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The Hybrid Jeep EV, An Electric Wrangler Prototype

On Tuesday, on behalf of Chrysler LLC and Chrysler’s in-house hybrid technology design team, Chrysler ENVI, CEO Bob Nardelli unveiled a series of three “production intent” electric vehicles, one of which Chrysler intends to begin mass producing by 2010. Unfortunately, the consuming public will be held in suspense as to which of the three makes the production cut - at least until 2009, when preliminary models become available for commercial and fleet sales. While we await the final decision with bated breath, RideLust has decided to profile each of Chrysler’s ENVI vehicles individually, beginning with the most rugged [read: least like the loathsome Prius plug-in], the Jeep EV.

Jeep EV photo gallery after the jump

Tagged by Chrysler suits as an extended-range electric-vehicle [ER-EV], the Jeep EV is essentially a hybrid version of the Jeep Wrangler [though it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Jeep Commander from the rear]. In keeping with the Jeep Wrangler’s legendary off-road capability, the Jeep EV is equipped with a body-on-frame electrical drive train that individually powers each of the Jeep EV’s four wheels. To keep it green, the Jeep EV [like all 3 of the Chrysler ENVI vehicles], is tri-powered by an electric motor, a lithium-ion battery, and small gasoline engine integrated with an electric generator. By itself, the electric motor generates a whopping 268-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, making it at least as powerful as any standard Jeep. Unlike any standard Jeep, however, the Jeep EV can average approximately 400 miles off of 8 gallons of gasoline, and another 40 miles relying completely on electric propulsion, consuming no fuel and producing zero emissions.

According to Chrysler, the Jeep EV was entirely engineered with to be the ultimate off-roading vehicle, intended to “…[provide] nature ambassadors with the ability to roam the planet and take care of it at the same time.”

We say: So, where do we sign?

New 2010 Mustang Pony Badge Revealed, Temporarily Sates Our Wild Mustang Lust

With no production photos to feed our gnawing hunger for the new, 2010 Ford Mustang, we’re gobbling up even the tiniest flashes of skin. Undoubtedly feeling our pain, last Wednesday, the guys at MuscleCarBlog threw us a bone and revealed the new pony badge the redesigned Ford Mustang will be wearing in 2010. At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be much of a difference between the reportedly “beefy” 2010 badge and the sleek ‘09 badge, but given the Mustang’s tradition-rich history, you didn’t really expect the new pony to look like a Budweiser Clydesdale, did you?

View The New Badge After The Jump

If you look closely, the subtle changes to the 2010 pony definitely make for a meaner, faster looking steed. Chief designer for 2010 Ford Mustang, Douglas Gaffka explained, “We wanted to give the Mustang pony a more realistic feel,” apparently to more accurately convey the sentiment of most Mustang drivers: “I slow down to 85mph in school zones.” Gaffka went on to explain that the 2010 Mustang is intended to look more like the wild horse that it is, “It’s more chiseled and more defined.” Although the new pony will feature the same chrome finish as its predecessor, the 2010 Mustang GT will get a more aggressive pony finished in black chrome [as pictured below].

The Designer of the Century’s 5 Most Beautiful Cars

Giorgetto Giugiaro is a very important person; probably the most important person that no one’s ever heard of. He’s the car designer of the century, and he’s responsible for some of the most beautiful and influential vehicles of all time.

Here are his 5 most beautiful creations:

1. The Iso Grifo – 1963

There were actually two body styles for the early Iso Grifo, the A3/L (the one pictured above) and the A3/C, and they were both designed by Giugiaro when he was only 25 years old. The A3/C was the sleek competition version that looked almost like a lighter Ford GT40, and the A3/L was the more aggressive street version, with the mean brow and front end that inspired the American muscle cars later on in the decade.

2. Fiat 850 Spyder - 1965

A tiny little car with a tiny little engine. Grossly underpowered compared to the other 4 cars on the list, but still important because of the straight, clean lines and really simple elegance of the car.

Where do you think the Mazda Miata’s styling comes from?

3. DeTomaso Mangusta - 1966

The Mangusta was slightly more accessible than the Vallelunga before it and better quality than the Pantera after it. It’s DeTomaso’s coolest car, and one of my favorite cars of all time. It looks like it’s going to take off and attack an impala and go eat it in a tree or something. It’s a monster car.

4. Maserati Ghibli - 1966

Anything Giugiaro did for Maserati was solid gold, but the Ghibli was the best. This car was the European version of the C4 Corvette, nearly 20 years before that Corvette was designed. Again, Giugiaro was ahead of his time with a beautiful, really clean body style. It looks fast just sitting there.

5. Lotus Esprit - 1972

This is the big one. Giugiaro designed the concept for the Lotus Esprit in 1972 and it went into production in 1976. The Lotus Esprit wasn’t just another angular sports car, this was the first angular sports car. Nothing looked like this before 1976, and everything looks like it after. Any sports car built today, you can still see the influence of the Lotus Esprit. The Ferrari Testarossa, the Lamborghini Countach, the Diablo, basically all modern Lamborghini’s, and just about all of those modern high level sports cars can trace their design linage to the 1976 Lotus Esprit, and so, to Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Malaysia Looks to Deter Street Racers with 3 Swipes of the Cane!

malaysialaw.jpg picture by willfusion The latest offense poised to join the list of cane-worthy crimes in Malaysia is second offense street racers. The law has yet to hit the legal books of Malaysia and is more directed toward the motorcycle gangs called the Mat Rempits than at what other countries recognize as Street Racers, but a broad interpretation of the new law could leave Raging-Ricers at risk.

The Mat Rempits are motorcycle gangs notorious in Malaysia for racing along country roads, vandalism, rape and other offenses. A first offense conviction for taking part in their high-speed racing is the equivalent of a $1,597 fine (5,000 ringgit), a maximum of 5-years in prison and a 3-year suspension of the guilty’s drivers license. As second offense conviction could result in a minimum 10-year sentence in prison, the US dollar equivalent of $3,178 fine (10,000 ringgit) and 3-strikes of the cane.

To anyone unfamiliar with caning we are not speaking of a this whip or principals paddle. This is an 8-ft cane of knotty bamboo that can cut flesh to the bone. Subjects of caning are sometimes reported to have passed out by the second swipe. The wounds from caning may heal, but the deep scarring of both the flesh and psyche are permanent. Caning as a deterrent, if and when enforced, could certain make breaking the law a far less appealing venture. (more…)

5 Video Samples of Lousy Women Parkers

This is in no way a means of seperating women drivers from men drivers by how well they drive. It is not the intention here to say that all women are bad drivers… to the contrary. There are bad drivers derived from both sex’s. However, after having a small woman in a large Suburban back into the door of my Ford Mustang it seemed like a good time to look into other examples of woman drivers who are not parked car friendly.

The first example we will label Passionate Deniability. She is the type that at a Psychological examination would vehemently insist that her square peg can fit through that round hole. Thus pounding on it with her mallet until there was either a new hole formed or a square peg shredded. Watch her insistence that her car will fit.

Refinery Shortages Fuel the Demand for these Gas Saving Tips

U.S. refineries have faced the largest number of closures and failures in the past 2 years than in decades prior. That means millions of barrels of gasoline are failing to feed our American market and its ever increasing demand. Things were so much easier when we could band together in a loathing of foreign oil suppliers for causing the price of gas to increase considerably. For these recent shortages we are left staring suppliers within the U.S. for their failures to meet demand. So while some investigate those companies for what they are doing wrong there are some easy and helpful hints out there for what you could be doing right to improve your own pull on the demand for fuel.

Take a look at the following videos on ways to save fuel while driving. They are not the most riviting videos to be released, but saving real money usually is unfortunately not portrayed as glamorous.

For many of us the infrastructure that provides for public transportation and walking/biking to work does not exist. There are no safe bike paths along busy highways that permit the carbon saving bike to work. So if the daily commute is what it takes to get you to your job then hopefully some of the tips provided in the videos above will help.

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