Tesla Motors sues Fisker over stolen secrets
Tesla Motors can’t seem to keep itself out of the press, can it? The newest flare-up concerns rival Fisker and claims that the automaker has stolen trade secrets and copied design concepts. In a lawsuit filed Monday by Tesla, the carmaker accuses Henrik Fisker — whom the company had hired to design its WhiteStar sedan — of accepting the work to “gain access to confidential design information and trade secrets.” The company alleges that Fisker then used that knowledge to launch a competing vehicle, and believes Fisker has implemented its range-extended vehicle (or REV) technology in the recently introduced Karma. “I think it’s ironic that Fisker chose to name his car the Karma, when what he’s done is very bad karma,” said the company’s lawyer. Fisker wouldn’t comment on the case, then drove silently away when pressed.
Tesla’s original transmission maker sues for back payment
The drama surrounding the Tesla Roadster’s transmission and the company’s attempts to build a system that can transmit power from the motor to the wheels without breaking under the strain took another strange twist today, with the revelation the that first supplier Tesla contracted to design the part is suing the company for $5.6M. Magna Powertrain USA says Tesla hired it to develop a two-speed transmission in September 2006, and when things fell behind schedule, Tesla canceled the contract and walked away without paying. Saucy! Of course, problems with the proposed two-speed transmission are why Tesla plans to ship early production Roadsters with “temporary” one-speed units and swap them out later, but there’s no word on where the two-speed versions are going to come from apart from Tesla saying “We need to have more control over our fate and manage the process in house.” Sure, sure, just as long as we get one for “testing,” okay?
2009 Infiniti FX35, FX50 to include Distance Control Assist
Infiniti has a knack for keeping technophiles grinning, and just as it did with the G35’s in-dash entertainment system, it’s bringing geeks even more automotive improvements to keep our minds off of those skyrocketing gas prices. Reportedly, both the 2009 FX35 and FX50 will be available with all-around cameras (you know, like those found on the EX35), Intelligent Cruise Control and Distance Control Assist. The automaker seems particularly proud of that last one, as it claims to be the first in the industry to offer up the tech. Put simply, DCA will assist drivers in releasing the throttle and applying the brakes as needed in stop-and-go / congested traffic, and (obviously) the system stays activated even after the brakes are tapped. Check out the read link for a few more sneak peeks at the forthcoming features.
VW’s Park Assist Vision helps bridge
Volkswagen is showing off its new Park Assist Vision technology at the Hanover Fair in Germany. Unlike VW’s previous attempts, this version of Park Assist is fully automatic. As such, the driver-turned-spectator can stand outside the car while the Passat maneuvers its way into cramped spots with the help of external cameras and proximity sensors. The driver selects his space on the monitor of the navigation system and then sets the vehicle into “P” mode. It’s just a trial for now so you’ll still have to get by with the ol’ bump-smile-n-flirt approach that’s gotten you and your Aquanet hair into the city up until now.
Formula One to introduce hybrid K
While it’s not exactly enough to turn Formula One green, the racing league at least looks to be taking some steps in that direction, with it now announcing that it plans to phase in a new hybrid transmission system starting in 2009. Unlike hybrid systems found in regular cars, however, the so-called Kinetic Energy Recovery System (or KERS) doesn’t store up energy in a battery, but instead captures kinetic energy during vehicle deceleration using a flywheel mechanism. That apparently not only makes it particularly well-suited to Formula One cars due to their repeated deceleration, but also has the added benefit of being significantly lighter than a battery-based hybrid system, with it adding just 55 pounds to the weight of the car. Not surprisingly, however, the phase-in won’t exactly happen overnight, with it set to extend out until 2013, during which time it’ll also be tied to other changes aimed at reducing the size and output of the engines.
Electric Think City car
You totally thought that “Think” operation you heard about last summer was nothing more than yet another electric car dream that would never see reality, didn’t you? Turns out, the endeavor could be more successful than anyone originally imagined, and if all goes to plan, the Think City should hit US shores later this year. Beyond that, the company is assuming that it “could be selling as many as 50,000 units in two or three years,” and with pump prices soaring and a sticker of around $25,000, we don’t have much reason to doubt that.
External airbags on cars
Sure, there’s always the airbag-equipped motorcycle, but for those who prefer to power their own two wheel transporters, you’re pretty much on your own. The Dutch Cycling Federation has just cranked out a study showing that some 60 lives could be saved each year (though we’re not sure if that’s worldwide or region-specific) if airbags were installed on the hoods of vehicles. These external safety devices could also slash serious cycling injuries by 1,500 a year, and while you’re likely passing this off as completely infeasible, Sweden’s own Autoliv has already developed a bag that “inflates from the bottom of the windscreen.” Of course, these timid cyclists could just wait until 2010 and strap on a wearable airbag of their own, but where’s the fun in that?
‘Plugless plug-in hybrid’ is surprisingly clever
We’re surprised this hasn’t been though up before, which means it probably isn’t as simple as it sounds. MIRA’s got a new plug-in hybrid in the works that skips the whole plug aspect. Instead of plugging the whole car into an outlet, you can pull out any of the three battery packs in the trunk and hook ‘em into the wall. That means the car doesn’t have to have direct access to a plug to be able to juice up, you just take the batteries to where the power’s at and commence charging. They’re calling the system H4V, and are powering the unit on lithium ion phosphate batteries. MIRA expects the retrofit to an existing car to cost about £2000 (around $3950 US).
Uno electric unicycle gets spiffy new body
Last we saw the Uno electric unicycle it was looking very much like the prototype it was, but as you can see above, it seems that the teenage engineers behind it have been doing anything but slacking in the ensuing months. As Motorcycle Mojo reports, the third incarnation of the vehicle recently made its debut at the 2008 National Motorcycle Show in Toronto, with it sporting some custom-made wheels, a stylin’ new body, and a few changes under the hood as well. That latter bit apparently even included a trip to a robotics and gyro expert in California, who helped to fine tune the two gyros the Uno uses for turning and forward and backward motion (something you probably want to get right).
California man builds his own solar-electric vehicle
Although Brent Hatch’s homegrown solar-electric whip looks eerily similar (read: just as ugly) to the SUNN solar car kit, this one was actually created without the help of any pre-packaged parts or sophisticated schematics. After his gas bill rose well over $700 a month (he and his wife have seven kids, after all), he decided to purchase a rather unsightly eight-seater bicycle and figure out a way to enable roof-mounted solar panels to power an electric motor. Nah, the top speed isn’t very impressive, and you certainly wouldn’t want to head out on I-5 with it, but it sure makes picking up the offspring from their nearby school a whole lot less painful on the wallet. Check out the video in the read link for more.