Eco-car does 3,039km to the Liter

Energy giant Shell's eco-marathon 2007 which took place in France produced an amazing record when the winner in the prototype category was able to achieve an unbelievable traveling distance of 3,039km using only one liter of fuel.

In the eco-marathon 2007 which took place in Nagoro racetrack France, participated 257 teams from 20 countries. The winner in the prototypes category was the team from St. Joseph La Joliverie triumphed, which won the prize for the second year in a row for cars with petrol fuelled internal combustion engine. The best result achieved by a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle was by the Ecole Polytechnique Nantes. This French team produced a result of 2797 km to narrowly beat its nearest German rivals, the Hochschule Offenburg, University of Applied Sciences, (2716 km) and the Chemitz University of Technology (2552 km).

Another interesting category introduced to the eco-marathon in 2003 is the UrbanConcept, for vehicles that are similar to normal urban cars and more traditional in design than the experimental prototypes. In this category the DTU Roadrunners were two-time winners in the competition. Not only did the team from the Technical University of Denmark come first in the ‘Internal Combustion Engines’ category, they also won the Climate Friendly UrbanConcept Award. DTU Roadrunners were able to achieve 306 kilometers on 1 liter of fuel with an internal combustion engine while the Haagse Hogeschoool team from Netherlands did 557 kilometers on the equivalent of 1 liter of fuel with a fuel cell powered electric car.

The top ten UrbanConcept in the race this year ware able to do less than 0.5 liters per 100km (0.11 gallons per 62 miles) more than 10 times better than a conventional modern urban car. All the top UrbanConcept cars were also producing 1/10 times the amount of CO2 into the air making them interesting both in terms of cost and the environment.

TFOT recently covered a variety of unique vehicles including the EV-X7 Electric Motorbike, the luxurious T-Rex two-seater, the PIAGGIO MP3 three wheeler and maybe the most revolutionary of all - the Bombardier EMBRIO one wheeler.
More information, images and videos from the eco-marathon 2007 on Shell's website.

Image: The winner in the prototype category (Credit: Shell).

Alternative Fuel - ChaNGe Fuels, Save the World!

Environmentally friendly car is quite a rage now. Superstars from all the usual friends on the street is talking about it. Biodiesel, Hybrid, CNG, solar, electric vehicles all look like "it" word for the single entity. Spearheaded by name such as Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Ellen Degeneres and Ferrell is not a good time to talk about environmentally friendly than cars now. I mean, if celebrities are doing their part should not you? Now if they stop jetting about in private jets, I would be the first to applaud them for actually environmentally conscious.

The current buzz in Singapore right now is CNG or Compressed Natural Gas. Taxi companies are taking the lead by installing their new fleets with a CNG system. But talk about alternative fuel to the typical boyracer wannabe and he will snap back,
"GOT POWER SI BO????" Speak to the typical heartlander and you get,
"These new kind of cars all expensive lor!!!! Where got worth it??" Speak to the rather informed crowd and you have this for a reply,
"Only one filling station in Singapore. How is that gonna make me buy a car
fitted with the CNG system?"The concerns by these folks reflect the
views of motorists in Singapore today
with regards to green cars. While many would want to take the leap to do their part for the environment, they are unable to do so for they cannot make an informed decision. It does not help that the early hybrid and other green cars were sold at a considerably higher price. In Singapore, buying a car is quite a big financial deal, so people are really apprehensive about buying a car they are not familiar with.
So what is CNG?
Natural Gas is a fossil fuel that is more evenly distributed than crude oil worldwide. Compressed Natural Gas is natural gas that is stored in cylinders with pressures of up to 3600 pounds per square inch. CNG made up mostly of Methane, is lighter than air, odorless and colourless. When released into the air, it disperses quickly and will not form a rich enough mixture for combustion. In a nutshell, it will not burn easily and it is thus safer in the event of a leak.
Contrary to popular belief, CNG has a high octane level. 130, to be exact. Even Shell's V-power does not have that much. So, theoretically, CNG should give more bang for your buck. A higher octane level also allows for higher compression ratios and improved thermal efficiency. This means lesser carbon dioxide emission into our already ailing atmosphere. CNG is also beneficial in so many other ways. 40% less Nitrous Oxide, 90% less hydrocarbons, 80% less carbon monoxide, 25% less carbon dioxide, all make for a healthier place to live in. For your information, hydrocarbons carry carcinogens, which are substances that will lead to, cancer.
Surely, you would ask, if something were really this good, it would have been used decades ago. Well, you are right. The idea of natural gas as an automotive fuel goes as far back as the 1930s. The Australians considered it an automotive fuel in 1937 and the French used it in WW1. Since then, there has been little growth in the use of natural gas, until recent times. Currently, our little island needs to quicken the pace and catch up with other countries around the world. The United States have got more than 1300 refueling stations in almost every state. Some Americans have got home refueling systems even. Compare that to our ONE refueling station and you can see what I mean when I say we are quite behind time. For a country that is always striving to the best and being a hub for everything from R&D to sports, it is quite baffling why we are not pushing the need for a betterment of our planet pertaining to vehicular emissions. Fair enough, by the end of this month, there will another one in Mandai and after that another one at Jalan Buroh. But yes, 3 stations compared to 1300 is quite a difference, to put it kindly.
Then again, 3 stations would be enough for now as the CNG system works as a compliment to the current petrol system. The car is not a dedicated CNG vehicle; you can choose to use CNG or petrol or both, all at the press of a button. The system allows you to fully run on petrol should you run out of gas. Thus, it is guaranteed that you will not be caught in a situation where you will have to push your car all the way to Jurong Island or Mandai. The system also comes with a gauge for the amount of gas left in the tank. A visit to Mandai once in a while is not so bad is it?

The loss of power is very minimal. On the Honda CRV the difference in power is probably about 5 to 10%. Acceleration from standstill was decent though the car was more aggressive on petrol. But with the amount of money saved, the minimal power loss is a small price to pay and which many would be able to live with.
So let us recap. The CNG system helps us to bring the cost of fuel down, it is less dangerous than petrol and the power loss suffered is minimal. What are you waiting for? Even with a cost of $3800 for installation of a CNG system, the savings you make will cover that initial investment and you will continue to save even more as you use the system for a longer period of time.
But before you speed off to the nearest car dealer to switch to a brand new CNG vehicle, there are some drawbacks to the whole system. The one that sticks out most (literally) would be the tank. On a Toyota Rush, the tank fills up about 70% of the entire boot. You are only left with space to put several shoes, umbrellas and maybe boxes of A4 paper. Anything bigger would be a challenge similar to a Rubick's cube. The tank is also relatively heavy. It weighs about 66kg. So at any one point, it is like traveling with an extra passenger. The added weight means a lower power to weight ratio and an increase in fuel consumption but you still save when you use CNG by virtue of its price alone!








Some visitors to the fair organized by Pinnacle have also commented that having that tank seems dangerous. Even if the gas is almost non-combustible, it is still compressed. Should it be punctured, the tank could fly off like a Scud missile on a mission. But in my opinion, it will take quite an effort to puncture that tank for it feels and look very hardy. But still, this is the reason why LTA takes a serious view on how the installation is done. All new CNG vehicles will have to go for an inspection on the worthiness of the installation. Those that fail to comply with the guidelines will not qualify to go on the road.







So it really is up to you folks. While CNG in Singapore is still new, there is a bright future ahead for it. Soon, the tanks will get smaller and lighter and the number of refueling stations will increase. When that happens, let us all do our part in saving the environment.
Saving the cheerleader will not save the Earth. Changing fuels might. For the love of our mother earth. Peace.

Honda Insight Hybrid will debut at 2009 Detroit Auto Show

Packing loads of eco-friendly technology and a hydrogen fuel-cell system, the new Honda Insight Hybrid has been launched into a generation of many green-crazed tree-huggers.

The all-new 2009 Honda Insight hybrid will make its world debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The five-passenger, five-door Insight is expected to be the most affordable hybrid car available when it goes on sale in the spring of 2009.




The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year - approximately 100,000 in North America -

and will utilise a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™).




A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda introduced to market the first mass produced low-emission gasoline vehicles; America's first commercially produced gas-electric hybrid car and the world's first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX. In 2007, Honda was named "greenest automaker" by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth straight time.

Best of both worlds

Two 'energy levels' makes this Fiat ideal for urban as well as sporty driving.

By Paul Hudson
A perennial feature at the Geneva motor show is some kind of wacky concept from the Swiss innovator Frank M. Rinderknecht under the auspices of his Rinspeed company.
A sign of the times, perhaps, that this year's star Rinspeed concept is based on the sporting Abarth version of the cheeky Fiat 500 - with an added twist.

The E2 (E squared) looks similar to the production car but delivers either 60bhp or 160bhp depending on the driver's demands, making it lively in the city but also a real hoot on open roads.

The 60bhp ‘Commuting’ level is more than sufficient to maintain the Fiat's reputation for nimbleness in urban traffic, while saving energy and with low emissions. In this mode, the E2 is capable of 70.6mpg (four litres per 100km).

‘Highway’ mode provides an extra 100bhp for spirited driving and safe overtaking. Rinspeed claims an average economy of 40.4mpg (seven litres per 100km) in this guise.

The energy management system of the E2 is controlled by a small button in the cockpit that affects the engine electronics.

Rinderknecht, whose roots lay in the automotive tuning business, believes he has produced a car for our times. “I don’t believe too much in eco tuning. Many drivers are not willing to miss out on driving fun and don’t want to drive a something that announces to the world that they do without. But the number of people who want to use our energy supply responsibly, not in the least because they want to protect our environment, will grow quickly,” he says.

“Just like the auto industry has to adjust to the demands of a new era, tuners have to look for new ways to do business as well.”
sorce article

Top 10 cheap environmentally-friendly cars

The new rules mean that when you buy a new car in 2010 which emits more than 130g of CO2 per kilometre you'll get stung with a 'first year rate' charge. That ranges from a minimum of £115 for a BMW 3 Series E90 right up to £950 for a Porsche Cayman S.

Obviously the way to beat the budget is to buy a greener car. But what if you don't have £20,000 to lay down on a Toyota Prius, much less a whopping £80K for a Lexus hybrid? Worry not - we've hunted down ten great motors that won't maul the planet or your wallet.

All the cars on our list emit 130g of CO2 or less per kilometre - dodging that new first year rate - and our chosen few range from £17,100 at the upper limit down to £10,500 at the bottom, covering the spectrum of car sizes. We've deliberately left out electric cars, which are only really suitable for city living.

Here are our top affordable eco machines.

1: Seat Ibiza, 1.4 TDI 80PS Ecomotive, diesel

CO2 (g/km): 99

Price: £11,000

Seat's probably not the first name you think of when it comes to green cars, but this three-door supermini's both cheap to buy and cheap to run.
Vehicle aerodynamics have obviously been carefully scrutinised in the SEAT engineers’ relentless quest to reduce fuel consumption and improve emissions figures. Thus, this new Ibiza variant features a newly-designed front grille and new rear spoiler. Wind resistance is cut and fuel economy boosted as a result. The car’s slightly reduced width (compared with the outgoing Ibiza Ecomotive) also has a streamlining effect.

The car’s maximum weight has also been reduced through the careful choice of equipment and by eliminating certain options, and working on the base model to keep it comfortably within the engineers’ desired weight range.

Economy meets luxury

The new Ibiza Ecomotive is equipped with the same comfort and safety features as the rest of the Ibiza range in ‘S’ trim level, with the addition of exclusive new seat upholstery, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, and double parabolic headlights.

Standard equipment is generous and features among other things, ABS, driver and passenger airbags, head-thorax airbag, MP3 audio equipment plus Aux-in and six speakers, electro-hydraulic power steering, 175/70 tyres on 14” steel wheels, anti-theft roof aerial, steering column audio controls, air-recirculation and pollen filter, remote controlled central locking, front seatbelt reminder, rear seat Isofix anchoring points and Top Tether preparation, height adjustable driver and passenger seat, and three height adjustable rear head restraints




2: Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, 1.4 TDI 80PS


CO2: 99

Price: £11,995

This little diesel has all the solid German build quality you'd expect, plus an incredibly economic engine that'll make the man at the garage a distant stranger.



3: Honda Civic Hybrid 1.4 IMA ES


CO2: 109

Price: £16,300

As the cheapest hybrid in the UK, the Honda Civic Hybrid is a good, small family alternative to the Prius -- so long as you can stomach automatic transmission.

The new Honda Civic IMA Hybrid ES car now comes with a fully automatic transimission system, which helps to keep your running costs low by making you drive more sensibly. They have greatly improved the engine and its transmission system making this the best hybrid from Honda so far. Road tax has also been axed by the Government and now only costs £15 per year! This car is a solid and good family car, the only real optional extra is upgrading to leather interior. All bells and whistles come as standard. Heated seats, 6 CD changer, heated mirrors and cruise control are all standard. The only drawback is the length of time you will have to wait for one to come into the country- my car took 7 months from the time I ordered it.

4: Renault Megane Sport Hatch 1.5 dCi 86 Expression 3 door

CO2: 117

Price: £13,000

Like Citroen, Renault's one of the unsung French brands which has been doing a huge amount to cut emissions across its range. This small family car is a particularly economic example.



5: Citroen C3 1.6HDi



Price: £13,000

The Citroen C3 is an efficient, straightforward car with a big boot and not quite enough legroom at the back.





6: Ford Focus ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi

CO2: 115

Price: £15,800

This is a brand new version of Britain's most popular car. It's incredibly fuel-efficient and, if it's similar to the Ford bioethanol Focus we reviewed, will make for a good reliable drive.


7: Renault New Laguna Hatch dCi 110



Price: £17,100

As it emits 130g of CO2 per kilometre the Laguna is just on the borderline of being a greener option, and it's also on the pricey side. But it has some of the best green creds you'll get for a car of this size.

8: Skoda Fabia Estate1.4 TDI PD 80PS

CO2: 109

Price: £13,100

No more funny jokes about Skodas. This one is big and clever -- not to mention as cheap and green as estate cars come.



9: Peugot 207 SW, 1.6 HDi


CO2: 119-123

Price: £13,900

Another big but green option. According to Autoexpress it's a little dear, but it has everything you could want in an estate.


10: SMART Fortwo Cabrio

CO2: 113

Price: £10,500

With their heavier frames for safety and structure, it's surprising any open-top cars made this list. But we can fully recommend this Smart, since it emits so little CO2 and only costs mite over £10K.

You can see more low CO2 cars by class on the Government's Best on CO2 site .

Preview: ECO Motor Company EMC3 Commuter

Preview: ECO Motor Company EMC3 Commuter
February 11, 2009
By Kevin Miller

Newcastle, Washington, is a suburban enclave about 10 miles southeast of Seattle. Best known for its tony golf club and upscale housing developments, Newcastle is also the home of ECO Motor Company. The upstart company is set to launch its three-wheeled EMC3 Commuter to US customers in April, so I headed to their headquarters for a sit-down with David Joner, the company’s CEO to chat about the upcoming commuter car.

The EMC3 starts at $13,995, is estimated to get 60+ MPG, and looks like nothing else on the road in the US; it is a three-wheeled vehicle with two wheels up front and one in the rear. A 54 HP, 1.0 liter, three-cylinder engine drives the front wheels through either a manual or optional automatic transaxle. There is room for two passengers and two sets of golf clubs in the car’s cabin. The cabin is enclosed by a convertible top.

The EMC3 is the end result of what originally started as a summer project - ECO Motor Company’s CEO, David Joner, always liked to spend each summer doing hands-on projects with his children. In the spring of 2005 while on a family vacation, Joner’s son (who would turn eleven that summer) proposed that they build a car that summer. After discussions with Joner’s father Bruno (an engineer), the summer project got started. As the idea for this three-wheeled car gained momentum, the Joners were joined by Pete Brewer, Forrest Page, and several other design engineers from around the country and the world.

As the design progressed and the decision was made to put their car into production, the team at ECO had to decide where to build their car. In order to make the EMC3 affordable, they wanted to use existing technology and to work with a company skilled in the manufacture of vehicles. Looking into costs, the team estimated the EMC3 would cost nearly $27,000 if it was to be built in North America. Searching farther afield, Joner found the perfect partner in Geely, China’s largest privately-held automaker.

The EMC3 is being built in China, largely from production parts used on Geely vehicles. David Joner is fond of saying that ECO Motor Company didn’t aim to reinvent the wheel, but just to take one off. Living up to that philosophy, the EMC3 uses proven, off-the-shelf Geely mechanical components and a Geely-sourced engine. Knowing that American consumers perceive Chinese-made vehicles to be of low quality, ECO Motor Company has hired around fifty employees who work at the Geely plant to ensure that the vehicles are properly assembled with attention to quality.

Because it is has just three wheels, the EMC3 is classified by the US Department of Transportation as a motorcycle. Current licensing regulations in most states require that motorcycle drivers have a motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s licenses. Here in Washington State, operators will need a Sidecar/Trike Endorsement on their driver’s licenses, which can be obtained by completing a training course and passing written and driving exams. There is talk of a bill allowing “autocycle” vehicles such as the EMC3 to be driven without a special endorsement, but such a bill is not yet law. As the vehicle provides head protection for its occupants, wearing a helmet is not required.

Although the EMC3 is classified as a motorcycle, the design team at ECO Motor Company designed the vehicle to automobile safety standards. As such, the vehicle wraps the passengers in what is effectively a roll cage, and it features front airbags, dynamic side impact beams, and reinforced A and B pillars and glazing for a 3,000 lb. rollover rating. Although not required by any federal regulations, ECO Motor Company is having crash testing performed on the EMC3 by the same laboratory used by automakers and the NHTSA.

David Joner predicts a target market of 25-45 year old drivers for the EMC3, which is about 13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide. The EMC3’s base price of $13,995 includes manual transmission, convertible top, power windows and locks, air conditioning, AM/FM/MP3 player, and front airbags. Versions with an automatic transmission start at $14,995. The vehicles are customizable at the dealer, with options including ABS, a turbocharger with intercooler (good for about 80 HP), infotainment system with navigation, and VehSmart (a telematics and driver assistance system similar to OnStar). Just as a yardstick, the base price of EMC3 is right around the price of a base model Smart car, which is also basic transportation, and gets about 40 mpg.

Although warranty terms have not been announced, expect a three year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. Mr. Joner explained that he expects warranty costs to be relatively low because the parts are fairly inexpensive, and the car has been designed for quick replacement of faulty parts. As an example, rather than rebuilding an engine, it would simply be replaced.

One component of CEO David Joner’s previous life is as the manager of a suburban Seattle new car dealership. With that retail auto background, Joner knew what it would take to make owning an Eco Motor Company franchise appealing to potential dealers. The company has signed franchise agreements with hundreds of auto dealerships who will be selling the EMC3 when they begin to arrive stateside in April. Quite a few potential customers have reserved their own EMC3 at the company’s website (http://www.ecomotorcompany.com). With production already started and a capacity to build 5,000 vehicles per month, Joner predicted during our interview that if you reserved your own EMC3 now, you would have it in your driveway in May.

As the EMC3 looks to be safe, efficient, and smartly priced, it will offer commuters a vehicle which is inexpensive both to purchase and to operate.

While its unfamiliar name and pedigree (and its convertible top) may leave some buyers cold, the 60+ MPG two-seat, three-wheeled vehicle will surely prove to be the perfect addition to some families’ garages.

I’m looking forward to the chance to drive a production EMC3 this spring, to report on its handling, economy, and real-world appeal.