We have all been waiting for it:  A way to extend the battery life of the Electric Vehicles that are hitting the market.  So BMW is stepping up with its newest innovation.  Last week, they brought forth the discussion of adding an infrared heating system in plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles that would keep the inhabitants warm while limiting power consumption on the battery.  The door panels and footwells of the vehicle would give off thermal radiation delivering fast and effective cabin heat within a minute with no additional air vents or fans.  Coupled with an on-board heat pump the system heating system could extend the electric range of the vehicle by 30 percent by cutting the cabin heating energy needs in half.

The infrared heating system is said to be silent and without pulling outer air contaminants into the cabin of the car from air ventilation systems.  They are also reputed to offer more comfort to the inhabitants since it is more instant without the discomfort of rushing and flowing air.  Another option discussed is individual infrared heating controls depending on where inhabitants are seated.  That way, they have their own personal comfort in their seat without the additional energy consumption of heating the entire cabin.  The heat in each area can be increased or lowered according to an inhabitants comfort level, providing for a better in-vehicle experience.

When or even if such a system will materialize in any of BMW’s production hybrid or electric cars is still speculation.  But there is one thing we do know:  BMW is going to debut the Active Tourer at the Paris Motor Show next week.  It is a plug-in hybrid car, so we have to wonder if that new infrared heating system will also make its debut.  Rumor has it that because of demand questions and cost, it may be delayed in the newest upcoming EV and PHEV models.

Everyone wants to know which 4×4 pickup truck is the best.  Neighbors will argue over their fences saying the truck that they have is better than the one the other person has.  It’s been going on since pickups were invented.  It’s a sure bet that it may continue even after you read the results of the Ultimate 4×4 Challenge that PickupTrucks.com did.

They have been pretty busy lately, having wrapped up their global pickup shootout in Australia.  Then they sent invitations to every manufacturer to put their most capable pickup into the challenge arena.  The contestants that showed up to play included the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, the Ram Power Wagon, the Toyota Tacoma Baja and the Nissan Frontier PRO-4X.  General Motors, however, declined their invitation to the party.

Each one of the participants was put through its paces in ten different events with separate scoring, including the usual competition for fuel economy, payload capacity, 0-60 and 60-0.  Deciding that those events weren’t enough, PickupTrucks.com partnered with 4Wheeler Magazine to put the participating vehicles through some serious off-road testing.  All four of the pickups were put through a rock scramble and a stair climb, as well as a tough sand hill climb.

The results:  (drum roll, please…) The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor took the top spot with a total of 861 points out of the possible 1,000.  The runner-up was the Toyota Tacoma TRD Baja with 830 points.  Third in the lineup was the Ram Power Wagon with 814 points, and finally the Nissan Frontier RRO-4X with 777 points.

But those score totals really don’t tell the whole story.  In each different category of the challenge, a truck was awarded a top point value of 100 points.  Some did better is one category while they did not do as well in others.  In the end, it’s a matter what you are looking for in a pickup truck and your personal preference in brands.

It’s been a long time in the makings and part of the delay is being blamed on President Obama dropping the ball, but the new rules are finally in place and will save American families over $1.7 trillion dollars in fuel costs. This ruling increases the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for model year 2017-2025 cars to 54.5 miles per gallon and automakers are going to have their work cut out for them to meet up to these standards. While it will make new cars significantly more expensive, the fuel economy they receive, around $8,000 per vehicle per life span should help take the edge off the higher pricing. So, in one sense, the fuel efficiency is a double edge sword because you will spend more to save more. But, the environment will be a direct beneficiary of this ruling because the new standards will reduce emissions by 6 billion metric tons over the life of the program. With that in mind, maybe the investment will have a great return on investment after all.

“Simply put, this groundbreaking program will result in vehicles that use less gas, travel farther, and provide more efficiency for consumers than ever before-all while protecting the air we breathe and giving automakers the regulatory certainty to build the cars of the future here in America,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Today, automakers are seeing their more fuel-efficient vehicles climb in sales, while families already saving money under the Administration’s first fuel economy efforts will save even more in the future, making this announcement a victory for everyone.”

“The fuel efficiency standards the administration finalized today are another example of how we protect the environment and strengthen the economy at the same time,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Innovation and economic growth are already reinvigorating the auto industry and the thousands of businesses that supply automakers as they create and produce the efficient vehicles of tomorrow. Clean, efficient vehicles are also cutting pollution and saving drivers money at the pump.”

Source Union of Concerned Scientists

To a lot of people, Martini racing has always been a big sponsor for Porsche, especially the 911 and the 917.  Most recently, they have added the 918 hybrid supercar to their livery.  There were some spy shots of that vehicle at Nurburgring, but Porsche has since released the official photos of it.

Martini Racing, in combination with their owner (Bacardi & Company of Switzerland) has been in the racing arena since 1969, entering the Porsche 970 in several races.  In 1971, it was the 917LH that won the Le Mans 24 Hours.  Later, in 1973, Martini struck up a factory partnership with Porsche.  That partnership lasted through 1978, with racing victories at the Targa Florio in 1973, the Sports Car World Championship in 1976 and Le Mans in 1976 and 1977.

With the great history between Martine and Porsche, there is hope that adding the 918 to the livery will show the Porsche quality that we have all come to know.  The Martini colors of red, white and two shades of blue have already adorned the notorious vehicles such as the Porsche 908, 917, 935, 936 and the 911 RS and RSR models.

The motorsport world is hoping that Porsche brings in the 918 in their standard RSR form.  That hybrid model of the Spyder is hoped to bring a new era to the Porsche racing line as well as to the private sector.

The 918 Spyder is a hybrid that combines a high-performance internal combustion engine with electric drives at the front and rear axles for efficiency and driving performance.  A carbon fiber polymer reinforced monocoque lightens the weight of the car and also lends to its precision and rigidity.  It also has variable aerodynamics, top exhaust system and an adaptive rear axle that makes the 918 the race car of the future.

It used to be that compact cars were always powered by a six-cylinder engine.  Apparently those days are gone.  A lot of the more current models are offered with a four-cylinder variety of engines.  There is a reason for that.  It may have taken six cylinders to power the likes of the Chevrolet Cavalier models, the Dodge Dart and the Ford Falcon, but most carmakers will tell you that even four cylinders are more than enough to propel even the jumbo-sized compacts.

And that is the point – more than enough.  Keeping that thought in mind, Ford has announced that they will soon be selling a three-cylinder propelled car in the United States.  But it isn’t just any three-cylinder.  It’s a turbo-charged, direct-injected with independent cam timing that sports the EcoBoost moniker on a plastic engine cover.  The specs for the vehicle are pretty impressive, with 123 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque in a 1.0- liter EcoBoost.  The vehicle is currently being sold in Europe in a mid-spec version of the Ford Focus.  For comparison, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder that is currently sold in the U.S. is 160 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque.

The three-cylinder variety of that engine was developed for the U.K. operations for Ford, made of cast iron instead of aluminum that avoids using cylinder liners.  That allows for twin bores that helped to shrink the engine, making it roughly the size of A4 paper (just larger than our standard 8 ½ by 11-inch paper).  The engine weight is a mere 214 pounds.

It should be noted that Ford did not specifically say that the three-cylinder engine would be under the hood of the Focus here in the States, but that it would appear sometime next year in a vehicle to be sold here.