Posted on March 10th, 2008 by Auto News
Established only five years ago, China’s BYD Auto is proving it??™s a fast learner, at least when it comes to drowning out neighboring press conferences at the 2008 Geneva auto show so the Shenzhen-based automaker could showcase its dual-mode hybrid, the F3DM sedan.
BYD is no stranger to battery technology. The company is currently the world??™s largest producer of cell-phone batteries. But its automotive subsidiary showed its savvy when Rolls-Royce began its own press conference just as BYD was unveiling the F3DM. The Chinese hybrid??™s moment of glory looked lost forever as a Rolls executive touted his company??™s success??”until a BYD representative grabbed a microphone to loudly proclaim his own company??™s gratitude to the crowd and his optimism regarding the future of the F3DM sedan.
BYD: 1
Rolls-Royce: 0
Standing up to one of the world??™s most high-brow automakers was easy compared with the task BYD has laid out for itself in Europe and America. BYD hopes to sell cars in Europe within three years, with U.S. sales to begin in three to five years.
A company representative told us that BYD will roll out its dual-mode hybrid sedan??”which can switch between full-electric and hybrid modes??”in China by the end of this year, via a test fleet of 200 taxicabs in Shenzhen.
In 2009, the goal is production of 2000 units per month for a carmaker with 100,000 annual sales, of which only 10 percent are exported.
BYD sales are minuscule compared with the industry giants, but the technology behind the Chinese company??™s dual-mode hybrid is impressive. The F3DM can be driven more than 60 miles on electricity alone before needing to be recharged, and there is a small gasoline engine as a backup if you run out of electric power. The car then functions as a regular gas-electric hybrid, such as the Toyota Prius.
The Toyota reference also applies when it comes to looks??”the dull design of the F3DM reminds us of the previous-generation Toyota Corolla, especially from the front. Maybe this shouldn??™t come as a total surprise, since BYD??™s other Geneva show car, the F1 hatchback, has been panned by the media as being a stylistic rip-off of Toyota??™s Aygo super-mini.
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Posted on February 7th, 2008 by Auto News
The Lancia Delta is set to make a dramatic return at this year??™s Geneva show with curvaceous styling and luxurious appointments that could put the marque firmly back on the map.
The original Lancia Delta was quite a competent little hatch in its day. The boxy Italian was aimed at the likes of the VW Golf, Opel Kadett and Ford Escort even competed in what was the fastest and most dangerous form of automobile racing of the time - Group B rallying.
The arrival of Lancia??™s next generation Delta is long-overdue and from the latest images released, it seems that the production version won??™t deviate much from the styling elements employed by the Delta HPE Concept car. These include a Seat Leon-style grille, Citro?«n C4-like tailgate glass and taillight styling that look nothing less than those on a Murano. The new Delta measures 4 500 mm in length, 1 800 mm in width and is 1 500 mm high.
Because the Delta sits on the same platform as the Fiat Bravo, it means that Lancia has a range of turbocharged petrol and diesel Fiat engines at its disposal. Power outputs for the engines range from 90 kW to 150 kW. Because of turbocharging and the use of diesel powerplants in the line-up, these engines produce more than 300 N.m of torque.
As with the interior trim featured by the concept, the production Delta sports luxurious items in its cabin, though its not known whether it will use the same mix of Alcantara, wood trim and chrome detailing. Other items that might please potential customers include a top-end Bose sound system, satellite navigation and special sound absorbing headlining. Interior space is enhanced by the 2 700 mm wheelbase and the use of sliding rear seats.
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Posted on December 21st, 2007 by Auto News
There is no better place in America to debut a taxi than in New York, its streets clogged with mobs of identical yellow Ford Crown Victorias differentiated only by their battle scars and unique smells. How New Yorkers will react to the thought of streets crowded with the offensive Standard Taxi is yet to be seen. We??™re thinking the day U.S. streets are packed with these mutants is the day we move to London.
Our first thought on seeing the Standard Taxi??”since gagging is a reflex and not a thought??”was that the thing is huge, but its perceived size is actually a function of its 75-inch height. A Crown Vic is 16 inches longer and only one inch narrower.
Marc Klein is the president of the Vehicle Production Group, the company responsible for the Standard Taxi, and he tells us taxi drivers and fleet managers are excited about his car. We waited for the punch line when he started talking about the door handles, and how you can buy them at Napa, but he was serious. To control costs, many interior and exterior details are generic, off-the-shelf parts.
Klein tells us that many people in the taxi industry had input on the vehicle??™s design, which worries us. With the way cab drivers can thread a Crown Vic around pedestrians and bicyclists, we??™ve rarely suspected they have bad eyesight??”behavioral issues, maybe??”but we do now. Hey, did anyone notice how many taxis are damaged? We??™re taking the subway.
Standard Taxi??™s CEO is the owner of Chicago??™s Yellow Cab Company and he set out to build not just a better taxi but the best taxi. To create the perfect (in one sense) cab, the company started with a list of qualities that should not be compromised: room for four passengers and a wheelchair or scooter; absolute ease of ingress and egress; ample luggage space; simple, reliable running gear; and a body made of cheap, easy-to-replace parts, since taxis do such an excellent job of staying in contact with one another.
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