Hybrid News

Filed under: Diesel, Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, PSA, Citroen, Peugeot, Green Daily

Citro&eumln and Peugeot have been putting out small, efficient vehicles for many years. At this weekend’s H2Roma, the PSA group will talk about the green vehicles it hopes to bring to market in the future. H2Roma is an annual sustainable mobility and the PSA group’s press release announcing its participation (pasted in full after the jump) gives us a compact rundown on how the companies will make future cars even cleaner. Check out the list:

• Continued improvement of gasoline and diesel powered internal combustion engines
• Second generation micro-hybrid technology on all cars by 2010
• Full diesel hybrid technology in 2011
• Preparation for the future Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV)

They just get better as you move down the list, don′t they? Lots of potential problems to actually achieving these goals, but the diesel hybrid goal is the one I’m most excited about for my new car. Too bad we probably won′t see diesel hybrids in the U.S. anytime soon.

[Source: PSA Peugeot Citroen]

Continue reading H2Roma: PSA lays out green car future strategy

H2Roma: PSA lays out green car future strategy originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Porsche

We only heard about the latest modified Porsche from Ruf about a week and a half ago when the tuner unveiled its new E-Ruf via press release. Apparently we weren’t the first to learn of the all-electric 911, as Road & Track has already driven it and just published its first impressions, including details about the car’s inner workings that were previously unknown.

Unlike most Ruf Porsches, the E-Ruf hasn’t had its internal combustion engine boosted to within an inch of its life. It doesn’t even have an ICE. Instead, the staff in Germany have ripped out the boxer 6-cylinder, back seat and fuel tank. The back seat area and front trunk have been stuffed full of lithium-ion batteries and an electric motor’s been bolted to the stock 6-speed gearbox. Turns out that the E-Ruf is very different from other high-profile EVs like the Tesla Roadster in some interesting ways, but you’ll have to click through to Road and Track to find out exactly why and what it means for the future of EVs.

[Source: Road &amp Track]

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Original post by AutoblogGreen Staff

Filed under: Etc., MPG, Lightweight

Every once in a while, we run an article aimed at the do-it-yourself crowd. Usually, these things are not that difficult to accomplish, but today, we’ve found something a little bit more in-depth for those really hard-core recyclers out there. A man in Utah has taken various bit of scrap, a kayak, a doghouse and a wrecked car or two and made himself a very cool replica of the Ariel Atom. His car is fully registered and licensed for street use, though we can’t imagine it’s all that practical to drive every day. With its Honda K-series engine sourced from an Acura RSX and super light weight, the replica is pretty fuel efficient at over 35 miles per gallon as well as fast. The run to sixty takes just 4.5 seconds on the builder’s stopwatch. Since so much of the car was either hand-built or procured second-hand, it took just $11,000 to make this dream into a reality. Well, that plus 800 hours of hard work.

[Sources: Flickr, MAKE]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Diesel, Audi, Japan

Click on picture above for a complete high-resolution gallery of the Audi Q7 TDI (↤ model)

It quite seems that the Japanese will soon have more diesel cars available. We already knew about the X-Trail diesel which is going on sale in a few weeks, but now another manufacturer has announced plans to sell a diesel model in Japan: Audi, the marque that created TDI engines. Somewhat surprisingly, Audi did not announce the upcoming A1 or even the A3 bestseller for Japan: instead, the company will be bringing its large SUV, the Q7, to Japan and it’s expected to go on sale in 2010. Fortunately, the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI will spot Audi’s latest antipollution measures, such as an AdBlue-based NOx catalyst.

As our readers surely know, Japan is still a very closed market for diesel cars (more so than the U. S.), with motorists thinking of diesel engines as noisy, smelly and truck-like. According to German Car Blog, Audi expects that 10 percent of the their car sales could be powered with diesel cars by 2015.

[Source: German Car Blog]

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Original post by Xavier Navarro

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Land Rover, UK

Land Rover is showing off its future green technology in the form of its Electric Rear Axle Drive. While this hybrid system has been included in concepts like the Concept Truck of the Year prize-winning LRX, the production version is still being designed and is undergoing testing fitted to some British Freelanders (that’s the LR2 in the states). Landie got some government help in paying for this technology development and has hired on quite a number of extra staffers to be sure it gets it right. Still, expect a good long wait before actually seeing a system such as this one in production from Land Rover. According to product development director Phil Hodgkinson, “This isn’t something that can transplanted into an existing model at a mid-life face-lift. It’s for the next generation of Land Rovers, but we’re not putting a date on that.” What’s more, the tech won’t come without compromises, including an increased price and a sizable reduction in cargo capacity. For these reasons, Rover is planning on making the system optional on some models as opposed to making it standard on specialized hybrid vehicles.

[Source: Auto Express]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

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

Since three-wheeled vehicles come up on AutoblogGreen so often, we thought it would be prudent to inform you that Colorado is considering adding a distinct license requirement for three-wheeled motorcycles. Generally, if you have a motorcycle license, the state you live in allows you to ride a motorcycle with a sidecar or a trike, so no matter where that third wheel is located, you do not need any special skills… legally. Anybody who has ridden a bike with a sidecar knows that it is a totally different experience than a bike with a single-track. Also, trikes with their third contact point up front are generally more stable than one with the third wheel in back.

We’ll chime in and say that some extra training should be necessary for a sidecar rig, but it’s likely that this is less important for trikes. Unfortunately, distinctions such as this are very difficult to legislate, so we’d imagine that any changes will be rather sweeping generalizations and will take place on a state-by-state basis. We’ll keep you updated if necessary.

[Source: The Kneeslider]

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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 Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Legislation and Policy, UK

Finding a way to inconspicuously get into the carpool lane without actually having a passenger can be a lucrative business and is also a source of great consternation to drivers legally allowed to be in the lanes. There have been a few attempts at policing carpool lane usage, but this is the first time that we’ve seen electronic trickery “smart” enough to tell the difference between real people and dummies. Using infrared signals, U.K. cameras being tested in Leeds are able to “see” the blood and water that is present in a human body and can distinguish between real people and fake bodies.

One potential problem is that some cars, namely certain hybrids and CNG vehicles, are allowed in the carpool lanes with only one passenger. The cameras would need to be programmed somehow to allow these travelers to drive alone without being ticketed.

[Source: Daily Mail via Winding Road]

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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 Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Diesel, Ethanol, Hybrid, Aston Martin, Audi, Chevrolet, Peugeot

The American Le Mans Series kicks off its 2008 season next weekend with the 56th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring in central Florida. The ALMS has long had the most diverse field of race cars of any major series in North America and this year it’s getting even more so as the series makes a push for greener racing. This is the only series that has cars running on three different fuels gasoline, ethanol and diesel all play a major part. In the LM̡ class, Audi is kicking off its third year running the diesel-powered R10 TDI. They’ll get competition this time from Peugeot, which is bringing one of their 908 HDi prototypes to race in the U.S. for the first time.

In the production-derived G͉ ranks, the Corvette C6Rs will tackle an Aston Martin DBR9 with all of them using cellulosic E85 fuel. The same fuel will also power an LMP1 Lola entered by Intersport racing. The rest of the field for now will continue using the E10 ethanol/gasoline blend that was used in 2007. As the season progresses and going into 2009, other teams are likely to make the switch to E85 and possibly even diesel. Although Honda representatives were non-committal at the Detroit Auto Show, it appears that they are looking hard at diesel power especially as they are about to introduce a diesel-powered Acura TSX in the U.S. next year. ALMS officials are also encouraging other alternative powertrains, such as hybrids, and they are open to looking at all options. When the 2008 draws to a close at the Petite Le Mans race at Road Atlanta this fall, ALMS will also introduce their first Green Challenge that will measure a variety of sustainability efforts by teams in addition to their on-track performance and fuel efficiency. ALMS officials are working hard to encourage innovation and diversity in the field that can help advance powertrain and fuel technology. For those of us who enjoy motorsports it’s by far the most interesting and exciting series to watch and I for one will be among the happy spectators this year.

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Etc., Ford, Natural Gas, USA

In some countries, LPG (liquified propane gas) is an increasingly common fuel for automobiles due to its comparatively low cost and 15-20 percent lower emissions compared to gasoline or diesel fuel. Though some are against the practice, a few governments encourage the use of LPG through lowered taxes. In America, propane for automotive use is usually limited to large fleets, where the specialized pumping equipment can be cost effectively purchased. As we mentioned before, Roush has decided to tap into this fleet market with a new LPG version of the popular Ford F-150.

Using Ford’s 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton[TM] V-8 engine, Roush promises the same performance as the gasoline version. Available in available in Regular Cab, SuperCab and SuperCrew cab styles with XL, XLT, STX, & Fʹ trim along with all three different bed lengths and two different sized LPG tanks, we’d imagine that no matter what your needs may be, Roush has an LPG-equipped truck that will suit you. According to the press release after the break, Roush is currently taking orders for the new pickup, which can be ordered, delivered and serviced through a network of select Ford dealers across the nation.

Press Release:

LIVONIA, Mich. (March 28, 2008) - With so much talk these days about reducing emissions, lowering one’s carbon footprint, and going “green,” ROUSH(R) has created an excellent fleet option by developing a Ford F-150 pickup powered by propane. ROUSH has long been considered as Detroit’s foremost Tier 1 advanced powertrain engineering company.

According to research commissioned by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and conducted by Energetics, Inc., propane’s emissions have lower carbon content than gasoline, diesel, heavy fuel oil, and ethanol. Even when upstream emissions - those released as a result of extracting and processing energy - are factored into the equation, propane is still one of the best fuel options from a greenhouse gas (GHG) perspective.

When fuel is burned at a 99 percent combustion rate, on-site emissions estimates of the amount of carbon dioxide released per Btu heavily favors liquid propane gas which releases only 62.7 kg CO2/million Btu^. Ethanol, commonly known as ᭉ, releases 66.6 kg^, and gasoline falls in at 70.5 kg^. Diesel fuel is the worst of the group at 72.5 kg.^

The exhaust emitted from a properly maintained propane-fueled engine contains virtually no toxic compounds. And because the boiling point is 44 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, propane vaporizes instantly when released into the atmosphere. It degrades rapidly when exposed to the light, and no contamination will result from spills or leaks.

Additionally, propane does not have the contaminants of some other fuels like diesel, and has less criteria pollutants across many applications. Propane’s portability, storability, and environmental benefits also qualify it to serve the unique needs of several applications, such as fueling a fleet of pickup trucks.

The ROUSH F-150 Liquid Propane Injection truck is designed and manufactured to operate solely on propane while providing the same horsepower, torque and drivability of an F-150 equipped with a gasoline-powered 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton[TM] V-8 engine.

ROUSH has begun taking orders for the propane-powered F-150. The 2008 model year truck can be ordered, delivered and serviced through a nationwide network of select Ford dealers.

The ROUSH F-150 is available in Regular Cab, SuperCab and SuperCrew cab styles with XL, XLT, STX, &amp FX4 trim and all three different bed lengths. The liquid propane injection system option includes dedicated propane fuel lines, fuel rail assembly and fuel tank. Additionally, the vehicle’s computer has been re-calibrated to provide optimum performance and fuel economy.

[Source: Roush]

 

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Ford

Photo: KEVIN A. WILSON, Autoweek

Think that the SUV and/or CUV craze is a relatively new phenomenon? Peter Horbury, head of design for Ford in the Americas, suggests that the Ford Model T was really a crossover. He has a point, considering that the old-timer sat rather high off the ground (because of the shoddy roadways at the time) and featured a modular design capable of hauling people, stuff, or a combination of both.

Ford wonders what a modern-day version of the T may look like and what it would be powered by. To find out, Ford commissioned some young designers the task of modernizing the Tin Lizzy. The winning design, created by Dong Trang, a junior at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, is an electric vehicle which features a removable battery. That battery is charged with on-board solar panels and an electricity-generating suspension system. The innovative modular structure can be converted from a hatchback to a pickup bed and can seat up to four passengers. Click past the break for some video of Trang explaining some of his concepts.

Videos:

[Source: Detroit Free Press, Autoweek]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Transportation Alternatives, On Two Wheels, Lightweight

Click on the image for more shots of the Future Chair wheelchairs

While many engineers are looking towards carbon fiber as a way to lighten up our automobiles, with very good reason, others are using the lightweight composite material in human-powered vehicles, like bicycles and… wheelchairs. Not only is carbon fiber lightweight, it’s also quite strong and the weave of the material makes a big difference as to how the material responds to vibration and harshness, so the wheelchair can be “tuned” for a specific user. All this technology leads to a wheelchair from Future Chairs which weights just 13.9 pounds, though it’s pretty expensive at ₤2,595 and is only available in the UK.

While on the subject of wheelchairs, take a look at the prototype Dreamfit motorcycle which was designed specifically for paraplegics. So, it’s not made from carbon fiber, but it does feature stabilizing wheels and thumb shifters along with a system designed to keep riders with poor lower-body strength mounted on the seat properly. The company also makes ski boats and hovercrafts for paraplegics. Seriously, how cool is that?

[Source: Gizmag]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski