2009 July | GreenCar Magazine

New Nickel Cadmium Battery to Power German Tram Train

Paris, July 30, 2009 – A Saft MATRICS MRX battery system has completed a successful extended field trial with the pioneering Stadtbahn Karlsruhe tram-train network in Germany. The aim of the test installation was to demonstrate the potential reliability, performance and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) advantages offered by using specialised rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries [...]

Jul 31 2009 | Posted in Battery developments | Read More »

Genovation offers Electric Drive Conversions

One hundred years ago, there were nearly 100 electric car manufacturers in America. By 1920, nearly all were extinct. Now they’re roaring back with a vengeance. One of those new firms is Rockville, Maryland startup Genovation Cars. Beginning where all hopeful car company’s start, it produced its first electric car, the converted Ford Focus pictured [...]

Jul 30 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized | Read More »

Fisker PHEV to Make it’s World Driving Debut

The Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid will make its world driving debut during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races on Saturday, August 15, just 19 months after being unveiled as a concept car. It will be the first time a PHEV appears on track at the event.

Jul 30 2009 | Posted in Electric,Fisker,PHEV,hybrid | Read More »

FORD AUSTRALIA INVESTS $230 MILLION IN NEW FUEL-EFFICIENT ENGINES FOR LOCALLY PRODUCED VEHICLES

Ford Australia announced recently that it is investing $230 million to improve the fuel efficiency and environmental impact of its Australian-made models, including the first global application of Ford’s advanced 2.0-litre 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine in a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the Ford Falcon. This continues the global roll-out of EcoBoost, the new technology from Ford that provides [...]

Jul 30 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized | Read More »

Experimenting with the flywheel: The Gyro Drive

A mechanical alternative to the battery which utilizes braking energy too is the so-called gyro drive. Originally the gyro bus was developed in the early 1950s by the Oerlikon engineering works in Switzerland and presented at the German Transportation Expo in Munich in 1953 in combination with an electric drive motor, as alternative to the [...]

Jul 30 2009 | Posted in Daimler | Read More »

Nissan Reveals it’s Electric Vehicle Platform

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. recently previewed its electric vehicle (EV) platform on a Tiida-based prototype to demonstrate the superior driving pleasure of a pure zero-emission vehicle. It also showcased a sophisticated EV-IT system developed to support electric driving 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Jul 29 2009 | Posted in Electric,Tech Sector | Read More »

Toyota Plants Solar Flowers in American Cities

Solar Flowers reaching up to 18 feet high are blossoming in New York’s Flatiron Plaza and not only are they good for reviving spirits, they’re good for reviving computers and cell phones too. The oversized flower sculptures are partially powered by solar panels on the back of their petals and the base of their stems. [...]

Jul 29 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized | Read More »

EV Startup Coda Automotive Raises Capital in Difficult Times

California-based electric car and battery company, Coda Automotive, announced today the close of a Series B investment round totaling $24 million. The capital will be used to support the development and 2010 California market entry of its all-electric sedan and funding of its battery manufacturing joint venture. The Series B investment round held its final [...]

Jul 29 2009 | Posted in Coda Automotive | Read More »

Hybrid Car Sharing Program Comes to the Campus of the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida and WeCar, car-sharing by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, are taking a new approach toward reducing pollution and traffic congestion, making USF one of just a handful of campuses nationwide to join the WeCar program. WeCar allows drivers to rent cars – three Toyota Prius hybrids and one Ford Escape hybrid – for [...]

Jul 29 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized | Read More »

FedEx Expands Hybrid-Electric Fleet by 50 Percent to 264 Delivery Trucks

FedEx Corp. recently announced the addition of 92 hybrid-electric trucks to its delivery fleet”the first standard FedEx delivery trucks converted to hybrid-electric systems. The addition of the 92 trucks increases the FedEx fleet of hybrid-electric vehicles by more than 50 percent, from 172 to 264. FedEx extends its leadership position with the largest fleet of hybrid [...]

Jul 28 2009 | Posted in Fedex,hybrid | Read More »