Geneva Preshow: Rolls Royce Phantom 102EX with Full-Electric Drive

Rolls Royce will be showcasing a one-off, fully electric powered Phantom at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2011. The British automaker said the car will serve as a working test bed to explore the feasibility of battery-powered Rolls Royce models in the near future.

“We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment,” said CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös, speaking from the company’s headquarters in Goodwood. “With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future.”

The 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), will go on a world tour in 2011 offering Rolls Royce owners and enthusiasts in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America the opportunity to test drive the car and share their experiences, thoughts and concerns directly with the company.

According to Rolls Royce, these include the 102EX's ability to deliver an acceptable range between re-charges and to operate in extreme weather conditions, as well as to benchmark reliability and quality against customer expectations.

“I must be convinced that any alternative drive-train we choose for the future delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience,” added Müller-Ötvös. “It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future.”

Rolls Royce said it will reveal photos and full technical specifications for the 102EX at the Geneva Salon on March 1.

Nissan Cannot Meet Demand for New Leaf EV, Production Shortages to Last Longer than Expected

It has been known for a while now that Nissan is struggling with the Leaf’s slow rollout. The demand for the all-electric vehicle is so high that the Japanese maker has been forced to stop receiving new orders and concentrate on filling existing ones. However, projected production figures show that the company will only assemble 10,000 units until March 31, while it has already received 27,000 orders from the U.S., Japan and Europe.

The remaining 17,000 orders are likely to be filled in the next fiscal year starting April 1, during which Nissan will reach the maximum production capacity of 50,000 units at the Oppama plant in Japan.

Consequently, the automaker could take 33,000 more orders in the next fiscal year, but it hasn’t decided yet when it will do so. According to Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan wants to “deliver enough volume to the first lot” before giving new orders the green light.

One solution would be the opening of new assembly lines sooner than initially planned, but Shiga ruled out the possibility due to the fact that work has just started on the factory that would provide the additional lithium-ion battery packs needed.

That means Nissan's UK factory will begin producing Leafs in 2012, followed by the Tennessee plant in 2013, so the shortage could last longer than expected.

Audi A3 Sedan Concept with 408HP Officially Previews Next Generation Model

It's been rumored for a while now that Audi was exploring the possibility of adding a four-door sedan body style to its A3 range, but today, the German firm officially confirmed the news with the release of the first official sketches of the A3 Concept ahead of its world premiere at the 81st International Geneva Motor Show in early March.

Its main purpose is to preview both the saloon variant and the styling direction of the next A3, which is scheduled for a rollout in 2012 and will also include the successors to today's three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback and the two-door convertible models.

"The four-seater notchback sedan offers a glimpse of the future expansion of the A3 family," Audi said in a statement.

The A3 concept measures 4.44 meters (14.57 feet) long, 1.84 meters (6.04 feet) wide and just 1.39 meters (4.56 feet) high, meaning it's slightly smaller than the new Volkswagen Jetta (4.64 m long).

The sedan study embodies Audi's latest design language as seen on the recent A8, A6 and A7 Sportback models featuring a single-frame grille with tapered upper corners, angular headlights with LED technology and taut body lines.

The show car is fitted with an upgraded version of the 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine found under the bonnet of the current RS3 and TT RS models, producing a peak output of 408-horses. The five-pot distributes power to all four wheels through a seven-speed S tronic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive.

We'll have more details on the A3 Concept from the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Geneva Preshow: Maserati's Go-Faster GrandCabrio Sport

It's been a year-and-a-half since Maserati lifted the wraps off a drop-top version of its GranTurismo coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show in late 2009, and now the Italians are getting ready to expand the range of the GranCabrio with the presentation of a sportier variant at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show.

The new GranCabrio Sport follows in the footsteps of its hardtop sibling offering an improved chassis, more horse power and optimized gearshift response. The convertible is motivated by a more potent and fuel-efficient version of the firm's all-alloy 4.7-litre naturally-aspirated V8 churning out 450HP and 510 Nm or 376.2 lb-ft of peak torque, an increase of 10HP and 20Nm respectively over the standard GranCabrio. The top speed of the GranCabrio Sport is 285km/h or 177mph.

The company said the engine benefits from what it describes as "Maserati’s Friction Reduction Program", without providing any specific details, but claims a 6% reduction in fuel consumption.

The V8 is coupled to an upgraded ZF six-speed automatic transmission equipped with the MC Auto Shift software from the Quattroporte Sport GT S, which promises faster shift times. Maserati's engineers also revised the car's Skyhook active-suspension system and added grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.

On the outside, the GranCabrio Sport receives some mild tweaks in the form of a black grille, smoked headlamps with white sidemarks, new front corner splitters and redesigned side skirts. There's also a new shade of red called Rosso Trionfale, said to have been inspired by the red Italian national colors used on 1950s racing Maseratis.

Sales of the GranCabrio Sport will start from summer 2011.

Volvo Releases Photos and New Details on V60 Plug-in Diesel-Electric Hybrid

Last month, we told you about Volvo's plans to reveal an almost production-ready diesel-electric hybrid version of the V60 at the Geneva Salon in March. Today, the Swedish automaker released a full set of photos and additional information on its Plug-in Hybrid, which will be launched in the market in 2012.

Pegged as the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid, the eco-friendly V60 is the result of close co-operation between Volvo Cars and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall, and it promises to offer low fuel consumption and CO2 levels, combined with long range and high performance.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid's powertrain consists of a five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbo diesel with 215 horsepower and maximum torque of 440 Nm that drives the front wheels, and a 70HP-strong electric motor that receives its juice from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and motivates the rear wheels. The car also features a six-speed automatic transmission.

The car's battery package can be recharged via a regular power socket (230V/6A, 10A or 16A), with the charging time depending on the level of the current. A full 10A charge takes 4.5 hours. The time is shortened to 3 hours with 16A, while a charge in a 6A socket takes 7.5 hours.

The driver can choose from three different modes via a set of push buttons on the center console: Pure, Hybrid and Power.

In Pure, the car runs only on its electric motor as much as possible, with the maximum driving range being up to 32 miles or 51 kilometers with zero emissions of carbon dioxide.

The Hybrid mode, which is the default setting whenever the car is started, makes use of both the diesel engine and electric motor. In this mode, V60 Plug-in Hybrid returns a fuel economy of up to 125 mpg US (equal to 150 mpg UK and 1.9 lt/100km) with CO2 emissions of just 49 g/km, and a total driving range of up to 746 miles or 1,200 kilometers.

Finally, in Power mode, the system is optimized to give the car the best possible performance, with the diesel engine and electric motor producing a combined power output of 215 + 70 horsepower and maximum torque of 440 + 200 Nm. According to Volvo, the station wagon model completes the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in just 6.9 seconds.

In addition to the three driving modes, there's also an AWD button in the centre stack that activates electric four-wheel drive. In this case, the central control unit manages torque distribution to the diesel-driven front wheels and the electrically powered rear axle.

There are some subtle styling differences over the standard V60 such as the modified instrument panel that offers information about diesel and electricity consumption, battery charge level and remaining range, the restyled bumpers and the lightweight alloy wheels wrapped around in low rolling resistance Pirelli tires.

"The second-generation hybrid is the perfect choice for the uncompromising buyer who wants a superbly carbon dioxide-lean car packed with driving pleasure. To get drivers to think green, we have offered both, in one traditional genuine sports wagon" said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.

"The technology is still undergoing development and testing, however, the car already points very clearly to what our customers can expect when the plug-in hybrid enters showrooms next year. What we've done is to spice it up with spearhead technology that allows the driver to choose: zero emissions, high-efficiency hybrid or full-on performance. Just select the mode that suits best," he added.

Volvo said that the added cost of the battery pack and the electric motor system means the plug-in hybrid will be more expensive to buy than a regular V60, but added that fuel costs are expected to be one-third of a conventional combustion engined V60. Pricing and market availability will be announced nearer the 2012 launch date