Austin, TX – In a joint partnership with the City of Austin, Daimler is launching its groundbreaking car2go pilot project in North America today. The innovative mobility concept makes city driving as easy as using a mobile phone. It offers Austin an easy, flexible, reasonably priced and progressive solution to the growing challenges of urban mobility. Austin becomes the official headquarters of car2go North America LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler. The first pilot phase starts with 200 smart fortwo vehicles and a defined group of users. At some point in 2010, the number of cars will be increased and car2go will be made accessible to all Austin residents and students.

The car2go system is straightforward. 200 smart fortwo vehicles are made available within the city for all registered car2go members. This fleet of vehicles can be accessed 24/7. After a one-time registration process, the customers can use the service on the spot by accessing any available vehicle on the street, or can book in advance through the online reservation process. One significant difference from traditional car-sharing programs is that car2go offers cars on demand and the customers may use the vehicle for as long as they like, without committing to a specific return time. Furthermore, car2go allows users to make one way trips. Charges are not based on distance, but on time – with rates starting by the minute.

“car2go is an innovative answer to current and future mobility needs in urban areas”, says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “We are pleased with the success we achieved in Ulm, Germany – the first car2go city – and we are ready for the next logical step on our way to an international rollout.”

Austin becomes first international partner for car2go

The City of Austin is the first North American city to partner with car2go. This launch follows the successful implementation of the first car2go pilot in October 2008 in the southern German city of Ulm.

The 200 smarts of the first pilot are rented 500 to 1,000 times per day and they are used by 15,000 customers which equals more than 15 percent of the citizens who possess a driver’s license in Ulm. 90 percent of the participants take advantage of the unique offer to use car2go spontaneously without booking in advance and for one-way trips.

“The City of Austin is committed to identifying and implementing solutions to address the challenges associated with urban growth, mobility and environmental sustainability,” said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “This pilot-program partnership between car2go and the City of Austin represents a significant step toward helping us alleviate congestion, reduce emissions and increase the use of public transportation.”

For the pilot, the pick up and drop off area is limited to the greater downtown Austin area which has an expansion of about 17 square miles where more than 60,000 employees work. The use of a car2go vehicle includes all city-controlled parking fees: No need to feed the meters! car2go is paying a usage fee to the City of Austin in the form of free driving minutes for employees driving on City business.

“Facilitating innovative transportation solutions is integral to the City of Austin’s goal of becoming the best-managed city in America,” said City Manager Marc Ott. “By promoting large-scale car sharing, we can help address mobility challenges in and around our urban core, ultimately reducing the burden on city center traffic and parking.”

How car2go will work in Austin

More than 13,000 city employees have the opportunity to use the smart vehicles not only for business but also for private use. Billing is handled with the same degree of simplicity and flexibility as every aspect of car2go – the rates are all-inclusive: fuel, maintenance, insurance, miles and parking. Competitive hourly or daily rates apply to longer rental periods. The trademark of car2go is its user friendly system, developed to meet and exceed the needs of customers. A car2go service team on the ground will handle daily maintenance of the vehicles. The service team will also ensure the vehicles are fueled and clean. If customers want to refuel the vehicles by themselves, they can use a pre-paid credit card found in the glove compartment of the car2go. The time for refueling the car will be credited to the customer with 10 minutes of free driving.

”The goal of the Austin pilot project is to gather experience we can use to ensure the public launch of car2go in North America in 2010 is successful,“ says Nicholas Cole, CEO of car2go North America LLC. “In the second phase we will increase the number of cars in Austin and open the service to the public. We are also talking to a large number of cities in North America and Europe about additional rollouts of car2go.”

The smart fortwo vehicles for the Austin pilot phase are provided by the smart USA Distributor LLC. The vehicle size and its maneuverability are perfect for car sharing programs in urban areas.

Visit car2go website.

car2go smart cars and City of Austin Team Up For On Demand Mobility is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles peeking into clean car industries and car manufacturers of China, India, South Korea and Germany. Please send comments and suggestions using our Contact page or by leaving a comment at the end of this article.

Ashok Leyland is one of India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturing companies and is a part of the Hinduja Group. Ashok Leyland is based in Chennai, India and focuses mostly on the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segment of the market. Enjoying healthy market share and a full range of offers from 18 to 52 seater passenger transport buses, Ashok Leyland is on a steady run towards being a market leader. In fact, eight out of every ten state transport buses running across India are manufactured by Ashok Leyland. Of late, it has entered into a joint venture with Japan’s giant, Nissan as it tries to penetrate the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market.

Among many other goals, Ashok Leyland aims to expand its operations to penetrate into overseas markets. Included in the company’s plans is to acquire smaller car manufacturers in China and in other developing countries. In fact, recently, it has acquired the Avia truck line from Czech Republic. Called Avia Ashok Leyland Motors s.r.o., this will give Ashok Leyland a channel into the competitive European market. According to the company, in 2008 the joint venture sold 518 LCVs in Europe despite tough economic conditions. Furthermore, the company will expand its product offers into construction equipment, following a joint venture with John Deere. Newly formed in June 2009, the John Deere partnership is a 50/50 split between the companies. The company says negotiation is progressing on land acquisition, and the production plans are in place. The venture is scheduled to start rolling out wheel loaders and backhoe loaders in October 2010.

Aside from the full expansion planned for the company, Ashok Leyland is also paying close attention to the environment. In fact, they are one of the companies showing the strongest commitment to environmental protection, utilizing eco-friendly processes in their various plants. Even as they thrust into different directions, Ashok Leyland maintains an R&D group that aims to uncover ways to make their vehicles more fuel efficient and reduce emissions.

In fact, even before laws were placed on car emissions, Ashok Leyland was already producing low-emission vehicles. Back in 1997, they have already released buses with quiet engines and low pollutant emission based on the CNG technology. In 2002 it developed the first hybrid electric vehicle. Ashok Leyland has also launched a mobile emission clinic that operates on highways and at entry points to New Delhi. The clinic checks vehicles for emission levels, recommends remedies and offers tips on maintenance and care. This work will help generate valuable data and garner insight that will guide further development.

When it comes to the development of environmentally friendly technologies, Ashok Leyland has developed Hythane engines. In association with Eden Energy, Australia, Ashok Leyland successfully developed a 6-cylinder, 6-liter 92 kW BS-4 engine which uses Hythane (H-CNG,) which is a blend of natural gas and around 20% of hydrogen. Hydrogen helps improve the efficiency of the engine but the CNG aspect makes sure that emissions are at a controlled level. A 4-cylinder 4-litre 63 KW engine is also being developed for H-CNG blend in a joint R&D program with MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) and Indian Oil Corporation.

The H-CNG concept is now in full swing, with more than 5,500 of the technology’s vehicles running around Delhi. The company is also already discussing the wide-scale use of Hythane engines with the Indian government. Hythane engines may be expected in the near future, but these may not be brought to the United States as yet.

Ashok Leyland’s partnership with Nissan is also focusing on vehicle, powertrain, and technology development listed under three joint ventures. With impressive investment, the joint ventures will focus on producing trucks with diesel engines that meet Euro 3 and Euro 4 emission standards.

In the coming years, Ashok Leyland also has some hybrid trucks and buses in store for its market. The buses and trucks are set to feature a new electronic shift-by-wire transmission technology as well as electronic-controlled engine management for greater fuel efficiency. Ashok Leyland focuses on improving fuel efficiency without affecting automotive power, and the vehicles will have a 5% improvement on fuel efficiency. Ashok Leyland is also developing electric batteries and bio-fuel modes.

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Ashok Leyland – Efficiency Innovations to India’s Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles is a post from: CleanCarTalk

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Oct. 22, 2009) – Nissan North America announced that the Nissan LEAF zero-emission, all-electric car will make its North American debut in Los Angeles on Nov. 13. The Los Angeles showing will be the first time people in the United States will be able to see the five-passenger, five-door, gasoline-free car, which is embarking on a nationwide tour.

The Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour will make stops in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering the opportunity for interested drivers, media, civic partners, businesses and university students to learn more about the Nissan LEAF and the benefits of zero-emission driving.

Look for the Nissan LEAF to make public appearances in the following areas during these times:

Southern California
Los Angeles: Nov. 13-17
Orange County: Nov. 18
San Diego: Nov. 19-21

Northern California
Berkeley/Walnut Creek: Nov. 23-24
San Francisco: Nov. 25-29
Santa Rosa: Dec. 1
Sacramento: Dec. 1
San Jose: Dec. 3-6

Pacific Northwest
Seattle: Dec. 8-12
Vancouver, Canada: Dec. 14-15
Portland, Ore.: Dec. 17-23

Southwest
Phoenix/Tucson: Dec. 30-Jan. 5
Las Vegas: Jan. 6

Midwest/East Coast
Detroit: Jan. 11-13
Knoxville/Chattanooga, Tenn.: Jan. 16
Middle Tennessee: Jan. 19-21
Washington, D.C.: Jan. 26-28
Raleigh, N.C.: Jan. 29
Orlando: Feb. 1-2

Texas
Houston: Feb. 5-6

New York
New York City: Feb. 9-14

Nissan is the only automaker committed to making all-electric vehicles available to the mass market on a global scale. Through the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, Nissan will be showcasing the electric vehicle and battery technology as well as the company’s zero-emission mobility objectives. Nissan already has partnered on the development of an electric-vehicle infrastructure through partnerships in the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Washington D.C., Seattle, Raleigh, and Vancouver. Additional partnerships will be announced in the near future.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recyclin

Follow the tour, get updates on the final schedule and specific showings, and sign up for more information, at www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car.

Photos courtesy Nissan-zeroemission.com.

Nissan LEAF Makes U.S. Appearance Beginning With Los Angeles Nov. 13 is a post from: CleanCarTalk

The 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) on September 16, 2009 saw the world launch of the REVA NXR (NeXt Reva), a new lithium-ion powered electric car from REVA Electric Car Company (REVA), which is scheduled to go into production early 2010. Also unveiled for the first time was REVA’s showcar, the REVA NXG (NeXt Generation), which is the company’s 2011 model.

REVA NXR is an M1 category three-door, four-seater hatchback family car that is suitable for urban driving. Top speed is 104 kph (65 mph) with a range of 160 kms (100 miles) per charge. If using the 90 minute fast charge (normal charging is eight hours), the REVA NXR offers an effective range of 320km a day. A fast charge for 15 minutes will provide a 40 km (25 mile) range.

The REVA NXR has keyless entry and operation, dual charge ports, intelligent digital display and a range of telematics. These include SMS alerts and commands such as distance-to-empty and time-to- full charge, remote cabin heat/cool, a monthly eco-drive check by email, service and insurance alerts, remote diagnostics and healing and REVive remote emergency charge. REVive is exclusive to REVA and acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank and addresses “range anxiety.” If a customer runs out of charge, they can telephone or SMS REVA’s customer support center. The advanced telematics will assess the car’s batteries remotely and activate a reserve amount of energy while protecting the battery life. Within minutes, a few extra miles of range are made available via the telematics and the driver can continue home or to a place where the NXR can be charged.

REVA NXR

Prices of the NXR will vary across Europe depending on taxes and subsidies. Customers will be offered the option of purchasing the car and batteries separately, or at an all-inclusive price. If bought separately, the benefit will be a lower purchase price, with the batteries paid for on a monthly basis – just like gasoline – as part of a monthly mobility fee, which could also include electricity, telematics and other services. Average prices in Europe, excluding batteries, will be around 14,995 euros (US$ 21,820) for the lithium-ion NXR Intercity version. The REVA NXR City, with lead acid batteries that has an 80 km (50 mile) range and a speed of 80 kph (50 mph) is also available from 9,995 euros (US$ 14,545) and a small monthly mobility fee.

Chetan Maini, deputy chairman and chief technology officer of REVA said during the Frankfurt show: “The NXR is a stylish city car packed full of user-friendly technology. You can order one from today and production will start early next year, so you can be one of the first to own the latest generation of electric cars.” Styled by Dilip Chhabria, the REVA NXG is a M1 category, two-door, two-seater car with a targa top. The REVA NXG has a range of 200km (125 miles) per charge and a top speed of 130 kph (80 miles per hour). It features the same telematics as the REVA NXR, including REVive and, using the fast charge, it has an effective range of 400 kms (250 miles) a day. This showcar, the REVA NXG, is REVA’s 2011 model and its first showing is at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) between Sep. 17 – 27, 2009. Pricing in Europe excluding batteries is from 23,000 euros (US$ 33,470) plus a monthly mobility fee.

REVA NXG

REVA is committed to mitigating climate change with the creation of ultra low carbon cars – it has only ever made EVs. Every REVA NXR and REVA NXG will be Born Green, meaning they will have one of the lowest dust-to-dirt carbon footprints of any car in mass production. The REVA NXR has been designed to use approximately 80% fewer parts than a conventional or hybrid car and will be assembled in REVA’s new ultra low-carbon assembly plant in Bangalore powered by solar energy and using natural light and ventilation and rainwater harvesting. Preparations have begun to create a ‘second life’ for the lithium batteries to optimize energy efficiency and reduce the cost to consumers via the creation of guaranteed residual values. From 2010 REVA will publish the carbon emissions for the assembly and lifetime operation of both these new cars and by this environmental disclosure, customers can make an informed buying decision.

REVA’s new website, www.revaglobal.com, launched the same time as the new cars and customers can register their interest in either vehicle on the online priority list today by paying a refundable 500 euro (US$ 727) fee. While Indian-made cars have sold in Europe and elsewhere, cars made in India have not targeted the U.S. market, and it is not expected that the REVA will be brought here either.

REVA NXR and REVA NXG All-Electric Cars Available For Europe Reservation is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles peeking into clean car industries and car manufacturers of China, India, South Korea and Germany. Please send comments and suggestions using our Contact page or by leaving a comment at the end of this article.

Hindustan Motors Limited or HML is one of the pioneers of India’s automobile industry. Hindustan Motors is the flagship company of India’s C.K. Birla Group. Its history dates back to the 1940s and was founded by the illustrious Indian Birla family. The company achieved its peak popularity when it came out with the unforgettable car, the Ambassador. The popular car became Hindustan Motor’s most iconic product despite its wide range of passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, and many other vehicle types that they offer.

Hindustan and Mitsubishi Collaboration

The Ambassador is just one of the many passenger cars offered by HML, along with others such as Grand and Avigo. Hindustan’s Multi Utility Vehicles include the Pushpak, the Porter, and the Trekker. However, Hindustan also enjoyed massive popularity when it partnered with Mitsubishi for the release of several famous Mitsubishi cars such as the Mitsubishi Lancer, Lancer Cedia, and Lancer Select. It was also Mitsubishi’s Indian arm for the expansive release of the iconic Mitsubishi Pajero.

It has been over five decades since Hindustan began making its various contributions to India’s automobile industry. Through the years, the company has banked on quality, safety, and social responsibility with every car they brought out to market. They now apply environment-friendly practices at their state-of-the-art plants where their new products are built.

Following the tradition of the Ambassador cars, Hindustan Motors continues to provide top-class vehicles, most of which are released in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors. Just recently, the joint venture introduced the premium SUV, Mitsubishi Montero 2009. Mitsubishi carried the vehicle in its global release, while India carried it in its domestic release into the Indian market. The Mitsubishi Montero 2009 has been awarded as a Dakar rally winner twelve times over.

Aside from the joint projects with Mitsubishi, Hindustan Motors is also working on new models to be released under its own brand. One of these models is the vehicle called “Sumatra.” The car is a Light Commercial Vehicle with a new chassis and a 4-cylinder 1500cc engine that can release 37.5 HP 8.15 Kgm of torque. Some of the car’s specifications are taken from that of the famous Ambassador. The Sumatra is meant for the Indian market and not for overseas.

Coming Changes

In recent years, popularity of the Ambassador has waned after enjoying decades of status of being India’s “official vehicle” in government and administration circles. This resulted in sharply falling production of the Amby, as the car is affectionately called.

While the automobile industry has given much focus to environment-friendly cars or “clean cars” such as hybrid and electric cars, Hindustan has not yet released a hybrid car in the industry. The first hybrid car on the Indian roads is still the Japanese-made Honda Civic Hybrid. Hindustan Motor’s competitors are becoming dominant in the hybrid and electric car areas, but Hindustan Motor does not jump into the fray. The Indian government also places emphasis on hydrogen cars instead of on hybrid cars.

CNG-Powered Embassafor and Winner Truck

It’s not to say that HML is not making a serious efforts. As indicated on the company website, there are now 2 CNG vehicles among its product offerings. One is the Ambassador Grand 1800 CNG, the other a CNG mini truck Winner produced under license from Shandong Shifeng in the Shandong province of China.

Ambassador Grand 1800 CNG

This green Ambassador offers fuel economy and environmental benefits. Featuring a 1.8L CNG engine, the Ambassador CNG “has negligible emission of toxic gases, minimal noise level and hardly any evaporative losses,” the company says. Achieving a fuel efficiency of 37.6 mpg, owners of the Amby CNG are expected to save 70% in fuel cost compared to gasoline cars and 40% compared to diesel cars in the same category. Installation of the CNG cylinder in the back of the car still provides sufficient luggage space use, without compromising the Ambassador’s safety, sturdiness, space and comfort.

CNG Winner Mini Truck

The one ton truck called Winner is powered by a 1.8L CNG engine and features 2 CNG tanks of 65 liter capacity each. The Winner can travel 350 Km or 217 miles on a single tank, has bigger tires, high ground clearance, a bigger cargo box and enough power for air conditioning. With several variants in the plan, including a 1.5L diesel version, the Winner is expected to price at around 4 lakhs or just under US$8,400.

With other Indian car manufactures dominating the scene, Hindustan Motors seem to be concentrating on improving the quality of its new car models. The car models will have improved efficiency despite not being hybrid or electric cars. There has been no word on whether Hindustan Motors will release a hybrid car anytime in the future, but there are still a lot to watch out for from Hindustan Motors.

Visit Hindustan Motors Limited.

Hindustan Motors Limited – India’s Pioneering Automobile Manufacturer is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Updated 11-17-09. Let’s forget clean driving and the environment for a moment. There’s a more pressing issue.

The Ford Motor Company recently commissioned an online survey on texting while driving, according to an article on Ford’s media website. The online survey was conducted September 18-21 by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates on behalf of Ford, and its goal was to understand driver perceptions related to distracted driving. Ford endorses a proposed nationwide ban on handheld texting introduced by Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY). Here are some key findings.

• The survey showed 86 percent of licensed U.S. drivers described handheld texting while driving as “very dangerous,” with 93 percent supporting a nationwide ban on texting.
• Despite strong support for a nationwide handheld texting ban, only 42 percent of respondents believe drivers would stop texting if banned. More than 75 percent believe there would be more compliance if hands-free or voice-activated technologies were widely available.
• Sixty-seven percent of drivers said they believed voice-activated technology is a safe alternative to handheld texting.
• The most recent and most complete research shows that distractions that take drivers’ eyes away from the road for an extended period of time are a factor in nearly 80 percent of accidents.

There are plenty of tests and studies that illustrate this serious problem, including a certain well known gory commercial. While the survey merely puts some numbers to already known problems and trends, the real issues are really twofold:

1. It’s no doubt that the majority of us agree that texting while driving is a major distraction and can lead to serious accidents, and
2. We can’t agree on how to solve the problem, regardless of what statistics and even common sense indicate.

Existing Cell Phone Driving Laws

In case many people don’t realize, this case is no different from talking on mobile phones while driving. The so-called hands-free driving laws or cell phone driving laws are already in effect in many states. As of September 2009,

• Six states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from talking on handheld cell phones while driving. With the exception of Washington State, these laws are all primary enforcement—an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving without any other traffic offense taking place.
• No state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for all drivers, but many prohibit cell phone use by certain segments of the population.
  • Novice Drivers: 21 states and the District of Columbia ban all cell use by novice drivers.
  • School Bus Drivers: In 17 states and the District of Columbia, school bus drivers are prohibited from all cell phone use when passengers are present.
• Eighteen states and the District of Columbia now ban text messaging for all drivers.
  • Novice Drivers: 9 states prohibit text messaging by novice drivers.
  • School Bus Drivers: 1 state restricts school bus drivers from texting while driving.
• Some states, such as Maine, New Hampshire and Utah treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue. Utah considers speaking on a cellphone to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).

The fact is, these on-the-book laws do get some people off of talking on the phones while driving, but many people are still doing it, and the whole thing has been really a huge opportunity for companies to sell gazillions of Bluetooth headsets. I see people still driving with their cellphones to their ears all the time. So for those taking part in this debate about texting laws, that’s what you have to look forward to.

I’m all for banning texting while driving. Some laws, including those that ban texting while driving, are good and necessary. But maybe the problem needs to be solved in a different way.

The Solution: Education, Awareness and Care

It seems the urge to stay connected is so strong that we’re willing to sacrifice our own safety and the safety of those around us. There is no specific law that I know of that forbids viewing video while driving, yet people know better to not do it. This is because they can clearly associate ‘looking at the video screen’ being ‘not looking at the road.’ The goal then is to help drivers associate ‘texting while driving’ with ‘texting means not looking at the road.’ If one really thinks about it, it’s all about

• Knowing: being educated about possible consequences. Most people already know that lives are at stakes.
• Understanding: being aware and conscious of the possible consequences. Many people understand that their actions may hurt themselves and others.
• Caring: accepting that the possible consequences are real. Only few people are aware to care about not hurting themselves and other people until it happens. In fact they should care before it happens.

The bottom Line

When people can associate their actions to possible consequences of serious injuries and/or death to themselves and others, then they will see that texting while driving will not seem too important in the grand scheme of things, regardless of how urgent the subject matter of the texting may have been. What’s the bottom line? It is this: You can kill someone as you text while driving. Simple.

View the complete Ford article.

Texting While Driving – A Case of Drivers Not Thinking Straight is a post from: CleanCarTalk

On September 9, 2009, the leading vehicle manufacturers in fuel cell technology – Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation/Opel, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, the alliance Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation – gave a joint statement to the development and market introduction of electric vehicles with fuel cells with a Letter of Understanding (LoU). These companies have built up remarkable know-how in fuel cell technology and thus, the signing marks a major step towards the serial production of such locally emission-free vehicles.

The signing automobile manufacturers strongly anticipate that from 2015 onwards a quite significant number of electric vehicles with fuel cell could be commercialized. This number is aimed at a few hundred thousand units over life cycle on a worldwide basis. As every vehicle manufacturer will implement its own specific production and commercial strategies as well as timelines, commercialization of electric vehicles with fuel cells may occur earlier than in the above-mentioned expected year.

Road traffic has been steadily increasing in recent years and vehicle ownership is expected to grow. As a result, there will be increased priority on low and zero emission vehicles and an increase in overall CO2 reduction goals. Over the last decade, governments, car manufacturers and the energy sector have given special attention to the introduction of hydrogen as a fuel for road transport as a priority option to reach several goals associated with emission management and CO2 reduction. Current demonstration projects involving fuel retail companies, utility providers and engineering companies have shown that the production, storage, transportation and deployment of efficient equipment for hydrogen as a fuel are technically feasible.

In order to ensure a successful market introduction of electric vehicles with fuel cells, a hydrogen infrastructure has to be built up with sufficient density. The network is required by 2015 and should be built-up from metropolitan areas via corridors into area-wide coverage. The signing manufacturers strongly support the idea of building-up a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe, with Germany as regional starting point and at the same time developing similar concepts for the market penetration of hydrogen infrastructure in other regions of the world, including the USA, Japan and Korea as further starting points.

It’s about time these companies pull together to develop fuel cell vehicle standards and infrastructure. The technology may be ready, but if each company continues on its own development path, commercialization will not happen. So this is encouraging news.

Leading Fuel Cell Vehicle Manufacturers Signed Joint Agreement is a post from: CleanCarTalk

From mid November 2009 the new smart fortwo electric drive will roll off the production line at the smart factory in Hambach, France. Unlike its predecessor, the electrically driven smart fortwo of the second generation is fitted with an innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is housed in a space-saving position between the axles, which means that space is not compromised in any way in the intelligent two-seater vehicle. A 30 kW electric motor is fitted at the rear. This provides for good acceleration and high agility with 120 Newton meters or Nm (88.5 ft-lbs) of torque that are immediately available. The smart fortwo electric drive can be charged at any normal household socket. In Germany, a full battery charge costs approximately two euros and is sufficient for a range of around 135 kilometers (84 miles) – more than enough for city traffic. smart has made electric drive a practical alternative for zero-emission mobility in urban areas. The new smart fortwo electric drive is initially being leased to customers in Berlin and other cities in Europe and the USA who will subject the environmentally friendly trendsetter to intensive real-world testing in tough everyday conditions. From 2012 it will be available to anyone interested.

smart fortwo Electric Drive – Sustainability for Urban Mobility

Environmental friendliness and contemporary functionality have been defining features of the smart fortwo ever since it was launched more than ten years ago. Since then its innovative concept has combined sustainable, forward-looking technologies with individual urban mobility. With a length of just over two and a half meters (8.2 feet) the extremely compact vehicle can also park perpendicular to the flow of traffic. In addition, the space-saving and environmentally friendly two-seater currently has the lowest fleet consumption and brings its occupants to their destination comfortably and safely. Its design is fresh, youthful, modern and yet sophisticated and has made it an automotive lifestyle icon which shows that mobility, responsibility to the environment and joie de vivre are compatible with one another. The smart fortwo has established a class of its own.

smart fortwo Electric Drive Offers Innovative Driving Fun

The new smart fortwo electric drive from the popular brand that will roll off the production line from mid November 2009 is a logical continuation of a very ambitious goal: the production of a well-engineered, attractive city car that has no local exhaust gas emissions i.e. a zero emission vehicle. smart started emission-free driving in the tough everyday conditions of city traffic in 2007 in London. Since then 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation have been in practical customer operation. The feedback from the UK capital has been very positive and confirms the high degree of maturity of this vehicle concept.

In 2008 smart presented the second generation smart fortwo electric drive, a more advanced electric drive with an innovative lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion technology has decisive advantages over other types of batteries including higher performance, shorter charging times, a long life and high reliability. Marc Langenbrinck, responsible for brand management at smart, says: “The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is based on a successful and accepted vehicle concept with character and inherent environmentally friendly characteristics. Its innovative electric battery drive makes it the perfect car for the city: it is agile, economical and climate-friendly. Motoring with zero local emissions in an urban environment has become a reality. This equates to driving fun with a clear conscience.”

Electric Drive Taken into Account in the Very First Concept

Electric drives have been part of the smart concept right from the start. The later integration of the components needed for electric drive was planned at a very early stage. For example, there is space for the battery in the underfloor between the axles where the tank is located in other smart models . The electric drive module does not limit the space available in the smart fortwo electric drive in any way; there is just as much interior and luggage compartment space as in a smart fortwo with a combustion engine.

Powerful Drive

A 30 kW magneto-electric motor is installed at the rear of the new smart fortwo electric drive and reacts immediately and without delay. Powerful torque of 120 Nm (88.5 ft-lbs) is immediately available. This results in a surprising amount of power when pulling away. The smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 – 60 km/h (37 mph) in 6.5 seconds – just as quickly as a gasoline model. Its maximum speed has been deliberately limited to 100 km/h (62 mph,) a suitable speed for the city. Thanks to the power characteristic of the electric motor, the smart fortwo electric drive needs just one single fixed gear ratio. There is no need for any gear changing – a major advantage in dense city traffic. To reverse, the engine’s direction of rotation changes.

The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a lithium-ion battery from Tesla Motors Inc. with capacity of 14 kWh. It is simple to charge at any fused 220 Volt socket.

A fully charged battery is sufficient for up to 135 kilometers of driving fun (NEDC, New European Driving Cycle). This range is more than enough for city traffic as studies have shown that cars drive an average of 30 – 40 kilometers (19 – 25 miles) per day in towns and cities. For this, the vehicle only needs to be charged for three hours. Plugging the car in overnight will fully recharge the battery.

Electronics Optimize the Battery Charge Status and Power Consumption

Special electronics ensure that all is well with the battery. The electronics also monitor the charging process and control the capacity display. The vehicle’s power electronics supply the electrical system with electric current from the battery via a DC/DC converter. In addition, they also control the heating and air conditioning, for example, to minimize the strain on the battery. Clever drivers can air condition their smart fortwo electric drive in advance as long as their vehicle is being charged at home – the long-standing dream of stationary cooling becomes a reality! No other car offers this comfortable option.

The new second generation smart fortwo electric drive is based on the smart fortwo coupé/cabrio passion. As well as air conditioning with automatic temperature control all the equipment features of the popular passion equipment line are included. In addition to the battery indicator, an ammeter shows the consumption and the recuperated energy.

Very Low Costs

Based on German electricity prices it costs approximately two euros to drive the smart fortwo electric drive for 100 kilometers or 62 miles (even cheaper with off-peak electricity). This is less than the price of two liters of gasoline. Electric power is much cheaper in lots of countries. The maintenance costs are considerably lower than those of a smart with a combustion engine as the battery, motor and other components of the electric drive are maintenance-free.

In addition to the low running costs, there are further cost advantages in lots of countries and cities. For example, drivers of a smart fortwo electric drive are entitled to national subsidies, tax advantages or exemption from local toll charges such as the city center congestion charge in London.

smart fortwo Electric Drive in Major Cities in Europe and the USA

From the end of 2009 the smart fortwo electric drive will be delivered to selected leasing customers. Leases will be offered for a period of four years and 60,000 kilometers (37,300 miles.) The first vehicles are destined for the “e-mobility Berlin” project . Here, in cooperation with the energy provider RWE and with the support of the German government and the city of Berlin, Daimler is creating the conditions for running battery-driven vehicles with no local emissions. This includes setting up a network of electricity charging stations that enable intelligent communication between electric vehicles and the power network so that the battery can be charged when electricity is cheapest.

Further vehicles of the new generation smart fortwo electric drive will take to the roads of Hamburg, Paris, Rome, Milan, Pisa, Madrid and they will also be deployed in further projects in Europe. Some of the models will also go to cities in the USA.

There is already a very lively demand for the smart fortwo electric drive, and from 2012 it will be produced in large volumes as a normal part of the smart range and sold via the smart dealer network. This underlines the pioneering role of the car brand on the way to attractive individual mobility with zero local emissions in cities and urban population centers.

Second Generation smart fortwo Electric Drive Goes Into Series Production is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles peeking into clean car industries and car manufacturers of China, India, South Korea and Germany. Please send comments and suggestions using our Contact page or by leaving a comment at the end of this article.

China FAW Group Corporation is currently billed as the number one automobile maker in China, and is also one of the oldest in the industry, dating back to 1953. FAW Group, or more commonly know as simply FAW, has a wide-ranging base of products, from passenger cars, mini (utility) vehicles, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks, to commercial trucks, buses and coaches.

FAW also makes components and parts such as wheel rims, truck axles, engine parts and pumps. In recent years, FAW also entered several joint ventures with Toyota and other manufacturers in other countries such as Russia. In fact, its joint venture with Toyota became the reason for the existence of the Toyota Prius. Toyota also produced the Vios and Corolla models through a partnership with FAW’s Tianjin unit. Aside from that, FAW also worked with Volkswagen AG and came up with a high-tech production facility that produces large numbers of cars every year. The company has now grown to become the China FAW Group Corporation from its humble beginnings as a truck maker, and from 1953 up to the present, it has remained at the forefront of China’s car industry. Until now, it maintains its truck market but has expanded and is offering high-quality cars to other markets as well.

Another market that First Automobile Works is currently tapping is the clean car market. The industry has yet to grow, but First Automobile Works is working hard to achieve its goals in the clean car segment. Aside from its continuous efforts in improving sales and production of its current market offerings, the company is also paying attention to the production and development of hybrid cars.

FAW and Toyota Collaboration

One of the most popular and significant advancements in the clean car industry is the Toyota Prius, a heavily marketed hybrid car produced by Toyota in collaboration with FAW. Produced a few years back, the Prius was released in China after Toyota and FAW entered a 50-50 partnership venture. The Prius is a 1.5L vehicle and consumes 40.5% less fuel than the 1.6L gasoline vehicle Toyota Corolla. Recently Toyota announced that its latest generation Toyota Prius will start selling in China in 2010. Despite the Prius’ relatively high price tag (up to 280,000 yuan or US$41,000,) Toyota has reason to be optimistic with expected consumer incentives by China’s central government to spur sales of clean cars including electric and hybrids. Source: gasgoo.com.

China’s automobile industry is very ripe for the introduction of hybrid cars. With the Chinese government wholly supportive and with the subsidies being offered to taxi fleets as well as tax benefits offered to consumers who patronize clean cars, car manufacturers such as FAW and Toyota recognize that there is no better time to introduce hybrid cars to the Chinese market than now. These efforts to further the development of clean cars aim to reduce pollution and relieve oil shortage problems being experienced not just in China but all over the world. Nonetheless, the Toyota and FAW partnership is also planning to release about 400,000 compact, medium, and high-end buses and sedans by the year 2010 to the Chinese market.

More hybrid cars are being planned for release under FAW brand. In fact, the entire FAW Group is expected to release around 1,600 hybrid cars before the year 2012 ends. During the same timeframe, the company is hoping to produce 800 hybrid buses. Most of the hybrid cars are planned to have hybrid engine technologies sourced from Japan’s top car makers. Its hybrid vehicle products produced together with Toyota are expected to hit the global market since Toyota aims to distribute said products globally. These upcoming clean cars will be produced at a special hybrid car facility. FAW has also shown its determination to see the said project through to the end by increasing its investments. There is surely a lot to wait for from FAW.

CA6100SH8 Hybrid Coach

Since the early 1990s, many global bus chassis manufacturers followed FAW’s lead by making large investments toward the research and development of commercially viable hybrid-powered bus platform. With a strong code of environmental responsibility, FAW gave priority status to the development of new cutting edge hybrid bus chassis in early 2002 that could both lower vehicle emissions and increase fuel economy.

Envisioning the potential of FAW’s new technology, the project received full support from China’s central government, who has taken an aggressive stance within the current 5 year national development plan to reduce both emissions and fuel consumption nationwide. Through the joint efforts of FAW Group’s R & D Center and FAW Bus & Coach Company, two prototype hybrid-powered buses were completed by the Wuxi division of FAW Bus & Coach on Dec. 10, 2005.

The factory is now set to begin mass production of the new hybrid CA6100SH8 municipal transit bus, designed for today’s increasingly popular BRT systems (bus rapid transit) and traditional inner city mass transit. This revolutionary new model with 10 proprietary patents delivers a fuel economy increase of 38% and an emissions reduction of 30%, compared to traditional buses. With a Euro 3 emissions rating, the new 80kW parallel hybrid drive system is scheduled for Euro 4 certification by late 2006.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, twenty of these CA6100SH8 hybrid bus, called hybrid “City Bus,” successfully completed field trials on real passenger routes within the Olympic sector. The “City Bus” hybrid buses employed Enova Systems’ pre-transmission hybrid drive systems, and “exceeded all expectations” according to Liu Minghue, the Executive Director of Engineering for the FAW hybrid-electric transit bus trial.

Jiefang CA6120URH hybrid bus

This month Enova confirmed that it has delivered the first seventy (70) pre-transmission hybrid drive systems to First Auto Works. FAW has ordered an additional one hundred-fifty (150) hybrid drive systems for delivery in 2009. The Enova drive system will be integrated and branded in FAW buses under the name of Jiefang CA6120URH hybrid. The Jiefang 12 meter (40 foot) low floor hybrid bus can carry 103 passengers and travel at a maximum speed of 85 kilometers an hour (km/h) or 53 miles per hour (mph.) The bus meets Euro III emission standards. It will consume only 30 liters of fuel every 100 kilometers (equivalent to 7.84 miles per gallon) and discharge 20 percent less emissions.

According to a report on busesline.com, the municipal government of Dalian has ordered 150 of the Jiefang hybrid buses. Fifty of them will be running in the city during the Summer Davos event, which is the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2009, conducted by the World Economic Forum from 10-12 September, 2009. In October, another 100 Jiefang hybrid power buses will go into use in Changchun city, capital of northeast China’s Jilin province.

Groundbreaking For New Hyrbid Bus Plant in Dalian

To keep up with China’s central government’s goal of 500,000 electric and hybrid vehicles over the next hew years, FAW Group Corporation held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new-energy bus plant at Dalian Economic & Technological Development Zone on June 5. Attendees to the ceremony included officials from Dalian city, President Xu Jianyi of FAW Group and Vice President Qin Huanming of FAW Group.

Construction of the new production base of the new-energy vehicle is one of the important parts of FAW Group’s development plan. The new plant is scheduled finishing construction in July 2010. The plant’s annual production capacity is planned to reach 3,000 units including 1,500 hybrid buses before the year of 2013.

Visit FAW website, Enovasystems.com

First Automobile Works – Aggressive Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturer to China’s Market is a post from: CleanCarTalk

On April 12, 2006, Mercedes-Benz presented the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class at the New York International Automobile Show. As product enhancement the series was equipped with new engines, forward-looking safety technology, and the most up-to-date lighting equipment. In addition, the design engineers redeveloped or improved 2,000 parts.

The new generation of the E-Class demonstrated its dynamism, strength and effortless superiority mainly through a revised design. The sedan and station wagon appeared even more dynamic and commanding than before. Inside, the new generation was distinguished among other things by attractive color combinations, a new four-spoke steering wheel and a new control unit for the standard automatic climate control.

The vehicles went on sale in Europe in early June 2006, and a few weeks later also in the USA. A total of 29 model variants were available to choose from – 16 sedans and 13 station wagons. Compared with its competitors, Mercedes-Benz offered the largest and most varied model range in this market segment.

New engines for the new generation of E-Class

Six out of ten engines of the facelifted E-Class were new or advance developments. In particular the four-cylinder diesel engines of models E 200 CDI and E 220 CDI were optimized to further improve output, torque and smoothness. In the gasoline engine department the engineers concentrated mainly on the power plants with four and eight cylinders. In the future the top engine in the E-Class would be the newly developed V8 engine (M 273) from the S-Class with 5.5-liter displacement and 285 kW (388 hp).

Mercedes-AMG first presented the E 63 AMG at the New York International Auto Show. Powered by the new AMG naturally aspirated V8, which obtained peak output of 378 kW (514 hp) and maximum torque of 465 ft-lbs (630 Nm) with a displacement of 6.2 liters, the E 63 AMG model was the most powerful E-Class ever. From 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) the sedan needed just 4.5 seconds, the station wagon 4.6 seconds. The perfect partner for the 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine from AMG was the new AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7-speed automatic transmission with three individual shift modes.

BlueTEC: The future of the diesel

The decision taken by Mercedes-Benz to put its first BlueTEC passenger car on the North American market in autumn 2006 pointed the way ahead for the compression-ignition engine. Compared with the advanced CDI engines, BlueTEC diesel technology produced a further significant reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions in particular. Following the successful launch of the world’s first BlueTEC passenger car the E 320 BlueTEC was voted “World Green Car of the Year 2007″ in America.

The Mercedes-Benz E 320 BlueTEC also demonstrated its capabilities in 2006 in a long-distance run from Paris to Beijing. This symbolic bridging of Europe and Asia took in large parts of the route covered by the first transcontinental car race in history, which took its participants from Beijing to Paris in 62 days in 1907. Three Mercedes-Benz E 320 BlueTEC vehicles along with 30 E 320 CDI models made up the field of E-Class sedans that travelled from Paris to Beijing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3tSNWgQji4

See more YouTube videos of the Paris Beijing 2006 run.

The new E 300 BlueTEC – Road to the future

In 2007 Mercedes-Benz began introducing the new BlueTEC diesel technology in Europe. At the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September 2007 the Stuttgart brand presented the new E 300 BlueTEC as the latest model in the 211 series. This cleanest and thriftiest EU5 diesel from the business class came onto the European market in December 2007. With these two models, the E-Class spearheaded a Mercedes-Benz offensive across all model series. Since the years ahead will see BlueTEC variants for models from C-Class to R-Class on the “Mercedes-Benz Road to the Future”.

The slightly lower peak output of the new BlueTEC model in the US version (155 kW/211 hp instead of 165 kW/ 224 hp) resulted from measures designed to improve emissions. Further optimization measures included special piezo injectors and selective fine-tuning of turbocharger and exhaust gas recirculation. The unchanged high peak torque of 398 ft-lbs (540 Nm) at 1,600 rpm guarantees effortlessly superior performance with low fuel consumption and very clean exhaust gases. The NEDC consumption of the E 300 BlueTEC is around 7.3 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers, which is about 32 miles per gallon (mpg.)

E 350 CGI: direct-injection gasoline engine in the E-Class

Parallel to the E 300 BlueTEC model, Mercedes-Benz introduced the E 350 CGI model. Its V6 gasoline engine was equipped with ultramodern gasoline direct injection featuring a spray-guided combustion process (CGI). The world’s first engine to feature this innovative combustion system and piezo injection came from the CLS 350 CGI model. The E 350 CGI model has been available as a sedan or station wagon since December 2007.

Compared with the E 350 model, which is still available, the 215 kW (292 hp) V6 engine offers 15 kW (20 hp) more output and 11 ft-lbs (15 Nm) more torque, combined with ten percent lower fuel consumption. The E 350 CGI sedan model, which accelerates from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.8 seconds, uses just 8.7 liters of premium gasoline per 100 kilometers (New European Driving Cycle, or NEDC average) or about 27 mpg. In both model variants the top speed is electronically governed at 155 mph (250 km/h.)

E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class will also assume the role of pioneer in the next series of E-Class. The year 2010 is expected to see the arrival of the first of three Mercedes-Benz models from the next generation of the intermediate range, equipped with a unique combination of BlueTEC, 7G-TRONIC (MB’s trademark name for its seven-speed automatic transmission) and hybrid technology. The modular technology concept of the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID model comprises the new four-cylinder diesel engine, which develops 150 kW (204 hp) and a maximum torque of 354 ft-lbs (480 Nm) from 2.2 liters, and a compact hybrid module that delivers an additional 15 kW (20 hp). Consumption of just 5.1 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers (46 mpg) and carbon dioxide emissions of only 134 grams per kilometer make the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID model the world’s thriftiest and cleanest business sedan.

BlueTEC Diesel hybrid E 300. No price announcement yet, but Benz fans are already salivating.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Powering Toward 2010 E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid is a post from: CleanCarTalk