Japanese Joint Venture Proposes EVs as Buffer for Nighttime Excess Wind Power
As electric vehicles seem to increase their market share in the next few years, alternative energy companies think of methods to store the excess power produced during the night, when electricity utilities don't buy their energy, because of reduced consumption.
Electricity-Producing Shock Absorbers On Their Way to The Market This Summer
After sleeping for a while, energy-producing shock absorbers appear in the news again. Levant Power, a company from Massachusetts, produces such shock absorbers that are developed by Cambridge. The company claims that their product can lower fuel consumption by 1.5 to 6 percent, depending on the vehicle and driving conditions.
Advances in Highly-Competitional Washer/Dryer Motor Industry May Benefit Electric Vehicles
Competition (even if at times or war) has always been the mother of technical advance. Just like those who invented variable-valve timing engine designs to reduce fuel consumption, electric appliances companies are now competing against each other to make more and more efficient and powerful electric motors for hair dryers/washers. All these could benefit the auto industry, eventually.
Volkswagen Test Drives Golf Blue E-Motion Electric Car on The Streets of Berlin
Not wanting to stay behind their competition (such as Renault-Nissan), Volkswagen is beginning to develop pure electric cars. Their new Golf Blue e-motion has been presented by Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, member of VW's development board, and the German minister of transportation.
Tokyo to Have World's First Swappable-Battery Electric Taxis
Due to a government-funded pilot project to test emission-free cars, the world's first taxis with easily replaceable batteries hit the streets of the Japanese capital on Monday.
Puffin Personal Air Vehicle – Designed by NASA, Powered by Electricity
Any resemblance between the machinery on the right and the puffin on the left? None? Well, there may be some resemblance, considering their sizes - almost anybody wouldn't see them flying... but they do.
Nissan Planning to Install Their New EV Rapid Charger Every 80km Around Japan
In order to promote the newly-developed rapid charger, Nissan has planned installing it in 200 stores throughout Japan. To avoid those situations when the batteries die when you least expect them to, Nissan has developed a network of similar charging stations. So, with 200 stations across Japan and with a 40km-radius circle around each charger, you can not remain without batteries.
The Hybrid Field Motor: Using Half Rare-Earth Magnets, Cheaper, Same Performance for EVs
The hybrid field motor works by generating a magnetic force by synchronizing a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. The main advantage is that hybrid field motors only use half of the amount of rare-earth magnet, compared to a synchronous motor, that you can see in today's hybrid or electric vehicles.
Mazda Adding Start/Stop Technology to All Their Cars by 2015: EPA Opposes
Idling your car at a stoplight is always damaging your plans of saving fuel and the air quality. I know someone who lives close to a stoplight and he says the air is much more polluted there than in other areas.
256W Regenerative Shock Absorber Built by NY State University
Regenerative braking systems are an essential part of any electric/hybrid car, making it more efficient by taking advantage that energy can be relatively easy-recoverable when converted to electricity. Regenerative suspension systems are yet another approach to this class of mechanisms, continuously recovering the vibrational energy that occurs due to road irregularities, vehicle acceleration and braking.
