TOKYO (AP) — Honda has developed a new fuel-efficient motorcycle engine that will be showcased in a scooter that goes on sale globally next year.
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The Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE receives information from the battery on its current state of charge, which is used to determine the available range of the vehicle. This information is then visualised on the navigation screen, showing the journey against the available range and the routes to the charge stations. This will help to effectively plan charging and remove drivers’ “range anxiety”, giving them confidence that their journey can be completed. The system also includes an eco-routing – providing the driver with an option to select the most energy efficient route.
Finding the right charging station information and location (amongst the 5000+ that will be available in Europe at the end of 2011) is critical to drivers. The TomTom Home application will provide users with the latest charging station list each time they connect their SD card to their computer. The Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE will inform the users in real-time about the availability of charge stations en route, allowing them to stop and ‘fill-up’ when needed.
“This is the first navigation system TomTom is launching in the area of electric vehicles and it represents a great milestone for us as a company in this exciting new market. The Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE for Fluence Z.E., is also the third major development in the already successful Carminat TomTom series and underlines our fruitful relationship with Renault,” says Giles Shrimpton, Managing Director TomTom Automotive.
“We are very happy with the strong partnership we have developed with TomTom over the years and that we are able to give birth today to the next evolution of our product – the new Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE. This solution is a key feature of our new Fluence Z.E. The electric vehicle programme is of great importance to us at Renault and the Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE plays a significant role in its success”, says Stephen Norman, Global Marketing & Communications Director, Renault.
In addition, the Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE comes with LIVE Services including HD Traffic, providing drivers with its unique dynamic routing; giving them the fastest route to their destination based on the latest traffic situation.
Key Features
DETROIT/PRNewswire/ — As gas prices fluctuate and consumers demand roomier, fuel-efficient passenger cars, aerodynamic design is an important contributor to saving money at the pump. Preproduction models of the all-new 2013 Malibu are achieving a drag coefficient comparable to a Corvette and nearly as efficient as the Volt electric car. Read more…
MONTVALE, N.J., Aug. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — As the Official Vehicle of the US Open, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is returning to the courts in Flushing with the all new S350 BlueTEC clean-diesel sedan that is part of its fleet of vehicles used for athletes, staff and officials while supporting the USTA’s commitment to green initiatives.
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The first diesel-powered S-Class in the U.S. market since the 1995 model year, the new 2012 S350 BlueTEC 4MATIC all-wheel drive model is powered by a purpose-built 3.0-liter V6 diesel with 240 horsepower, an astonishing 455 lb.-ft. of torque and estimated fuel economy of 20 mpg city / 31 mpg highway.
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CHICAGO, Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Nissan Americas officials joined Gov. Pat Quinn and representatives from the City of Chicago to announce the Illinois rollout of the all-electric Nissan LEAF for this fall. Nissan has accelerated the launch of Nissan LEAF in Illinois in response to strong consumer demand and supported by plans that include an extensive electric car charging network in Chicago and surrounding suburbs in the coming year.
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“Governor Quinn, Mayor Emmanuel and other visionary Chicago-area leaders have paved the way for mass market adoption of electric cars in their community,” said Scott Becker, senior vice president, Administration and Finance, Nissan Americas. “Chicagoland consumers want a transportation solution that uses no gas and produces no emissions, and the introduction of the Nissan LEAF to Illinois makes that a reality.”
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Two big car companies have agreed to work in hand to possibly come up with a new hybrid system made for light trucks and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Aside from that, other intents include coming up with next-generation standards for in-car telematics which means car lovers are in for new technologies to vehicles thanks to this joint effort.
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TOKYO (AP) — Toyota’s electric-gasoline hybrid car technology will be utilized to help ease power shortages in Japan’s disaster-struck northeast, part of a set of measures the automaker hopes will underline its commitment to the region.
Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will donate emergency power supply systems linked to its Prius hybrid cars to prefectures (states) in the Tohoku region ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
The systems will be fitted to about 40 of the automaker’s Prius hybrids. Hybrid vehicles can be used to store and generate electricity because it is partly an electric vehicle that runs on a high-quality battery.
Toyota’s hybrid technology has already been helping in quake-affected areas, which suffered massive blackouts, as an emergency source of electricity.
The automaker said the positive reviews for its Estima hybrid minivan, which comes with regular electrical outlets to plug in and run household appliances for up to two days, are prompting it to make it available as an option for the Prius within a year.
Toyota also announced Tuesday that it will set up a manufacturing training school in the northeast, hoping to send home the message it remains committed to making cars in Tohoku and Japan overall despite mounting obstacles.
Fears are growing that Toyota and other major manufacturers may move production abroad after the tsunami and earthquake left key suppliers in a shambles, disrupting production.
Another setback are the meltdowns at a nuclear power plant, which is crimping the electricity supply and forcing manufacturers to cut back on electricity use.
Recruiting for the new technical school for high school graduates and employees of Toyota affiliates in the northeast will start in July next year. The first class for 10 to 30 students will begin in April 2013, the world’s largest automaker said in a statement.
Toyota also said it will donate 300 million yen ($3.8 million) for educational help for children, many who lost their parents in the disaster, and another 3 million yen ($38,000) to support the arts in Tohoku.
Last week, Toyota announced it was consolidating its operations among Tohoku group companies, and strengthening research and development in the region to make it Toyota’s third production center in Japan — after its headquarters in central Japan and Kyushu, southwestern Japan.
One vehicle set to be produced in northeastern Japan is a small hybrid that’s a key part of Toyota’s lineup of green vehicles, according to the automaker.
Other Japanese automakers are also eyeing renewable energy as a business opportunity, taking advantage of the power-generating feature of green cars.
Nissan Motor Co. is testing a super-green way to recharge its Leaf electric vehicle using solar power. Honda Motor Co. already has solar panel and home power generating
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There are a number of low co2 emission cars on the market including some that offer
ample space for the family.
The Nissan Leaf is a medium sized hatchback that can comfortably seat five adults
and their luggage. A fully charged Nissan Leaf has a top speed of 90mph and a
range of up to one hundred miles. It is a zero emission car the “Leaf” name is a
significant statement about the car itself. Just as leaves purify the air in nature, so
Nissan Leaf purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience.
The Toyota Auris Hybrid was awarded What Green Car of the Year 2010, it
features a 1.8 litre VVT-i petrol engine and two electric motors that work together to
deliver power to the wheels in the most efficient way. The result is best-in-class CO2
emissions of just 89 g/km and a combined fuel economy of 74.3 mpg.
The new Hyundai i40 Tourer will be on sale in September, there is a choice of
three efficient engines, four power outputs and manual or automatic transmission.
Hyundai’s Blue Drive technologies incorporating Intelligent Stop amp Go technology are
fitted as standard on all Active derivatives, and on the Style 1.7 CRDi 136PS Blue
Drive model ensuring CO2 emissions of 119 g/km. The new Hyundai i40 is a stylish
medium family car offering exceptionally low co2 emissions.
By Geraldine Ashton Green, motoring.co.uk
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Tuesday night is “Public Night” at the Plug-In 2011 Conference Exposition, the event at the Raleigh Convention Center for the EV — Electric Vehicles — industry. For $10, you can say you were there when your grandchildren ask, “Whatever happened to the gasoline-powered automobile?”
“Well, kids,” you’ll be able to say, “it was back in ’11 when General Electric came out with an EV charging station in a box, and it sold at Lowe’s for about $1,000.
“That’s right, kids, one thousand dollars — it was the same year that the Republicans defaulted on the national debt, which as you know crashed our currency and forced the U.S. to begin using the Chinese yuan.”
That’s a joke 
— I hope.
But seriously, electric cars (you read it here first — first around here, anyway) could solve some big problems for the U.S., not to mention the world. Petroleum imports? Wars in the Middle East? Kiss them good-bye if we can run our cars on electricity, and the electricity comes from wind, solar and other renewable sources … and we juice ‘em up at night when power demands on the grid are low.
Electricity at current rates is far below gasoline — about 75 cents for the equivalent of a gallon’s worth of power. Heck, put solar panels on your roof and a big battery in the garage and you’ll really be happy motoring.
So the electric cars are here — the Chevy Volt, the Nissan Leaf, and many more — but what’s missing is the charging stations. Sure, in theory you can plug your EV into a wall socket, but that’s the power equivalent of filling your swimming pool with a garden hose. What you need is one of those Level-2 chargers, which will fire up your dead EV battery in about four hours.
And folks, that’s what GE’s “WattStation” is. (It’s the hanging unit on the left in the picture.)
The big announcement this afternoon was that GE is building the WattStation at its facility in Mebane, NC and will start selling them at Lowe’s stores next month.
Lowe’s stores in California, at first, then a national rollout.
Price: “About $1,000.” These WattStation chargers hang on the wall, attached to a 240-volt outlet (like your dryer) or else hard-wired into your control panel.
(They’re made in Mebane, and you’re selling them first in California? I asked. Come back Wednesday, said the gang in the GE booth in unison, and we’ll have an answer for you.)
Or, try my favorite product, the Plugless Power charger, a wireless Level-2 gizmo that shoots
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