Motive Releases First Images of Composite Bodied Kestrel EV

In response to numerous media requests (or so the company claims), small-scale Canadian automaker Motive has released the first official images of its hemp-bodied EV city car, the Kestrel. The car was unveiled at the EV 2010 VÉ Conference and Tradeshow in Vancouver recently.

As previously reported by Carscoop, the Kestrel is a cab-forward design that seats four. It is made of a bio-fibre (hemp) based composite that is said to reduce weight, resist rust and increase impact absorption.

Along with the images, Motive has released further details of the upcoming EV. Weighing in at 1,874 lbs (850 kg), the company optimistically states that the Kestrel will be good for a top speed of 84 mph (135 km/h) and a driving range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) on its lithium-ion battery power.

The Kestrel is said to be just one of the cars in the Project Eve line-up. Project Eve is a consortium of Canadian companies who want to bring electric mobility to Canada, a noble cause. Motive is one of the Project's co-founders.

Nathan Armstrong, Motive's President states, "We believe this is an important step for Canada and are extremely happy to be a part of such an innovative group of companies."

A working prototype of the Kestrel is planned for mid-2011, and with full scale production and commercial sales starting in late-2012.

By Tristan Hankins

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Obama Announces 35.5MPG Average for 2016 and National Standard For Tailpipe Emissions

Obama Announces 35.5MPG Average for 2016 and National Standard For Tailpipe Emissions

The Obama administration today announced tougher fuel mileage standards and tailpipe emission limits forcing automakers to meet a fleetwide average of 35.5 miles per gallon (6.6lt/100km) by 2016, four years sooner than what Congress required in 2007, when it called for an average standard of 35mpg by 2020. Under the new plan, passenger cars sold in the U.S. will be required to travel on average 39 miles per gallon while light trucks will have to return a combined figure of 30 mpg by 2016.

According to a senior administration official, the new program will add an extra $1,300 to the price of producing a vehicle (compared to the $700 forecasted by the Bush administration's 2007 fuel efficiency proposal) but it is expected that consumers will bank around $2,800 over the car's life from fuel-savings.

The new regulations are said to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 900 metric tons.

"The status quo is no longer acceptable. We have done little to increase fuel efficiency of America's cars and trucks for decades," Obama said in an address from the White House.

"As a result of this agreement, we will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years," Obama added. "And at a time of historic crisis in our auto industry, this rule provides the clear certainty that will allow these companies to plan for a future in which they are building the cars of the 21st century."

Via: MSNBC & Detnews (photo:flickr)

READ MORE - Obama Announces 35.5MPG Average for 2016 and National Standard For Tailpipe Emissions