This morning Nissan released the price of their much awaited leaf, the first all electric car in US. Nissan leaf is planned for launch in Dec 2010. Before you jump and pre-book your car, let us compare the two cars head on and see which car is a winner

Price:

Nissan leaf: Starting at $25,280 (after $7500 tax credit)

GM Volt: Starting at $27,500 (after $7500 tax credit)

Winner: Nissan Leaf

Range on a single charge

Nissan leaf: 100 miles per charge for its lithium-ion battery

GM Volt: electricity stored in a battery for up to 40 miles, at which point a gasoline engine kicks in, giving it hundreds of miles more in range

Winner: GM volt. It will eliminate the range anxiety. At least this is true for me! I do not want to get stranded in a desert!

Time to charge

Nissan leaf: It will take about eight hours to recharge a Leaf using a 220-volt electric plug — the kind used by most electric clothes dryers. Charging using a standard 110-volt outlet could take twice that.

GM Volt: The Volt has a smaller battery than the Leaf and can’t go as far on full electric power. But it can be fully recharged in eight hours on a standard 110-volt home outlet. Using a 220-volt outlet, it takes less than four hours.

Winner: No winner. Both have their own pros and cons

Overall Winner: GM Volt. Volt will have a much bigger appeal. It is much better designed, has more space and does not have the range anxiety which is deal breaker for Nissan leaf

First Look at Honda-CRZ

Honda revealed today the CR-Z Concept 2009, at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. The latest CR-Z concept provided a glimpse at Honda’s first sporty hybrid coupe, which will be formally unveiled in production form at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January 2010. The new car is the second concept version. The 2-seat CR-Z combines futuristic styling, driving enjoyment and the latest in Honda hybrid technology. As striking as the car’s sleek lines are, it’s the environmental performance under the hood that sets it apart. Due to hit the streets in the second half of 2010, the CR-Z is that place in the universe where sport and efficiency meet. The new CR-Z will expand Honda’s lineup of hybrid vehicles and will bring new levels of engagement and fun to customers interested a small car or a hybrid vehicle.

Honda-CRZ Front

The CR-Z hybrid will join the Insight and Civic Hybrid in the Honda hybrid lineup as a sporty, hybrid coupe with unique value. Expect the official debut of the Honda CR-Z to be made in January 2010 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. While the vehicle displayed at this year’s Tokyo event is still a concept, the production version that will be introduced to North America for sale in the second half of 2010 will be packaged as a sporty two-seater hybrid (the concept features a rear seat).

Designed as a spiritual successor to the original  Honda CRX, the production version of the CR-Z is expected to be powered by a compact four-cylinder engine displacing less than 2.0-liters and matched to an electric motor. The combined output for the car should be close to 140-horsepower, with drive sent to the front wheels via a CVT.

Vision EfficientDynamics

BMW, the ultimate driving machine has created another futuristic driving machine:  Vision EfficientDynamics

This coupe is a combination of lightweight construction and plug-in hybrid drive technology. Many of the concepts are planned for use on upcoming BMW road cars, including an exciting Z10 EfficientDynamics range-topping model due by 2015.

The exterior, which employs advanced layering technology to layer the various pieces of the Vision’s bodywork over each other. The process smoothes out joints and seams and help to reduce the number of overall components. The wild bits and pieces jutting off the car are all there for a reason. At the front, the A-pillars are designed to guide air around the greenhouse where a wrap-around spoiler, fin-like rear fenders and blade-like taillights all duct the airflow off the back of the car to in an effort to further minimize turbulence and drag.

At the heart of the concept car is an advanced diesel-electric hybrid system, based on a compact turbocharged 1.5-liter, three-cylinder common-rail diesel engine that will first appear in the second-generation 1-series due in 2011.

The powerful front-mounted engine has 163 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque, making it more powerful than the latest and most-economical version of BMW’s existing turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder.

The diesel engine is supported by a pair of electric motors mounted at the front of the gearbox, one supplying drive to the rear wheels, the other to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission.

BMW says its hybrid concept should be good for a combined fuel-economy rating of 90.2 mpg.

Electricity comes from plugging into to the grid, or from regenerative braking and coasting. Recharging is estimated at 2.5 hours at 220 volts, or just 44 minutes at 380 volts. The 187-lb lithium-polymer battery pack produces up to 364 volts and has a storage capacity of 10.8 kilowatt-hours.

Depending on the driving conditions, the Vision EfficientDynamics is engineered to run exclusively on its electric motors, the diesel engine or a combination of diesel and electric motors. Maximum range in pure electric mode is estimated at 31 miles, with the diesel engine offering an additional 400 miles.

Inside, the Vision EfficientDynamics offers 2+2 seating, accessed via butterfly-style doors that extend along the complete side of the car. A prominent center tunnel divides the plush leather-lined interior, which features a futuristic-looking dashboard and associated trim panels mirroring the layered surfacing of the exterior.
With this new and revolutionary technology, BMW will have winner in next few years

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics