Hybrid, Electric, Plug-in, Clean Diesel Cars for the Responsible Consumers.

The Indian car manufacturers may not be churning out cars by the minute, but the cars they do come out with seem to command attention, because they are very affordable. India’s top priorities seem to evolve around affordability and environmentally-friendly considerations, that of putting affordable cars into the citizens’ hands, and planning for explosive growth in the future.

Japan’s transport ministry is considering requiring car manufacturers to add noise-making devices to hybrids and other silent vehicles. Many issues will need to be worked out, but it will be interesting to see where this is going.
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I had a chance to visit with Jim Ruby, Manager of Fleet Services, and Greg Nishihira, Business Manager of Fleet Services at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD.) We talked about fleet operations at UCSD that support numerous university functions and the many programs that Jim and Greg are spearheading to achieve sustainable transportation for the school. Here is part 1 of our conversation, with Fleet Services photos showing electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles in action in and around the UCSD campus.

Maryland Science Center to become the first in the nation to rent all-electric Maya 300 cars. The Maya 300 are made by Electrovaya and powered by lithium-ion batteries. When will Enterprise, Hertz and other rental car companies take note?
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One of the biggest impacts that electric cars will have on the economy is the automobile service and parts industries. That’s right. It’s not just the often-heard positive effects such as lowered emissions and reduced dependency on fossil fuels. And I’m not talking about dealer repairs and parts here. I’m talking the independent service and replacement parts shops.
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Minh Duong was showing off his 3-wheeled street-legal electric car named Xe Điện (‘electric car’ in Vietnamese) among the Priuses, Honda Insights, even a Tesla Roadster at San Diego’s Street Smart 2009. We spent a few minutes chatting about his creation of the electric car, his passion to start such a personal project and what he hopes to achieve in the future.

Here’s one way to help kick-start the transition to hybrid, electric and other fuel efficient cars. It’s business travel, or more specifically, business car rental policies. A corporate hybrid car rental policy will do more than helping the environment and corporate “going green” policy. It can boost consumer demands for hybrid and fuel-efficient cars.

Battery pack technology is all about managing the temperature of the cells and low resistance of the interconnecting conductors, connectors, and switches. There is still a lot of room for creative pack designs in electric and hybrid vehicles. Here are design considerations for good battery pack design and integration.
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Great Wall Motor Company is making serious progress with a number of hybrid and electric cars and trucks to enhance its already strong line of conventional car and truck products. And like many other Chinese car manufacturers in recent years, GWM is making its presence known with appearances at the largest auto shows around the world.

Batteries or battery packs can make or break a hybrid or electric car. Here’s a look at the different battery options and their characteristics together with notes on key manufacturers.
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