Hybrid News

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, MPG, Chevrolet

One of the most persistent questions around the Chevrolet Volt - aside from whether or not GM will be around long enough to build it - is the fuel economy rating. The problem arises from the unique combination of plug-in electric drive and internal combustion range extender. The current standard test cycles used by the EPA for purposes of calculating the mileage of internal combustion cars are only 11 miles long for the urban cycle and 10.3 miles for the highway. Both of those distances are well within the 40 mile battery range of the Volt. If the current test procedure was used the car would use no gas and this is clearly not a realistic evaluation.

According to the New York Times, the current plan is to run car through each of the test cycles until the battery reaches the “depletion” point. From this data an equivalent mpg figure will be determined. The Volt will then be run on each cycle in charge sustaining mode to calculate fuel consumption. Researchers from the Argonne National Lab are currently studying real world driving habits to determine a “utility factor” for blending the two figures. It is expected that this procedure will yield a final sticker value that tops 100 mpg. Of course, because all of these choices are somewhat arbitrary, the bickering will surely continue for the foreseeable future.

[Source: New York Times]

NY Times analyzes how the Volt might get that 100 mpg sticker originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy

Perhaps one of the biggest fans on the planet of the Chevrolet Volt is Dr. Lyle Dennis, a New York city neuro-surgeon. Immediately after originally seeing the Volt concept in January 2007, Dennis launched GM-Volt.com. Ever since then he and his readers have been cheerleaders for GM’s extended-range EV. Dennis set up a waiting list for people to register their interest in the car, and over 45,000 people have signed up. With the financial crisis that’s engulfing General Motors right now, the Volt has remained the only upcoming product that hasn′t seen its development dollars cut yet. However, even though the engineering teams are still working on the Volt, the car is ultimately dependent on the survival of the company as a whole. Lyle Dennis wants to maker sure that GM, and thus the Volt, survive. To that end he has written a letter targeted at President Bush, Congress and Treasury secretary Henry Paulson urging them to provide financial aid to GM as soon as possible. If you’re interested in expressing your support you can print out the letter from the site, sign it and send it to your representatives.

[Source: GM-Volt]

GM-Volt founder pens open letter in support of GM aid package originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Ford, Green Daily

Back in June, Ford asked students at five universities to re-imagine the Model T for the 21st Century. Ford’s gotten a bit of mileage out of fanciful updates to the iconic vehicle over the years, and this latest round saw the German team from the ika (Institute of Automotive Engineering Aachen) at Aachen University beat out teams from Australia, California and Michigan with a three-seat version that can be used with an all-electric or hybrid drivetrain. Aside from the EV nature of the vehicle, the best part is that this concept could be sold for under $7,000.

The ika students won $25,000 in scholarship funds for their design, which features a centrally-placed driver’s seat in the very lightweight vehicle (800 kg). CO₂ emissions will range between 54 and 100 grams per kilometer, depending on powertrain. Second place went to the team from the Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

Continue reading We Wish. Students design hyper-efficient “Ford Model T for 2015″

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Transportation Alternatives, USA

What better way to launch a new transportation product than to take it on a long trip with some sweet scenic vistas. In the case of the Zuumer (rhymes with boomer) from ZuumCraft, the journey being undertaken is a week long and covers a distance of 600 miles from San Francisco to San Diego along the beautiful California coast. The three-wheel electric ultralight scooter is powered by a removable lithium ion battery and employees a double-forked steering column with a low center of gravity that not only keeps it stable in the turns but also highly maneuverable. The rear axles seem to have some funky tilting action going on that contributes to its ability to carve your way along like a skateboard. Of course its also perfectly fine for going in a straight line and can do so for around 25 miles on a charge.

While the trip, along with your chance to try it out, ends this Friday, the company has lots of videos of the Zuumer in action. The first batch of 150 units arrives in January and the company is accepting deposits now. Total price tag is in the neighborhood of $2,000 which is a lot less than its Segway competition and won’t make you look like a total dork (sorry Segwayers). Hit the jump for a couple videos of some Zuumer carving-it-up action.

[Source: CleanTech / ZuumCraft]

Continue reading VIDEO: ZuumQuest ‘08 = 600 miles of standing room only

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Original post by Domenick Yoney

Filed under: Diesel, Chrysler, Dodge, USA

It appears as if they small-bore diesel wars are set to swing into full motion come next year. We already know about the 4.4-liter Ford diesel V8, which comes from Ford’s Euro side, and the 4.5-liter Duramax V8 from the General. Now, we find that the upcoming 2010 Dodge Ram - rumored to get a small-bore oil-burner of its own - may very well come with an optional 5.0-liter V8 from Cummins. This revelation comes courtesy of Mike Levine and his minions over at PickupTrucks.com who noticed an underhood sticker for the proper refilling of refrigerant on the air-conditioning unit. It takes real dedication to notice such a thing, but it has definitely paid dividends this time. Along with what is sure to be a fairly sizable increase in cost, the smaller-displacement diesel engines should each offer well over 500 lb.-ft. of torque along with a 25-percent improvement in fuel consumption. That’s what we like to hear.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Legislation and Policy, On Two Wheels, USA

Click above for more shots of the Victory Vision 10th Anniversary model

The nation watches as California sets its own standards when it comes to vehicles and emissions. It is often the case that other states, and sometimes the entire rest of the country, follow that far-left State’s lead as it progressively makes decisions affecting our vehicles, including motorcycles. There are quite a number of bikes which cannot be sold in California due to its specific motorcycle emissions regulations, a fact which surely dismays many a manufacturer. Of the bikes that can be sold there, they cannot be modified in any way without CARB’s green light. As you may know, it is rather common for motorcyclists to change their exhausts, but this cannot be done without using a CARB-certified exhaust fitted with a catalytic converter. There are many hurdles to making it happen, but meetings between manufacturers, dealers and legislators are currently underway which could allow motorcycle buyers a legal outlet to modify their bikes.

[Source: Dealer News via Cyril Huze Blog]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Honda, Lightweight, UK

Click above for more high-res shots of the Honda OSM.

Honda has unveiled a new roadster concept at the British International Motor Show. Named the OSM (for Open Study Model), it shares space with the Honda FCX Clarity and the CR-Z sports hybrid on the Honda stand. Although the press release (found after the jump) does not mention which powertrain defines the prototype as “low emission,” it does mention that it’s a lightweight vehicle. Honda’s intention is to design a car where style meets green credentials. “We’re trying to show that low emission cars can be attractive,” says Andreas Sittel, Project Leader for OSM. “There is no reason why a car that’s more environmentally friendly can’t look great too - and be sporty and fun to drive.”

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading London 2008: Honda OSM, a low-emission roadster concept

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Original post by Xavier Navarro

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, MPG, Geneva Motor Show, Green Daily, Lightweight

The pre-release images of the lightweight and high mileage KTM X-Bow vehicles have shown the vehicle in either the striking orange of the standard production version (see the gallery below) or the gleaming white of the limited-edition “Dallara Series.” When the first production version of the X-Bow will be revealed to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, it will feature yet another color scheme: pure black.

KTM says that the completely black special edition will feature lots of carbon fiber body panels, limited slip differential and a removable steering wheel (huh?). For people who are looking forward to driving one of these lightweight buggers, the good news is that the unveiling in Geneva will timed with the start of production at KTM’s facility in Graz, Austria. Press release after the jump.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, New York Auto Show

Some of you may recall the AirCar that was created a couple of years ago by Milner Motors. Well, to date, the Milner AirCar has yet to reach lift-off velocity and has only managed to roll around on solid ground. Now the Milner team has sliced off most of the wings and is preparing to install a plug-in hybrid power-train to create the ElectriCar. The specs for the ElectriCar list an 11kWh battery which provides energy to a pair of 15hp electric motors which turn the rear wheels. Milner claims the car can run electrically for two hours or 120 miles before the 125cc engine switches on to charge the batteries. According to the website, Milner has contracted a company to do safety engineering work on the ElectriCar so that it can meet federal safety standards. Milner will apparently be at the New York Auto Show next month, so we’ll be looking into how real this thing really is.

[Source: Milner]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Hydrogen, Japan

In an announcement that surely heralds things to come, Japan′s Kyushu University will be home to a new graduate program in hydrogen energy technologies. Other schools around the world have similar programs that deal with hydrogen as an energy carrier (there’s a Sustainable Energy Technology program at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, to cite just one example), but Kyushu U says their program will be the only graduate program that deals exclusively with these aspects of using hydrogen, as listed by the Aberdeen Press and Journal:

• Hydrogen energy utilisation and conversion.
• Hydrogen production and supply.
• Safety design technology for mechanical system and infrastructure.
• Integration technology to optimise total system performance.

The university expects about ten students to make up the first class. They′ll join a team of over 50 researchers at the school, which is a partner in Japan’s Research Centre for Hydrogen Industrial Use and Storage.
[Source: Aberdeen Press and Journal via EDTA]

 

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Etc., USA

Recently we told you about oil execs explaining to congress how $123 billion in profits should entitle them to an additional $18 billion in the form of subsidies. I realize many of you out there have a lot of sympathy for their position and have spent the intervening time hounding your Congresspersons on their behalf. I mean, this is America and that means energy corporations have the right to do whatever they want - and if we don′t like it we can buy a bicycle (I recommend a bicycle regardless. They are great for your health). One of the reasons these companys’ hands are out-stretched beggar-like is because (they claim) they need money for further exploration and development. I don′t know why they didn′t have this part of the equation in their business model to begin with but hey, everyone makes mistakes. Year after year after etc. etc..

How my eyebrows did raise then when reading this article about Exxon (XOM) not increasing oil production so as to keep their record profits high, on Business Week. It is common practice now for oil companies to simply trade any capitol invested in new projects for the equivalent in oil so the countries are paying them to drill directly from their oil reserves. So why do they need our money again?

I know this may sound like a direct quote from Captain Obvious but oil companies like Exxon don’t really care if Americans are struggling to keep their houses and buy food because of their desire to see higher profits which is reason number 643 why I intend my next new car to be electric. End rant.

[Source: Business Week]

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Original post by Domenick Yoney

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Lotus, UK

Click the Exige for a high-res gallery

The World’s Sexiest Greenest Car Show is back; bigger, better and sexier than ever… so says the home page of The Co-Operated Insurance Sexy Green Car Show. Like last year, the Sexy Green Car Show promises to show off some of the best green car concepts to a captive British audience. Chief among these vehicles will be the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel. Initially shown at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the Exige 270E is capable of running on gasoline, ethanol or methanol. A sophisticated computer system can detect what type of fuel the vehicle has been fed and can adjust necessary engine parameters to use that fuel. In the process, Lotus was able to tune the engine to extract a bit more power, 270 horses to be exact.

In addition to the car itself, Lotus is reportedly working on a new method of creating methanol which involves the extraction of waste carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A chemical reaction with hydrogen produces both methanol and water. If a clean source for the production of methanol were indeed possible, flex-fuel vehicles could add it to their stable of power sources.

[Source: Just-Auto]

 

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, USA

Click on the image for more shots of the Electrek electric car

Good old eBay strikes again with another unusual but very interesting electric vehicle up for auction. Before seeing this auction, we were not really familiar with the Unique Mobility Electrek electric vehicle at all. As usual, the internet proves our friend, as a test of the vehicle was done by the DOE way back in the early eighties, and it’s been made available online. So, we know that the Electrek uses a Soleq controller, a specially modified General Electric shunt wound 32-hp electric motor, and 16 6-V Globe-Union batteries. Those lead-acid batteries have been removed from the vehicle, as they are rather old and needed to be replaced. A fiberglass body, which may not be the prettiest design in the world, lies atop a custom-designed chassis with a central battery-tunnel running the length of the vehicle. Top speed is claimed to be seventy-five miles per hour and the range, when new, varied between seventy-five and one-hundred miles per charge (at 30 mph or so).

[Source: eBay Motors]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski