Tesla Roadster 2.5 gets 119 MPGe rating from EPA, still as expensive as ever (updated)

Move over, Nissan, because there's a new MPGe king in town. Yesterday, the EPA anointed Tesla scored its Roadster 2.5 with an MPGe rating of 119, which would make it the most fuel-efficient car on the market. That places the plug-in ahead of both the Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe) and Chevy Volt (93 MPGe). According to the government-approved mock-up window sticker, Tesla's EV can last for up to 245 miles on a single, eight-hour charge, while getting the equivalent of 112 miles per gallon on the highway and 124 in the city. The original Roadster, meanwhile, received an MPGe score of 111 yesterday, with ratings of 105 on the open road and 116 in the city. Both models scored a perfect 10 for their greenhouse gas and smog emissions, though those ratings probably didn't factor in all the cash you'd have to burn to actually buy one.

Update: We just heard from the EPA, which clarified that this is not their official rating for the Roadster 2.5. These numbers are Tesla's, and the window sticker itself is a mockup - not a legitimate sticker from the EPA. Still, if you'd like to see it, it's down after the break.

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Consumer Reports

Pioneer unveils its AppRadio, integrates iOS into your automobile

Rumors regarding Pioneer's AppRadio hit the web last month, promising unparalleled iDevice integration for our automobiles. Pioneer has finally unleashed the double-DIN device, and it's everything we thought it would be -- namely a big car stereo that plays nice with iOS. There's an 800 x 400 6.1-inch multitouch capacitive display, Bluetooth connectivity, and it teams up with your iPhone or iPod touch (running iOS 4.2) via a 30-pin connector and Pioneer's AppRadio app. There's also an external mic and GPS antenna, full iPod music control and Google Maps integration, and specially formatted apps from Rdio and Pandora. Pioneer suggests a price "below $500" when it goes on sale June 22nd. We're going hands-on with the new stereo as we speak, so peruse the PR after the break and stay tuned for pics and impressions.

Getaround car sharing service goes live, rent out your ride with an iPhone app and car kit

We expressed our excitement when we first heard about Getaround, the personal car rental service that enables users to rent out their autos by the hour or day, and at TechCrunch Disrupt the service has officially gone live for drivers outside the Bay Area. The company also announced an accompanying car kit that allows potential renters to unlock their temporary ride using just an iPhone app, at which point they can access a physical key inside. The company says it functions just like any other keyless entry device, and can be set up in as little as five minutes. Worrisome owners should also know that when you offer up your ride you get full insurance coverage from the Getaround folks, so all liabilities are transferred to the individual behind the wheel. Renters get rated by car owners so there's definitely an incentive to keep things neat and tidy, though we'd totally get downrated for neglecting to return the seat to its original position. Be sure to check out the demo video at the via link, you'll wish you thought of this yourself.

TechCrunch

Getaround, iTunes

TomTom announces Go Live 800 series PNDs for lost Europeans

TomTom's Go Live family got a little larger today, with the unveiling of the company's new 800 series of PNDs. With the purchase of an 820 or 825 GPS, you'll get a year's worth of free access to HD Traffic, a speed camera alert system, local weather updates and all the rest of TomTom's Live services. The navigators also come with intelligent orientation sensors that allow for easy dashboard mounting, as well as Bluetooth capabilities that enable drivers to make hands-free calls while they cruise. The five-inch 825, much like the ARM11-powered Go Live 1000, generates routes using TomTom's IQ Routes technology, though it won't cost quite as much as its big brother. No word yet on the pricing of the 4.3-inch 820, which is due to hit Europe this September, but the 825 will retail for about £230 ($373) when it launches this month.

Pocket-Lint

TomTom

Ford car seat prototype keeps its sensors on your heart, so you can keep your eyes on the road

Chevy had the whole "Heartbeat of America" thing cornered in the 80s, but now its Ford's turn to get in on the action. The car maker's European research team unveiled a prototype car seat capable of monitoring a driver's heart courtesy of six embedded electrodes, which can take measurements without coming in direct contact with skin. The technology, the latest in a recent string of health-related in-vehicle concepts from the company, can detect whether the driver is having a heart attack and transmit that information to the vehicle's safety system. According to the researchers, the system is already highly accurate in its prototype state, making correct readings for 98 percent of drive time with 95 percent of the drivers tested. For more information on the system, check the video and press release after the break.

CNET

Ford

Mimics helps you cope with your Sync-less existence (video)

Much as we hate to admit it, we can't all afford a fancy new car with Sync or Mini Connected inside -- I mean, come on, we're not made of money, people. Thankfully, it seems MP3Car has a pretty slick and affordable solution to the problem of fumbling with your iPhone when you should probably be focusing on the road and not crashing into things. Mimics is an in-car solution that transmits the contents of your handset to a touchscreen display in the vehicle's dash, letting you listen to music, use GPS, take calls, and check email without having to deal directly with the phone. The system is available now for pre-order at $630 for the full version, $530 for people who have standard double DIN-sized radio openings in their cars, and $205 for hobbyists who want to put the thing together -- here's hoping they're parked when they do.

MP3Car

MVS California's Volumetric Head Up Display is a 3D laser show for your car's windshield (video)

Your windshield is good for more than just keeping bugs out of your mouth. It's also a big blank canvas waiting to display helpful info like directions, traffic notifications, and safety information. A number big name manufacturers like GM and Pioneer have offered up heads-up display concepts over the past few years, but what makes MVS California's Volumetric Head Up Display really neat is its impressive implementation of the volumetric aspect, using lasers to project images on the windshield in a such a way that gives the illusion of depth. So, if the system is being used to give driving direction via GPS -- its main application, at present -- it can make a turn arrow appear lined up with an exit half a mile down the road. The prototype showcased at this week's Augmented Reality Event 2011 projected in red only, though the company says it's capable of full color. How long do we have to wait for the future? MVS is hoping to get the thing into cars as a premium option in the next few years for around the same price of current high-end navigation systems. Surprisingly dull video of reality augmenting 3D lasers after the break.

Dvice

InLand Mobile

Battery-powered 'Black Current' VW Beetle flaunts itself in drag (video)

Electric supercars have been hitting some crazy speeds recently, but this is on another level. The Black Current is a Volkswagen Beetle reborn as an electric drag racer. It hits 135mph and demolishes the quarter-mile straight in 9.51 seconds. What's more, it does it quietly -- all you can hear is the delicious screech of sticky rubber. Plug into the video after the break for a taste of what it's like behind the wheel. And can someone please explain why that other car on the left even bothered to turn up?

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Fullychargedshow (YouTube)

Next-gen Porsche 911 getting hybrid transmission system?

Porsche has already tricked out its racing cars with kinetic energy recovery systems, and now it looks like its more mainstream 911 is getting the hybrid transmission treatment, too. Citing anonymous sources, our sister site Autoblog reports that the entire range of the next-gen coupe is going to use these systems, which don't store energy in a battery, but instead capture kinetic energy during deceleration using a flywheel mechanism. Even without that sleuthing, a series of spy shots (including that one up there) reveal that the auto maker has expanded the wheelbase length by just enough so that it can accommodate a KERS between the gearbox and the engine. What does this mean for the 911? Well, these same sources say the entry-level Carrera is on track to surpass its rated 4.7-second 0 to 60 time and that it will generally be lighter, faster, more energy-efficient, and go farther on a gallon. Can't afford a low-end Porsche? Well, you can still ogle the eye candy at the source link.

Autoblog