e-Trade

Filed under: Etc., MPG, Lightweight

Every once in a while, we run an article aimed at the do-it-yourself crowd. Usually, these things are not that difficult to accomplish, but today, we’ve found something a little bit more in-depth for those really hard-core recyclers out there. A man in Utah has taken various bit of scrap, a kayak, a doghouse and a wrecked car or two and made himself a very cool replica of the Ariel Atom. His car is fully registered and licensed for street use, though we can’t imagine it’s all that practical to drive every day. With its Honda K-series engine sourced from an Acura RSX and super light weight, the replica is pretty fuel efficient at over 35 miles per gallon as well as fast. The run to sixty takes just 4.5 seconds on the builder’s stopwatch. Since so much of the car was either hand-built or procured second-hand, it took just $11,000 to make this dream into a reality. Well, that plus 800 hours of hard work.

[Sources: Flickr, MAKE]

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Filed under: Hybrid, Mercedes Benz

A week after Mercedes-Benz announced details of its first hybrid, battery supplier Continental Automotive has launched production of the battery packs. Mercedes will be the first manufacturer to mass produce a hybrid vehicles with lithium ion batteries. Continental spent €3 million to build the battery manufacturing facility in Nuremberg. The first batteries that being produced weigh 55 lbs and have a volume of just under 0.5 cu. ft. When the Mercedes S400 BlueHybrid launches in mid-2009 with this 120V battery pack it will be installed in the engine compartment in place of the standard 12V lead acid battery.

Since this is the first mass market automotive application of a lithium battery, Mercedes and Continental are being extra careful. The battery is designed to last a minimum of 10 years and 100,000-150,000 miles so Continental has developed a sophisticated monitoring system to make sure that it operates within normal operating parameters. Each individual cell is monitored to keeps loads balanced and ensure even charging and discharging. Continental had to develop special processes to weld the copper bus bars that act as cell interconnects. The whole battery is enclosed inside of a laser-welded stainless steel case. The initial production capacity of the factory is 15,000 units a year and that can easily be doubled.

[Source: Continental]

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Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, MPG, Toyota, Volkswagen

There’s a question that’s sure to be on the minds of many of our devout readers: does the new Jetta TDI come close to the Prius when it comes to fuel mileage? We’ve had our first impression, and we’ll see for ourselves soon enough when we get our hands on a new TDI for a long-term test, but Popular Mechanics has done some of the footwork for us already. In a test that wound its way both through California’s inner trenches - the surface streets in LA *shudder* - along with some a good deal of snaking blacktop in between, the crew at PM kept separate logs for both city and highway mileage, all the time with a view towards fuel mileage. So, who won? Um, depends.

The Jetta bettered the Prius by less than one mile per gallon on the highway, as it rode its abundant torque to a mild victory. In the city, which is the traditional edge for the all hybrids, the Prius earned its fuel mileage crown back by besting the TDI by over ten miles per gallon. Plus, diesel fuel still costs a bit more than regular unleaded. That’s not the whole story, though, as PM still preferred to spend time in the Jetta’s interior. So, which do you choose? Why not tell us yourself in the comments.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

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Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Chevrolet, GM

At an event in Flint MI today, GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm were on hand to officially announce that GM will be building its new 1.4L direct injected four cylinder engine in the city in new facilities on the campus of the Flint South Powertrain plant. GM will be spending $370 million dollars erect a 552,000 sq ft plant and tool it up. The company will start building the new factory immediately and full scale production is set to start in early 2010 in preparation for the North American launch of the Chevy Cruze. The Flint factory will also be the exclusive source of the range extending engines for the Volt. The plant will use 300 flexible machining and assembly stations so that a variety of four cylinder engines can be built without retooling. GM is planning to double global production of small four cylinder engines (1.0L to 1.4L) between now and 2011 and expects one-third of its North American volume to be fours by that time. The 1.4L is an all new engine that will produce 140 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. We’ll have more information on the 1.4L later today after a technical briefing.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM officially announces Flint MI production for Volt/Cruze engines

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Transportation Alternatives, USA

What better way to launch a new transportation product than to take it on a long trip with some sweet scenic vistas. In the case of the Zuumer (rhymes with boomer) from ZuumCraft, the journey being undertaken is a week long and covers a distance of 600 miles from San Francisco to San Diego along the beautiful California coast. The three-wheel electric ultralight scooter is powered by a removable lithium ion battery and employees a double-forked steering column with a low center of gravity that not only keeps it stable in the turns but also highly maneuverable. The rear axles seem to have some funky tilting action going on that contributes to its ability to carve your way along like a skateboard. Of course its also perfectly fine for going in a straight line and can do so for around 25 miles on a charge.

While the trip, along with your chance to try it out, ends this Friday, the company has lots of videos of the Zuumer in action. The first batch of 150 units arrives in January and the company is accepting deposits now. Total price tag is in the neighborhood of $2,000 which is a lot less than its Segway competition and won’t make you look like a total dork (sorry Segwayers). Hit the jump for a couple videos of some Zuumer carving-it-up action.

[Source: CleanTech / ZuumCraft]

Continue reading VIDEO: ZuumQuest ‘08 = 600 miles of standing room only

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