Ford Motor Company has announced that Azure Dynamics Corporation has joined in a collaborative effort to deliver a pure battery electric Ford Transit Connect van for the United States and Canadian markets in 2010. Azure will integrate its Force Drive ™ battery electric drive train in the Transit Connect van for commercial fleet and retail use.
The collaboration with Azure Dynamics for the Transit Connect BEV will build on the existing business relationship between Ford and Azure as well as their shared experience with battery supplier, Johnson Controls-Saft.
Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has introduced a fuel efficient, high performance diesel hybrid electric powertrain, “Q-Force,” after six years of development. This advanced, proprietary 4-wheel drivetrain can be configured for specialized military as well as commercial applications.
The first application of Quantum Q-Force is in a JP-8 fuel compatible diesel engine-based, battery dominant, series-hybrid electric military Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV). A number of pre-production prototypes that incorporate Q-Force have been successfully developed and built for testing and evaluation by selected commands to assess mission suitability, supportability, performance objectives, and guidance on final vehicle configuration.
Wallace Harper & Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Sime Darby Hong Kong Ltd, has signed a distribution agreement with Smith Electric Vehicles in the UK. The contract appoints Wallace Harper as the exclusive distributor for Smith’s world-leading electric commercial vehicles in Hong Kong and Macau.
Peter Goh, Managing Director of Sime Darby HK Ltd, said: “These pure electric vehicles are zero emission at the point of use, helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve urban air quality.
“Electric commercial vehicles provide a low carbon, zero emission, alternative to conventional vans and trucks, without compromising on performance. We envisage these electric vehicles replacing substantial numbers of traditional diesel vehicles in major towns and cities.”
Tesla Roadster owner Simon Hackett and co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas completed 313 miles (501 km) in a Tesla Roadster on a single charge – a distance that appears to set a new record for a production electric vehicle.
The Renault–Nissan Alliance and the Mexico City Government today announced a partnership that paves the way for the introduction of the Nissan LEAF in Mexico’s capital city in 2011.
Mexico City will become the first city in Latin America to receive the Nissan LEAF and is part of the Mexico City government Green Plan (Plan Verde) committed to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles by promoting battery-electric vehicles.
According to GM the day is coming when the heat from your car’s engine exhaust is captured and converted to mechanical energy capable of powering your vehicle’s stereo, power seats and air conditioning.
General Motors R&D received a $2.7 million federal award Monday that will help build a prototype using Shape Memory Alloy, or SMA, that would generate electricity from the heat in automotive exhaust.
The Lexus LS 600h L sedan, the first vehicle to bring fuel-efficient gasoline-electric hybrid technology to the prestige luxury segment, debuts revised styling and new telematics systems for 2010.
The brand’s flagship model, the LS 600h L – the “L” signifying the long-wheelbase LS platform — provides the highest level of performance, technology and luxury in the LS line. The LS 600h L is powered by the ultra-quiet Lexus Hybrid Drive system, which was the world’s first to combine a V8 gasoline engine with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) hybrid drivetrain. The LS 600h L’s combined estimated EPA fuel economy rating of 21 mpg is equal to or better than the combined fuel economy ratings of some mid-sized V6 AWD luxury sedans.
Suzuki released BURGMAN FUEL CELL SCOOTER, as its world premier at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009 on October 21. The fuel cell of BURGMAN FUEL CELL SCOOTER is air-cooled and concomitantly light, compact, and structurally simple. A 70MPa hydrogen tank (the highest-pressure tank used on a bike thus far) allows a usable riding range.
Suzuki developed the Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter using technologies from the Crosscage concept motorcycle that it displayed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, thereby realizing a more practical and accessible fuel-cell bike.
A team of University of Minnesota researchers and BioCee, a university start-up company, have been awarded $2.2 million from the Department of Energy for a research proposal using bacteria to produce biofuel.
Lead investigator Larry Wackett, University Distinguished McKnight Professor in the College of Biological Sciences, is working with faculty from the BioTechnology Institute; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics; Department of Microbiology; and the Institute of Technology’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has entered into a $24 million conditional loan commitment with Tenneco Inc. to develop fuel efficient emission control components for advanced technology vehicles. The loan is part of the Department’s commitment to helping the auto industry meet or exceed President Obama’s tough new fuel economy standards, while helping America regain its competitive edge in world markets.
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Wallace Harper & Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Sime Darby Hong Kong Ltd, has signed a distribution agreement with Smith Electric Vehicles in the UK. The contract appoints Wallace Harper as the exclusive distributor for Smith’s world-leading electric commercial vehicles in Hong Kong and Macau.
The Lexus LS 600h L sedan, the first vehicle to bring fuel-efficient gasoline-electric hybrid technology to the prestige luxury segment, debuts revised styling and new telematics systems for 2010.
Suzuki released BURGMAN FUEL CELL SCOOTER, as its world premier at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009 on October 21. The fuel cell of BURGMAN FUEL CELL SCOOTER is air-cooled and concomitantly light, compact, and structurally simple. A 70MPa hydrogen tank (the highest-pressure tank used on a bike thus far) allows a usable riding range.
