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Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt's new, improved powertrain; Inabikari wants to build Tesla Model X fighter

We knew the 2016 Chevrolet Volt's new powertrain would provide more range, but we didn't know how much. According to GM's Executive Director Larry Nitz, it is about 12 percent more, overall. "I can't think of a powertrain we've re-engineered more extensively within a five-year period than this one," he said. The battery, electric drive system and gasoline generator have all been reworked to allow for an overall driving range of up to 425 miles, with electric range speculated to reach 42 miles or more. The new Volt will also benefit from 20 percent quicker low-end acceleration, weight reductions and improvements in NVH. Read more at Hybrid Cars and at the SAE website. Hyundai's FCEV research and development boss, Dr. Sae-Hoon Kim, is optimistic about the future of hydrogen mobility in Japan. With the Tucson Fuel Cell already in production ahead of Toyota's FCV, Hyundai has a foothold in the hydrogen car scene. Kim believes that since the Fukushima disaster, Japan's attitudes toward energy make it friendly to a growing hydrogen economy. He also says that hydrogen won't be limited to Hyundai, with Kia getting all the battery EVs. "Both types are for both companies," Kim says. "For the moment, volumes are small and it is not wise to have Hyundai and Kia competing." Read more at Just Auto. The Latvian/German startup Inabikari is using crowdfunding to build an electric crossover for Europe. The Rev.01 EV hopes to compete with Tesla's upcoming Model X with a range of over 400 miles and a five-second 0-60 time. The group currently is trying to raise initial funds through an Indiegogo campaign, with hopes of more investment in the future and sales beginning in 2017. See the video below, and read more at Hybrid Cars and at the Inabikari website. Fuel economy and emissions regulations could lead to some interesting design changes to automobiles. The World Light Duty Test Procedure, set to replace the New European Driving Cycle in 2017, will push automakers to find new ways to reduce drag on their vehicles. For better aerodynamics, we could see traditional side-view mirrors replaced by cameras that display what they see on screens inside the vehicle. Another likely change will be the introduction of smaller, narrower wheels. Improving the average drag coefficient from 0.32 to 0.20 could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 20 percent. Read more at Automotive News Europe.

Hyundai Sante Fe gets zombie survival machine treatment for NY Comic-Con

Surviving a zombie invasion isn't easy, and Hyundai takes life-or-undead situations pretty seriously, as made clear by its devotion to creating zombie-annihilating vehicles. Earlier this year, Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead comic series that gave birth to the hit television series of the same name, designed a Zombie Survival Machine around a Hyundai Veloster hatchback.
This year, TWD fan Anson Kuo has conjured up a Santa Fe sports utility vehicle capable of mowing down hoards of zombies with extra room for passengers and supplies. Hyundai says Kuo's design was built by Galpin Auto Sports and will be unveiled at New York Comic-Con on October 10.
"We love Anson Kuo's take on this Santa Fe Zombie Survival Machine - it's creative... and deadly," says Steve Shannon, vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America.

Motorcyclist gives rude driver a taste of instant justice

A British motorcyclist proved that no good deed goes unpunished recently when he tried to return a motorist's wallet and got nothing but abuse for his trouble. According to the Daily Mail, a motorcyclist somewhere in England spotted a driver in a silver Hyundai pull out of a gas station with a wallet and cellphone on the roof. As the driver pulled off, the wallet slid off the roof and landed in the street, where the motorcyclist retrieved it. With wallet in hand, the motorcyclist set off in pursuit of the Hyundai driver, but when he approached the car the driver didn't seem too happy to see him. As the rider approached, the Hyundai driver tried to escape him, then spat a string of profanity at the rider as he pulled up to the car's window. The motorcyclist then flung the driver's wallet at him through the car's open window, whereupon the driver quickly changed his tune. "Thank you so much, bro!" the driver is heard saying in the video. The motorcyclist decided that he'd had enough abuse and wasn't buying the Hyundai driver's improved attitude, so he decided to extract a little revenge. He grabbed the driver's phone off the Hyundai's roof. He held it up to the driver of the car and then casually tossed it on the ground. Then the motorcyclist rode away, presumably believing he'd taught the rude driver a valuable lesson. Related Video: News Source: The Daily Mail Auto News Weird Car News Hyundai Motorcycle road rage good samaritan motorcyclist