Today, Mercedes announced the company’s first hybrid vehicle, the Mercedes Benz S400 BlueHYBRID, which will be launched in the summer of 2009. The luxury saloon is powered by a combination of a modified 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine that delivers 279 hp (205 kW) and a compact hybrid module featuring an electric motor that generates 15 kW/20 hp and a starting torque of 160 Nm. The combined output is 220 kW/299 hp, while the combined maximum torque is 385 Nm. A major new feature of the S400 will be a particularly efficient lithium-ion battery specially developed for automotive use and available for the first time on a series-production model.

According to Mercedes, the S 400 BlueHYBRID will be the world’s most economical luxury saloon with a fuel consumption of only 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres (around 30 mpg), while CO2 emissions are kept at 190 g/km. For those of you who want to read more about the car, make sure you read the full press release, it has a lot of interesting info.

Check out more photos after the jump. Read More: "Mercedes joins the hybrid game: the S400 BlueHYBRID"

British company Trident announced today that they’ve finished working on the first prototypes of their ultra efficient high-performance Iceni sportscar. The Iceni (named after a tribe that inhabited the Norfolk area) is powered by a 6.6 liter GM turbodiesel V8 engine which was modified to run on biodiesel and which develops 550 hp (410 kW) and 950 lb.-ft. (1,286 Nm) of torque at 1,800 rpm. The whooping torque is possible due to the car’s weight, of only 1,480 kg (3,262lb). Mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, the Iceni’s estimated performances are incrdible and the fuel consumption is also impressive. If driven at 70 mph, the car returns 70 mpg (3.37 liter/100 km) and Trident claims that if you drive the car at 30 mph it returns an incredible 108 mpg value. This is possible through Trident’s torque multiplication technology, a process where the car’s rev range can be kept low.

The Iceni will come standard with satnav, MP3/DVD playback, a reverse camera and two-tone leather trim and the starting price will be at around £75,000 ($140,000). But the company’s biggest problem is that it currently doesn’t have enough investment so the car’s launch will probably be delayed a few years. Check out one more photo after the jump. Read More: "Trident Iceni biodiesel supercar"

Peugeot has released a group of images of the new concept it will be unveiling at the Paris Motor Show in October. The full name will be revealed at the French Show and so far we know that the car has four doors, four seats and highly innovative hybrid architecture. The RC is fitted with an unspecified hybrid powertrain producing a maximum of 313 hp and emitting only 109 g/km of CO2 in gasoline mode and, of course, zero in electric. The vehicle is eco-efficient which has all the characteristics that ensure great driving enjoyment.

More photos after the jump. Read More: "Peugeot teases with RC hybrid concept"

Ronn Motor Company (RMC) is a Texas based company that is currently working on a very interesting car. Called Scorpion, this is a hydrogen-hybrid supercar that is meant to offer both performance and fuel economy. The car will be built by RMC in cooperation with hot-rod specialists Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters which will be responsible for most of the car’s construction, including its composite body and aluminum chassis.

RMC claims that the car will be able to deliver fuel economy ratings better than 40mpg. Like we said, this is not a hydrogen car, but a hydrogen-hybrid, which means that it will still use a traditional petrol engine, which has been converted to run on a mix of hydrogen and petrol, in a way similar to BMW’s Hydrogen7. The engine used is a 3.5 liter V6 from Honda, mated to a six-speed manual transmission (with an automatic one coming next year). However, what I really find interesting is the way the hydrogen is created. The RMC engineers designed an on-board hydrogen system which uses power from the car’s alternator to fracture water molecules drawn from a small on board water tank. This way, you get your hydrogen without having to store the volatile fuel or stop at hydrogen fueling stations. That’s cool, because actually, all you need is water and regular petrol. Besides that, the car emits only small quantities of CO2 and very little NOx (oxides of nitrogen).

The Ronn Scorpion production has already started, but the official unveiling will take place at this year’s SEMA Show in Vegas, in November and the company announced that sales will start in the United States by the end of this year.

Several years ago VW unveiled a car capable of doing 1 liter per 100 kilometers properly named the “one-liter”. Everything went quiet after the initial presentation but in the current eco-friendly, mileage conscious environment VW apparently decided it was time to begin production of the one-liter even if a limited one. The initial concept vehicle was able to do better than the goal of 1 liter per 100 kilometers and was rated at 0.83 liters per 100 kilometers or 282 miles per gallon. Impressive. The production version will apparently get a two cylinder diesel and possibly a hybrid drive.

In order to get that fuel economy VW has resorted to some rather drastic measures. The passengers sit one behind the other, motorcycle style, and the whole car has an aerodynamic tear-shape. In order to keep the weight down all the panels are built from carbon-fiber on top of a magnesium frame ensuring a weight of only 300kg. This along with the low height has got some people concerned about safety. The one-liter has 4 wheels so at least that should calm some fears. A trike can be classified as a bike so it doesn’t have to pass the same safety standards as a car. It also has the basic safety equipments we have come to expect ABS/ESP, airbag but then it better have considering the expected price in the range of 30.000.

Even at that price VW is expected to sell the car at a loss a la Veyron, hence the limited production numbers maybe even in the hundreds, although they hope to get some sort of government tax cuts or incentives.

While this may be little more then a publicity stunt, and will not in itself have a real impact on car pollution, it is a first step and it will get people noticing. A two seater may not be very practical for to many but a four seater with a very aerodynamic body and low weight may be entirely possible without sacrificing much of the fuel efficiency and introducing that type of car in, say, 2013-2015 could prove a real success so maybe VW is on to something.

More photos after the jump.
Read More: "VW still planning to launch one-liter car, possibly in 2010"

This a really cool video, showing a visit to the Chevrolet Volt development lab, where we can see what’s behind future GM green technologies. And what’s really interesting about this video is that we also have the chance to see a 1:3 scale production version model of the upcoming Chevrolet Volt electric car, which will have a range of 40 miles. Enjoy!

Read More: "Video: Chevrolet Volt development lab"

A couple of weeks ago we wrote about the Morgan LIFECar, a stunning concept from the British car maker Morgan. The 30 horsepower (no, no typo, that’s thirty) hydrogen fuel cell concept weights 600 kg and is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 160 km/h. Morgan is very prowd of its clean Zero Emissions Concept which also has an estimated fuel economy of 1.8 litres per 100 km (that’s 130 mpg!).

Check out a full photo gallery made by us today at Geneva, after the jump.

Read More: "Geneva 2008: Morgan LIFECar Concept"

Besides the Fiat 500 Abarth, the Italian car maker will also show the Fiat 500 Aria Concept at the Geneva Motor Show. The car is an eco-friendly concept powered by a 1.3 liter 16v Multijet Euro 5 turbodiesel unit (with anti-particulate DPF filter) mated to a robotic Dualogic shift transmission.

The Fiat 500 Aria is also equipped with a Stop&Start system which allows to control the temporary switch-off of the engine which, combined with the Dualogic shift, manages to reduce consumption by around 10% in the urban cycle and the CO2 emissions are 98 g/km. Also, recycled materials are used, like the recycled rubber used for the floor, which is composed by rubber granules deriving from used tyres, or the seates upholstered with recycled and woven leather.

Check out more photos after the jump.

Read More: "Geneva Preview: Fiat 500 Aria Concept"

Looks like the Tesla Roadster is one step closer to production, because the car managed to pass all the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) crash tests. These standards are slightly different for electric vehicles, comparing to the regular gasoline powered cars, because it requires attention paid to the spillage of electrolyte and avoidance of electric shock, while the regular cars need only to avoid fuel spillage. That meant the Tesla had to take extra care of the ESS (battery box), by protecting it better and also having safety systems within the ESS itself.

During the FMVSS testing, the Tesla Roadster had to pass about 40 tests, among which were the “Windshield Defrosting and Defogging” (which means that, after the vehicle is started, specific areas of the windshield have to be cleared in a specified time and which the car passed without problems, due to the electrically powered PTC heating system, which start heating the windshield as soon as the car is started), “Rear View Mirrors” (important rearward areas must be visible via the mirrors), “Flammability of Interior Materials”, “Lights” (the front lights need to meet the FMVSS prescribed intensity and lighting pattern to provide sufficient illumination and avoid dazzling oncoming traffic).

Also, on January 16, 2008, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) issued a “Certificate of Conformity with the Clean Air Act of 1990” to Tesla Motors Inc. So we have some big steps made by the Tesal Roadster on it’s way to production.

Check out more photos from the crash tests after the jump.

Read More: "Tesla Roadster passes FMVSS crash tests"

You’d expect carmakers to be more careful around large auto shows, like Detroit, but, for our pleasure, they’re not. So here are some leaked photos of the Saab 9-4x Biopower, presented by dutch website AutoTelegraaf. The concept is powered by a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged engine producing 245 hp and 353 Nm torque and if the fuel used it E85 Ethanol, then power increases to 300 hp and 400 Nm torque. From what we can see in these pics, the concept is a restyle version of the current 9-7x and looks really production-ready, so, probably depending on the public reaction, we’ll soon see this car on the roads.

View more photos after the jump.

Read More: "Saab 9-4x BioPower Concept leaked photos ahead of Detroit debut"

Chrysler announced three new concepts that will debut at next year’s Detroit Motor Show. These are the ‘clean-running’ and ‘excitingly-styled’ Dodge Zeo, Jeep Renegade and Chrysler ecoVoyager.

The Dodge Zeo is a sport wagon hybrid concept and even though it looks like a 2+2 coupe it’s actually a four-door four-seater concept. Powered by a 250 kW electric motor which runs on a plug-in lithium-ion battery, the concept has a range of 250 miles and it speeds from 0 to 62 mph (100km/h) in less than 6 seconds.

The second concept, the Jeep Renegade is a four wheel drive sport hybrid concept (with the most striking design from all three) and which is also powered by lithium-ion battery electric motor and a Bluetec diesel engine, and achieves an impressive 110 mpg fuel consumption. The concept’s AWD system features two 85 kW electric motors on each axle.

And the third concept is the Chrysler ecoVoyager, features a hydrogen fuel cell that generates electricity for the battery pack and 200 kW electric motor, and which Chrysler says , has a range of 300 miles.

Do you like these designs? I, personally, am not so thrilled, still, if the technologies will see production, things look really good. You can leave a comment here.

More photos after the jump.
Read More: "Chrysler concepts for Detroit"

Volkswagen is pretty brave, being one of the first carmakers to reintroduce diesel engines in the United States. However, in an announcement made today, VW said that the clean diesels won’t be available starting April 2008 (as they initially announced), but starting late summer 2008. This is due to a technical issue, which is most likely related to the high emissions standards that vehicles must abide by in the US.

In a memo addressed to VW dealers, Adrian Hallmark said: “This situation is due to a technical issue that was found during the later stages of durability testing”
Read More: "Volkswagen delays US diesels"

At the Tokyo Motor Show opening, Honda’s President and CEO, Takeo Fukui, announced that Honda will be one of the first carmakers in the world to launch a production hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. The car will be a production version of the FCX Concept and it will be introduced at next month’s LA Show and is scheduled to go on sale sometime next year, probably towards the end of the year.

The FCX Concept is powered by electricity generated by combining hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell stack, and electricity stored in its lithium-ion battery pack to power the vehicle’s electric motor.
Read More: "Honda to present the production-ready Hydrogen powered FCX at the upcoming L.A. Auto Show"

After Ford showed us the 9 modified Ford Focus and the 9 modified crossover, which it’ll bring to this month’s SEMA, it’s time for GM to let us know what they’ll present. This year, GM decided to go on a “eco-friendly” theme, so most of the cars are capable of using E85 ethanol or are ultra-efficient sports cars.

We’ll get to see a 500 hp FlexFuel Chevy hot-rod created by GM’s Performance Division, Jay Leno’s E85-powered Corvette Z06 powered by an 8.2L E85-powered V8 engine that develops over 600hp, some new concepts like the Pontiac Solstice SD-290 concept (presented in the photo) and two new G8 performance sedans modified by Pirelli and Unique Autosports, which will be presented by 50 Cent. Oh, and we’ll also have some new stuff from Chevrolet, like the Impala SS NASCAR and Camaro Convertible concepts and modified versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and Chevrolet Subaurban.
Read More: "GM to present 28 models at SEMA"

Have a good look at this car, because this is how the race cars of the future might look like. Well, maybe the not-so-close future, but still, maybe some we’ll see this car on a race track. Kumho Tyres came up with the Epoch single-seater concept (designed by Kumho’s designer Rob Dolton), which features a chassis made of bamboo, body panels from recycled tyre rubber and, the most interestint, a Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) engine with max torque at 0 rpm (yes, that’s zero).

And, with Kumho being a tyre specialist, the car benefits from the latest tyre technology named Electro Active Polymer (EAP), which enables the tyres’ characteristics to be changed through electric currents in the rubber and magnets in the hubs and wheel rims.
Read More: "Kumho Epoch ‘green’ race concept"