Posts Tagged ‘Electric’
Australia – One independent MP has strongly praised ALP for its NBN infrastructure project, noting it did not buy votes
September 7th, 2010 | 
Author: Speaking on ABC television overnight, Katter said he had to pay the former Rudd Government a “very great tribute” for its pursual of the NBN as example of a government not buying votes.
“I have watched for 20 years the corruption of government in the sense that all they spend money on is buying votes. There is no infrastructure, there is no development, there is nothing.
“I have to pay a very great tribute to the Rudd Government as for the first time in 20 years I saw a government – the broadband rollout, the national energy grid—there is no votes in either of those things.
“They are a good thing for this country, a great thing for this country and they undertook both those things knowing there were no votes in it for them.”
The comments follow similar remarks from Independent MP, Tony Windsor, at the weekend that he had been convinced of the veracity of Labor’s $43 billion NBN plan, following briefings from Peter Harris, the secretary Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, as well as Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy.
In an interview on Sky News, available as a podcast through the Australian Agenda link, Conroy said Windsor and the other independents understood that the NBN would drive better healthcare, education and small business benefits in regional Australia, as well as enabling other technologies such as smart electricity grids.
In late August, the third ‘gang of three’ Independent MP, Rob Oakeshott also expressed support for better telecommunications in regional areas along with suggesting an Emissions Trading Scheme would be an important goal; indicating closer alignment with the Labor party.
Posted in Communications | 
Tags: business, Communications, Computer, Electric, electricity, emissions, Health, money, Network, small business, world | 
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Ferrari, the greenest car maker on earth?
Aston Martin sources engine, body and electrical parts from outside the main plant at Gaydon, as does Jaguar. Even Morgan, that most bespoke of car companies, sources one or two components externally, including quite a few trees.
Ferrari 599XX video, pictures and first drive review
At Ferrari, though, everything except the cows that provide the leather is now made at Maranello. Since November, in fact, they’ve even been generating their own electricity in order to power the Scuderia’s various tooling facilities – to the extent that in January Ferrari sold power back to Italy’s National Grid.
As a result, Ferrari now claims that its plant at Maranello produces between 25-30 per cent less CO2 than it did before its new “Trigeneration” system fired up in November – in which mechanical power, heat and cooling are produced by just one source. And that’s real world emissions, by the way, not ones that appear in EU approved documents, and which mean not a great deal in the overall scheme.
Imagine how much less angst would be displayed towards the car industry in general if all cars were created in the same way, with the same efficiency? The green meanies would hardly have a leg to stand on, and us car enthusiasts could carry on enjoying our cars (virtually) guilt free. Even ones like the utterly barking 599XX, on whose launch I discovered all of the above.
First impressions – on board the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid
With performance – both off the line and through the gears – on par with the 400bhp naturally-aspirated 4.8-litre V8 Cayenne S, the new four wheel drive displays exceptional levels of mechanical refinement without any indication of the complex processes taken by its advanced driveline, which was developed in a joint venture between Porsche’s own Weissach based engineers and their counterparts at Volkswagen’s engineering centre in Braunschweig, Germany.
Porsche Cayenne Hybrid – full details
Step off is typical strong, with the electric motor and its 184lb ft of torque providing primary propulsion from standstill up to speeds of 50km/h or until the energy level of the battery runs low.
The only indication of the introduction of the petrol engine – the same unit used by Audi in the S4 – to the drive process from the passenger seat is when the needle on the rev counter – now placed in the centre of the instrument binnacle as with Porsche’s more sporting models – springs to life.
At loads under 2500rpm, the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 is so well isolated from the cabin its operation is barely audible. Under greater throttle load there is a low level growl as acceleration builds but it is never over bearing.
Out on the motorway the over riding impression is of wind noise around the large exterior mirrors. The decoupling of the clutch at speed occurs seamlessly when the driver backs off from the throttle, allowing the Cayenne S Hybrid to coast at zero revs in a state not dissimilar to a bicycle when it is freewheeling with the engine fully disengaged.
Further to the mechanical aspects of the new Porsche, there has been a wholesale improvement in interior ambiance. The new dashboard, similar in style to that gracing the Panamera, is of a much higher quality than that of the first generation Cayenne.
The question that now remains is: how much will Porsche charge for it?
Progress is easy to miss, especially in a Passat
I spent my Christmas break in a VW Passat Bluemotion, complete with the new 104bhp 1.6-litre VW Group commonrail turbodiesel engine.
Volkswagen Passat S 1.6 TDI Bluemotion first drive
There is nothing headline-grabbing about this car. It does not have a fuel cell, solar panels or an electric motor anywhere under its decidedly bland exterior, and it is not made entirely out of recycled potato and hemp.
It is a normal family saloon with a low-powered turbodiesel engine under the bonnet. But it took me and the other half to see family in Koburg, Germany for New Year in perfect comfort whilst easily achieving over 800 miles to each 70-litres of fuel.
That still means we fell short of the claimed 62.8mpg combined figure, but we did manage mid-50mpg for much of the trip and there was no compromise in the overall capability of the car. It was quiet, spacious and pleasant to be in. And it was cheaper and more convenient overall than catching a plane and picking up a rental special at the other end.
Of course, the Passat Bluemotion is exactly as dull as it sounds, and clearly this is a way to make the most of what’s left of finite fossil fuels (and motorists’ over-stretched wallets) rather than the answer to all our renewable fuel needs.
But I think the car industry deserves more credit for making such a constant and rapid move towards better use of resources. That there are many similarly efficient models around, including excellent efforts from Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Kia and Audi among others only goes to prove that progress really is global.
So in the midst of all the frenzied efforts going into producing tomorrow’s planet-saving, blue-sky technologies, let’s take a moment and remember that we’re not doing so badly with the stuff that you can buy today. Well done, chaps. Now carry on.
The Urgent Need for Alternative Sources of Fuel
You can start off your use of alternative fuels in your daily commute. If you use your feet to commute, either through walking or cycling, you are at a great disadvantage with the rest of the American populace. Not only will you be healthier and fitter, you will also save thousands of dollars on ever increasing fuel costs, while cutting down on your carbon footprint.
Of course, you cannot depend on walking or cycles to take you everywhere. You will require a motorized mode of transport sooner or later. If you can afford one, a hybrid car would be a great investment. Not only are hybrid cars more economical, they are also low polluting. You will also be at a distinct advantage with the rest of the population as fuel prices keep on increasing, and as the country makes the inevitable switch to cars powered by alternative sources of fuel.
Try to use public means of transport as much as you can, especially the local metro which runs on electric power, and thus, gives off zero emissions. Not only is public transport a cost effective means of travel, it is also a great way to do your little bit for the environment and keep at least one car off the already congested roads and highways.
It makes sense to switch over the alternative fuel sources sooner than later. We will all have to switch to greener energy sources one day, so why not today rather than tomorrow?
About the Author
John has been writing online for several years. His late blog is about picture scanners, and how you should go about buying a picture scanner
Posted in Cars, Green Fuels |
Tags: alternative fuel, alternative fuel sources, alternative fuels, blog, blogs, car, Cars, Electric, emissions, Environment, ford, fossil fuels, fuel prices, google, Health, hybrid car, Hybrid Cars, online, scanners, system |
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