Swedish McDonad’s might offer plug-in hybrid stations soon
A book I Car Blog Greena long time ago about the rise of McDonald’s in America explained that what Ray Kroc was really interested in was real estate, not hamburgers. The idea being that if you made your food available absolutely everywhere, then you would always be an option for people when they got hungry. Since there are now so many McDonald’s restaurants, it makes sense that plug-in vehicle proponents in Sweden are gearing up to use all those acres of parking lots for PHEV charging stations. Treehugger says that the plan will see McDonald’s paying to install the posts while the Elforsk company makes sure there is enough juice to the posts to charge vehicles quickly (more information in this Swedish PDF ). A 230 volt – 16 amp pilot post should be installed at a Stockholm McDonald’s soon. The posts will be made by Eldon, which currently says it will take between 30 and 45 minutes to fully charge an EV or PHEV. Perhaps Better Place should step in and suggest putting battery-swapping robots in the drive through lane. [Source: Elforsk via Treehugger ] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Green Daily , Europe/EU Swedish McDonad’s might offer plug-in hybrid stations soon originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Swedish McDonad’s might offer plug-in hybrid stations soon
NYPD goes green with Nissan Altima Hybrids
According to the New York Post , the New York Police Department will soon begin a pilot program that would replace 40 of the city’s police cruisers with Nissan Altima Hybrids . The initial investment in the gas-saving and pollution-reducing scheme is a hefty $1.1 million. As it stands, 18 units have been set up as fully marked patrol cars and 20 as unmarked cars. Two more are playing spy games disguised as yellow taxicabs. If these cars work out well as police units, plenty of fuel will be saved. The current fleet, which consists mainly of large, rear-wheel drive, full frame Crown Vics and slightly smaller Impalas, averages between 16 and 18 mpg in the city. The Altimas are expected to get 35 mpg. Given the shaky state of the U.S. domestic car industry, we wonder what kind of backlash there might be for using the Japanese cars, though they are assembled in Smyrna, TN. We know that police officers have proven an attachment to the old-tech cruisers that they currently use, and we’d be a little surprised if Ford isn’t at least considering outfitting its new Fusion Hybrid for crime fighting. Thanks for the tip, Mike ! [Source: New York Post | Photo: Chris McSweeney ] Auto Blog: Hybrid , MPG , Nissan , Legislation and Policy , Green Daily , USA NYPD goes green with Nissan Altima Hybrids originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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NYPD goes green with Nissan Altima Hybrids
Geneva Preview: Details on Rinspeed iChange concept filter out
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Rinspeed iChange Last month, we learned that Rinspeed would be debuting another of its crazy concept vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show , now a few more details about the Swiss-designed vehicle, along with a ton of new images, are making the rounds. Concept cars from Rinspeed are always a bit wacky, and this one doesn’t disappoint with a body that shape-shifts in order to seat the required number of occupants (up to 3) so that it’s always as aerodynamically adept as possible. Besides the real-life Transformer shell, the iChange concept features a fully electric drivetrain, including a 150-kilowatt (204 horsepower) motor that’s hooked up to a six-speed gearbox cribbed from a Subaru WRX. There are two different lithium ion battery options (one each for short-range or long-range driving) that can offer enough juice to accelerate to 60 miles per hour in about 4 seconds. Top speed is listed at 137 mph. Other eco-friendly features include a navigation system that tailors the route for fuel savings, spun wool interior and roof-mounted solar panels that help charge the batteries on sunny days. Lastly, a heater that runs on electricity for short trips and E85 liquid fuel for long trips has been fitted for climate control. See the comically long press release after the break. Gallery: Geneva Preview: Rinspeed iChance concept [Source: Rinspeed] Continue reading Geneva Preview: Details on Rinspeed iChange concept filter out Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Solar , Geneva Motor Show Geneva Preview: Details on Rinspeed iChange concept filter out originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Geneva Preview: Details on Rinspeed iChange concept filter out
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