31. Australia's NSW Looks to Japan for a Hybrid on Rails

(Source: smh) It is like a giant Prius on railway tracks. A two-car train operating in northern rural Japan is the world's first hybrid train and the NSW Government is investigating whether the green technology could work on sections of the state's rail network.

The Japanese train, powered by a diesel engine and electric battery, is recharged by energy created from braking at curves and at stations and helps reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter by up to 60 per cent, compared with conventional trains. It cuts fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent and runs more quietly, according to East Japan Railway, the company behind the trial.

09/10/2007 | 617 Hits | Print | Email

32. Axeon Gets £2.5M Li-Ion Order from Modec for Electric Urban Delivery Vehicle

(Source: Axeon) Axeon Holdings is pleased to announce new orders worth £2.5 million for Li-ion battery packs and chargers for the Modec electric zero emission urban delivery vehicle. These new orders are in addition to previously announced orders from Modec worth £3.1 million for development engineering, sodium nickel chloride packs and initial launch quantities of Li-ion battery packs.

The total order book for production Li-ion for Modec is now 172 battery packs and 172 chargers. The testing and validation of the production level prototype Li-ion battery pack is nearing completion and initial production ramp-up is expected to commence during October. Deliveries of the initial orders for Li-ion battery packs and chargers are scheduled to take place during Q4 2007 and into Q1 2008. Further orders are expected before the end of 2007 to allow fulfillment of 2008 production.

16/09/2007 | 1000 Hits | Print | Email

33. Audi Q7 kommt Mitte 2008 als Voll-Hybrid

(Quelle: Audi/ar) - Audi wird ab Mitte 2008 den Q7 als Voll-Hybridfahrzeug anbieten. Die Basis bildet der 3,6 Liter große V6-FSI-Motor mit 206 kW/280 PS. Er wird von einem 34 kW/46 PS leistenden Elektromotor unterstützt, der 285 Newtonmeter mobilisiert. Der Q7 Hybrid soll 9,8 Litern Kraftstoff auf 100 Kilometer verbrauchen. Das seien 23 Prozent weniger als beim Basismodell. Der CO2-Wert soll von 304 Gramm auf 231 Gramm je Kilometer sinken.

Die Hybridvariante soll deutlich durchzugstärker sein. E- und Verbrennungsmotor bringen es gemeinsam auf 514 Newtonmeter gegenüber 360 Nm beim herkömmlichen 3.6 FSI. So ist der Hybrid mit 7,6 Sekunden beim Spurt von 0 auf 100 km/h nahezu eine Sekunde schneller. Noch eindrucksvoller wird die Kraft des kombinierten Antriebsystems im Durchzugsvermögen deutlich. Statt 21,4 Sekunden benötigt der Q 7 Hybrid nur 15 Sekunden, um von 60 km/h auf 120 km/h zu beschleunigen, und das, obwohl der Elektroantrieb 110 Kilogramm Mehrgewicht mit sich bringt.

06/09/2007 | 2541 Hits | Print | Email

34. Azure Dynamics to Deliver Ford E-450 Hybrid for Demonstration

(Source: Azure/prn) Canada, August 28 - Azure Dynamics Corporation a developer of hybrid electric and electric powertrains for commercial vehicles is pleased to announce that it has signed a commercial development and cooperation agreement with a North American company. Azure will deliver a gasoline parallel hybrid electric Ford E-450 based vehicle for industry viability validation, testing and demonstration within the company's North American fleet. 

The parallel hybrid electric demonstration vehicle will be used to verify the fuel economy improvements, emissions reductions and maintenance cost savings that can be achieved using Azure's patented technology. Successful completion of the program will result in the company becoming a lead customer for Azure's hybrid technology on the Ford E-450 chassis with a minimum commitment of 10 percent of their fleet replacement purchases per annum.

28/08/2007 | 649 Hits | Print | Email

35. Azure will provide Utilimaster with its P1 Hybrid Electric Powertrains

(Source: Azure) Toronto, Ontario - August 02, 2007 - Azure Dynamics Corporation a leading developer of hybrid electric and electric powertrains for commercial fleet vehicles, today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Utilimaster Corporation (“Utilimaster”), a leading builder of step vans, commercial truck bodies and utility vehicles, for the assembly, hybridization and manufacturing engineering of Azure’s P1 hybrid electric commercial delivery vans and shuttle buses.

Under proposed terms of the MOU, Azure will provide Utilimaster with its P1 hybrid electric powertrains, which Utilimaster will integrate into Ford Motor Company’s (“Ford”) E-Series commercial chassis at Utilimaster’s manufacturing facilities in Wakarusa, Indiana.

06/08/2007 | 598 Hits | Print | Email

36. Automotive X PRIZE Announces First 30 Teams

(Source: AXP) Calif., August 1, 2007 - The Automotive X PRIZE (AXP), a competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles to help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change, announced today that over 30 teams have signed a letter of intent to compete once the prize is officially funded and launched.

The international competition, in which qualified teams will compete head to head, aims to dramatically increase consumer access to ultra-efficient, clean, affordable and desirable vehicles. The 30 plus teams include diverse groups from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland. More than 300 additional teams have inquired about joining and are actively considering entry.

02/08/2007 | 950 Hits | Print | Email

37. Albuquerque Puts ZENN Electric Cars on Duty

Contrary to the TV news report, the cars are not built in California, but are imported from France to Canada and converted to electric drive by ZENN in Toronto.

23/05/2007 | 397 Hits | Print | Email

38. All New York Taxis To Go Hybrid by 2012

There are now about 400 hybrid vehicles among the 13,000 taxis ferrying passengers around the city and its five boroughs.

23/05/2007 | 384 Hits | Print | Email

39. Alma Inventor, Autoworkers Team Up to Build Electric Truck

Muenzhuber and Albertson say it's possible to make an electric ranger that sells for under $20,000.

22/05/2007 | 382 Hits | Print | Email

40. Argonne Lab's Lithium Ion Battery Breakthrough

A team from the Argonne National Laboratory, part of the US Department of Energy, has unveiled laptop type batteries with storage capacities of 250mAh/g and better – more than twice the capacity of comparable batteries available today.

20/05/2007 | 381 Hits | Print | Email