By HDK / Published on Mon, 2009-08-17 13:59
President Obama announced on August 5 2009 the start of 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects that will receive $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The aim of the projects is to accelerate the manufacturing and deployment of electric vehicles, batteries, and components for the next generation of advanced vehicles. The announcement marks the single largest investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles made in the US, and shows that the US is willing to invest in the vision of electric cars.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Fri, 2009-05-29 11:49
At the moment, the market is dominated by conventional cars, with a combustion engine fuelled by fossil fuel. Some car manufacturers also introduced hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), that make use of both electric motors and other types of engine. Batteries of hybrid vehicles can be charged from an external source, the so called plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). The coming decade will show us whether the electric vehicle will be capable to oust these types of cars and will be worthy to win the trust of car drivers…
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Tue, 2008-12-23 06:30
The EU sticks to its 2020 targets
Will the promises to reduce greenhouse gasses be kept now that the global financial and economic crisis is eating away huge parts of the budget in most EU countries? A positive signal came earlier this month at the European summit. EU leaders confirmed that targets for 2020 will be maintained. That is a clear and encouraging message, although maintaining the targets does not ensure that they will be achieved.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2008-07-24 05:30
Where is the catch?
Arthur C. Clarke’s famous paraphrase of J. G. Ballard 'that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic' seems to gain in strength every day. So much that we are all — even the most sophisticated or sceptical of us — ready to accept almost any 'new advance of science' as fact without serious questioning.
Sometimes technology does indeed appear to be close to magic. The Japanese company Genepax claims to have constructed an eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water. The press agency Reuters walked into the trap with open eyes and published their promotion video.
'It almost sounds too good to be true', says the British commentator on the video. Of course it is too good to be true. Can you find the catch?
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2008-02-14 09:00
Based on a Discussion Webinar, Friday 26 January 2008
In the industrialized countries, the transport sector is responsible for about one quarter of all energy consumption, so a low carbon solution is imperative.
Biofuel has been promoted as being green, but lately it received more opposition from green NGOs than any other transport fuel.
Is biofuel the long-awaited sustainable solution for the transport sector? Or are the drawbacks bigger than the advantages and should we put our efforts in other solutions?
Leonardo Energy addressed this subject on a Discussion Webinar on 26 January 2008. The following are a few of the major points arising from that discussion.
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Tue, 2007-07-17 07:00
We thought that we had seen everything, but there is still are still new things, such as a car running on air! Well, compressed air, that is, but nevertheless...
It is calles City-CAT, probably because both speed and range will be limited, and was presented at the Barcelona car show several years ago. The development seems to have come to a standstill, but you never know. Given the air-pollution many cities have, there could still be an interest somewhere.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Wed, 2007-04-11 07:30
BMW’s Hydrogen 7
BMW launched its BMW Hydrogen 7 last month. BMW calls it the first 'commercial hydrogen-powered luxury saloon'. It will not be sold, but leased to prominent personalities in the world of politics, media, and show business who want to be perceived as focusing on a sustainable lifestyle. Those personalities might get a green conscience by driving this car, but the truth is that it is not nearly as green as the BMW marketing department would have us believe.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Fri, 2007-03-30 07:30
Running with the heat of your hand
The American Stirling Company manufacturers Stirling engine gadgets and models for educational and demonstration purposes. Their newest model is the MM-7, powered by the heat from your hand. It needs only a 4 °C temperature differential to run. The FAQ page of their Web site presents a very clear explanation of the working principle of the Stirling engine, as well as comprehensive facts on its history and applications.
Stirling engines hardly qualify as new technology. Robert Stirling received a patent for his first air engine all the way back in 1816. At that time however, the only readily available metal was cast iron, which oxidizes rapidly when left in a very hot flame. So Stirling engines started life with a metallurgical if not technological disadvantage.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Wed, 2006-10-25 05:30
Did the car of the future already exist in the past?
An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s documentary about global warming was not the only US movie to provoke environmental debate this year. There was also Who Killed the Electric Car? by Chris Paine, released last June. This movie explores the development, commercialization, and premature death of the EV1 battery car of General Motors in the 1990s. A website presented by Sony Pictures Classics concisely summarises all the facts, figures, and arguments used in the movie. Dave Barthmuss of GM Communications reacted with the article Who Ignored the Facts About the Electric Car? on the GM blog.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Mon, 2006-10-23 05:30
EU Energy Commissioner Piebalgs presents prototype
14 September 2006 — On the square in front of the European Commission’s Berlaymont Building, an unusual car was driving in circles. It was the Microjoule, an ethanol-powered vehicle engineered by French students. The car — capable of driving 2,885 km on a single litre of fuel — won the Shell European Eco-Marathon in May.
Commissioner Piebalgs presented the car within the framework of the EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan. This plan aims to save 20% on the annual primary energy consumption in the EU by 2020. Piebalgs noted that the transport sector has a particularly important role to play in reaching this target. After several delays, the Action Plan was presented by the European Commission last Thursday (19/10/2006).
Read more in the related EC press release (IP/06/1190).
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