Japan has become the latest country to enlist the services of California-based Better Place, for testing electric vehicles and charging points. While Better Place will contribute to the network of charging stations, around 50 electric cars will be handed over to government departments for testing. The mostly domestic range includes the Mitsubishi iMiev compact car, the Subaru Stella and the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, which is already on lease in California.

Filed under: China

One of the most well-known Chinese clones, the Chery QQ3, has been often been the target of retirement rumors. However, just like practically everywhere else, the Chinese auto market is getting help from the government, help that might help the QQ3 survive. One of the measures the Chinese government is applying is a tax reduction on certain vehicle niches, including vehicles mated to sequential gearboxes. Well, for the Chinese New Year, Chery is launching a new QQ3 model that, hey, uses a sequential gearbox. Mated to either a 0.8-liter or 1.1-liter engine, the gearbox manages to save 0.2 to 0.8 liters per 100 km. With the tax benefit, the prices for these QQ3 models have dropped 3,000 and 4,200 Yuan below the manual versions, respectively.

Gallery: Chery QQ official pics

[Source: Sohu via Le Blog Auto]

Chery QQ gets sequential gearbox and a boost from the government originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, USA

With 4 of the worlds top brands now boasting mid-size sedan hybrids in their line ups, the chaps over at Car and Driver decided it was time to rustle them all together and see how they stack up. If you've been torn over whether to buy a hybrid in the shape of a Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima or Chevy Malibu, this is the comparo that can save you days of visiting dealerships and conducting your own set of test drives. To save you even more time, we break down their observations into a handful of bit-sized chunks, from worst to first.

The Chevrolet Malibu hybrid was the "mild hybrid" of the bunch. While its appearance has been praised by some, its engineering earned few accolades from the C&D crew. They found the start/stop system rudely abrupt and the electric assist seemed to surge off and on with a mind of its own while under way. It not only came last in mileage (19.8 mpg city! Dude!), it also came last in acceleration. The can of tire inflation product in lieu of an actual spare only adds insult to injury. Let's hope GM puts more effort into the Volt. A lot more. Hit the jump to see how the others contestants fared.

Gallery: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid

[Source: Car and Driver]

Continue reading Car and Driver hosts hybrid hoedown, hearts Ford Fusion heaps

Car and Driver hosts hybrid hoedown, hearts Ford Fusion heaps originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Cadillac, Detroit Auto Show

click above for more a high-res gallery of the 2010 Cadillac SRX

Next week at the Detroit Auto Show Cadillac will be taking the wraps off an all-new version of the SRX crossover. The SRX is getting smaller and moving to a new platform that is mix of the Epsilon II car platform and the Theta CUV. For 2010, the SRX will have two engines available, a 300 hp turbocharged 2.8L V6 based on the Saab Turbo-x engine and a new 3.0L direct injected V6. Both engines are part of GM's high-feature V6 family along with the 3.6L that's used in a wide variety of GM vehicles.

Contrary to some reports, the 3.0L SRX will not be a flex-fuel vehicle when it launches this summer. The spec sheet that was published by GM lists the engine as E85 capable. However, this is an error based on copy data over from the standard specs for the engine. GM Powertrain spokesman Tom Read confirmed to ABG that the engine has probably been engineered to be compatible with E85 with items such as high flow fuel injectors and corrosion resistant fuel lines. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell confirmed that the SRX will run only at gasoline at launch and there are no current planst to make it flex-fuel capable. The only flex-fuel Cadillac currently available is the Escalade. For the full details on the SRX, head on over to Autoblog.

Gallery: 2010 Cadillac SRX

[Source: GM, Domestic Fuel]

Continue reading Detroit preview: Cadillac SRX is direct injected but not flex-fuel

Detroit preview: Cadillac SRX is direct injected but not flex-fuel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Ethanol, Lotus

For the engineering crew at Lotus, building transportation devices that are not sports cars is nothing new. Back in the early 90s they put their knowledge of lightweight materials and aerodynamics together to create a race bicycle that tore up the velodrome at the Olympics, not to mention wild soap box racers. The latest project is a three ski snow speeder that will be used in an Antarctic expedition next November to raise awareness of climate change. The Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) is powered by a two cylinder BMW bike engine converted to E85 operation and turning a propeller that pushes the vehicle across the ice and snow at up to 84 mph. The CIV will be used to scout for crevasses in the ice. When the voids are found the GPS coordinates will be sent back to the rest of the team to warn them before anyone falls in.

[Source: Wired]

Bond would kill for this Lotus-developed biofueled Antarctic speeder originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

click above and scroll down to watch the video

When he's not taunting Tesla, Dale Vince is pretty focused on building his wind-powered car. The Zero Carbonista project (previous post) is moving along and the fourth (of six) video about the project is new ready for your viewing pleasure. The front of the car is taking shape and now it needs a name. On the shortlist are: The Zero, The Storm and The Nemesis. I think the Zero Storm would be a good compromise, and I think it'll sound good with a British accent.

In the video, the biggest problem the team is facing seems to be figuring out the fingerprint entry and startup system. What's more exciting is the torque potential the designers and engineers discuss towards the end of the video. Check it out after the jump and see what the (indirectly) wind-powered Exige is up to these days.

[Source: Zero Carbonista via Treehugger]

Continue reading Dale Vince's wind-powered car could be the Storm, the Zero or the Nemesis

Dale Vince's wind-powered car could be the Storm, the Zero or the Nemesis originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eleven Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states will cooperate to develop a regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).  The 11 states—the 10 members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) plus Pennsylvania—will work together to create an emissions-performance standard that will eventually provide incentives for energy providers to use lower-carbon fuels.

In June, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick sent a letter to the governors of all 10 RGGI states inviting them to work with Massachusetts on developing a Low Carbon Fuel Standard that would apply to the entire region, creating a larger market for cleaner fuels, reducing emissions associated with global climate change, and supporting the development of clean energy technologies. Last week, the heads of environmental protection agencies and, in some cases, energy agencies, in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont signed a Letter of Intent to tackle the challenge of reducing greenhouse gases from fuels in a joint effort.

Climate change is the issue of our time and once again states are leading the way in the absence of federal action. By taking steps to reduce the amount of carbon in fuels, we can lay the groundwork for progress in the fight against global warming. The success of RGGI shows these states can work together to make change happen.

—New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis

The regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) initiative envisions the creation of a market-based, technologically neutral policy to address the carbon content of fuels. In addition to covering vehicle fuels, a low-carbon standard potentially could apply to fuel used for indoor heating, industrial processes and electricity generation.

In the transportation sector, such a standard could potentially encourage the use of electric-powered vehicles and biofuels that have a lower-carbon footprint than traditional fuels, based on a full life cycle analysis. The effort will discourage the use of biofuels that are likely to cause negative impacts such as crop diversion and land-use changes.

The Letter of Intent notes that the interconnected nature of fuel distribution in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions favors a regional approach to a LCFS. The LCFS effort is also a natural outgrowth of RGGI, a program that covers carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants. The 10 RGGI states already have enacted regulations that cap CO2 emissions in the power sector and held two auctions of pollution allowances in 2008 as part of the first market-based, mandatory cap-and-trade program in the US.

The Letter of Intent also commits the 11 signatory states to drafting a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the development of a regional low carbon fuel standard program, to be forwarded for consideration by the governors of the states by 31 December 2009, or as soon thereafter as possible.

The 11 states will collaborate with the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), which is conducting a study of a LCFS for the region. NESCAUM is an association of 8 Northeast states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The states also agree to work cooperatively with other states and the federal government, and to seek to influence the design of any federal LCFS or other proposed fuels policy.

The state of California was the first to commit to a LCFS for motor vehicles, which it is now in the process of developing. (Earlier post.)

Resources

• Regional LCFS Letter of Intent

• NESCAUM Low Carbon Fuel Standard Workshop (October 2008)

Filed under: Solar, Honda, Green Daily, Pacific Region

Click above to enlarge

If you are going to bill yourselves as the World's Greenest Automaker, as Honda does from time to time, you'd better be willing to back it up. Luckily, Honda always seems to be looking for a way to do just that. Whether it's by offering the best overall fuel economy in the United States or powering billboards with solar power, Honda is often a step ahead. Wait, hold on... powering billboards with solar power? Yep, in the land of Oz at least, Honda has partnered up with APN Outdoor to create Australia's first eco-friendly outdoor advertisements. The solar panels provide power when possible and a backup electrical connection that gets its power from a green feed is there to pick up the slack. This may be a small thing, but we'll take it. We should also mention that Honda has invested in solar technology itself, with its Soltec subsidiary opening for business in 2006 and now selling panels for residential or commercial use.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda advertises cars with green hybrid billboards

Honda advertises cars with green hybrid billboards originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ISE Corp. recently selected Eaton’s Fuel Cell Cathode Blower (earlier post) for use in its hydrogen-powered fuel cell buses to be delivered to BC Transit, Vancouver in 2009 and to Transport for London (TfL) by 2010.

Eaton’s Fuel Cell Cathode Blower is an electrically driven version of the company’s automotiveTwin Vortices Series (TVS) supercharger. For fuel cell applications, the TVS supercharger is mated to a highly efficient brushless motor that spins the supercharger at high-speeds, efficiently moving air through the fuel cell where the oxygen in the air is combined with hydrogen to generate electricity.

The Eaton TVS supercharger is an all-new Roots-type positive displacement supercharger that features twin four-lobe rotors that are twisted 160 degrees. By comparison, the original Eaton supercharger features three lobes twisted 60 degrees. The fourth lobe and added twist creates a smooth, highly efficient flow of air with improved noise and vibration characteristics.

ISE will supply 8-9 hydrogen-powered buses to Transport for London (TfL), five of which will generate power using fuel cells along with 20 hydrogen-powered fuel cell buses to BC Transit.

Eaton fuel cell cathode blowers will also be used in a fuel cell vehicle demonstration program being prepared by Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation (SAIC) for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Filed under: Etc., Cadillac

The legacy of experimentation with alternative fuels to gasoline is nothing new. It started back in the earliest days of the car in the late 19th century. Alternatives to piston engines are also not new, although none but the Wankel rotary have had any notable commercial success. Starting back in the 1950s, there was a lot of interest in trying to run cars on turbine engines. Turbines had some inherent advantages,including high power density and, most importantly, the ability to run on virtually anything combustible. In the wake of the first Middle East oil embargo, the search for gas alternatives heated up again, and the engineers at General Motors came up with a novel idea: a coal-powered Caddy. The US had plenty of coal, after all, and GM had a turbine engine. The General's engineers therefore built a Cadillac Eldorado with a turbine engine that ran on powdered coal. As a proof of concept, it worked. The car ran fine. As a practical alternative? Not so much. The coal powder was messy and difficult to handle and the engines produced high NOx emissions. Then there was that pesky problem of a re-fueling infrastructure. Where have we heard that one before?

[Source: New York Times]

It's not clean and certainly not green - it's a coal-powered Caddy originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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