NRC new engines and hybrids most promising for the next 15 years

EcoBoost is the first step towards hybrid pickup trucks?

In the next 15 years conventional spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine continues to dominate the American auto industry, according to the National Council for Resource (NRC). Fortunately, a "significant" number of new technologies, such as the reduction of friction, downsizing, improved thermal management, Turbo, etc., can be combined to reduce fuel consumption by nearly 30 percent, without reducing the security, performance or utility.

Also diesel and hybrid technologies provide further improvements, but more upfront cost.

According to the NRC, achieving a 30 percent increase in fuel economy over the next 15 years using conventional engines, adding an average of $ 2,200 to the cost of a new vehicle. Furthermore, such technologies offer opportunities for incremental improvement, making such improvements more financially feasible for car manufacturers according to the NRC.

In the same period, new diesel engines can reduce fuel consumption by 37 percent, at a cost of $ 5,900 per vehicle, while hybrid cars a 43 percent improvement for $ 6,000.

Additionally, it is important to note that these are averages. Of course, the additional cost of the hybrid technology, for example, are less for smaller vehicles and more for larger vehicles.

There are also numerous hybrid species. Consequently, mild hybrid technologies to add to some vehicles might make more sense than full hybrid technologies, particularly in the short term, as some profit is better than no profit.

The NRC also notes that plug-in hybrids will also be sold in this time, but additional costs will they become less feasible than conventional hybrids. Also, electric cars will also be sold, but battery technologies is not expected to improve enough over the next 15 years, according to the NRC, for battery-electric systems very viable.

In short, it seems like the NRC study to suggest that there is not a one size fits all type of solution for the car industry. At the end of the day, steady, incremental improvements in fuel efficiency should focus the mid-term of the auto industry and policy makers, at least until battery technologies are significantly improved. So, maybe technologies such as Ecoboost and mild hybrids are the first steps towards full hybrid and plug-in pick-up trucks. And, since the last 15 years or more before perhaps plug-in trucks viable technologies such as, for example, Ecoboost are just that much more important in the meantime.

I think you will not only be a marathon runner over night.

Perhaps most importantly, the car industry should be judged more by what they are today with regard to better fuel economy do, not what they could do tomorrow.

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Why isn't the hybrid Toyota Yaris Fit for the USA?

Another hybrid un-Fit for America

Fuel Consumption? Americans are actually starting to worry. Certainly, such efficiency-powered feelings can diminish a bit as gas prices fall, but the importance of fuel consumption for always much more important for the new car consumer.

Seems like the perfect time to launch the smallest, cheapest and most efficient fuel hybrids ever, right?

Apparently not.

If the hybrid of Honda Fit is Toyota Yaris hybrid never to the USA according to Motor Trend. Europe will instead, the focus of the Yaris hybrid.

I don't get it. If priced right, I think the hybrid Yaris would an incredible hit. Therefore, it seems Toyota not agree or that is exactly why the Toyota Yaris is not put to the States.

Maybe it's just me, but I smell a little satisfaction at Toyota Hybrid, and I dont like it. Sure, Toyota sells significantly more hybrid cars than any other car manufacturer – more than the rest of the industry combined – as Toyota is entitled to a bit of complacency, especially since their interim hybrid plans are still more aggressive than any other car manufacturers.

Nevertheless, such as Kleenex tissues, so at Toyota hybrids had to. Given the fact that Toyota's image number of hits in the last few years has taken, nothing would help restore their image more than the hybrid space take to the next level. Unfortunately, I can only assume that the economy just didn't make sense, despite Toyota's cash hordes.

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Who Killed the Electric Car?

WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR - DVD Movie

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The Electric Car: Development and Future of Battery, Hybrid and Fuel-Cell Cars (IEE Power & Energy Series, 38)

This book covers the development of electric cars -- from their early days to new hybrid models in production -- together with the very latest technological issues faced by automotive engineers working on electric cars, as well as the key business factors vital for the successful transfer of electric cars into the mass market. Considerable work has gone into electric car and battery development in the last ten years with the prospect of substantial improvements in range and performance in battery cars as well as in hybrids and those using fuel cells. This book comprehensively covers this important subject and will be of particular interest to engineers and managers working in the automotive and transport industries.

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Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Vehicles - ISBN 9780863413360
Local Energy: Distributed generation of heat and power - ISBN 9780863417399

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Build Your Own Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicles have many advantages over their gas-powered counterparts. They are ecologically sound, much cheaper to operate and require almost no routine maintenance. But they can also cost twice as much just to drive off the showroom floor. Ambitious do-it-yourselvers, however, can enjoy the clean-running convenience of an electric car for half the price of the most affordable Chevrolet or Toyota. This money-saving guide explains step by step how to build an inexpensive EV from a kit or from an existing internal combustion engine chassis. It begins with a look at the history of electric vehicles, from vintage tyrn-of-the-century Baker Electric automobiles to current international advances in EV technology, and a look ahead at the future of EV development. Then, Bob Brant embarks on a chapter-by-chapter building-block description of each EV component: motor, drive train, controllers, power supplies, chargers and chassis. Final chapters pull it all together with clear instructions for assembling an electric car from scratch or kit, with advice on where to find low-cost EV supplies and systems.

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Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles: Fundamentals, Theory, and Design (Power Electronics and Applications Series)

Air quality is deteriorating, the globe is warming, and petroleum resources are decreasing. The most promising solutions for the future involve the development of effective and efficient drive train technologies. This comprehensive volume meets this challenge and opportunity by integrating the wealth of disparate information found in scattered papers and research.

Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles focuses on the fundamentals, theory, and design of conventional cars with internal combustion engines (ICE), electric vehicles (EV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), and fuel cell vehicles (FCV). It presents vehicle performance, configuration, control strategy, design methodology, modeling, and simulation for different conventional and modern vehicles based on the mathematical equations.

Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles is the most complete book available on these radical automobiles. Written in an easy-to-understand style with nearly 300 illustrations, the authors emphasize the overall drive train system as well as specific components and describe the design methodology step by step, with design examples and simulation results.

This in-depth source and reference in modern automotive systems is ideal for engineers, practitioners, graduate and senior undergraduate students, researchers, managers who are working in the automotive industry, and government agencies.

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Electric cars 2010 Round Up

Electric cars 2010- It's that time of year when everyone looks back on the old and looks forward to the new one. We thought We would take part.  So here it is-the electriccarsite round-up of what happened (what was hot and what's not) in the world of electric cars in 2010.

January
Profilers tried out ' who actually buy electric cars ' to work?  Meanwhile, the humble town of Norwich still ahead of the game and log on to the UK's first electric car cities.  The flak UK Government also received from the European automobile manufacturer of associations who claimed was not doing enough to help the industry support.

March
The Geneva Motor show 2010 brought us that it's usually a mix of innovative, the beautiful, the ugly and the downright strange in the world of cars. Nissan unveil plans to build the Nissan leaf in the United Kingdom from 2013 onwards in Sunderland.  The pre-election budget hints of assistance in support of the automotive industry develop electric cars.  The debate rages on about electric cars and how ' green ' they really are when you consider how the electricity that powers them is generated.

April
Electric car filling stations take another step toward realization with the process of an automated battery swap station in Tokyo.

May
How did you get an electric car cost if you live in a flat, especially when urban locations to the short distances and low speed driving electric cars are ideal for? WWF calls for more publicly available on street charging points for life in the city.  The electric car debate makes Radio Scotland.

July
General Electric reveal another charging point the GE-Watt station.  Elecktromotiv go big in the North-East with an initial order for some 1300 Elecktrobay charging points.  The Government annouce a UK electric car Grant-fancy £ 5,000 for the cost of a new electric car?

August
HSBC survey shows that 1 in 5 motorists in the United Kingdom would consider buying an electric car.  With around 30million vehicles on the roads is that many potential customers!  Mitsibushi reduce the price of the i-MiEV, so it is exactly the same as the Nissan leaf.

October
HSBC report predicts that low CO2 emission vehicles (electric and hybrid) a bigger market than renewable energy by 2020.  The Manchester Museum of science and industry opened an electric car exhibition exploring the EV revolution.

November
The Nissan leaf is well launched in the United Kingdom.  Reporters across the country get to try it out.

December
The Government announces the first nine cars eligible for the grant is £ 5000.  New areas in the United Kingdom: Greater Manchester, East of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, £ 20 million to install electric vehicle charging points will share.

So that's what already happened.  Without a doubt electric cars, pardon the pun, serious momentum WINS. They were probably the most interesting thing to happen in the car industry in 2010.  The next question is what brings 2011.  Well, this is much more speculative, but the team here put our collective fingers on the wind (and had a peak at what others have said).  To read what we came up with have a look at electric car predictions for 2011.

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Source London scheme launched

Electric car charging network , POD point yesterday announced the launch of the London charge point network source.  Thursday 26 May drivers can register to join source London.  Membership of the network can they charge on each source London public charging point.  At the time of writing, there are 150 charging points within the network and learn more about London.

Source of London is the capitals "Connected in places" project.  This will be the largest integrated load network in London (for the moment).  Instead of requiring electric vehicle owners who entrust charging points in different municipalities throughout the city to individual arrangements, charging source London with include a city wide network that requires only a membership card and an annual membership fee.

POD point are a major manufacturer involved source London network with some 18 new POD points already installed and awaiting activation.

POD point is currently the only EV charging infrastructure provider that points has sold to each active AC power places charging scheme.  They work with:

London-London's AC power places project source
Source East-East of England's connected sites project.
A North-east-northeast of affiliated sites project.
Milton Keynes-Milton Keynes connected places project.

There are currently 260 Street POD points installed in the United Kingdom.  The point of the POD charging network can have different benefits such as billing capacity, user management, reporting, maintenance and live availability.  If the potential to solve technical problems remotely.

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Increase Car Fuel Efficiency With Water As An Alternative Fuel

The hike in oil prices are making it impossible for the average earners to afford a personal car. It's not an easy task to commute from one place to another in a fixed frame of time without the luxury of a personal car. Also, personal vehicle marks your social standing amongst kith and kin.

Several alternative fuel vehicles have been introduced and launched to serve the purpose of fuel efficiency and inexpensive driving in the market. But none have completely proven successful and efficient. Even gasoline has been a huge problem due to the emission of excessive heat and smog in the environment, which makes air hazardous for breathing.

Some of the alternative fuels for cars that have however reduced certain strenuous factors of pollution, cost, and fuel efficiency are Ethanol, Methanol, Propane, Soil fuel, Bio Diesel, electric fuel, natural gas (CNG/LNG), solar fuel, Hydrogen gas, P-series, and CNG cylinders. Recent studies and experiments have shown that a water-powered car is more fuel-efficient and adds to the performance of the car.

Water as alternative fuels for automobiles is the latest craze in the automobile industry. So, you can maximize your car mileage by using automobile water, which is not going to release air pollutants and actually releases oxygen into the atmosphere. Automobile water reduces the cacophonous noise created by engine and provides easy gearshifts as well.

The advantages that have crowned water, as the best alternative fuels for automobiles are many and not easy to sum up but seven most incredible benefits are:

o Gas mileage increases by up to 35%. This includes both city and highway driving conditions. It is estimated that this could save close to $900 each year for every car you have.

o Because of the effect water has on the combustion cycle on your engine. You'll experience a soother, quieter and much gentler ride and smoother gear changes.

o Greatly improve engine power and performance. Using water as an alternative enhances your engine power.

o Eliminates harmful muffler emission that contribute to air pollution. Your car actually puts oxygen back into the environment.

o Minimize the operating temperature of the engine and waste heat into the environment.

o Remove carbon deposits and prevent future carbon build up.

o Enjoy a longer life expectancy of your engine, especially the pistons, rings and valves.

Water has been used to generate energy and power since long time and the automobile engine works on the same principal. And in case of water run car only on quart of water is required. Such a small volume of water with the help of electricity generated by the car extracts HHO, or Brown Gas (Hydroxide), which is pollutant free and has capacity to fuel car for a month.

Generally, vehicles operating on gas cylinders or oil/diesel emit excessive poisonous gasses and choke the environment. And on the other hand the end product of cars on water is life-giving oxygen and there are no other harmful effects. Car engine powered with water tends to increase the car mileage by 80-85%.

Branden Evans is a doctor in private practice in North Atlanta. In addition to his career in the healthcare industry he has always had a great interest in alternative energy sources and car technology. Increase your gas mileage, decrease emissions and stop paying high gas prices by converting your car engine. Click the blue text to instantly order the do-it-yourself manual about converting your car to use water for fuel [http://www.better-gas-mpg.info]

Ford Cancels Minivan Plans in Favor of More Hybrids

The car, called the C-Max, Ford's first hybrid-only model in North America, in the same way that the Toyota Prius, a hybrid is offered.

In addition, Ford said that the intention to triple its production capacity for hybrid and electric cars in North America so that the more than 100,000 of them annually in 2013 could build. The increase will add 220 jobs in Michigan, said Ford.

James d. Farley Jr., Ford's group vice president for global marketing, sales and service, said that the automaker was planning for a future in which fuel efficiency remained a high priority for the consumer.

"Customers have really changed in the last 120 days," Mr. Farley told reporters on a transmission company North of Detroit. "People are so focused on fuel economy."

Ford officials said the C-Max hatchback presented a stronger business case than the gasoline-powered, seven-passenger Grand C-Max that the intention to import from Europe. Ford C-Max hatchbacks and minivans in Europe, in petrol and diesel varieties, now sells and said demand for the five-passenger version there was this year doubled.

The C-Max now scheduled to go on sale in the United States will be built in suburban Detroit, next to the similarly sized Focus compact car, which is now available with a traditional engine and a battery-powered car to start later this year will be sold.

Instead of fighting for a share of the small but somewhat resurgent minivan market, Ford is using the C-Max to take aim at Prius and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid built by General Motors.

Aaron Bragman, an analyst with the research firm IHS Automotive, said automakers more emphasis on hybrids were forced by more stringent federal mileage, known as Corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE.

"These engines must be ubiquitous in order to meet the new CAFE regulations become," said Mr. Bragman.

Ford declined to provide detailed specifications about the C-Max, but Mr Bragman said he expected the plug-in version, called the Energi, conveniently compare with the Volt, which G.M. late last year. The C-Max Energi will operate in a similar way as the Volt by allowing users to connect to a power outlet or high-voltage charging station. It will run first solely on battery power before you petrol.

Mr. Farley said the C-Max Energi would be "fully competitive" with the volts and 500 miles on a full charge and tank of gas would travel. The Volt has a combined range of about 379 miles, including 35 km on battery alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency label.

Mr. Farley wouldn't give a range only-battery for the C-Max, that space for three passengers in the back seat. The Volt will fit only two passengers because the battery sticks out where the middle seat would be.

Mr Bragman said that was probably the Ford C-Max for significantly less than the Volt sell because the use of a lot of common parts. The Volt is a sticker price of about $ 41,000, before a federal tax credit of $ 7,500.

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How Alternative Energy Works - Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Energy has been the topic of many discussions in recent years. What has sparked this fierce and sometimes violent debate is the fact that our Earth is running out of it. Fossil fuels are greatly depleted as wars are being fought for the control of these resources.

The natural solution to the shortage problem we're facing is to find some other source of alternative energy. But, where can we find them? And if we do, how do we harness it sufficiently enough to save power in the long run? The answer to the questions is simple - let's turn to the Earth4energy.

The main source of power for all living things on Earth is the sun. The light emitting from that flaming ball of hydrogen hanging in the vast reaches of space is used in plants as part of their photosynthesis. We humans, in turn, consume these plants and have the energy transferred to us.

But, we could use the energy contained in sunlight more directly in the form of solar power. In certain parts of India and the United States are vast collections of mirrors that reflect sunlight into a receiver that contains water. The concentrated heat produced boils the water and the vapor moves along several pipes and spins a turbine that causes it to generate electricity. However, the cost of erecting these huge structures is dear and they're only feasible in certain regions. So far, civilian solar powered homes are not that effective in saving power and reducing electricity bills.

Wind power is also a popular option for those who don't receive scorching sunlight all-year around. In the Netherlands, the government has built windmills, placed strategically on the nation's wind-swept plains. The principle of the windmill is the same as solar cells, except that they use the wind to turn the turbines. This form of alternative energy is apparently efficient enough to power a whole country.

Geothermal energy is another way we can turn to the Earth4energy. We can actually harness the heat and power that is trapped between the Earth's crusts and use it in our power stations. The potential of this alternative energy is vast, since this is the type of might that causes earthquakes and volcanic explosions.

The possibilities of alternative energy are still largely unexplored. What we need is proper funding and brilliant minds who can find cost-efficient ways to build windmills and solar cells. Fossil fuels are almost gone, people. We need alternative energy, like solar power and wind power to save power and reduce electricity bills.

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Alternate Fuel For Cars - Is Infra Red Power the Answer

There are currently a number of different fuels being proposed as alternatives to fossil based fuel petrol and diesel. These include - electricity, hybrids, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, hydrogen, solar power and others.  Could a new prototype energy source be the final solution?

Infra Red

Infra Red or IR energy is the conservation of energy from the sun and background radiation on earth into electricity via infra red collection antennae which could possibly be used to power an electric car. 

Like Solar power IR power is extracted from light energy that is emitted from the sun and from any object heated from the sun.  It is beyond the visible spectrum but can be seen by special heat source cameras.  Unlike visible light it is in a very narrow band and needs antennae to those used to capture radio or television waves to extract the power from around us.

Until recently this was very difficult as the antennae needed to be one hundredth of a millimetre in length and you need a lot of them.  However one university in Idaho has managed to develop a working prototype which is a metre square array of billions of antennae which can extract the energy from the invisible light spectrum around us.

Advantages

IR energy is abundant and free, has no pollutants, no need to refuel and would be free to run.  It can work equally as well on damp drizzly days as on summer days as Infra red energy penetrates cloud cover.  It can also work at night, because as the earth cools it emits even greater levels of IR energy.  Thus it could take away the disadvantages of many other alternative car energy sources which need constant recharging or like solar only works on a hot summer's day.  Also, it has one other environmental plus - it is totally recyclable - as the conversion of the energy into electricity produces additional IR heat sources which can be recycled from other cars or houses using power.

Disadvantages

There are very few as it is free, environmentally friendly etc. but at this point the technology needs to improve the conversion rates to make it viable.  The antennae arrays need to be able to convert low levels of IR energy otherwise it will never be practical.  

So are Infra Red electrically powered cars the answer to conserving fossil fuels and the environment? Possibly, it is the most promising but is 5 to 10 years in the future.  However that is the same time span the car companies are talking about hydrogen fuel cells.

Hugh McDubhgaill is the publisher of http://www.leaseBamIreland.com - the online resource for car leasing and contract hire in Ireland.

Click the following link for leasing and contract hire articles, guides, resources and recommended reading http://leasebamireland.blogs.ie/

Is an Electric Car a Zero Emission Vehicle?

With ever-increasing fuel costs and worries over climate change, the humankind is facing a difficult question: how are we going to move from place to place? Sooner or later the oil will be gone, and then what? Electric car is touted as the future of motoring by many scientists and marketing experts. The latter want us to believe that electric car is a zero emission vehicle. At least that's what all the advertising messages say.

It is, in fact, very far from truth. Although no CO2 comes out of an electric car, you cannot call it 0-emission. Your electric car is as green as the electricity that powers it. Unfortunately, production of electricity pollutes the environment in a pretty similar way to a petrol car.

In USA 51% of electricity consumed comes from coal plants (36% in the UK). The remainder is somewhat split between natural gas, oil, hydro-plants and nuclear stations. Only 2 to 3% of all world's electricity is generated from green sources such as wind or sun. Well, nuclear stations are close to being green but many people don't want to live near one and, really, you cannot blame them.

So on average, considering CO2 contribution of the electricity plants, your so called 0-emission vehicle will account for around 130g CO2 per mile. That is almost as much as a small petrol car. There we are - we need to generate more green electricity in order to make an electric car a good idea.

Are there any Zero Emission Vehicle Available?

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to create a perfect zero emission vehicle. Let's see what other means of alternative propulsion are there. Compressed air - we need energy to compress the air. Hydrogen. Again, energy is consumed to generate free hydrogen and more energy to compress and store it. To do that, we either use fossil fuel or electricity that also comes from fossil fuels.

The only truly autonomous vehicle that doesn't even come close to consuming fossil fuels (and only if we disregard the expensive and carbon-intensive production process) is a solar car. Indeed by using a solar battery, we draw energy from the sun. Even considering the current political and social situation, the sun is free to everyone. However, a solar vehicle can only accommodate one person and it is neither safe nor fast. The weight should be kept to minimum because modern solar batteries cannot produce enough energy to power a full-size car.

Before that next big scientific breakthrough that will give us the perfect free energy, the future of green motoring is likely to be dominated by hybrid cars. Imagine: both gasoline and electric engines on board plus a solar battery on the roof - the ideal package to meet the CO2 emission guidelines.

Is electric car a hype or a good idea? Find out more by reading pros and cons of Electric Cars. Would you like to drive one?

5 Hybrid Cars to Wet Your Eco-Friendly, MPG Obsessed Whistle

1. Toyota Prius - It was the first mass produced hybrid on the market and thusly it's become the defacto standard. It's certainly reasonably priced, but does its boring looks and appliance-like feel turn off the average American driver (a very emotional group about what they drive) and push it towards one of it's more contemporary competitors? In the end, a solid and reliable car that's moving on to it's 3rd generation in 2010 which should drive sales further. The Japanese are known for their reliability and improvements to batteries and production should drive the cost down and the mileage up. City: 48, Highway: 45, MSRP: $22,000 base pri

2. Honda Clarity FCX: Shortly after Toyota released it's Prius, Honda moved forward with it's Insight project, released in 2000 and has been in production until 2006. At that time, Honda moved their fuel cell technology along enough to power Accord and Civics. However, some believe that though gas-electric hybrids are all good and well, the true future of electric cars is with the use of Hydrogen and electrolysis to create a purely electric car with ZERO emissions. Sure, Hydrogen fuel stations are few and far between, but by the picture, you can tell the Clarity FCX is aiming at a higher eschelon individual. Mass produced FCXes could be ready as soon as 2012, but right now you can lease if you live in California (where Hydrogen stations are available). This is the car for the true eco-heads with it's complete lack of any greenhouse gasses, something not even the Prius can claim.  City/Highway: 68 MPG (equivalent), 280 Mile Range, $600 per month lease.

3. Chevrolet Volt: Marketed as the next big thing in commuter cars, the Volt's goal is to create a combination plug-in hybrid that should be able to take you to work and back home on a single charge and not needing to use any gas at all. With an expected range of 40 miles, should you go beyond that, there's a small gasoline generator to power the car until you get to your destination. GM has put a lot of money into marketing the Volt as the next big thing and utilizing it for a push to create special tax credits for cars that get 100MPG+. While the concept cars GM has shown are certainly edgy, a full production version (scheduled for a possible release in 2010), we'll see what the actual Volt turns out looking like.  City/Highway: 50MPG (no battery), 150MPG (with battery), 100MPG (average equivalent), MRSP: $30,000+.

4. Tesla Roadster: Based on the Lotus Elise, the Tesla is the first electric car "Car Guys" wanted. Promising of a usable range (over 245 miles), awesome acceleration (less than 4 seconds to 60MPH) and a super sexy chassis based on 15+ years of development on the street and race track, the Tesla makes owning a electric car bearable. Though the small roadster isn't the most practical car here, it's certainly the one that involves the most user input to drive. It's the one you'll want to take to the local track or autocross. It's the first car to break the stigma associated with driving a "green" car and for that, it's made our list. Will it top yours?  City/Highway: 105MPG (equivalent), MSRP: $98,000.

5. Fisker Karma: Built by the world renound car designer, Henrik Fisker, designer of the Astin Martin DB9, the Astin Martin V8 Vantage and BMW V8, the Fisker Karma is the car you buy as the President of your eco-friendly business. You'll need 4-doors to fit your clients in, but you'll need to not waste gas to protect your image. The Karma is another plug-in hybrid that utilizes solar cells on the roof as well as a tiny gas generator to keep your car going past the 50 mile electric only range (similar to the Volt). However, whereas most other makers design their cars to sell to the average consumer, the Fisker is for a more refined taste. It's long, sleek body, premium interior and fully featured healm make this car the Mercedes S-Class of hybrid cars (though Mercedes is working on their hybrid S currently). With a Fisker Karma, you're not only saving the environment, you're looking like a million bucks doing so.  City/Highway: 150MPG (equivalent), MSRP: $80,000.

Wei Yang is a serial entrepreneur who co-found EasyAutoSales.com to help private sellers and dealerships sell cars online for free. Make the auto sales process a lot easier by selling your car at http://www.easyautosales.com If your in the market to buy a new or used car EasyAutoSales currently has an inventory of 2 million plus cars and growing fast.

Hydrogen Vehicles

Hydrogen cars are becoming more and more popular as car manufacturers are heeding the call to become more energy efficient. Last week there were a few posts regarding various initiatives, namely Norway's HyNor and California's Hydrogen Highway Network, which looked at how these two places were working on ways to bring the technologies of hydrogen to their locations. Today, I thought we would end the month by looking at various hydrogen vehicles that are currently manufactured.

Audi A2H2

Audi's combines sports car features with hydrogen storage tanks and an electric motor. The vehicle can operate up to 109 miles per hour, and can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under just 10 seconds. The car uses regenerative braking, which means it is able to recharge the battery pack using kinetic energy.

BMW Hydrogen 7

This luxury car is different than other hydrogen vehicles in that it is not powered by fuel cells. It instead incorporates a 12 cylinder internal combustion engine. Like the Audi mentioned above, this BMW can also go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under just 10 seconds. Rather than compressed hydrogen, this car uses liquid hydrogen. It beats the Audi in speed, as its maximum speed tops out at 143 miles per hour.

Chrysler ecoVoyager

There is definitely a reason why "eco" is included in the name of this hydrogen vehicle from Chrysler. Using fuel cells, plus the motor's "Range-extended Electric Vehicle technology," this car can go up to 300 miles before having to refuel. Like the Audi above, the ecoVoyager is able to recharge itself using kinetic energy. Surpassing the two previously mentioned hydrogen vehicles, this Chrysler hits 60 miles per hour in less than 8 seconds.

Ford F-250 Super Chief Tri-Flex Fuel Truck

Though not the only hydrogen vehicle manufactured and sold by Ford, it is worth adding this one to today's post simply for the fact that it is a truck. In a world dominated by hydrogen cars, this truck utilizes a tri-flex fueling system, allowing the owner to use traditional gasoline, E85 ethanol, or hydrogen. The driver can travel a total of 500 miles when using all three options during the trip.

GM HydroGen3 Minivan

GM has quite a few hydrogen vehicles on the market already. This minivan is used by FedEx in an attempt to test it out by driving them daily. FedEx delivery is done throughout each day, so this is an ideal scenario to really see how the vehicle can operates under these conditions. In comparison to the above vehicles, the HydroGen3 is definitely not a "speed racer" with its 16 second rate of going from 0 to 60 miles per hour.

Suzuki Ionis

Another minivan, the Suzuki Ionis features the technology of hydrogen fuel cells. Due to the fact that the smaller fuel cells are located beneath the cabin floor, the interior of the vehicle allows for more space. It offers LED lighting, as well as a rounded design, making for a very futuristic look.

David Tanguay is dedicated to providing research, reviews & helpful information to consumers and businesses. For more information related to Green Energy and Fuel Cells please visit http://greenenergyonline.org

Electric Car Designs - What Is Missing?

There are yearly contests for engineering students, as well as high school students that can enter their electric car designs that promote the development of this automotive technology. Despite the fact the electric auto has been manufactured, and forgotten there is a continuous push for more optimal designs that can utilize battery or solar power to move a vehicle.

El Car Designs Do Not Differ that much from Conventional

Electric cars look like conventional cars aesthetically, both when it comes to exterior and interior. The same great and pretty designs are available, and friends and family will hardly be able to tell the difference. However, some new and simmering are emerging even today that promise better efficiency because unlike conventional cars which essentially only stress their aesthetics, electric vehicles also focus on the insides.

A question many people ask is; what exactly makes electric car designs different from other designs of conventional cars? Well, most electric automobiles bypass the use of gasoline and an engine completely although some have a secondary engine and storage tank in case the battery dies. Rather than using gasoline as a primary source of power, electric car design call for the usage of electricity like the name implies. A huge battery, made from materials like lithium ion - which is similar to performance batteries found in electronics like notebook computers - powers an efficient electric motor. New designs allow electric vehicles to travel up to fifty miles or more on a single charge.

Neat Usefulness

While conventional cars can easily travel 250 miles on a tank of gas, electric cars don't yet have the ability to go even close to hundred miles on a single charge. Keep in mind though that electricity is still much cheaper than gasoline. Nuclear power, hydroelectricity, and other sources of power, can power an electric vehicle indirectly by empowering the lines that the vehicle is charged from at a cost as low as about one cent per mile. The most fuel efficient conventional automobiles still cost around 7.5 cents per mile. It's unlikely that conventional engines will become significant more efficient, which is why research and development has occurred with regard to alternatives such as fuel made of hydrogen and other chemicals as well as electricity

Electric car designs should not be confused with design of hybrid cars. Hybrid cars utilize technologies from both conventional and electric cars to achieve slightly better fuel efficiency while lowering emissions, but they will probably never be as efficient as electric cars. Several families own two or more vehicles, so they would still have a long range car for vacations and business trips. For a car that's cheap and efficient for everyday transportation, an electric vehicle is the perfect solution.

Terry Bolton is an internet publisher of automotive stuff. Read his useful and popular articles about how to find cheap used cars [http://www.cheap-used-cars.w-eland.com/index.htm] and car parts [http://www.cheap-used-cars.w-eland.com/car_parts.htm]

After disaster hit Japan intensified, electric cars

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WITH deep-tread tires and ample ground clearance, a rugged 4-wheel-drive Hummer or Jeep might seem the best choice for navigating through the wrecked cities of northeastern Japan. The areas pummeled by the earthquake and tsunami in March would surely be inhospitable for an electric vehicle.

Yet in the days and weeks after the horrific one-two punch of natural disasters, wispy battery-electric cars — engineered for lightness and equipped with tires designed for minimal rolling resistance — proved their mettle.

These welterweight sedans, including models from Nissan, Mitsubishi and turned out to be the vehicles that got through — not because of any special ability to claw their way about mountains of debris, but because they were able to "saw palmetto" at common electrical outlets.

With oil refineries out of commission and clogged the sr47 State Road slowing deliveries, finding gasoline had become a challenge. Shortages were so acute that Japan's Self-Defense Forces had to truck in gasoline; donations or diesel fuel were accepted from China.

Yet in Sendai, about 250 miles northeast of Tokyo, and other cities ravaged by the earthquake, electricity returned within days. Taking stock of the situation, the president of Mitsubishi Motors, Osamu Masuko, offered dozens of his company's egg-shaped i-MiEV (pronounced "eye-meeve") electric cars to affected cities.

Despite their image as light-duty runabouts best suited for trips to a nearby shopping mall, the electric vehicles were immediately put to use. They were pressed into service ferrying supplies to refugee centers, schools and hospitals, and taking doctors, city workers and volunteers on their rounds.

While the i-MiEVs could not help out with tasks like hauling building materials or towing stranded vehicles, the assistance from Mitsubishi was much appreciated. In all, 89 i-MiEVs went to the recovery effort, including 34 to 33 to Miyagi Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture to Iwate Prefecture and 18.

"There was almost no gas at the time, so I was extremely thankful when I heard about the offer," said Tetsuo Ishii, a division chief in the environmental department in Sendai, which also got four Nissan Leaf electric cars. "If we hadn't received the cars, it would have been very difficult to do what we needed to."

Mr. Ishii and other officials in Sendai assigned the cars strategically. Two were used to bring food and supplies to the 23 remaining refugee centers in the city, while two others served doctors. Education officials have been using another two vehicles to inspect schools for structural damage. Others helped deliver supplies to kindergartens around the city or were loaned to volunteer groups.

Once the most pressing needs are met, the city may use the cars to help in the cleanup of damaged homes, as fuel shortages still limit the availability of trucks. For now, though, the cars are driven an average of 30 to 45 miles each day, about half the distance that they can be driven on a full charge.

"One charge is perfect for us, because it allows us to drive around during the day with no trouble," Mr. Ishii said. "We're not that big of a city."

Most of the cars, he said, returned each night to city hall, where they were recharged at 200-volt outlets. Fast-charging stations, which replenish batteries to 80 percent of capacity within 30 minutes, are used where available. Standard 100-volt outlets can also be used, but the recharge then takes more than 12 hours.

Slightly about five feet high and less than five feet wide, the i-MiEV is cozy, to say the least, and at just 2.400 pounds it is relatively light. Its battery, the size of a tatami mat and weighing about 400 pounds, is under the floor, which helps give the car a lower center of gravity.

The cars ' unexpected sturdiness and utility has pleased Mr. Masuko, who, like other automobile executives, has been battling skeptics who see electric vehicles as expensive and impractical.

"I am most impressed when I hear the words, ' I felt electric vehicles were unreliable at first, but now, the vehicles are being integrated into daily life, '" he wrote in an e-mail. "I am so glad I heard that our electric vehicles are contributing to the recovery of the affected areas. "

View the original article here

Vehicle to Grid - How Electric Vehicles Interact With a Smart Power Electricity Network

What is Vehicle to Grid

Also called Vehicle 2 Grid or V2G, Vehicle to Grid is the process of connecting your electric car into the transmission electricity network. If you have an electric vehicle then you will definitely want to consider setting up V2G through a simple metering system and contract with your local electricity supplier.

What do I need to consider before deciding to connect my vehicle to the grid?


Firstly you have to have an electric car which can be charged by a standard electricity outlet.
The second thing you will want to do is determine some basic driving habits - i.e. if you drive almost your entire vehicle range to work and back every day, then there is unlikely to be much energy left over to swap between your battery and the grid, which makes setting up V2G a little redundant
Having decided that V2G connectivity is possible and feasible, you will need to look at the right products on the market to help you achieve this. I.e. which inverter should be used and which electricity trading contract will suit your needs the best?
If you decide suddenly that V2G is not good for you, how can you get out of an otherwise more expensive contract?

Once these basic items have been checked off the list, it is time to call up your utility and start the process of applying for V2G. You can then purchase a suitable inverter which allows you to feed back into the grid (this will be similar if not identical to the type of inverters used on solar PV grid connected power supplies). Of course you will have to decide what sized inverter to go for.

For example, a 5kW inverter may cost $1000 and a 2kW inverter may cost $600. Therefore you have to be sure that you can recover the $400 over being able to sell a higher rate of electricity in peak times. Some simple maths will help you work out the optimal solution, but just be aware of the various pay offs for each option.

Why is Vehicle to Grid (V2G) Good?

Vehicle to Grid applications have a number of benefits for all sorts of businesses and stakeholders. Vehicle to Grid (V2G):


Empowers the home consumer to make sensible choices about when they use their electricity through smart metering
saves the consumer money in the long run through effective electricity management
is green! Every time you supply the grid with electricity during the yearly peak energy demand, you are reducing the need to upgrade the electricity network with more transmission lines and generators
You are helping to bring electric vehicles (EV's) onto the market
You are reducing your carbon footprint! This is a big ones these days
The electricity company can save money and reduce their unit electricity prices, or reduce the need to increase them
reduce the amount of electricity transmission line needed. I.e. the car transports the electricity to where it is needed.


Cuts down on the amount of fuel stations required
Reduces our addiction to foreign oil through the accelerated introduction of electric vehicles and ability to replace fossil fuel generation with renewable energy generation.
Allows more sustainable energy and renewable energy to be introduced onto the electricity grid, as electric vehicle batteries can now act as a buffer to intermittent generation.

The last point is an important one. Traditional transmission networks are struggling to cope with large percentages of intermittent renewable and sustainable energy generation, as electricity generation from these sources is largely dependent on the elements. Therefore to have the ability to store electricity somewhere is important. In many countries power utilities are approaching this by pumping water up a hill and regenerating during peak times (~60% efficiency) or storing hydrogen formed by electrolysis underground ready for re generation (~40% efficiency). Storing electricity in batteries is a much higher efficiency (60% - 90%) however is a little costly.

Japan uses large battery sheds to store small amounts of energy, however vehicle to grid systems also work very well as storage mechanisms and are likely to play this role in the future as more electric vehicles hit the market. How soon we will see such networks will largely rely on the countries commitment to renewable and sustainable energy sources, as well as the abundance of wind, sun and wave energy. Although many companies claim to have a green lining, short term economics of such projects still remains the number one driver for the introduction of such technology.

The advantage to the end consumer who is running a vehicle to grid system is the savings in electricity for essentially hiring out the storage space in their electric car battery. So as we can see, it is a win win for many as it not only reduces the stress on our electricity transmission and generation networks, allows more sustainable energy to be placed on the system with lower carbon emissions, but also saves the end user money whilst making electric vehicles more affordable. It also weans us off our foreign oil addiction through the cost effective introduction of electric vehicles, a topical issue as we approach peak oil status around the world.

For more information you may want to consult your electricity network to find out about their smart metering tariffs. You will also want to look into the purchase of an electric vehicle, or an electric vehicle conversion in able to make use of the vehicle-2-grid (V2G) technology. I guess we can all look forward to a cleaner, greener, cheaper carbon restrained future, and V2G is going to help us get there in a big way!

More information on Vehicle to Grid (V2G) at http://www.v2g.com.au.

http://www.sustainableenergy.com.au has plenty of information on solar PV, solar thermal, wind energy, geothermal generation, biomass and biofuel energy, peak oil, electric vehicles and other renewable and sustainable energy alternatives.

I look forward to seeing sustainable energy, electric vehicles and effective energy management bring us into the next era. Richard Watson http://www.richardwatson.me

A Car That Can Run on Water

Can you really run a car on water? Some say that's a flat-out scam, others say it's quite possible. With the high price of gas these days, this would be a true wonder car. But before you go adding water to your fuel tank, you need to learn the facts behind the technology.

The secret to adding water to a car for use as fuel, is to use a "kit" or "system." Water and gas can't mix, so these two items must be added to the engine separately. A special "kit" allows water to be converted to HHO, or "Brown's Gas," with the help of baking soda, potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. HHO was called Brown's Gas after Dr. Brown, who discovered this process in the 1960s.

Brown's Gas and gasoline mix together from two separate paths. HHO helps the gasoline to burn more efficiently by increasing octane and horse power. The source of electricity? Your car's battery, or a rechargeable solar battery powered by a solar panel (thin and aerodynamic), attached to the roof of your car.

Genepax, a Japanese company, has used water technology to successfully power a car. Using water fuel cells, Genepax created a car with an internal mechanism that breaks water down into hydrogen and oxygen, through a chemical reaction. However, detractors say, not so fast.

They say that every time there's an energy crisis, such alternative fuel vehicles make their appearance. And then they silently disappear, not to be heard from again. Some feel that's because there is a conspiracy to keep these cars off the market. Others say no such conspiracy exists -- the car simply didn't deliver on its promises.

The problem with many of these "alternative fuel" cars is that they simply exchange one source of fuel for another. That may be fine if the other fuel source is readily available and doesn't cost you an arm and a leg to buy. But often that's not the case. It may be a copyrighted or exclusive fuel source that could be even more expensive than the real thing. Or, if not more expensive, it could cause more of an energy drain on the economy to produce than gas itself. Can you spell "ethanol"?

Understandably, Genepax won't reveal the exact secret behind the technology for its water fuel car, but it did say that its "fuel cell stack" had a rated output of 120W and a fuel cell system with a rated output of 330W. Their car, if it manages to get into mass production, would retail for about U.S. $4,600.00. No, I didn't leave out a zero after the 4 -- that's actually what they said! We'll see how true to reality that price is, if indeed the vehicle makes it onto the market.

And a U.S company, Hydrogen Technologies Applications, say they too have combustion engines that run completely on their patented "Aquygen," or HHO. Steve Lusko, Project Manager, said that the company has already talked to a few auto companies about using the technology in their new vehicles.

Download our free 1 hour video tutorial to on how to install a water fuel cell into your car at
www.fuel-saving-tips.info

Air Cars, Trucks and Other Vehicles

The major expenses with vehicles are fuel and repairs.

My 72 Gran Torino gets 27-30 miles per gallon on the freeway, depending on the terrain, and 24 miles to the gallon city driving. She can haul 4 times the weight and 6 times the bulk of a new comparable vehicle. She is safer and more comfortable than any of these new vehicles.

Yet new vehicles only get 35 to 40 gallon per mile, can only haul 1/4 of the weight and can haul less than 1/6th of the bulk of the Gran Torino.

New vehicles are not an improvement on 36 plus years old vehicles.

Why not? A combustion engine is designed to burn fuel. Even if you actually 'improve' the engine (without sacrificing room, comfort, and safety of the vehicle) if you put more and more pull/drag on the engine with bigger alternators, smog pumps, air conditioning, etc., you have lost any efficiency gains.

Imagine: A full sized, very comfortable car. Why do you need a combustion engine, or a hybrid electric, or an electric with the electric motor and heavy batteries?

Weight!

A false roof over the roof of your car could easily contain hydrogen bags. Simple lift controls on the dash could release hydrogen to provide 'legal' lift.

'Legal' lift would probably be 'tires must touch the pavement' at first.

Remove the engine, clutch, transmission, radiator, muffler and fuel tanks.

Paint the engine compartment and the outside of the vehicle with photovoltaic solar paint and hang some lights to power the interior paint for night running. Install a few 12-volt automobile batteries and clean up the electric needs. Such as led head, tail, clearance and interior lights.

Of course all of the engine, transmission, clutch and other electronic gadgets would be gone and would no longer be pulling down on the batteries.

Electric fans installed where the radiator had been, with a slider plate leading to the air vents in the hood, small tube fans installed down the sides of the vehicle, and fans on top of the vehicle would provide the motivation needed.

The fan speed could be controlled by a pressure gauge/valve under the existing foot throttle.

You would no longer require mechanical brakes. A couple of fans dedicated reverse could be controlled by a pressure gauge/valve under the existing brake pedal.

As long as 'legal' lift was wheels on the ground you would have steering with your front tires controlled through the steering wheel.

However it will be necessary to install an upright rudder/tailfin and flaps to turn, raise and lower the vehicle when air born.

Imagine a vehicle you could easily repair!

This will work for any vehicle of any size, shape and weight, civilian or military.

For trailers you can bag the ceiling or bag the undercarriage. As long as you are being paid by weight, you will need to pump/compress your bagged hydrogen, so that the pay scales will show the correct weight. However while traveling, with your hydrogen bags inflated, no more overload tickets!

I give any patent rights to all people.

Rhondalyn Teel is a researcher and correlator. Search Rhondalyn Teel on http://www.lulu.com or on Kindle at http://www.amazon.com

Note: For background Read the articles 'Air Boats' and Air Airplanes' by Rhondalyn Teel

Electric Car Conversions - Basic Arguments

Now that the price of oil is unreasonably high, people are starting to really look into alternative fuels, myself included. Alternative methods of electricity generation such as wind, solar, tidal and wave energy are all well and good and can do a great job generating electricity for fixed resources. But what about a good mobile source of power? Something that would be able to replace gasoline or diesel fuel in cars and trucks? What kind of fuel would be good for that? Bio Diesel, ethanol, natural gas, propane or other organic fuels? All of these have to be burned to release their energy, plus they all have various toxic emissions of their own. Now, with all the concern over global warming and pollution issues they just don't stack up. Not to mention we don't have enough fertile land to keep up with growing demand for food, let alone adding a fuel source to the already strained farming industry. So what is the answer? Well I don't claim electricity is the end all be all, however it is a solution and a rather decent one at that.

Lets look at the basic operation of an electric car. It has an electric drive, a controller and batteries (these are the macro component groups). Electric motors are very simple devices consisting of a drive shaft, electro magnets and the housing (again over simplified, but it makes the point). Compare that to an IC (internal combustion) engine which has so many parts that it wouldn't make sense to list them all here. What am I getting at? Well, if you have heard of the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) principle, this falls right in line. What does that mean for the user? Frankly, less maintenance and less chance of issues. Now don't get me wrong a car is still a car and there are many other working parts that can break down, but in the end, simpler is better.

Now what kind of emissions does an electric car have? Locally, none. What the heck do you mean locally none? Well, when an electric car is using the stored energy from its batteries, there is nothing in terms of emissions generated. The motor is using the stored energy to make it turn. However that electricity has to be generated somehow and our current generation technologies have emissions, IE coal fired plants, nuclear plants and nat gas peaking plants. So in an ideal world we would use renewable energy such as wind and solar to charge our electric cars and there were be no emissions whatsoever.

What other benefits would we achieve from Electric Car Conversions? well, cars would be virtually silent when stopped, and the only sound when in motion would be tire noise, wind noise and miscellaneous others like brake and steering noises. Wouldn't that be nice? Sitting there in traffic (well the annoying part of sitting in traffic aside...) and not having to listen to other cars rumbling next to you? I think that would be a great benefit! Cutting down tremendously on noise pollution.

Now what are some of the main drawbacks to Electric Car Conversions? The one forefront in the minds of most people is limited range. It is terrible to think that you only have X number of miles you can travel in a day. Thats a strong argument, how do you respond to that? Well for most people the range of an electric car will be more than sufficient to cover all your daily driving. How many miles do you drive during a normal given day? According to the BTS (Bureau of Transportation Statistics) that number for the average American is going to be less than 40. If you have an electric car that is capable of 120 to 140 miles per charge, that would be more than sufficient. It would also allow you to do a whole lot more than that. The issues come when you start talking about long trips. At the moment they are a problem. At least with current chemical based batteries that take time to recharge. Hydrogen fuel cells are also batteries, however they are batteries that are refillable just like your gas tank is now. I won't delve into fuel cells in this article, but know that they are available now and are having a lot of research done to improve their technology and safety. Other drawbacks... You will hear people say, electric cars are great if you don't want heat or AC. That I believe, is a common misconception. It was true back in the day, but if I am not mistaken, you can run heaters and AC units off electricity. It will however decrease your miles per charge, but if you aren't driving to the full range of the car, this probably won't be a problem.

All of that being said, in terms of our automotive future I believe electric is the only way to go. What can you do right now? Well at the moment Electric Car Conversions are a good way to go. Since the automotive industry will be a while in bringing these cars to market, there are a whole wide range of cars out there that can be converted. In the near future I hope to convert my 03 Mitsubishi Lancer into an EV as my first project in this field. In doing so, I hope to generate some buzz in my local area for EV's.

Dan Lanpher
http://ev-convert.net

BMW's Hydrogen Hybrid Future

With BMW's announcement that they're developing several models of hybrid vehicle to be introduced over the next few years a new market segment is starting to emerge - the luxury hybrid. Well known for innovation, quality, and style in the standard car market, BMW's entry into the hybrid market is sure to have a positive effect on the future of non-fossil fuel powered vehicles.

BMW 7 Series Hybrid

The first BMW hybrid model to be available will be in the popular 7 Series. Already in testing, this car will run on both Hydrogen and gasoline. The primary challenge of developing this kind of hybrid in comparison to the fuel cell technology that other manufacturers are using is in keeping the Hydrogen in liquid form so it's usable by the engine.

Because Hydrogen is only liquid at very low temperatures and the natural state of the engine compartment is very hot, keeping the hydrogen from getting too hot and evaporating is a significant challenge. Issues with transporting and storing Hydrogen at fuel stations is also an issue as is making the fuel available in enough locations to give motorists enough places to refuel to make owning the car practical.

Hydrogen Power

In contrast to other car manufacturers who are concentrating on gas/electric hybrids with the eventual goal of producing all-electric vehicles, BMW's plan has nothing to do with electricity or the heavy and expensive batteries that storing and delivering electricity to a vehicle requires.

BMW already boasts a car that runs completely on water and, with their proven technology that produces Hydrogen from sunlight, they believe an entirely self-sustainable fuel system using solar cells to product Hydrogen that will then power the vehicle is viable within the next decade.

Into the Future

The driving force behind BMW's push for Hydrogen fueled vehicles are the benefits they believe Hydrogen has over alternate fuels like gasoline, electricity, or other solid fuels. Not does Hydrogen pose no environmental threat and produce no emissions it's also a completely renewable form of energy that uses no natural resources that aren't easily replenished.

BMW's plan to eventually produce a car that runs entirely on Hydrogen produced by boiling water with energy from the sun (through solar cells) is certainly an exciting notion. Only time will tell if they can pull it off but the incredible promise of what they're trying to do makes this writer hope that they do.

Jack is a freelance writer with a wide variety of interests and writing on a wide variety of topics. Take a look at his latest website on the slant fin baseboard at http://www.slantfinhumidifier.net/

Solar Energy As the Fuel of the Future

Solar energy is still in its early days. The future belongs to those who are wise. In another fifty years or less, our current energy sources will be death and will be no longer available for us. So, one should prepare himself to sustain in this world without consuming lots of energy resources. The only alternate way to survive is to find and maximize the usage of alternate energy sources. In that aspect, solar energy is one of the best options.

Few years ago tapping the solar energy was a problem. It was usable only during the daytime. The storage of these resources prove to be expensive. Now MIT researchers have found a way to solve this problem. Solar energy can be used to split the water into oxygen and hydrogen. Then both the gases are grouped into a cell to produce electricity. This is purely a green gas.

It is estimated that one hour of sunlight is enough to cater the energy needs of the entire planet for one year. We can construct the solar cells through which electricity is produced. The same panel may be used to heat water by solar heating. Solar cookers can be used extensively. The extended application of this is the solar furnaces. As of now, a maximum of 3000 degree celcius is obtained in France.

Future technology:

The split hydrogen in water can be used to run hydrogen based cars. The solar cells provide energy that is used to run satellites that orbit the earth surface. As a result, we get satellite television, phones, weather forecasting and other technical advancements. The same GPS technology is used to see the positions of vehicles globally. Solar towers can be constructed. The idea is to build a green house building which will have a tower at the center. Hot air will fast rise up the tower and this hot air can be used to drive the turbines and produce electricity.

Was this article useful or what?! Really, Solar Energy , is one of the best renewable energy sources. If you want to learn more about solar energy and its benefits and some other great ways to cut off your energy bills, feel free to visit us at: Efficient Planet Review [http://www.efficientplanetreview.com/], I'm Steven Gray. Efficient Planet Review ™ Expert.

The Future of Electric Cars

What does the future look like? Well, let me look into my crystal ball... (ok, now I lost you). The point is, if I knew that, I would be a pretty popular guy. Well, maybe. But let's stick to the topic...

Most of us have read the headlines and ads: "Coming Soon....2010, 2011, 2012..." the Chevy Volt or the plug-in Prius, or the Chrysler and Jeep hybrids, or whatever. What do these all have in common? They are Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs), which means that you can plug them in at night and run for as much as 40 miles without using a drop of gasoline.  How about the Ford Focus Electric car or the E-Mini Cooper? These are pure electrics that have an electric-only range of 100 mi. or more. But then you either need to stop for a few hours while they recharge or you need a special facility to quick charge them or change out the battery packs. Then there are Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs). You know, the ones that look like glorified golf carts or oversize mailboxes, are limited to 25 or 35 MPH and have names like Zap or ZENN. They fill a narrow niche, but are still popular and available today from companies like Global Electric Motors (GEM) and Feel Good Cars.  

And what about storage? Batteries are the main problem with electric cars, at present. To pack enough energy in a small, lightweight, stable package is the boon of many a developer, and has been since the days of Edison. But rest assured. There are hundreds, if not thousands of scientists, inventors and developers working on that problem as we speak. Trust me, it will not be long before we have cost-effective energy solutions that allow us to store an immense amount of energy in a small package. In many ways the technology exists in Lithium-Ion, Lithium-polymer, Nickel Metal Hydride, etc. But it takes mass production to get the costs down. Once again, the chicken-or-egg thing. The more electric cars built or converted, the lower the prices will be. The same goes for solar panels. As they become more efficient and less costly, we will see them more and more on the roofs of electric cars.

My opinion, the hybrid is a weaning device. It is not an alternative energy vehicle. We will grow out of them just as quickly as we grow out of toddler pants with the quick-change snaps. Today's so-called hybrid electric vehicles run on gasoline. Period. Even plug-in hybrids are a phase-out product (albeit longer term). Once we get a taste of freedom from oil companies, we will never want to go back. Does that mean pure-electric is the answer? Maybe, but maybe not. 

What about the Honda Civic CNG or the FCX/Clarity? Are these the future, or are they merely a crossover into the future? Until the laws change, the EPA is the roadblock to CNG and similar conversions. In any case, these still emit toxins into the air, granted, at a much lower rate than gasoline. Hydrogen power may be a smarter way to go. About all you emit when burning hydrogen is water vapor. But there is still a lot of development yet to be done in that area. Honda has made huge strides in development, but they are holding their cards close, maybe waiting to see what happens in the market first. But let's talk about that for a minute... If you look closely at the integration of the fuel cell in the Honda Clarity, you'll notice that it's actually an electric car. The hydrogen-powered fuel-cell generates electricity, which powers the electric motor that drives the vehicle. That's the beauty of electric - it is efficient and versatile. So is the electric car a passing fad? Not hardly. I predict that because electricity can be utilized so efficiently and can be easily obtained from renewable sources, the electric car industry will drive all other alternative fuels (so-to-speak). The electric motor could end up being the platform on which all other alternative fuels depend. Even now, you can hook up a bio-diesel powered generator to your electric car to extend it's range.

Right now, electric cars show the most potential for longevity and integration into the future of the auto industry. They have been proven effective in pure, hybrid and cross-platform implementation. To convert your car to electric today is not just a fad, it's an investment into the future. The electric conversion today could literally become the hydrogen car of tomorrow. I've decided electric is the way to go. Give it a try yourself and join hundreds of others who enjoy a smooth, efficient, peppy, zero-emissions ride. Go ahead and tackle that electric Porsche conversion you've been dreaming about.

Check out my web site for some ideas on where to start. Technical specialist, Do-it-yourself-er and writer, J.D. Kennedy offers down-to-earth reviews and suggestions for everyday alternative energy products, books and DIY guides at http://www.CleanEnergySolutionZ.com. New reviews are constantly being added, so check back regularly or subscribe.

If you want to get a jump start on converting your car, truck or SUV to electric, the most up-to-date EV conversion book was written by Gavin Shoebridge, the New Zealander who converted his own car from scratch with no prior experience and posted it on YouTube. You can read my EV book review, or if you are serious about moving forward, you can go ahead and try Electric Conversion Made Easy [http://www.EV-Secrets.info/] .

Kwik Trip Boosts Electric Car Charging Presence - NACS Online

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Kwik Trip has started to install electric charging stations at all new stores, the Midwest Energy News reports. Thus far, 25 locations in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin have the 110-volt charging stations.  

Some have criticized the chain for such a low-power charger that will not fully recharge vehicles, but Kwik Trip says the stations provide the foundation for updating to higher voltage chargers in the future.

Thus far, Kwik Trip has not seen much use on its Level 1 charging stations, said spokesman Dave Ring. “We want to be ahead of the curve instead of reacting to it.” 

The chain received no tax incentives or government money for installing the chargers, but Ring indicated Kwik Trip would not rule out those avenues later on if higher-level stations are needed.

Across the country, gasoline stations and cities are considering the viability of offering electric charging stations. St. Paul, Madison, Kansas City and Chicago have, or will soon have, charging venues in public and private locations. On the West Coast, a coalition of private and public groups is working to construct a “green highway” of such stations from Vancouver to San Diego.  

“Most gas stations don't make money on gasoline, they make it on soda and coffee and potato chips,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center. “So it may well be that certain service stations or toll plazas will offer car charging to get people in the store to buy those things. It's a rapidly emerging market…We expect most people will tend to charge cars at home overnight when [electricity] market prices are lowest. But many will want the convenience of charging during the day.”

View the original article here

Save on Gas, Buy an Electric Car

Had enough of soaring gas prices? Then consider buying an electric car. Manufacturers today around the globe are now developing alternative fuel vehicles. The alternative fuels being considered are methane, propane, ethanol, compressed gas and electricity. Since the trend is toward producing and buying environmentally friendly cars, nearly every major manufacturer has at least one green power vehicle in their inventory. Among the many options that are currently explored, the electric car is the most viable choice. These new cars offer advantages in so many ways over gas powered vehicles.

Why are gas prices rising so rapidly these days? Fist of all, it took over 200 million years for the oil to form, if existing rates of consumption continue, the world's residual oil would be exhausted in 40 years. Presently, 2/3of the oil used around the world powers vehicles, and half of it are passenger cars and light trucks. In addition, global warming phenomenon is attributed to pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuel. The rising temperatures can cause rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, diminished agricultural yields, and glacial melting and/or disappearances.

The manufacturing companies recognize the following as alternative fuels: Mixtures containing alcohol fuel (methanol and denatured ethanol), natural gas (compressed or liquefied), Liquefied petroleum gas (propane), hydrogen, coal-derived fuels, fuels from biological materials, electricity (including solar energy) and 100% biodiesel. There are two types of alternative fuel vehicles - those originally designed to run on these new fuels and those that are converted to run on alternative fuels. Car companies will also make hybrid vehicles that can run on either gasoline or alternative fuel. These are called "green vehicles" because of their positive effect on the environment.

Believe it or not, electric cars have been around for a long time. In the early 1900s, there were more electric vehicles than there were gasoline-powered cars. In the 1920's when vehicles were becoming more popular, gasoline was very expensive. But these vehicles soon faded away like the horse-drawn carriage when new technologies for gasoline engines were developed.

Today however, new and innovative cars are evolving faster than ever with the same flow of electrons that powers your television or iPod can now provide the energy needed to move a vehicle. This car is exactly what it says it is. You plug it into an electrical outlet to charge the battery and then drive without using any fuel at all. Vehicles that run on electricity require no warm up, no tailpipe emissions, run nearly silently and have excellent performance. Also, electric cars are inexpensive to refuel or recharge. The only drawback is that it must remain stationary in as little as an hour during charging.

Using a green power vehicle, primarily an electric car is a necessary thing and a step towards real progress. These vehicles are still expensive to buy than gasoline cars, but when more and more cars are made, the prices should eventually drop to about the same as a regular car. So do yourself a favor, save on gas and the environment. Buy an electric car today.

Roberto Santos,
Internet Marketer
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Solar Energy Beginning to Revolutionize Cars

Fully solar cars are a long way off if they ever materialize at all. But solar enhanced cars are definitely in the near future. For example, Toyota's Prius has an optional solar panel that powers it's ventilation system totally on its own power. You know how when you leave you car too long in the sun on a hot sunny day how hot the interior is when you first sit down?

The purpose of the ventilation system is to help cool off the parked car on those hot sunny days. You can start the fan by remote control before you reach the car. This starts the cooling off of the car before you even get in. As a result, once you start the car, the air conditioner doesn't have to work as hard to bring the temperatures down to a comfortable level. This process saves energy all around.

Solar power is competing with other energy efficient technologies such as hydro-electricity to become the wave of the future as far as powering cars, van, and trucks.

Solar cars work by converting sunlight directly into electricity. Technology has already advanced far enough to be able to guide the development of solar powered golf carts and bicycles. In fact the first solar cars were actually bicycles called solarmobiles. Solar powered cars are a ways off, however, as the surface area of the car severely limits the amount of electricity that can be generated from the sun.

Solar powered cars derive their energy directly from the sun via photovoltaic panels. But the panels in electric cars are not yet powerful and efficient enough to power a vehicle as big as an electric car for long distances. The limitation is the small amount of available space on a car to hold the solar panels. The solar power panels can, however, supplement the primary means of powering the car whether it's electric, gas, or hydrogen powered.

Having a car completely powered by solar energy is a dream and it's one that won't come to fruition until many years at the earliest.

Many believe that instead of attempting to create a fully solar powered car that time is better spent developing an electric car and merely use solar power to generate electricity to power the electric car's battery.

The thought is that smart grid technology will enable electric cars to be recharged during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper. The other alternative is that the car will be recharged at any time using solar generated power.

Not content with waiting until full fleets of electric cars are roaming the highways, some companies are getting a head start on the new eco energy age by manufacturing solar carports. These are fully solar powered structures that allow you to plug in your electric car and recharge it for later usage. The excess electricity that it generates can be used to provide supplemental electricity for your home.

Toyota is the largest automaker to date to place solar power into a mass produced car such as the Prius. But, you can be sure that more are on the horizon.

John Kuzniar is a freelance writer who writes articles relating to alternative energy usages. For articles on solar panel electricity, solar hot water panels, and other energy saving resources please visit his site.

Honda is Cold Towards the Near Future of Electric Cars

Honda, the maker of highly efficient petrol powered engines, is quite skeptical about electric cars being the future of the automobile. The president of the Honda Research & Development unit, Tomohiko Kawanabe, stated that the lack the confidence in electric vehicle technology and that it is questionable that consumers will "accept the annoyances of limited driving range and having to spend time charging them".

While Kawanabe stated that Honda was conducting research of electric vehicles, he said that he still does not recommend them due to limitations in their range and methods of 'refueling'. Like the statement made by the Ferrari CEO reported earlier that Ferrari were only grudgingly adopting hybrid technology, Honda too is doing the same and will sell electric vehicles in the United States of America. The reason being that is has to meet the stringent California emissions regulations where the largest car manufacturers by volume will have to sell a combined total of 60,000 plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles by 2012 or the very latest by 2014.

Honda have been developing battery powered electric cars over the last 22 years and had leased out the EV Plus electric car in America and Japan in the late 1990s. The car had a range of between 160-210km on a single charge which is impressive even by today's standards. It was supposedly loved by those who ran them but them the program was halted. Honda had by the mid2000s switched their priorities towards developing efficient hybrid cars and hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles.

The hydrogen car is what Honda believes to be the ultimate zero emissions vehicle. I suppose this was after all the number crunching and the results from running an electric car long before everyone actually did so.

This is opposite to Nissan's train of thought. They believe that their Nissan Leaf is the first step towards an electric car future which will eventually be sales of about 500,000 units per year across the globe from 2012. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that electric vehicles will make up 10% of the global car market by 2020.

This could be the makings of a new VHS or BETAMAX, Blu-Ray or that other format kind of video format war, and someone is bound to lose. For me personally, and those that do long commutes will never fancy electric vehicles as they still have limited range. And it is not really zero emissions per se, unless the source of electricity is clean like solar or hydro electricity. If it is ultimately made from a coal, diesel or even a low emissions gas burning power plant, then it still defeats the ultimate purpose. You may be saving the environment where you drive, but you still consume more energy that is being made somewhere that is not very ecologically friendly.

Furthermore the batteries used in an electric vehicle could have its nickel dug up in Canada, sent to China for processing and packaging, then sent to Japan for another round of packaging at say, Sanyo, Japan, and then to the car manufacturing factory. Then after assembly the car is exported out to America, Canada (a full circle for the nickel in the batteries), Europe and everywhere else around the world. Can you actually imaging the carbon footprint of the battery that is in the electric vehicle? It travels everywhere around the world to get to where we are before we can use it.

And does anyone really know whether the batteries will be properly recycled after they've run their lifespan? These batteries may be sold to scrap dealers in India who have the cheapest labour and therefore very environmentally un-friendly in their means of recycling the nickel in the batteries. In our humid weather, the batteries may not even have very long lifes. As I said earlier, it has to last as long as our hand held telephones for it to be consumer friendly.

My vote is with Honda even though I do not like the hybrid tech which both Honda and Toyota seem to promote. Why have two engines to produce 45mpg when a proper small petrol can even make 55mpg with one efficient petrol engine? This vote of confidence is regardless whatever the outcome is a decade from now.

The author is an expert in new car and drives a Nissan.

The Alternative Fuel Car - What Are Your Choices?

In a previous article, we discussed how alternative-fuel cars came to be developed and why they are now becoming popular. The next question is: what exactly are the choices available to consumers who are interested in this type of vehicle?

Following are some of the better-known versions of cars that use non-traditional fuel:

* Compressed air cars are emission-free piston engines that use compressed air as a source of energy. They achieve this when cold expanded air from a pressurized carbon-fiber tank is warmed with environmental heat at normal temperature. This air is then delivered to the engine as its energy source.

* Battery electric vehicles use batteries like lead acid, absorbed glass mat, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, lithium poly and zinc-air as their energy source. These batteries are rechargeable, but they are expensive.

* Solar cars are electric vehicles that run through solar energy. These vehicles have solar panels that trap the energy from the sun and convert it to electric energy. Though it is good that the energy it uses is just free, it is not very practical to use as a form of transportation. Now, it is commonly used in car race competitions in Australia, United States and Canada.

* The ammonia-fueled car has a diesel engine that has been modified for ammonia use. During combustion, it has no emissions but it can be more dangerous compared to petrol or LPG.

* Biofuel cars use one of these three: bio-alcohol called ethanol, biodiesel, or biogas. The use of ethanol as an engine fuel is a renewable resource since it can come from sugar-rich crops. It is very promising due to its environmental and economical advantages.

Biodiesel on the other hand, has lower density than its fossil diesel counterpart. The only advantage for biodiesel is that it produces lower emissions than diesel and gasoline engines. Finally, biogas is the one utilized when unrefined gas has been purified. In the process, water, particles and hydrogen sulfide is removed.

* Hydrogen cars use hydrogen either through combustion or fuel-cell conversion to make motor engines work. The only byproduct of both processes is water and heat so it is not harmful to the environment.

* Liquid nitrogen cars are cars that readily refill nitrogen gas when it runs out. This is attained by storing energy and by using this energy to liquefy air. As air is liquefied, liquid nitrogen is produced through evaporation and is distributed throughout the engine. When heat is exposed to liquid nitrogen, it results into an energy source that can power up the engine.

* A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) car uses propane and butane as its power source. It undergoes the traditional combustion process just like gasoline, but yields lesser amounts of carbon dioxide.

* Steam engine cars are those that burn wood, coal or ethanol in a broiler. The heat produced converts the water into steam, which in turn creates pressure. This pressure now allows the engine to move. These cars take quite a long time to start up, but once on track, it can reach up to a hundred miles per hour. They're good for transportation, but are extremely costly.

* Hybrid cars are also known as petrol-electric hybrids or gasoline-electric hybrids. These use a lot of systems to make a car work. Initially they have a petrol engine, and then they also have an electric motor that jolts in at various stages to save petroleum. Currently, Toyota Prius is the first and largest manufactured commercial hybrid car in Japan since its creation in 1997. This was followed by Honda in 1999, when they released their Honda Insight.

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The Car Of The Future

The car of the future should definitely have certain features destined to fulfill completely the customer's needs. When producing a good car, the engineers should keep in mind the protection of the environment, its comfort and utility, and also the energy efficiency that automatically influences the buyer's pocket.

Future car technologies refer to both new materials and energy sources in order to make the vehicle more efficient, more comfortable, safer and less polluting. In order to find the best automobile prototype, engineers came up with different ideas, including bio fuel, bio diesel, solar, hybrid and hydrogen engine.

If we are to think about the transformations cars went through along the years, we can say that a lot has changed. Nowadays there are cars of different size and shape, with a great variety of accessories. But the real transformations took place on the electrical and engine parts.

In what the engine is concerned, people tried to produce one that could function on less money, protect nature and work much better than the previous. One step forward was the introduction of diesel combustion engines that could have a better fuel burn efficiency and a higher energy density by volume that gasoline. This way, a certain fuel economy was made.

As diesel and gasoline became more expensive, engineers looked for other fuels to make the engine work. Among the most common, we mention the solar power engine, hybrid engine that uses both fuel and electricity, and the hydrogen engine used on high speed cars.

Another characteristic of the car of the future refers to the electronic part. This includes all the functions that make the driver feel less stressful behind the wheel. The regenerative braking that recharges the batteries when used, the automatic parking, navigation and multimedia systems are only few concerns for the engineers nowadays. They are trying to improve the traffic by signalizing the traffic jams and even to establish a car to car communication.

This much expected car of the future will surely bring a lot of money to companies specialized in vehicle leasing. This is due to the fact that many people will want to come in the possession of such automobiles that most of them won't be able to pay in cash. The only way to do so will be through leasing companies.

If you or your business require contract hire, car or van leasing and hire throughout the UK, then vehicle leasing is the right choice for you.