Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect
Click above for a gallery of Ford Tourneo BEV Ford couldn’t be bothered to actually bring a battery-powered version of the Transit Connect to the Chicago Auto Show last month (but they did show off four gasoline-powered versions and announced the BEV there). People visiting the Geneva Motor Show will get a more personal experience with Ford’s latest zero-emission vehicle when the Tourneo Battery Electric Vehicle concept makes an appearance there this week. The idea behind the passenger-friendly Tourneo BEV is to showcase how the battery-only powerplant can be used to ferry people as well as freight. The powertrain for both models was co-developed by Ford and Smith EV and features a 21 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery pack, a 50 kW permanent magnet motor, and a single-speed transmission. That’s good for a 160-km (100-mile) range and top speeds of about 113 km/h (70 mph). A full charge takes 6-8 hours. These numbers are exactly the same as those announced for the electric Transit Connect . Gallery: Ford Tourneo Connect BEV [Source: Ford ] Continue reading Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Ford , Geneva Motor Show , Green Daily Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
Car Blog Greenthe original post:
Geneva 2009: Ford’s all-electric Tourneo Connect
California ARB approves $700,000 in grants for green tech demos
The California Air Resources Board this week approved $700,000 in grants for demonstration projects to evaluate clean air technology. Advanced Transit Dynamics, Eaton and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District will each receive over $200,000 for projects. Eaton will build a package delivery van using a hydraulic series hybrid system it has developed. Similar systems have also been developed and tested by several other companies. UPS has been running several series hybrid vans for more than two years. Advanced Transit Dynamics will show an active aerodynamic system installed on a class 8 tractor trailer designed to minimize drag. The Sacramento project will use digester gases to consume some of the emissions from a stationary engine fueled by biogas. Companies getting the grants must provide matching funds for at least half the cost of the project with at least 10 percent coming from the grant recipient. [Source: California Air Resources Board ] Auto Blog: Hybrid California ARB approves $700,000 in grants for green tech demos originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
View post:
California ARB approves $700,000 in grants for green tech demos
Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg
Click the Transit Connect for a high res gallery When Ford announced a couple of weeks ago that it was ready to start selling the compact Transit Connect van in the U.S. the final EPA mileage numbers were not yet available. At the time the company estimated that the TC would be rated at 20 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway. The Feds have now finished crunching the test data and the TC came in a bit better, now scoring 22 mpg around town and 25 on the open road. The Transit Connect will be on sale at Ford dealers this summer starting at $21,475, including destination. Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect [Source: Ford] Continue reading Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg Auto Blog: MPG , Ford Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
The rest is here:
Ford Transit Connect EPA numbers come in above expectations, 22/25 mpg
Connaught Motor Company delays production of hybrid sportscar
Click above for a gallery of the Connaught Type-D hybrid sportscar Fledgling British automaker Connaught has been trying to build a plant in Wales to assemble its planned Type-D, an intriguing sportscar that will use a hybrid drivetrain. When it was first announced back in 2007 at the AFVI show, Connaught said that its powertrain would consist of a small bore, 300-horsepower, 2.0-liter V10 engine and 162-horsepower electric motor that gets its power from a bank of capacitors capable of providing 48 volts. A lightweight shell would be crafted from carbon fiber and aluminum, allowing for a weight of under 2,000 pounds. All of that tech would lead to a two-seater that’s capable of accelerating to 60 miles per hour in just 6.2 seconds while returning up to 42 miles per gallon, though we’re not sure how that number was estimated. In any case, construction of the Type-D has been delayed due to questions about the sewage and water quality at the site selected for the plant in Wales where the sportscar would be built. If and when the facility is finally up and running, Connaught hopes to assemble 1,000 cars per year. In the meantime, the automaker has been busy converting Ford Transit vans to hybrid power using its proprietary technology. From the ABG Archives: Our 2007 interview with Connaught CEO Tony Martindale . Gallery: Connaught Type D [Source: PistonHeads ] Auto Blog: Hybrid , Manufacturing/Plants , UK Connaught Motor Company delays production of hybrid sportscar originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
Excerpt from:
Connaught Motor Company delays production of hybrid sportscar
General Motors files Canadian restructuring plan, will build hybrid car
General Motors of Canada Ltd has followed its corporate parent in Detroit in filing a viability plan with the Canadian government. It contains the usual array of ideas about working with the Canadian Auto Workers union and cutting executive and salaried pay to cut costs. The plan also includes some upcoming product details. The Oshawa Ontario car assembly plant currently has two assembly lines. The so-called consolidated line will continue building the Impala out through 2013. The other line was recently re-tooled for flexible production to build the new Camaro, with Job 1 coming in March. Two years from now, the line is scheduled to add the convertible version. Later in 2011, that same flex line is scheduled to add a new short wheelbase mid-sized sedan followed by a long wheelbase model at the beginning of 2013. There has been no indication of which brand will get this car or what the model designation will be. A few months after launch a hybrid variant of that car will be launched, the first hybrid car produced in Canada. The short wheelbase mid-size model is likely to be the new Buick Regal, a re-grilled and badged version of the Opel Insignia that was recently unveiled in China. Since Buick has been announced as one of the core brands that GM will focus on in North America, the Regal is a likely choice. As for the hybrid, this will probably be an application of GM’s next generation mild hybrid that is expected to go into production in 2010. The press release is after the jump and the full plan can be found here. Gallery: Opel Insignia ecoFlex [Source: General Motors] Continue reading General Motors files Canadian restructuring plan, will build hybrid car Auto Blog: Hybrid , GM General Motors files Canadian restructuring plan, will build hybrid car originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
Car Blog Greenmore here:
General Motors files Canadian restructuring plan, will build hybrid car
Posted in Auto Green | 
a-friend-via, a-new-short, connaughthybridvan, entry, first-announced, hybridcar, its-powertrain, north, transit | 
Leave a commentFord confirms Transit Connect EV with Smith Electric for 2010
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Ford , Chicago Auto Show Click the Transit Connect for a high res gallery Ford has now confirmed that the new Transit Connect small van will form the basis for its first new battery electric vehicle that will launch in the second half of 2010. Ford is very excited about electric vehicles and we first learned that Ford planned to introduce a Transit Connect EV when the company’s viability plan was submitted to Congress in December. Since then, speculation has been rife about which vehicle would form the basis for the new EV, with most indicators pointing at either the Transit or Transit Connect. Part of the reason for that is that Smith Electric Vehicles of the UK has already developed battery-powered versions of both of those models. At a background briefing prior to the Chicago Auto Show, Ford’s VP of product development, Derrick Kuzak, revealed that Ford was working with Smith to bring the Transit Connect EV to market next year. While Kuzak declined to provide much detail on the vehicle specs, volumes or pricing, some hints can be gleaned from the Smith EV website . The model sold by Smith as the Ampere adds a 24 kWh lithiun ion-iron phosphate battery pack to the Transit Connect. The standard 2.0L four cylinder gas engine is replaced by a 50 kW electric motor. Together, these systems yield an expected range of about 100 miles on a charge and a top speed of 70 mph. The Ampere also has a payload capacity of 1,764 lbs. With that kind of payload, even a likely real world range that is considerably less than 100 miles shouldn’t do much to dampen the utility of such a vehicle for a lot of customers. At least at first the Transit Connect EV will only be offered to commercial operators. The rest of us will have to wait another year for the Focus-based EV . Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect [Source: Ford] Continue reading Ford confirms Transit Connect EV with Smith Electric for 2010 Ford confirms Transit Connect EV with Smith Electric for 2010 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
Car Blog Greenthe original post:
Ford confirms Transit Connect EV with Smith Electric for 2010
Montana could follow California on greenhouse gas rules
Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy Montana could soon become the latest state to adopt California emissions rules if a recently-introduced bill becomes law. California still hasn’t received the go-ahead from the EPA to even regulate carbon dioxide emissions but Montana Senate Bill 180 would make CO 2 a regulated pollutant. If the EPA reverses a late-2007 ruling, automakers will have to achieve a fleet average of 44 mpg by the end of the next decade in order to meet the California standards. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer supports the senate bill and sent a representative to testify at a recent hearing. While Montana would simply adopt the standards set by California, state regulators would have to ensure that automakers meet the standard in the state based on sales. The Montana bill would also extend beyond cars an regulate emissions from commercial and industrial sources. [Source: Green Car Congress ] Montana could follow California on greenhouse gas rules originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
See the original post:
Montana could follow California on greenhouse gas rules
Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Transportation Alternatives , Lightweight , USA Proterra has begun a 10-city “California Clean Bus Tour” with the unveiling of its EcoRide B35 all-electric transit bus in San Jose. The lightweight, composite-bodied people mover features the 10 minute recharge-capable TerraVolt[TM] Energy Storage System, said to be based around batteries from Altairnano , and motors from UQM Technologies . Its regenerative brakes can recapture up to 90 percent of the vehicle’s kinetic energy and help it achieve a range between 30 and 40 miles. Although, like many alternative drivetrains, it has a higher upfront pricetag than its diesel counterparts, the company estimates the difference can be absorbed well before the end of its expected 12-year life through lower energy and maintenance costs. Proterra also has a plug-in hydrogen fuel cell version of the bus that will begin service in Burbank this Spring. California has a mandate that dictates 15 percent of all buses added to fleets after 2011 be zero-emission vehicles. Founder and CTO of the Golden, Colorado company, Dale Hill says, “”The fact is, emissions free transit is not a ‘nice to have,’ it is a must have for clean, healthy communities across California and the U.S.” Indeed it is, Mr. Hill. Full press release after the break. [Source: Proterra ] Continue reading Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
The rest is here:
Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus
UK company goes for converted electric Ford Transit vans for landscaping duty
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Ford , UK Click above for high-res gallery of the converted Ford Transits If the smaller Ampere electric van (a converted Ford Transit Connect) just doesn’t offer enough carrying capacity for all your rakes and shovels, then take a page from Continental Landscapes. The UK-based company recently purchased four of the larger Transit vans for use in their landscaping business. Continental purchased two 4.6-ton Ford Transit beaver tail and two 3.5-tonne tippers, all of which were converted by the old hands at Smith Electric Vehicles and have lithium ion iron phosphate battery packs and a 90-kilowatt induction motor that provide a 100-mile range between charges. The vans have a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The reason for the purchases? A desire to reduce operating costs and emissions. The plan is to use these vans for about 5,000 miles each year, so the company should find out soon if this measure works. Gallery: Smith Electric Vehicles converted Ford Transits [Source: Nobull Communications] UK company goes for converted electric Ford Transit vans for landscaping duty originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
See the rest here:
UK company goes for converted electric Ford Transit vans for landscaping duty
KTM puts a 2010 sale date on its electric dirtbike
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , On Two Wheels , Racing Click above for high-res shots of the electric KTM dirtbike Sounds like KTM might beat Honda to market as the first major manufacturer with an electric two-wheeler on offer. Currently, there are a couple of players in the off-road EV market in Quantya and Zero Motorcycles , and KTM is set to join them in 2010 with what it’s calling a race ready dirtbike. With a weight of under 200 pounds, top-level suspension components and nearly 30 lb-ft of torque that will be available from a dead stop, we think they’re on to something here. Not only will the electric dual sport bike produce zero emissions, but it will also be nearly silent. These two important attributes will open the sport up to a ton of people that would otherwise be unable to enjoy the hobby. On-board lithium ion batteries will provide about 40 minutes of hard riding, and likely a good deal more if you’re just playing around. Next question: How much? Gallery: Electric KTM Enduro [Source: Hell For Leather ] KTM puts a 2010 sale date on its electric dirtbike originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
Excerpt from:
KTM puts a 2010 sale date on its electric dirtbike
Get Approved!
Recent Comments