Tesla Motors shares soar on day 2 of trading

Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. continued soaring on Wednesday, a day after the electric car maker's blowout public offering.

Investors remain bullish on Tesla. Before its shares began trading on Tuesday, the Palo Alto, Calif., company increased the amount of stock it planned to sell and priced the shares at a higher-than-expected $17 each.

The strong demand helped send the stock soaring 40 percent in its first day of trading -- the second-biggest gain for an IPO this year. The gain was all the more impressive for coming on a day when broader indexes closed down about 3 percent and the Dow Jones industrials fell below 10,000.

Shares of Tesla surged $4.60, or 19.3 percent, to $28.49 in midday trading, having earlier reached $30.42.

Rapid growth seen for wireless charging devices

Nearly 235 million electronics devices with wireless charging capability are projected to ship in 2014, a 65-fold increase from the 3.6 million expected to ship this year, according to a forecast by market research firm iSuppli Corp.

ISuppli (El Segundo, Calif.) predicts that a flood of electronic products with wireless charging capability will hit the market in coming years, giving users a break from the myriad of tangled cords used to repower electronic gadgets like mobile phones, notebook PCs, digital cameras and others.

The firm defines product-specific wireless charging systems as those consisting of a charger as well as a so-called "skin" or receiver sold for specific devices. These product-specific devices contrast with aftermarket solutions, which comprise universal chargers and various skins that can be utilized with multiple consumer electronics, according to iSuppli.

"While a number of serious challenges continue to present barriers to immediate wide adoption, wireless chargers will start shipping in meaningful volume this year and then quickly ramp up as the devices achieve greater market acceptance," said Tina Teng, senior analyst for wireless research at iSuppli, in a statement.

Among the challenges that need to be overcome, Teng stressed that manufacturers need to consider how to integrate wireless charging into the design of printed circuit boards. Significant adoption of wireless charging technology will be needed to drive down costs, she said.

Teng predicted that wireless charging devices would over the next five years find their way into an increasing number of applications, particularly in mobile phones.

Of the four current wireless charging technologies in place today, magnetic inductive is the most widely adopted, according to iSuppli. Based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, in which current generated from the induced magnetic field in the receiver coil is used to charge devices, the technology enjoys wide support from semiconductor vendors, device manufacturers, accessories makers as well as retailers, according to the firm.

The most successful proponent of magnetic induction is Powermat Inc., a Michigan-based company founded in 2009 that also owned 62 percent share of the wireless charging market in 2009, according to iSuppli.

ISuppli also predicts growth for aftermarket wireless charging, with revenue rising at a massive five-year compound annual growth rate of 133.4 percent, according to the firm.

Closer look at the Pikes Peak record smashing EV buggy

Courtesy of Autoblog Green we have found a few more Youtube videos featuring the Sanyo / Yokohama sponsored Electric Sports Buggy Concept HER-02 that smashed the electric vehicle record by over 75 seconds, enjoy.

Honda's new hybrid to be cheapest in Japan

Honda's new hybrid car will cost one fifth less than the cheapest hybrid on the Japanese market, according to a newspaper report, a move that may make hybrids low profit margin models for automakers.

The new car will cost around 1.5 million yen ($16,570), making it the cheapest hybrid in Japan when it goes on sale this autumn, the Nikkei business daily said.

It will cost about 400,000 yen less than the Insight, Honda's other hybrid offering, and about 200,000 yen more than Honda's popular gasoline-powered Fit compact car, it said.

"Lower prices are good for consumers but not for shareholders," said Yoshihiko Tabei, an analyst at Kazaka Securities.

He added that the reported price was lower than the market had expected and could lead to a punishing price war with Toyota as well as put both automakers at a disadvantage when compared with rivals who just focus on higher margin gasoline-powered vehicles.

"Toyota has finally begun enjoying profits on the Prius and Honda is barely making profits on the Insight. It will be tough for them to make profits on hybrids."

A Honda spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

The new hybrid will be based on the Fit and share core components with the Insight, reducing Honda's development costs, the Nikkei said, adding that it will be able to travel 30 kilometres on a litre of gasoline, compared with the Fit's 24 kilometres per litre.

Price competition between Honda and Toyota in the growing hybrid car market has heated up since the debut of the Insight hybrid in February 2009, which was quickly followed by the launch of the cheapest-ever Toyota Prius hybrid.

The relatively low prices of the two latest flagship hybrids, as well as tax incentives for green cars, has helped popularise hybrid cars in Japan.

"With prices in the popular range of 1.5 to 1.6 million yen and with the performance of a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle, hybrids will be increasingly popular even without tax incentives," Tabei said.

Tesla raises $226 million in 1st U.S. carmaker IPO in 54 years

Tesla Motors Inc., the electric car company that hasn't posted a profit, raised $226 million selling shares above its forecast price range in the first initial public offering of a U.S. automaker in a half-century.

The maker of the $109,000 electric Roadster bought by Brad Pitt and George Clooney sold 13.3 million shares at $17 each after offering them for $14 to $16, according to Bloomberg data and a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The California green car maker will use the proceeds to pay for factories and possible acquisitions, the SEC filing showed.

The IPO was the first by an American car company since Ford Motor Co. in 1956. CEO Elon Musk, who has staked his personal fortune to Tesla after making almost $300 million selling PayPal Inc. and Zip2 Corp., is using the offering to fund a startup that expects to lose more money in the next two years as it tries to build a battery-powered sedan.

The sale came after at least 35 companies worldwide postponed or withdrew IPOs since the start of May as the European debt crisis sent the Standard & Poor's 500 Index down as much as 14 percent from its 2010 high.

Tesla will start trading Tuesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker TSLA. New York-based Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase & Co., along with Deutsche Bank AG of Frankfurt, led Tesla's offering.

Obama's backing

Electric-car technology has been supported by U.S. policy makers including President Barack Obama as a way to reduce the nation's oil use and dependence on foreign energy sources. Obama set a goal of getting 1 million plug-in hybrids and electric cars on U.S. roads by 2015 and subsidized Tesla with a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy to develop its cars.

Musk, Tesla's biggest shareholder, co-founded PayPal, the online payment company now owned by EBay Inc., and is CEO of Space Exploration Technologies Inc., a California company that builds spacecraft.

He has spent more than $70 million of his own money on Tesla while selling about 1,000 Roadsters to film stars, musicians and battery-car advocates.

While the automaker has burned through $230.5 million in cash and posted losses in every quarter since it was founded in July 2003, Tesla attracted Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest automaker, which planned to buy $50 million of shares alongside the IPO.

Tesla and Toyota said they may cooperate on electric- vehicle development, though they haven't signed agreements to do so, filings show. Google Inc.'s founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the government of Abu Dhabi and Daimler AG are also investors.

Relative value

Tesla's net loss in the first quarter almost doubled to $29.5 million from a year earlier. The deficit is more than half the $55.7 million the carmaker lost in all of 2009.

At the original midpoint price of $15, Tesla was valued at 5.5 times its net tangible assets, a measure of shareholder equity that excludes assets that can't be sold in liquidation. That's triple the median 1.82 times for automotive companies globally, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Tesla will use the IPO and the federal loan to develop its lithium-ion battery-powered Model S, a $57,400 electric sedan intended to travel 160 miles (257 kilometers) per charge, by 2012. The company plans to produce at least 20,000 units of the Model S each year.

Federal loan, divorce

Under terms of the federal loan, Musk and certain affiliates must retain 65 percent of their stock in Tesla for a year after completing the Model S project. Meanwhile, Musk is in the midst of a highly publicized and litigious divorce proceeding. Those proceedings won't result in the combined stake falling below 65 percent or have a material impact on his ability to serve as CEO, according to filings.

As Tesla focuses on creating a niche for premium-priced electric vehicles, Nissan Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are developing battery-powered vehicles to appeal to mainstream buyers.

Nissan's electric Leaf hatchback, which has a range of 100 miles, goes on sale in the U.S. later this year with a base price of $32,780, or a third that of Tesla's Roadster.

GM plans to introduce the Chevrolet Volt electric car in November. The automaker is preparing for an IPO that may sell 20 percent of the Treasury's stake in the company and reduce the U.S. to a minority owner, two people familiar with the plan said last week.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said the automaker has received more than 20,000 orders for the Leaf globally, and is prepared to build as many as 500,000 electric cars annually by 2012. Japan's third-largest automaker reported revenue of $81.1 billion in its fiscal year ended March 31.

Tesla had revenue of $112 million last year.

Toyota starts UK production of hybrid car

Toyota, the world's largest automaker, launched production of Europe's first full hybrid vehicle on Monday at its car factory in Burnaston, in a boost to Britain's battered auto industry.

The first European-made hybrid version of Toyota's Auris hatchback rolled off the production line under the watchful eye of the government's business minister Vince Cable.

"Toyota's decision to make Burnaston the only plant in the world to build the Hybrid Auris is a strong endorsement of the UK as a manufacturing base for the next generation of cars," said Cable, after touring the Burnaston plant.

"It is sending a signal to manufacturers that if you're not in the UK, then you're missing out on all the strengths and skills that the UK has to offer."

The new Auris Hybrid Synergy Drive car, which uses both a traditional petrol engine and an electric motor, will arrive at British car showrooms on July 1.

The model will be assembled at Burnaston, in Derbyshire, while the engines will be produced in Deeside, northern Wales. They are the first hybrid engines to be made outside of Japan.

Production of the Auris car will help safeguard around 400 jobs at the two factories.
"The UK has proved to be a valuable business partner," said Toyota's Motor Europe president Didier Leroy on Monday.

"Building on almost 20 years of manufacturing experience, Toyota's team members continue to deliver the quality, efficiency and flexibility needed to meet the exacting standards of our customers in Europe.
]
"A new chapter is opening today as Britain, a traditional origin of industrial innovation, becomes home to the manufacture of the first full hybrid vehicle for Europe," Leroy added.

Katsunori Kojima, managing director of Toyota Manufacturing UK, said the group was "proud" to begin British production.

"It is a proud day for Toyota Manufacturing UK as we celebrate the official start of production of the Auris Hybrid Synergy Drive, yet another premium quality model to be built in Britain," Kojima added.

"To manufacture a world-class vehicle you need a world-class team and the commitment and dedication of our members has been crucial."

Pikes Peak EV record smashed by 75 seconds

Japanese driver Ikuo Hanawa at the wheel of a Yokohama sponsored Electric Sports Buggy Concept HER-02 smashed the electric vehicle record by over 75 seconds, climbing silently (save computer-generated warning beeps) to the top of the mountain in 13:17.575 a full one and a half minute improvement on the time set last year of 14:50.754.

Using Sanyo lithium-ion batteries providing power to the 200 kw AC Propulsion powertrain, Hanawa piloted to the end of the 12.4-mile, 156-turn course and the top of the 14,110-foot peak. The Electric Vehicle record stood at 14:33.12, set in 2003 by Jeri Unser in an AC Propulsion powered car sponsored by Compact Power, a subsidiary of LG, the same company contracted to supply batteries to General Motors for the Chevy Volt.

The EV record was originally set by Honda in 1999 at 15:19.91 using a full bodied 1997 Honda EV PLUS Type R. The outright record at Pikes Peak is 10:01.41 set by Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima' in the Unlimited Class.

Riversimple looking for Australian partners

Three founders behind the British Riversimple ‘open-source’ hydrogen fuel-cell electric city car are touring Australia to sound out interest among automotive suppliers and government agencies.

In Melbourne last week as part of their mission to spread the Riversimple message was Riversimple founder and team leader Hugo Spowers, a former motor racing engineer.

Mr Spowers said: “We are seeking international partners to enter joint ventures and pursue the Riversimple model in regions across the world, tailoring the vehicle and the service to local needs and conditions.”

The Riversimple demonstration car is an interesting experimental vehicle said to have been developed for 'just' $A815,000, but the Riversimple business model is pretty ridiculous really.

Drivers are asked to lease the car for a monthly fee of around ₤200 ($A350) and a mileage charge of 15p (A$0.26c), which is around 13x the cost of running a plug-in battery EV from grid power. All fuel costs are included in the fees, with refueling provided by stations set up by Riversimple, of which there are currently none.

When a lease deal expires, the car will be refurbished at the factory and then leased again. Mr Spowers said the leasing idea would be extended to suppliers as well. Thus, Riversimple would lease an electric motor from the supplier, install it in a car and then lease the car.

Aside from the inherent disadvantages of using hydrogen as a fuel, Riversimple want to make buying the car and/or the fuel it runs on from any source other than them simply impossible. Not exactly 'open' source then is it? Sounds more like the Apple Computer closed shop business model.

Read more GoAuto

New Racer 250LM

This model will be the third limited numbered edition coded as RCR G3
and will be produced in just 203 pcs.

250LM - N.A.R.T. - Daytona 24hrs 1970 - Chinetti Jr./ Young

Jensen and Lewis build a McLaren

A funny McLaren video and a commercial worth watching.

Closer look at the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-CELL

As in the Audi E-Tron, power in the SLS AMG E-CELL is routed through four electric motors, one at each wheel. With 526 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque—the latter available from 0 rpm—the SLS E-CELL is in league with some venerable supercars, even though it tips the scales at a considerable 4400 pounds.

Before you mat the throttle, consider the appropriate driving program. In the Comfort setting, the SLS shows its soft side, utilizing just 40 percent of the motors' capability and exhibiting cautious responses to inputs. Switch to Sport, and throttle response gets a bit sharper and 60 percent of the power and torque become available. In Sport Plus, you get a super-aggressive throttle and the entire 526 hp. In Comfort and Sport, applying full throttle still gets you full power in an instant. An additional mode, Manual, acts like Sport Plus but switches off regenerative braking entirely.

If you have so far associated electric cars with ridiculous, humming boxes on wheels, hang on. This car catapults you into another dimension. In the SLS E-CELL, getting from rest to 62 mph takes a four seconds flat; 130 mph, less than twelve. At 50 or 60, triple-digit speeds are mere seconds away, and the charge forward happens in utter silence. "Surreal" is a proper description for the acoustic character of this silent predator.

Autobahn credentials are standard, with a top speed governed at 155 mph. Ungoverned, 165 would be possible. That's shy of the 197 mph reached by the regular SLS, but enough to get you a room in a U.S. county jail. We were impressed by the absence of rattles, noises, and whines up to velocities well over 100 mph. At these speeds, a Tesla Roadster feels like a prototype, but this actual prototype seems ready for customer delivery. Incidentally, Mercedes insists that Tesla—in which it now has a stake of ownership—was in no way involved in the development of the E-CELL.

The SLS E-CELL offers four modes of regenerative braking, in addition to being completely off in the Manual powertrain setting, which leaves you "sailing" with minimal drivetrain drag. Paddles on the steering column allow you to gradually increase the resistance; steps one and two feel like a regular car coasting; step three is a bit more aggressive, and step four decelerates the SLS so strongly that AMG considered switching on the brake lights as soon as you take your foot of the accelerator. Unlike Tesla, AMG decided not to. This mode is perfect for extreme driving, when you are standing on one of the two pedals at all times anyway.



AMG has developed an entirely new front axle—a pushrod-actuated setup—which replaces the regular SLS's unequal-length control-arm design, and the steering is now electro-hydraulic. Like many similar systems, the steering could offer more feel and feedback. While we enjoy the silent, artificial character of the electric motors, we wouldn’t mind a bit more feedback from the chassis. Granted, this is a prototype, and as development progresses, it will benefit from torque vectoring, achieved by running the electric motors at different speeds.

This prototype carries a 48-kWh lithium-ion battery, but AMG hopes to fit the car with a 60-plus kWh battery pack when it becomes available to customers. The current range is about 90 miles, which is likely to grow to over 130 miles. The current claims are perhaps even conservative: After a sharply driven 60 miles, battery capacity was still around 30 percent. With a fast-charging station, it took just an hour to recharge the batteries to almost 100 percent. Extended trips still require planning, but the progress in battery technology is tangible.

If all goes according to plan, you will be able to buy the SLS E-CELL by late 2012 or early 2013—a half year or so after Audi launches the E-Tron. There is no word yet on pricing, but figure on a premium of $50K to $100K over the regular SLS. Just having the money won’t be enough to get you an E-CELL, though, as customers will be hand-picked.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-and-rear-motor, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $250,000
MOTOR TYPE: 4 AC synchronous electric motors; combined power rating, 526 hp, 649 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 1-speed direct drive
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 105.5 in Length: 182.6 in
Width: 76.3 in Height: 49.3 in
Curb weight: 4400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 62 mph: 4.0 sec
Top speed (governor limited): 155 mph

New Slot It Porsche 956KH

Photos of a car that Slot It is going to release in the 4th quarter of this year.

Slot It SICA09D-Porsche 956KH
MSRP $59.99

1st Place Mugello 1983 drivers S.Johansson and B. Wollek

FIA GT1-Paul Richard preview

After Abu Dhabi, Great Britain and the Czech Republic, the FIA GT1 World Championship is heading to France. And more particularly the south of France, and the beautiful, distinctive Paul Ricard HTTT circuit, at Le Castellet. The glorious sight of the magnificient GT1 cars heading round the challenging circuit, encircled by blue and red stripes, should herald the start of the summer, and hopefully the sun will accompany the new World Championship throughout the weekend.

After three rounds, Matech Competition drivers Romain Grosjean and Thomas Mutsch lead the Drivers classifications after their Brno win, while Vitaphone Racing Team lead the Teams, their drivers Bartels and Bertolini being the only ones to have scored points in each race so far. But the Paul Ricard has a reputation as a Corvette circuit, so who will emerge victorious on Sunday ? There will be plenty of French interest, with Stéphane Sarrazin racing for Hexis AMR, Olivier Panis joining Matech Competition, and Christophe Bouchut returning to All Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport.

As well as two exciting one-hour FIA GT1 World Championship races, the Paul Ricard HTTT welcomes the FIA GT3 European Championship, which is moving into the second half of the 2010 season. Two weeks ago in Jarama, victory went to Team Rosberg’s Audi R8 LMS and to the Need for Speed BMW Z4. But the Corvette teams and drivers are leading the points, after a dominant start to the season. Callaway’s Hohenadel and Keilwitz lead by 31 points – but with 25 for a win, nothing is decided yet.

The full timetable will also include two races from the GT4 European Cup, and three from the exciting Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo. The GT4 European Cup has raced in Silverstone and Spa so far this season, setting up a close battle between the Aston Martin GT4 cars of Paul Meijer (Rhesus Racing) and Michael Mallock (RJN Motorsport), who have shared this season’s wins. As for the roar of the powerful Lamborghini cars, Peter Kox leads the points. The Dutch driver will have a busy weekend, as he also competes for Reiter in the FIA GT1 World Championship.

The weekend is more than just racing, with plenty of off-track entertainment for spectators, autograph sessions, grand prix simulators, flights over the track in a helicopter and plenty of beautiful GT cars on display, as well as a play area for children. Let the sun shine on !


Photos and news used with permission from the FIA GT1 World Championship.

New Carrera websites

There are a few new websites for Carrera. The updated URL for the Carrera of America page is linked here.

Also as I've noted on a number of sites I've started a Facebook page for Carrera of America as well, if you're a member of Facebook why not join the page. Also there will be a newsletter started for CoA as well. When I have a link to sign up I'll post that as well here on SCNews.

New Sloting Plus parts

Motor
SLPL 2202 motor Speed 2 21.000 rpm + pinion Z11
Wheels
SLPL 40116908 Universal wheel 16.9 x 8.5 mm. front and rear
Inserts
SLPL 090110 inserts + brake disc
Axles
SLPL 2252 rear and SLPL 2255 front
Spacer
SLPL 9142 spacer inox. 0.6 mm.
Crown gear
SLPL 8032 Crown gear Z32
Bearing
SLPL 1015 bearing special RYD
Cable
SLPL 2101 cable silicone 1.2 mm. diameter
Braids

SLPL 2005 Braids cutted 3 cm
Guide
SLPL 2130 guide standard with screw
Rear wing
SLPL 090105 rear wing 2 KQ


Measures and weights
Complete car weight 84 g
Decorated body weight 15 g
Rear wing weight 1 g

Test Ride of the Brammo Electric Motorcycle (w/video)

The girls over at Earth2Tech.com have started a weekly TV series having a close up look at Green vehicles.

This week Katie Fehrenbacher gets the full run down and goes for a spin on the Brammo’s Enertia electric motorcycle.

Not too sure about the thumbs up at the end but she says it "super fun to ride".

Europe must lead in EV technology, GM's Reilly says

Europe must gain the technological lead in electric mobility or Asian rivals will "take the market," General Motors Europe President Nick Reilly said.

The speed in which Asia is moving up on battery and other technology is "amazing," Reilly, a former head of General Motors Co.'s international operations in Shanghai, said.

"We must not miss that boat and allow Asian manufacturers to enjoy our market opportunities," said Reilly, who is also CEO of Opel/Vauxhall.

He said most international studies project the eventual disappearance of combustion engines and their replacement by electric motors. Some forecasts expect the electric car to be a mass product within 10 years.

"During my years spent in Korea and China, I've come to admire the intellectual curiosity, the studiousness and the dedication of Asians," Reilly said. "China invests billions in the development of electric cars, battery technology and other alternative energy, leading to significant technology advancements and a rapid decrease in unit costs."

Reilly said European legislators could help the region's automakers by harmonizing green taxation and incentives and ending multiple technical specifications and requirements in the 27 EU member states.

"Europe will also need unprecedented technological breakthroughs and major investments. It will be even more important to balance out environmental, social and competitiveness objectives," he said.

"There is a massive shift of economic power to the East, and Europe must not be complacent. This means that we need to accept that more flexibility and hard work is required and that we need to be on the forefront of relevant education and r&d innovation," he said.

Shortage of engineers

Reilly said Opel is recruiting 250 new engineers for its technical development center in Ruesselsheim, Germany, but it was not that easy to find enough qualified engineers. "This shortage is a concern for many companies. We need to encourage the young to pursue their education in the fields of engineering and the sciences. For that they need viable and interesting job prospects," he said.

Opel plans to pump 1 billion euros from its five-year 11-billion euro investment plan into innovative and fuel-efficient powertrain technology.

"The introduction of a range of what you could call 'green' products is an integral part of our turnaround strategy," Reilly said.

Opel's “e-mobility-unlimited” strategy encompasses small battery electric cars for people who drive short distances in cities, extended-range electric vehicles for people who need a car to cover both long and short distances and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

"By 2012, 80 percent of our carlines will be three years old or less. In 2010 alone, this includes seven major launches and in 2011 we plan another five launches, most notably the extended-range electric vehicle Ampera, an industry-first in Europe," Reilly said.

Porsche Panamera has brake energy recuperation system

The eight-cylinder Panamera models are entering the next model year as of August 2010 with an even higher standard of all-round efficiency and new options. Particularly the new brake energy recuperation system featured as standard, together with optional 19-inch all-season tyres offering reduced roll resistance, give the Panamera Turbo a further improvement of fuel consumption by 0.9 litres/100 km.

As a result, the 500-horsepower top model now consumes just 11.3 litres instead of formerly 12.2 litres/100 km in the New European Driving Cycle, equal to 25.0 mpg imp (formerly 23.2 mpg imp) and a reduction of CO2 emissions by 21 grams per kilometre. The Panamera S and Panamera 4S now making do with just 10.3 ltr/100 km and, respectively, 10.6 ltr/100 km (equal to 27.4 and, respectively, 26.7 mpg imp in the NEDC), are likewise up to half a litre more efficient per 100 kilometres (equal to minus 11 grams CO2/km).

This increase in efficiency results primarily from brake energy recuperation, with the battery being charged primarily during application of the brakes and, respectively, in overrun. When accelerating, on the other hand, the field current in the alternator is reduced, minimising the load acting on the combustion engine since it is now required to deliver even less energy for charging the battery, instead making this energy available for even faster acceleration.

In conjunction with further improvements, this battery charging strategy on the Panamera Turbo saves no less than 0.7 litres on 100 kilometres, while newly developed, optional all-season tyres measuring 19 inches in diameter likewise serve to reduce fuel consumption by another 0.2 ltr/100 km on each model in the Panamera range. Together with the enhanced tread of the tyres, a special rubber compound serves to reduce roll resistance while at the same time increasing the mileage covered by the tyres. The Auto Start Stop function has also been optimised, now allowing the driver to set off again even faster and more comfortably after coming to a halt.

Fully Charged Episode 1 - Honda FCX Clarity (w/Video)

If you haven't subscribed to Robert Llewellyn's Fullycharged You tube channel then you may not be aware the first of his weekly episodes has now been uploaded. He's managed to get a drive in a Hydrogen powered Honda FCX Clarity.

The good news is Llewellyn, unlike the kretins at Top Gear, has the common sense to realize that a $2 Million proto-type is not exactly ready for prime time, and to be honest may never be. He also points out that charging his MiEV costs 1/10th the price of filling with Hydrogen.

The only point I'd make about Llewellyn's comments is those concerning the efficiency of Fuel Cells (FC) versus Internal Combustion Engines (ICE). Where an ICE fueled by petrol is approx 30% energy efficient and running on diesel is approx 40%, an FC isn't much better.

The Honda Vertical Flow hydrogen fuel cell stack runs an Aromatic electrolytic membrane but tellingly Honda do not publicly quote an energy efficiency figure for the device. The efficiency of a fuel cell is dependent on the amount of power drawn from it but they range in efficiency from 20-50% depending on the type of Electrolyte used, which is approx the same energy efficiency range as an ICE.

So aside from the fact that hydrogen is an energy carrier and there is a total lack of hydrogen infrastructure, compared to the electrical grid which reaches every building on the planet, a Fuel Cell car is simply an extended range EV that because it carries such a small battery pack that can't be plugged in, is over-all less energy efficient than an ICE based extended range EV such as the GM Volt.

Toshiba to build electric vehicle motors

Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday that it will begin building motors for electric and hybrid vehicles at its plants in Texas.

The Japanese conglomerate made the announcement after Ford Motor Co. awarded it a contract to make drive motors for Ford hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Toshiba plans to expand its Houston plant in January 2011 to handle the new manufacturing, with the first production of motors expected in 2012. It will be the company's first overseas manufacturing base for automotive propulsion motors.

The company said it hopes to capitalize on what it believes will be a major expansion in the global market for electric vehicles over the next decade.

Toyota test driver dies in accident in LFA on Autobahn

Numerous reports have mentioned that Toyota’s chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse, died in a head-on collision on Wednesday in Germany. Video shows the accident scene reportedly near Toyota's shop near the Nurburgring.

Video is in German but you get the gist of it.

Special edition Racer Ford P68

A special edition Racer Ford P68 has been made by Racer for Great Traditions in Philadelphia for the Racer Resin National Final race for 2010. There were 50 total cars made, 25 of each of the 2 sets of names on the cars. They're sure to be highly collectible because of the small production run.

Check out the drivers names... it was sure a surprise to see my name on one of these cars!

EU sees solar power imported from Sahara in 5 yrs

Europe will import its first solar-generated electricity from North Africa within the next five years, European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said in an interview on Sunday.

The European Union is backing projects to turn the plentiful sunlight in the Sahara desert into electricity for power-hungry Europe, a scheme it hopes will help meet its target of deriving 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources in 2020.

"I think some models starting in the next 5 years will bring some hundreds of megawatts to the European market," Oettinger told Reuters after a meeting with energy ministers from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

He said those initial volumes would come from small pilot projects, but the amount of electricity would go up into the thousands of megawatts as projects including the 400 billion euro Desertec solar scheme come on stream.

"Desertec as a whole is a vision for the next 20 to 40 years with investment of hundreds of billions of euros," said Oettinger. "To integrate a bigger percentage of renewables, solar and wind, needs time."

The EU is backing the construction of new electricity cables, known as inter-connectors, under the Mediterranean Sea to carry this renewable energy from North Africa to Europe.

Some environmental groups have warned these cables could be used instead to import non-renewable electricity from coal- and gas-fired power stations in north Africa.

"This is a good question but not a question to destroy our project," Oettinger said. "This question must be answered by a good answer and so we need ways to ensure that our import of electricity is from renewables."

He said he believed it was technologically possible to monitor electricity imports to the EU and establish if they come from renewable sources or fossil fuels. "This question must be solved in the next years," he said.

SOLAR SUBSIDIES

The Desertec consortium includes major firms such as Siemens, RWE and Deutsche Bank. They are expected to seek public money for the project.

Oettinger said the EU's assistance was likely to include help coordinating stakeholders, updating regulations to allow the imported electricity to move across European borders, and financing feasibility studies.

On the prospect of EU subsidies, or the European Commission permitting state aid to firms involved in the project, he said that would become clear once the consortium has presented a detailed business plan.

Oettinger said all three energy ministers at the meeting in the Algerian capital sent a signal they were willing to build the infrastructure and common market rules needed to allow a trade in renewable electricity with Europe.

He countered concerns expressed in the past by some officials in Algeria that the project could involve Europeans exploiting north Africa's natural resources.

"Renewables are a two-way partnership because electricity produced here is for the home market of north African countries," he said.

"Maybe a bigger percentage of the electricity will be exported to Europe but at the same time we have to export the technology, tools, machines, experts, and so it's a real partnership, not only a partnership by selling and by buying."

Reuters

Cosworth preparing for KERS return

Cosworth is pushing ahead with revisions to ensure its engines are KERS-ready for 2011 as it ramps up efforts following its return to Formula 1 this year.

The Northampton-based company is supplying the three new teams plus Williams this season, and has exceeded all the performance targets - including power figures and fuel consumption - that it promised to make prior to its comeback.

With Cosworth keen to ensure a long-term future in F1, the company has been doing all it can to continue making improvements to its engine – and that now includes getting KERS-ready for next season.

"Our plans for 2011 are flat out," Cosworth's head of F1 operations Mark Gallagher said. "We want to make sure that we are well prepared for the return of KERS.

"Getting that done is a great deal more complicated than just letting the teams simply attach the systems. We need to reconfigure the engine, plus change the ancillaries – but that is what we are ready to do to ensure our teams can run KERS if they wish."

Williams has already confirmed that it will be running KERS next season, while Virgin Racing, HRT and Lotus Racing are all undecided yet – although costs will be the determining factor.

Although there has been speculation in recent weeks that Williams has been considering a switch to Renault, Gallagher said his company was expecting to remain with the Grove-based outfit.

"We have a three-year agreement, and there has been no evidence that that is going to change," said Gallagher.

It is understood that Cosworth has been in talks with a number of potential new teams about increasing its supply for 2011 – with the company having no problems with its capacity after originally also agreeing a deal with US F1 for this season before the team folded.

Close up look at the Capstone CMT-380 microturbine car (w/Video)

We've found a web video that has a close up look at the Capstone CMT-380 microturbine car. Sporting an AC Propulsion power train and a Capstone C30 micro gas turbine that feeds a 25 kWh Li-ion battery back, it's certainly unique amongst even EV supercars. Check out this week’s episode of Green Overdrive from Earth2Tech

EADS unveils four-engine electric aerobatic plane

EADS Innovation Works is casting its net wide in the search for solutions to aviation's environmental challenges. At the Green Aviation Show under way (June 18-22) in Le Bourget, Paris, EADS's research arm is presenting the first four-engined, all-electric aerobatic aircraft, based on the tiny Cri-Cri homebuilt.

Partnered by Aero Composites Saintonge and the Greencri-cri Association, EADS Innovation Works has presented Cri-Cri, the first-ever four-engined all-electric aerobatic plane, at the Green Aviation Show in Le Bourget from 18 to 22 June.

This aerobatic plane incorporates numerous innovative technologies such as lightweight composite structures that reduce the weight of the airframe and compensate for the additional weight of the batteries, four brushless electric motors with counter-rotating propellers which deliver propulsion without CO2 emissions and significantly lower noise compared to thermal propulsion, and high energy-density Lithium batteries.

The combined utilisation of these environment-friendly technical innovations enables the Cri-Cri to deliver novel performance values: 30 minutes of autonomous cruise flight at 110 km/h, 15 minutes of autonomous aerobatics at speeds reaching up to 250 km/h, and a climb rate of approximately 5.3 m/sec.

Set to undergo its first flight tests in the next few days, this four-engine electric plane paves the way for a new generation of environment-friendly high-performance aircraft.

The Bridgestone Eco-Rally 2010

The Bridgestone Eco Rally is a convoy of alternative-fuelled vehicles (cars, bikes, scooters, taxis and limousines) taking place on Wed 7th July 2010. It will start from Brighton’s seafront all the way to London’s Hyde Park.

This is the 4th year of the event and the convoy will be lead by F1’s Ross Brawn. Other celebrities confirmed so far include Eddie Irvine, Oliver Heath, Quentin Willson, Gail Porter, Lisa Rogers and F1's Patrick Head and Nico Hulkenberg.

Major manufacturers taking part in this year's event include Lotus, Tesla, TH!NK, MINI and Honda, who will be showcasing their new CR-Z said to be the the world’s first sporty hybrid.

Go to the Bridgestone Eco-Rally for more information.

Leaked: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell (w/Video)

Images of Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell have been leaked ahead of its official unveiling. The photos show the car wearing ‘AMG lumilectric magno’ paint work giving it a distinct look, quite apart from the colours that the rest of the SLS AMG was originally shown in. Mercedes have promised that this will be the worlds first all-electric supercar when it goes on sale in 2013.

The SLS AMG E-Cell will be powered by four electric motors situated at each wheel. Power will be equivalent to 519 instantaneous horsepower and 649 lb-ft of torque allowing the E-Cell to glide effortlessly to 62mph (100kph) in just under 4 seconds. The lithium polymer batteries will be located behind the cockpit and down the center tunnel.

Other modifications to design include a new rear diffuser to produce more downforce, a multi-link front suspension with push-rod dampers is also now necessary at the front due to the extra space taken up by the front electric motors.
Enjoy the pictures and the videos, we’ll let you know when something official is released!