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Hands-free driving? EU set to trial multi-vehicle road trains
By Jude Garvey
18:26 November 15, 2009 PST
Is there anything more monotonous than being stuck in a long line of traffic when you still have miles to go before your reach your destination? Wouldn’t it be great if you could relax and let somebody else do all the hard work? Well if all goes well with a European research project, that possibility might just become a reality. The Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) project will look at linking a series of vehicles in a road train, controlled by a lead vehicle, with communication occurring via wireless sensors. Read More
The Lexus LFA supercar – the long awaited production version arrives
By Darren Quick
22:29 October 25, 2009 PDT
It’s been a long time coming. The Lexus LFA that first appeared as a concept car at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show is finally production ready. Lexus made the announcement at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show where a prototype of the production car was on display along with a full-scale see through model in the company's “art gallery” - and the stunning 202mph V10 supercar is indeed worthy of a place in an art gallery, although keen collectors will still have to endure a bit more of a wait since the car isn’t expected to reach garages until early 2011, with only 500 units being produced. Read More
Promising tests for MotionPower system to generate electricity from traffic
By Darren Quick
03:22 October 21, 2009 PDT
Apparently, the ongoing testing of the MotionPower system for generating electricity from the movement of cars and light trucks - as reported here previously - is paying dividends. New Energy, the company developing the technology, reports it can produce a 25-fold increase in the system’s capacity to capture kinetic energy from moving vehicles, bringing the commercialization of the MotionPower system another step closer to reality. Read More
Putting the brakes on running red lights - Mercedes Benz 'Smart Stop' technology
By Mick Webb
02:16 October 16, 2009 PDT
Taking driver-assist technology to the next level is the “Smart Stop” system currently in development by Mercedes Benz. The wireless safety system, which allows intersections to communicate with vehicles, would automatically cause a car to stop at a red light should a driver fail to heed it. Read More
EVs to get improved mileage from redox flow batteries
By Jeff Salton
20:41 October 13, 2009 PDT
German researchers say a new type of electric vehicle battery that runs on electrolyte fluid can be recharged as easily as refilling a petrol tank. When the redox flow rechargeable batteries are low, the discharged electrolyte fluid can simply be exchanged at the gas station for recharged fluid. Read More
Drawing power from the road
By Darren Quick
19:59 October 1, 2009 PDT
It’s starting to look like roads will become much more than simple thoroughfares made of concrete and asphalt in the not too distant future. As we’ve seen, work is already underway to embed them with solar panels and piezoelectric generators to generate electricity. Now engineering company Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr (IAV) is looking to embed them with electrical conductors that would “refuel” the electric cars of the future while they are driving or parked. Read More
Gizcast #11: bone conduction hearing implants, targeted chemotherapy and the electric car stampede that's storming Frankfurt
By Loz Blain
08:11 September 17, 2009 PDT
In this week's Gizcast, Geoffrey Baird speaks with audiologist Anthea Arkcoll about a new type of hearing aid that bypasses the ear altogether and uses bone conduction technology to send a direct signal to the auditory nerve. Then Loz Blain wraps up with some of the most interesting electric and green car concepts the Giz team are drooling over in Frankfurt, and a quick look at a medical device that could give doctors a new way to fight stubborn cancer tumours. Read More
McLaren MP4-12C delivers jaw-dropping looks, performance and economy
By Paul Lester
22:26 September 9, 2009 PDT
Supercars are 20 to the dozen these days and it takes something pretty special to elicit that all-important ‘wow’ factor from a modern production car. McLaren is one manufacturer who is most certainly capable of such feats of design and engineering, and while it’s debatable as to whether the original F1 will ever be usurped in terms of pure aggression and innovation, subsequent models suggest that it hasn’t lost its edge when it comes to jaw-dropping new designs. This claim is underlined with the release of the new MP4-12C, a car that most should agree from an aesthetics standpoint hits the ‘goldilocks zone’ between the sublime and the ridiculous. Read More
Gumpert Apollo Sport claims Nurburgring lap record for road legal cars
By Darren Quick
18:27 August 24, 2009 PDT
German manufacturer Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur is claiming a lap record for road legal cars on the world famous Nurburgring Nordschleife. Florian Gruber completed the 12.93-mile track (20.81km) in a standard factory specification Gumpert Apollo Sport equipped with road legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires and an adjustable suspension by KW suspensions in a time of 7 minutes, 11.57 seconds. That averages out at 106.78mph (171.84kmh) and is 3.32 seconds faster than the Donkervoort D8 RS06, which posted a time of 7 minutes 14.89 seconds in November 2005. Read More
MotionPower energy system testing expanded
By Darren Quick
22:58 August 3, 2009 PDT
When we first came across MotionPower, a prototype system that converts the kinetic energy from cars driving over it into electricity, we mentioned we would keep tabs on the technology to see if it could make the leap to real world implementation. Well, the company behind the MotionPower system, New Energy Technologies, has taken the next step along that road by expanding the durability field tests of the device. Read More
Nissan's next generation CVT claims world's highest transmission ratio
By Jeff Salton
18:14 July 30, 2009 PDT
Nissan and its transmission supplier Jatco have developed a next generation CVT (continuously variable transmission) that promises better fuel economy and performance in a compact and lightweight package. The new CVT combines conventional CVT belt operation with an auxiliary gearbox and has a significantly increased gear ratio range – roughly 20 percent higher than other CVTs and among the world's highest for production vehicles according to Nissan. Read More
Hail a hybrid - Toyota Prius cabs for Scotland
By Jeff Salton
06:01 July 28, 2009 PDT
Scottish council, West Lothian (near Edinburgh), has given the green light to a local cab company to run a fleet of Toyota Prius vehicles. The decision makes Calder Cabs the first cab company in Scotland to offer the hybrid cars after the council determined that the Prius could be licensed as a private hire vehicle. Read More
Phoenix: Concept vehicle for a brave new world
By Jeff Salton
19:33 July 22, 2009 PDT
First appearing in the Michelin Challenge Design earlier this year, the Phoenix concept features an orbital omni-directional four-wheel-drive system which allows for several types of motion - apart from moving forwards and backwards, it can rotate around its own axis and move sideways. Read More
Making cars a wee bit more efficient by turning urine into hydrogen
05:56 July 7, 2009 PDT
No-one should ever drink and drive, but there may soon be a good reason to drink a lot before you fill up your car – researchers at Ohio University have worked out a way to efficiently extract hydrogen from urine. It could provide a cheap, renewable fuel source for vehicles and, finally, a good use for the most abundant waste on Earth. Read More
Car share program launched with new Maya 300 electric vehicle
20:15 June 30, 2009 PDT
Baltimore has taken the environmental benefits of car-sharing programs a step further by launching one that features the all-electric, zero local emissions Maya 300. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, the Maya 300 seats five, can travel up to 120 miles on a single charge, has a top speed of 35mph and can be charged via a standard 110V household electrical outlet. Read More
Mercedes CLS gets sporty upgade with release of Grand Edition
03:14 June 19, 2009 PDT
Merecedes-Benz is introducing a new variant in its CLS-Class four-door Coupé which features a slightly tweaked diesel engine and a host of cosmetic changes, including 18” AMG alloys and more stylish front grille louvres and headlamp housings. The CLS Grand Edition will be available in the UK from July, with a limited release of only 560 cars. Read More
Riversimple hydrogen-powered urban car provides fuel for thought
00:16 June 19, 2009 PDT
The Riversimple Urban Car, a hydrogen-powered two-seater capable of speeds up to 50mph and of traveling more than 200 miles without refueling, was unveiled in London this week. While the prototype car is itself a welcome development in sustainable travel, the aim of the company behind it is even more ambitious: to completely eliminate the environmental impact of personal transport. Read More
Mazda now painting cars greener
17:57 June 17, 2009 PDT
The Mazda Motor Corporation continues to find ways to be a better global citizen with a car painting system that it says has the lowest environmental impact in the world. The new “Aqua-Tech Paint System” reduces the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 57% and, happily, improves the paint job. Read More
Study exposes transport's hidden impact on the environment
By Darren Quick
02:29 June 15, 2009 PDT
By looking at the environmental impact of passenger transport – whether it be trains, planes or automobiles – beyond the exhaust fumes spewing from its collective tail pipe, researchers in the United States have discovered a significant spike in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. By taking into account transport support systems – which includes sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, as well as the construction and maintenance of infrastructure – researchers at the University of California hope to provide a more detailed view for transport planners and policy makers. And produce a better outcome for the environment. Read More
Lotus’ patented Active Noise Control technologies poised to make motoring more comfortable
By Darren Quick
17:52 April 18, 2009 PDT
Although the environmental benefits of hybrid vehicles are well known, their near silent operation when running off batteries does pose a danger to pedestrians who are used to the rumble of an engine to alert them to oncoming vehicles. Active Noise Control technologies from Lotus Engineering address this problem by projecting engine sounds externally to improve pedestrian safety, while also employing noise-canceling technology internally to reduce unwanted cabin noise. Read More
Working prototype generates electricity from moving vehicles
By Darren Quick
17:05 April 12, 2009 PDT
The United States has about 250 million registered vehicles, which adds up to a lot of pollution and burning of fossil fuels. New Energy Technologies, Inc. prefers to look at it another way, however – they see those 250 million vehicles as a potential energy source and have developed a prototype engineered to harness some of the kinetic energy being generated, and wasted, by moving cars and light vehicles. Read More
Mazda begins commercial leasing of Premacy RE hybrid rotary hydrogen vehicle
By Darren Quick
21:36 March 29, 2009 PDT
Mazda is providing another green option in Japan by commencing commercial leasing of their Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, a hydrogen hybrid vehicle that combines Mazda’s hydrogen rotary engine with an electric motor. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid improves on the RX-8 Hydrogen RE – the first model to be commercialized - with the hydrogen fuel range of the doubled to 200 kilometers and the maximum output increased by approximately 40 percent to 110 kilowatts. Read More
Porsche releases technical innovations on new 4-door Panamera luxury sportster
By Loz Blain
14:11 March 19, 2009 PDT
Porsche's 4-door Panamera will be finally unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show on April 20 - not that we haven't already had plenty of chances to take a good look at it through the company's prolific PR department. Designed to be at once more luxurious than an S-Class Benz and sportier than a Beemer M5, the Panamera is the first 4-door Porsche with an uncompromising performance focus. It looks like a belter too, considering rumors that the 500-horsepower, US$132,600 turbo model actually had to be reined back in performance terms just so it wouldn't trouser the 911, which is supposed to be Porsche's performance flagship. As a brand new, extreme high end model, you'd be expecting the Panamera to pack a few technological punches - and you'd be right. Here's a few of the key innovations. Read More
Self-healing car paint uses sunlight to repair scrapes
By David Greig
00:26 March 18, 2009 PDT
I can imagine how a lobster might scratch a car, but who would ever have thought of using one to repair a scratch in your paint? Scientists have recently developed a polyurethane coating that heals its own scratches when exposed to sunlight. Read More
Terotech
- November 21, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
