| |
| Car Insurance - super low rates on car insurance from gmac! get a quote today!
| |
| | |
Toyota Prius Online Community with News, Forums, & Research
| | | Charlotte Business | Charlotte Observer
Most of the info isn't new, but I'm glad my local power company is thinking ahead. I didn't know they were testing some plug-in Priuses, and the bit about taking power from your car for use on the grid is new to me.
Quote:
This vehicle (the Volt) is real. It's coming into production, said Britta Gross, a GM engineer. We know that when the vehicle is in the showroom and ready for sale, it's got to work seamlessly with the infrastructure.
Duke has been working on a new smart grid in Charlotte for several years with future widespread production of electric cars in mind.
The Charlotte-based utility has been installing two-way data communication devices on its power lines and new smart meters on selected Charlotte homes to research how it could work. It has retrofitted several Toyota Prius hybrids so the batteries can be recharged in home outlets.
The grid would allow two-way data communication with the new electric cars when they are plugged in. The system could signal when cheap power is available for the six- to eight-hour recharge time or draw unused juice from the car's battery to help meet high power demand on the grid if the car's owner is out of town, for example.
| | | |
By Rybold at 07/23/2008 - 3:38am
|  Utilities say grid can handle rechargeable cars
"Automakers, such as General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., are planning to bring rechargeable vehicles to the market as early as 2010. But speakers at the Plug-In 2008 conference say...
"We see the vehicle penetration levels coming at a rate that's manageable," said Efrain Ornelas, environmental technical supervisor with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in San Francisco. "It's not like tomorrow the flood gates are going to open and 100,000 vehicles are going to come into San Francisco."
Most electric cars will likely be charged during off-peak times. In California, PG&E charges 30 cents per kilowatt hour to charge an electric vehicle during peak hours, he said, but charges only 5 cents from midnight to 7 a.m.
"Industry officials say they can manage the fleet changeover [even easier if] the cars and the utilities each have computers in place to manage when the cars are recharged."
Utilities say grid can handle rechargeable cars: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance | | |
By clett at 07/22/2008 - 11:31am
|
Over here in Europe, we are soon to get the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic:
Green Car Congress: Ford of Europe Introduces Fiesta ECOnetic; 63.6 mpg US
Fuel consumption of 3.7 L/100km (63.6 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 98 g/km on the combined cycle.
Extra-urban highway fuel consumption is 3.2 L/100km (73.5 mpg US).
Acceleration from 0-100 kph in 12.3 seconds and top speed of 178 kph (111 mph).
 | | |
| | Quote: |
Chicago (IL) - Coulomb Technologies has come up with a technology that could deliver a vehicle recharging technology to municipalities and parking lot owners by the end of the year.
| Full story. | | |
| |
"Nissan cars sold in North America and Europe will feature solar chargers from ICP Solar, under a sales agreement announced Tuesday by the two companies.
The chargers will serve to keep the 12-volt batteries of new Nissans charged while they are parked on sales lots."
| | |
| | Quote: |
July 17, 2008 Britain's Axon claims that its newly patented mass-production techniques will make carbon composite car frames and bodywork even cheaper than their metal counterparts - and only 40% as heavy. What a revolutionary technology this could be - the power to weight ratio of any vehicle on the planet could be dramatically increased for no extra cost! The company plans to release a highly affordable 500cc passenger car making at least 100mpg from a basic petrol engine in 2010, and Axon is confident its simple, lightweight solution to the fuel economy challenge will be highly competitive against the big competition in the Progressive Automotive X-Prize contest.
| Full article.
Perhaps this is somewhat off topic since this is not a hybrid, but with the claimed MPG of this car, I figured I would post it anyway.
I would love to see this become reality. Maybe it will give the major auto makers the "kick" they need to make their vehicles with light-weight materials. I would love to see a Prius or other hybrid made this way.
Thanks to this site. | | |
| |
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:10 PM.
