A car that runs on natural gas needs to be filled up with CNG, or compressed natural gas. This fuel burns cleanly and only limited emissions come from cars that use this technology. Natural gas is also plentiful, even though it is not a renewable energy source. This is also a cheap energy source and a gallon equivalent of natural gas is never more expensive than gas or diesel to purchase.

One problem with driving natural gas powered cars is that not many gas stations sell this fuel and therefore a long drive must be well planned or done with a different car. The tank for natural gas is also larger than that of a gas or diesel powered car which means that space is taken away from the trunk.

Even though natural gas is cheap, readily available and environmentally friendly, there is only one car maker who still brings out cars powered with this type of engine on the American market. The only model available on the market that comes with a standard natural gas engine is the Honda Civic GX and even sadder is the fact that it is only sold in two states, New York and California. Elsewhere in the world and especially in Asia, there is an increase in cars that run on compressed natural gas.

Volvo is working on a car which looks like a regular C30 packed with the usual trademark safety, space, and comfort like the standard version. The big difference is that it will be powered entirely by electricity. It has no emissions plus an excellent driving range of 93 miles on one charging.

The car manufacturer has come up with several prototypes and tested internally how the C30 EV runs in different driving conditions. The focus of the development is the integration of the electric drive system with the rest of the components of the vehicle.

The C30 Battery-powered EV will run using lithium ion batteries charged using a regular plug at home. Full charging may take about eight hours.

The designers of the vehicle placed the electric motor beneath the bonnet of the car, just like the configuration of your conventional vehicle. The battery which is quite heavy and bulky can be ideally placed on the location of the fuel tank in a regular car or in the tunnel of the prop shaft. The Volvo C30 BEV will require a 24kWh battery to meet the demands of the vehicle compared to a regular plug-in which employs 12kWh energy supply.

The C30 EV can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 11 seconds with a recorded top speed of 81mph – not bad for a perfectly green car!

An electric vehicle buyer may have several worries when they plug their cars at home. One may be worried about power outages, circuits giving in, or someone simply disconnecting the plug and having no enough power to use the next day.

Charging anxiety is expected since we are facing a new technology but it is expected to die down like how people get accustomed to new gadgets, tools, or systems. Consumers are expected to have newbie questions when they initially charge their cars. Instruction manuals will be read and phone calls will be made just to make sure that they are plugging in their cars right.

Though there have also been studies about range anxiety as being the more important issue to address, car manufacturers and marketers can not deny that charge anxiety exists. Plugging the car into the socket may not come as easy as charging your cellphone.

Some experts see the comeback of gas station attendant which were icons during the early existence of refilling stations. This time attendants will assist consumers to plug and charge their electric cars. They see it this as a short-lived solution since people will eventually be able to adapt to the technology.

Different companies are trying to find ways and tools to help people decrease charge anxiety. Innovations may soon hit the market to help with the problem.

The Obama administration may have some slack for the foreign luxury brands coded the German proposition by some lobbyists. The foreign manufacturers which do not sell more than 400,000 units annually in the U.S. may just be subjected to less rigid rules.

Some of the brands which will obviously benefit from the loophole will be Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Porsche. These are the same brands which have been opposing the proposed fuel efficiency rules ever since.

Looking at the loophole though justifies its sense. Smaller car manufacturers are the least likely to be able to adjust to the cost since they don’t have low end vehicles which can pump their efficiency figures.

Small volume of cars being produced means that the cost of improving the fuel efficiency of the fleet will be higher. The new policy anyway aims to save money and help the environment, but not to close down any car business.

The other side of the coin however shows that the slack being given the luxury cars defeats the purpose of the national standard being imposed. It also sacrifices the overall ecological impact of the program with the exemption of some car brands.

Other brands that see some benefits with the exemption are Subaru, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi.

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The engine of the next generation vehicles will be derived from the DNA of their first EV the Lightning GT.

According to Lightning, the company will design and come up with several variants. This includes an off-roader SUV, a limo type saloon, and a sports car.

The company wants to focus on the Lightning GT and deriving the power plants of the new members of their brood from it will allow them to release them to the market as soon as they are ready.

The Lightning GT is expected to be released by spring of 2010 and orders for the units are coming. A third of the deposits are mostly from the United Kingdom alone. The specifications of the car though have not been finalized and the information disclosed to the media is very limited.

So far, it is clear that there will be a 700hp electric engine that will rely on nano-titanate battery pack. This powertrain will be able to zoom the car from 0 to 60 in a matter of 4 seconds, and reach a top speed of 130mph.

The system of the EV makes use of Hi-Pa Drive which makes use of brushless motors with permanent magnet on each of the wheel of the vehicle. The design allows optimal traction and also allows the car to make use of regenerative braking. With the Lightning having power on each wheel, there is no use for gear boxes, drive shafts, differentials, or propshafts.

The Gigacell was developed in cooperation with New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Agency (NEDO) of Japan. It offers a big capacity in storing energy which is made responsible by its high-rate structure, discharge ability and high rate charge. It used nickel hydroxide as its positive electrode while utilizing the metal hydroxide for its negative electrode.

KHI is also designing a 280Ah stack with an enhanced charging and discharging rates. It has 2.5 kWh of aptitude and volumetric density of 40 Wh/L and 21 Wh/kg gravimetric density.

Last December 2007, KHI declared that it had completed a verification test using a Gigacell pack on a railcar regenerative braking. The system was analyzed at the substations of the Osaka Subway.

Kawasaki confirmed that the generated energy by the braking of a train could be accumulated and be reused to counterweigh for the voltage fluctuations that take place during start-up, operation, and jam-packed rush hours.

They also carried out test simulating operations during emergency situations like power outages and proved that the battery structure enabled trains to get to the next nearest station at a speed that is in the lower level without sacrificing needs for lighting or air conditioning.

Presently, Kawasaki has plant manufacturing prototype units with the capacity totalling 10,000 kWh. If they received adequate orders, KHI is planning to spend a billion for the production of Gigacell.

CPT is a start up company based in the United Kingdom which explores development of carbon dioxide-reducing solutions that can be used with today’s vehicles.

At the moment, the company is marketing three basic products: VTES or Variable Torque Enhancement System which is a supercharging system; TIGERS a generator system dependent on exhaust turbine; and SpeedStart12 which is a starter generator system.

Excessive particulate emission is a major issue in the transport industry especially when tougher guidelines and legislations will be in placed by 2012. The supercharger from CTS aims to address the root of the problem by supplying more air to the engine during transient events which may require addition power and fuel. The sufficient air will prevent production of soot which is caused by inefficient combustion.

The CPT supercharger will be able to supply instantaneously the needed air for an efficient combustion. The simple electric supercharger will be able to deliver better mass flow rate and torque response. VTES outperforms turbochargers that have the twin sequential architecture.

The VTES is a Switched Reluctance mechanism that is cooled by air paired with electronics and radial compressor to deliver optimal air flow, efficiency, and pressure. It is primarily designed to make Diesel and Otto engines deliver more torque, decrease emission, and reduce carbon dioxide.

Dr, Sammy Boussiba is the head of MBL, and is presently the president of the International Society of Applied Phycology. MBL does extensive researches on algae for about decades and holds a commendable record for commercializing the production of algae systems used for the nutraceutical and feed markets.

Meanwhile, US and European branches of Primafuel laboratories shaped multiple technology baseline that is centered on the refinement, partition and alteration of biomass products. Also, the biorefinery program of Primafuel has been renowned by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer for the expertise in biomass processing.

According to Rahul Iyer, Primafuel’s Chief Marketing Officer, the company possesses a sole licensing agreement with MBL on its strain selection and photobioreactor work, as well as bio fuels and co-products technology that will be created in the future. The partnership with MBL is focused on creating high-value algae strains cost-effectively. The CMO also noted that Primafuel has not conferred figures or objectives on oil cost and yield.

Dr. Boussiba summarized at the October 2008 Algae Biomass Summit points of disputes in economically feasible algae mass production. He illustrated the Ketura photobioreactor as the biggest operating photobioreactor in the world, and holds 300,000 cubic meters of water and tubes stretching to hundred kilometers.

What sets the concept car apart is its teardrop bubble top which acts as windshield, door, and sunroof for the car. It’s a highly unconventional model, as should be expected from Rinspeed, which is designed especially for short-distance city driving.

The car runs on a 370 Nm electric motor which is generated by 567V LiFeP04 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery pack. i-Change can run up to 56 miles on three battery packs. Its lightweight design (only 2,300 lbs) depends on aerodynamics. The i-Change’s weight is also responsible for its low power consumption.

Just because it’s designed for city driving doesn’t mean that the concept car lacks power. Rinspeed sets the i-Change’s top speed at 137mph.

It has been recently reported that the Seimen’s Corporation Technology Department provided an integrated power system for the i-Change. This comprises of power electronics, a generator, and an interface that’s connected to a battery.

The i-Change is also said to run on six-speed preselector gearbox extracted from a Subaru WRX unit. The car has been tested on colder weathers, but a fan is installed on the i-Change to keep temperatures adequately cool during the summer. Rinspeed reported that this fan will be powered by solar panels attached to the car’s rooftop.

Ideally, these solar panels should also help the car’s batteries regenerate and run for a longer time.

The i-Change also comes with a heater to cope with the temperature drops in the winter. This heater is developed by Eberspächer Group and is configured to run both on electricity and fuel.

The parts offer best performance when measuring rigidity, dimensional stability, and strength. These are vital for ensuring an excellent seal to protect the valve control system and to avoid leaking of lubricating oil. The resins can withstand temperatures of up to 150 degrees Celsius during. It can also endure contact with hot oils or chemicals.

The parts were built by DuPont purchasers in Spain with the company’s applications development and enhancement assistance.

Xavier Soler of DuPont Engineering Polymers said that the accomplishment opened doors for future possibilities to broaden replacements for other metal parts on Nissan’s range of vehicle models.

Last October 2008, Dupont showcased oil pan units that were manufactured by Zytel. These are built for use in diesel engines with 4 cylinders(model OM651). Zytel is a trademark owned by DuPont,
The engine made use of a dye-cast aluminum upper shell and also a multifunctional lower shell made of DuPont Zytel 70G35 HSLR.

Zytel has used a number of varieties of different abrasion, impact resistant, and high strength thermoplastic polyamide formulation now known as nylon, often with other forms of fiberglass, from 13 percent to 60 percent that is added for additional firmness.