GREEN SHIFT
OK, listen up. GREEN is not the colour of nerds
Changing attitudes on vehicles and driving
Alphabet-soup EV goes the distance: A prototype electric vehicle built by a team at the University of Applied Sciences at Offenberg, Germany, has exceeded 1,625 kilometres on a single charge, setting a new world’s record in the process. Even more impressive, the single-seat “Schluckspecht E” broke the previous world record by 21 kilometres using existing rechargeable-battery technology. It was designed from the ground up using lightweight materials in a highly aerodynamic shape. Weighing only 320 kilograms, the vehicle is driven by two motors built into the wheels and powered by 14 lithium-ion battery packs. In setting the new record, the Schluckspecht E recorded an average speed of 40 km/h, about five km/h more than last year’s recordsetter.
Car camper kit includes kitchen: We reported recently on the Habitent “camper extension” that turns the Toyota Prius into an overnight camping tent. Now from France, the Yatoo concept turns a standard car, truck or minivan into a camper with not just a tent and a bed, but also a kitchen. Unlike the average camper, which entails a separate trailer or roof unit, the Yatoo makes use of the car’s interior as well, says emerging technology website, Gizmag. “Owners get room to sleep, live and cook while keeping much of the vehicle’s interior cargo space.” It folds accordion-like into a compact package for travel, requiring no vehicle modifications or tools to erect. In addition to bedding, it offers blackout window inserts for privacy, shade and ventilation.
Natural gas Civic boasts decreased
consumption: The only production natural gas-powered passenger car to be sold in North America this year will be in Honda dealerships nationwide by mid-October. The Civic Natural Gas, formerly the Civic GX, will use a modified version of Honda’s 1.8-litre fourcylinder engine from the gasoline-powered 2012 Civic sedan and coupe. It's rated at 8.7 L/100 km city/6.19 highway (7.59 combined). Interestingly, the gas-electric Civic Hybrid is EPA-rated at 5.35 L/100 km in all driving conditions.
Plug-in minivans test Chrysler technol
ogy: Chrysler has rolled out a small fleet of Town & Country plug-in hybrids, says alternate energy website Green Car Reports. Only 25 of the plug-in minivans have been built as part of a two-year test to gauge suitability and public reaction to the vehicles. The first four vehicles were delivered to Auburn, Mich., in April. Since then, 21 others were delivered to California, Arizona and North Carolina. They use Chrysler’s 3.6-litre “Pentastar” V-6 paired with a lithium-ion battery pack. A full charge takes between eight and 15 hours from empty at 110 volts, or two to four hours at 220 volts. There are no plans (yet) to put the plug-in Town & Country into production.
Forvision looks . . . ahead: Daimler AG and chemical company BASF, have jointly developed a new concept vehicle that combines both companies’ ideas for holistic electric mobility — the Smart Forvision — calling it “a think tank for urban mobility.” In addition to “organic solar cells,” energysaving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and infrared-reflective films and coatings, highperformance foams are used for insulation against cold and heat. “Smart is also setting new standards of lightweight design with the use of the first all-plastic wheels,” says Annette Winkler, who heads Smart. It features the first lighttransmitting roof that also generates electricity. “Even in diffused and poor light conditions, it generates enough energy to power multimedia components and the three fans that assist with climate management in the vehicle’s interior.”
Automakers balk at tougher emission
rules: Europe’s auto industry has criticized proposals for tougher carbon-dioxide limits on new cars and vans, says industry journal Automotive News, saying they’ll increase manufacturing costs in Europe, creating “a competitive disadvantage for the region.” The European Commission says it will seek binding targets to cut average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars to 152 grams per mile in 2020. Van emissions would be cut to 235 grams per mile. “These are tough targets; the toughest in the world,” said Ivan Hodac, secretary general of the European automakers’ association ACEA. The 152-grams-per-mile proposal for cars is equivalent to fuel use of 3.92 L/100 km. The target, says the European Commission, is both achievable and economically sound.