FlyNano proto takes to the air, final model will soar mainly with electrons (video)

flynano-proto-takes-to-the-air-electric-power

Last time we saw the FlyNano amphibious ultralight plane, we weren't sure if it would be gas or electric, and we wondered who'd be brave enough to fly the tiny thing -- if it flew at all. That's all been answered, because the sub-154 pound carbon fibre vehicle completed its first flight, taking a brief skip above a Finnish lake with pilot Pekka Kauppinen at the helm. The short trip showed promise, and the company affirmed it would continue development and airborne tests with the aim of delivering to customers in late 2013. According to the maker, recent technology gains mean that electric motors will now be the main power option. No change to the $27k base price tag was announced, so if you've got the nerve to strap one on -- and a lake to launch from -- click the source or watch the video after the break.

Continue reading FlyNano proto takes to the air, final model will soar mainly with electrons (video)

FlyNano proto takes to the air, final model will soar mainly with electrons (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 19:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  sourceFlyNano  | Email this | Comments

Zero Motorcycles will pay for your first 25,000 e-motorbike miles, wants you to ride guilt-free

Zero DS

If you've been staring lustfully at an electric motorcycle but needed that little extra push to make the jump, Zero Motorcycles has a unique incentive in store: it'll pay for your first 25,000 miles on the road. Should you take the keys to any one of the company's two-wheelers between now and the end of May, you'll get a Visa gift card for the amount within a few weeks. Of course, the reason it can make such a seemingly generous offer is through the sheer efficiency of an electric engine: at a typical 10 cents for every kilowatt-hour, you're looking at just under $200 for what's likely several years of driving, even if you're particularly enthusiastic. Knowing that riding the same amount with a gas-powered bike practically requires taking out a small mortgage in the current economy, though, we'd say that Zero is just reminding us of an an advantage e-motorbikes already have.

Zero Motorcycles will pay for your first 25,000 e-motorbike miles, wants you to ride guilt-free originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceZero Motorcycles  | Email this | Comments

Rimac quells Concept_One doubters, shows its EV supercar’s pedal to the metal (video)

Image

O ye unfaithful, believe. For those of you who saw Rimac's preview of its Concept_One electric supercar and were skeptical of that claimed 2.8-second 0-62MPH time given all the leisurely putting around, the Croatian automaker has followed up with a video proving that this isn't your daddy's EV. It turns out that the 1,088HP-equivalent motor is quick enough to leave a lot of rubber on the tarmac, thank you -- both from a very enthusiastic start and from a healthy amount of drifting. This won't change the need to both drop $980,000 and get in quick on that 88-unit production run, but if you were worried that there wouldn't be a torch-bearer for high-speed EVs during the Tesla Roadster's hiatus, Rimac just put that anxiety to bed.

Continue reading Rimac quells Concept_One doubters, shows its EV supercar's pedal to the metal (video)

Rimac quells Concept_One doubters, shows its EV supercar's pedal to the metal (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 16:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Rimac Concept_One EV now a reality: cash in those stock options (video)

Rimac Concept_One EV now a reality: cash in those stock options (video)

If you don't have a sonorous v-something under the hood guzzling gas, do you still have a supercar? Judging by the nearly one million large needed to buy its Concept_One high performance EV, Rimac clearly thinks so. Since our last dalliance with the sinuous eco-powerhouse, the Croatian maker has announced that it's producing 88 units priced at $980K each -- with its carbon fibre body, 1088 HP, 190 mph top speed, and 2.8 second 0-62 mph time all still intact. Sure, there's no Lamborghini rumble, but at those speeds you'll be gone so quickly no one would appreciate it anyway. Watch it cruise sedately in the video after the break.

Continue reading Rimac Concept_One EV now a reality: cash in those stock options (video)

Rimac Concept_One EV now a reality: cash in those stock options (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAutoblog  | Email this | Comments