The Yugo was supposed to unite the Balkans under an umbrella of capitalism, to infuse the area with much-needed jobs and cash. Instead, the car was crap. Still, there’s something endearing about the little hatchback, something honest and pure. That’s why it still has a special place in our hearts—and why designer Milos Paripovic has re-imagined it as an electric. Oh, and also because he wanted to poke fun at electric cars.

Paripovic initially designed the ZUGO as a joke, equipping it with awesome features like a heated rear panel for when you and your passengers have to get out and push.

The concept also uses lightweight composite materials—again, making it easier to push when the batteries run out. And there’s also rear-mounted pressure sensors and and LCD display so you can tell who among the passengers is pushing hardest. It’s funny in a har-har kind of way, but the design is actually quite good. Good enough to win 5th place in a European design contest. 

It’s a sweet-looking little city car, even with its receding headline and ’80s-style headlights. From the rear three quarters view, you can even imagine a “sport” version.

What do you think? Would you consider the above car? Maybe if it had a Renault or Peugeot badge?

Thumbs Up: The first truly new automotive technology in decades.

Thumbs Down: New “lower” price makes car more expensive.

Buy This Car If: You want an electric car that has a virtually unlimited range.

Even before the current post-crash-test fire media hype, the Chevrolet Volt was the most misunderstood and politicized car in the history of the automobile. Detractors called it “just another hybrid,” without bothering to learn what makes the Volt different from ordinary parallel hybrid automobiles like the best-selling Toyota Prius. Worse, they panned it for “only” getting 37 miles per gallon in generator mode, or “only” having a battery range of 35 miles, missing the point of the car entirely. General Motors was upfront during both the development and the launch of the car: for an admittedly narrow range of the population, the Volt is the perfect automobile. For the rest of us, it’s a very good choice for a four-seat sedan that blends battery power and range-extending generator power.

I’ve covered the technology behind the Volt on several occasions, so I’ll just summarize here. Unlike conventional, parallel hybrids, which use a battery and electric motor to supplement a fuel-efficient gasoline motor, the Volt is what’s known as a series hybrid, or extended-range electric vehicle. It’s primary propulsion system is always an electric motor, driven by either a lithium-ion battery pack or by a gasoline powered generator, which produces electricity to power the motor when the batteries are 70 percent depleted.

If that’s hard for you to wrap your head around, don’t think of the Volt as a car. Instead, think of it as a miniature version of a diesel-electric submarine, or a diesel-electric locomotive (albeit with a gasoline engine). While critics will point out that the Volt is driven by its gasoline motor, too, we’d argue that this is only partially true. Electric motors have the benefit of making peak torque at zero RPM; in other words, they can move an electric car from a standing start with a surprising amount of haste. The downside to electric motors is that they run out of speed at high RPMs, which make them less than ideal for automotive applications. What good is a car that doesn’t have sufficient power for a passing move at 60 miles per hour?

To solve this problem, GM engineers used a planetary gearbox to provide supplemental torque from the engine to the Volt’s electric motor under certain conditions, such as passing at (or above) highway speeds. Critics point out that this means the gas motor can drive the wheels, but that’s not entirely true. There is no direct linkage between the motor and the drive wheels, and should someone steal your electric motor, you can’t just start the gas engine and drive home. The Volt is an electric car, but it adds the functionality of a gas-powered range extender.

As for the fire issue, the post-crash incident occurred in one car, with a fire risk presented in two others. To understand how minimal the danger is, first you need to understand the NHTSA crash test procedures. Following the side impact test, the car is put on a rotisserie and spun 90 degrees for five minutes to check for leaking gasoline (which presents a much greater risk of fire). In the case of the crash-tested Volts, the impact created a leak in the battery coolant system. Over a three-week period, this leaked coolant dried, crystallized, and caused a short-circuit in the electronics surrounding the battery pack. As a result, the batteries overheated and caused smoldering, or in one case, a fire.

Why is this a non-issue for Volt owners? First, an impact severe enough to rupture the battery coolant line (in the center of the battery pack itself) will likely result in the total loss of the car. Second, GM has now issued procedures on de-energizing the Volt’s battery pack for post-crash workers. Finally, there have been no documented cases of an undamaged Volt being the cause of a fire. If you’re concerned over a fire risk, ponder this: every day you likely park a conventional car, filled with highly combustible gasoline, in a structure attached to your house. All it takes to create a very real fire risk is a leaking fuel line or electrical short, yet few people give this a second thought.

Taken for what it is, the Volt is a very comfortable and reasonably entertaining four-seat sedan. In battery mode, it can travel roughly 35 miles on a single charge, using no gasoline in the process. In fact, Jay Leno now has over 11,000 miles on his personal Chevy Volt, and he’s yet to put gas in the car. If you travel less than 35 miles per day, the Volt’s gasoline-powered generator will likely start only to cycle fuel through the system.

On the other hand, the Volt is one of two electric cars on the market today (the other being the $96,000 Fisker Karma) that you can jump into in New York and drive clear across the country, stopping only for gas. The Volt will run in generator mode as far as you need it to, which makes it as practical as a conventional gasoline powered automobile.

“But,” critics will argue, “it only gets 37 mpg in generator mode. My Prius gets about 50 mpg.”

That may be the case, but try driving a Prius for 11,000 miles without once putting gas into it. The Prius may be a more fuel-conscious choice for commutes above a certain distance, but current models can’t be driven to work in battery mode. The Prius is a parallel hybrid, not an extended-range electric vehicle.

Therein lies the plus and minus of Volt ownership. It’s the perfect car for those who only need the ability to haul three others, drive less than 35 miles per day and have the $40,000 price of admission. In our eyes, it’s far more practical than a Nissan Leaf, which requires a lengthy charge when the batteries are depleted. Even a quick charge, which replenishes the Leaf’s batteries to 80 percent, takes 30 minutes, and that assumes you can find a quick-charge station.

For the rest of us, the Volt is still a solid choice even if it isn’t an absolutely perfect fit. Behind the wheel, the Volt accelerates with more enthusiasm than the 0 – 60 time of 9.2 seconds would indicate, and you can really feel the car’s 273 pound-feet of torque when you mash the accelerator. Since the Volt is silent in battery mode, it takes your senses some time to adjust to the lack of noise and vibration. On long road trips, the Volt feels more like a luxury car than a mainstream sedan.

In generator mode, you hear the 1.4-liter engine running, but the noise is minimal and vibration is never intrusive. Since the engine speed is determined by load on the electric motor and not by throttle position, the disconnect takes some getting used to. Stomp the accelerator going up a hill, and the engine may remain near idle. Lift off as you crest the hill, and the engine may suddenly go to redline, as the car attempts to replenish a charge to the batteries.

If there’s a drawback to the 2012 Chevy Volt, is that the car is, on an apples-to-apples basis, more expensive than the 2011 Chevy Volt. Last year the car had a base price of $40,280, but that included the Bose audio system, Bose speakers and navigation system. This year, the 2012 Chevy Volt starts at $39,145, but adding the audio system with navigation adds $1,995, while adding the Bose speaker system adds another $495. In other words, a car that cost $40,280 in 2011 will cost you $41,635 in 2012. Is that a big deal? No, but given that the most common objection we’ve heard to the Volt is its price, we’d say that it isn’t moving in the right direction.

Since Chevy is making an effort to get Volt testers to dealers in all fifty states, we’d encourage you to go drive one before you make your mind up about the car. While it isn’t perfect for all drivers and commutes, it works well enough to be worth a look for most of us.

Chevrolet supplied the 2012 Volt for my evaluation. My press fleet tester had a base price of $39,145, and came equipped with the $1,995 Audio / Navigation System, the $1,395 Premium Trim Package (perforated leather seats, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel), the $695 Rear Camera / Park Assist Package (ultrasonic park assist, rear vision camera), the $595 Polished Aluminum Wheels and the $495 Bose Premium Speaker System, for a total sticker price of $45,170.

Since the Volt exists in a rather exclusive class of automobiles, comparisons to pure electric or parallel hybrids are somewhat irrelevant. The only directly comparable, series hybrid competitor to the Volt is the Fisker Karma luxury sedan, which has a starting price of $95,900.

If you still think that electric power is for golf carts only, have a look at the video below. In it, Toyota Motorsport driver Jochen Krumbach sets a new world record for a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, running it from bridge to gantry in just under 7:48. That was fast enough to shatter the old record of 9:01, set by Peugeot’s EX1 electric roadster concept.

Just so you have a benchmark, 7:48 is identical to the time set by Horst von Sauma in a BMW M3 GTS. It’s faster than a 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S and a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4, but not quite as fast as a Porsche 911 GT3 RS or a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

Without the roar of an internal combustion engine, you can hear all of the car’s subtle mechanical noises, such as the chassis flexing and the brake pads grabbing and releasing. You can hear the tires fighting for grip as well, and it’s clear that Krumbach wasn’t holding anything back on his record run attempt. It’s still going to be some time before electric racing becomes mainstream, but you have to be impressed by how hard the car pulls out of corners. If that’s a golf cart, it’s a damn fast golf cart.

Source: Left Lane News

The Think City. Image: Mahlum

If you were one of the two or so people (besides the U.S. Government) who purchased a Think EV, I’ve got some bad news for you. Norway-based Think has filed for bankruptcy and will liquidate all assets worldwide, including it’s Think operation in Elkhart, Indiana. The company will also liquidate Ener1, a battery supplier to the EV industry, to which Think owes some $32 million in outstanding loans.

Ford was an early investor in Think, until efforts to control spending required the automaker to reduce foreign investments. Ford sold their share of Think in 2003, but the company still had promise as recently as 2007, when their fifth generation Think City was released. Sales never materialized, but the Think City was one of the electric vehicles selected by the U.S. Government for purchase in 2012.

Source: Left Lane News

Engineers are taught to constantly think outside the box. They’ve been programmed to question that whatever exists today, can be made better tomorrow as long as you align the right pieces of the puzzle. Take the engineering students from the University of Adelaide in Australia for example. You see they’ve just invented an electric vehicle that they’ve name the Diwheel and according to them it’s half motorbike, half unicycle and could, if they play their cards right, be a glimpse into what we’ll be seeing on tomorrow’s roads. The Diwheel is made up of two mammoth outer wheels that enclose a center mounted cockpit for the driver. It also utilizes active rotation damping so as to keep the cockpit centered when the vehicle comes to a stop. Granted this contraption is a bit unconventional, but hey, so are the engineers who designed it. Click through for the video.

Seeking to prove that electric cars can be practical for long distance road trips, a trio of Dutch friends set out to drive 779 miles in 24 hours. Picking a route that provided ample Level III chargers (which will replenish the Leaf’s batteries to 80% of capacity in around 20 minutes), the group achieved their goal. What does it prove? Not a lot, really, except that you can take the Leaf on road trips as long as you have access to Level III chargers after the initial 73 mile full battery range is depleted, and then every 58.4 miles (accounting for an 80% charge from a Level III station) thereafter. Don’t plan on speeding, either, since the best range is achieved by speeds between 62 and 74 miles per hour. You’d best like coffee (or have a weak bladder), because every 59 miles of forward progress demands a 20 minute recharging stop. Win or fail; you decide after watching the video below.

One leg of this year’s One Lap of America event had us driving 691 miles between Birmingham, AL and Joliet, IL. We left Birmingham at about 2:30 in the afternoon and got into Joliet around 1:30 in the morning, our speed limited by rush hour traffic, bad weather and truckers determined to slow down the One Lap entrants by blocking lanes whenever possible. While eleven hours to drive 691 miles isn’t overly impressive, the same trip in a Nissan Leaf (assuming there were Level III charging points between Birmingham and Joliet) would have taken an additional 4 hours just for charging. It likely would have been even longer than that, since our group of cars tried to make time whenever the road was clear. Top speed in a Leaf is around 90 miles per hour, and to avoid incrimination we’ll just say that the Leaf would have been hard pressed to keep up with our caravan.

I tip my hat to Michiel, Wouter and Lars, because they’re as passionate about EVs as I am about ICEs. Someday, the point they tried to prove will be relevant in the U.S., but that day is still a long way off.

Thumbs Up: A fun-to-drive extended range EV.

Thumbs Down: The most misunderstood and politicized car in history, busy center stack.

Buy This Car If: You want an EV but can’t give up internal combustion practicality.

I’m no stranger to the Chevrolet Volt, and consider myself one of the car’s biggest fans. Mike and I had the opportunity to drive a Volt from New York City to Detroit last November, and the car impressed me quite a bit more than I expected it would. Six months later, the Volt remains perhaps the most politicized car in the history of the auto industry, with detractors willing to ignore facts in the name of sensationalism. I’m not going to swing anyone over to my side with a a single review, but I know this: during my time with the Volt, I was able to set the record straight for half a dozen people who had previous misconceptions about the car.

Hype aside, what’s most impressive about the Volt is how well it works as an automobile, not just as an EV or serial hybrid. Despite critics who cry the Volt is “just another hybrid”, it isn’t: unlike regular (parallel) hybrids, the Volt’s propulsion comes exclusively from an electric motor, which draws power from a on-board 16 kW lithium-ion battery pack. When the pack is depleted, in approximately 36 miles, a range extending generator powers up to supply current to the motor; in this mode, the Volt works much like a diesel-electric locomotive.

Back to the conventional, or parallel, hybrid for a moment. While some can operate for a limited range at a limited speed on battery power alone, their primary propulsion system remains the gasoline engine. Electric power is used primarily to supplement the power produced by the small gasoline engine, which is one reason that hybrids get superior fuel economy.

“But the Volt is also powered by the engine. I’ve seen it on TV!” is often the rally cry of Volt detractors, and while not specifically false, that rumor isn’t entirely true, either. Think of how an electric motor works: at zero RPM, the motor already makes peak torque. As you increase the motor speed towards its limit, the amount of power made begins to fall off, which makes an electric motor less than ideal for providing passing acceleration at high speeds. The Volt does indeed use a planetary gearbox to provide supplemental torque from the engine to the electric motor under certain conditions, but this is done to improve the cars drivability (not to defraud the American public, as certain fringe elements would have you believe). Personally, I don’t care how it works, but I’d be the first to tell you that it works very well.

The Volt isn’t radically styled, and it blends into traffic more than you expect it will. Only those who truly know what the Volt is will question you at stop lights, but that isn’t a bad thing. I like the car’s sensible-but slightly futuristic design, and you simply can’t argue with the practicality of the hatchback design. Fold the dual rear seats flat, and there’s enough room to fit a mountain bike in the hatch. Seats up, there’s plenty of room for luggage or groceries. In fact, the Volt’s design makes me question why Detroit doesn’t manufacture a conventional automobile with the same versatility.

Inside, the Volt is surprisingly comfortable. Front seats are roomy and supportive, and there’s plenty of head room up front for taller drivers. Opt for the Premium Trim package, and you get leather seats (heated in the front), but concessions are made to save power. Seat adjustments are manual, and even the Bose audio system was specifically designed to limit battery draw,

Rear seats are comfortable for those under six feet tall. To make room for the battery pack (located down the central spine of the Volt), the rear seat forgoes a bench design for individual seats. That turns out to be a good thing, because rear seat passengers under six feet tall won’t complain about the accommodations.

The Volt’s dash highlights the fact that this isn’t a conventional automobile. As for styling, it’s a pleasant blend of shapes, colors and textures, and definitely adds an upscale feel to the car. The center stack, however, is a touch-sensitive nightmare of controls placed with little thought to rhyme or reason. Every single time I used the console mounted volume control, the screen reminded me that I couldn’t record from XM Radio. Why? Because I’d brushed the “record” button while changing volume. Even after a week behind the wheel, I couldn’t change audio, nav or HVAC settings without taking my eyes off the road for far too long. Would the average driver get used to it over time? Sure, but that’s not the point. There are far better ways to design an infotainment interface, and I sincerely hope that Chevrolet revises this design on future Volt models.

Instruments for the Volt look more like a video game display than the controls of a car. Chevy allows some user customization, and their scroll-though menu is simple and intuitive. The basic display consists of a digital speedometer, a battery gauge (which changes to a fuel gauge when the batteries are depleted), a driver information display and an energy meter. If you’re trying to squeeze the best range out of the Volt, your goal is to keep the spinning green ball centered. If your goal is to have the most fun with the Volt (at the expense of range), punch up Sport mode and proceed to dunk the green basketball.

There’s a lot under the hood of the Volt, including an electric motor rated at 149 horsepower and 273 ft lb of torque, a voltage converter, a generator and a 1.4 liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine. Zero to sixty in “Sport” mode comes up in 8.7 seconds in pure EV mode, but it’s 0.2 seconds quicker if the generator is providing current to the electric motor. Fuel economy is the subject of some debate, but consider this: after a few days of normal use, I reset the odometer and measured my usage for the remainder of the test. In four days I racked up 121 miles and used just 0.7 gallons of gas, yielding an “overall” fuel economy of 152.8 miles per gallon. Most trips were under 35 miles, so the car relied on battery power alone. The single trip beyond the Volt’s battery range is where the 0.7 gallons of gas were consumed, but I failed to measure the mpg on generator power. The EPA rates the Volt at 35 mpg city and 40 mpg highway, with a combined rating of 37 mpg.

And here’s where critics of the Volt will chime in, “But a Prius gets 51 mpg city and 48 mpg highway!” True enough, but they miss the point. The Prius is a smaller car and weighs some 700 pounds less than the Volt. If you drive a long commute in city traffic, the Prius may indeed be more economical to operate, especially if you factor in the car’s lower purchase price. However, if you have a 30 mile daily commute, it’s likely that you’ll never need the Volt’s gasoline-powered generator, which negates the whole fuel-economy argument. To date, the Volt is the only electric car that you can hop into in New York and drive to Los Angeles, stopping only for gasoline along the way.

As for recharging the Volt’s batteries, the car comes with a 110 volt Level I charging cord. Open the battery door, and the center console display will show you the charging times for the supplied charger and for an optional, 240 volt Level II charger. Even with the battery on empty, the Volt never took longer than overnight to charge fully. I haven’t seen my electric bill yet, so I can’t tell you what the cost was to replenish the Volt’s charge on a nightly basis.

Driving the Volt is a somewhat surreal experience. Power is instant and seamless, especially in Sport mode. The lack of engine vibration and noise makes speed hard to judge, and it’s easy to find yourself exceeding the speed limit without trying. Even when the range-extending generator kicks on, the car is still smoother and quieter than any non-luxury sedan I could name. Push the car hard in corners, though, and you’re quickly reminded that you’re trying to hustle around nearly 3,800 pounds of automobile on tires designed more for low rolling resistance than for grip. The Volt can hold it’s own against a surprising number of sedans, but you won’t want to try and keep up with sport sedans when the road gets twisty.

Although my tester was a pre-production model, as equipped it would have carried a sticker price of $44,180. That doesn’t take into consideration any available tax credits, which really don’t immediately detract from the purchase price of the car. Critics will cry “foul” and name any number of parallel hybrids that cost less money. Some will cite the Nissan Leaf electric car, which costs less but doesn’t include a range-extending generator. As the first modern serial-electric hybrid, the Volt deserves a place in history and it’s starting price of $41,000 is comparable to the cost of a well equipped Audi A4, BMW 328i or Mercedes Benz C-Class. As prestigious as those cars may be, none of them are revolutionary, which makes the Volt more than worth the price of admission in my opinion.

They’re silent, have gobs of torque and thanks to a low center of gravity, handle pretty damn good. These are the electric race cars of the Grand Prix Electrique, a race that was held at the Pau street circuit in France last weekend. The race was off to a great start until six of the eleven cars racing were damaged early on in a collision. The rest of the field finished the race with an average speed of 62 mph and proved to the world that electric cars can indeed race, even if its only for 13 miles.

Source: Autoholics.com

The 2011 Chevy Volt. Image: © GM Corp.

There’s good news if you thought green cars weren’t as safe as their gasoline counterparts. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has just finished crash testing the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt, and has named both a Top Safety pick. That’s the highest honor given out by the IIHS, and it should go a long way towards easing consumers fears of “new” technology vehicles. Per Joe Nolan, chief administrative officer of the IIHS, “What powers the wheels is different, but the levels of safety for the Volt and Leaf is as high as any of our other top crash test performers.”

The 2011 Nissan Leaf. Image: © Nissan

Ironically, part of both vehicles’ safety is due to the use of heavy battery packs, which brings both cars curb weights on par with midsize vehicles. When it comes to occupant protection, the IIHS maintains that both size and weight influence crash damage and survivability. Per the IIHS’ Nolan, “The Leaf and Volt’s extra mass gives them a safety advantage over other small cars.” The NHTSA has yet to crash test either vehicle, so the IIHS findings give both Chevy and Nissan bragging rights for the time being.

Source: Detroit News

Jay Leno, aside from being one of the most well respected car collectors out there, does not discriminate when it comes to automobiles. He likes fast cars, slow cars, steam powered cars and now, electric cars. What’s great about Jay is that he is first and foremost an automobile enthusiast, which means that he appreciates cars from all time periods and genres. The Smart Electric is powered by a 16.5 kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack that sits in the same place where the Smarts traditional 3-cylinder gas mill sat. This battery power means a range of about 60 to 70 miles and a top speed of about 65 mph, and that’s with the throttle pinned wide open. My advise, don’t even bother with this little bugger, just go out and buy a Chevrolet Volt and be happy. Trust me on this one…