This car will use 3 litres of fuel to run 100 kilometers and another important power source is the big Li-Ion battery. You can charge that from your house supply and give it 35 kilometers of autonomy on electric power alone. Inside, we discover a 2+2 interior, comfortable enough for a family of 4. The BMW i8 uses the LifeDrive architecture, giving it a more sporty twist.

Thus, we find the electric motor in the front axle module, while the combustion engine stays at the rear. These sections are connected through BMW’s trademark energy tunnel, that other car makers would call transmission tunnel. The i8 has a low center of gravity and distribution of 50/50, which is perfect for this hybrid-supercar concept.

[via Diseno Art]

Besides the dynamic look and the sport oriented style, this concept vehicle benefits from a special rotation system of the wheels, inspired by the trike, that allows the wheels to turn just by bending, without rotating along the vertical axis.

The “Q” in the concept car’s name stands for four-wheel drive and the “S” for support, according to the designer. This Audi concept car’s doors are made from a rubber fabric, that can turn transparent, depending on the driver’s needs. With a length of just 3.4 meters, this futuristic vehicle would have a great advantage when driving on busy urban roads, or when parking.

[via Auto Motto]

The Lotus Evora 414E has two electric motors (one for each rear wheel) and uses an extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) system, which means it can run on battery power alone for a range of 35 miles, before an optimised 1.2 litre, three-cylinder gas engine with an output of 47 hp, kicks in and acts as a generator, offering an additional range of about 300 miles.

The electrical power is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack, which is placed at the center of the car, for stability and safety. Since the car will run most of the time on electricity, this Lotus concept car features a HALOsonic Internal and External Electronic Sound Synthesis system that makes it sound like a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, making it safe for pedestrians.

[via Autoblog]

This Porsche supercar is powered by a hybrid drivetrain, which consists of a 500 horsepower V8 engine and two electric motors (one for each axle), that offer an additional 218 horsepower. It can reach a maximum speed of 198 MPH, and goes up to 62 MPH in just 3.2 seconds, with a fuel consumption of 78 mpg, and CO2 emissions of just 70 g/km.

The 918 Spyder has four different driving modes available, designed to offer anything from maximum efficiency to maximum performance. The E-Drive mode means the car is running only on electric power, with a range of up to 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode, the car uses both the combustion engine and the electric motors, and would probably be the mode for everyday driving.

The Sport Hybrid mode uses both powertrains, with the focus on performance, most of the power being delivered to the rear wheels. The last mode, Race Hybrid, delivers the best performance available, the powertrains running at the limit of their power. This mode features even a push-to-pass button, that gives additional electrical power (E-Boost), for overtaking or even better performance.

The interior design of the 918 Spyder concept is supposed to give a little hint of how the future generation of production cars interiors will look like, according to the Porsche designers.

[via Autoblog]

With its aerodynamic shape and a low coefficient of drag (0.22), the Flextreme GT/E can achieve the highest speed and the best performance possible from its electric motor. The E-REV system takes this electric Opel concept to 60 mph in under 9 seconds, with a top speed of 125 mph.

Powered by an electric engine that generates 160 HP, the Flextreme GT/E can travel on battery power alone for a range of 40 miles, before a 1.4 litre four-cylinder gas engine comes in to act as a generator, offering a range of over 300 miles before recharging or refuelling is required. Fuel consumption is around 175 mpg and CO2 emissions are less than 40g/km.

The exterior design is more attractive compared to other hybrid vehicles, despite being focused on obtaining maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Carbon composite panels are used for the body and aluminium for the car’s structure, for weight reduction.

At speeds above 30 mph, vertical panels (named “Aeroblades”) extend along the body, from the air extraction slots behind the rear wheel-arches, to guide the airflow and reduce the amount of turbulence.

[via Diseno-Art]

With a length of 4.85 meters and a width of 1.87, the 5 by Peugeot is powered by HYbrid4 technology, consisting in a 2.0 litre HDi diesel engine that generates 163 horsepower and a rear-mounted 37 HP electric motor, bringing the total output to 200 horsepower. This system offers four-wheel drive when required, an electric only mode, low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions (zero in electric mode).

In the front side, the Peugeot 5 concept car presents a large air intake, a chromed grille and nicely designed headlights, while at the back we can see the “classic” Peugeot tail lights, that extend to the rear quarter panels and sporty dual exhausts.

The series version of the 508 sedan could be presented as a premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September, and it is expected to go into serial production late this year or at the beginning of 2011.

[via Autoblog]

The chassis is made of high tensile steel and aluminium, for reduced weight and better weight distribution. The concept car has aluminium suspension components for improved handling and uses a front-wheel drive system with mechanical limited slip differential and next generation Ford RevoKnuckle axle system.

The SHC features two powertrain alternatives. The first one is the AirHybrid and Gasoline Compression Ignition (GCI). It uses a twin-turbocharged engine with direct injection, 6-speed short-shift manual gearbox (optional 7-speed Ford PowerShift transmission with paddle-shift).

The second option is the Delta Drive Hybrid (DDH) system. It has a smaller petrol engine and two electric motors (located inside the front wheels), and allows the car to run 70 miles, with zero CO2 emissions, via charged batteries (Nano-Titanate batteries placed in the front engine bay and under the floor), before the petrol engine is needed to recharge.

The DDH system has three performance modes: Economy (low bhp), Normal (medium bhp) and Performance (high bhp) – which uses both the petrol engine and electric generator. With a slim chance of going into production in 2014, this concept vehicle is likely to compete against the Honda Civic Type-R, the Ford Focus RS and others alike.

[via Diseno-Art]

Using the General Motors’ Kappa platform, the LAMPO2 lost some weight and features better aerodynamics. It’s powered by two electric motors (one for each axle) that generate 408 HP and 640 Nm of torque, being able to go up to 60 MPH in just about 5 seconds and reaching a top speed 124 MPH.

The LAMPO2 uses an all-electric plug-in rechargeable drivetrain from BRUSA, that offers four distinct charging modes, for the large-capacity lithium ion battery pack, including an interface for DC fast charging via an off-board system, which offers up to 60 miles of range, after just 10 minutes of charge.

[via Autoblog]

This car is sustainable and it uses an unique idea to verify the emissions, either goldfish or canaries, that will get sick unless you’re running clean without polluting Mother Nature.

The wheels you can see in the images are made out of gel-nylon and they can flex as needed. Tires are airless and be re-vulcanized or re-treaded at any time.

[via diseno-art]

This futuristic car has all the design elements of a sports car, but it’s also quite luxurious. It gets its energy from electric batteries, hydrogen cells and an interesting mechanism: the rotating blades incorporated into the wheels. They act like windmills and generate the extra power needed to make the “H Car” a truly eco ride.

What do you say? Paint it black and call Batman?

[via thedesignblog]