Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Nissan Planning All-Electric Sports Car?

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 09:06 AM PDT

Nissan has always been among my favorite brands. As far as Japanese cars go, it always stood out as a more performance-oriented brand than Toyota or Honda. I’ve also had good luck in terms of the reliability of my Nissans. One of my favorite cars was a ’92 240sx that had a bulletproof engine even at 180,000 miles. It went like a rocket and damn if it didn’t look good too.

Now Nissan execs say they are looking at electric drive trains as a possible new sports car platform. With rumors of the Nissan contemplating a hybrid version of the GT-R, this could be something to look forward to.

Of course we’ve all heard of the Nissan LEAF by now. The LEAF has the distinction of being the first affordable electric car for the global mass market. Many people try to argue that electric cars lack performance, but that is simply not true. Capable of delivering 100% of torque at 0 rpm, electric cars could easily run nose-to-nose with many muscle cars and sports sedans given the right motivation. A hybrid Nissan GT-R is a step in the right direction, though there have been rumors of its premature demise due to heightened emissions and mileage standards.

In an interview with AutoCar, Toshiyuki Shiga, chief operating officer of Nissan said that "The GT-R is part of Nissan's heritage. In fact, since Nissan started as a car company, it has been offering driving pleasure through sports cars. I can't commit to any new products but, as far as we know, we are keeping this brand, these technologies, and trying to offer sporty cars. I am also thinking of electric vehicles as sporty cars."

Driving an electric car like a sports car would drastically affect the range though, as getting on the pedal can quickly drain the battery. Still, the market really seems to be gravitating away from gas guzzlers and towards cars other than those powered by petrol. A real electric sports car would do a lot to change the minds of the non-believers as well. Do it to it, Nissan.

Source: AutoCar | Image: Nissan

The World’s First Purpose Built Green Freeway Kicks Off

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 09:01 AM PDT

It’s a vision of the future, but it’s closer than you may think.

A black ribbon of tarmac threading its way past industrial and commercial centres with regular stop off points for renewable energy transport. Local towns use their waste and biomass to produce ethanol and EVs can recharge or do battery swaps as and when needed.

And there’s more. Corridors of wind, solar and geothermal power will generate enough electricity not just to power the EVs but also ancillary environmentally friendly systems… such as smart lighting, which will adjust to traffic density and weather conditions, and displays on current emission levels.

And it will all be built using local resources whenever and wherever possible.

It’s a grand proposal, and if it gets the go ahead it should be done and dusted by 2015.

I say “if it gets the go ahead,” but really it’s more a question of when.

The E18 freeway is part of the EU’s grand Trans European Transport Network. Its eastern stretch runs 110+ miles from Helsinki past some of the continent’s main sea- and airports to Europe’s largest border crossing into Russia at Vaalimaa. The first bits of tarmac are already hitting the road (so to speak) and what’s being discussed is upgrading the plain dual carriageway to a properly sustainable bit of motoring.

In August, a feasibility study group produced their first report into the environmental aims of the project, and they were very positive about being able to expand the road’s funding (currently $1.2bn) to make the whole thing a completely green build. Some of the proposals may be dropped, perhaps geothermal (notoriously tricky and expensive) and emissions information for drivers (…why?).

The bulk seem certain to gain approval, however, meaning that by 2015 the world’s first purpose built green freeway will have been built along one of Europe’s busiest sections of road.

BUT it won’t hold the accolade of being the the world’s first green highway. That particular honor looks set to go to the E6/E14 route, which follows the main trade route across Norway and Sweden. This is not a purpose built freeway, unlike the E18, but it is an existing one which is in the process of being upgraded for renewable energy vehicles.

This 270 mile route will have over 15 EV charging stations, two biogas stations, up to 20 bioethanol stations, and four biodiesel stations. Some of these, and the supporting renewable energy infrastructure, are already starting to come online and it’s almost certain the project will be completed before the E18.

Interestingly, the E6/E14 development has also been accompanied by a huge push to promote a sustainable lifestyle, including this fabulous who’s who of available vehicles (from idiosyncratic runabouts to full on flat bed dump trucks).

All in all, it makes you wonder what the rest of the world’s consumers are so worried about!

MINI Teasing Electric Scooter Ahead of Paris Auto Show

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 08:52 AM PDT

We are pretty privileged here in America to have the wide open roads we do. That is because America is a big, young country, and we didn’t have to build over narrow, existing roads choked by ancient buildings. We basically just paved over whatever we want, which meant we could drive our massive cars with ease. Meanwhile in Europe, and in much of the rest of the world, a large percentage of the population gets by with just a scooter.

MINI, the maker of tiny cars, is teasing an all-electric scooter ahead of the Paris Auto Show. Could you give up your car and live with just a scooter?

I, personally, do not think I could do a scooter. I’d look a bit too… awkward. Then again, if the price was right, it would be a great way to get around my town (which is rather spread out). Most of the driving I do is within 25 miles of my house. MINI hasn’t offered any specs on this plug-in scooter, nor do I know if they intend to actually build it. But… MINI has been experimenting with the electric car thing, what with the MINI-E, and their parent company, BMW, is full speed ahead on the Megacity EV.

A MINI electric scooter doesn’t make sense as the next step to me; I’d rather see an electric MINI first. The plug-in scooter would use a lithium-ion battery, and could theoretically get 60 miles or more on a charge. That would have to be the minimum range for me to even consider such a ride. And I’d still look silly… but an electric scooter would be pretty fun too, what with all that torque. Plus, many scooters don’t have to meet any emissions requirements, so it would take a big bite out of pollution too if it could be made cheap.

Source: MINI’s Facebook Page

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