It's not quite war – but it is a battle.
UK climate secretary Ed Miliband declared a "battle" against the "siren voices" that denied global warming was real or caused by humans and those who think there is no need to cut carbon emissions to tackle the problem.
In an interview with the Guardian's Observer, Miliband stated [...]
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Miliband declares battle on climate deniers
domingo, 31 de janeiro de 2010
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Study: algae biofuels not the easy, green biofuel answer - yet
Filed under: Biodiesel
Over the last several years, algae has been seen as the great green hope to make biofuels a truly viable option that wouldn’t affect food supplies. In part, this is because algae has the potential to yield up to 100 times as much fuel per acre as soy or corn feedstocks. Unfortunately, progress been slow so far, and a new study by Andres Clarens of the University of Virginia indicates making algae requires much more energy to produce than crops.
The study is based on computer models of the entire production process and reveals that current algae production takes six times the energy of growing crops and emits more greenhouse gases. The problem is apparently the amount of fertilizer required to grow the algae. Thankfully, the fertilizer requirements are dramatically reduced if the algae is fed with sewage waste water which contains nutrients that help it grow. Getting the waste water to the the algae ponds or reactors does require some infrastructure investment, though.
[Source: New Scientist | Image: Jurvetson - C.C. License 2.0]
Study: algae biofuels not the easy, green biofuel answer - yet originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Audi in trouble with the Green Police (w/video)
Filed under: Etc., Audi, Green Daily
Audi Green Police Campaign - Click above to watch the video after the break
Green Police… It seems innocent enough at first glance, right? Apparently, though, Audi’s use of the term Green Police has got some people up in arms. We’ll get to the why and how in a moment, but first an explanation is in order. Audi has created a new social media campaign that will go along with a planned commercial during the Big Game in February, and the marketing will feature a made-up law enforcement agency called the Green Police.
A little kitschy, sure, but is it really that bad? Well, consider the fact that during World War II, the Green Police were a group that was affiliated with Nazi persecution and other unmentionable mass atrocities, and, well… it’s a bit easier to understand why some are taking offense. Especially as it comes from a German automaker. Naturally, though, we all get the joke, and it seems highly unlikely that Audi is purposefully trying to ruffle any feathers.
In any case, feel free to click on past the break to see one of the videos causing all the tension. What say you? Offensive or much ado about nothing?
[Source: mediabistro.com]
Continue reading Audi in trouble with the Green Police (w/video)
Audi in trouble with the Green Police (w/video) originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Obama sets greenhouse gas emissions goal
A reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions of 28 per cent by 2020 – that's the goal outlined by President Barack Obama for the Federal Government.
In October 2009, the President signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability that sets measurable environmental performance goals for Federal agencies. Each agency was required to submit a 2020 greenhouse [...]
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Honda: Insight "too small," likely to miss sales targets, Fit Hybrid a 'struggle'
sábado, 30 de janeiro de 2010
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2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery
Honda Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo doesn’t seem to think that the automaker will hit its worldwide sales goal of 200,000 Insight Hybrids in its first year on the market. Why? “I think we compromised too much on size in pursuing fuel efficiency” for the U.S. market, he said.
In total, Honda sold 130,445 Insights worldwide by the end of last year. The car was first introduced in Japan in February and then in the U.S. in March. Here in the States, the car’s second-largest market, Honda sold just 20,572 units in 2009 - a far cry from the 90,000 it hoped to sell here in the first year.
Further, in reference to the long-expected Honda Fit Hybrid, Kondo said:
There are plenty of people who think that the current Fit meets their needs already [when it comes to fuel efficiency]… A hybrid version might seem expensive. Our engineers are really struggling.
It remains to be seen whether the upcoming CR-Z can bolster Honda’s sketchy hybrid positioning.
Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight
[Source: Bloomberg]
Honda: Insight “too small,” likely to miss sales targets, Fit Hybrid a ’struggle’ originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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News in brief: Tesla Motors to go public
In a move that symbolises how quickly its stature in the emerging green car market has grown, Tesla Motors announced on Friday that it has filed a registration statement for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock.
The company has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) [...]
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Tesla to kill the Roadster in 2011, new version coming in 2013
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Lotus, Tesla Motors, Green Daily
Tesla Roadster - Click above for high-res image gallery
You read that right. Tesla Motors will stop building the Roadster in 2011.
Wired’s Autopia was digging through the papers filed by Tesla to the Securities and Exchange Commission for its IPO and came across with this nugget:
“We do not plan to sell our current generation Tesla Roadster after 2011 due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster.”
As everyone’s aware, the current iteration of the Tesla Roadster is built in Hethel, England by Lotus using Elise/Exige underpinnings. Judging by the quote above, that means the Elise/Exige is due to be replaced by a new model (good news for enthusiasts), but that leaves Tesla up a creek without the proverbial paddle.
The other telling line is this:
“As a result, we anticipate that we may generate limited, if any, revenue from selling electric vehicles after 2011 until the launch of the planned model S…”
The Model S is due to come out in 2012, which means Tesla might not have any revenue coming in until the all-electric sedan goes on sale. If there’s a snag with anything in the launch of the sedan - design, production, engineering, you name it - then Tesla’s in serious trouble. That might make investors wary when the upstart automaker finally begins offering shares.
So, bottom line: If you want the current Roadster, order now, or wait until the all-new Roadster goes on sale in 2013.
[Source: Autopia]
Tesla to kill the Roadster in 2011, new version coming in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Greenlings: Can racing really be green?
sexta-feira, 29 de janeiro de 2010
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Filed under: AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Racing, Greenlings
With the increasing awareness of the damage done to health and habitat by the burning of fossil fuels, the question arises, “Can racing ever really be green?” The answer, we think, is “yes.” It may take a while and a lot of fuel may be burned in the meantime, but racing is an ever-evolving enterprise oriented towards exploring and exploiting gains in efficiency. Therefore, it is sure to at least have some side benefits to green motoring. In fact, there is an effort being made by many today to speed up the greening process since, although it may only account for a proportionately small amount of emissions produced on the planet, racing can not only help drive the technology that may one day move us all, it can also help speed societal acceptance. Hit the jump as we take a look at some of those endeavors.
Continue reading Greenlings: Can racing really be green?
Greenlings: Can racing really be green? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Carmakers ‘inflating’ hybrid prices with ‘unnecessary’ features
Hybrids are too expensive because carmakers are loading them with expensive and 'unnecessary' features, the Union Of Concerned Scientists (UCS) says.
The US-based none-profit organisation has criticised carmakers for making hybrid car 'luxury' vehicles when they could be affordable to all. It argues that the hybrid cars should not come with inflated prices when the need [...]
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Should we be building electric cars or streetcars?
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Transportation Alternatives, Legislation and Policy
While the emissions produced by cars traversing the world’s cities are undoubtedly a problem, it is by no means the only issue with personal transportation. As the world’s car fleet continues to grow, the problem of traffic congestion will get dramatically worse, even if they are all powered by magic electric fairies.
Replacing millions of cars low- or zero-emission vehicles could actually have the unintended consequence of making congestion worse. The problem is that for the foreseeable future limited battery capacity and high cost will mean that urban commuter cars will dominate the EV market. These will naturally be used where traffic is already bad.
Perhaps instead of spending tens or hundreds of billions of dollars to subsidize the adoption of personal electric vehicles, governments should put a chunk of that money toward electric public transportation. By getting people out of individual vehicles and into streetcars, trams and elevated and subterranean trains, both air quality and congestion will be improved. Blend this with increased car sharing of larger, longer range vehicles that urban residents could use on an as-needed basis, and we could make a real difference.
[Source: The Globe and Mail]
Should we be building electric cars or streetcars? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nissan receives funding from US Department of Energy
quinta-feira, 28 de janeiro de 2010
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Nissan North America has received a huge funding boost after US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) had closed a $1.4billion loan agreement with the company.
The money is designed to support the modification of Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee, manufacturing plant where the all-electric Nissan LEAF will be produced along with [...]
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California Scooter Company puts classic Mustang back on two wheels, reports 60 mpg
Filed under: MPG, On Two Wheels, USA
California Scooter Company Greaser - Click above for image gallery
When you think of a classic road-going Mustang, visions of Blue Ovals and good ol’ Carroll Shelby likely begin dancing in your head. But there was a highly collectible Mustang in America way before Ford decided what we really needed was an inexpensive sportscar for the masses. Instead of four wheels, the first Mustangs needed just two to get the job done.
The original Mustang motorcycle was introduced in 1947 by a small company in Glendale, CA. The diminutive machines used a small 122cc two-stroke engine from Villiers and wheels measuring a scant 12-inches in diameter. They weren’t exactly performance machines, but the Mustang got around pretty smartly and allowed 20,000 new riders to hit the wide open road.
Now, California Scooter Company plans to launch a new Mustang to the American market, this time using a more environmentally friendly 149cc four-stroke powerplant that can reportedly return some 60 miles per gallon in normal operation with a top speed of 55 miles per hour. Wheels retain the original dinner plate-size. Three versions will be available; one standard model that’s tough to distinguish at first glance from the original, a (completely unfortunate) pink Babydoll version and a flat-black bobber called the Greaser. Alternatively, you can order a custom model just the way you want it.
Production bikes are scheduled for availability in March for a starting price of $4,995 for all three models. Check out the image gallery below and click past the break for a couple videos showing the bikes in action.
[Source: California Scooter Company via Motorcycle Classics]
Continue reading California Scooter Company puts classic Mustang back on two wheels, reports 60 mpg
California Scooter Company puts classic Mustang back on two wheels, reports 60 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
DC 2010: Would a federal diesel tax rebate be in order? Diesel coalition thinks so
Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, USA, Washington DC Auto Show
Last year, BorgWarner and Robert Bosch LLC founded the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars. For the first anniversary party, the group is present in the EDTA advanced technology section of the Washington Auto Show to announce three new menbers - Tenneco, Dow Automotive and Umicore - and to explain that the latest diesel vehicles are clean, available today and need to stop being the ignored child in federal green vehicle policy.
Scott Gallett, vice president of marketing and public relations for BorgWarner, told AutoblogGreen that the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars is about more than simply promoting diesel in the U.S. Yes, it is U.S.-focused and it’s pro-clean diesel, but it’s specifically about passenger vehicles and it’s only an advocacy group, not an educational organization, and lobbies to give diesel a level playing field against other technologies.
Specifically, the group is working on the consumer tax credit that applies to hybrid and other lean burn vehicles. The tax break is currently available but it is being phased out and no longer applies to some popular models, The value of that tax credit is based on how that vehicle performs in the city, which “is not really technologically neutral,” Gallett said. At the very least, the Coalition is asking that the credit be based on a vehicle’s city and highway miles per gallon rating. Gallett doesn’t fault the lawmakers for this situation - the law was written for hybrids, which perform better in the city, after all. “I think it was just missed,” he said.
The other side of the tax law they want to go after is the discrepancy at the pump, where diesel taxes are 33 percent higher than gasoline taxes (diesel is federally taxed at 24.4 cents per gallon, gasoline at 18.4 cents per gallon). Gallett said:
There’s a good reason why it’s like that. In the past, fuel prices and taxes went to repair roads, and they still do. Diesel was used only in large commercial trucks, which have a little more wear and tear on the roads, so they should pay more to have the roads maintained. That all makes sense. Now, though, there is clean diesel available in passenger cars.
The Coalition’s proposal is to bring back a federal tax return rebate similar to a rebate that was available in the 1980s (worth, say, $400 a year for driving a diesel car). Gallett said that, for the most part, when lawmakers learn about the disparity, they are receptive to adjusting the laws, but just when and how things will change is unclear. Since the five members of the Coalition supply parts to automakers for all sorts of powertrains, Gallett said:
We’re not trying to have some special push for diesels. We don’t think it needs it. We think if you make the playing field level, consumers will vote and diesel will play its proper role in the U.S. market.
More details after the jump.
Continue reading DC 2010: Would a federal diesel tax rebate be in order? Diesel coalition thinks so
DC 2010: Would a federal diesel tax rebate be in order? Diesel coalition thinks so originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nissan Leaf wins Green Car Vision Award
The Nissan Leaf has been named as the Green Car Journal's 2010 Green Car Vision award winner at the Washington Auto Show this week.
Nissan's innovative electric hatchback offering is scheduled to go on sale in Europe by 2012. The Leaf beat off competition the Coda electric sedan, Ford Focus BEV electric car, Mercedes-Benz F-Cell hydrogen [...]
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Pataki hopes for 40 per cent electric vehicle penetration
quarta-feira, 27 de janeiro de 2010
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How quickly can electric cars grab a significant market share? Well, according to former New York Governor George Pataki, the aim should be for a 40 per cent market penetration of electric drive vehicles by the end of the decade.
Speaking at the opening plenary of the Electric Drive Transportation Association conference in Washington DC, Pataki [...]
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Report: Russia's richest man plans to launch new city car
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Europe/EU
Mikhail Prokhorov, also known as the Richest Man in Russia and hopeful new owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA franchise, is reportedly planning to launch a new city car through his Onexim Group. Reports coming out of Russia are saying that the vehicle will sport some kind of “advanced technology,” which many are taking to mean either a hybrid or fully electric drivetrain.
The car will be built in the Yarovit Motors plant in Russia, and in order to get the new city car into production, Onexim is putting in an estimated $141 million investment. That’s an amazingly small amount of money to get a new project such as this off the ground, leading many to suggest that it will never happen unless the government gets involved somehow.
In any case, the goal is to put the small eco-friendly vehicle on the road for about $12,500. At that price, the machine would be going up against such well-known and formidable competitors as Volkswagen and General Motors. We’ll just have to wait and see how this one plays out.
[Source: Inside Line]
Report: Russia’s richest man plans to launch new city car originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Have a hybrid from Honda for just £199 per month
Fancy getting your mitts on a hybrid but thought they were too expensive? Think again. The good old 'affordable hybrid', the Insight just got more tempting.
Honda is offering a PCP on the Insight SE, meaning you can join the hybrid revolution for just £199 per month.
More than £3,000 cheaper than its famous Toyota competitor, the [...]
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DC 2010: BMW says Mini E drivers "delighted" with their electric cars
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, BMW, MINI, Washington DC Auto Show
BMW released some of the findings of a study conducted with University of California - Davis yesterday about how participants in the Mini E test program adapted to their small electric vehicles (EVs). The BMW message was totally upbeat - the headline was “Mini E Drivers Delighted with Electric Vehicle Experience” - but the reality isn’t quite as positive as BMW made it sound. Read more on that here.
At the Washington Auto Show, though, the message was pretty much all good, all the time. One of the biggest complaints about EVs is their limited range. BMW found, though, that the Mini E’s range (officially given as 100 miles, but it varies in the real world between 70 and 100) were “sufficient for most trips.” The drivers got used to planning their drives with the limit in mind, said Rich Steinberg, manager of electric vehicle operations and strategy for BMW of North America. Part of getting used to the Mini E, Steinberg said, was becasue the drivers have fun in their EVs (i.e., what some people call the EV grin). In fact, the cars worked so well that, once they had the Mini E, the participating households said they used it for 90 to 100 percent of vehicle trips. In fact, all respondents said that they didn’t use their other vehicles as often one the Mini E was available to them (see, again: EV grin). Read on past the jump for more.
Photos Copyright (C)2010 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading DC 2010: BMW says Mini E drivers “delighted” with their electric cars
DC 2010: BMW says Mini E drivers “delighted” with their electric cars originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
DC 2010: Wheego unveils high-speed Whip, looks a lot like the LSV
terça-feira, 26 de janeiro de 2010
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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Green Daily, Washington DC Auto Show
Wheego Whip LiFe - Click above for high-res image gallery
The one vehicle unveiled at the Washington Auto Show today was the Wheego Whip LiFe, an upgraded version of the company’s neighborhood electric car that we took for a quick spin last fall. The high-speed LiFe - a clever name based on the car’s 28 kWh lithium (Li) iron (Fe) phosphate battery pack - will come to market later this year at a very affordable price of under $35,000, and that’s before any tax incentives, according to Wheego’s vice president of marketing, Les Seagraves. Wheego has a 30-dealer network in the U.S., and the Wheego LiFe will be available there sometime this summer. The car has a top speed of 65 mph and a range of 100 miles. You can see the Whip’s full spec sheet here.
Wheego is currently undergoing crash testing the lithium model, a project that required fundraising in the realm of $2.5 million (the money was also used for other thing). Virtual testing has been underway since October and has led to a few changes in the battery pack shape andvehicle structure. Two Whip LiFes will be built to be sent into the crash chamber, and two others will be made for the company to show off (the first was the vehicle displayed today).Speaking of this particular body style, regular readers will remember that the Whip is a modified Shuanghuan Noble. Seagraves said that the Wheego team in Atlanta has made “over 100″ changes to the body and chassis and therefore “it’s ours now.”
Wheego’s low-speed vehicle (LSV) Whip went on sale in October, and Seagraves said that around 200 units have been sold thus far. That car costs around $19,000, and you can learn more about it here. Further down the line, Wheego is looking at a full-speed four-seater, possibly some time in 2011.
Gallery: DC 2010: Wheego Whip LiFe
Photos copyright (C)2010 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.
Our travel and lodging for this media event were provided by the Auto Alliance.
DC 2010: Wheego unveils high-speed Whip, looks a lot like the LSV originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
GM to manufacture electric motors
Lowered costs, improved performance, quality, and reliability: those are the advantages General Motors is suggesting it will enjoy by expanding its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities to become the first US car manufacturer to design and manufacture electric motors.
The first GM designed and built electric motors are expected to debut in 2013 as part of [...]
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IT could play ‘key role’ in greener travel
Eco-driving, videoconferencing and increased connectivity on public transport are some of the ways information technology could help make travel in the UK easier, safer and more environmentally friendly in the future.
A new report published yesterday (Monday 25 January) by the Sustainable Development Commission says innovations in information communications technology (ICT ) could have an important [...]
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Green Car Summit: all hands (almost) on deck for electric vehicles
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, Washington DC Auto Show, Better Place, Coda Automotive
Yesterday’s second annual Green Car Summit was not nearly as fiery as last year’s discussion, and maybe that’s a good thing.
Once again co-moderated by Warren Brown of the Washington Post and Ron Cogan of the Green Car Journal, which sponsored the event, the panel members this year stood in stark contrast to the varied technology proponents that we saw last year. Instead of getting someone to represent the diesel and natural gas industries, as happened in 2009, the organizers seemed to think it was time for a full-on discussion about vehicle electrification. In fact, Jason Wolf, vice president of Better Place, seemed to sum up the panel’s vibe when he said that the industry today has “a lot more consensus across the board that EVs [electric vehicles] are inevitable, more than you would have seen two years ago.” Instead of whether or not EVs are coming, he said, the question is “what route will we take to electrification?”
Follow us past the jump to read all about it.
Continue reading Green Car Summit: all hands (almost) on deck for electric vehicles
Green Car Summit: all hands (almost) on deck for electric vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Better Place secures massive funding boost
segunda-feira, 25 de janeiro de 2010
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Regular readers of TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk will be familiar with the name Better Place through its association with the Renault-Nissan Alliance – indeed, the provider of electric vehicle networks and services has been on the radar for some time with its battery swap stations.
However, now Better Place may be about to break into the mainstream having signed [...]
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General Motors announces that it will build electric motors in-house
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, GM
Over the past century, two of the primary ways that carmakers have been able to distinguish their products is styling and powertrains. While styling has often been outsourced to various design studios, typically only the smallest automakers outsource powertrains. As the industry heads into the era of increasing electrification, the whole concept of the powertrain is evolving.
General Motors has decided that powertrains will remain one of its core competencies whether they are based on internal combustion or transferring electrons. To that end GM has announced that it will become the first U.S. based automaker to design, develop and manufacture its own electric motors. GM will invest $246 million on a high volume motor production facility that starts production for 2013.
[Source: General Motors]
Continue reading General Motors announces that it will build electric motors in-house
General Motors announces that it will build electric motors in-house originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
New Astra slashes CO2 emissions
The new Astra ecoFLEX has shed 10g/km of CO2 over its predecessor, bringing its road tax down to £35 and reducing its BiK liabilities by 13 per cent when it hits the road in April.
With emissions from just 109g/km CO2 and fuel consumption up to 67.3 mpg, the new Astra ecoFLEX will join the Vauxhall line-up [...]
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Better Place raises another $350M in series B venture funding
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Renault
A group of equity investors led by HSBC have expressed a big vote of confidence in the electric vehicle infrastructure concept being proposed by Better Place with a new $350 million funding round. The investment, which values the company at $1.25 billion, is expected to close by the end of March and includes $125 million from HSBC for a ten percent stake in Better Place. Better Place still plans to deploy nationwide networks of charging points and battery exchange stations in Israel and Denmark by the end of 2011, with smaller regional networks in Australia and California the following year.
Unfortunately, other than investors and the governments involved, only Renault-Nissan has expressed any support whatsoever for the battery exchange concept. Renault has committed to producing a single electric vehicle model with swappable batteries. Every other automaker has described the idea as unworkable while battery technology is still in a relative state of flux. Since many of the batteries that the automakers use have liquid cooling systems and because the large packs are being designed as an integral part of the vehicle structure, it seems unlikely anyone else will come aboard anytime soon.
During a press conference this morning, Better Place CEO Shai Agassi revealed that the company is also working on significant additional funding in the various countries where its subsidiaries are operating. Agassi expects to raise enough money to allow the company to operate and deploy until it reaches profitability in 2013 or so. The public charging stations will probably comprise the bulk of what Better Place ends up doing. Access to those charging stations will be a critical part of the success of EV deployment in the coming years.
Gallery: Better Place battery swap station
[Source: Better Place]
Continue reading Better Place raises another $350M in series B venture funding
Better Place raises another $350M in series B venture funding originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Refuse trucks to get green makeover
domingo, 24 de janeiro de 2010
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Think green and the last vehicle you're likely to picture is a refuse truck – not only do they tend to be big, ugly and smelly, but they are renowned gas guzzlers too.
However, now the vehicles that take away our trash may be about to undergo a green makeover with diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation [...]
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Report: Honda will develop a hybrid that bests Prius' mpg rating
Filed under: Hybrid, Honda, Toyota
Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery
Honda is planning on taking on the Toyota Prius. Again. Even though sales figures for 2009 proved that people liked Toyota’s hybrid more than Honda’s, the company is not going to just roll over. There’s a new ad campaign for the Insight planned, but Honda is looking a bit further down the line for revenge. CEO Takanobu Ito reportedly told his research and development team to come up with a hybrid that has a better miles per gallon rating than the world’s most popular hybrid. Whether this is a next-gen Insight or a totally different hybrid has not yet been decided, but it’s going to need a major boost to knock the leader off its perch.
Here are the numbers:
- Insight’s 2009 sales: 20,572
- Prius’s 2009 sales: 139,682
- U.S. mpg rating for the Insight : 40/43 city/highway
- For the Prius: 51/48
Gallery: Honda Insight concept
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]
Report: Honda will develop a hybrid that bests Prius’ mpg rating originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Riversimple's open source hydrogen car potentially coming in 2012
Filed under: Hydrogen, Green Daily
Riversimple hydrogen fuel cell car - Click above for high-res image gallery
Riversimple’s idea to turn open source ethics loose on the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since being unveiled last July. Still, the project to develop a H2 vehicle with a 6 kW fuel cell that would cost just 200 pounds Sterling a month ($322 U.S. at current exchange rates) is moving along. The Ecologist spoke with project lead (if you can call someone so fervently behind open source a lead) Hugo Spowers, who said:
There is such a yawning gap between the environmental performance of cars and what is sustainable, that I don’t believe a purely competitive world can ever get us there. [Open source] really does produce this constant and very rapid drive toward absolute excellence, which I think is needed in the current circumstances. I have precious little faith in regulation ever pushing us in that direction.
The open source community behind the Riversimple project works together at the 40 Fires Foundation, which has been going for about a year now. 40 Fires intends to become a registered charity for people to donate to in order to “provide a platform for the development of energy efficient vehicles to benefit society and the planet.” While we had heard last summer that the first Riversimple vehicles would hit the road in 2010, the Ecologist writes that the first fleet of about 50 cars will come to the UK starting in 2012. Turns out delays happen to private and public groups alike.
Gallery: Riversimple hydrogen fuel cell car
[Source: Ecologist]
Report: Riversimple’s open source hydrogen car potentially coming in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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