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Video: Armadillo-T electric car folds for easy storage

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Specialty, Design/Style, Electric, South Korea

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) shows off a prototype Armadillo-T, which is an electric car that folds like an armadillo to save space.

We’ve seen folding cars before, but a group of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have designed an electric vehicle that curls up like an armadillo. The folding process of the Armadillo-T prototype is particularly clever due to its four in-wheel electric motors and 13.6-kWh battery tucked into the front half of the car, which allow it to pull the rear shell with the rear wheels over the passenger compartment at the press of a button. Casters drop down from the center of the vehicle to facilitate the folding action, which shrinks its 110-inch length down to 65 inches. There’s almost no parking space in which this car can’t fit.

According to Phys.org, the Armadillo-T is very lightweight at 990 pounds, but it also packs in some important features. The driver can activate the folding action with a smartphone, which also can be used to move and rotate the folded car into a parking spot. A ten-minute quick charge gives the EV 62 miles of range, and it has a top speed of 37 miles per hour – not enough for freeway driving, but adequate for urban settings. It also has side-view cameras instead of mirrors to help the driver see around the car.

Check out the Armadillo-T folding itself in the video below.

Continue reading Armadillo-T electric car folds for easy storage

Armadillo-T electric car folds for easy storage originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Porsche

Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

To commemorate its social media milestone of surpassing one million fans on Facebook (its fan page is currently at 1,502,860 members), Porsche has created this special edition of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid complete with the signatures of over 27,000 Porsche fans. The car makes its North American debut this week at the New York Auto Show before it goes on display inside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

Porsche’s hybrid racer packs 480 horsepower from its 4.0-liter flat-six engine and is matched with two 80-hp electric motors. The German automaker recently tested the hybrid system’s capability during the 2010 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and Porsche firmly believes that hybrid performance cars like this foreshadow the future of racing.

Gallery: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid: New York 2011

New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Chevrolet takes it easy on the competition with Corvette ZR1 ad

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, BMW, Chevrolet, Porsche, Ferrari

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 ad spot – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’ve seen plenty of luxury sports cars that are later tuned for the 12 Hours of Sebring. Porsche, Ferrari and BMW all do it, and so does General Motors with its Corvette Racing team. So why do the advertising types at GM feel it necessary to talk up their car at the expense of the aforementioned makes by way of this 30-second commercial? GM has earned bragging rights because, unlike the other cars, the stock ZR1 actually had to be de-tuned by 168 horsepower in order to qualify.

Unfortunately for Chevrolet and its racing team, the race cars could have used a few of those ponies, as BMW took first and second, while The General had to settle for third place. Still, the spot serves as a reminder of just how ridiculous it is that the ZR1 comes fresh from the factory with 638 horsepower and a whole world of whoop-ass. Hit the jump to watch the commercial for yourself.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

Continue reading Video: Chevrolet takes it easy on the competition with Corvette ZR1 ad

Video: Chevrolet takes it easy on the competition with Corvette ZR1 ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Why the Cadillac Escalade is a particularly easy target for thieves

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Safety, Videos, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Luxury

stolen Cadillac Escalade

Stolen Cadillac Escalade – Click above to watch the video after the break

Sadly, it’s simply not possible to build an automobile that’s impossible to steal. But what we all hope for is that an automaker does all it can to make the unscrupulous thief’s job as difficult as possible. According to a report from WXYZ Action News in Detroit, General Motors full-size SUVs aren’t particularly hard to grab. In fact, the Cadillac Escalade is the insurance industry’s most hated vehicle with $146 in theft loss payments per insured vehicle, per year. On average, insurance companies pay out around $11,934 per theft claim when it comes to the Escalade with 10.8 of the SUVs stolen per 1,000 vehicles.

Gone in 60 14 seconds, says the news station, citing a security flaw in the design of the vehicles’ steering column (sounds familiar, no?). Specifically, it seems that the little locking metal pin that is supposed to keep the aforementioned Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon locked firmly in ‘park’ (which is supposed to be a safety feature, not necessarily a theft deterrent) is rather easy to defeat by giving the column-mounted shift stalk a hard yank down.

Also cited as a contributing factor is the lack of a steering wheel lock that inhibits directional movement of the vehicle when not running. It seems that GM decided to leave off this well-known feature for a period after the introduction of ignition keys with computer chips that make it difficult to start the machines without the properly coded chip.

Combine these flaws and you end up with a vehicle that isn’t all that difficult to steal. Here’s the process outlined in the video after the break: Smash the driver-side window (which apparently doesn’t set off an alarm) and force the column-mounted shift lever into ‘neutral.’ Step two requires some help: Have a buddy with a mutually lax sense of right and wrong push you and your confiscated SUV to a deserted area and strip it of all its pricey bits and pieces. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy, assuming you don’t have a bothersome conscience.

According to a spokesperson for Cadillac, The General is aware of these issues and has introduced laminated glass for the side windows along with a beefed-up locking pin for the shift lever. Also, these full-size SUVs were re-equipped with locking steering wheels to make them more difficult to push without the proper ignition key. In any case, we’d suggest you keep a close eye on your blinged-out sport ‘ute… and get used to paying higher-than-average insurance premiums.

Click past the break to watch a video of the full report.

[Source: WXYZ Action News]

Continue reading Video: Why the Cadillac Escalade is a particularly easy target for thieves

Video: Why the Cadillac Escalade is a particularly easy target for thieves originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get Autoblog on Flipboard for your iPad in 3 easy steps

Filed under: Etc.

Autoblog on Flipboard – Click above for image gallery

We know you’ve been anxiously awaiting the Autoblog iPhone app, and rest assured, we’re working on it. But as a stop-gap to sate your iDevice desires for Autoblog on the go, those of you with an iPad can get our newest stories pumped directly into the palm of your hand in a few easy steps.

If you’re not familiar with Flipboard, it’s a free iPad app that imports your Twitter and Facebook feeds to create a magazine-style reading experience of links, photos and your friend’s ill-advised status updates. Flipboard also allows you to scan through a variety of subjects – from tech news to celebrity gossip – and pick individual Twitter feeds to create a personalized, customized news-reading experience. If you want your daily does of automotive news, views and reviews, download Flipboard for the iPad from the App Store and follow the instructions below the virtual fold.

Gallery: Autoblog on Flipboard

Continue reading Get Autoblog on Flipboard for your iPad in 3 easy steps

Get Autoblog on Flipboard for your iPad in 3 easy steps originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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