Hybrid News

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, MINI

In conjunction with the official unveiling of the MINI E a the LA Auto Show, AC Propulsion has confirmed that it has produced the electric drive system for the car. When BMW first released some of the details on the new battery powered MINI E a few weeks back we speculated based on the description of the drive system and battery pack that perhaps Tesla was the supplier. In fact, the Tesla system was originally based on the work of AC Propulsion. The ACP tZero prototype was the car that inspired Martin Eberhard to get the Tesla ball rolling.

ACP provided over 500 complete sets of hardware to BMW for installation into the new MINIs. The full system consists of the 150 kW motor, a 35 kWh battery pack, charger and all the electronics. The charger is capable of operating at 120V, 208V and 240V with automatic switching and bi-directional capability. That latter element is important because it means that the charger can send power out from the battery to the grid for V2G capability. The AC Propulsion press release is after the jump.

[Source: AC Propulsion]

Continue reading LA 2008: Confirmed - AC Propulsion provided the electric drive systems for the MINI E

LA 2008: Confirmed - AC Propulsion provided the electric drive systems for the MINI E originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: MPG, Infiniti, Nissan

It may not seem like much, but the single extra mile per gallon that Nissan plans to extract from its Versa subcompact will surely be appreciated by its purchasers. After all, every little bit of fuel savings helps when buyers are shopping for small cars, often with the specific intent on downsizing and saving gas. So, since the Versa is down a bit when compared to its closest rivals, the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, Nissan decided it needed to do something to stay in the hotly contested race, upping its 2009 figures to 27 mpg city and 33 highway. How did they do it? Apparently, the automaker re-tuned the continuously variable transmission in the Versa. A CVT has no traditional gears and it relies on computer software to change its ratios, so the automaker was able to reprogram its innards for an extra mile per gallon.

Infiniti, which is Nissan’s upmarket division, will bestow its G-Class model (18 mpg city/26 highway) with a new seven speed automatic to replace the previous six speed unit. That change is expected to yield two additional miles per gallon on the highway, one in the city. Apparently, Infiniti buyers don′t care as much about its efficiency in Nissan’s eyes, but the new auto unit is likely to improve performance a bit as well. Sounds like a win-win scenario.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Green Culture, Hybrid, Lincoln, USA

When last we visited Neil Young’s LincVolt project the car and crew had managed to survive some early road testing. That was at the beginning of June so you may be forgiven if you think that four months later the car should be ready to go with nothing standing between it and the open road but a good coat of wax. Obviously the mind of a rock genius has its own ideas about time and such and so there is yet work to be done before the car makes its road trip debut. However, that is not to say that there hasn’t been any progress. There has been, and in a video address, Neil gives the world the latest news on the development of the car.

Among the highlights is the arrival of an old gas engine from Australia. Why they decided to ship a used engine all the way from Australia to perform as a range extender in the ‘59 Lincoln Continental was not revealed but they do address some of the red tape encountered in the shipping. Another piece of progress was made with Paul Perrone of Perrone Robotics installing all the sensors that will supply to the world via internet, every possible bit of data relevant to the LincVolt as it rolls down the highway such as current speed and altitude. Besides being able to see the road ahead, sound and vision of the interior will also be available on the LincVolt website which is set to undergo a dramatic change to bring you a mix of telemetry and rolling reality show. In the meantime, the site has a webcam to allow us all to see what’s going on with the car now. Hit the jump for video of the state of the LincVolt address.

[Source: YouTube / LincVolt]

Continue reading VIDEO: Neil Young delivers state of the LincVolt address

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Original post by Domenick Yoney

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Miles EV, NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle)

Montana mountains, big sky and 18 all-electric Miles vehicles. That’s the promise of The Resort at Paws, an “upscale wilderness retreat” (the contradiction of that phrase makes my head hurt) in Greenough, Montana that recently purchased 18 Miles electric vehicles. The EVs - 12 Z⊈S Advanced Design cars and six OR70 off-road vehicles - will be used by guests and staff at the resort. Miles says these are the first NEVs from Miles to be used at a resort in the U.S. In a statement released by Miles (available after the jump), MILES Sales Representative Ron Gompertz said that NEVs are really ideal for closed-campus resorts, what with their low-speed lifestyle and zero engine noise.

[Source: Miles EV]

Continue reading Montana resort buys 18 Miles EVs

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Mercedes Benz, USA

Click above for more shots of the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY

The move to smaller cars in the United States will cover nearly all vehicle classes, even touching such luxury car stalwarts as Mercedes-Benz. Fortunately for MB, the automaker already has a few small vehicles which it can consider selling in the States, and new rumors indicate that the automaker could be considering launching its A-Class subcompact and B-Class compact cars here. Buyers who associate the three-pointed star with luxury alone may be surprised by the A-Class, which is most certainly an economy car, albeit one of high quality. Interestingly, though, the B-Class was initially planned for the U.S. market but was dropped shortly before launch due to the poor Euro-to-Dollar ratio. That particular situation has only gotten worse, but the rising price of gasoline may prompt Mercedes-Benz to reconsider that decision anyway.

It would be pure speculation, but we wonder if Mercedes has some excess capacity at its SUV plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. If so, the automaker could retool the plant for the new small cars, a move which could alleviate some of the poor exchange rate issues. We′ll cast our official vote for the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY that gets 52mpg (U.S.). In any case, don’t expect to see the new models in the U.S. until 2011 or so.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Hybrid embryos containing both human and animal material could be created in British laboratories within months.

Original post by george_douglas@nrel.gov

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Honda, On Two Wheels

Travis Gintz from Portland, Oregon is currently working on converting a 1986 Honda VFR from gas to electric power. He’s using a DC motor from Advanced DC, twelve 12-volt lead-acid batteries and other assorted electronic pieces, including a 600 amp motor controller. With this setup, he’s planning on being able to get up to 70 miles per hour or so but the range is undetermined thus far. He managed to get lots of free stuff and managed to find good deals on the rest, so his conversion is moving along quite nicely. His VFR is currently stripped down and awaiting the installation of the motor and batteries, so this would be a good time to start following his progress. We’ll keep you updated when his project is completed, so stay tuned for more.

[Source: eVFR]

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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: EV/Plug-in, Honda, On Two Wheels

Travis Gintz from Portland, Oregon is currently working on converting a 1986 Honda VFR from gas to electric power. He’s using a DC motor from Advanced DC, twelve 12-volt lead-acid batteries and other assorted electronic pieces, including a 600 amp motor controller. With this setup, he’s planning on being able to get up to 70 miles per hour or so but the range is undetermined thus far. He managed to get lots of free stuff and managed to find good deals on the rest, so his conversion is moving along quite nicely. His VFR is currently stripped down and awaiting the installation of the motor and batteries, so this would be a good time to start following his progress. We’ll keep you updated when his project is completed, so stay tuned for more.

[Source: eVFR]

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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: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors

One of the most common beliefs about the Tesla Roadster is that it’s an electric Lotus Elise. The reality is that the Roadster is a descendant of the Elise but, as Darryl Siry so forcefully documents on the Tesla blog, it’s a very different car. The Tesla used the Elise as a starting point because it’s one of the lightest and best-handling sports cars in the world. The chassis of the Elise is made up of bonded aluminum extrusions and the basic design makes it relatively easy to modify for different applications. For an electric car with a nearly 1,000lb battery pack, minimizing the rest of the mass of the car was critical. By the time the electric powertrain and battey were added, few of the mechanical bits of the Elise were left. When I visited Tesla in January to drive the car they told me that about 15 percent of the Elise components were carried over with the rest being modified or all-new (mostly the latter). According to Darryl the number is actually be seven percent by part count. Regardless of the actual number, the fact is that this is a very different car although it does retain some of the character of the Elise, only a lot quieter. In spite of some “luxury″ upgrades, this is still a pretty bare bones and hardcore sports car. Other than the Elise/Exige, you won’t find a much more direct driving experience in a full bodied road legal car anywhere. It’s not an electric Elise, but the heritage is there and nothing to be ashamed of.

[Source: Tesla Motors]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Biodiesel, China

As is known to everybody, China is hungry for energy. Biofuels look like one of the solutions the biggest country on Earth is seriously considering. Take this example: China Agro-Technology, Ltd. has announced that it’s investing $200 million to build a two million ton per year biodiesel refinery in Beihai, Guangxi Province. The company announced that they have new “advanced leaf growing technology” to grow Jathropa as source to make biodiesel.

According to Dr. Harry He, China Agro-Technology founder and chairman, “Biodiesel has the highest demand of any commodity in China. To meet the 2020 B10 Kyoto Protocol requirement, China needs 12,400,000 tons of biodiesel in 2008. However in 2007, the supply in China was less than 1 million tons. Therefore, the product from this biodiesel plant will be a very important part of China’s effort to meet the requirement.” Let’s hope that “advanced leaf growing technology” is up to snuff.

[Source: China Agro-Technology, Ltd.]

 

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Original post by Xavier Navarro

Filed under: Carbon Offset, Green Daily

Another airline has decided to give passengers the option to offset your carbon emissions when purchasing plane tickets. The latest carbon offset entrant is clickair, a low-cost company based in Barcelona, Spain. The story is that, due to Barcelona’s airport placement between two lagoons and a protected area, the airline’s carbon offsets take place close to El Prat de Llobregat airport, in a reserve by the Llobregat river.

Prices start at very acceptable levels (€ 3) and with low expectations: clickair expects to plant 250 trees through this program which will cover at least a little bit of the effects of its fleet of ten Airbus Ｈs.

[Source: Clickair]

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Original post by Xavier Navarro

Filed under: EV/Plug-in

The city of London is moving ahead with both a carrot and stick approach when it comes to encouraging drivers to use more environmentally friendly vehicles. The infamous Congestion Charge clearly falls into the stick category. On the carrot side, the city has been experimenting for some time with public charging stations for electric vehicle operators. Ten new Juice Points have switched on around Westminster. The charging stations are set up in pairs at various locations. The first two trial units attracted 80 people to sign up. The city council hopes to have 200 users by the end of 2008. Drivers can plug in their vehicles for up to four hours at a time although most have been using two hours or less so far. The next task is to get Juice Points installed into the 48 parking garages in the city. The city would also like to get a battery exchange program going, but that probably isn’t feasible since replacing high voltage batteries is not a trivial task and they aren’t compatible between different cars.

[Source: SmartPlanet.com, thanks to Adam for the tip]

 

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Green Culture, USA

Above: A mule team working the field in 1910. And maybe 2010?

Just as high gas prices have sent Indian farmers looking to the camel as a less costly alternative to farm tractors, an American farmer in Tennessee has begun using a pair of mules to work his fields. T.R. Warren says it’s more economical to feed the pair, named Dolly and Molly, than it is to buy fuel. Warren’s son, Danny, told the Associated Press that the mules are — irony alert — the “way of the future.” What’s next? Trading in the pickup for a horse and wagon? Keep this up and it’ll be like “Little House on the Prairie” all over again.

[Source: AP via Breitbart. Photo: U.S. Library of Congress]

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Original post by Alex Nunez