2009 Porsche Cayenne Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

1974 Porsche 914 EV conversion still looks good

Looking through the pages of the EV Album is a great way to learn about the breadth and depth of the electric vehicle community. Branching well beyond the three dozen or so electric vehicles that are currently sold by major automakers in the US, EV Album showcases lots of DIY conversions of all types. A 1995 Fiat Cinquecento? Check. A 1992 Kewet Eljet 2? No problem. The site's old-fashioned looks (it was started in 1997) show just how long people have been passionate about their EVs. Many of the cars are throwbacks to a previous time and we found a prime example of that, a converted 1974 Porsche 914 (EV Album page here) this week. Now powered by a Prestolite MTC4001 Series Wound DC motor and some flooded nickel-cadmium batteries, the 914 has a top speed of 80 miles per hour and a range of 35 miles. But only "if you are taking it easy," of course. The motor has a peak output of 60 horsepower and 25 hp continuous. Converted over 600 hours (!) to electric power at a cost of $10,000, it is now owned by Charlie Garlow of Maryland. The car is on display at the Washington Auto Show this week and serves as a great reminder of what most EV drivers used to have to do to drive emissions free. Featured Gallery 1974 Porsche 914 Converted EV View 11 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Misc. Auto Shows Porsche AutoblogGreen Exclusive Green Culture Electric dc auto show washington auto show

Volkswagen may soon have remedy for more cheating diesels

Nearly a half-million motorists who own Volkswagens equipped with 2.0-liter engines have known for a few weeks the company might wind up buying back their vehicles as part of a settlement surrounding the company's emissions cheating. But about 85,000 drivers who own similarly afflicted diesels with 3.0-liter engines have been stuck without a remedy. They may not be waiting much longer. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen will soon propose a fix for vehicles, including those from Audi and Porsche, equipped with 3.0-liter engines that will include new software and a new catalytic converter for the vehicles. Discussions with federal regulators are ongoing, according to the news outlet. "We are cooperating with the regulatory agencies and working with them on an approved solution," says Audi spokesperson Mark Clothier. "Beyond that, we cannot comment on ongoing investigations." Regulators have alleged that the company's 3.0-liter engines contain "defeat devices," illegal software that allows a vehicle to detect when it's undergoing an emissions test and turn off pollution control during real-world driving. The defeat device allows these vehicles to increase emissions of nitrogen oxide up to nine times the Environmental Protection Agency's allowable threshold. Affected 3.0-liter vehicles include the 2014 Volkswagen Toureg, 2015 Porsche Cayenne and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L and Q5. Volkswagen is slated to finalize its plans for buying back the afflicted 2.0-liter cars and potentially offer those motorists "substantial compensation" for their troubles by June 21, and it's possible that a formal announcement on the 3.0-liter vehicles would come at the same time. Related Video:

Next-gen Porsche 911 may include plug-in hybrid version

According to Auto Express, there's a plug-in hybrid Porsche 911 on the way, and it could arrive as soon as the introduction of the next-generation car. At the Detroit Auto Show, the UK outlet spoke to 911 product line director Dr. Erhard Mossle, who said the Stuttgart automaker was "working on different solutions" for the next iteration of its most iconic car, and, "of course, we are discussing plug-in solutions for the 911, but there are a lot of things to solve with packaging in the car and other things to solve. It will maybe be in the next generation, yes." "When we see the 911," he said, "we see the plug-in hybrid as a performance car." Since we just saw the introduction of the turbocharged powerplant in the 911 Carrera last summer, we can expect a wait of at least four years for the next powertrain evolution. Mossle said that any 911 PHEV would remain a sporty proposition and likely retain the flat-six engine, which would give more prestige than the four-cylinder 718 (Cayman and Boxster) yet still be able to satisfy emissions regulations. Mossle is echoing the comments made by Oliver Blume, chairman of the executive board at Porsche, at the Detroit show when Blume said the production version of the Mission E concept would be a sports car that happens to be electric. As far back as 2009, in fact, Porsche has been openly discussing an electric 911, the caveat even then being that it has to perform like a Porsche while providing decent range. In the middle of 2014 it was reported that the carmaker might make a 700-horsepower 911 Turbo S hybrid, by the end of 2014 it was reported that the automaker wouldn't make a 911 hybrid. A year after that first report, a 911 hybrid was back on, using the E-Hybrid system supposedly dismissed six months before, and then last November we got spy shots of a 911 with a supposed PHEV port. But with its Mission E work, and being designated to lead the Volkswagen Group's R&D into performance hybrids, a battery-boosted 911 might finally make sense. Related Video: