Pico-Car

MIT Bringing Smart Biking Project to Copenhagen; Prototype Hybrid Bicycle

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:08:54 -0700

MIT researchers at its SENSEable City Laboratory have unveiled a project in Copenhagen aimed at transforming bicycle use, promoting urban sustainability and building new connections between the city’s cyclists. The project, called SmartBiking, will utilize a novel self-organizing smart-tag system that will allow the city’s residents to exchange basic information and share their relative positioning with each other.

As part of the project, a prototype of a smart bicycle is being developed in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab’s Smart Cities Group. This hybrid bicycle harvests the energy created when braking and releases it while cycling. All hybrid-drive elements, including the battery, are packed in the rear wheel, which becomes a self-contained component that could be retrofitted on most existing bicycles.

A considerable fraction of [Copenhagen’s] energy comes from renewable sources and, unlike a few decades ago, 30 to 40 percent of its citizens use bicycles as their primary method of transportation. So our challenge was, ‘How can we enhance these dynamics of sustainability? And how can we use technology to make them more widespread?’
—Carlo Ratti, Director of MIT’s SENSEable City Lab, which is overseeing the Smart Biking project

Toyota iQ For U.S. - As a Scion!

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:03:24 -0700

Rumors that Toyota will send its iQ super subcompact to America appear to be true -- with one twist. Our sources indicate the iQ will debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November not as a Toyota, but as the latest addition to the Scion lineup.

Even though the tiny three-plus-one seat iQ (three adults, one child) was designed for Europe and Japan, there is a strong business case for bringing it here as a Scion.

Toyota, busy with the launch of the next-generation Prius, doesn't need another small gas sipper to steal its marketing thunder -- particularly one that could poach sales from the Yaris, the brand's other high miler.

California Begins Enforcing Commercial Vehicle Anti-Idling Program

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:53:06 -0700

The California Air Resources Board has begun enforcing recently enacted anti-idling program for diesel engines that will reduce particulate matter emissions throughout the state.

California ARB staff and local air quality officials throughout the state will monitor sleeper berths and commercial on and off-road diesel vehicles where they operate. First time violations, idling for greater than five minutes, will receive a minimum civil penalty of $300. Subsequent penalties can be from $1,000 to $10,000. Owners, renters or lessees will be responsible for the penalty.

Regulations limiting idling of on-road commercial diesel-engine vehicles to five minutes have been in effect for several years now and for sleeper berth trucks since January of 2008. The regulations addressing the idling of off-road diesel vehicles became effective in June of 2008. Industries were given a grace period allowing them to inform themselves and their staff of the new requirements.

CO2 emissions down by 3.8% so far this year in UK

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:37:58 -0700

Car manufacturers have cut average new car CO2 emissions by their biggest ever margin, reducing emissions by 3.8% over the first nine months of 2008. The average new car now emits just 158.6g/km, down from 164.9g/km at the end of 2007 and 16.4% down on the 189.8g/km base in 1997.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' (SMMT) ninth annual sustainability report, to be launched today at the House of Commons, shows vehicle manufacturers continue to make significant reductions in the environmental impact of its products, throughout the whole life cycle of the vehicle.

I-65 "Biofuels Corridor" now officially open in Indiana

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:30:27 -0700

Biofuels are still not available everywhere, but the new I-65 "biofuels corridor" means that from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast it's now possible to get some ethanol into your flexfuel tank. The corridor officially opened on yesterday with events in Indiana marking the end of a two-year project that began with a $1.3 million grant from the DOE to improve the E85 infrastructure in the Hoosier state. Basically, this means that there are regularly-spaced E85 pumps along I-65 now. Biodiesel, specifically B20, is also part of the promotion. The list of involved agencies and groups is somewhat numbing: Energy.IN.gov, Central Indiana Clean Cities Alliance, General Motors, South Shore Clean Cities, BioTenn, Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn, U.S. Department of Energy and American Lung Association of Indiana.

New Fiats to teach you to drive more efficiently using eco:Drive

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:15:52 -0700

Fiat and AKQA have developed eco:Drive. A motor and technology first for linking drivers with in-car telemetry -- improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.

eco:Drive is the very latest in digital integrated technology. It is an easy-to-use computer application that connects your car to your PC. Using cutting-edge analytic software, eco:Drive dissects and evaluates your driving style and shows you ways to cut down on fuel consumption, reducing your CO2 emissions and saving you money. In fact, with consistent use of the application, you can expect to reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 15 per cent.

Public transportation ridership up in 2008; next year should be higher

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:10:19 -0700

Rather than wait for an electric car or better biofuels, millions of Americans are saving money and time by switching to public transportation.

According to a new nationwide survey commissioned by the HNTB Companies, more than 24 million Americans -- 11 percent of the adult population -- are using buses, light rail, commuter rail and other forms of public transportation more than they did last year. An even greater percentage of survey respondents, 16 percent, said they expect their ridership to increase in the coming year.

"As today's Americans face increasing demands on their time and money, riding public transit is shifting from something they should do, like eating their vegetables, to something they want to do," said Peter Gertler, vice president and national director of public transit services for HNTB Corporation.

Chrysler and China's Great Wall to work on small car

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:03:10 -0700

According to media reports today, Chrysler and Great Wall are planning to work together to produce an A-segment car which will be produced by Great Wall, but sold worldwide with the Chrysler badging.

Chrysler reportedly sent engineers to Great Wall in August of this year to work with Great Wall to create a super mini which would be worthy of taking on the Chrysler badging and would be upto world standards design, and safety wise. Work on the A-segment car is expected to be finished by the end of the year, which may indicate that it could be a reworked version of a car that Great Wall already has, or is close to completing.

UK: Biofuels accounted for 2.61% of fuel supplied against a target for the year of 2.5%

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:44:17 -0700

Biofuels accounted for 2.61% of fuel supplied against a target for the year of 2.5%. More biodiesel (84%) has been supplied than bioethanol (16%).

The majority of feedstock has been imported. The feedstock is known for 95% of biofuels. Both the feedstock and country of origin are known for 72%. The most widely reported biodiesel feedstock was American soy (25% of biodiesel supplied). The most widely used bioethanol feedstock was Brazilian sugarcane (74% of bioethanol supplied).

Over the three month period, 20% of biofuels met an environmental standard, compared to a target of 30%. 97% of the fuel reported as coming from UK feedstocks met environmental sustainability standards. Greenhouse gas savings of 44% were achieved against a Government target of 40%. This figure excludes the emissions from indirect land-use changes considered in the agency’s ‘Gallagher Review’.

Honda Launches a New Hybrid Site

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:33:41 -0700

Honda has opened a new "Words of Hybrid" site, featuring the all-new Insight Concept premiered at the Paris Motor Show on October 2, 2008. The site provides details of the Insight Concept and a history of Honda's hybrid development.

Houston forms exclusive severe-smog club with LA

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:25:10 -0700

Houston has joined Los Angeles to become the second place in the nation classified as having a severe smog problem, the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.

The EPA reclassified the smog problem in the eight-county Houston area from moderate so that the region has an extra nine years to meet federal health standards set in 1997. The state was supposed to meet the requirements in 2010 but now has until 2019.

The EPA no longer considers the 1997 standard safe for public health, but agency spokeswoman Catherine Milbourn said progress toward it will protect the public and bring regions closer to meeting stricter requirements.

Eco-Friendly Cars Take Back Seat to Survival of Automakers

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:01:33 -0700

Ford, BMW and Volkswagen announced plans to increase sales of more efficient small cars after consumer spending slumped, showing that improving gasoline- powered vehicles will come before alternative-fuel solutions.

U.S. carmakers are cutting emissions by turning from trucks and SUVs to smaller cars, as rapid advances in alternative technology may be delayed by the global financial crisis. Along with European carmakers, they're pushing to make the most of the combustion engine, improving turbochargers for example, to boost efficiency while still burning fossil fuels.

"There's too much hype about the electric car,'' BMW Chief Executive Officer Norbert Reithofer said this week at the Paris Motor Show. "Electric vehicles may make up 5 to 10 percent of new car sales in 2020, but not more,'' he said.

Alternative Fuel Components of the Bailout Bill

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:49:38 -0700

Title II transportation and fuel provisions in the bill include:

Expanding the category of cellulosic biomass ethanol to the broader category of cellulosic biofuel for the calculation of bonus depreciation for ethanol plant property.

Increasing the income tax credit and excise tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel.

Broadening the definition of “renewable diesel” (currently defined as a diesel fuel produced by a thermal depolymerization process), with the exception of renewable diesel co-produced with petroleum feedstock. The expanded definition of renewable diesel now also includes aviation fuel produce from biomass that meets DoD specs for military jet fuel or ASTM specs for aviation turbine fuel.

No credits are to applied to any alcohol fuel or biodiesel produced outside the US for use in the US.

Beijing to Remove 300K Heavily Polluting Heavy-Duty Vehicles Within One Year

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:46:20 -0700

Beijing will replace or remove some 300,000 heavily polluting vehicles within one year in an attempt to further improve its air quality. All heavily polluting vehicles will be banned within the sixth ring road by 1 October 2009.

Beijing has multiple ring roads (beltways)—the sixth ring road (physically the fifth), is currently the outermost at some 15-20 km from the center of Beijing. This toll expressway ring road links Beijing with Shunyi District, Tongzhou District, Changping District and Daxing District.

Currently, the number of heavily polluting vehicles accounts for about 10 percent of the total in the capital, but the pollutants they emit cover about half of the total from vehicles. The air quality at night often showed a pollution peak, which was mainly due to the large number of such vehicles running into the downtown, according to Feng Yuqiao, a Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau official.

Electric Smart Car Headed for States Next Year: Live at 2008 Paris Motor Show

pico-car — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:38:24 -0700

While it may be a bit early to plunk down a deposit, expect to see Smart brings its new fortwo ED to the United States, possibly as soon as late 2009. With a hybrid-electric Mercedes also up his sleeve, Daimler's chief confirmed to PM that the electrified Smart car was headed across the pond—and that it's just a matter of time.

The ED, short for electric drive, is Smart's new battery car, which can deliver up to 150 miles on an overnight charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. It joins an expanding line-up of high-mileage powertrains offered by the Mercedes-Benz sibling division, an assortment that also includes diesel and the new Micro Hybrid Drive, or MHD system—all of which PM recently test drove here across the pond after the fortwo's decidedly slow start.

"Electrifying cars is one option for safer, sustainable mobility," declared Thomas Weber, technology chief for parent company Daimler AG.

Hero Honda (India): Inflation, high fuel prices blessing in disguise

pico-car — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:36:19 -0700

Policy planners may be burning mid night oil to tame inflation and overcome surging oil prices, but Hero Honda which seeks to capitalise on this by pushing cost effective and fuel efficient vehicles in the market.

"While it is true that double-digit inflation of 11-12 per cent would certainly upset household budgets and postpone certain purchases, the rise in auto fuel prices might actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the two-wheeler industry," Hero Honda Chairman Brijmohan Lall Munjal said in the company's Annual Report for 2007-08.

Cost effective and fuel efficient modes of transport would become more popular, he added.

"Since fuel prices are not expected to soften in the near term, fuel-efficient industries such as ours could be beneficiaries.

Vancouver Gives Green Light to Low-Speed EVs

pico-car — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:30:30 -0700

Vancouver city council voted Tuesday afternoon to give a green light to low-speed electric vehicles.

Under city bylaws, they will now be able to travel on Vancouver streets which have a posted speed limit of 50 km per hour or less, meaning they will be able to travel on most city streets.

But staff remained concerned about the safety of the vehicles since they don't meet the crash standards for regular vehicles. They are typically larger than electric golf carts and look more like small compact cars.

Most low-speed electric cars, however, don't have impact absorbing bumpers or airbags, according assistant city engineer Jerry Dobrovolny, making them a case of buyer beware.

"That's why the federal government limits their operation to 40 kilometres [per hour] or less. And so that's a decision that each individual buyer will make for themselves," said Dobrovolny.

LandRover Introduces Eco Friendly Stop/Start System on Production Freelander

pico-car — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:24:48 -0700

Land Rover introduced the Freelander 2 TD4_e featuring a new Stop/Start system at the Paris Motor Show. The Freelander 2 TD4_e is Land Rover’s most fuel-efficient vehicle to date and is the first production vehicle to incorporate technologies from the company’s program of engineering initiatives collectively named e_Terrain Technologies (earlier post).

On the standard EU4 cycle, the CO2 emissions of the Freelander 2 TD4_e are reduced by 8% (15 g/km) compared with the outgoing manual diesel Freelander 2 TD4 (from 194 g/km to 179 g/km). Fuel consumption improves from 7.5 L/100km (31.4 mpg US) to 6.8 L/100km (34.4 mpg US). In additional tests, Land Rover engineers measured fuel savings approaching 20% in heavy urban traffic.

These gains, coupled with the added benefits of the gearshift indicator light, software developments and efficiencies from low-rolling-resistance tires, make the Freelander 2 TD4_e the most fuel-efficient production Land Rover yet built.

Honda: U.K. drivers think hybrids are too expensive

pico-car — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:11:26 -0700

In the United States, sales of hybrid cars greatly outpaces the sales of diesel cars; super-size trucks don't count. The leader of the hybrid race globally and in the States is undoubtedly Toyota, but other manufacturers, including Honda, are doing their best to catch up. Despite the fact that the original Honda Insight helped usher in the hybrid age, the automaker has taken a major back seat to its main rival from Japan in recent years. To help combat this issue, Honda is set to revive the Insight nameplate with a Prius-fighting five door hatchback of its own, and it will undercut its competitor by thousands of dollars.

So, what about Europe? Across the pond, hybrid cars and trucks are not nearly as popular as they are in the U.S. There, diesel fuel is priced more attractively than gasoline, and sales of oil-burners are therefore very strong. A recent survey conducted by Honda in the U.K. indicates that 40-percent of those who would not buy a hybrid are put off by their high price. Since the Insight will be the cheapest hybrid available in Europe, Honda hopes to buck the slow-selling trend. We'll see how it works out sometime next year.

EPA Awarding Almost $1.8M to Midwest States for Clean-Diesel Programs

pico-car — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:57:45 -0700

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding $295,320 each to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin for their 2008 clean diesel programs under EPA’s Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative (MCDI).

Matching grants from these states total $1.2 million. Nationally, EPA will award $14.8 million to states for clean-diesel programs.

State projects include a variety of diesel emission reduction solutions such as retrofit technologies, idle-reduction technologies, cleaner fuel use, engine upgrades, and vehicle or equipment replacement.