Ohio gov signs on to natural gas vehicles push

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich has told governors in Oklahoma and Colorado that his state wants to join their initiative to increase the use of natural gas vehicles in state automobile fleets.
Kasich sent a letter this week affirming the state's interest in the governors' effort, which is aimed at making the vehicles more affordable for the average car buyer.
Besides Oklahoma and Colorado, the governors of Kentucky, Maine, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming have signed a memorandum committing their states to the initiative.
Kasich says his signature can be added to the effort, along with the state's seal.
The memorandum promises to invest in natural gas vehicles when replacing older cars and trucks that burn traditional fuels.
Ohio has more than 12,000 vehicles in its fleet.

Excise, customs duties on large, foreign-made vehicledes hik

Sedan and foreign-made luxury cars will cost more from April 1, 2012 as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday proposed to raise excise and customs duties on large cars as well as imported luxury vehicles.

"I propose to enhance the duty from 22 percent to 24 percent (large cars)," Mukherjee said, presenting the union budget 2012-13 in the Lok Sabha.

The increase in excise duty will affect the price of petrol-powered vehicles with engine capacity of under 1,200 cc and diesel cars with engine capacity under 1,500 cc whose length exceeds four metres.

"In the case of cars that attract a mixed rate of duty of 22 percent plus Rs.15,000 per vehicle, I propose to increase the duty and switch over to an ad valorem (according to value) rate of 27 percent."

Currently, large cars attract excise duty depending on their engine capacity and length.

For import of completely built units (CBU) of large cars, multi and sports utility vehicles with cost exceeding $40,000 (Rs.2,000,000), per car custom duty will increase to 75 percent from 60 percent.

Mukherjee, however, provided excise duty relief for electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturers.

Excise duty on replacement batteries for supply to electric vehicle manufacturers registered with IREDA (Indian renewable energy development agency) or state nodal agency which is notified for the purpose by the new and renewable energy ministry for central finance assistance has been proposed to reduce from 10 percent to six percent.

The excise duty on specified parts of hybrid vehicle has also been reduced from 10 percent to six percent.

Reacting to the proposed excise hike, automobile major Tata Motors said it has decided to increase prices of its commercial and passenger vehicles with immediate effect.

The company said the increase will be proportional to the increase in the excise duty proposed in the budget.

Other auto companies like Maruti Suzuki are said to be also contemplating a price hike.

Meanwhile, Lowell Paddock, president and managing director of General Motors India, expressed disappointment for the sector.

"As far as the automotive industry is concerned, it did not meet the expectations. The industry did not expect any increase in excise duty on passenger cars," Paddock said.

"The industry expected the government to announce some measures to fuel demand of vehicles which have also not happened."

HISTORY OF AUTOMOBILE LARGE STATE

HISTORY OF AUTOMOBILE LARGE STATE

The name of A.L.S is the future project of one man Mahtab Ahmed Panhwar. Mahtab was decite whay not we will make our automobile company because Mahtab is love cars andautomobile and his dreem is i make a automobile company. but his age is 16 year old. Frist Mahtab was decite company name
A.L.S = "AUTOMOBILE LARGE STATE" . This company is not launched but Mahtab is only decite his name not make it but he want to make his company A.L.S . Mahtab will make it when he become a mechanical engineer. Mahtab is see a dreem of A.L.S in this company Insha'Allah mahtab will make high power engine but this engine will work in less fule and save our country fule and his speed is very high. So Mahtab want to be a mechanical engineerand launched the AUTOMOBILELARGESTATE.................................................................................................................
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New CX-5 to Fully Implement Mazda’s SKYACTIV Technology

Mazda’s first full implementation of its next-generation SKYACTIV suite of technologies will appear in the automaker’s all-new Mazda CX-5 compact SUV crossover, a production model that’s evolved from the MINAGI concept car first shown at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. The CX-5 is the first of the company’s production models to adopt Mazda’s new 'KODO - Soul of Motion' design theme.

Designed to provide Mazda’s signature fun-to-drive experience, the CX-5 promises precise response, a high-quality ride, and outstanding environmental and safety performance.

SKYACTIV technologies improve the environmental performance of every part of a vehicle including body, chassis, transmissions, and a range of powerplants through improved efficiencies, lightweighting, and other innovations.

The Euro-spec CX-5 shown here uses Mazda's SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine, with standard and high-performance 2.2-liter SKYACTIV-D 2.2 diesel engines available. The latter engine is designed to provide exceptional environmental performance for a compact SUV with the 2.2-liter diesel engine said to deliver CO2 emissions of less than 120g/km.

SoCal Gas Field Testing Natural Gas ‘Fueling Station in a Box’

he move toward ever-larger numbers of natural gas vehicles requires a variety of fueling solutions.

Clean Energy has been busy providing fueling stations for fleet and public use, plus building a ‘Natural Gas Highway’ along major highway corridors. Many Honda Civic Natural Gas owners have compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling appliances in their garage.

Now Southern California Gas Co. has launched a field demonstration of the Galileo Microbox, what’s described as a streamlined compressed natural gas ‘fueling station in a box’.

According to SoCal Gas, modular fueling station technologies like this contain all the primary components for a refueling facility in a single, factory integrated enclosure the size of a small shipping container. That, in turn, offers the potential for lower construction and maintenance costs, minimal installation time, and a smaller physical footprint.

The Microbox is being used for the first time in the U.S. at the SoCal Gas Riverside, California customer service base, providing customers CNG at about $2 per gasoline gallon equivalent.

Maxximus LNG 2000 Combines Style, Power, and Natural Gas

Liquid natural gas (LNG) is normally considered a fuel for heavy-duty trucks, not a million dollar supercar. Yet, this is the very ’green‘ fuel that powers the street legal Maxximus LNG 2000 and coming Prodigy LNG, both developed by businessman and philanthropist Bruce McMahan and high-performance engine builder Marlon Kirby.

Previously, they built the Maxximus G-Force, claimed to be the world's fastest street-legal supercar with three records: 0 to 60 mph in 2.0 seconds, 0 to 150 mph in 9.3 seconds, and the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds at 157 mph. The records were set at the Rockingham, North Carolina Raceway and were certified by the World Record Academy.

Now this team says it expects to break those records with the Maxximus LNG 2000, which was unveiled at the World Oilman’s Poker Tournament at the Wynn in Las Vegas. This new effort by Centaur Maxximus Motion uses a 430 cubic-inch, twin turbo all-aluminum V-8 engine producing over 1600 horsepower while running on LNG. With appropriate adjustments, the engine can also use compressed natural gas or liquid petroleum gas (propane).

In addition to the Maxximus LNG 2000, the company’s planned Prodigy LNG supercar engine will feature a billet block and cylinder heads with four valves-per-cylinder and LNG direct injection. Digital valve technology is said to eliminate the need for camshafts, pushrods, rockers, and lifters, resulting in reduced parasitic friction losses. All this adds up to 2000 horsepower, says the company. Other advanced technologies include a six-speed paddle gear shift box, hybrid all wheel drive with in-line torque sensing technology, carbon ceramic brakes, and ceramic wheel bearings.

The Prodigy LNG's all-carbon-fiber body will ride on a hybrid carbon-fiber and chromalloy tubbed chassis. Ride height adjustable suspension with comfort control is part of the package along with an integrated computer-controlled front wing. Its full custom interior is planned to feature inlay carbon-fiber and burled wood. And the projected price? A cool million.

Audi A2 Concept Features Small Stature, Electric Power

Like many automobile manufacturers, Audi plans to compete in the electric car market. It recently unveiled its Audi A2 Concept, a pure electric vehicle. The Audi A2 is a five-door, four-passenger city car with small external dimensions It has an overall length of just over 149 inches, about 25 inches shorter than the Nissan Leaf. The Audi A2 Concept can accommodate a special city bicycle between the seats and in the rear cargo compartment.

Audi’s A2 Concept uses a lithium-ion battery pack that stores 31 kilowatt hours of energy, of which 24 kilowatt-hours is usable. Typically, about 80 percent of an EV's battery capacity is available for propelling the vehicle. Lithium-ion batteries packs prefer a partial cycle rather than a deep discharge, since deep discharging can reduce battery life. They don't have the ‘memory effect’ found in some other battery chemistries.

The battery powers an electric motor rated at 116 horsepower of peak power and 199 lb-ft torque. This gives the lightweight, 2535 pound EV a governed top speed of 93 mph with 0 to 62 mph acceleration of 9.3 seconds. The lithium-ion battery pack is located in the sandwich floor and the electric motor is transversely mounted in the front of the vehicle, driving the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. The A2 Concept features electric steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems.

A driving range of 124 miles is achieved under the European driving cycle. It takes roughly 1 1/2 hours to fully recharge the battery using 400 volt, three-phase European current and about four hours when using 230 volt household current. It is also designed for Audi Wireless Charging. Here, a driver pulls the car over a parking spot that contains a primary coil. Electrical energy is automatically transferred inductively to a secondary coil in the EV, which in turn transfers power to the battery pack. Audi says contactless Audi Wireless Charging takes about the same amount of time as other charging technologies.

The car's relatively light weight is achieved through the use of Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology combined with hybrid multi-material construction. Here, very different materials are combined to achieve ultra light weight. For example, the superstructure is made largely of aluminum components and complemented with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) components. The 18-inch wheels are fabricated using cladding technology, in which the alloy base wheel and cladding are manufactured separately and bonded together, to greatly reducing the amount of material used. In the Audi A2, this saves about 4.4 lb per wheel.

The Audi A2 Concept car features an opaque glass roof finished in flat Electric White that becomes transparent at the push of a button. When an electric voltage is applied, small particles integrated into the glass align so the light can pass through the glazing unhindered. When the glass roof is darkened it blocks infrared sunlight almost completely. This helps temperature management of the interior, important in battery electric vehicles.

bmw f10

bmw zx

More Mobile Charging Services Planned for Stranded Electrics

The million EVs promised by President Obama by 2015 would have a greater impact on our infrastructure than the huge number of charging stations and sufficient electricity needed to keep batteries charged, if such a hopeful number of EVs actually appeared on our roads by then. Mobile chargers would also be needed to assist stranded EVs with dead batteries.

AAA will be deploying its EV Assistance Trucks in Portland and Seattle in Washington; the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles in California; Knoxville in Tennessee; and Tampa/St. Petersburg in Florida to coincide with Nissan Leafs and other EVs hitting the streets. Other companies plan to offer mobile charging systems not exclusively dedicated to charging and towing EVs. They are less expensive and can be mounted in a small trailer or in a tow truck. These can provide sufficient charge in 15 to 30 minutes to enable a stranded EV to reach a nearby charging station.

Cross Country Automotive Services' EV Mobile Charger is mounted in a small trailer or in the tow truck itself. A two-stroke engine, running on clean burning propane, powers a generator to provide the charge. Club Assist's trailer mounted mobile unit uses a lithium-ion battery to do the charging.

While Nation-E has installed its mobile charging system in what it calls the Angel Car, the technology could be installed in about any larger vehicle. The system uses a large battery pack and a high voltage charger. Nation-E will offer the Angel Car as a completely installed package or as a separate system that can be dropped into a new or existing vehicle.

Realistically, it could a long time before there are enough stranded EVs to warrant large investments in mobile charging systems, even small ones. Until there are tens of thousands of EVs on the road these charging service vehicles probably would see seldom use. Most EVs drivers will never experience getting stuck on the side of a road with a dead battery. Even if there are a relatively large number of EVs, they will be dispersed over large areas like Los Angeles or Phoenix. If there are only a few EV rescue units in a region, it could be hours before they could reach a stranded motorist, especially in rush hour traffic. Finally, they are not needed for extended range electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt or other plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which have gasoline engines to provide power should the battery become fully discharged.

Check-is-in-the-Mail Approach to Vehicle Standards is Wrong

Imagining new vehicles in 2025 should be exciting: Electric vehicles with long ranges, high-mileage hybrids as the norm, and the idea of buying gas guzzlers is a dim memory.

Setting strong fuel economy standards for new cars through 2025 gives the long-term certainty the auto industry needs to drive technology and innovation, while delivering the vehicles that will help reduce demand for oil and cut carbon pollution. Strong standards will cut carbon pollution by six percent per year every year starting in 2017 to deliver the most benefits to consumers and the nation.

But if the auto industry has its way, the cars of 2025 will still have a hefty oil appetite.

Why? The auto industry favors a ‘check is in the mail’ approach to standards. Their plan would be to make small improvements in the early years of the program with the promise to do more later. Add to this other ‘flexibility’ – such as credits for improving AC systems; ignoring emissions from charging electric vehicles; and credit banking, borrowing and trading – and the auto industry will have its weak program.

Strong standards shift billions of dollars from oil. According to a study by CERES, a Boston-based green business group, we can save $152 billion at the pump in 2030 with a strong 60 mpg standard – pumping more than $150 billion into other places in our economy. Of these dollars, $59 billion go to the auto industry through purchases of cleaner cars and $93 billion for the rest of the economy. We could see a net gain of 700,000 full time jobs with 60,000 of those in the auto industry.

The strength and integrity of these standards will determine oil savings, job creation, consumer savings, and whether President Obama meets his goals of cutting oil imports by a third or having a million EVs on the road.

We should not compromise or accept a promise of a check in the mail. Only a strong standard that leaves the loopholes on the roadside can deliver.

Opel Teases With Early Details on its Battery Electric ‘One Euro Car’

GM’s European Opel brand aims to shake things up at the 64th Frankfurt International Motor Show with a battery electric concept it dubs the ‘One Euro Car.’ It’s so-named because of the claimed ability to travel 100 kilometers (62 miles) for the cost of a single Euro, the equivalent of about $1.38. That’s pretty cheap driving to be sure.

The brand’s motivation is said to be inspired by its success with the Ampera extended range electric vehicle, the Opel variant of the Chevy Volt. The revolutionary One Euro Car concept is quite unlike the Ampera, though, with its tandem driver/passenger placement and exclusive battery powered propulsion.

Opel’s goal was to develop a new class of lightweight electric vehicle to promote zero-emission urban motoring. It has certainly accomplished this with its new two-seat concept.

The One Euro Car would use 10 times less energy than a typical small car and weigh in about a third less. It would also offer full functionality and a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). The automaker envisions a low-speed variant limited to 28 mph, or 45 km/h, which could be driven by drivers as young as 16 years old.

Volvo Concepts Show Three Approaches to Extended Range Electric Vehicles

Extended Range Electrical Vehicles (EREVs) offer most of the advantages of battery electric vehicles. EREVs also eliminate one of their biggest disadvantages – ‘range anxiety,’ or the fear of being stranded if batteries are completely discharged with nowhere to recharge, Following in the footsteps of the Chevy Volt, the first EREV on the market, other automakers are developing EREVs as well. This includes Volvo, which has shown three different EREV concepts. All three use a small three-cylinder flex fuel engine that can operate on gasoline and E85 ethanol. Testing of these concepts will begin in the first quarter of 2012.

Technical Concept I is series-hybrid with range extension much like the Chevy Volt. The gasoline engine is located beneath the rear compartment floor in a C30 Electric coupe, which is now in limited volume production. The 60 horsepower engine drives a 40 kilowatt generator that either supplies the 114 horsepower (82 kilowatt) peak electric motor driving the front wheels or charges the battery pack. The latter increases all-electric range beyond the 68 mile range provided by the battery pack without recharging. With a 10.5 gallon fuel tank, range extension gives this version an additional 621 miles, for a total 688 mile driving range.

Technical Concept II features a parallel hybrid configuration using the C30 Electric. A more powerful 190 horsepower, turbocharged three-cylinder engine primarily drives the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission for long distance highway travel. The engine and transmission are positioned at the rear. The 114 horsepower electric motor drives the front wheels to provide four-wheel-drive. The two propulsion sources provide over 300 horsepower, sufficient to accelerate the car to 100 62 mph in seconds. The 40 kilowatt generator keeps the battery charged to give the car increased range beyond the 47 miles provided by the battery pack alone, up to as much as 728 miles.

Technical Concept III uses the larger V60 Sportwagen so the entire drive package fits under the hood. The battery pack is located beneath the rear floor. This parallel hybrid is similar to Technical Concept II in that it uses the 111 horsepower electric motor supplemented by the 190 horsepower, supercharged three-cylinder turbo engine. Power from both the motor and engine drive the front wheels via a two-speed automatic transmission. This version can travel up to 31 miles at up to 31 mph on battery power alone. The combustion engine starts at higher speeds and charges the battery pack when its charge drops below a predetermined level. The Concept III has a total range by more than 621 miles.

5 Facts About Chrysler Electric Vehicles

In the 1990s, Chrysler was right alongside domestic automakers Ford and GM with electric drive research and development. Chrysler was test marketing an electric minivan, proving out fast-charge technology for electric cars, and as seriously involved in this field as any company. The merger with Daimler (DaimlerChrysler) seriously slowed, if not stopped, full function electric drive development efforts in the Chrysler camp as emphasis was placed elsewhere.

1. Chrysler Was First
While plenty of others are discussed as leaders in the electric drive field, it was Chrysler that introduced the very first modern electric vehicle to market in the U.S. – the Chrysler TEVan in 1992. These were built in extremely limited numbers and aimed at fleets wishing early involvement with electric vehicles. Why fleets? Because of extremely high battery and component costs plus low volume production, the vehicle’s price was in the range of $100,000 each … so nobody else could afford them.

2. EPIC Concept Electric Vehicle
Chrysler developed a smooth-looking electric concept van in 1992 called the Electric Power Inter-Urban Commuter, or EPIC for short. Strange acronyms like that seemed to be almost normal then (as evidenced by the circa-1990s Subaru BRAT – Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter). The EPIC concept was energized by nickel-iron batteries, although that changed to advanced lead-acid batteries in the limited production version of the EPIC that was marketed to fleets five years later.

3. ‘Destiny’ Program’s Four-Door Electric
Modifying existing platforms to accept electric drive was not the exclusive approach at Chrysler, Early on, the automaker strived to create a viable four-door mid-size electric vehicle through its ‘Destiny’ program. The vehicle in development made use of lightweight materials and an AC induction motor. Ultimately, it was determined that this would not prove to be a viable option and other approaches were followed.

4. GEM Neighborhood Electric Vehicle
Chrysler has sold more than 35,000 low-speed GEM neighborhood electric vehicles worldwide since the mid-1990s with more than 200 million zero-emission miles driven by customers. The GEM is suited for certain types of uses and is not a full-function vehicle. As a neighborhood electric vehicle, by law it is governed to a top speed of 25 mph and is allowed on streets with posted limits of 35 mph or less.

5. Renewed Electric Car Efforts
No longer part of DaimlerChrysler, efforts to develop and market electric cars have returned at Chrysler. The most high-profile example of this was the recent debut of three electric drive vehicle concepts – an all-electric Dodge sports car and range-extended electric versions of the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler Town & Country minivan. The concepts use lithium-ion batteries. While no information is provided about sourcing of these vehicles’ high-tech components, photos have shown the use of UQM Technologies electric drive in the Dodge sports car concept. Chrysler does say that its efforts will move beyond the concept stage and the company will market one of these three vehicles beginning in 2010.

Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid Offers Economy and Performance, Too

Enthusiasts worry that without combustion engines, cars will not be as much fun to drive. The Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid Concept, based on the same versatile platform as the conventional Evora model, was developed to demonstrate that electric and hybrid sports cars can have the feel, driving dynamics, feedback, and even the sounds of a high-performance sports car.

There are reasons for the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid Concept’s unusual name and copper color scheme. The name comes from the 414 PS – ‘PS’ forPferdestärke, horsepower in German – power rating. Copper, a color associated with electrical systems, was chosen for the car’s interior and exterior.

Two electric motors independently drive each rear wheel via a single-speed transmission integrated into a common housing. Each motor provides 204 horsepower (207 PS) and 295 pound-feet of torque to each wheel. Well suited to electric and series hybrid vehicles, varying torque at each driving wheel allows torque vectoring for enhanced performance. Besides enhancing low speed maneuverability and parking ease, torque steering improves high-speed, straight-line travel. With lateral sensors, it offers stability control and steering response normally available only from heavy and expensive rear steer systems that automatically correct both understeer and oversteer.

A 17 kilowatt-hour lithium polymer battery pack is located in the vehicle’s center for battery-only driving range of up to 35 miles. For longer trips, a Lotus Range Extender engine drives a generator to supply the motors and recharge the battery. This 48 horsepower, 1.2 liter three-cylinder engine is optimized specifically for this series hybrid and can be operated on gasoline and alcohol-based fuels, providing a total range of over 300 miles.

The aluminum monoblock engine, with its single casting for cylinder head and exhaust manifold, means reduced weight, assembly cost, and package size as well as improved emissions and engine durability. The integrated generator is also used as a motor to start the range extender engine. This hybrid sports car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds

While only having a single speed, the driver experiences a simulated 7-speed paddle, quick-shift gear change with a dual clutch transmission. You hear synthesized engine sounds that change in frequency with virtual gear selection and even feel the jolt of the gear change. The simulated gear change can be switched off for more relaxed driving.

Like most EVs and HEVs, the Evora 414E Hybrid has regenerative braking, although in this case a more sophisticated variation. A driver controls deceleration with simulated engine braking through a virtual downshift in gears. Unlike other regenerative braking systems, the driver can select the appropriate level of regeneration by simulating stepping down one, two, or even three gears. Both the simulated gear change noise and retardation is similar to that of a conventional gearbox.

Not only does the Evora 414E Hybrid drive like a conventional sports car, it also sounds like one with driver selectable sounds that include those of V-6 to V-12 engines. Developed with Harman International, the HALOsonic Internal and External Electronic Sound Synthesis system produces engine sounds inside through the audio system. It also generates sounds outside the vehicle through speakers mounted at the front and rear, thus serving as an audible warning to pedestrians, especially at slower speeds when it may be difficult to hear a vehicle running on electric motors.

Volkswagen NCC Shares Vision of a Future Compact Hybrid

VW’s NCC (New Compact Coupe) Hybrid makes a statement with its elegant profile accented by an aggressive front end, low and wide stance, and 19-inch wheels. It also casts an eye toward the future with an innovative use of the automaker’s advanced TSI gasoline engine technology combined with electric drive.

The NCC’s 1.4-liter TSI turbocharged and intercooled gas engine provides 150 horsepower and 177 lb-ft. of torque on its own, with the electric motor contributing an additional 27 hp and instant torque. This brings brisk 0-60 acceleration in 8.1 seconds with a top speed of 141 mph.

The sleek coupe is designed to operate exclusively on electric power at times and also add boost to the engine during acceleration. Drag losses are minimized by decoupling the TSI engine from the drivetrain while operating on electric power and also while coasting.

Power is directed through a seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox. Regenerative braking is integrated to allow power to be routed back to the car’s lithium-ion batteries during deceleration and braking. All this brings a combined fuel economy rating of 45 mpg, according to Volkswagen.

Volkswagen’s NCC provides a glimpse of what this automaker has in mind for a future compact hybrid model. While clean diesels are the primary emphasis in VW’s approach to higher efficiency at present, change is afoot as the automaker is working to add more diverse hybrid and electric powered vehicles to its portfolio.