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Geneva 2008: Photos of just about everything

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Land Rover, MINI, Saab, Toyota, Volkswagen, Geneva Motor Show, Opel, Green Daily, Th!nk (Think)



Pininfarina Sintesi, the Th!nk Ox, the KTM X-Bow, the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans, the Toyota iQ, the Rinspeed sQuba, the John Cooper Works Mini (and Clubman), the Morgan LifeCar, Land Rover LRX in black, the Mercedes BlueEFFICIENCY C-Class and Vision GLK BlueTec hybrid, the Opel Meriva, the VW Sharan Bluemotion, the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics, the VW Passat EcoFuel, the Mila Alpin, the Saab 9-1X Biohybrid and the Hyundai i-mode.

You know these names and have read about what these vehicles are and what they promise. Now, you can kick back and spend some time getting better acquainted with how these vehicles look. The gallery for the Sintesi
is below. Check out over 75 more photos after the jump.

Geneva '08 Preview: Rinspeed sQuba Roadster/Submarine - Bond can go green!

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Geneva Motor Show


Click image for a huge photo gallery

We all had a chuckle at the idea of the Rinspeed sQuba Concept when the initial renderings of the Geneva-bound concept emerged. The Swiss tuner and specialty manufacturer gets the last laugh, however, as it has released photos and video of the actual car operating submerged, and you know what? It's awesome. The sQuba (the "Q" in the name appears to be a nod to the gadget-producing Q Branch in the James Bond universe) is a full EV that relies on three separate electric motors to accomplish its mission. One powers the sports car when it's driving on land, while the others supply juice to the twin screws used for underwater propulsion. Movable fender-mounted Seabob jets appear to serve the same purpose as the diving planes on a traditional sub. Oh, and did we mention that it is capable of autonomous operation on land?

The car features on-board underwater breathing apparatus for its driver and passenger, who sit in a salt water-resistant cockpit fitted with high-friction surfaces designed to help keep them planted in their seats. Rinspeed notes that a roadster was the chosen body style for the sQuba because its open-top configuration is more bouyant and allows for easier egress in the event of an underwater emergency. Some might deem it pointless, but the sQuba is the best kind of concept car: a flight of fancy that just also happens to work. It's fantastic, and we want to steal it and then drive it off a pier at speed, just like 007 did with his white submersible Lotus 31 years ago. Watch video of the sQuba in action after the jump!


[Source: Rinspeed]

How better to power the underwater sQuba car than on batteries?

Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, Geneva Motor Show, Green Daily



I briefly looked at Autoblog's mention of the sQuba concept the other day, but I must have been too astounded by the idea of a submersible car to realize that, hey, that thing's all-electric. ABG tipster Domenick, though, sent in a note about the sQuba and pointed out that this ridiculous little thing is a ZEV. The sQuba won't be used by James Cameron any time soon, but it can go up to 10 meters underwater and contains an oxygen supply in the cab.

The power, according to Gizmag, comes from a 37 kW electric motor for on-land use and two 3.6 kW rear jet drives for underwater propulsion. Oh, and the sQuba can also drive itself. That's a lot of concepts to put into one concept car, but Rinspeed won't need to worry about unhappy customers; this thing is a one-off destined for the stand at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, and that's it.

[Source: Autoblog, Gizmag. H/t to Domenick]

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