The ambitious claims form part of an in-depth study, called the Electrification Roadmap, backed by a coalition of business leaders including Nissan, FedEx, Coda Automotive and Coulomb Technologies.
Following the recent news of a growing hydrogen fueling system in Germany, the new facility also opens up the intriguing proposition of a cross-border European hydrogen infrastructure.
According to grandly titled Technology and Environment Mayor Klaus Bondam, “Today we are putting Copenhagen on the map as a champion of clean transport. Together with [fuel cell vehicle integrator] H2 Logic, Copenhagen is setting in motion the development of hydrogen transport in Denmark and in northern Europe, because the hydrogen filling station in Copenhagen will help provide future hydrogen-powered vehicles from Scandinavia and Germany with hydrogen.”
The BE701, (catchy name or what?), is loosely modelled on the sedan concept showcased at last year’s Beijing motor show (above), although a rare image of the final product proves that it looks a lot less stylish in reality. The car can travel up to 200 kms (124 miles) on a full charge, and tops out at a highly competitive maximum speed of 160 km/h (100mph).
The company, which partners german car-giant Daimler AG, has not yet revealed a mass-production schedule for the BE701, but has unveiled details of its spanking new clean energy vehicle development and manufacturing facility, involving a total investment of 2.28 billion yuan ($334 million).
Some of you may not be aware of the intricacies of the British parliamentary system, but one of its stranger quirks is something called the House of Lords – an amalgam of hereditary aristocrats, ageing bishops and a range of other assorted oddballs.
Over the years (centuries), this ‘upper house’ has cultivated something of a reputation for eccentricity – but the latest outburst from Conservative Lord McColl takes the biscuit. In order to tackle the safety risk posed to pedestrians by quiet electric cars he suggested the following proposal:
“My Lords, does the Minister accept that there might be a simpler solution? When I purchased one of these cars a few years ago, my wife, being very practical, said that the answer would be to put on the front of the car a small Swiss cowbell….”
The compact C-Zero features an identical drivetrain to the i-MiEV, with a lithium-ion battery powering a 64bhp electric motor (see video after the jump).
British company e-Motive has launched a range of electric scooters in the UK and, at prices starting from just £1399 ($2300), is hoping to kickstart a zero-emission revolution.
The e1, e3 and e5 debut models are powered by the latest electric motor and battery technology, are road tax exempt, and cost as little as one pence per mile to run.
Speaking about the launch, e-Motive Managing Director, Paul Williams, gushed, “The reliability, rideability and all-round consumer package that comes with these scooters finally makes owning and running a zero-emissions vehicle affordable, supremely practical and desirable.”
OK, I know this isn’t strictly the type of car that you’re used to hearing about on Gas 2.0. For starters, you can’t even drive it. But, with Christmas looming just around the corner, I couldn’t resist writing about this funky little hydrogen fuel cell-powered remote-control car.
Called the H2Go, this is a toy car aimed at teaching kids about alternative energy in a fun and exciting way. Forget falling for the classic disappointment of (duh) forgetting the batteries and having to wait till the shops open, this little number runs on a combination of solar and zero-emission hydrogen.
Spectators at next years Sonoma Showdown at California’s Infineon Raceway will be treated to something they’ve never seen before – the nation’s first ever zero-carbon motorcycle race.
The Sonoma County event, known as the Time Trial eXtreme Grand Prix, will form part of the AMA Motorcycle Sonoma Showdown weekend, May 14-16.
The bike, unveiled on Tuesday at the SEMA Show 2009 in Las Vegas, has been called a “laptop on wheels” and is the first motorsport vehicle in the world to ship with integrated IP connectivity. It also boasts a USB based system bus that allows a “virtually unlimited” number of peripherals to extend the capabilities of the machine with plug’n’play.
According to the man behind the outfit, Azhar Hussain, “This is about giving everybody access to the best tools so they can go racing and have a stab at making history.” (More pics after the jump).
Seeing as Heathrow is the world’s busiest international airport, I suppose the effort is a little bit like launching an attack on a saber-toothed tiger with a blunt knife, or maybe a feather duster… But hey, maybe I’m being unfair – I suppose you’ve got to start somewhere right? And I admit, the system does seem a bit nifty – if not quite as good as the Johnny Cabs (video) in Total Recall.
Sounds like another gimmick? Well, here’s the deal – vehicles sporting the new green plates will be able to drive in the province’s dedicated carpool lanes until 2015, even if only one person is in the vehicle.
Speaking about the initiative, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said, “The McGuinty government’s plan is to have one out of every 20 passenger vehicles on Ontario’s roads an electric vehicle by 2020.”
Suzuki says that the innovative powertrain would enable the Burgman to reach distances of up to 220 miles at an average speed of 30kph (20mph) – so no wild freeway jaunts just yet then.
However, the company also reckon that performance will be comparable to a standard 125cc scooter (but I’d imagine that riding at higher speeds would most likely significantly reduce range).
While competing in the Global Green Challenge, Australian Simon Hackett and co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas drove an incredible 313 miles before the batteries finally died in their Roadster.
Until now, the record has been held by another Tesla Roadster, after completing a 241 mile road rally on one charge.
The Thames Valley police force is testing out the £20,000 ($33,000) Mitsubishi iMiev in an effort to improve its environmental credentials. Apart from this quite obvious setback, they have been pleased with the silent, emission-free car, capable of travelling 100 miles on a single charge (with the lights off).
