It goes by the name "Sartre," but it has nothing to do with existentialism and just a little bit to do with exits. The Safe Road Trains for the Environment program is a three-year European study centering on the creation of 'platoons' of drivers behind a lead vehicle on the highway. It involves wiring cars to speak to each other, and to a lead vehicle – the platoon commander – behind which up to eight cars could follow in automated bliss.
One of the keys to the study is finding a way to make travel more efficient and lower gas usage without spending the treasury on putting sensors in roads, or creating an entirely new standard of equipment. Also, using a lead vehicle that could take control of the vehicles behind – cars, trucks or buses – makes Sartre much more flexible since it can travel on any highway.
So say you need to get to the Alhambra in a hurry. You see a Sartre platoon on the highway ahead, and if there's room, you signal your wish to join. The lead vehicle takes control of your car, and it is pulled into the formation, leaving you free to do whatever you want to do. When you want to get out, you signal your intention, a gap is made and you get control of your car again. The study will be conducted on test tracks in Spain, Sweden and the UK, with additional trials on public road in Spain. Gentlemen, mount up...
What if you could drive onto the highway, take your hands off the wheel, and sit back and read a book? That might not be as far-fetched as you might think if an EU-financed research project is successful. The project, dubbed SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) wants to link vehicles together in eight-car “road trains” led by a professional driver. The project, which is aimed at commuters traveling long distances, could drastically cut travel time, congestion, and fuel consumption.
The Ruins Of Detroit Industry Five Former Factories: Fisher Body Plant 21, Ford Highland Park Plant, Ford Piquette Plant, Hudson Plant, and the Packard Plant.
Mini and art have combined again on a limited-edition book and art project called "Wash Me." Starting with the idea of the "Wash me!" imperative scrawled into dirty cars the world over, ten artists that have never used a car as a canvas have "transformed [a Mini] into a transient work of art."
What does that mean? It means they painted a bunch of Minis lots of different colors and wrote (ironic?) things on them.
Toyota Motor Co. is launching a recall of thousands of Toyota and Lexus models to immediately remove driver's side floor mats that can stick under accelerator pedals, causing the vehicles to surge forward.
In an unusual step, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned drivers of the affected models to not replace the floor mats in the affected models. The affected models include:
• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2004-2009 Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2007-2010 ES 350
• 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350
more in the link...Toyota Motor Co. is launching a recall of thousands of Toyota and Lexus models to... more
WASHINGTON -- A tiny car company backed by former Vice President Al Gore has just gotten a $529 million U.S. government loan to help build a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell for about $89,000.
The award this week to California startup Fisker Automotive Inc. follows a $465 million government loan to Tesla Motors Inc., purveyors of a $109,000 British-built electric Roadster. Tesla, like Fisker, is a California startup focusing on high-end hybrids, with a number of celebrity endorsements that is backed by investors that have contributed to Democratic campaigns.
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Fisker's Karma hybrid sports car, above, will initially cost about $89,000.
The awards to Fisker and Tesla have prompted concern from companies that have had their bids for loans rejected, and criticism from groups that question why vehicles aimed at the wealthiest customers are getting loans subsidized by taxpayers.
"This is not for average Americans," said Leslie Paige, a spokeswoman for Citizens Against Government Waste, an anti-tax group in Washington. "This is for people to put something in their driveway that is a conversation piece. It's status symbol thing."
DOE officials spent months working with Fisker on its application, touring its Irvine, Calif., and Pontiac, Mich., facilities and test-driving prototypes.
Matt Rogers, who oversees the department's loan programs as a senior adviser to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, said Fisker was awarded the loan after a "detailed technical review" that concluded the company could eventually deliver a highly fuel-efficient hybrid car to a mass audience. Fisker said most of its DOE loan will be used to finance U.S. production of a $40,000 family sedan that has yet to be designed.
"It's the ability to drive significant change in fuel economy across a large market segment" that swayed the department to approve the Fisker loan, Mr. Rogers said. "We got quite excited."
Henrik Fisker, who designed cars for BMW, Aston Martin and Tesla before starting his Fisker Automotive in 2007, said his goal is to build the first plug-in electric hybrids that won't sacrifice the luxury, performance and looks of traditional gas-powered luxury cars.
The Karma will target an exclusive audience -- Gore was one of the first to sign up for one. Mr. Fisker says all new technology starts out being expensive. He pointed to flat-screen televisions that once started at $25,000 but are now affordable to the mass market.WASHINGTON -- A tiny car company backed by former Vice President Al Gore has just... more
From LATimes: "The loan will go toward development and production of its Karma plug-in hybrid sedan and development of Project Nina, its next-generation plug-in."
"The $528.7-million low-interest loan 'is another critical step in making sure we are positioned to compete for the clean energy jobs of the future,' Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. Over the summer, the department lent $8 billion to a variety of other automakers and suppliers under the same program.
The loans to Fisker are sure to spur the rivalry between it and Tesla Motors Inc., maker of a $109,000 all-electric sports coupe called the Roadster. Tesla, based in San Carlos, Calif., was awarded $465 million in Energy Department loans in June, primarily to build its second all-electric car, a sub-$50,000 sedan, in California."
More at link...From LATimes: "The loan will go toward development and production of its Karma plug-in... more
62 mpg and it's a freakin race car. Come on, GM, Ford, and Chrysler- build a better one we can afford.62 mpg and it's a freakin race car. Come on, GM, Ford, and Chrysler- build a better... more
Today’s auto industry is not what Henry Ford envisioned, especially considering he predicted cars would be constructed of hemp and run on biofuels.Today’s auto industry is not what Henry Ford envisioned, especially considering he... more
Industrial hemp varieties of Cannabis, also referred to as industrial hemp, fiber, or non-drug hemp, should not be confused with marijuana. Industrial hemp and marijuana are genetically distinct varieties of Cannabis, much like a St. Bernard and a Chihuahua are very different breeds of dogs. Despite easily discernible and widely accepted differences between the two distinct plant varieties, serious misconceptions continue to persist.Industrial hemp varieties of Cannabis, also referred to as industrial hemp, fiber, or... more
Henry Ford believed in using Hemp products to make cars. He was green 50 years before GREEN was cool. This article discusses the biofuel future that Henry Ford foresaw and why his plans have been delayed for more than a half century.Henry Ford believed in using Hemp products to make cars. He was green 50 years before... more
Un viaggio nel cuore del Patrimonio dell’umanità Unesco
Storia, cultura, natura e una scenografia inconfondibile: è la miscela di attrattive che ha reso celebre nel mondo le Dolomiti. Seduzioni che dal 26 giugno sono ufficialmente Patrimonio dell’Umanità dell’Unesco. Un sigillo conferito dal World Heritage Committee per la bellezza spettacolare del paesaggio e per le incomparabili caratteristiche geologiche e geomorfologiche. Ma anche per la rilevanza della biodiversità che comprende una flora con 2400 specie e 55 tipi di foreste con grande capacità di mitigazione ai cambiamenti climatici e una fauna variegata che culmina con la presenza della lince e dell’orso bruno.
A rendere ancora più affascinate il territorio delle province di Trento, Bolzano, Belluno, Pordenone e Udine sono le tradizioni culturali e le vicende storiche. Nonostante l’esplosione del turismo, gli abitanti delle Dolomiti hanno conservato consuetudini agricole e artigianali, recuperato architetture tipiche come........Un viaggio nel cuore del Patrimonio dell’umanità Unesco
Storia, cultura, natura e... more
Sara Watson, an art student at the University of Central Lancashire, has created a nearly invisible car…through the use of a clever trompe l’oeil paintjob.Sara Watson, an art student at the University of Central Lancashire, has created a... more
Martin Whitmarsh explains why he believes the sport has to appeal more to the fans, and how FOTA is working hard to achieve thisMartin Whitmarsh explains why he believes the sport has to appeal more to the fans,... more
The Drive Smarter Video Contest (http://www.drivesmarterchallenge.org/contest/) invites anyone with a camera to submit a two-minute video illustrating one or more of the Drive Smarter Challenge campaign’s gas- and money-saving tips to compete for a $5,000 grand prize.
The goals of the campaign are to encourage people to drive smarter, reduce their gas consumption and drive fewer miles by combining errands, biking, telecommuting, walking, carpooling, or taking public transit.
The first 80 entrants whose videos meet the contest criteria will receive a $25 ExxonMobil Gift Card and a Car Care Council Car Care Guide. Once the contest judges select the finalists, the public will vote for the winners of these prizes:
• Grand Prize: $5,000
• Second Prize: Choice between one VIP NASCAR Race Package (two tickets and two garage/pit passes to a NASCAR race event) or one VIP Indy Racing League Package (two tickets and two garage/pit lane passes to an Indy race event, plus a ride in a specially modified Indy car driven by a pro driver);
• Third Prize: Whichever prize package hasn’t been selected by the second prize winner (either the VIP NASCAR Race Package or the VIP Indy Racing League Package);
• Fourth Prize: Transportation Efficiency Package: A set of 4 Michelin Energy Saver All Season Tires (or comparable tires for the winner’s vehicle), one-year AAA membership, and two Silver Spoke League of American Bicyclists memberships.
Bob Dylan is in talks with two different GPS car navigation makers to provide his voice for the systems, he says:
"I think it would be good," Dylan said, "if you are looking for directions and hear my voice saying something like 'left at the next street, no a right – y'know what? Just go straight.'"
Insert your "Blowin' in the Wind"/"Highway 61"/"On the Road Again" joke here.Bob Dylan is in talks with two different GPS car navigation makers to provide his... more
With the program’s environmental and economic benefits nearly negligible, billions could have been better spent encouraging more people to buy cars that make a real difference – plug-in hybrids.With the program’s environmental and economic benefits nearly negligible, billions... more
We are paying WAY more to reduce carbon through Cash for Clunkers than we would have through the Waxman-Markey bill. 13 times more per ton!We are paying WAY more to reduce carbon through Cash for Clunkers than we would have... more
http://www.triponadeal.com Far from boring, these five Los Angeles museums aren’t at the top of the tourist lists, but they’re all a must see. What are they? Check it out!http://www.triponadeal.com Far from boring, these five Los Angeles museums aren’t... more
