tagged w/ Hybrid Cars
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The Lunabelles from the Electric Scooter segment showed that driving a scooter is not only good for the environment but also a fun way to get around town. But even a scooter can be hard to store or park if you live in a no-parking zone or if it’s street cleaning day. What then? You can’t exactly carry a scooter up a flight of stairs, can you? That’s where the electric bicycle comes in handy.
The electric bicycle is another answer to inexpensive, lightweight transportation, an urban commuter’s safety net. Ever have a hot, muggy day in the city, when just stepping out the door requires a shower? An electric bicycle saves both time and energy, especially when you are running late for an appointment. An electric bicycle can be both a regular pedal bike, to get your exercise fix, and can be switched to electric mode when you are low on energy or have some steep, San Francisco-style hills to climb. The best part about owning an electric bicycle is that anyone can ride them. No need for a license or registration.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
Can you think of some other benefits for owning an electric bicycle over an electric scooter?The Lunabelles from the Electric Scooter segment showed that driving a scooter is not... more
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I have started a project to turn an American classic into a major success for the green movement and technologies struggling to succeed today, as well give my family irrepraceable memories of cruising America in the neverending style of an 87 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
This story is simply to raise awareness of the possibilties and to reach out to the community like minded individuals to network and find the best ways to make my dream viable and my adventure a success!
Please comment here or at my new blog to share information that could help me in any way.I have started a project to turn an American classic into a major success for the... more
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Car companies do not really know how to reach us. Many young people prefer bikes over cars....do you?
http://www.misselectric.com/?p=1602Car companies do not really know how to reach us. Many young people prefer bikes over... more
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Young, single professional women need a car that reflects their values and needs. The Lexus Hybrid may be our best option, so we took it for a spin in Santa Monica.Young, single professional women need a car that reflects their values and needs. The... more
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The Chevy Volt has a lot of potential to change the auto industry, if we get the story right.The Chevy Volt has a lot of potential to change the auto industry, if we get the story... more
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Get your chargers ready! The President and CEO of the Electrification Coalition shares his innovation on cars that won't have you running to the pump.Get your chargers ready! The President and CEO of the Electrification Coalition shares... more
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We've exclusively obtained this document detailing the plan for a stop sale of the 2010 Lexus HS250h and a voluntarily recall of all 17,000 vehicles sold following NHTSA testing showing excessive fuel leakage after a standard rear-end collision.
The document seen here references the Noncompliance Information Report filed by Lexus with NHTSA. It details the substantial difference between what Lexus found in its own testing and what NHSTA's tests returned.
"Our testing of (the HS250h) shows that we're in full compliance with the fuel system integrity standard, although NHTSA tests showed that we're not, so we're working to intensely to duplicate the non-conformity that NHTSA identified, and to determine the reasons behind the different results," said Brian Lyons, Toyota Safety Communications.
The voluntary recall places a stop sale on all dealer vehicles and advises consumers to call with their concerns. What it doesn't do is lay out a fix for the problem, which is reminiscent of the fuel spillage issue Ford faced with the Pinto in the mid-1970s.
This is the second safety issue for the HS250h in the last six months, it was also recalled in February because of inconsistent brake feel under certain conditions.We've exclusively obtained this document detailing the plan for a stop sale of... more
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Hybrid cars are everywhere. And all-electric cars are coming: General Motors' Volt and Nissan's Leaf are due to hit the streets by the end of the year.
But in Bonny Doon, Calif., one company has been converting gas-sucking cars into all-electric vehicles since 1979. Mike Brown, with his company Electro Automotive, was the first to sell parts for gas-to-electric conversions, and he teaches workshops on DIY conversions.
"The market we focused on was the grocery-getter," Brown says. He wanted the cars to be able to hold four adults and a load of groceries.
The short-commute market is a natural fit for electric-car conversions because these cars do have limitations: the biggest being how far the car can go on one battery charge.
Recently, Brown and some of his students converted a gold 1984 VW Rabbit from gas to electric in the hands-on workshop.
The Rabbit got an electric motor that runs on 18 batteries like the ones used in golf carts.
Brown's wife and business partner, Shari Prange, says cars like the retooled Rabbit can get from 20 miles to 100-plus miles between battery charges. It depends on the car, how it's driven and its amenities.
"If you're using accessories like air conditioning, or if you've got four-wheel drive, that's going to use more energy," she says. "If you want a really hot acceleration car, that uses more energy just like it uses more gas."
And that's the challenge a business like Electro Automotive will face from the growing electric market.
It's not about saving money. It's about having [an] electric vehicle for my enjoyment as well as doing good for the environment.
- Daniel Marcom, an Electro Automotive student
Bill Moore, who publishes the online electric vehicle magazine EV World, says what the Nissan Leaf will have over gas conversions is that it was built to be an electric car. "This thing is going to drive just like any car," Moore says. "The only limit being it'll only go as far as its batteries will carry it."
Nissan puts the range at 100 miles.
'Doing Good For The Environment'
Still, back in the Electro Automotive workshop, student and former airplane mechanic Daniel Marcom says he'd rather build his own. "This way I can modify it exactly the way I want it," he says.
And Marcom says he'll take what he learned working on this conversion back home to Hawaii. He expects to spend about $20,000 to convert a Porsche. Some DIY conversions can be done for as little as $9,000. "It's not about saving money," Marcom says. "It's about having [an] electric vehicle for my enjoyment as well as doing good for the environment."
Brown and Prange know the emerging electric-car market can take a bite out of their business, but it can also help their business grow because it increases awareness. "We're no longer a bunch of hairball freaks on the fringe," Prange says.
And while major manufacturers may not say so, Moore credits the fringe electric-car enthusiasts for keeping the technology alive.Hybrid cars are everywhere. And all-electric cars are coming: General Motors'... more
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Last year Lotus announced a new engine designed specifically as an onboard generator for electric vehicles, giving them range beyond what batteries can provide. That engine was more than a concept, as the Fagor Ederlan Group, a European-based supplier of powertrain and chassis equipment to the automotive industry, announced an agreement with Lotus for production and sales of the engine.
Lotus' three cylinder 1.2-liter engine combines block, head, and exhaust manifold in a single piece for efficient construction and low maintenance. The company showed it off as a component of the Evora 414E Hybrid at this year's Geneva auto show.
Fagor Ederlan has a large number of automotive clients, and has supplied everything from aluminum knuckles for Mercedes-Benz suspensions to engine components for Honda. Although Fagor Ederlan did not announce a specific client interested in Lotus' generator engine, Honda could use it to replace the fuel cells in its Clarity vehicle, which already has an electric vehicle architecture. Likewise, Mercedes-Benz has in the past suggested its experimental fuel cell vehicles could use a different generator source for electricity.
Interest in Lotus' engine will probably depend on the success of GM's upcoming Chevrolet Volt, which uses just the kind of extended range electric vehicle architecture the engine was built for, as other automakers develop a competitor. GM itself is probably not a potential buyer, as it has already developed the Volt's engine in-house.
Originally posted at The Car Tech blogLast year Lotus announced a new engine designed specifically as an onboard generator... more
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It's almost unbelievable, but Bharat Forge and KPIT Cummins Infosystems LTD. claim to have developed a hybrid retrofit system that can be easily applied to most vehicles in under six hours, resulting in an increase in fuel efficiency of up to 80 percent. It's so wildly unbelievable, that we just had to bring it to you and for those shadetree mechanics out there, this could be one adventurous DIY.
220diggsdiggThe India-based companies claim that the system is much like a compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion kit. All of the necessary hardware is included to quickly convert your gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle over to hybrid drive in a few short hours with minimal work. Collectively, Bharat Forge and KPIT Cummins have filed 15 patents for its so-called ReVOLO hybrid drive system. The ReVOLO system should be launch-ready in India within six months and will be offered as both an aftermarket add-on and as an original equipment option. Dependent upon application, the companies claim the ReVOLO kits can reduce fuel usage by 40 to 80 percent, which seems extremely optimistic. Unfortunately, pricing for this unbelievably amazing kit has not yet been announced, but the companies admit that they are aggressively seeking ways to reduce costs, which indicates it's probably a bit high. Follow the jump for more info on hybridizing your auto.
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/retrofit-your-vehicle-with-hybrid-power-in-less-than-six-hours/It's almost unbelievable, but Bharat Forge and KPIT Cummins Infosystems LTD.... more
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I have done a blog on this man who I think was one of our great inventors of the world many don't know about him and some are still to this day trying to invent his secret but they can't after reading this blog you are welcomed to follow me and get future information on this topic. I have the whole story in a nut shell about the beginning til the end, to some it up Stan Meyers did this for us as Americans and not for the money but someone decided to kill him for trying to get the patent in America now we always have to suffer for someones greed in our country.
http://polishyt.blogspot.comI have done a blog on this man who I think was one of our great inventors of the world... more
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Electric vehicles got a powerful boost today as the EPA and U.S. Department of Transportation announced their new rules for fuel efficiency and vehicle emissions standards, but it won’t last forever.
The key phrase is “zero emissions.”
Counting only tailpipe emissions, EVs clock in at zero emissions. That’s great news for automakers, who under the new rules will have to meet a fleetwide average greenhouse gas standard of 250 grams per mile by 2016 (roughly equivalent to 35.5 miles per gallon).
But that’s not the whole story, as EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson explained:
Electric vehicles are frequently advertised as zero emissions, but “we all know that that’s not entirely true, because when you plug in, there’s some emissions from the source." Currently in the U.S., that source is often burning coal, and that means greenhouse gas emissions.
The EPA suggested in the new rule that it intends to eventually take power source emissions into account when calculating electric vehicles’ greenhouse gas emissions.
It isn't a number that can be easily ignored. According to the EPA’s calculations, for a midsize car, electricity’s upstream emissions are about three times higher than gasoline’s upstream emissions. ...
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100401/electric-vehicles-losing-their-zero-emissions-claim-u-sElectric vehicles got a powerful boost today as the EPA and U.S. Department of... more
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A Toyota Prius accelerated out of control on a busy California freeway on Monday before police intervened to bring the vehicle to a standstill, police said.
James Sikes, 61, was driving on the busy Interstate 8 freeway outside San Diego when he noticed his car was starting to accelerate of its own accord, the California Highway Patrol said.A Toyota Prius accelerated out of control on a busy California freeway on Monday... more
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Toyota's Prius remains the top-selling car in Japan despite the automaker's global recall woes that included braking problems with the hit hybrid.
More than 27,000 of the gas-electric hybrids were sold in February, making the Prius the best selling model for the 10th straight month, according to Japan Automobile Dealers Association figures released Thursday.Toyota's Prius remains the top-selling car in Japan despite the automaker's... more
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by Karin Zeitvogel – Fri Feb 19, 9:15 am ET
SAN DIEGO, California (AFP) –
US researchers unveiled a vehicle Thursday that earns money for its driver instead of guzzling it up in gasoline and maintenance costs.
The converted Toyota Scion xB, shown at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science here, is the first electric car to be linked to a power grid and serve as a cash cow.
"This is the first vehicle that's ever been paid to participate in the grid -- the first proof of concept vehicle," Ken Huber, who oversees technological development at wholesale electricity coordinator PJM Interconnection, told AFP.
The presentation of the box-like, unassuming looking Scion was the researchers' way of introducing the "vehicle-to-grid" (V2G) concept as it begins to gain momentum in the United States and around the world.
V2G projects with hybrid cars that use electricity and gas to store energy in their batteries and feed it back into the power grid are up and running in the United States, and the drive now is to produce all electric vehicles to plug into the power grid.
"This makes the car useful not only when it's being driven, but also when it's parked, as long as you remember to plug it in," said Willett Kempton, who is leading a V2G project at the University of Delaware.
A V2G car is connected via an Internet-over-powerline connection that sends a signal from inside the car's computer to an aggregator's server.
The aggregator acts as the middleman between the car owner and power grid management companies, which are constantly trying to keep electricity output at a constant level.
When the grid needs more power due to a surge in demand, power companies usually draw from traditional power plants, which in the United States are often coal-fired and leave a large carbon footprint...
(rest of article at link)by Karin Zeitvogel – Fri Feb 19, 9:15 am ET
SAN DIEGO, California (AFP)... more
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A Nebraska woman filed a federal lawsuit against Japanese auto giant Toyota, blaming the company for the death of her husband when the Prius she was driving suddenly accelerated.
Jacquelyn Donoghue, a 67-year-old nurse, alleges in the suit filed in Los Angeles on Friday that her car suddenly sped up and ploughed into another car when she was driving home with her husband in December.A Nebraska woman filed a federal lawsuit against Japanese auto giant Toyota, blaming... more
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