Archive for the ‘Autos & Transport’ Category
June 18th, 2009
Subaru Charges Into Electric Cars With Stella EV
Stumble it!
Written by Andrew Williams, courtesy of Gas2.0
Subaru has become the latest in a long line of car manufacturers to start producing electric cars. The Japanese company plans to start selling a compact all-electric plug-in number called the Stella EV in Japan over the coming weeks.
Unusual for such a compact EV, the Stella boasts four seats and a top speed of 60 mph, which is likely to prove just about bearable to drivers using it as a second car for city use (photo gallery after the jump).
The Stella features a mains-charged li-ion battery, capable of a 15-minute fast-charge to 80% of the maximum, delivering a range of around 55 miles. Subaru has announced an initial run of 170 cars, which will available to Japanese customers in July. The price has been set at ¥4,725,000 (around $49,000) but buyers will be eligible to apply for a ¥1,380,000 (around $14,000) Japanese government subsidy through its Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center program. Additional tax reductions are also expected to further encourage buyers following special measures brought in by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
No news yet on a global release but we’ll keep you posted.
Click here to see more photos.
Popularity: 5% [?]
May 25th, 2009
Ford Cars Getting Greener On The Inside
With the announcement of new fuel economy standards last week, the Obama administration made sure that the days of car company battles against fuel-efficient and alternative fuel vehicles are safely in our rear-view mirrors. Numerous studies have shown that 75%+ of the energy used by a car over its lifetime is consumed in the operation of the vehicle, so this focus on efficiency is well-placed. But we shouldn’t forget about the other 25% of energy use or the environmental impacts that come with it - hazardous chemicals that off-gas when our cars sit in the sun, components that are difficult to recycle, and loads of plastics made from petrochemicals among them.
Green building practices are successful because they consider every aspect of how a house is built. Energy systems such as furnaces, water heaters, insulation and renewable energy options are important, but so too are sustainably harvested woods, countertops made from recycled materials, and paints or adhesives that don’t harm our health. Shouldn’t we expect the same from our cars, with their thousands of components sourced from around the world?
The good news is that manufacturers are starting to take the challenge of building efficient AND sustainable cars seriously. Ford Motors, for instance, highlighted the following initiatives last week:
- Soy-based polyurethane foam seat cushions and backs. In 2008, Ford used the soy foam in over 1,000,000 vehicles including the Escape (hybrid and standard), Focus and Mustang, cutting its use of petrochemicals by over 1,000,000 pounds.
- Post-industrial recycled content (good) and post-consumer recycled content (better) yarns in seat fabrics. Ford’s use of post-industrial recycled yarns in some models has reduced CO2 emissions and energy use by over 60%. Recycled plastic soda bottles are used to make the seat fabrics of the Taurus SHO and Lincoln MKZ models.
- Plastic underbody shields made from recycled detergent bottles, tires and battery casings. Use of these recycled materials in 2008 diverted over 25 million pounds of waste from landfills, and Ford is using the materials on all 2009 models.
Ford has more such projects on the drawing board, and is examining the use of plastics filled with natural / compostable fibers, the use of completely biodegradable plastics (PLA, made from certain vegetables) and soy-based materials in components throughout a car.
Other manufacturers are launching similar programs:
- Lexus uses plant-based eco-plastics in interior components, and Lexus plants recycle over 98% of manufacturing waste.
- Honda is working with suppliers to reduce the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) overall in car interiors. Low-VOC interiors are included in the 2008 (and we assume later) Honda Accord and the 2009 Acura TL among other models.
We’d love to hear more about efforts with other manufacturers, so if you have news please let us know in the comments to this post.
Popularity: 3% [?]
May 20th, 2009
Back to Basics: Aerocivic Gets Website
Written by Christopher DeMorro, courtesy of Gas2.0
Jeremy Clarkson, the outspoken host of Britain’s Top Gear auto show, made a spectacle of racing a Prius vs. a BMW M3, in which the latter recieved better gas mileage. His point was that is isn’t what you drive, but how you drive. Nothing emphasizes this idea more than the Aerocivic, a simple yet highly publicized Civic whose owner, Mike Turner, utilized basic hypermilling techniques such as coasting down hills and shutting off his engine at stop lights to maximize fuel usage. He then took his very basic car a step further by applying an aerodynamic body kit to reduce drag at high speeds, and now he is using the power of the Interweb to give further insight into the how and why of his car, the Aerocivic.
Turner details the cost of improvements to his 1992 Civic DX, such as the boat tail, smaller side view mirrors, and lower nose, all of which work to lower the drag coefficient, thus allowing the car to slide through the air easier and using less power and petrol. Turner says he spent only $400 improving the fuel efficiency of his car, which has been the subject of many stories already, and on a level road going 65 mph he claims to get 95 miles per gallon.
The website is very informational and also details where Mike got his influences, such as homemade aircraft and the 1939 Maybach Stromlinienkarosserie. The little details like the sealed panel gaps and windshield wiper deflectors help greatly in reducing drag, you can really appreciate the thought that went into this car. It is a really great read and contains some good ideas for your own Aero-car project, so make sure you check out the Aerocivic website.
Popularity: 4% [?]
May 19th, 2009
Goooobama! President Sets Strong Emissions Rules
It is a great deal for the environment– and a terrible day for global warming. President Obama announced today tough new national rules for auto emissions and mileage standards. His administration has embraced standards that California sought to enact for years over the objections of the auto industry and the Bush administration.
The new rules, which will go into effect in 2012, will create a single new national standard that will yield a car and light truck fleet in the United States that is 40 percent more fuel-efficient by 2016 than it is today. The mandated national average for automobiles and light trucks will be 35.5 miles per gallon. The current national standard is slightly more than 25 miles per gallon.
Read more on the story from the New York Times here.
Popularity: 3% [?]
May 8th, 2009
The Volvo ReCharge: A Different Kind of Hybrid
Written by Christopher DeMorro, courtesy of Gas2.O
Sometimes when looking forward, you have to look back to really get inspired.
110 years ago electric cars were at their peak, representing over a quarter of all cars on the road in America, but Henry Ford and the mass-production gas motor changed all that. And while most of us have gotten used to the idea of an engine under the hood, a transmission, and sometimes a driveshaft as integral to our cars, Volvo is taking a nod from the first electric carriages and putting their motors where they are most needed: the wheels. The Volvo ReCharge is a plug-in hybrid concept that relys on four indepedant electric motors, one in each wheel, to move and power the C30-based concept.
The ReCharge concept is said to get 60 miles on electric power, and a small petrol engine sooths range anxiety. Volvo is also known for some of the world’s safest cars, and true to form the ReCharge boasts numerous safety advantages over its petrol-powered cousin. There is no driveshaft or transmission, which means a solid firewall and flat floors and increased energy efficiency. Should one motor fail, the other three can compensate for their fallen comrade and keep you moving. Also, there are no brakepads, but rather the motors do the stopping, which also serves to restore some lost energy via regenerative braking.
Volvo was in talks with the Swedish government for small-scale fleet testing of the ReCharge, which is said to be the basis for an upcoming 2012 production car from Volvo, though not much has been heard of the ReCharge since it debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show.
Click here to see a video of the ReCharge concept car.
Popularity: 4% [?]
