REPORT: Toyota braces for rare earth metal shortage

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

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

As we once again learned last week with the news that China was considering an effort to limit the amount of rare earth metals that are exported outside its own borders, there’s a finite supply of available resources on our planet. Could there be a fight looming in the not-so-distant future for these precious rare earth metals? Maybe. And, if that’s the case, Toyota may have reason to be concerned.

According to Jack Lifton, a commodities analyst and leading authority on rare metals (via Reuters), “The Prius automobile is the biggest user of rare earths of any object in the world.” How much are we talking? Lifton says there’s 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of neodymium in the Prius hybrid’s electric motor and 10 to 15 kg (22-33 lb) of lanthanum in the car’s battery pack. Those figures would likely rise if the car were fitted with a larger battery pack and motor for higher fuel efficiency.

Not surprisingly, Toyota is said to be searching for additional suppliers of these materials outside China. An open-pit mine in Mountain Pass, California, is scheduled to begin operations within the next few years and there are reportedly potential sources in Canada and Vietnam.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: Reuters]

REPORT: Toyota braces for rare earth metal shortage originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More details on BMW’s CO2 Champion

Green car enthusiasts are already counting the days to the Frankfurt Motor Show, and now their appetites have been whetted further as BMW releases more details of its so-called CO2 champion.

Dr Norbert Reithofer, the chairman of the board of management of BMW AG has already claimed that the vehicle will demonstrate “a whole new dimension of driving pleasure with regards to efficiency with performance” and now we can see what he is talking about in the form of the plug-in hybrid BMW EfficientDynamics all-wheel drive concept car.

The vehicle is powered by a 1.5 litre, three-cylinder turbo-diesel with two electric motors and a 10.8kWh lithium-polymer battery pack. The overall system output is 262kW and the maximum torque is 800Nm. It can run for up to 31 miles on electric power alone and, depending on the driving conditions, the two electric motors can be used for both accelerating and for regenerating energy.   

In a bid to reduce energy loss even further, the car features a water-cooled thermo-electrical generator that converts a lot of the thermal energy into electric power. It also benefits from what is described as ‘forward-looking energy management’ where the individual system components on board the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics are networked with each other. This allows the on-board computer to forecast driving conditions on the road ahead to make efficient use of the energy available - so for example if the car is about to join a stretch of motorway, the cooling system is reduced for a period on the assumption that it will be offset by the higher speeds.

Aerodynamics also plays its role with a sweeping, arch-like roofline and the air flap control that is already used in a number of BMW EfficientDynamics vehicles. The chassis and suspension are made completely of aluminium and the roof and outer skin on the large doors use a special polycarbonate glass.

All this, results in a vehicle that can race from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 155mph and yet still produce remarkable fuel efficiency and CO2 emission levels - of 62.6mpg and 99g/km respectively.

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Tesla looking at Long Beach and Downey for Model S electric vehicle plant

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Tesla Motors

Tesla Roadster Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery

The birthplace of the upcoming Tesla Model S will likely be one of two Southern California cities near/in Los Angeles: Long Beach or Downey. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk told the Long Beach Press-Telegram that the two sites in contention for the Model S’ assembly and engineering plant are a former Boeing 717 plant and a former NASA production site. Each is around a million sq ft., which is about what Musk said Tesla requires and is why the five million sq ft, about-to-close NUMMI plant was not chosen.

When the plant opens in late 2011, Musk said, it would employ between 1,000-1,200 workers, mostly locals, and make 20,000 cars a year. Tesla will announce its decision sometime next month, maybe in early September. Thanks to CJ for the tip!

Gallery: Tesla Roadster Sport

[Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram, Automotive News (subs req'd)]

Tesla looking at Long Beach and Downey for Model S electric vehicle plant originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automotive X-Prize judges separating out chaff teams

Filed under: MPG, Automotive X-Prize

The road to actually compete in the Progressive Automotive X Prize is a tough one. We’ve been following the competition since well before the official Day One, and we can’t quite understand the difference between all of the different levels that a team can be considered. What we do know is that the AXP’s judges are hard at work these days looking over the submissions of the Registered Teams, deciding which vehicles will be allowed to continue as part of the Qualified Teams. After the initial pass, teams with vehicles deemed good enough to continue will need to pass “an even more rigorous design gate later this Fall before being deemed ready to showcase their vehicle on the ground next Spring,” writes Steve Wesoloski, AXP’s Senior Advisor, Deputy Technical Operations.

An official announcement on the list of Qualified Teams will be made later this fall. At least, that’s the latest schedule. Originally, the road race portions were supposed to start in New York City in September 2009, but this has been pushed back to sometime in 2010.

[Source: Auto X-Prize]

Automotive X-Prize judges separating out chaff teams originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Zipcar has $1 billion dreams... and 46 members per car?

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Transportation Alternatives, Green Daily

Zipcar’s $1 billion ambition - Click above to watch the video after the break

How many cars do you think Zipcar owns around the world? Did you know it was 6,500?
How big could Zipcar one day become? How about a $1 billion company?

These are two of the numbers mentioned in an interview that CEO Scott Griffith gave to Fortune recently. Griffith also said that, today, Zipcar has about 300,000 members, which give us an average of about 46 members per car. That seems incredibly high. In order to reach the $1 billion goal, Zipcar will need to get to the one million member level, Griffith said.

Before that happens, Griffith needs to convince a lot more organizations to adopt the Zipcar model. We know about how Zipcar can work for individuals - basically, easy car rentals by the hour - but Griffith is more excited about the behind-the-scenes operations. For example, people need to clean and maintain all 6,500 vehicles, right? The backend work that Zipcar is doing today to make sure there is time in the schedule for all of these cars to be prepped and ready for customers when they want them will help tremendously as the company begins to add more and more electric vehicles to the fleet. Griffith says it is just a step away from scheduling maintenance to finding time to recharge electric cars:

Our system is going to integrate very well with electric vehicles, and that’s one of the things that governments and universities and corporate partners are very interested in. How are they going to schedule all of this and manage the logistics of having electric vehicles.

The next city to get an electric Zipcar, Griffith said, will probably be Washington, D.C. Watch the video after the jump.

[Source: Fortune]

Continue reading VIDEO: Zipcar has $1 billion dreams… and 46 members per car?

VIDEO: Zipcar has $1 billion dreams… and 46 members per car? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frankfurt Preview: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, turbodiesel plug-in hybrid [w/VIDEO]

Filed under: Diesel, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, BMW, Frankfurt Motor Show

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept - click above for high-res image gallery

After several months of speculation and official teases for the past week, we now finally have all the details on the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept that BMW will show in Frankfurt in a couple of weeks. The speculation about the concept’s powertrain has gone in several directions, almost all of which were correct. The new concept is a plug-in hybrid with a three cylinder turbo-diesel engine. Conceived with the idea of melding the performance of an M3 with exceptionally low fuel consumption, BMW claims a 0-62 mph time of 4.8 seconds while scoring 62.6 mpg (U.S.) on the EU combined test cycle.

There has been considerable speculation that future BMWs would go to smaller engines including a three cylinder. The concept uses a 1.5-liter turbodiesel that is essentially half of the fabulous 3.0-liter found in the 335d. The triple is rated at a hefty 163 hp with peak torque of 214 lb-ft. The engine is paired with a 6-speed DCT derived from the unit used in the M3 and Z4.

Adding fuel to the recent reports that BMW would not continue developing the two-mode hybrid system that will debut soon in the X6, the concept uses a new strong hybrid system. The new system is a further development of the mild hybrid that is debuting in the ActiveHybrid 7. As in the 7, a more powerful 33 hp electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and transmission. A second 80 hp motor provides drive to the front axle. The total net output of the drive system is 356 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Continue reading after the jump

Gallery: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Frankfurt Preview: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, turbodiesel plug-in hybrid [w/VIDEO]

Frankfurt Preview: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, turbodiesel plug-in hybrid [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM using bankruptcy to shirk responsibility for clunker mercury switches?

Filed under: GM, Green Daily

Here’s the problem: General Motors went through the bankruptcy earlier this year and was able to pawn off a lot of unwanted things onto a new company called, originally, General Motors Company (since renamed Motors Liquidation Company). Some of the unwanted crap includes polluted old factories (which we knew about) and the responsibility to safely discard mercury switches in vehicles that were scrapped in the recently-concluded Cash For Clunkers program.

Millions of mercury switches were used in anti-lock brakes sensors and hood and trunk light switches until automakers phased them out in 2004. Since 2005, the group End of Life Vehicle Solutions Corporation (ELVS) “manages, on a nationwide basis, programs to collect, transport, retort, recycle, or dispose of elemental mercury from automotive switches.” GM is not listed as a member of ELVS, but GM told us that Motors Liquidation Company is a part of ELVS.

So, who’s responsible for the mercury in the clunked GM vehicles? The Mercury Policy Project issued a press release earlier this week saying that GM “has reneged on a commitment to safely discard those switches so they don’t pollute our air and water” by not funding ELVS since bankruptcy. This means that ELVS doesn’t have enough money to dismantle and dispose of the hundreds of pounds of mercury in the clunkers, 54 percent of which are GM vehicles.

GM sent us a convoluted statement regarding the issue. You can read it in full after the jump, but this is the important part:

Motors Liquidation Company and General Motors Company are separate companies. Responsibility for mercury switches in vehicles manufactured by General Motors Corporation remains the obligation of Motors Liquidation Company. General Motors Company has not produced any vehicles with mercury switches, and has no mercury switch responsibility under state law or the terms of the Bankruptcy Court 363 Transaction Order.

[Source: Mercury Policy Project, GM]
Photo by kodiax2. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Continue reading GM using bankruptcy to shirk responsibility for clunker mercury switches?

GM using bankruptcy to shirk responsibility for clunker mercury switches? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nobel Laureate Burton Richter: "Hydrogen fuel cells are losers"

Filed under: Hydrogen

Even though there are plenty of reasons for automakers to promote using hydrogen fuel cells in vehicles, they certainly have their critics. Burton Richter, the Paul Pigott professor of the physical sciences and a Nobel Laureate, is one. Speaking to Greentech Media recently following a presentation at IBM’s Almaden labs, he said that “The present hydrogen fuel cells are losers. They have to go back to the R&D lab.” His reasons include:

• Hydrogen is too expensive to make (batteries for EVs are also expensive, but the efficiency of electric cars can’t be beat. Details on the efficiency of EVs run as follows, according to Richter: to get an EV up to 70 mph it takes about 10.8 kw. The Prius requires 16.8 kw. An ICE Ford Expedition needs 38.1 kw.)
• Membranes inside the cells don’t have the longevity required.
• “The entire world production of platinum isn’t large enough for 10 million cars.”

Richter’s comments, of course, drew their own critics. Regular AutoblogGreen readers will recognize the first commenter on the Greentech Media post. Another commenter, “Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America” author Sherry Boschert, wrote:

This makes for some fun score-keeping…
Nobel laureates who have challenged the hydrogen hype = 2 (Richter and Energy Sec. Steven Chu)
Nobel laureates who believe the hydrogen hype = ??

[Source: Greentech Media]

Nobel Laureate Burton Richter: “Hydrogen fuel cells are losers” originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London to lead in building hydrogen network

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson is planning to help create Britain's first hydrogen highway to promote the use of fuel cell vehicles, according to The Times.

Johnson intends to introduce a scheme to promote the zero-emission hydrogen fuelled cars modelled on the one introduced in California, by state governor Arnold Schwartznegger.

He wants to make Britain a leader in fuel-cell technology and is planning a network of hydrogen filling stations throughout London. He intends to assemble a fleet of 150 hydrogen cars in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, along with five buses and 20 black taxis.

Johnson's officials believe that by 2029, one in three of the 31 million cars in Britain could be fuelled by hydrogen. The plans for the hydrogen network will be developed alongside plans to encourage electric cars.

Kit Malthouse, deputy London mayor and chairman of the London Hydrogen Partnership told the national newspaper: "We think it's going to be pretty big. We plan an initial network of six or so hydrogen filling stations around the capital. We would then be able to fuel the next generation of vehicles."

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Study: GPS systems with real-time traffic can save drivers four days per year, cut emissions by 21%

Filed under: Etc., MPG, Green Daily

In Los Angeles, the 101/405 interchange is so congested that in 2002 it was determined that 27,144 hours per year were wasted trying to get from one freeway to the other. That’s over 1,100 days. Per year. Not only does that number sound wildly low, but we guarantee it’s gotten worse in the last seven years. Much worse. But according to a new study, GPS-systems with real-time traffic info can save American drivers four days a year of being mired in lousy traffic.

Now, we’re taking this particular study with a grain of salt because it was sponsored by nav-system data-provider NAVTEQ. Still, even if it’s only half true, we’ll take our two days back. Here’s what they did: The study looked at three types of drivers in a metro area (in this case the German cities of Düsseldorf and Münich), drivers with no navigation, drivers with static navigation and drivers with real-time traffic enabled navigation.

Not surprisingly, the third group of drivers spend 18 percent less time on their trips than the other two sets. Multiply those results out over a year and you save four days. Not only that, but it would lower the average driver’s CO₂ output by 21 percent. Of course, we’re not sure how this would effect time spent stuck on interchanges like the aforementioned 101/405 where there’s always traffic - no matter what - and there’s really no other way to go. Full press release after the jump.

[Source: NAVTEQ | Photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid]

Continue reading Study: GPS systems with real-time traffic can save drivers four days per year, cut emissions by 21%

Study: GPS systems with real-time traffic can save drivers four days per year, cut emissions by 21% originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cash for clunkers: a summary

The US Cash for Clunkers scheme ran out of cash on Tuesday with 690,114 dealer transactions submitted. So did it achieve its objectives? Let’s look at the evidence.

According to official statistics, 84 per cent of consumers traded in trucks and 59 per cent purchased passenger cars. The average fuel economy of the vehicles being traded in was just 15.8mpg, but the average of those being bought was 24.9mpg - that’s an improvement of 58 per cent. Indeed the cars bought under the programme are on average 19 per cent above the average fuel economy of all new cars currently available.

So who were the big beneficiaries?

Well, Toyota reaped the largest percentage of sales under the programme with 19.4 per cent; followed by General Motors (GM) at 17.6 per cent; and Ford at 14.4 per cent. Honda finished in fourth place with 13 per cent.

The top 10 vehicles bought under the programme were: the Toyota Corolla; Honda Civic; Toyota Camry; Ford Focus FWD; Hyundai Elantra; Nissan Versa; Toyota Prius; Honda Accord; Honda Fit; and the Ford Escape FWD. Meanwhile the top 10 trade-ins were: the Ford Explorer 4WD; the Ford F150 Pickup 2WD; the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD; the Ford Explorer 2WD; the Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2WD; the Jeep Cherokee 4WD; the Chevrolet Blazer 4WD; the Chevrolet C1500 Pickup 2WD; the Ford F150 Pickup 4WD; and the Ford Windstar FWD Van.

The state that requested the largest share of the cash for clunkers cash was California with 11.3 per cent of the total; followed by Texas at 6.4 per cent; and New York at 5.4 per cent.

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Greenlings: Can I convert an older vehicle to something more environmentally-friendly?

Filed under: Diesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Vegetable Oil, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Natural Gas, Green Daily

Converted plug-in Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

Cash For Clunkers is officially over and helped put almost 700,000 new cars on the road. Now that the easy $4,500 are no longer available to buyers with low-mpg cars, we thought it’d be a good time to answer AutoblogGreen reader Adam’s question that he submitted for our Greenlings series. Adam said he would like to know:

What efforts are being made via research & development that will convert existing vehicles to green vehicles? Is it not important to use the existing fleet vs. constant production of new and more vehicles? I am thinking of classic or special vehicles owners want to keep on the road once alternative engines / fuels are commercially available.

We tackle the question after the jump.

Gallery: EVS23: Kim Adelman’s Plug-in Conversion Prius

Photos copyright (C)2007 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc

Continue reading Greenlings: Can I convert an older vehicle to something more environmentally-friendly?

Greenlings: Can I convert an older vehicle to something more environmentally-friendly? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Artificial trees to filter out carbon emissions

Artificial trees could become an important part of measures to combat climate change, a report into geo-engineering reveals.

The research paper, 'Geo-engineering- Giving us time to act', says that approaches such as developing artificial trees, coating buildings in algae or making buildings reflective so that they reflect the sun's radiation back should all be explored as an a valuable way of reducing climate impact.

The report published by the respected Institute of Mechanical Engineers (ImechE) advises that in recognition that it is advised that global average temperature should not rise by 2oC above pre-industrial levels, geo-engineering could be an important third approach to combating climate change along with climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation.

These approaches would not solve climate change but could provide the world with extra time to decarbonise the global economy, ImechE says.

More research into geo-engineering potential to reduce global warming needs to be undertaken. Furthermore, a realistic cost analysis and timescale of planetary wide implementation needs to be worked through. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has recommended to the Government that further investigation into geo-engineering should be commissioned while fuding should be ploughed into piloting promising schemes.

Research is already being undertaken into building machines or artificial trees which, like trees, can remove CO2 from the atmosphere. This occurs when air passes through the device (the tree) and CO2 sticks to a sorbent material (the leaves). The CO2 is then removed and buried underground in the same way as conventional carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Algae coating would reduce CO2 because algae naturally absorbs CO2 through photosynthesis. Strips of algae can be fitted to the outside of buildings and then periodically harvested from the surfaces and used as biofuel for cars.

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VIDEO: Zero Carbonista's wind-powered Nemesis undergoing on-road testing this month

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

Nemesis drive tests - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity, is now able to take his pet electric car for a drive. The Nemesis, not quite finished, is able to cruise on the track, as you can see in the video after the jump, as well as on the road. After months of delays, Vince convinced the team he assembled to convert a Lotus Exige to battery power (and he wants to run it solely on wind-generated electricity, once the car is done) to let him park the car in his driveway. In exchange, he will keep records of the car’s performance after his drives. Vince is giving the car the “general shakedown” that he was excited about the last time he wrote on the Wind Car blog.

We’re still wondering why someone would spend all this time and money converting a Lotus to electric drive when Tesla will sell you one - even in England - but we hope that the team’s work will someday result in more than a single EV. Could Zero Carbonista someday commercialize the work they’ve developed with the Nemesis? No answers yet, but at least this first prototype is coming along nicely.

[Source: Zero Carbonista]

Continue reading VIDEO: Zero Carbonista’s wind-powered Nemesis undergoing on-road testing this month

VIDEO: Zero Carbonista’s wind-powered Nemesis undergoing on-road testing this month originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Better Place announces projects in Japan and Australia

Having already established projects in countries including Denmark and Israel, as well as making breakthroughs in the US state of California, Better Place is now set to embark on projects in Japan and Australia.

Looking at Japan first, the company has received an award from the Japanese government to conduct a pilot project in Tokyo for the world’s first electric taxis with switchable batteries. It will partner with Nihon Kotsu, the capital city’s largest taxi operator.

In Japan, taxis represent two per cent of all passenger vehicles and yet emit a whopping 20 per cent of all carbon dioxide (CO2) from vehicles due to the extensive distances they travel. In Tokyo, there are around 60,000 taxis and it is hoped that the pilot will showcase everyday use of the Better Place model and will see a Better Place battery switch site constructed in the Roppongi Hills area in the centre of the capital.

This isn’t Better Place’s first venture into Japan - it has already performed a battery switch demonstration in Yokohama. The Tokyo scheme however, is expected to begin in January, 2010.

In Australia, the company has formed a partnership with the University of Melbourne. It will see its first demonstration electric vehicle housed on the university campus to evaluate the technology with the hope that the entire university fleet may eventually be converted to electric.

Better Place and the University of Melbourne are also planning to develop an energy education facility at the main university campus that will allow students and guests to gain hands-on access to the latest technologies. Design of the facility is expected to begin in 2011.

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Cash For Clunkers final numbers: 690,000 vehicles sold; $2.8 billion used; 24.9 mpg average for the new cars

Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

C.A.R.S. ended Monday night and the numbers are in. At first blush, things look positive.

First, 690,114 vouchers were submitted asking for $2.877 billion (just under the program’s $3 billion limit). There was also $100 million used for administration costs (as Autoblog calculates, about $144 for every claim processed) and there is $23 million or so left over. Flash analysis by the White House Council of Economic Advisers says the program boosted economic growth in the 3Q by 4/10ths of a percent and created or saved 42,000 jobs that still remain, at least for the near future.

How did the overall fuel economy change because of the new 700,000 vehicles on the road? Only two of the top 10 vehicles purchased were from the Big Three - the Ford Focus FWD came in fourth and the Ford Escape FWD was tenth - while the Toyota Prius was seventh. In fact, the Big Three got less of a boost from Cash For Clunkers than would be expected given their market share. Only 38.6 percent of the vehicles sold through C.A.R.S. were Ford, GM or Chrysler models but their market share through July this year was 45.3 percent.

The top three vehicles sold using C.A.R.S. were the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Toyota Camry. As for the vehicles being clunked, every single one of the top ten were big honkers from the Big Three: Explorers, F-150s, Blazers, etc. This resulted in an overall fuel economy increase of 58 percent. The clunkers averaged 15.8 mpg; the new vehicles averaged 24.9 mpg. You can find out detailed numbers, including rebate requests by state, after the jump.

The next big question: how will auto sales fare in September?

[Source: Detroit News, Automotive News (subs req'd), Michigan Radio, Autoblog]
Photo by dno1967. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Continue reading Cash For Clunkers final numbers: 690,000 vehicles sold; $2.8 billion used; 24.9 mpg average for the new cars

Cash For Clunkers final numbers: 690,000 vehicles sold; $2.8 billion used; 24.9 mpg average for the new cars originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British team breaks oldest land speed record in a kettle

Well they did it. As expected, driver Charles Burnett III successfully broke the land speed record for a steam powered car – which has stood for more than 100 years – achieving an average speed of 139.843mph on two runs over a measured mile.

Driver Charles Burnett III piloted the car, nicknamed the fastest kettle in the world, for both runs reaching a peak speed of 136.103mph on the first run and 151.085 mph on the second. The new international record, which is subject to official confirmation by the FIA, breaks the previous official FIA record of 127mph set in 1906 by American, Fred Marriott, driving a Stanley steamer at Daytona Beach.

As he was congratulated by his jubilant crew, principal driver, Charles Burnett III said: “It was absolutely fantastic I enjoyed every moment of it. We reached nearly 140mph on the first run before I applied the parachute. All systems worked perfectly, it was a really good run. The second run went even better and we clocked a speed in excess of 150 mph. The car really did handle beautifully. The team has worked extremely hard over the last 10 years and overcome numerous problems. It is a privilege to be involved with such a talented crew, what we have achieved today is a true testament to British engineering, good teamwork and perseverance"

Project Manager Matt Candy said: “The first run took place at 7.27am when the air temperature was a cool 63 degrees Fahrenheit, the team turned around the car in 52minutes (with just 8 minutes spare) in preparation for its return run. The British Steam Car takes 2.5 miles to accelerate and after the measured mile, a further 2.5 miles to decelerate – so each run was over 6.5 miles. The FIA requires that the return run takes place within 60 minutes. The times of the two runs are then averaged to obtain the official recorded speed. Compared to the testing we did in Britain, the British Steam Car ran 12 times the distance and twice the maximum speed ¬– all within one hour. It's been a huge challenge for all.

Pam Swanston wife of the late project manager Frank Swanston was overcome with emotion after seeing Charles power the supercar across the dry lake bed, she said: “If only Frank was here today, it was his vision that made it a reality. He would be incredibly proud of the team’s achievements and always believed we would succeed. Today we celebrate this record for Frank”

Weighing three tons, the sleek 25-ft British Steam Car is made from a mixture of lightweight carbon-fibre composite and aluminium wrapped around a steel space frame chassis. It is fitted with 12 boilers containing nearly two miles of tubing. Demineralised water is pumped into the boilers at up to 50 litres a minute and the burners produce three megawatts of heat. Steam is superheated to 400 degrees Celsius which is injected into the turbine at more than twice the speed of sound.

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Nissan to deploy methanol fuel cell material handling equipment

Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Nissan

Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee assembly plant will soon be cutting its CO₂ emissions and improving productivity. The plant is retrofitting 60 material handling tugs that are used to move parts around with new methanol fuel cells. The tugs are currently fitted with lead acid batteries that have to be swapped out as they run down, a process that takes a technician 15-20 minutes each. A total of 35 man-hours a day are spent just replacing batteries. The fuel cell setup uses liquid methanol as a fuel and the operators will be able to refuel the tugs themselves in about 1 minutes.

The battery technicians will be moved to other, more value added jobs and the plant will cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 300 tons annually. The OorjaPac methanol fuel cells are being provided by Oorja Protronics. The Nissan press release is after the jump.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan to deploy methanol fuel cell material handling equipment

Nissan to deploy methanol fuel cell material handling equipment originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai to cut emissions with new SUV

Better fuel efficiency and lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have become staples of new sports utility vehicle (SUV) releases as manufacturers realise that there is no room for compromise on environmental features regardless of the type of vehicle being sold.

Hyundai is the latest to recognise the trend towards eco-conscious car buying with its new ix35. This C-segment crossover vehicle showcases Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design language and replaces the popular Tucscon, previously one of Europe’s best-selling SUVs.

The Hyundai ix35 will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month and has a smaller footprint than most C-segment hatchbacks and MPVs, so it should appeal to buyers wanting a more stylish alternative to conventional cars.

Its environmental statistics are expected to be boosted by enhanced aerodynamics and a more refined powertrain technology that enables the ix35 to deliver better fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions than rival SUVs.

Stay tuned for more details when the car is unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15.

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STUDY: "Range anxiety" not based on rational thinking

Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in

Chevy Volt Home Chargers - Click above for high-res image gallery

Conventional wisdom would tell you that an electric car with a range of 93 miles can be driven up to about, oh, 93 miles or so before needing to be recharged. Apparently, most drivers aren’t comfortable with that idea. According to a study performed a few years back by Aerovironment and Tokyo Electric Power Co., electric car operators don’t often venture past half the car’s available range or venture more than roughly 10 miles from the closest available charger. When asked, those same drivers said they felt confident that the vehicle’s range was equal to that stated by the manufacturer. Belief vs. action.

Further, drivers will stop and recharge their batteries even if there is significant range left in the car’s power pack. For these reasons, Aerovironment concluded through its study that a viable infrastructure for electric cars must include at least one charger for each vehicle sold. Of course, this potential stumbling block could be negated in large part by extended-range EVs like the Chevy Volt until an adequate infrastructure is in place for pure battery electric cars.

Gallery: Chevy Volt Home Charging Units

[Source: All Cars Electric]

STUDY: “Range anxiety” not based on rational thinking originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nitrogen proves the green choice for tyres

UK motorists could save £1.2 billion by replacing the air in their tyres with nitrogen and it could even offer Bank Holiday motorists greater safety, Kwik-Fit say.

The comments come as the fast fit repairs firm launches its nitrogen tyre inflation service-or Nitro as it is known- that it says for just one pound per tyre, could reduce the nation's fuel bill by a massive £1.2 billion a year.

The science is simple. Nitrogen molecules are bigger and drier than compressed air and therefore less prone to leaking or evaporating from a tyre. This means they can maintain the correct tyre pressure for far longer periods.

Experts say that running on tyres that are underinflated by as little as 4psi can increase fuel bills by 5 per cent. So, by using Kwik-Fit's Nitro service, the 19.5 million British motorists driving on under-inflated tyres could cut their annual fuel bill by £62.50 each – a combined saving of £1.2 billion. Furthermore, Kwik-Fit says that having correctly inflated tyres could also preserve their useable life by as much as 25 per cent, so you don't have to replace them as often.

But there is more than just the financial incentive to go Nitro. With millions of Brits taking to their cars this Bank Holiday weekend, motorists will be pleased to hear that by going Nitro, they could also improve their car's road handling, helping to keep themselves and family safer on the roads. This is evidenced by DfT figures which show that more than one third of all road accidents resulting in injury are as a result of underinflated or defective tyres.

David White, Kwik-Fit customer services director commented: "There's plenty of good reasons to replace the compressed air in your tyres with Nitrogen, and at only one pound per tyre, we expect to be busy. Of course if you're going on the holiday in your car, now is the perfect time to 'go Nitro', and remember the financial and safety benefits will continue to deliver long after you've returned home."

Anyone looking to take advantage of Kwik-Fit's Nitrogen tyre inflation service should pop into their local Kwik-Fit centre, no appointment necessary.

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Student designs fuel cell-powered Aston Martin concept

Filed under: Hydrogen, Aston Martin

Aston Martin Volare concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

James Trim, a 23-year-old designer at Coventry University in the UK, has come up with a unique idea of what a future eco-friendly Aston Martin may look like. We see elements of Aston Martins past and present, along with at least a whiff of Fisker Karma, especially in the front fascia and front fender peaks.

Powering the conceptual Aston Martin Volare is a centrally-located hydrogen fuel cell that sends its electrons to an electric motor mounted at the front of the car. At the rear sits a battery pack and a pair of hydrogen storage tanks mounted directly behind the two occupants and over the rear axle. Trim believes this arrangement would provide an ideal balance of weight for a performance-minded sportscar. See for yourself in our gallery below.

Gallery: Aston Martin Volare concept

[Source: James Trim via World Car Fans]

Student designs fuel cell-powered Aston Martin concept originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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