Nokia Parking helps you find and pay for a spot, we go hands-on (video)

Posted on 29/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

Parking in Paris is a nightmare. No, it's worse -- it's bad enough to keep you awake at night, worrying that your precious machine will be scratched up or simply missing the next morning. Nokia, at least, is trying to make things a little easier with an upcoming service it's just calling Nokia Parking. It's a comprehensive parking database launching in Europe in November that can not only help you find parking but even help you pay for it once you do. More details, and a video demo, after the break.

Continue reading Nokia Parking helps you find and pay for a spot, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Software, Nokia

Nokia Parking helps you find and pay for a spot, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is the carbon fiber core of Ferrari’s first hybrid

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

Ferrari has already said that it will never make an electric car -- at least, not while Luca di Montezemolo is in charge -- but we already know that a hybrid Ferrari is in the cards. And, this is what will hold it all together. At this year's Paris Auto Show the company rolled out this carbon fiber cage that is the core chassis of the machine. Other than a pledge that the thing will use F1-inspired technology nobody would tell us what it would be called (possibly F70, at least internally) or just when the rest of its components will be bolted on. But, for now, enjoy this sneak peek under the skin of Ferrari's next hypercar.

Gallery: Hybrid Ferrari carbon fiber chassis

Steve Dent contributed to this report.

Filed under: Transportation

This is the carbon fiber core of Ferrari's first hybrid originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For Nokia, helping the competition find its way is good business

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

Financially, Nokia is in bad shape. It lost a billion dollars last quarter, which is only good news when you look at the quarter before that, which shows a $1.7 billion loss. Despite all this, Christof Hellmis, VP Location Platform at Nokia, doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned. In fact, he's rather chipper as he sits down with us at this year's Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris.

Perhaps that's because his division, Location & Commerce, is doing quite well indeed. Containing the remains of Navteq, L&C pulled down nearly €100 million profits in each of the past two quarters. It's a healthy golden goose in Nokia's rapidly shrinking barn. So why, then, is the company helping its competition improve their own offerings by providing more comprehensive navigation services baked right into Windows Phone 8? And, why is it that Apple's own attempt at mapping has gone oh so poorly? Those are just a few of the questions we asked of Mr. Hellmis, all detailed for you after the break.

Continue reading For Nokia, helping the competition find its way is good business

Filed under: Transportation, Software, Nokia

For Nokia, helping the competition find its way is good business originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t mind the zero-emissions Mercedes fuel-cell car behind the invisible curtain (eyes-on video)

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Steve Dent

Mercedes wanted to make a dramatic statement about how its new B-Class F-Cell car passes through the environment without leaving a trace, so it placed it behind an invisible LED curtain. We wanted to (not?) see that for ourselves at the Paris Auto Show, so took a quick tour of the magic LED cloak and the technology behind it. It doesn't work quite as well in a show hall as it did when we first saw it in its natural habitat, but the system was still a fun way to show off Merc's green ambitions. It works by passing video from behind the car taken with a Sony video camera through a laptop to a 200 x 300 resolution LED curtain. That makes the car blend in with its background, which is what such a car would do in the real world as far as its emissions go -- apart from a little water, of course. See the video below for the complete technical explanation.

Continue reading Don't mind the zero-emissions Mercedes fuel-cell car behind the invisible curtain (eyes-on video)

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Don't mind the zero-emissions Mercedes fuel-cell car behind the invisible curtain (eyes-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GreenGT H2 eyes-on: the first fuel cell-powered racer to tackle Le Mans

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

The 24 hour race at Le Mans held every year is among the most punishing automotive tests on the planet: race-bred machines running top-speed (or close) for a full day. Recently, gasoline-powered cars have had their dominance usurped by diesels, who themselves are now losing to hybrids. The next step? It could be EVs. The GreenGT H2 will take the grid of next year's 24 hour race as an experimental entry, driving the full race distance pushing only water vapor out its tailpipe. Hydrogen is stored in the two large tanks running down the sides, while the massive fuel cell stack itself is situated behind the driver. Power output is somewhere north of 500 horsepower, which is quite healthy for a car that the company hopes will be down under 1000Kg (2,200 pounds) by the time it hits the track in anger. Enough to win Le Mans? Almost certainly not, but it'll be fun to watch it try.

Gallery: GreenGT H2 LeMans Hydrogen-powered race car

Steve Dent contributed to this report.

Filed under: Transportation

GreenGT H2 eyes-on: the first fuel cell-powered racer to tackle Le Mans originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video)

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Steve Dent

Auto show concept cars are all whizzy styling and impractical interiors, and Smart's latest offering, the Forstars EV at the Paris Auto Show, has all that in spades. But the stubby car has another show-stopping feature we'd love to see in production -- a projector installed right into the vehicle's grill. That would let you and a special friend pull the two-seater up to any white wall and beam the flick of your choice from an iPhone's bluetooth port, while blasting the audio through the sound system. Other friends not in the Forstars' confines would also get the sound from speakers located in the ventilation grills behind the doors. Once rolling, the concept Smart moves along with an 80 horsepower electric motor and 17.6 kWh battery, boasting 127 lb/ft of torque and an 80MPH top speed. Since the car's currently a one-off, don't get any ideas about heading to Lookout Point with a screen in tow -- but you can head to the video after the break to see how it works.

Gallery: Smart forstar concept EV

Gallery: Smart forstars EV concept press images

Continue reading Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video)

Filed under: Displays, Transportation

Smart Forstars concept EV brings drive-in theater to a wall near you (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exagon Motors Furtive-eGT electric supercar eyes-on

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

There are few things we love more than custom-crafted carbon fiber cars with meaty all-electric powertrains and torque for miles and miles and miles. So, when we wandered by the display for the Furtive-eGT from Exagon Motors and, we couldn't help but stop and throw together a gallery -- despite that company trotting out mildly modified versions of this concept for a few years now. The all-electric supercar weighs just over 3,600 pounds and has dual electric motors, one for each rear wheel, pumping out a combined 402 horsepower. That's good for a 0 - 60 dash in 3.5 seconds and, with its carbon ceramic brakes, it can pull 1.2G while doing a hard stop. Exagon says it could manage up to 225 miles on a charge. When will it ever go into production, and how much will it cost if it does? The company still isn't saying, but if you have to ask...

Gallery: Exagon Furtive-eGT

Steve Dent contributed to this report.

Filed under: Transportation

Exagon Motors Furtive-eGT electric supercar eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Venturi announces 300HP, €300K America all-terrain EV, coming in 2014

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Steve Dent

If you feel the need to rapidly hit the great outdoors without despoiling it, Venturi just may have your ride -- provided you have about $400,000 to spare. The company just launched the America EV at the Paris Auto Show, packing a 300HP powerplant, 53 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and projected 200 mile range to go along with the breathtaking price tag. Venturi's touting the car as more than just a smooth pavement flyer though, saying that it has a go-anywhere attitude with its high stance, generous clearance and tough carbon-fiber chassis. Still, if you want to go fast, the car can hit a top speed of 120 mph, and once you've burned off all the volts, can be fast charged in four hours, or ten from a 230V socket. Despite its off-road gumption, the rear-driver has considerable competition for sports EV dollars -- and a smooth road to its 2014 availability target is no given.

Gallery: Venturi America Sports EV

Filed under: Transportation

Venturi announces 300HP, €300K America all-terrain EV, coming in 2014 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

Your average fuel cell powered car is something like the Mercedes B Class F-Cell: tiny, light and hugely efficient. Nissan is trying to break that rather restrictive preconception with its latest concept, the Terra. Like its cross-prefixed predecessor, the Xterra, and similarly quirky Juke, the Terra is designed to take the rougher road while cosseting its occupants in a particularly trick interior featuring both a dashboard that's actually a removable tablet. The idea is you can take it inside and keep tabs on your car, but we wonder what happens when you leave it sitting by the bed as you groggily stagger out to your vehicle in the morning.

Impractical concept car interior design decisions aside, the machine is powered by a trio of electric motors (yes, three) driving all four wheels and receiving their power from Nissan's latest hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Nissan says this unit costs just one sixth that of its predecessor, but presumably such a system has a long way to go before it can be placed in a reasonably priced machine. No word on what this might cost -- if indeed it ever goes into production. This one, we think, isn't too likely.

Gallery: Nissan Terra

Steve Dent contributed to this post.

Continue reading Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path

Filed under: Transportation

Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Production-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar unveiled

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Tim Stevens

We're pretty sure we've suffered some amount of vision loss from staring at the ridiculously bright paint scheme on Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell over the past few years. MB has rolled it out at virtually every auto show it can and we've always stopped for a gander, but now we finally have the full production version -- and it's in a slightly more tame but visually perhaps even more stunning color, a sort of chrome blue that even in the flesh looks CG rendered. It's the SLS AMG Electric Drive, it's launching next June and we have the full details after the break.

Gallery: SLS AMG Electric Drive