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Greg Raleigh of Elk Mound gets nine miles more per gallon of gas from his 2002 Ford Escort after installing parts that help the engine run on hydrogen. ELK MOUND - Greg Raleigh is spending less time at the gas pump and saving money thanks to technology and a quart-size canning jar. Raleigh has installed what is called hydrogen injection technology - or hydrogen on demand - in his 2002 Ford Escort, improving his gas mileage by 29 percent. The car was getting 31 miles per gallon and now gets 40, Raleigh said. "I'm saving about $20 a week...

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd exhibited "Plug-in Stella Concept," a new electric vehicle, at the G8 Hokkaido-Toyako Summit. Fuji Heavy Industries brought five of the vehicles to the site of the summit and showcased them to government officials and journalists from all over the world. The company plans to commercialize an electric car in 2009. The Plug-in Stella Concept is based on "Stella," the company's practical wagon-type kei car. The main characteristic of the vehicle is that it has a secondary battery in the lower part of the vehicle, securing as much interior space as the Stella. The secondary battery...

An ancient organism from the pit of a collapsed volcano may hold the key to tomorrow's hydrogen economy. Scientists from across the world have formed a team to unlock the process refined by a billions-year old archaea. The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute will expedite the research by sequencing the hydrogen-producing organism for comparative genomics. When members of the Russian Academy of Sciences isolated a rare archaeal microorganism that breaks down cellulose and produces hydrogen, Biswarup Mukhopadhyay, an assistant professor with the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech, saw an opportunity to open a door for development of...

[snip]. Well, we do have such a power plant and at the moment it is sitting doing not a lot really, in a Gold Coast workshop at Southport. It is a four-cylinder, 2.4 litre engine which has been independently certified as being the world's most efficient petrol engine. In other words, for a given amount of petrol burned this engine will do more work than any other anywhere in the world. During testing, the engine achieved a repeatable Brake Specific Fuel Consumption figure of 212g/kWh or 38.6 per cent efficiency, best figure achieved being 207g/kWh or 39.5 per cent efficiency....

Top-end versions of the Toyota Prius hybrid are set to receive rooftop solar panels. News agency Reuters reports that the Japanese giant intends to install solar cells in order to power the air conditioning unit. Silicon prices are currently rising, pushing up the cost of solar panels. At this stage, it is unclear how much the solar-panelled versions would cost. The third generation of Toyota Prius with a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is due to reach the market in 2009. Over 1 million Prius cars have been sold, with the strong demand for 'green' vehicles accelerating thanks to high oil...

...In 1985, privately owned cars were almost unknown in China. The number of motorized vehicles, however, multiplied 164-fold, from 2,328 in 1950 to 384,451 in 1990. Today, the number of privately owned automobiles in Beijing is approaching 3,000,000....(page 253 of the report)

It's one thing for a car to run on air, but do the latest claims of hydrogen-turned-oxygen-turned-electricity propulsion hold water—or feed in to the hysteria of the gas crunch? In his biweekly online column, PM's senior automotive editor focuses his chemistry prowess on the case of miracle water fuel, then builds an HHO car himself. From a startup snagging headlines to DIYers posting plans, water-powered cars have been all over the Web recently—not to mention stuffing my email inbox. Yes, you can run your car on water. All it takes is to build a “water-burning hybrid” is the installation of...

NAPOLEAN, OH -- To find the future of the auto industry, Doug Pelmear looked to the past. He says he's perfected an engine developed by his grandfather 60 years ago. The engine gives his 1987 mustang 110 miles to the gallon. Doug Pelmear says "my grandfather had the idea back in the 40's that he can make a difference then. There was quite a need at that time also with the war going on and everything, there was quite the need then." So, Pelmear, a mechanic in Napoleon, has been tweaking this engine for the past 10 years, squeezing out...

Just over a year ago several media outlets reported that John Kanzius, an amateur inventor from Erie, Pa., had discovered a seemingly impossible phenomenon: a way to burn salt water by exposing it to radio waves. Videos of the experiment became YouTube sensations, though they garnered as many critical comments as favorable ones. Now that the initial fervor has waned, we checked in with Kanzius, a collaborator and some critics to see how the technique has progressed, or if it's just another example of Web-propelled junk science. Kanzius' concept is simple: expose salt water to 13.56 MHz radio waves and...

Austin (Texas) – BMW’s Hydrogen 7 sedan may still be a few years away, but if you just can’t wait and have the necessary cash on hand, you may be able to buy a hydrogen car later this year. Ronn Motors has begun accepting orders for its Scorpion sports car, which, according to its manufacturer, will be able produce hydrogen on-demand from an on-board water tank. If the Tesla Roadster and the Fisker Karma are too generic for you, there may be another choice this fall: Texas startup Ronn Motors unveiled its Scorpion yesterday. The sports car does not...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - It's a concept gaining in popularity, homemade hydrogen fuel cells attached to cars and trucks in order to squeeze out a few more miles per gallon. If you're willing to do some homework and make a trip to the hardware store, you could save some money. "It just helps the fuel completely burn in the engine," said Doug Batton. He explains how this hydrogen fuel cell, or booster attached in the bed of his truck, helps him get more miles per gallon on the road. His Dodge truck still needs fuel, this device just helps him...

Photo courtesy of The Logan Daily News Hocking County resident Jason Gadrim stands beside his water-hybrid car, a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. LOGAN - Want better gas mileage? The answer to one Hocking County resident's gas woes has turned out to be as simple as H2O and cheaper than most people's monthly gas budget. Water fuel cells have been used to power vehicles for years; and the supplies needed for the conversion to a water-hybrid vehicle are only about $200. Hocking County resident Jason Gadrim is one of a few local people who have converted their vehicles to run partly...

It could travel 150 miles without using a drop of gasoline, accelerate from zero to sixty mph in about eight seconds, and handled crisply. Total cost? Below $40,000, in monthly lease payments sometimes as low as $299. In a world of $4 gas, it sounds like the car that could save General Motors. There's only one problem. Every single one of these cars was sent to the crusher in 2003. The EV1, GM's short-lived electric car experiment, was cancelled when gas was selling for slightly more than one dollar per gallon. Now, with gas four times as expensive, consumers demanding...

The "HUVO" electric vehicle weighing 150kg: The resin parts were manufactured by RP systems. HUVO's body frame Topia Corp, a company engaged in designing and prototyping automobiles, prototyped a single-seater electric vehicle "HUVO," which weighs only about 150kg (330 lb). The vehicle was exhibited at the booth of Marubeni Information Systems Co Ltd in the 19th Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo (DMS), which is an IT solution exhibition for manufacturers and runs from June 25-27, 2008, at Tokyo Big Sight. The HUVO was developed by using Topia's proprietary design and production technologies, the company said. If a vehicle...

FRANKFURT - Daimler AG (DAI) plans to introduce a purely electric version of the Mercedes-Benz A- and B-class models, Daimler executive board member Thomas Weber told weekly magazine WirtschaftsWoche in an interview distributed Sunday ahead of publication. Asked which electric versions of Daimler cars other than the electric version of the smart model are currently being planned, Weber said "one option would be our current Mercedes A- and B-class." Given the models' sandwich construction technique, these cars would be well suited for alternative power trains, Weber told the magazine. Separately, weekly Automobilwoche reported that U.S. car supplier Tesla Motors is...

Crude prices jumped over USD 3 to hit a fresh all time high of USD142 per barrel in intra-day trade. The surge comes after OPEC President said he expects prices to be between USD150-170 per barrel in a few months. However, he added that USD200 per barrel might not become a reality anytime soon. A weakening dollar is also giving support. Prices retreated a bit after the US House of Representatives approved a Bill aimed at curbing excessive energy-market speculation but continued above USD139 per barrel. What has caused the sudden jump in prices? Manisha Gupta, CNBC-TV18 It was really...

Ecomodding Is About MPG, not MPH There are all kinds of ways to look at high performance. Times being what they are, a growing number of people think mpg is a lot more important than mph. It's all about a secret subculture called "ecomodding." The oil crisis of 1973 (there have been a lot of them, haven't there?) began in October of that year when a group of Arab countries stopped shipping crude oil to the U.S. in the wake of the latest conflict between Israel and Syria and Egypt. The following March, Car and Driver published, "Project Car:...

The G-Wiz, with its green and economic credentials, is here to stay The design guru has seen the future of transport, he tells Martin Hickman: solar-powered electric vehicles Britain's most famous inventor, Sir James Dyson, is working on a project that could lead to the creation of a fast, green car. Engineers at his research laboratory in Wiltshire are developing a powerful lightweight motor that could enable electric cars to zoom along for hundreds of miles without causing pollution. Solar panels on their roofs or in garages would charge them with renewable energy. In an interview with The Independent...

Fig. 1. Dyson's switched reluctance motor features a rotor without coils and a stator with two sets of coils that are switched s Almost all domestic vacuum cleaners utilise an ac series wound electric motor to spin the fan that generates suction and airflow. This has remained the case for decades, even though this type of motor has significant drawbacks. First among these is the combination of carbon brushes and commutator that wears and leads to motor failures. Furthermore, the carbon dust tends to be exhausted to atmosphere, acting as a potentially harmful pollutant. In addition, because of the...

ON THE WAY: Norway-based Think plans to sell its City electric car in the U.S. in 2009 and has an eye toward the Southern California market. OSLO, NORWAY -- Ingvil Ladehaug is battery challenged.

New Delhi: After 13 years of research and development, India's first electric car 'Reva' was launched in the national capital by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday morning. Describing Reva as 'a little cute car', Sheila Dikshit said her government was committed to taking steps to improve the city's environment. “It is a green day for Delhi. I have been using the car myself for short distances and I like it a lot," she said. "I appeal to all those who have several cars to at least buy one Reva," Dikshit added. To popularise the battery-operated car, the government...

Cost of gasoline bleeding you dry? Air pollution taking your breath away? Worried to death about auto-induced climate change and the future of your planet? You should be. Our oil addiction is a drain on our wallets, a threat to our health and national security, and a major contributor to the global warming that threatens our planet. And with world-wide demand for oil increasing and supplies dwindling, it's a problem we can't drill or dig our way out of. But there's a solution somewhere over the horizon. Hang on, folks. Hydrogen, the most abundant element on Earth, is on...

Johnathan Goodwin can get 100 mpg out of a Lincoln Continental, cut emissions by 80%, and double the horsepower. Does the car business have the guts to follow him? “Check it out. It's actually a jet engine," says Johnathan Goodwin, with a low whistle. "This thing is gonna be even cooler than I thought." We're hunched on the floor of Goodwin's gleaming workshop in Wichita, Kansas, surrounded by the shards of a wooden packing crate. Inside the wreckage sits his latest toy--a 1985-issue turbine engine originally designed for the military. It can spin at a blistering 60,000 rpm and...

Prototype vehicle with a superconducting motor. If you plan to visit the exhibition, do not miss the car because it is quite a plain display. Superconducting motor Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd prototyped an electric vehicle driven by a superconducting motor for the first time in the world. The new electric vehicle will be showcased at 2008 Integrated Exhibition of the Environment in Celebration of the Hokkaido Toyako Summit in Sapporo, Hokkaido in Japan from June 19, 2008. The company intends to prove the feasibility of high-temperature superconductivity technology for electric vehicle motors and promote the technology to the public....

It may be the mother of all doom and gloom gas price predictions: $12 for a gallon of gas is “inevitable.” Robert Hirsch, Management Information Services Senior Energy Advisor, gave a dire warning about the potential future of gas prices on CNBC’s May 20 “Squawk Box”. He told host Becky Quick there was no single thing that would solve the problem, due to the enormity of the problem. “[T]he prices that we’re paying at the pump today are, I think, going to be ‘the good old days,’ because others who watch this very closely forecast that we’re going to be...

Mississippi State University, for the second consecutive year, earned top honors in the GM and US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Challenge X student engineering competition. Over the past nine months, the 2008 Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainability competition challenged 17 university teams from the US and Canada to re-engineer a Chevrolet Equinox that employs advanced powertrain technologies. The Mississippi State team designed a through-the-road parallel hybrid electric vehicle powered by a 1.9L GM direct injection turbo diesel engine fueled by biodiesel (B20). It used a GM F40 6-speed manual transmission and a Johnson Controls 300V NiMH battery pack in conjunction...

High prices still haven't prompted companies to use advanced extraction methods. Even with record-high oil prices, about two-thirds of the oil in known oil fields is being left in the ground. That's because existing technologies that could extract far more oil--as much as about 75 percent of the oil in some oil fields--aren't being widely used, according to experts in the petroleum industry. Several well-established technologies, including "smart oil fields," exist that could significantly boost the supply of petroleum from oil reservoirs. But a lack of investment in such technologies, particularly by the national oil companies that control the vast...

Affordable Electric Car Design Just in Time for Record Gas Prices Xebra Electric Sedan Reservation $100 Xebra Electric Truck Reservation $100 As gas prices hit new record highs, an entrepreneurial mother has bought a golf cart business (Golf Carts of Lincoln) and transformed it into an electric car dealership in Rocklin, California called Electric Car Living. On May 30th and 31st she is introducing a new affordable electric car design called the ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP) Xebra.....[snip] Miki DeZorzi, a mother of two young children (Tatum, age 6 and Wesley, age 3), has opened an electric car dealership in Rocklin in...

KENNEDALE, Texas -- With gas pushing $4 per gallon, many people are looking for ways to save some green at the pump. One North Texas man found a way to help the environment and commute to work for just pennies a day. Video: Man Converts Junkyard Car Into Electric Vehicle David Murray may drive the quietest car in North Texas, powered only by a small electric motor, and not creating any emissions. "The most common question I get is, ‘Is this an electric car?’ and then they're like, "Is it a hybrid?’ Nope, it's a real electric (car)," Murray said....

We love our green sports cars here at Inhabitat, and we have plenty of room on our favorites list for more than one. While we’ve been raving for the last two years about the Tesla Roadster, the Fisker Karma has been doing the one thing Tesla has yet to do: bring a hybrid sports car to market. Created by noted car designer Henrik Fisker, the ultra cool Karma is a sleek, power packed eco-luxury ride. The Karma’s performance specs rev out at 0-60 mph in 6 seconds, and a top speed of 125 mph. At $80,000 USD, The car...

The motor of Renault-Nissan's electrically-powered vehicle, built on the Megane model, is shown to the media in Tel Aviv, 11 May 2008 Record high oil prices and sluggish sales are forcing the world's biggest automakers to turn to electricity to power their vehicles. Nissan Motor Company is the latest automaker to move in that direction, officially announcing Tuesday it plans to introduce an all-electric vehicle for sale in the United States and Japan by 2010. Nissan's chief executive officer says the company will mass-market electric cars globally by 2012. Nissan also forecast its profits will decline by 30 percent...

Workers at Johnson Controls Inc.'s factory in Northwood learned in February that their jobs building seats for the Jeep Wrangler were being outsourced to India by 2010. But that plan may have proven a bit ambitious. Yesterday, the manufacturing chief for Chrysler LLC told an automotive trade publication that at least part of the work - the more complex front seats - will stay local. Meanwhile, the Indian company that won the work, Krishna Maruti Ltd., is looking for space in the Toledo area and plans to hire as many as 70 people to produce the rear seats, according to...

We recently reported on the unfortunate demise of the Bajaj 3-wheeler from the American market due to slow sales. Happily, a new brand of funky 3-wheelers is set to make its debut in the U.S. by way of Thailand. Tuk Tuk North America (TTNA) reports that its vehicles are currently undergoing EPA and NHTSA testing for road-use approval, though its line of trikes is reportedly already for sale for off-road use. Available in a number of passenger, cargo and truck body styles, the Tuk Tuk comes equipped with either a 200cc or 650cc version of a newly-designed, liquid-cooled four-stroke...

While Hyundai offers a front wheel drive minivan in the U.S. market called the Entourage, it's only available with the Korean manufacturer's 3.8L gas V-6. It gets an EPA overall rating of 18mpg, which is competitive in its segment here in North America but no great shakes overall. Overseas, Hyundai has just released a new eight-seat rear wheel drive full-sized van called the i800. The i800 gets motivation from a 2.5L four cylinder diesel engine with common rail injection. The diesel generates 170hp and 289lb-ft of torque which won't get any enthusiasts excited in this application (what enthusiast would...

SYNOPSIS: It also has received over $3.2 million in federal funding from the DOE to develop its 3D advanced batteries. The Peoria, Ill., startup capped off a $16 million third round of funding to continue developing and marketing its carbon and graphite foam-based battery technologies for commercial and military use. Khosla Ventures and Infield Capital, which signed on as new investors to lead the deal, were joined by Stark Capital, Caterpillar and other previous investors. Firefly, which claims its lead acid batteries are cheaper, lighter and more powerful than conventional ones, will release the Oasis battery this summer. Intended for...

BMW’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel (earlier post) was named Best New Engine of the Year 2008 at the tenth annual International Engine of the Year Awards at Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany (6-8 May). The top six contenders in this category included two twin-turbos (one gasoline, one diesel), a V10 with 580bhp, the world’s first diesel boxer engine (from Subaru), and a fresh version of Volkswagen’s TSI. BMW’s 3-liter Twin Turbo gasoline engine was named International Engine of the Year 2008, as it was last year. (Earlier post.) The judges of the awards noted that the back-to-back win also confirms turbocharging...

In a bid to boost sales of its fuel thirsty trucks and SUVs, Chrysler LLC rolled out a new type of incentive late Monday, May 5: Chrysler will cap the price of gasoline at $2.99 per gallon for three years on most of its models. The program is available to buyers starting Wednesday, May 7. It is scheduled to expire June 2. Details of the program, such as which models would be eligible and how much gasoline could be purchased--were sketchy. Customers enrolled in the program will pay the pump price the day they refuel. Chrysler and its partner on...

Continental has introduced a new piezo injector with direct drive and closed-loop needle control, enabling engine developers to further reduce consumption and emissions. The new injector offers further potential savings by simplifying other emissions-related components such as sensors and control algorithms, according to Continental. “Even vehicles in higher weight categories will now meet the Euro 6 emissions standard without nitrogen oxides aftertreatment,” said Wendelin Klügl, Senior Vice President, Powertrain System & Technology at the 29th International Vienna Motor Symposium. A piezo injector uses a piezo actuator, consisting of a stack of more than 300 wafer-thin ceramic platelets, to control the...

Researchers in the UK have developed a new kind of engine. It could be called a hybrid, but what it combines is not two power sources but rather two mode of operation: 2-stroke and 4-stroke. The goal is to be able to significantly downsize the engine and get the fuel economy benefits of smaller displacement, but to be able to switch seamlessly to 2-stroke mode when more power is required at high loads and low speeds. The prototype (seen above) is a modified 2.1-liter V6. After tests at the University of Brighton, it has been found to produced performances...

Results of the study indicate that a steam hybrid using exhaust waste heat could reduce fuel consumption by up to 31.7%, depending upon drive cycle and vehicle. A study by researchers at Loughborough University and the University of Sussex, both in the UK, has concluded that using waste heat from light-duty vehicle engines in a steam power cycle could deliver fuel economy advantages of between 6.3% and 31.7%, depending upon drive cycle, and that high efficiencies can be achieved at practical operating pressures. The basic concept of the “steam hybrid” system is that energy is recovered from the exhaust...

Back in the mid 1970's, BMW exploded into the Midship Engine realm with a sexy little car called the M1. It has since been laid to rest and been reflected upon with sadness and envy. Jump to 2008, and BMW has released a concept design that they are dubbing the "M1 Homage." First off, BMW has made it very clear that this is a "concept design" and there are no "official" plans for production. However, keep in mind that there have also been rumors circulating that BMW was going to make a return to the Midship engine genre of...

Think is a Norwegian company specializing in small electric vehicles. Its new concept, called Ox, looks to be a much more mainstream vehicle than any of the minicars the company sells overseas. Roughly the size of a Scion xB, the front-wheel-drive Ox MPV will have a 60-kW electric motor and a range of 124 miles on a full charge. It can be charged via a normal household outlet. Charging the car to 80% will take just an hour using a special charger, while a full charge will take 12 hours. The company is planning to use either sodium or...

When Chevrolet officially announced the new Corvette ZR1 just before the Detroit Auto Show this year, it hadn't yet finished the certification of its new power-plant, the supercharged LS9. At that time, all the engineers would tell us was that the supercharged 6.2L V8 would produce a minimum of 100hp/L or 620 hp. Three months have passed since we got our first official look at the LS9 and the numbers are now in. According to GM, the LS9 has now been SAE Certified at 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of twist. The official EPA fuel economy testing hasn't been finished...

Volkswagen AG said Wednesday it has narrowed its list of states competing for a potential U.S. production facility to Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee. The German automaker said it was still evaluating whether to build a new plant in the United States and would make a final decision this summer. "We reviewed many excellent sites and the process to narrow down the locations was not an easy one. We look forward to continuing to work with the states of Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee as the evaluation moves forward," said Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen Group of America's president and chief executive.

At the International Vienna Motor Symposium, which starts today, Volkswagen is announcing that its next-generation turbo diesel engine, BlueTDI - developed especially for the North American market - will initially be available in the U.S. version of the Jetta. The Jetta BlueTDI will come to North America sometime in the middle of this year, followed at some point by the Touareg BlueTDI. BlueTDI is the cleaner version of the already pretty clean TDI engine that VW uses in its European diesels (starting with the Tiguan last year). TDI meets the Euro-5 standard and BlueTDI is ready for the stricter...

Laredo has once again been included on a national top 10 list, although not for a distinction the city may necessarily want.According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Laredo ranked sixth nationally in cities with the highest per capita rate of vehicle theft in 2007. The ranking marks a significant increase from 2006, when the agency ranked Laredo 22nd nationally. The agency ranks different metropolitan areas based on the number of vehicle thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the figures, Laredo had 1,914 vehicle thefts last year, a rate of about 821 cars stolen per 100,000 residents. That also puts...

It's beginning to look like the near-term technology for making diesels clean enough to meet 2010 emissions rules will involve urea. Or perhaps we should say, MORE urea-Mercedes alone currently offers four diesel models in North America, including the E320 sedan, that currently rely on a urea-based emissions system. You have probably heard that urea is a way of carrying ammonia, which can be used to catalyze NOx. Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) systems are now being developed that use urea to generate ammonia, which in turn cuts NOx. As the dieselization of North America progresses as predicted, there's going...

FAW's premium HonQi (Red Flag) division has unveiled its V12 luxury SUV concept in Beijing. While photoshopped images based on the Lincoln MKT concept surfaced on a Chinese website ahead of the show, the actual vehicle on display looks nothing like those. It is, in fact, a unique design. HonQi, you might recall, will put the 6.0L V12 engine into production next year and have it power the production HQE limousine, a Rolls-Royce Phantom doppelganger that all the party big shots are sure to be seen in. In the SUV, the engine is said to produce 402 horsepower and 405...

The production version of Lifan's egregious MINI clone is set to debut this weekend at the Beijing Motor Show. The Lifan 320 as it's called has an 87-horsepower 1.3L underhood that drives the front wheels alone. We're sure that Lifan will point to the car's standard 5-door hatchback layout as evidence that its not a true MINI copy, but let's all be serious here. Droopy headlights, fat D-pillars and traditional placement of the extra doors don't temper the blatant rip-offedness of this Grade D doppelganger. Even the wheels are copies. On a more amusing note, who knew MINI's humorous...

HST International and Tjaarda Design have announced a new partnership that they say will "change the face of electric cars." Actually, what's going on here is that the partnership is changing whats under the hood of two iconic vehicles, the Mustang and the Shelby Cobra. As we learned when we spoke with Michael Kadie and Ed Monfort late last year, these conversions aren't going to be cheap, but the Tjaarda EVX Mustang and the HST Shelby Cobra EVX will certainly turn heads. The vehicles will be on display this weekend at the 34th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long...