My Honda can Fly!

Honda's Hovering Concept Car:

French industrial and automotive designer Jonathan Mahieddine has created quite a stir with a futuristic design for a flying car.

The young, creative designer envisions the Fuzo as a lightweight and sturdy vehicle — thanks to extensive use of Kevlar, carbon fiber and carbon nanotubes — that would be capable of traveling through the air at a top speed of 350 mph, thanks to four powerful turbine engines. It would also be able to take off and land vertically, like Britain's famous Harrier jump jet and the U.S. military's own V-22 Osprey. What's more, upon landing, the Fuzo would extend its retractable wheels and tool around town like a normal automobile.

Other elements Mahieddine envisions for the Fuzo are a GPS system that not only guides the car to its predetermined destination but also communicates with other GPS-enabled vehicles for collision avoidance. Additionally, airbags would be placed both inside and outside of the vehicle to both minimize injury to its occupants and cushion the blow to pedestrians or non-GPS-equipped vehicles.

The Electric Car's time has finally arrived!

Clean, quiet, and relatively profitable to produce, electric vehicles have had a rough start in the U.S.: Five years after General Motors (GM) nixed its innovative EV1 electric car program, just a handful of automakers have committed to making and selling electric vehicles on a mass scale any time soon.

Enter Think Global, a Norwegian upstart plotting a U.S. invasion via pint-size, affordable electric cars. Think has been selling gas-free, Lilliputian city cars in Europe and will start peddling them to fuel-crunched Americans in 2009. The company's newly formed North American division has high hopes for Think's existing models—and even higher ones for the upcoming Th!nk Ox, a concept unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show earlier this year.

An electrified people's car for the 21st century, the Ox is a preview of Think's next-generation production vehicle, due out in 2011. Roughly the size of a Toyota (TM) Prius, the Ox can travel between 125 and 155 miles before needing a recharge, and zips from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 8.5 seconds. Its lithium-ion batteries can be charged to 80% capacity in less than an hour, and slender solar panels integrated into the roof power the onboard electronics. Inside, the hatchback includes a bevy of high-tech gizmos such as GPS navigation, a mobile Internet connection, and a key fob that lets drivers customize the car's all-digital dashboard. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the company's current vehicles cost less than $25,000.

Although little-known, Think North America is backed by an undisclosed amount from Silicon Valley venture capital firms RockPort Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which famously invested early in companies such as Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG). General Electric (GE) made an unrelated $4 million investment in March to support the company's battery research and development operations.

Distinguished Design

Even more than its well-funded sponsors or cutting-edge technology, the Ox's killer app could be its design. To date, most electric cars available in the U.S.—small, unsafe, and underpowered—have been intended strictly for the earliest early adopters and the most faithful green believers. In contrast, Think's senior vice-president for design, Katinka von der Lippe, says the Ox is a "real car, a big step away from the cuteness of [other] electric vehicles." All that distinguishes the Ox from name-brand, fuel-sipping compact cars, in fact, is its silent hum and zero emissions.

The Ox also embodies the characteristic simplicity of Scandinavian design, featuring uncomplicated lines and clean, uncluttered surfaces. A band of unpainted metal stretches from the front of the vehicle to its rear, revealing the Ox's interior architecture, an aluminum frame. An unassuming grille is tucked between sophisticated sloping headlamps. "The Ox is a leap forward for the design of electric cars," says von der Lippe, "and, we think, the product of a mature company."

Still, the American market for electric vehicles "is virtually nonexistent," says John O'Dell, a senior editor specializing in green vehicles for car-buying site Edmunds.com. Even well-established gas-electric hybrids such as the Prius and Honda's (HMC) Civic account for barely 3% of U.S. auto sales. "Until you've got a compelling product, you won't have a market," adds O'Dell. Aside from the sleek Tesla Motors Roadster, which carries a price tag of nearly $100,000, there are almost no fully functional electric vehicles that meet average drivers' requirements. The Ox could fill that gap.

"It'll take a lot of time," Wilber James, RockPort's managing general partner and acting president of Think North America, says of the challenge of selling electric vehicles to American drivers, who still overwhelmingly prefer trucks to thriftier small cars. "We're going to focus at first on niche markets—cities, universities, and fleets."

Innovative Manufacturing

The company's business model, says James, is similar to that of PC maker Dell (DELL), which fueled its rise by ruthlessly optimizing its manufacturing and supply chain. Think's ultralean manufacturing system lets it build production facilities for about $10 million, compared with the billions invested in new plants by old-line manufacturers. That means more factories closer to customers, further cutting costs.

In addition, factories "could also be the retailers," says James, which would add a unique element to Think's branding. The company, he says, will be profitable if it can sell 10,000 vehicles a year. At 20,000 to 30,000 units in annual sales, Think can cut its component costs in half.

That focus on innovative manufacturing, in addition to the high-tech Ox itself, may ultimately set the company apart from previous attempts—and, Think is betting, finally help jump-start the U.S. market for electric cars.

Incentive for fuel-efficient vehicle

The X Prize Foundation, best known for its competitions promoting space flights, is offering $10 million to the teams that can produce the most production-ready vehicles that get 100 miles per gallon or more.

The foundation was to announce the size of the purse and its sponsor, Progressive Casualty Insurance Co., on Thursday at the New York International Auto Show.

More than 60 teams from nine countries have signed up for the competition so far, including California electric carmakers Aptera Motors and Tesla Motors, German diesel carmaker Loremo and a team from Cornell University.

Teams will be able to sign up through mid-2008, when applicants will be narrowed to those who can prove they would build production-ready, consumer-friendly cars. Those that qualify will race their vehicles in cross-country races in 2009 and 2010 that will combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance.

The purse will be split between two categories: mainstream and alternative cars. Mainstream cars must carry four or more passengers and have climate control, an audio system and 10 cubic feet of cargo space. They also must have four or more wheels, hit 60 miles per hour in less than 12 seconds and have a minimum top speed of 100 miles per hour and a range of 200 miles.

Alternative vehicles will be required to carry two or more passengers and five cubic feet of cargo, have a top speed of at least 80 miles per hour and have a range of at least 100 miles.

"The environmentally friendly technologies created as a result of this competition will affect everyone who drives in ways we can't even imagine today," X Prize Chairman and Chief Executive Dr. Peter Diamandis said in a statement.

British Columbia-based Fuelvapor Technologies is among the competitors. Vice President Todd Pratt said the six-person company, which has funding from 47 shareholders, has spent more than two years developing its car.

The car has three wheels and two seats and has the aerodynamic design of a jet cockpit. It is gas powered but saves fuel through a proprietary technology that replaces traditional fuel injection. The car currently gets 92 miles per gallon, Pratt said, but the company thinks a hybrid version could achieve up to 400 miles per gallon. "It's kind of like the X Prize was designed for us," Pratt said. "We're just six guys who are really passionate about doing something different."

The Santa Monica, Calif.-based X Prize Foundation, which was founded in 1995, gained fame in 2004 when it awarded $10 million to the first private vehicle to fly into space. The foundation since has launched a $10 million prize for rapid human genome sequencing and a $30 million prize for sending a robot to the moon.

Hydrogen eco-car to hit the road

Car maker Mazda unveiled a new hybrid vehicle that runs on hydrogen.
The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid uses hydrogen gas to fuel a rotary engine which can switch to petrol if needed.

Hydrogen is a relatively clean fuel because it combines with oxygen and emits only clean water. The car will be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month and be available in Japan next year.

Mazda said the car is an improvement over its previous model, doubling its run on a full tank of hydrogen to 124 miles. The new car also has a lithium-ion battery that drives the motor and recharges itself using energy from braking, further conserving on electricity. The car will only be available on lease from the factory at around £1,750 a month, and aimed at government and ecological organisations.

At its research facility in Yokohama, Mazda also showed a "concept car," inspired by flowing wind. Laurens van den Acker, general manager of design, said the sportscar highlights the Hiroshima-based company's innovation in design. Its curvaceous surface is creased with swooping lines, making the car looks like a metal stingray.

Its shape was developed from studies of fabric fluttering in the wind, and its interior was based on "koinobori," or carp-shaped decorations of cloth that Japanese put up to sway in the wind to celebrate a national holiday.

Why California Should Reduce Petroleum Use and Encourage Alternative Fuels?

As the fifth largest economy in the world, California is a nation state that runs on energy. Every day, we spend $22 million for natural gas, $82 million on electricity, and $82 million for gasoline and diesel. In addition, the demand for transportation fuels in California is increasing at a rapid rate, projected to grow by almost 35 percent over the next 20 years. Petroleum will be the primary source of California's transportation fuels for the foreseeable future, and as demand continues to rise and in-state and Alaskan petroleum supplies diminish, California will rely more and more on foreign imports of crude oil.

The State of California has supported the development of alternative transportation fuels (fuels other than gasoline or diesel) since the creation of the Energy Commission in 1975. Earlier programs included demonstration programs with vehicles using ethanol and methanol; infrastructure development for methanol/gasoline blends; support for flexible fuel, natural gas, and electric vehicles.

Nearly 100 percent of the state's transportation system is fueled currently by fossil fuels. Moving toward a more diversified range of fuels and supporting the advancement of higher efficiency vehicles is one of the goals of the state's programs.

Even though improving vehicle efficiency is the single most effective means to reduce petroleum dependence, the Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board have concluded that improving vehicle efficiency alone will not be enough. For that reason, California must also focus on increasing our use of alternative fuels, including:

Biodiesel
Electricity
Ethanol
Gas-to-Liquid Fuels (natural gas to diesel fuel)
Hydrogen
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG, also known as propane)
Natural Gas
The Energy Commission's 2003 Integrated Energy Policy Report recommended several actions to promote affordable energy supplies; improve energy reliability; and enhance public health, economic well-being, and environmental quality. One of the transportation energy recommendations established a goal for the use of alternative fuels:

"Increase the use of non-petroleum fuels to 20 percent of on-road fuel consumption by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030 based on identified strategies that are achievable and cost-beneficial."

California is already home to a growing number of alternative fuel vehicles, through the efforts of the Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, local air districts, federal government, transit agencies, utilities, and other public and private entities. More than 61,000 cars, transit buses, and trucks currently operate on natural gas and LPG, along with over 10,000 electric vehicles. California also has more than 900 fueling stations dispensing a variety of non-petroleum fuels.

Increasing the use of these fuels, however, faces significant uncertainties such as the availability of new vehicle technologies, the cost and availability of new fueling infrastructures, and acceptance of these fuels by consumers.

Currently, the Energy Commission is working with stakeholders of various alternative fuels. These stakeholder working groups have participated in informal surveys to identify the principal barriers that exist to developing a more robust alternative fuels market in California, and to develop recommendations for overcoming or mitigating those barriers.

The Energy Commission is developing its 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report. This major energy policy document for the state is expected to include the results of the stakeholder working groups and recommend actions that the state can take to help meet the 2020 goal of 20 percent alternative fuel use in California.

Over 100 participants have provided ideas, comments, and concerns during this process. By working together in this way, private industry, public agencies, and public interest groups can help to ensure that the future of California's transportation energy use is protected from supply disruptions and high prices.

Best in class: Fuel-efficient vehicles
These vehicles provide good gas mileage for their class and are among Consumer Reports' top recommended models in their categories

Consumer Reports has the most comprehensive, consumer-oriented auto test program in the U.S. We anonymously buy our test cars from dealerships and conduct more than 50 evaluations on each vehicle, focusing on performance, safety, comfort, convenience, interior quality, fuel economy, cargo capacity.

Below, we've listed several vehicles that provide good fuel economy for their class and are among the top recommended vehicles in their categories. Not only did each of these vehicles earn a high overall score in their class, but they also meet our stringent requirements to be recommended.

BUDGET CARS


Honda Fit
Honda's small four-door hatchback is new to the U.S. market. The Fit benefits from an amazing amount of interior room for such a small car. It offers easy access and good visibility. While not overly powerful, the Fit feels responsive, with a smooth and willing engine and agile handling. The 109-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder provides good acceleration and excellent 34 mpg for the manual and 32 mpg on the automatic.

SMALL CARS


Toyota Prius
Toyota's hybrid couples a small gasoline engine with an electric motor, and returned an excellent 44 mpg overall in our tests--the best fuel economy we've measured in a five-passenger vehicle. Acceleration is comparable to most conventional small sedans. Access is easy and the interior is well put together. The unusual controls and displays take some getting used to.

FAMILY SEDANS


Toyota Camry Hybrid
The redesigned Toyota Camry Hybrid boasts the best overall fuel economy of any four-door sedan we've tested, returning 34 mpg overall, as well as 28 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. The interior is quiet and comfortable. Handling is relatively responsive, but the suspension is tuned for comfort rather than performance. Unlike the Honda Accord Hybrid, the Camry delivers better fuel economy rather than performance. Both the four- and six-cylinder conventional gasoline-powered versions of the Camry also deliver very good mileage.

SMALL SUVs


Toyota RAV4
The redesigned Toyota RAV4 is now our highest-rated small SUV. Despite being larger than the previous-generation model, the new RAV4 four-cylinder returns better fuel economy, 23 mpg overall. The new optional six-cylinder engine returns an impressive 22 mpg overall. The roomy interior is quiet and comfortable, and the RAV4 has agile and secure handling.

MIDSIZED SUVs


Lexus RX400h
The AWD Lexus RX400h hybrid combines the 3.3-liter V6 with three electric motors and a battery system to produce 268 hp; this combination produced 23 mpg overall in our tests. However, the gains in performance and fuel economy cost $5,000 more than the standard RX.

MINIVANS


Toyota Sienna
For 2007, the Sienna received a new powerful and efficient 3.5-liter V6 engine that now gives it the edge in our testing over the Honda Odyssey. Both minivans have spacious and refined interiors on par with some luxury sedans. The Sienna is quiet inside and is offered with all-wheel drive.

Volvo Creates Car that Can Run on Five Different Fuels

Volvo Car Corporation has developed a system for a multitude of fuels. The Volvo Multi-Fuel is a prototype car, optimized for running on five different fuel types; hythane, biomethane, natural gas, bioethanol E85 and petrol. Hythane consists of 10 percent hydrogen and 90 percent methane, a blend that has tested most effective for this system.

The Volvo Multi-Fuel is a five-cylinder, 2.0-litre prototype car (200 bhp) that runs on five different fuels; hythane (10% hydrogen and 90% methane), biomethane, natural gas (CNG), bioethanol E85 (85% bioethanol and 15% petrol) and petrol. The new concept is introduced at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006 and is one of its kind.

"The whole car is optimized for high performance, driving on any of the five different fuels," said Mats Morén, Project Leader Engine at Volvo Car Corporation.

The Multi-Fuel is just as safe as all Volvo vehicles, with the added bonus of being exceptionally clean. One of its benefits is that combustion of pure renewable fuels like hydrogen, biomethane and bioethanol gives negligible net contribution of fossil carbon dioxide.

"It is a first step towards a hydrogen powered society," said Morén. "Perhaps we can develop the system even further, to run on a higher blend in the future."

Volvo Car Corporation believes that the road to the future is not one but many. No renewable fuel type can alone replace the fossil fuels of today. Since local conditions vary, different markets need engines for different alternative fuels, together with cleaner conventional ones. With this in mind, Volvo Car Corporation has developed the Multi-Fuel, a prototype car that can be powered by five different fuel types, thus be driven on the energy source at hand - anywhere in the world.

"The idea is to make use of the fuels that are produced locally," said Morén. "This means that less fuel needs to be transported between continents, and you can fill up the car on the fuel that is available wherever you are."

The Multi-Fuel vehicle contains one large and two smaller tanks of totally 98 litres for gaseous fuels (hythane, biomethane and CNG), and one 29-litre tank for liquid fuels (bioethanol E85 and gasoline).

"The small gaseous fuel tanks are made of steel, whereas the large tank has a durable, gas tight aluminum liner, reinforced with high performance carbon fibre composite and an exterior layer of hardened fibre-glass composite," Morén said.

The fuel tanks are fitted neatly under the luggage compartment floor, which means that full loading capacity is preserved. Two fuel fillers are used to fill up all five fuel types, one for gaseous and one for liquid fuels. The engine automatically adjusts itself to the right blend of gaseous or liquid fuels. To switch between fuel types, the driver simply presses a button.

The whole Multi-Fuel vehicle - the engine, the tanks, the transmission and the fuel system - is optimized for the five different fuels. It can be started directly on gas, which is unique for this system. The Multi-Fuel has a motor effect of 200 bhp and accelerates quickly up to speed, 0-100 km/h in 8.7 seconds. This makes the car more responsive and smooth to drive.

"The Multi-Fuel is turbo charged to achieve high performance on any of the five different fuel types, said Morén. "That makes it great fun to drive and we are very proud of its performance."

The Multi-Fuel is remarkably clean and meets the emission standards for Euro 4 and the proposed levels for Euro 5. An alternative catalyst system has also been developed to meet the tough demands on extremely low tailpipe emissions for PZEV/SULEV on the US market. The vehicle has two catalysts, one close coupled to the engine that lowers initial start emissions, and one under the floor for reduced high-speed emissions. The double catalysts and advanced engine control system lead to very low emissions. High-temperature materials in the exhaust manifold and turbo allow extremely high exhaust gas temperatures of up to 1050 °C. This enables the car to run cleaner, accelerate quicker and operate smoother at higher speed.

"I love this concept," Morén said, "It's a turbo charged engine with high performance, low fuel consumption and low emissions. On top of that it has a brilliant tank installation and can be run on a multitude of fuels - all wrapped in one beautiful car.

From corn-fed to diesel

An alternative-fuel car guide

With gasoline prices high, politicians and auto executives are talking up the benefits of alternative-fuel vehicles — from cars that run mostly on corn-based ethanol to gas-electric hybrids, from diesel-powered vehicles to cars that burn natural gas.
But sorting out what's in showrooms and what the fuel savings are can be confusing. And industry watchers say many consumers are sitting on the sidelines because they aren't sure gasoline prices will stay high. "It's almost impossible to tell where (gas prices) are going," says David Cole of the Center for Automotive Research.

As of Monday, regular gasoline was selling for an average $2.859 a gallon, down 5½ cents from a week ago and up about 75 cents from a year ago, motorist club AAA says.

If you're convinced gas prices will stay high, and you're willing to buy a new car now, here's a guide to alternative-fuel vehicles.

Hybrids

Tell someone you're thinking about buying a gas-electric hybrid, and there's a chance the person will whip out a calculator to prove what a dumb idea that is.

Hybrids save fuel by using an electric motor at times rather than the gasoline engine. But the cost of the extra motor, an additional battery and other needed technology have made hybrids about $3,000 more expensive than their traditional gas-only counterparts. That cuts into the savings on gas.

However, the equation may soon start changing in hybrid's favor. For one thing, higher gas prices mean bigger savings with a hybrid.

Toyota said last month that it is planning to dramatically increase the efficiency of its popular Prius hybrid; it had already said it wants to cut the hybrid premium to about $1,500.

Other automakers also are responding to price sensitivity in the hybrid market. General Motors announced last month that it will price the new Saturn Vue hybrid SUV at $23,000, about $1,500 more than a comparable gasoline-powered Vue.

Vue is a "mild" hybrid, which means it uses its electric motor to assist the gasoline-powered engine, but the electric motor doesn't run on its own.

Vue "makes true hybrid fuel savings available to more people than ever before," says Saturn general manager Jill Lajdziak.

Buyers also may get a tax credit for purchasing a hybrid. It varies, based on fuel economy, from under $1,000 to more than $3,000 and is limited to a certain number of vehicles.

Diesels

Shedding their reputation as belchy, smoky messes, diesel engines are growing in popularity among American consumers. Since 2000, registration of diesel-powered passenger vehicles has gone up 80%, according to R.L. Polk.

"Americans are increasingly looking to diesel as a readily available solution to help alleviate their pain at the pump," says Allen Schaeffer of the Diesel Technology Forum.

Diesel fuel can cost more than gasoline — about 9 cents a gallon right now, says AAA — but diesel gets 20% to 40% better fuel efficiency, meaning you go farther on a gallon.

Right now, there are only a handful of diesel cars available to U.S. consumers. Volkswagen sells its Beetle, Golf and Jetta in diesel versions, and Mercedes sells the E320 sedan in diesel. Chevy, Dodge, Ford and GMC sell diesel pickups.

There could be more in the future. Strict emissions laws have kept many automakers from jumping on board. But DaimlerChrysler promises its BlueTec engine, when used with low-sulphur diesel available in the USA this fall, will make its diesel engines clean enough to meet new emissions standards in all 50 states.

Chrysler Group said Monday that it will quit selling the diesel version of Jeep Liberty's small SUV in the USA because its engine doesn't meet the new standards. However, Chrysler will sell a diesel version of the 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee full-size SUV with a Mercedes engine.

Ford is considering a diesel hybrid engine, and BMW is considering bringing a diesel version of its 330 sedan to the USA.

The downside? Even though the technology is better, diesels are still louder than traditional gas engines.

Flexible-fuel

The hype surrounding ethanol is making Detroit automakers and corn farmers happy.

There are already about 5 million flexible-fuel vehicles — FFV — on the road that can run on E85, a blend of 85% corn-based ethanol and 15% gasoline, or on regular gasoline. All are from domestic automakers, who are primed to introduce more of them.

There are two big downsides to ethanol: One, it's less efficient than gasoline, so vehicles get fewer miles to the gallon and drivers need to refuel more often. That leads to the second big downside: There are only about 600 refueling stations in the USA, most in the Midwest.

Ethanol producer VeraSun Energy has a guide to help determine if your vehicle is an FFV at www.ve85.com/FlexibleFuelVehicles/FFVIdentification/. Lists of stations that carry E85 are available from the Energy Department, http://afdcmap2.nrel.gov/locator/, or the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, www.e85fuel.com/database/search.php.

Natural gas

California drivers can buy the Honda Civic GX, which runs on natural gas. This fall, New York residents will be able to buy Civic GX too.

To make refueling convenient, owners also can lease a natural gas home-refueling appliance, dubbed "Phill." It is mounted on a garage wall and allows the GX to refuel overnight from a homeowner's natural gas supply line.

Natural gas is about 50% cheaper than regular gasoline when purchased at home. (At a refueling station, the savings are about 25%.) Natural gas burns more cleanly than regular gas. And buyers are eligible for a $4,000 tax break.

The Civic GX starts at $24,440, about $2,000 more than the Civic hybrid and $10,000 more than the base Civic coupe. "Phill" can be leased for $36 to $79 a month.

Air-Car Ready for Mass Production

The world's first commercial compressed air-powered vehicle is rolling towards the production line. The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre, will be built by Indias largest automaker, Tata Motors.

The Air Car uses compressed air to push its engines pistons. It is anticipated that approximately 6000 Air Cars will be cruising the streets of India by 2008. If the manufacturers have no surprises up their exhaust pipes the car will be practical and reasonably priced. The CityCat model will clock out at 68 mph with a driving range of 125 miles.

Refueling is simple and will only take a few minutes. That is, if you live nearby a gas station with custom air compressor units. The cost of a fill up is approximately $2.00. If a driver doesn't have access to a compressor station, they will be able to plug into the electrical grid and use the car’s built-in compressor to refill the tank in about 4 hours.

The compressed air technology is basically just a way of storing electrical energy without the need for costly, heavy, and occasionally toxic batteries. So, in a sense, this is an electric car. It just doesn't have an electric motor.

But don't let anyone tell you this is an "emissions free" vehicle. Sure, the only thing coming out of the tailpipe is air. But, chances are, fossil fuels were burned to create the electricity. In India, that mostly means coal. But the carbon emissions per mile of these things still far outdoes any gasoline car on the market.


Unfortunately, the streets of North America may never see the Air Car, though; it's light-weight, glued-together fiberglass construction might not do so well in our crash tests. However, that does not mean the Air car is confined to the sub-continent. Nègre has signed deals to bring its design to 12 more countries, including Germany, Israel and South Africa.

And this isn't the last we'll hear of the technology. The folks making the Air Car are already working on a hybrid version that would use an on-board, gasoline-powered compressor to refill the air tanks when they run low. Negre says that technology could easily squeeze a cross country trip out of one tank of gasoline.

Alternative Fuel

Alternative fuel for vehicles, once a pipe dream, has become a reality. High gas prices, along with concerns about the environment, have led many to look beyond petroleum to power their cars. The HowStuffWorks articles and videos in this section will tell you all about alternative fuels and the vehicles that use them.

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E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel Overview

Drivers jumping on the latest gas-saving bandwagon may be in for a shock when they see fuel-economy estimates for the newest darlings of Detroit: E85 ethanol flex-fuel vehicles. Run a new V6 Chevrolet Impala on good-old gasoline, and it'll get 21 miles per gallon in the city, 31 on the highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates. Burn E85 -- a blend of 85 percent of the alcohol-based fuel ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, which American automakers flaunt as their latest alternative-energy idea -- and the Impala's EPA numbers shrivel to 16 mpg city, 23 highway.

It's no better with other kinds of flex-fuel vehicles, vehicles that can run on E85, 100 percent gasoline, or a combination of the two. Run a two wheel-drive V8 Ford F150 on regular unleaded gas, and the EPA says it'll get 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway. Run it on E85 ethanol, and it gets 11 mpg city, 14 mpg highway. In other words, fill up on environmentally friendly E85 ethanol, and you'll get fewer miles per gallon than you would on gasoline.

Sound depressing? Not if you believe that what's bad for the E85 ethanol user is good for America's fuel strategy. After all, a mile driven on E85 ethanol fuel is a mile not driven on conventional gasoline. And that, according to President Bush and proponents of E85 ethanol, can help America end its dependence on foreign oil.

Joining these E85 ethanol boosters are General Motors and Ford, which have mounted massive new E85 ethanol support programs. Spurred by public and private efforts to pump up E85 ethanol demand, ethanol producers themselves are pouring billions of dollars into building new refineries.

As with any alternative-fuel idea, however, the E85 ethanol story is one of tradeoffs. It pits, for example, E85 ethanol's ability to lower air pollution because it burns cleaner than gasoline against the potential environmental costs involved in ethanol production.

We've highlighted some tradeoffs in E85 ethanol fuel economy (more about that later), but are there compromises in convenience and vehicle performance? These and other issues are thoroughly explored in the following sections:

E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel Explained

About one-third of all gasoline sold in the United States contains some ethanol, typically in a ratio of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol. E85 gets its name from the way it inverts that formula, at 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent conventional gasoline. We'll explain how ethanol is produced and why it's mixed with gasoline, and explore some of the controversy surrounding its place in environmental and public policy debates. Only a fraction of the cars and trucks on the road are "flex fuel" vehicles: those that can run on conventional gasoline or E85 ethanol fuel. You'll learn why that number is growing, and how you can determine whether your next new car or truck -- or maybe the one you already own -- is an E85 ethanol flex-fuel vehicle.

Toyota will go 100% Hybrid

When Toyota and Honda introduced hybrids in 2000, most other carmakers scoffed at gas-electric vehicles as a money-losing proposition for the two Japanese companies. With Toyota poised to break the one-million mark for cumulative global sales of hybrids this month, the company’s hybrids are not only growing in popularity—they are becoming profitable.

International Herald Tribune is reporting that Toyota will dramatically improve the cost structure after it reaches the sales goal of one million hybrids annually in 2010 or soon after.

"By then, we expect [profit] margins to be equal to gasoline cars,” said Masatami Takimoto, Toyota executive vice president in charge of powertrain development. The company continues to aggressively cut the cost of hybrid components, such as motors, batteries, and inverters. And then there are economies of scale. Takimoto expects hybrids to account for 100 percent of Toyota’s vehicles by 2020.

Toyota will soon become the biggest automaker in the world. The product plans (and fate) of car companies are based on fundamental assumptions about fuel prices. Takimoto said that he expected energy prices to continue rising past their current high of $3.00 per gallon in the United States. Prius production will rise by 40 percent to 280,000 units this year, with total hybrid sales expected to reach 430,000 units.

Solar Race Car shows potential

Racing with the sun, students drove 2,500 miles

from Texas to Canada

Mile after mile along this stretch of Canada's coast-to-coast highway, the faces of the farmers, truckers and oil workers who turned to look had the same dumbfounded expression, as if asking: What the heck were those? UFOs on wheels? Stealth fighters with their wings clipped? Supersized remote-controlled cars?
No, the contraptions were race cars powered by the sun and the ingenuity of students from 18 universities in the United States and Canada.

The university teams were competing in the North American Solar Challenge for a trophy and the bragging rights to having won the world's longest solar car race. They weren't salesmen for solar cars. In fact, experts say solar cars won't be viable for many decades to come, if ever. But the cars and last month's race showcase recent advances in technology and demonstrate the promise of solar energy in other uses.

Students and experts talk of using solar cells to assist cars, perhaps providing energy to cool off the interior on a hot day while a car is parked. They're even more excited about solar energy for homes and other buildings in regions where there's plenty of sun to go around.

Building a better mousetrap

The university teams' challenge was this: Build a race car that runs on a measly 1,000 watts — about what a hair dryer puts out — cruises at highway speeds and carries a driver 2,500 miles from Austin, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta, in western Canada. The cars' designs varied as teams experimented with weight and aerodynamics. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's vehicle looked like a stealth fighter jet and had three wheels instead of four to lighten the load. The University of Michigan's car had a flatter body and wheels wrapped in shells that look like catamaran hulls.

But each team shared this much: They all invested thousands of hours over many months. “It was a logistical nightmare,” University of Michigan student Brian Ignaut says of the two years of designing and building that went into his team's car.

The payoff was being able to test engineering skills against peers while also touting solar power. Plastered with thousands of cells that collect energy from the sun, the cars turned heads wherever they went and prompted the inevitable question: When will I be able to buy one?
Probably never, was the standard answer the students gave when they showed off their wheels at several stops along the race route. A standard car with all its modern comforts, and thus power needs, would require many times more cells than could be attached to its body. In contrast, buildings have lots more surface area on rooftops to collect electricity.

Immediate concerns include road kill

For those 10 days in July, however, the students weren't concerned about future solar applications. They had immediate worries: cloudy skies that meant less electricity, crosswinds that pushed cars around and hail that dented solar cells. The college kids christened their cars with names like Beam Machine (University of California at Berkeley) and Momentum (University of Michigan), and displayed personal touches like the kamikazi bandanas worn by the University of Minnesota crew and the fake tiger's tail attached to Auburn University's car when it was parked for display.

Teams had mechanics to fix and change car parts, computer analysts to monitor data from the cars and scouts to travel ahead to track the competition and even shovel road kill off the highway. Some teams also had weather experts to monitor conditions. The race took its toll on two teams that had to drop out, one due to a battery fire. Four others had to be towed part of the time just to keep up with the rest of the pack.

The student drivers also had several close calls: big rigs and passenger cars coming too close, in some cases swerving as they saw the racers for the first time. Some would even drive parallel to the race cars, creating dangerous wind gusts.

Racing at 1 to 2 horsepower

The vehicles are built light, about 400 to 500 pounds, because the cells can only put out between 800 to 1,500 watts of power. Exactly how much power depends on how many cells are on a car and how efficient those cells are in creating electricity. In car terms, it's about 1 to 2 horsepower.
“Think about that,” says Richard King, head of solar research at the U.S. Department of Energy, one of the race sponsors. “My passenger car has 150 horsepower and here they're using 2 horsepower to go at highway speeds.”

Some teams spent two years preparing for the race — from fundraising to buy the most powerful solar cells to designing aerodynamic car bodies that reduce drag. Team budgets ranged from $40,000 to $1.8 million per car.
George Douglas, a spokesman for the National Renewable Energy Lab, a division of the Department of Energy, calls the race a “design challenge that forces them to think of energy efficiency as the primary focus.”

It was also about competition and camaraderie in the pits and on the course. One night a University of Missouri team member walked around offering rivals chili. At the start of the last leg of the 10-day race, the University of Minnesota's team leader playfully yelled to his crew to take it easy on its closest rival, Michigan, then turned to the Michigan crew and said, “Good luck today, guys.”

Cell, battery advances

The competition is fueled in part by the fact that solar race cars are much faster these days. Two decades ago, when the first solar races were held, students were lucky if their cars could do 35 mph. Today, they can top 80 mph, though the race kept to posted speed limits.

The reasons: more aerodynamic designs, solar cells that have doubled in efficiency and much lighter onboard electricity storage. Instead of the 400-pound lead acid batteries used a decade ago, today's cars need just 70 pounds of lithium batteries, the same kind used in laptops, cell phones and some digital cameras. The University of Michigan, the team with the deepest pockets, ended up winning a close race, just 12 minutes ahead of the University of Minnesota.Success came down to having the most powerful array of solar cells, a large, well-drilled support team and aerodynamic wheel wells that kept the car on course even when crosswinds pushed competitors around. “Our car sails in the wind,” says Robert Vogt, Michigan's strategy leader.

Incentives for solar

Despite the advances in technology, solar still costs about two to three times what most homeowners now pay for electricity. Even so, the price has come down by 80 percent in 25 years, says Gary Schmitz, another spokesman for the National Renewable Energy Lab.

The lab has set a goal of halving the cost further in a decade, and if the cost of electricity from fossil fuels continues to rise, Schmitz says, “we will easily reach parity in 10 years.”
Lower solar costs and higher fossil fuel prices have created renewed interest in the technology after an initial wave of support in the 1970s.
The energy bill passed by Congress last month provides a $2,000 federal tax credit for home solar systems. California is leading the way among the states with an initiative that includes homeowner rebates and requiring developers to include solar power as an option in new homes.
“I envision a solar house where the photovoltaic cells are on the roof power not only your house but your electric vehicle,” says King, the Energy Department solar expert. “That would make a wonderful second commuter family car.”

Hybrid Technologies, a company based in Las Vegas, is following that vision, helping to build a luxury home that is entirely off the power grid.
Electricity from solar cells, as well as small wind turbines camouflaged to look like chimneys, will be stored in lithium batteries. When completed in early 2006, the house and its plug-in electric vehicle will draw power from those batteries.

“We're closing the loop” for off-grid power, Hybrid Technologies spokesman Richard Griffiths said during a tour of the construction site in Calgary.

QarmaQ’s : Reduces Weight, Saves Gas

Any concept vehicle with a name derived from the word the Inuit’s use for their dwellings made of Earth, whalebone, and animal skins is bound to be interesting. Hyundai Europe's Design and Technical Center in Russelsheim, Germany partnered with GE Plastics in the Netherlands to create the QarmaQ – a quirky looking Crossover Coupé concept.
One of the QarmaQ’s key features is its innovative use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles to create a large portion of the vehicle’s skin. GE says the use of plastics, instead of more traditional metal and glass, gives the vehicle a 130-pound weight savings. That weight loss equates to 20 gallons a year savings in gas, not to mention fewer plastic bottles clogging up the local landfill. These numbers are nothing to scoff when you think of all the cars on the road.

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E85: Flex-Fuel Vehicles

Nearly five million alternative-fuel vehicles are currently on U.S. roads—and many of their owners don't even know it. Flexible-fuel (flex-fuel) models first appeared in 1991. Since then, each of the Big 3 domestic automakers has manufactured about 1.5 million flex-fuel cars, and hundreds of thousands more are expected to arrive by the end of 2006. A flex-fuel vehicle, or FFV, is a vehicle that is capable of running on either gasoline or E85, which is a blend of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gasoline. The idea of such vehicles is not a new one; Henry Ford designed his Model T to operate solely on ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol. All current vehicles can accept fuel containing up to 10-percent ethanol.

Availability

Ethanol can be manufactured from various sources, but "corn is king," according to Phillip Lampert, executive director of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. Ethanol production is therefore strongest in the upper Midwest region of the United States. "That's where our political support is," Lampert adds. Clean Air Choice, a clean fuel program from the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, estimates that a bushel of field corn can be processed into at least 2.7 gallons of ethanol.

Partly motivated by fuel-economy credits from the federal government, automakers have decided to make certain engines of specific car models operational on both fuel types as a no-cost option. In most cases, either the salesperson fails to explain, or the buyer overlooks the flex-fuel feature. "Probably the vast majority of drivers don't know they have a flex-fuel vehicle," Lampert says. GM intends to put special labeling on upcoming flex-fuel models, though mostly they look and behave like regular vehicles.

Benefits

Ethanol advocates emphasize that using E85 results in decreased reliance on imported oil, reduced environmental pollution, and a lower negative impact on the public's health. Lampert adds that ethanol is 100-percent renewable and non-carcinogenic. At the same time, production is 100-percent domestic. "Absolutely without doubt," the use of ethanol enhances America's energy security, says DaimlerChrysler spokesperson Nick Cappa. "Also, it helps farmers."

E85 has a substantially higher octane rating than today's gasoline, which means improved performance by way of greater horsepower. Clean Air Choice reports that E85 has the highest oxygen content of all available fuels, so it burns more fully. Its use can result in a nearly 30-percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA claims that making the switch from gasoline to ethanol blends can lower the environment's carbon monoxide levels by as much as 40 percent, and smog-forming pollutants by 15 percent.

Greenhouse gas emissions are likely to be cut by 15 to 20 percent. Lampert notes that you need high volatility in winter for cold starts, and low volatility in summer to prevent vapor lock. The mixture may be seasonally adjusted. In colder months, it can be tweaked to contain less than 85-percent ethanol which will, of course, effect the vehicle's overall mileage rating.

Drawbacks

As for drawbacks, ethanol has a noticeably lower energy content than gasoline—exactly how much lower seems to be a matter of some controversy. According to Lampert, this decreased energy content rating translates to roughly a 12- to 20-percent reduction in fuel mileage. John Howell, product director for Cadillac, states there is a "15- to 25-percent difference in the level of energy by liquid measure." EPA fuel-economy estimates for flex-fuel models reveal that E85 reduces gas mileage by 21 to 31 percent during city driving and 20 to 34 percent while on the highway. Assuming that E85 typically costs just slightly more than the average going rate of gasoline, annual fuel costs could climb to levels as high as 30 to 52 percent greater when using E85 rather than gasoline.

Currently, E85 is sold at only about 640 filling stations nationwide, and more than two-thirds are in the upper Midwest, meaning availability is proving to be a large obstacle. Although the number of E85 stations doubled last year from the previous year, Lampert believes the total number of stations is still tiny, especially when compared to the 170,000 stations that dispense conventional gasoline.

Vehicles

GM's available flex-fuel vehicles include Chevrolet's Monte Carlo, Impala, Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe, along with GMC's Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL. Chrysler offers a flex-fuel Sebring, and Dodge makes available its Stratus, Caravan, Ram, and Durango. DaimlerChrysler, which includes Dodge, recently announced that it will now offer its flex-fuel vehicles for sale to the public. Ford has an FFV Crown Victoria and F-150 pickup, while its Mercury line submits the Grand Marquis, and Lincoln grants its Town Car. Nissan is currently the only foreign auto manufacturer offering a flex-fuel vehicle model—the Titan pickup. More than half of all new Titans can run on E85.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as reported by Clean Air Choice, for every unit of energy used to produce ethanol (and co-products), 1.67 units of energy emerges. In contrast, each unit of energy used to produce gasoline results in 0.79 units of energy. Not everyone agrees with those figures. Some critics charge that ethanol results in a net energy loss, not a gain, when considering the production and distribution process. Wisconsin auto writer Matt Joseph urges caution, citing a Cornell University study concluding that ethanol does indeed deliver negative net energy, contradicting the USDA's findings. To make E85 a truly valuable alternative to gasoline, Joseph believes, "the positive factor would have to be huge."

At this year's 2006 Chicago Auto Show, Ford Motor Company and General Motors both announced a new project in cooperation with VeraSun Energy Corporation to expand the number of ethanol stations. Ford also displayed an Escape Hybrid E85, which would be the first hybrid powertrain to run on an ethanol mixture.

Car firms on green issue


Green technology is high on the agenda as the car industry gathers for its annual jamboree in Geneva. A string of new models on display shows how Europe's carmakers are desperate to clean up their act in response to regulatory pressure and changing consumer tastes.

Mercedes and BMW, which have both come under attack because their car fleets emit higher than average levels of CO2, are fighting back with green initiatives.

But Japan's Toyota and Honda are still well ahead of their German rivals, not least with their plans to kit out sporty models with less polluting petrol-electric hybrid engines.

Europe's small carmakers, most notably Fiat, are also benefiting from a gradual shift towards fuel efficient cars. And, paradoxically perhaps, both Renault and Volkswagen are taking advantage of this shift towards smaller cars by launching larger versions of their most popular models.

Under threat

But some of the large cars on display are equally crucial.

Arch rivals Ford and Opel (Vauxhall) are both unveiling key models that must stand up against each other and fend off other competitors.

Ford's new Mondeo and Opel's forthcoming Vectra replacement concept, the GTC, are both about to be launched into a shrinking market.

This market segment has gradually eroded as traditional customers have been making a shift towards people carriers, crossover vehicles, sports utility vehicles or smaller cars.

"In the past, customers bought cars on a rational basis," observed General Motors marketing boss Alain Visser at the GTC launch party in Geneva.

Toyota FT-HS

When most people think "concept sports car", the word hybrid doesn't initially spring to mind. However, the two-plus-two FT-HS concept, being a Toyota and all, features ultra-low emissions and a fuel-efficient 3.5 Liter V6 hybrid electric engine under its rakishly shaped hood.& Toyota says the power plant should be good for close to 400 horsepower; power will be driven to rear wheels and boasts a four second 0-to-60 acceleration time. Not too shabby.

The FT-HS answers a question asked a lot more now since gas, while somewhat cheaper this week, still isn't really that cheap. The question: "What is a suitable sports car for the 21st century?"

"Drivers today are not satisfied with cars that are simply fast," says Kevin Hunter, vice president of Toyota's Calty Design Research. "In addition to driving enjoyment, today's drivers are concerned about safety, ecology and social responsibility."

Well put. While there are some unsubstantiated mumblings about the FT-HS being a replacement for the long gone, well-loved Supra - even the name sounds cool - the FT-HS in this Buck Rodgers-looking shape and form screams CONCEPT to us. Well, that and very expensive, just look at those Carbon Fiber wheels. Remember, beauty doesn't come cheap.

GM Hydrogen concept

Hydrogen cars are exploding, at least figuratively, onto the automakers pedestal reveals this week in Detroit. General Motors is unveiling the Sequel, an eleven inch skateboard that precedes the HydroGen3 in performance, acceleration and drivability.
All other Manufacturers have had batteries in their vehicles. General Motors had one in the HydroGen2, but not the HydroGen3 and they saw the difference in acceleration and have added a lithium-ion battery to the Sequel.

The lithium-ion battery has been used in electric cars and is well-known to those vehicle owners. According to Larry Burns - and listen carefully to this answer - when asked if they were considering the skateboard chassis they are using for their hydrogen car if they would consider using the same skateboard chassis for an electric car, since it has all the components necessary for such a vehicle Burns answered, "We have no plans to do so, but we wouldn’t rule it out if there were breakthroughs in electric cars."

The well-to-wheel production and consumption of hydrogen is almost as inefficient as the internal combustion engine itself. What does this mean? Simple, the hydrogen (or fuel cell) vehicle produces no emissions except water and heat, the inefficiency is in the production of hydrogen itself. Breakthroughs are coming and the main ones will start in California where Governor Schwarzenegger is solidly behind the hydrogen highway.

So is Honda. Rarely will you hear another Manufacturer say that a certain Manufacturer is in the front but Honda is being hailed by other Manufacturers as at the front of hydrogen home refueling.

GM Sequel Hydrogen concept on carlist.com
Honda is unveiling the Honda Civic GX, a natural gas version of their beloved and well sold Civic. Along with the Civic GX, for $2,000 extra you can buy "PHILL", a home refueling system about the size of a payphone that fits into your garage. This is a stunning breakthrough for technology. At first glance you go, cool - I can refuel my car in my garage for about 85 cents compared to about $2.00 at the filling station. Consider this on a longer term basis.
Hydrogen is made from electrolysis of water, the vibrating water separates the atoms and captures the hydrogen that can go into a fuel cell vehicle. All one needs to make this happen is gas and water. Honda’s next project is the hydrogen home refueling station that takes your gas and water and creates hydrogen when needed, so that no storage is necessary.

Expect Honda to bring this out the same time after the natural gas home refueling station has caught on. It is their next step Honda is not working on multi-million dollar platforms that require years of cooperation with mega companies. They are bringing add fueling products to market in timely fashion to support the vehicles that they are bringing to market. Other Manufacturers realize this and are silently applauding Honda for those efforts.

Will this be the best way to make hydrogen? No, but the best is the enemy of the good. Right now, this is the good way. The best way is from renewable energy, such as solar, biomass such as ethanol made out of cellulose (which creates less carbon dioxide than ethanol produced out of corn). There will need to be a hydrogen highway for people who travel across the country and
can’t refuel their car each night at home, but having home refueling stations will take some of the stress out of the push for that
More and more people are asking each other the same question, what can we do to get off the grid, how can we get off the dependence of foreign oil? It will cost a little more money to do this, but if you are willing there are companies out there working on the advanced technology to help. They are making breakthroughs each day.

There are things you can do to help. If you can afford solar panels and live in an area where they work, get them. It takes you off some of the electric grid. Hybrid cars are a stepping stone to the hydrogen fuel cell. They are also helping Manufacturers understand what is needed and what will work in fuel cell cars. Most Manufacturers have the same Nickel Metal Hydride batteries in their hybrid cars that they have in their fuel cell vehicle.

Lastly, you can ask the government to continue the tax break one gets when they buy an advanced technology vehicle, such as the hybrid. It’s not just the extra cost they are helping with, but the difference there might be in resale value. President Bush has given 1.7 billion over five years to help in the research and development of hydrogen. It’s a paltry sum when you consider how much the auto manufacturers are spending to develop these vehicles themselves. But auto Manufacturers have tax deductions for research and development and they make the profit if the car is a success. It’s the consumers that will pay more for this technology. The government would be wise to help support the demand side of these vehicles.

Mitsubishi's Cool Eclipse-E Concept

Mitsubishi's new Eclipse-E concept car takes hybrids to new levels of style and performance. The all-wheel drive, four passenger Eclipse-E sport coupe features a cab forward layout, front grille vent with integrated spoiler, raindrop-style side window graphics, and xenon plasma headlamps/rear combination lamps. All this aims to achieve what Mitsubishi calls an aggressive "ready-to-pounce profile."

Inside, a deep video imaging instrumentation display system is used. This system is unique in that it integrates two overlapping LCD monitors to create a 3D viewing angle, further enhancing the interior’s futuristic look.

The Eclipse-E is powered by a 470 horsepower (350kW) E-Boost hybrid system that brings class-leading acceleration for a hybrid, along with the expected high fuel economy and low-emissions that gasoline-electric hybrid power brings. This powerplant combines a 269 horsepower, 3.8-liter MIVEC V-6 engine driving the front wheels with a 150kW electric motor driving both front and rear wheels. The electric motor is powered by lithium-ion batteries. A six-speed “automated manual” transmission allows a driver to select between manual or automatic operation.

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Tesla Whitestar

Electric Sedan: 4 Doors

Half the Price of the Roadster

Tesla's plans for Whitestar, the sedan version of their electric roadster, are coming along nicely. Head honcho Elon Musk, just announced of a New Mexico factory that'll start construction no later than April 2007.
The best part? The 4-door will not only haul more people, but will cost half of the $89,000 roadster. What performance remains after the car is fitted to a heavier chassis, and components are slashed out to lower the price, is yet to be disclosed.
When are the first hack-shops coming together for the mechanically simple electric cars? And when will Tesla tackle the minivan segment?
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Smart Fortwo

When the Smart Fortwo arrives in the U.S. in early 2008, parent company DaimlerChrysler doesn't want to repeat past mistakes. The first Smart hit the European market in 1998, but the brand has never been

profitable. With the new Fortwo, Smart is starting anew with a car tailor-made for the United States. Standard safety features include four airbags, ABS and stability control. The U.S. Fortwo will have increased cabin and trunk space and a new 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine making 84 bhp, mated to a refined semi-automatic transmission. Company executives claim the car will get about 40 mpg.

Three models will be available: The Pure with optional air conditioning starts at $11,000; the better-equipped Passion will cost $13,000 and the Convertible will be $15,000. A Brabus version with more power will be presented at the Geneva show in March. Roger Penske's UnitedAuto Group will be the exclusive distributor in the U.S., and they will be taking orders in about two months

One example of an independent manufacturer in the U.S. produces the Sparrow, a sort of Sinclair C5 that actually works. The Sparrow is a single passenger vehicle designed specifically for commuters and inner-city driving. Powered by thirteen 12 volt batteries, the Sparrow provides an effective range of 30 to 60 miles and a top speed of 65 mph. It is actually a very advanced vehicle, made of modern composites and it even uses regenerative breaking to conserve power. What’s more it qualifies as a motorcycle so it can use California’s car pool lane.
Most, if not all, of the major motor manufacturers have alternative fuel vehicles on the drawing board, with only Volvo within Europe having a production car in an advanced stage. Pressure is not nearly so intense in Europe to bring these types of vehicles to market, but with its increasing presence in the U.S. market, Volkswagen will soon find itself forced to bring its plans for advanced fuel cell vehicles forward.

All those who are still determined to hold on to their older cars need not despair, there are many firms, especially in the States offering to convert your car to electric, and expect hybrid conversions to become available as the millennium continues. The American Electric Automobile Company, in California has already converted two of the most popular vehicles club members drive, the Rabbit (Golf) and yes, even the venerable Beetle has got the electric treatment. At least this is one way of getting around the leaded fuel issue.

24 VDC fuel cells

The dependence on power for performing various tasks like lighting up houses, operating computers, and using other electrical appliances in our day-to-day life is leading to use of energy sources on a large scale. However, this energy available in the form of gasoline, coal, solar energy and nuclear power are all used for our daily requirements. Since these sources are becoming limited, there is a need to go beyond the traditional sources of energy to meet the demand for more supply in winter months or at any other time. In search of clean fuels, the scientists are able to fine tune to get power with the use of 24 VDC fuel cells. These cells generate energy much the same way the other sources like generators are working meeting the needs of small firms or households.

In fact, 24 VDC fuel cells with a capacity of 1 kW produces 40 A of current. These are useful in providing quick back-up energy for running of computers or any other appliance as a standby till the regular power supply is restored. Though the commercial production of more viable models is currently under advanced stages of testing, these fuel cells have attracted a large number of people. Being compact and pollution-free, 24 VDC fuel cells are getting the attention from vehicle manufacturers. These cells are also tested for their durability and power generating capacity in the vehicles as the requirements of vehicle users can be easily met with them.

Aluminum fuel cell

There is a need to find alternative fuels that can propel vehicles, electrical appliances and other forms of uses without any disturbance to routine. Though a number of alternatives have come up over the last few decades, most of them have limited capacity for getting regular power. In transport sector, use of aluminum fuel cell 8 gallon helps in giving more mileage to the cars than the conventional gasoline powered vehicles. The vehicle manufacturers are coming out with new designs mainly focusing on reducing the total weight of vehicles with the use of aluminum.

If the overall weight of vehicle reduces, then the vehicle is going to offer more mileage. This can easily turns out to be good news for several of the vehicle users. Instead of steal, the vehicle manufacturers are able to use aluminum and thereby reduce the weight of vehicle. Besides, they are also able to make use of aluminum fuel cell 8 gallon so that the cost of using fuel cell remains within the alternative modes of fuels available to users.

By making use of fuel cells, the vehicle users are going to work on clean environment, as the vehicle produces no exhaust fumes that cause pollution. In fact, the main benefit of driving vehicles with fuel cells will be economical rides with clean surroundings. The use of aluminum fuel cell 8 gallon is economical and has all the features of high-grade fuel cell to travel distances comfortably.

Honda’s REMIX, a small two-seat design concept is built around the traditional Honda set up -- a front-wheel drive platform with a 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. Throw in a sport suspension, large brakes and tires and you’ve got the Civic Si of the future.
“When we set out to design the REMIX, our goal was to push the envelope, to try new ideas and to anticipate what a sports car could and should be in the future,” says Ben Davidson, a designer at Honda's Advanced Design Studio. “We wanted to design a performance car that would capture the attention and imagination of the youth market in terms of its aggressive styling and performance in a compact, lightweight, agile package. We also wanted a car that would be practical as a simple, affordable, daily driver.” Sounds like a Honda to us.

As close to an actual production model seen to the left, Volkswagen’s Concept Tiguan, which VW bills as a “small Touareg” is the manufacturer’s entry into the crossover market and is set to come to market at the end of 2007. The Tiguan is powered by a new BLUETEC “Clean TDI” turbo diesel developed with partners Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Fétish
At the recent Paris Motor Show, Venturi, an automaker based in Monaco, unveiled the version of its Fétish electric coupe that it will put into production next year. Venturi released a prototype of the Fétish at the 2002 Geneva International Motor Show. The company plans to build only 25 copies of the Fétish, which will sell for $660,000 each. The car will be available in the U.S. Tiny Venturi is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The sports car maker has raced in Formula 1 and at such famous events as France's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Venturi's race cars have beaten Porsche and Fiat's (nyse: FIA - news - people ) Ferrari subsidiary--both kings of racing--on several different occasions. Venturi said in a statement that the Fétish will be the first electric sports car to go into production. A California-based company called AC Propulsion has an electric sports car prototype, the tzero (pronounced "tee-zero"), but it awaits production as the company finalizes engineering and seeks safety certification.

At the recent Paris Motor Show, Venturi, an automaker based in Monaco, unveiled the version of its Fétish electric coupe that it will put into production next year. Venturi released a prototype of the Fétish at the 2002 Geneva International Motor Show. The company plans to build only 25 copies of the Fétish, which will sell for $660,000 each. The car will be available in the U.S. Tiny Venturi is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The sports car maker has raced in Formula 1 and at such famous events as France's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Venturi's race cars have beaten Porsche and Fiat's. Venturi said in a statement that the Fétish will be the first electric sports car to go into production. A California-based company called AC Propulsion has an electric sports car prototype, the tzero (pronounced "tee-zero"), but it awaits production as the company finalizes engineering and seeks safety certification.

The Nissan Pivo Concept Car

Nissan has unveiled it’s new Pivo Concept Car. It’s a new electric car with asthetics by renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. From the press release:
Pivo, which will be on display at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, features an innovative cabin that revolves 360 degrees, eliminating the need to reverse. Thanks to its compact body, the car is also exceptionally easy to maneuver.
The three-seater car comes with a number of user-friendly technologies, including Nissan’s Around View Monitor which reduces blind spots by displaying the outside surroundings on screens mounted on the inside of the car’s A-pillars located on either side of the windshield. A dash-mounted infrared (IR) commander allows the driver to operate the navigation and stereo systems with simple finger movements without letting go of the steering wheel.
Pivo is powered by Nissan’s compact, high-performance lithium-ion battery and its unique Super Motor, resulting in zero emissions.
I’m not one for bubble cars, but that revolving cabin looks cool. It would enable you to spin around and flip the bird to motorists behind you while they get the full impact of your facial expressions, without them having to squint and try reading them in your rear view mirror. Less distractions.

Subaru Scrambler: A New Twist in Hybrid High Performance

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Subaru, a marque that doesn’t come readily to mind when talking advanced technology vehicles, can be a bit of a tease. Back in 1991, this automaker all but stunned the automotive world with a sports coupe that could generously be called atypical – the cutting edge Subaru SVX. This swoopy, fast, and decidedly cool car didn’t become a huge seller, but it did establish Subaru’s credentials as a company that could bring advanced vehicles to the showroom with the best of ‘em, something we see today in models like the Impreza WRX STi. Still, Subaru tends to stay on the mainstream side with such well-engineered staples as the Outback, Forester, and Legacy rather than heading for the limelight with flexible fuel or hybrid models.

Well, Subaru has stepped out of the box again, and in a big way. Its B9 SC “Scrambler” hybrid electric concept blends the design direction of Subaru’s Andreas Zapatinas – formerly head of design at Alfa Romeo – with a unique hybrid electric drive technology that works seamlessly with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive systems, and also is adaptable to its current vehicle platforms. This automaker’s Sequential Series Hybrid Electric Vehicle (SSHEV) system places a generator between a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder DOHC Subaru Boxer gasoline engine and transmission with a two-way clutch, high-performance electric motor, and all-wheel drive transfer gearing integrated into the transmission case. What’s unique about the SSHEV powerplant is that its Boxer gasoline engine supplements the electric drive motor, rather than the other way around. Up to about 50 mph, the gasoline engine’s primary role is to charge the laminated lithium-ion batteries that power the hybrid vehicle’s electric motor.

Subaru Boxer h4 engineThe gasoline Boxer engine takes over as primary propulsion above 50 mph, a speed range that’s most efficient for this internal combustion powerplant. Both electric and gasoline powerplants jointly provide power under demanding driving conditions.Subaru says it will be able to offer customers the kind of performance now enjoyed with its turbocharged models by using its own hybrid electric drive technology. After being blown away by the impressive performance of Subaru’s SVX while driving this sports coupe at its debut back in 1991, we have no doubt that Subaru has the technical savvy and is surely up to this challenge… with a few more tricks up its sleeve, to be sure.