Plug-in hybrid, all-electric or fuel cell? Car-makers are hedging their bets on what will emerge as the next generation engine technology of choice â€" now it seems another alternative approach could well be set to enter the mix. Scottish engineering firm Artemis Intelligent Power has tested a hybrid system that it claims can cut carbon emissions by 30%, with the added advantage that it is better suited to inter-urban journeys than conventional hybrids like the Toyota Prius. In common with other hybrids, the system employs a regenerative braking system that stores energy as the vehicle slows down, and feeds it back into the engine as it accelerates. The key innovation is that instead of storing the energy in a battery, the new system stores it in a hydraulic accumulator. According to Artemis, the system, independently tested in a BMW530i prototype, records superior fuel efficiency because it is only a third of the size and weight of a battery hybrid. The tests also discovered that it doubled fuel efficiency and cut carbon emissions by around a third compared to cars powered by conventional engines. The compressed-gas technology also beats battery-hybrids at capturing and delivering energy, especially on the open highway. Since conventional hybrids require frequent braking to capture enough energy for major improvements in fuel efficiency, they have sometimes been criticised for their limited value outside urban settings. A further environmental advantage is that the Artemis system is mostly made up of benign materials such as aluminium, steel and rubber. This means that they contain less hazardous chemicals than batteries and are also cheaper to manufacture. At the moment, Artemis have not announced any plans to bring the technology to the mainstream, but its chances have been given a significant boost following a move by components giant Bosch Rexroth to snap up the licensing rights. According to Wim Rampen, managing director at Artemis, “with market introduction, it’s Bosch’s territory and commercially sensitive.†Outside the car industry, an unnamed firm has also bought the rights to use the system in off-road agricultural and construction machinery.
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Friday, December 5, 2008
Ford Mustang sales hit 45-year low
Ford Mustang sales hit 45-year low
Filed under: Car Buying, Ford
The Mustang has enjoyed an uninterrupted production run of (nearly) 45 years, with average annual sales topping 200,000 cars during that time. However, with the struggling economy and the 2010 Mustang set to hit dealerships in the spring of next year, sales of the normally hot-selling pony car have gone from a gallop to a slow trot. November sales totaled just 3,667 units, an all time monthly low that is more than a 50% drop compared to last year. Total sales for the year are down more than 30% compared to the first eleven months in 2007. On the positive side, if you prefer the looks of the current 'Stang compared to the new one, you can probably get a pretty good deal at your local Ford dealership. Many dealerships still have quite a few 2008 models they need to move off their lots, and Ford is currently offering employee pricing (GT500 excluded).
[Soure: MustangBlog.com]
Ford Mustang sales hit 45-year low originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�CommentsAutoblogGreen for 12.05.08
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Perhaps there is always something going on in DC that relates to green cars these days, but when AutoblogGreen visited for the EDTA conference, we also made it into the ACORE event and heard Jim Woolsey and Thomas Friedman give their spiels. It's never boring to hear these guys, that's for sure.
- ACORE 2008: Thomas Friedman destroys his own argument, calls out GM's greenwashing
- ACORE 2008: Jim Woolsey fires up DC crowd with his pro-plug-in hybrid talk
- EDTA 2008: This is how ChargePoint's public electric car charging station will work
- EDTA 2008: Dueco Hybrid Power truck
- VIDEO: Tesla versus Tango on the drag strip
- Electric vehicle sales dive in the UK
- Production Fisker Karma shows some more skin
- Golf Plus gets an Italian debut
- Chris Paine gets pulled over in his new Tesla Roadster (it's not what you think)
- The new roadkill? Whales and dolphins.
- New SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive gets updated, moves abroadFreightliner launches hybrid motorhome chassis
- London looks into public bike rentals
- Glendale, CA and Clean Energy to build new CNG filling station
AutoblogGreen for 12.05.08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�CommentsVIDEO: Tesla Roadster gets a tough workout, drifting included
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
You've no doubt seen a number of Tesla Roadster reviews already, including a couple of our own. But we've yet to see the little electric car from Silicon Valley get put through its paces, and we mean really thrashed. Enter OnCars.com, which was given use of Elon Musk's own personal Tesla Roadster with the new v1.5 drivetrain for a couple a days. Host Emile Bouret takes the Tesla to task over a three-part video series that sees the car getting sideways more than once. We can see exactly how much body roll the Roadster exhibits under full load cornering, which isn't much. Bouret does a great job of revealing how the Tesla handles at the limit, and the excellent production quality of each video is only icing on the cake. Check out all three videos after the jump to see the best review yet of the 2009 Tesla Roadster.
Gallery: Tesla Roadster v1.5
[Source: OnCars.com]
Continue reading VIDEO: Tesla Roadster gets a tough workout, drifting included
VIDEO: Tesla Roadster gets a tough workout, drifting included originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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