Brabus says that when the 2.2-liter engine is combined with the pair of in-wheel motors, they can rocket a sedan from zero to 60 miles per hour in just over seven seconds. Brabus plans on tuning this impressive package until its fuel efficiency has been improved by up to 30 per cent.

Protean Electric is thrilled at the chance to work on high-performance fuel-efficient vehicles. Talking about this, Protean CEO Bob Purcell said, “We’re pleased to work with Brabus to demonstrate what Protean’s in-wheel electric drive can deliver to the world. Our in-wheel motors not only provide significant performance improvement, but do so in a very responsible way.”

Thanks to the team at AutoLoaninCalifornia.com, who offer auto loans in Irvine, CA (Brabus’s hometown stateside), for this tip.  And here is the official (US) Brabus website:  http://www.brabus-usa.com/

There are a number of reasons the 2012 Zeros are more visually pleasing. First of all, the battery packs are now concealed better than they had been on previous models. Next, the new ruby red wheels truly stand out, and, as we all know, red wheels are not only pretty, they are faster than wheels of other colors.

However, this does not mean that all is cool with the electric bikes. Reviewers are finding that some of their components almost seem to be items that have been added, just because they have to be on motorcycles. Some of these apparently cheap pieces are the taillights, mudguards, headlights and kickstands.

Though electric vehicles are inherently more-costly than gas-powered ones, consumers who plunk down $13,000 – and this is before registration and motorcycle insurance – are normally not pleased to find poorly added components.

Image by bisonblog

Brammo Inc has inked a deal with Sheffield Financial giving retail financing to every Brammo dealership in America.

Tickled pink about being able to offer motorsport retail financing across all of the good ol’ U.S. of A, Craig Bramscher, CEO and Founder of Brammo, said, “Sheffield Financial has a strong commitment to customer service that will be greatly appreciated by anyone who wants to ride a Brammo electric motorcycle. Sheffield’s timely service and quick credit decisions are unmatched in our industry and we know that is something Brammo customers will value.” 

The Sheffield posse is likewise happy about the partnership. Talking about this pleasure, Jack Snow, president of Sheffield Financial, said, “With Brammo’s innovative electric battery technology, it is poised to make a major impact on the electric vehicle market. We are pleased to offer finance options to Brammo’s customers.”

Need to finance a car, not a bike?  Click here for North Carolina Auto Loans, one of our blog sponsors.

The motor is a huge improvement over the last model’s motor. Producing 50% more torque, it has a top speed of 85 mph, an increase of close to 20 mpg. Industry observers are saying that these numbers are clear indications that the slow, sluggish performance that electric motorcycles have been known for are becoming a reputation of the past.

One of the most useful things about the Zero DS is its two modes of operation: Eco mode and Sport mode. While in the former mode, the motorcycle produces up to 25% regenerative braking torque, and while in the latter, its engine braking effect is reduced making for a quick, fun ride. Reviewers have reported that the while in Sport mode, the DS is possibly a better, more aggressive bike than a 250cc gas-powered motorcycle.   

Unlike many other plug-ins, the DS can be charged with a standard 110v wall outlet. Without the use of any special charging accessories, the DS can be fully charged in nine hours, a figure that drops to 2.4 hours when charged with a Quick charge unit accessory.

Nissan has announced that it is ready for next week’s 12 hours of LMP2 racing at Sebring. At the same time, Andy Palmer, the automaker’s executive vice president of engineering, said that Nissan is not going to enter a LMP1 race car in the FIA World Endurance Championship anytime soon.

Actually, Nissan plans on entering more than a single race car at Sebring. It is ready to have 11 of its LPM2 cars on the grid at the 24-hour Le Mans. Nissan is genuinely interested in continuing endurance racing. Palmer said, “We’ve no plans to do LMP1. The hybrid moves in that class are interesting, but there’s no link back for us to a diesel hybrid. The rules would have to open up to make petrol hybrid competitive and relevant to make it really interesting.”

Although, LMP1 is not on Nissan’s plate, Palmer did say that the automaker is looking at other types of racing to include doing “something crazy” in the future. In particular, he pointed to indoor zero emission racing as an avenue that Nissan may wish to travel.  Hopefully this will trickle down into new tech for the road and Nissan deals that are a bit more racy than the egg-shaped Leaf.

The Zero Motorcycles 2012 have arrived and the electric dual-sport Zero DS and the street fighting Zero S are groundbreaking bikes for a number of reasons.

The Zero S has a one-charge range of 114 miles and a top speed of 88 mph. The Zero DS meanwhile can hit 80 mph. Both bikes make use of maintenance-free belt drive systems. This belt drive system combines with Zero’s brushless air-cooled motors and motorcycle power packs to make for what the company says is the perhaps the world’s easiest-to-own type of transportation. Zero advertises its bikes as costing $0.01 per mile to own.
 
Owners of the new Zero motorcycles will love the newly-developed Z-Force power pack. Able to take 3,000 full charges before dropping to 80 per cent capacity, it is close to 95 per cent denser than the company’s previous power pack. 
  
Scot Harden, Vice President of Global Marketing for Zero Motorcycles, said, “It’s an amazing feeling to watch the fruition of so much hard work and effort as it comes into being and becomes something that is so special and unique. We are very proud of our dedicated team at Zero Motorcycles. Without their passion and dedication to building the very best electric motorcycle, we wouldn’t be in the position we are today. The progress being made is phenomenal, every model in the lineup goes faster, further and is more fun than ever before.”

Of course, these bikes may have some newfound competition coming from Austria:  the KTM Freeride!

The numbers that the automaker released with the unveiling of the car are simply I-got-see-it-to-believe-it amazing. Its engine is said to produce 270 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque that will get it from zero to 52 mph in fewer than three seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. Its max range is a likewise admirable 215 miles.

However, the performance figures are not the end to the impressive figures. Perhaps the most noteworthy number of all is 367,000, the number of dollars you’ll need to fork over to take home the PG Elektrus EV Roadster. Still, you’ve got to expect to pay a pretty penny for the most super of the EV supercars.

Toyota also has plans to race a Prius-based car in the Super GT race series in Japan this year.  But don’t go getting your hopes up for any high-performance Prius deals in the near future.  About the only thing the Prius GT300 shares with its street legal cousin is the name though:  the racing version has a whopping 300 horsepower and features a paint job covered in sponsor decals.  Members of the Prius cult got their first chance to see the sexy new version of their favorite hybrid last week at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon.

“Toyota has entered Le Mans before, but by using our hybrid technology this time will be a completely new challenge,” said Toyota Motorsport Chairman, Tadashi Yamashina.

Toyota’s current motorsport projects are unaffected by the announcement of the new racing program and will continue as before. Toyota last competed in the Le Mans 24-Hour as a manufacturer in the late 1990s racing the GT-One, which established a new race lap record in 1999.

Read the full article here:
Hybrid Toyota for 2012 Le Mans

Image by Tom Jemmett

Read the full article here:
Report: Tesla Model S Sport to rival BMW M5, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds

Image by kenjonbro