Realizing the advantages of hybrid powertrains, Vonnen Performance, based in the heart of Silicon Valley, has developed an innovative aftermarket, bolt-on hybrid system that takes a regular Porsche 911 and adds an electric motor between the engine and transmission, along with a battery and control unit.
Porsche turned its 2015 Mission E concept EV into a real car when it named it the Porsche Taycan in a formal announcement at the company’s 70th birthday bash.
In early November, journalists headed 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles to strap on a helmet and get behind the wheel of some pretty cool cars at MPG Track Day.
Porsche said it is exiting the FIA World Endurance Championship (WFC), which includes the storied 24 Hours of Le Mans race, at the end of this year, and will compete in the all-electric FIA Formula E championship starting in season six (2019/20).
Sport utility vehicles and crossovers are popular because they are functional. One trip to Costco is enough to convince many families that a Prius won’t cut it. Regular trips up to the mountains in the winter to ski could similarly motivate a car buyer to look for an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle rather than the front-wheel drive found on most high-mileage hybrids. All of which leaves the environmentally conscious consumer with some tough choices.
The global drive to reduce greenhouse gases and increase vehicle fuel efficiency is pushing automakers to reduce the size of their engines – while trying to keep all of attributes consumers expect from their cars. Engineers from GM, Porsche and VW have pushed the limits of technology to produce engines that are more efficient, meet increasingly stringent pollution standard and yet make better horsepower and torque than previous generations.