Entries for November, 2007
Automakers are doing what they can to develop vehicles that have good emissions. Among the things they do is developing vehicles that run on electricity. A Californian automaker, Aptera, is coming up with its latest creation. Aptera is a term for scuttling wingless insects such as the silverfish and the likes. Many will not have thought of "aptera" being an automobile name but it is. Steve Fambro, the big boss of Aptera, has plans of developing and selling electric vehicles that carry this name. Soon enough, Aptera vehicles will be running on the highways and byways of the state.
What's unique about Aptera is that it comes easy on the budget. Its target is the bottom end of the market. Unlike other electric vehicles, Aptera is rather affordable. Compare to Tesla, an electric vehicle maker in Golden State, which sells electronic cars for $98,000, Aptera will not set back its buyers when it comes to its price. Aptera vehicles start at $26,900. These vehicles will be available come end of next year and many are already looking forward in owning one. Although this is the case, Aptera and Tesla have commonalities. The most obvious is that they are both small. This enables for the vehicle to run smoothly and perform well even when it doesn't use fuel. Another thing these two have in common is that they were first developed by people that had no prior experience in working in the motor industry. As a strategy, the two companies first concentrate on the Californian market—specifically the economically-inclined fashionistas—before working their way to the mainstream.
As for the name "Aptera," it was chosen for the vehicle very much reminds one of small, wingless aircraft. It has a three-wheel design that enables it to be let off the hook from arduous federal testing regulations. Its outer shell is composed from a carbon-fibre rather than metal. Its protuberances are maintained at a minimum to enable the vehicle to have a smoother ride. Its supposed wing mirrors were replaced with a rear-facing camera that has a 180 degrees field of view. As for its exhaust valves, they were recessed in order to minimize turbulence. The exhaust valves are to take care of the heat generated from the electronics. Apart from this, a petrol-electric hybrid is also said to be in the development stage. It has a single-cylinder generator, which produces 200km to 1,130 km. It can seed up to 150 kmp.
Source: Economist.com
Written by autopartsware at 01:46 AM.
Air pollution is something we all deal with on a daily basis. It's not something to be proud of, not something to look forward to, not something we could inhale freely without causing us some damage. Since air is something that we constantly live with, having clean air is something we all need to aspire for. Scientists are becoming worried for the negative effects air pollution have on us, especially in the long run. For this reason, many scientists are heeding that vehicles should have strict carbon dioxide emissions. This is primarily because vehicles are something that has already become a need for us. It has become something that we would have a hard time disposing of. In fact, we need vehicles. It has become part of our existence and as such, needs to be altered so as it won't be polluting the air that we also need to survive.
Scientists are suggesting that new cars must be altered in a way that it will give off lesser carbon dioxide in its emissions than old model cars. They said that there must be strict limits when it comes to carbon dioxide emission in new cars. Having so, automakers will be forced to come up with ways on how to further improve on their vehicles emissions. Subsequently, this will speed cuts in air pollution. As far as the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is concerned, a 100g standard will do. This standard is tighter than that proposed by the European Commission. The Royal Society of Chemistry is also asking for tighter time limits to speed up the development of greener fuels as well as improvements in the composition of vehicles—making them a lot friendlier to the environment.
The Royal Society of Chemistry recommends a "mandatory target" for new cars. A maximum of 100g per kilometer will considerably help in aggravating problems in air pollution. On the other hand, the European Commission proposed a 130g per kilometer limit by 2012. Although this is the case, what the former has recommended agrees with the latter's proposed possibility of having cars that produces 95g per kilometer by 2020.
According to the RSC, cars nowadays have an average of 180g per kilometer and only a handful of cars are able to meet their proposed 100g per kilometer limit. They claim that there might not be any reduction as far as overall reduction is concerned in the emissions of cars in Britain come 2020.
Source: news.scotmans.com
Written by autopartsware at 12:36 AM.
In an attempt to aggravate the weak auto sales from the past months, light truck models have been the focus by most American automakers last October. Americans seem to want to stick with the tried and trusted rather to risk with car models that are only beginning to gain their ground. This shift is rather a good move especially for it considerably helped lift the sales of General Motors. Lately, its leading rival is Toyota but with the move to focus on the light truck models, GM is able to somehow increase its sales up against the Japanese automaker.
A significant gain when it comes to the truck sales is believed to be caused by the introduction of crossover vehicles. These vehicles are a revised version of the SUV. The main difference is that it has better fuel economy. For its fuel economy, many Americans go for them. With the continuous rise in the rates of fuel, it can be expected that many would really be attracted to the crossover vehicle because of this feature. Apart from this, crossovers provide a more comfortable ride—something akin to a car ride—and not to mention it has an apparently growing popularity.
Among the vehicles that General Motors has made available this year are the Buick Enclave and the Ford Edge. These two vehicles have strong sales and is one of the vehicles that are on the list of most auto buyers. According to speculations, the drop in car sales may most probably be caused by the United States automakers decision to cut back with less profitable fleet sales (like companies of car rental) and focus more on business. It seems that fuel economy is really a big factor in choosing a vehicle. GM's competitor, the Toyota, is able to sell a lot of its Toyota Prius—its fuel efficient vehicle.
Last month, there were reports that Ford was able to sell a total of 195,462 of its vehicles. Records show that truck models, specifically the crossover, were able to have an increase of 0.9 percent in its sales. On the other hand, the F-Series pickup truck that were the favorite of contractors decreased by 7.5 percent. This decline is nothing compared to those of the previous months. As for car models, there is a 26 percent plunge for Ford. A good portion of this decline was caused by Ford's strategy of cutting on less profitable fleet sales to businesses.
Source: money.cnn.com
Written by autopartsware at 02:01 AM.
It seems like the various experiments and efforts to create robot cars have finally paid off. At the DARPA's race for diverless cars, the question that pops in the minds of those who have witnessed the race is "when can I get mine?" It is not really surprising for having robot cars can be one of the safest way to go. Say, if one drank a lot in a party or a gathering, he or she no longer has to drive his or her way home. With robot cars, one can sit back and allow for the vehicle to drive itself. This way, one can also save expenses from having to hire a driver. Apart from this, road rage could also be prevented. People have emotions and are likely to be ill-tempered when subjected to rude drivers that one may encounter in the road. Having a robot car, one saves oneself from road rage.
Michael Darms, the Continental Automotive Systems engineer that works with Carnegie Mellon in the Tartan Racing team, states that robot cars will be out in the market "sooner than you think." This is good news for a lot of people. Especially for those who attended the DARPA event. Darms has a passion for robot cars even early on in his childhood days. In his words, "Imagine you are driving down a highway and the kids scream in the background, and you look back but the sensors continuously monitor the traffic in front of you. The car in front of you slams on the brakes. It's detected by the sensors and you get a warning. You look forward again. And as soon as you touch the brake, the brakes are applied as hard (as necessary) to avoid the accident or mitigate the accident."
The extended brake assist as well as other system that are already around are still in need of a driver. They are driver-initiated. According to Darms, they are not autonomous driving just yet. However, in this project "we can see that there is much more possible." Apparently, the law does not allow for robot cars to drive themselves on highways. In the future, however, Darms has high hopes that this will change.
Source: blog.wired.com
Written by autopartsware at 01:39 AM.
In order to discourage people from using larger vehicles, the government has plans to impose an increase of £1,000 in the cost of monitoring. Apart from this, the government also plans to give incentives to manufacturers who go for greener vehicles. This move is supposed to increase as well as speed up the introduction of hybrid cars as well as vehicles that run purely on electricity. Hybrid vehicles are vehicles that make use of both petrol engine and an electric motor. These kinds of vehicles are friendlier to the environment as they don’t release so much harmful gases. Harmful gases are mostly caused by burning fuel. When no fuel is burned, no harmful gases will be released by the car. As most large vehicles need a lot of fuel to burn, using them is harmful to the environment for it contributes greatly to air pollution.
For the above mentioned reason, the government will commission a low-carbon cars review on February and will issue its recommendation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Those who will choose vehicles that have high-emissions of harmful gases (this may include the family saloon) will have a higher tax. A professor and vice-chancellor of Aston University will spearhead the review. She believes that cars that are powered by rechargeable batteries are the best choice. It will considerably reduce our need for fossil fuels and also protect the environment. She also said that drivers who have high-emissions of harmful gases must be penalized. She said, “we need both carrots and sticks. We are very focused on how we get results quickly. CO2 saved now is better that CO2 saved in 15 years time.”
Written by autopartsware at 08:20 AM.
In the automotive industry, some are saying that there are plans to perk up the standards on used imported vehicles. According to tvnz.co.nz, the supposed legislation will have increased its standards when it comes to exhaust emissions. However, the Chief Executive of Independent Motor Vehicle Dealers’ Association David Vinsen has stated that the new rules will not help to cut pollution. He further believes that this will only pave the way to more expensive cars. Apart from this, it will make people want to stick with their old vehicle as buying a new one even a used one is considerably expensive.
On the other hand, this will inevitably have an effect to other businesses and this is what the Independent Motor Vehicle Dealers’ Association are presently looking into. There was a survey conducted to 32 firms to find out how much this will cost them and according to the results, it will cost an average of $30 per tonne. Executive director of the Greenhouse Policy Coalition who is Catherine Beard believes that it will cost the companies involved around $241 million all in all when it comes to the increased direct energy costs. She continues that as the scheme was conceptualized and designed without a safety cap on hand, it is subsequently putting industries on a rather risky and rocky road. Further on, she advices that it might be best for the government to re-think its move.
Written by autopartsware at 06:50 AM.
Five decades ago, auto manufacturers are geared to create a car that are rocket-like. These are vehicles that are not just fast but have exceptional speed. It seems that as time went by, the goal for a rocket-like vehicle faded and was replaced by robots. Yes, vehicles of our time are dreamed to be like robots. This is all according to the design challenge at the recently concluded auto show in Los Angeles. For this year, the event has a theme tagged as “Robocar 2057.” This event was produced by the designer Chuck Pelly and is currently on its fourth edition. This year’s “Robocar 2057” was in more ways than one stimulated by the film “Transformers.”
As the theme sets the contest, automotive designers at the design studios in Los Angeles are doing what they can in order to come up with a design that manifests how artificial intelligence can be used and incorporated in future car models. Their designs also seek to show how gearing vehicles with artificial intelligence can affect human lives and can complement it. For the sake of this competition, some practical concerns such as fuel economy, safety, marketability as well as physics are not points to consider in judging the design. The contest will purely involve ideas and the designs. Practicality is not yet a concern as these may affect the creativity and the many possibilities that designers might tend to not consider due to practical reasons.
The models that will be made from this competition will exist solely on paper as well as in digital format. It will not be manufactured yet as these still has to be studied and carefully thought of. According to New York Times, the eight concepts that came through are closer to Transformers than on any traditional humanoid bots like the 1950’s Robbie the Robot. The eight concepts are nowhere near the recent developments of Honda in its Asimo, which is a robot that is especially made for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.
The cars that were conceptualized in the event involves the employment of future technologies. Among the terms that were constantly brought up in the design concepts are nano, which is short for nanotech. Nanotubes are also one of those that came out as well as nanofabrication. Word has it that these cars are geared towards Silicon Valley rather than that of San Fernando Valley.
Written by autopartsware at 07:08 AM.
Auto manufacturers are looking into the high possibility of future problems with space constraints. It is for this reason that the conceptualized Volkswagen for the year 2057 is tagged as the SlipStream. It is a personal pod that seem to bear a resemblance to a vacuum cleaner when it is in upright position. It has the capacity to flip down as well as to spring its fins in order to have a rather high-speed cruising. As for the conceptualized vehicle of Mazda, the name MotoNari RX was given. This name was derived from the Japanese warrior who founded Hiroshima. It is kind of symbolic, actually, for Hiroshima is Mazda’s home city. The concept car is said to be similar to that of a “Frank Gehry building that someone has sat on.” Now I have no idea how that looks like. We still have to see a picture of it in order to fully understand that statement. Anyway, it has the capacity to be controlled using a skintight suit of sensors. A truly futuristic car!
As for the Audi vehicle, what their designers have conceptualized is for the future Audi to look like anything Audi enthusiasts have on mind. It may be any of those vehicles that are on the Auto Union racers back in the 1930’s, sleek spaceships, or any of what the library of holographic images was able to store in its key fob. It sounds really interesting. It was tagged as the Audi Virtuea Quattro and has a slogan that reads “your holographic avatar.”
2057 vehicles for Mercedes-Benz are designed to look a lot like that of the vehicles of the 1930’s. This is because Mercedes-Benz thought of going for the classic when it comes to designs. The concept vehicle they have carry the name of SilverFlow. It is composed of electronically arranged molecules that have the capacity to “dissembled into a pool of ferromagnetic material for easy storage.”
For Toyota enthusiasts, Toyota has come up with a concept car tagged as the Biomobila Mecha. It is a truly environment-friendly vehicle that is expected to run by means of extracting pollution from the air. It is geared with nanolaser wheels as well as biomimicry that allows for the vehicle to expand or contract depending on the needs of the driver as well as on the space that is available.
Source: nytimes.com
Written by autopartsware at 06:01 AM.
The ME International Motor Show is held only every other year. It is considered to be the largest and the most respected among motor shows in the middle ease. At this year’s show, the Volvo Cars Middle East put on show their latest vehicle tagged as the XC70. At the Volvo stand, many crowded in order to have a good view of, as well as to have better information on the XC70. The major distinguishing factor of the XC70 is that it has a rather masculine look that is especially designed to provide a good ride even on the rocky terrain of the Middle East landscape.
Among the features of the XC70 are the new “soft nose” together with a larger grille that comes with a huge headlamps. As for the upper portion of the tailgate, it carries a rather sporty outlook with its forward-leaning stance. One will find that it is overlapping the tail lamps, which subsequently provides a wider opening and more space. As for the glass, it goes down even further on the sides. This improves the rear view of the driver. There is more space allotted for the cargo, which gives the vehicle more loading space for one to haul things. It has rails that are incorporated in its A-pillar moldings. As for its interiors, it has a rather Scandinavian feel to it that can be translated to a good balance between good design and functionality.
On the other hand, the Volvo XC90 is the first among Volvo vehicles to make use of the V8 engine. It has a distinct design that allows for a mere 60 degrees gap between the two cylinders. This makes it possible for the V8 to remain compact even on bumpy roads. Basically, the XC90 is a five-door SUV. It is a crossover vehicle that is able to merge the capacity to provide a comfortable ride with an “excellent get-you-there ability and flexibility.” Like the XC70, the XC90 is robust and has a rather masculine build-up. The main difference between the two is that the latter has a more elegant air to it than the former. It features safety and intelligent versatility. Apart from this, it also comes in the colors Ember Black pearl, Schimmer Gold pearl, as well as the Oyster Grey pearl.
Source: albawaba.com
Written by autopartsware at 12:56 AM.
Steve Clunn is the supposed electric car guru in the United States. According to him, the whole thing started because he can't quite bring himself to get rid of the engines that scatter around his electric car shop in Fort Pierce. As a conservationist, he simply can’t allow it. He does not want to sell these parts to other people. In his words, “I don’t want to find another crack addict who needs an engine.” This is why the engines that he was able to yank out of gas-powered vehicles stay put in his shop. His shop is not an ordinary auto garage. Many people actually go there to have their gas guzzler converted to an all-electric vehicle.
Although automakers such as the General Motors Corporation and the Tesla Motors Inc. are doing what they can to develop and improve on their models of electric cars, Clunn continues to overhaul vehicles in order to help their owners save on bucks as oil prices continue to rise. According to Clunn, those who want to save on fuel and eliminate their poor exhaust emissions have three options. The first is to avail of a slow car that has a top speed of 25 mph. Another option is to avail of the RAV4 EV, a Toyota vehicle that has the capacity to speed up on the highway. Unfortunately, Toyota has already stopped producing the said vehicle due to lack in demand. The third and last available option would be to convert their gas car to electric.
A resident of Boca Raton with the name of Clint Pierce preferred to take on the third option. Like most motorists, Pierce found himself already fed up with the continuous oil price hike and wants to save on costs without having to give up riding his vehicle. He bought a $500 shell and spent some $35,000 in order to have the equipment and labor needed to convert his car to an electric vehicle. It is estimated that upon completion of the conversion, his vehicle can run for 60 miles on a single electric charge from a 120V or 240V outlet.
"Ninety percent of my driving is to and from work, a 10- to 15-mile range," Pierce said. "I'm driving a regular car, and it's costing me $100 a month in fuel." Pierce is one of those who believe that this is far better than to shell out a lot of money to oil companies.
Source: theledger.com
Written by autopartsware at 12:04 AM.
As environmental awareness continuous to increase, General Motors has thought of ways in order to help out in keeping pollution to a minimum. For this year and the succeeding ones, General Motors started having green machines. These vehicles were one of the main attractions when it comes to green concerns at the Los Angeles’ Auto Show. Along the line up is the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado. It is a full-size pickup truck that is geared with a hybrid powertrain. Aside from the 2009 Silverado, Chevy also introduced the 2008 Malibu Hybrid.
Apart from the vehicles from Chevrolet, General Motors had introduced the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. The vehicle originally had its debut at the Miami Auto Show where it drew the attention of those who attended with its promise of 50% improvement in fuel economy. It is not surprising at all for if a vehicle can cut its fuel consumption in half, anyone is sure to be intrigued about it.
Along with the green vehicles, General Motors presented the 2009 Chevy Aveo5. The said vehicle is the latest five-door hatchback of Chevy in the subcompact segment. Aside from the latest Aveo, General Motors also introduced the Vibe. It is a Pontiac compact crossover that also has a 2009 model. Last but not the least, GM also had on the 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum on exhibit.
Source: autos.canada.com
Written by autopartsware at 02:41 AM.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has recently released its list of the safest cars. The list includes 34 cars that the institute had tested to be the safest. Among those that made it on the list are four minivans and sport utility vehicles of Kia Motors and Hyundai Motor. The Hyundai Motor vehicles that made it to the list are Santa Fe, Veracruz, and Entourage. Among those Kia Motors’ made that were on the list, the company’s Sedona was able to bag the “Top Safety Pick” award. The said vehicle was the one who scored the highest on the safety tests that the vehicles were subjected to.
When it comes to the SUV category, Hyundai Motor’s Santa Fe was selected. Also BMW’s X5 made it to the list. As for Kia Motors’ Sedona, it gained two thumbs up when it comes to being safe. Here’s some trivia, Kia Motor’s Sedona is called the “Grand Carnival” in South Korea. I have no idea why they call the vehicle as such but it is a rather fascinating tag. The said vehicle has already been on the top safety car list for three straight years now. This only goes to show that the Sedona’s safety features has been tested by time already.
Len Hunt, the CEO of Kia Motors America said that “we are extremely proud that Sedona was the first minivan ever to earn the IIHS “Top Safety Pick.” He adds that “to continue to earn this honor is yet another example of our dedication to providing quality vehicles equipped with the highest level of standard safety features available.”
On the list were four South Korean-made cars, 13 Japanese-made vehicles (this includes the Honda Accord), six German-made cars (this includes the Audi A6) and five Swedish-made vehicles (including the Volvo S80).
Written by autopartsware at 03:44 AM.
The Toyota Motor Corporation has recently given a statement regarding its China sales. The corporation is projecting their China car sales to reach 480,000 units by the end of this year. The statement was already posted on the website of Toyota. In the statement, Akira Sasaki, the senior managing director of Toyota said that the company was already able to sell 380,000 cars in China by the end of October. He further adds that the Toyota’s sales target in China for next year is 700,000 cars. With the rate Toyota vehicles are selling in China, this target is not that far off from being a reality.
Source: forbes.com
Written by autopartsware at 06:55 AM.
The Indian arm of Honda Motor Company, which is Honda Siel Car India, is determined to make India a place for green vehicles. Come summer next year, Honda will release the Civic hybrid in India. This is quite a breakthrough for the Civic Hybrid will be the first green car ever to be introduced and launched in India. Although there were already attempts made in India to find alternative as well as renewable fuel through the use of liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, as well as the use of cars that are powered by bio-diesel, it still holds true that the Civic Hybrid is “the first mass produced hybrid car to hit Indian roads.”
Originally, Honda launched the Hybrid version of the Civic in 2003. Next year, Honda will be launching the Civic Hybrid’s 2008 model in India.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Written by autopartsware at 06:58 AM.
It seems that India will be the new hub for green vehicles. Aside from Toyota, Tata Motors in cooperation with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch a green vehicle in India. This vehicle is said to be powered by hydrogen. As a result, the only thing that it releases for its exhaust emission is water vapor. This makes it the ideal vehicle to save the environment from further air pollution. For nearly three years now, the said vehicle has been on the mind of Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata Group. The good news is that after years of conceptualizing, it will finally be out and running by next year.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Written by autopartsware at 03:07 AM.
In lieu of Lotus’ celebration of its 40th year in production at the Hethel factory in the United Kingdon, Lotus plans to memorialize the event with the introduction of their special limited edition Elise S. The said vehicle has a 2008 model and only has 50 units built. These 50 units will be allotted to specified European countries and the number of units per country will also be monitored. It is quite peculiar that the 40th Anniversary Elise S will not be available in the United Kingdom. The said vehicle is based on the Elise Range’s entry level and remembers how Lotus’ 40 years in Hethel was.
Source: worldcarfans.com
Written by autopartsware at 12:11 AM.
With all the new things coming out in the market, Renault joins the trend and introduces the new Renault Kangoo. This vehicle is a revised version of the Kangoo that was launched in 2007. Exactly a decade after, its revised version now comes in existence. It is a 4.21 meter long light commercial vehicle that is specifically designed for businesses and big families. With the new Renault Kangoo, one can choose from three engines. It could either be a 1.5 liter dCi, 90hp 1.6 liter V8 engine, or a 105hp 1.6 liter 16-valve engine. For more information, visit the worldcarfans website.
Written by autopartsware at 02:34 AM.