasons. The battery for its operation is charged while the bike is on the move and once charged it gives 5hrs running time and it also has a wall-charge unit .


Intel takes cruiser style riding to a new sphere into an exhilarating new level which is out of place here. It gives the feel of a fighter plain flying below the radar.

Images : Switchbackpc

Via : PopularMechanics