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4 WHEELS September 22 2011 Toyota sets lap record for electric vehicle Toyota Motorsport set a new lap record for an electric vehicle (EV) at the legendary 20.8 km Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany. The Toyota Motorsport EV P001, with 100 per cent electric powertrain and Jochen Krumbach at the wheel, set a new lap record of 7 mins 47.794 secs to beat the previous lap record, which stood at 9 mins 1.338 secs, by a very substantial margin. Using two electric motors, the Toyota Motorsport electric car has a top speed of 161 mph. The new lap record was completed on road-legal tires, using the complete Nordschleife track. It was verified by independent lap timing. Toyota Motorsport's target prior to the August 29 record run was to become the first electric vehicle break the eight-minute barrier and this was achieved comfortably on a day when the notoriously changeable Nürburgring weather stayed fine, although track temperatures were relatively low. --Metroland Media Carguide Magazine Defender debut The Land Rover DC100, a modern interpretation of the iconic Land Rover Defender will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Land Rover has also confirmed, that production of a new Defender is intended for 2015. The Land Rover DC100 concept builds upon the essential elements of the car's character and allows Land Rover to open the debate and inspire people to dream about the Defenders of the future. --Metroland Media Carguide Magazine Volvo and Siemens team up to advance development of electric automobiles Volvo Car Corporation and Siemens intend to jointly advance the technical development of electric cars through extensive strategic cooperation. The focus is on the joint development of electrical drive technology, power electronics and charging technology as well as the integration of those systems into Volvo C30 Electric vehicles. The first electric cars of this model fitted with Siemens electricmotors will be on the test tracks as early as the end of this year. Beginning in late 2012, the Swedish carmaker will deliver a test series of up to 200 vehicles to Siemens, which will then be tested and validated under real-life conditions as part of a Siemens internal test fleet. The partnership gives Siemens the chance to extend its industrial leadership in electric drive technology into the automotive market together with a renowned vehicle manufacturer. Volvo Car Corporation will be relying on proven and efficient Siemens technology for the electrification of its future vehicles. Siemens electric motors developed for Volvo have a peak power output of 108 kilowatts with a maximum torque of 220 Nm. The inverter design will be jointly optimized to meet all safety requirements in an automotive application. In addition, Siemens will provide highly efficient and fast onboard and off-board charging systems. Volvo Car Corporation starts small-scale production of the Volvo C30 Electric this year, and next year the company will start selling the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid. --Metroland Media Carguide Magazine