|
|
News Archive
Friday, November 28, 2003
Mazda introduces petrol-electric four-wheel drive Demio
News from Just-Auto.com:
Though it does not call the new model a 'hybrid', Mazda Motor Corporation has added three petrol/electric-powered four-wheel-drive (e-4WD) models to its Demio compact car lineup (the domestic-market equivalent of the export 2) and updated the rest of the range. The new range is now on sale through the Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Mazda Autozam dealer networks.
Read the full article... (Subscription Required)
Friday, November 28, 2003
Zhongqiang Develops New Electric Car
News from ELECTRIC & HYBRID VEHICLES TODAY:
Industry officials in China recently reported that lithium-ion (Li-ion)
battery manufacturer Zhongqiang Power-tech Company, Ltd. has announced the
development of the new Hongqi electric-powered car.
According to officials, Zhongqiang claims the new car, which is equipped
with 86 polymer Li-ion batteries, can travel approximately 316 kilometers
(about 196 miles) per four-hour charge and can reach speeds of up to 120
kilometers per hour (about 75 miles per hour).
Officials noted that the company expects the new car to "grow and prosper"
in China, as it features "high energy, high security, convenience and
environmental protection."
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Vancouver, BC Task Force to attack city air pollutants
News from Canada.com:
A plan for the city to do its part to curtail global warming to go to council some time next year
Diesel engines partially fuelled by vegetable oil that once cooked french fries are part of a City of Vancouver plan to slash air pollutants that hasten global warming.
The draft plan of the Cool Vancouver Task Force -- a copy of which has been obtained by The Vancouver Sun -- is to be made public today.
It spells out all the things the city can do to make good on its 1995 pledge of a 20-per-cent-cut from 1990 levels in greenhouse gas emissions produced by city facilities and city employees on the job.
The target deadline is 2010, when Vancouver and Whistler will host the Winter Olympic Games, which are supposed to highlight environmental sustainability and stewardship.
...
Cadman said Robert Safrata, chief executive officer of the Novex courier company, has hosted two meetings, each attended by about 20 business people who are concerned about climate change and "want to get on board" by reducing greenhouse gases.
Safrata said business people are searching for the same solutions being studied by the Cool Vancouver Task Force. At Novex, for example, 10 cars in the 100-car fleet have been replaced with new gasoline-electric hybrid cars.
Read the full article...
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Look out, Segway, and hello there, Harley-Davidson. Saga mo-ped to join the race
News from Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter, By Dan Richman:
Watch out, Segway -- here comes the EPIC Saga, an electric-powered mo-ped whose Seattle-area inventors hope it will change the world's personal-transport habits.
Candy-apple red and fetchingly streamlined, the Saga glistens under spotlights in an oversized Lynnwood storage locker that doubles as a showroom and workshop. The hand-built prototype, 15 years in development, does work. But few people have set eyes on it.
No country's transportation ministers -- they might steal the idea, said Saga's prime mover, Boeing Co. tool-and-die maker Bill McCoskey, 55. No venture capitalists or government funders -- they'd want a share of the profits, added McCoskey's business partner, engineer Robert Welch, 58.
To bring the Saga to the masses "requires finding the right person, in the right company, to get excited about it," Welch said. The men are about to approach Harley-Davidson.
Once a deal is made, it will just be a matter of several million sales a year before the bike's most innovative, important feature becomes affordable: propulsion assisted by a compact, 350-watt fuel cell burning propane or methane.
Read the full article...
Monday, November 24, 2003
EVS-20 "Powering Sustainable Transportation" - Conference Summary
News from Electrifying Times:
November 22nd, 2003 ::: EVS-20 put on by EDTA (Electric Drive Transportation Association) was the largest (2000 engineers/presenters) event I have been to so far in the last 20 years with over 100 electric drive businesses and many technical sessions for three days. The ride and drive program was the largest I have been to also with electrics, hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. Some of the new battery technologies such as lithium polymer and sodium nickel are required to run hot and require elaborate thermal and equalizing battery management systems.
Read the full article...
Monday, November 24, 2003
Global Electric Begins Product Of Landmark `R' Car Project Ahead Of Schedule
News from PrimeZone Media Network:
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. and LAS VEGAS, Nov. 24, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Whistler Investments, Inc. (Name change pending to Global Electric) (OTCBB:WHSL) announced today the production has been initiated on the highly anticipated "R" car project.
The "R" car is the latest edition to the Global Electric alternative energy source vehicle lineup. The previously announced NEV (Neighborhood electric vehicle) was a huge success from a design and technology standpoint; therefore, production on the flagship "R" car has been fast tracked due to international industry and media attention.
The anticipated use for the "R" car is for medium to long range trip as well as client district use. The technology applied within the "R" car is created by Chaz Haba, world-renowned electric propulsion and alternative energy physicist.
Production of the "R" car will take place in Los Angeles, California and plans to build a production facility in southern California high on the corporate agenda as the "R" car is expected to surpass industry analysts expectations this year.
Holly Roseberry, President of Global Electric, stated that "This vehicle represents the jewel in our crown as we are producing a vehicle that will not only meet the industries expectations but will surpass them. Our intention is not to complete with other electric vehicle companies, our goal is to produce a vehicle that stands alone and this vehicle serves that purpose."
Read the full article...
Sunday, November 23, 2003
NEDRA Racing
News from Brian D. Hall of ThunderStruck-ev.com:
Looks like we need to work through the Holiday's to be ready for NEDRA's first EVent of the year. May need battery warmers too.
Our Pre-Season Opener/Test and Tune will be January 24, 2004 at the Las
Vegas Motor Speedway.
Saturday, November 22, 2003
New News Service
News from the Webmaster:
As part of the ongoing improvements here at oeva.org, a new section has been added to the website to list the latest news from the world of Electric Vehicles and other progressive energy and transportation issues.
We will use this post items that have been updated on the site, newsletters that the Association publishes and other items of interest.
If you have a suggestion for a news item, or would like to contribute on a regular basis, send me an e-mail.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
MOTOR TREND Names Toyota Prius 2004 Car of the Year
News from PRNewswire:
NEW YORK, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- MOTOR TREND magazine, the world's #1 automotive authority and part of the PRIMEDIA Consumer Automotive Group, today announced the selection of the Toyota Prius as the 2004 Car of the Year. Now in its 55th year, the title of MOTOR TREND Car of the Year is the most coveted and most recognized award in the automotive industry.
"We realize the selection of a hybrid vehicle is going to stir controversy, but we believe the performance, engineering advancements, and overall significance of the Toyota Prius merits the distinction of MOTOR TREND's Car of the Year," said Kevin Smith, editor-in-chief of MOTOR TREND. "The Prius is a capable, comfortable, fun-to-drive car that just happens to get spectacular fuel economy. It also provides a promising look at a future where extreme fuel-efficiency, ultra-low emissions, and exceptional performance will happily coexist. That makes it meaningful to a wide range of car buyers."
After weeks of exhaustive testing, MOTOR TREND editors found the Toyota Prius to be a user-friendly gas/electric hybrid capable of delivering an impressive 60 miles per gallon in city driving. It is the first of such vehicles to move into the automotive mainstream, with performance, style and quality. Spacious enough to be classified as a midsize sedan, the Prius' futuristic bodywork, innovative Hybrid Synergy Drive, pleasing interior and five-door hatchback design, clearly placed it above the competition.
Read the full article...
Monday, November 17, 2003
Electric Vehicle Technologies Introduces New Electric Scooter: the ION
News from PRNewswire:
SKOKIE, Ill., Nov. 17 -- Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc. (EVT), a pioneering manufacturer of next-generation electric-powered personal transportation, is debuting a new electric-powered scooter: the ION. The ION couples innovative design engineering with the public demand for clean, responsible transportation alternatives. EVT is the first to design an all- electric, zero-emission, U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant motor scooter designed for public roads.
With the ION, riders can avoid the messy gas, oil, plugs, grease, and noisy mufflers of gas engines, and benefit from ultra-clean, smooth power. The ION is simple and smart. Riders just need to plug the charger into any common 110-volt outlet, and in a few hours the ION is fully charged and ready to go for only pennies a charge.
The ION's silent operation makes it a pleasure to ride in urban areas. "A lot of gas scooters use loud and noxious, two-stroke engines," said Ryan Adelman, marketing manager at Electric Vehicle Technologies. "People are accustomed to hearing that whining, weed-whacker noise. There's a magical feel to the ION scooter. It's incredibly powerful, in a package that's amazingly quiet."
Read the full article...
Friday, November 14, 2003
Hybrid Electric Volkswagen New Beetle Developed By TNO Automotive Powered By UQM(R) Generator
News from PRNewswire-FirstCall:
FREDERICK, Colo., Nov. 14 -- UQM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. , a developer of alternative energy technologies, announced today that a series hybrid electric Volkswagen New Beetle developed by TNO Automotive, Delft, The Netherlands, will be on display at the EVS-20 Exhibition in Long Beach, California November 15 through 18, 2003.
The Volkswagen New Beetle on display is powered by 1.2 liter, three cylinder TDI diesel engine driving a UQM(R) 42 kW permanent magnet generator which produces the power to recharge a nickel metal hydride battery pack. In a series hybrid electric vehicle the engine is not connected to the wheels and is used solely to generate the power required for vehicle operation.
Power and thermal management for the vehicle are performed by a CAN enabled microcontroller. The vehicle is capable of traveling up to 10 kilometers in all-electric mode and consumes approximately 4.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers during hybrid electric operation, reducing fuel consumption by 30 to 35 percent versus a conventionally powered New Beetle.
"We are pleased that TNO Automotive has selected a UQM(R) generator to power their hybrid electric Volkswagen New Beetle. TNO Automotive is a leading provider of research, development and engineering services and products to the automobile industry, government agencies and other organizations throughout the world and we are pleased to have them as a customer," said William G. Rankin, President and Chief Executive Officer of UQM Technologies, Inc.
"The UQM(R) generator powering our hybrid electric Volkswagen New Beetle has met all of our expectations, delivering 42 kW of continuous power with exceptional energy efficiency from a compact and lightweight machine. We believe the hybrid electric powertrain developed by TNO Automotive for the New Beetle has additional applications for urban distribution trucks, military vehicles, people movers and urban buses and we are looking forward to pursuing these additional opportunities," said Salem Mourad, Business Manager Advanced Powertrains for TNO Automotive.
Read the full article...
Thursday, November 13, 2003
GEM Neighborhood Electric Vehicles Solidify Market in 2003
News from PRNewswire-FirstCall:
LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 13 -- More than 28,000 GEM electric vehicles will be in use by the end of 2003, solidifying the company's status as the nation's number one producer of street-legal electric vehicles.
"When we look back on 2003, we will see it as the year that GEM caught on," said Larry Oswald, CEO of Global Electric Motorcars, the division of DaimlerChrysler that produces GEMs. "The GEM market is gathering momentum, and we are on track to achieve our long-term goal of establishing GEM neighborhood electric vehicles as a sustainable business," Oswald said.
Meanwhile, GEM has benefited from the engineering capabilities of DaimlerChrysler, resulting in continuous improvements in quality and onboard features of the zero emission vehicles.
Oswald will brief the media on the GEM electric vehicle business Nov. 16 at EVS-20, the international electric vehicle symposium and exhibition held in Long Beach, California.
Customers for GEMs have come from the growing planned community segment, industrial and commercial parks and manufacturing facilities. College campuses have also been a popular site for GEMs. In addition to ongoing retail sales, DaimlerChrysler has partnered with city, state and Federal governments to put GEMs to use in urban areas, parks, military bases and other government facilities.
Read the full article...
|
