The way that this device functions is very simple, when the car is being driven ecoDrive gathers all the data concerning the vehicle and the driving style of the motorist. All the relevant information is subsequently collected through the USB hub of the Blu&Me device and transmitted onto a USB key, thereafter it is available to be viewed via a normal domestic computer.

Customers with a computer can therefore regularly check the fuel consumption and emissions from their journeys (ecoIndex) and receive driving tips on how to achieve a lower environmental impact.

Thanks to a series of progressive tutorials, users might improve their score and the most eco-responsible drivers could realize a 15% improvement of their driving style. This would result in a 15% cut of the CO2 emissions and an annual fuel saving of approximately 150-200 euros.

Fuel efficiency was improved by 25 per cent through improving fuel cell unit performance, enhancing the regenerative brake system and reducing energy consumed by the auxiliary system. Further changes include incorporating degradation control for the electrode catalyst and improving fuel cell durability.

Furthermore, equipping the vehicle with Toyota-developed high-pressure hydrogen tanks makes it possible to travel approximately 515 miles* on a single fuelling — performance that more than doubles that of the Toyota FCHV-adv’s predecessor, the Toyota FCHV.

The Toyota FCHV-adv also deals with the low-temperature start issues typically associated with fuel cell vehicles.

The building block of the Toyota FC Stack is the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), where engineers focused on the basic problem of internally produced water interfering with electrical generation within the MEA at low temperatures.

Research was carried out to understand the behaviour and amount of water generated in the fuel cell, allowing engineers to optimise the MEA design to improve low-temperature start-up.

As a result, the Toyota FCHV-adv can start and operate in cold regions at temperatures as low as –30 degrees Celsius, meaning the vehicle can be used in a wider variety of conditions and climates.

While steadily conducting research and development to resolve issues such as how to improve the durability and reduce costs of the Toyota FC Stack, Toyota is working with government, energy companies and other concerned parties to actively bring about widespread fuel cell vehicle use.

The Toyota FCHV-adv acquired vehicle-type certification from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) on June 3.

Source: Toyota

Based on sales figures collected up to April 30, 2008, TMC believes that Prius vehicles worldwide have contributed to a reduction in CO2 emissions (considered a cause of global warming) by producing approximately 4.5 million tons*2 less CO2 when compared with gasoline-powered vehicles in the same class and of similar size and driving performance.

The Prius was launched in Japan in 1997 and began selling in Europe, North America and other markets in 2000. In 2005, Toyota began first overseas production of the Prius in Changchun, China, and sales of Prius vehicles in South Korea are expected to begin in the latter half of 2009.

In 2003, the second-generation Prius, equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System II, was introduced with improved environmental performance and power. In August 2007, Prius G, S and S “Standard Package” Japan models achieved a fuel efficiency of 29.6km/l in the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s newly introduced JC08 test cycle. (The Prius S and S “Standard Package” models achieved 35.5km/l in the older 10-15 test cycle.) The Prius is also one of the first vehicles to meet the new 2015 Japanese fuel efficiency standards set out under the Law Concerning the Rational Use of Energy.

As part of its high-priority environment-management policies, Toyota has made a concerted effort to promote and popularize hybrid technology, chiefly through the Prius. And as hybrid technology can be applied to a wide range of vehicles, Toyota aims to sell 1 million or more hybrid vehicles annually as early as possible in the 2010s.

*1. Based on TMC data
*2. Number of registered vehicles distance traveled actual fuel efficiency in each country CO2 conversion factor

“Our focus in future,” says Prof Martin Winterkorn, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, “will be directed more strongly at making electrically powered automobiles alongside ones driven by more efficient combustion engines. Drivetrain electrification is the way forward if we wish to secure mobility in tomorrow’s world. This will involve energy recovery. The whole idea will be to no avail, however, as long as we do not have powerful energy storage systems at our disposal and as long as vehicle operations are not in tune with customer demands. This cooperation is an important step for us,” Winterkorn adds.

Emissions-free travel in an all-electric operating modus is already possible today, though only at limited speeds and over short distances. That makes it all the more important to develop new accumulators with the capacity, size, weight and cost attributes which will enable them to be used more efficiently in tomorrow’s automobiles. Lithium-ion technology, already very successfully used in communications electronics and portable computers, has the potential to satisfy even the particularly exacting demands placed on electro-traction systems in motor vehicles.

Back in March, at the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen showcased its Golf TDI Hybrid design study, which demonstrated just how much potential for energy reduction there is when you combine high-tech-diesel, electric-drive and 7-speed-DSG technology. Conceived as a powerful full-hybrid vehicle, the Golf TDI Hybrid can be operated using combustion-engine power only or using a combination of combustion and electric drive or using E-drive – i.e. the powerful and energy-efficient combination of TDI technology and an electric motor. The A1 project quattro presented by Audi at the most recent Tokyo Motor Show features a powertrain already designed to cover a distance of 100 km using this innovative storage method. The Group hopes to be able to employ lithium-ion technology in its first vehicles by 2010.

Seat has made a few changes in order for the Alhambra to achieve these figures, firstly the DPF and the electronic management but also a new six-speed transmission and low-friction 196/60 tires on 16 inch steel rims.

Performance has not suffered because of the environmentally conscious changes, instead the diesel powered MPV is quicker of the mark to reach 100 km/h then its non EcoMotive sibling, 11.9 seconds and 12.2 seconds respectively, and comes standard with a sport suspension.

The folks over at PlanetThoughts are sponsoring Super-Cars Shout Out Competition as a way to recognize eco-conscious citizens fight against climate change by driving a high-mileage car.

The concept is simple:
1. Find high mileage cars in your area. PT has a list of high-mileage cars (>40 mpg…)
2. Place the PlanetThoughts flyer on the windshield and take a picture of the car.
3. Send it in to PlanetThoughts.
4. Click here for full details.

We all want to do what we can to reduce the global warming gases that get emitted, especially in our own areas of living and working, where we have the most direct influence. To add another dimension, it would be great to congratulate others who are doing something to help the environment.

To offer your congratulations, print off one of the contest’s flyers, place on a high-mileage car you encounter in your day-to-day activities, take a picture, and upload it to PlanetThoughts. The winner will receive a cash prize of at least $500 (see below). Car owners whose vehicles appear on the site also have a chance at some cash: contact the folks at PT if your car appears in a contest photo, and you’ll be entered into a monthly drawing for $50. The contest runs through the Labor Day.

PlanetThoughts
Despite the recent increase in news coverage of global warming, main stream media generally provides their audience with little more than surface information addressing global environmental issues. Further, the vital issues of energy availability, “peak oil” and of resource depletion are rarely mentioned. This failure has real consequences in a world that must immediately confront and plan for these mounting challenges. It is essential that the vast majority of the citizenry be informed on these issues as they are unprecedented in the scope and depth of their impact on daily life.

PlanetThoughts.org is organized around the environmental aspects of this converging crisis. These issues underlie many of the immediate challenges that global society faces. PlanetThoughts.org believes that the path to a solution lies first in better understanding of the environmental basis for these conditions, followed by and in parallel with collective action to change government policies and societal attitudes.

Their Web site (www.planetthoughts.org) provides focused environment information with positive energy and insight, for concerned individuals around the world. The specific means for this include news items, blog entries, quotes, reviews, stories, and tips. They refer to these items as “PlanetThoughts”.

We hope you will join their community early and often, with an eye towards a positive future for us all. Clear information is the first step toward creating a population of citizen leaders committed to protecting and bettering the world’s environment.

“When we first started the research and development of fuel-cell cars, some people predicted that they may be commercialized by around 2010. But that’s difficult,” Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said. “The technological advances are significant. The only problem is the cost.

The fuel-cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) produces electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen. Fuel cells emit nothing more than water vapor. This is why the FCHV is deemed one of the cleanest cars that are expected to invade the roads.

In 2007, the Japanese auto giant reported success in a test of a fuel-cell car. During the test, the FCHV was driven about 560 kilometers on a single filling. Remarkably, the car finished with 30 percent of the hydrogen still in the tank.

Beside the fact that the FCHV is pricey, Watanabe noted that motorists would need an infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations if they are to take fuel-cell cars on the road.

“It will probably be a long way ahead until we can start mass production, considering problems linked to difficulties in how to stock hydrogen and where to draw hydrogen from,” he said. “It’ll take long time to solve these problems, but we will definitely commercialize it as I believe it is a promising power sourceaid.

Toyota is the pioneer of hybrids. Additionally, the automaker is also expected to become the world’s largest this year by leapfrogging General Motors Corp.

Watanabe in an interview with AFP said he hoped to go further and “make a car that can actually clean the air, so that the longer it runs the cleaner the air becomes.” He added work was progressing with Matsushita on loading cars with lithium-ion batteries. The batteries would introduce to the industry the so-called “plug-in hybrids” that can be recharged from domestic outlets. “By 2010 we hope the achievement will see customers,” Watanabe said.

“I have no intention of changing our policy that the centre of research and development will be in Japan,” he concluded. “Of course, part of technological development already has shifted to satellite centers in the United States, Europe, Thailand, Australia and Taiwan. But the basic and core technologies will be developed in Japan.”

Hopefully, other Japanese automakers like the manufacturer of Honda engines, Nissan filters, Mazda rotors, and Suzuki radiators would venture into plug-in hybrids production soon.

About the Author
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

The 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV seats up to 8 passengers. It’s got a 6.0L V8 engine and can come as a 2WD or 4WD. The estimated mpg is in the low 20’s, while the price is in the low 50 thousands.

The 2008 Chrysler Aspen hybrid SUV is very similar to the Dodge Durango SUV. Its 2-mode hybrid system was developed by Daimler-Chrysler, together with BMW and GM.

The 2008 Ford Escape hybrid SUV is available as either a front wheel drive or 4WD. It’s estimated mpg is in the low 30’s, and has a base cost in the mid 20 thousands. Ford has had the hybrid Escape in production since 2005, and they are working on other technologies such as the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and plug-ins.

The 2008 GMC Yukon hybrid SUV seats 9 people and comes in 2WD or 4WD. The base price range is in the low 50 thousands.

The 2008 Honda Accord hybrid sedan and the Honda Civic hybrid are still contenders for the best mileage. The civic gets an estimated mpg range in the mid 40’s on the highway. Its base price is in the low 20 thousands. The Accord Hybrid boasts a V6 engine working in conjunction with the electric motor. Its estimated mpg is 35 on the highway and costs in the low 30 thousands. This new sedan model allows its engine to run on 3, 4 or 6 cylinders.

The Lexus 2008 hybrid car models available are the Lexus RX400h, the Lexus GS450h, and the LS600h.

The Lexus RX400h is a luxurious SUV and gets an estimated mpg in the mid 20’s. It seats 5 and its base price is in the low 40 thousands. The Lexus GS450h is a luxurious sports sedan. It also seats 5 and its estimated mpg is in the high 20’s. The base cost runs in the mid 50 thousands. The third Lexus hybrid model, the LS600h is a luxury sedan with an estimated mpg in the low 20’s. It’s base cost is in the low 100 thousands. Wow.

The 2008 Nissan Altima hybrid sedan has a base cost in the mid 20 thousands. It is only available in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The 2008 Saturn hybrid car models are the Saturn Vue Green Line and the hybrid Saturn Aura Greenline. The Vue is a SUV and gets an estimated mpg of 25 in the city and 32 on the highway. Its base price is in the mid 20 thousands. The Aura is a sedan whose estimated mpg is close to the Vues, but Its base price is a little less, being in the low 20 thousands.

The Toyota 2008 hybrid car models are the ever-popular Toyota Prius hybrid, the Toyota Camry hybrid sedan and the Highlander hybrid SUV.

The Prius comes in at the best mpg on the market, in the mid 40’s, while its price is in the low 20 thousands. The Prius is still the hands down top seller amongst hybrids. The Camry is a sedan whose estimated mpg is in the mid 30’s. Its base cost is in the mid 20 thousands. The Toyota Highlander is an SUV with a base price is in the mid 30 thousands. Of all hybrid car sales in the U.S., Toyota makes 2/3 of those sales. They are developing a plug-in for the near future as well as fuel cell cars.

About the Author
Laura Eggers Underhill is author and publisher of www.totally-hybrid-cars.com.

Mr. Fukui said the Honda will present a new hybrid model that operates on both gas and electricity offered at an affordable cost by 2009. With this new model the company is targeting to sell around 200,000 vehicles a year. The automaker will try to focus more on its hybrid offerings and in the process increase its overall hybrid sales to around 10 percent by 2010.

Honda is also expecting for sales to keep on growing in other parts of the world by 2008 and that includes North America, Europe, China, and Japan where sales dropped by 12 percent this year to 620,000 vehicles. The automaker has prepared four new models for Japan to entice buyers, according to Mr. Fukui in an interview with reporters at Tokyo hotel.

The manufacturer of Accord sedan and Civic compact did not provide the overall global sales forecast for 2008 but Mr. Fukui has projected that the North American sales will increase by 3 percent to 1.59 million next year adding it to the expected 3 percent growth this year to 1.55 million vehicles.

The sales projection of Honda for this year is up from the 3.55 million vehicles last 2006. And just like its archrival Toyota, Honda has also obtain sales boost from the recent increase in oil prices add to that the company’s high reputation for good mileage.

Mr. Fukui also announced that the company will spend around $425 million for the construction of a new research center in Japan designed for the development of next-generation cars including fuel cells and hybrids.

The new research center is scheduled to start operation by 2009 but only partially. The official opening of the research center will be on 2010.

Mr. Fukui said that the hybrid system developed by Honda is by far better than that of Toyota’s in the sense that it cost less thereby allowing the automaker to sell its planned hybrid at a more competitive price — and to just how much it will cost? Well Mr. Fukui declined to give any information.

At present there is a great demand for Accord in the US while the Fit subcompact is a hit in Japan. In Europe where Japanese automakers are relatively new in the market, Honda is posting really good results as a matter of fact for this year the company has projected a 23 percent increase to 380 vehicles and sees an 11 percent sales growth next year to 420,000 units.

The expansions being implemented by Honda in Brazil and Argentina has also help boost sales in South America. Similarly sales in China are also projected to increase by 29 percent to 420,000 units sold this year.

About the Author
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

Electric cars look like conventional cars aesthetically, both when it comes to exterior and interior. The same great and pretty designs are available, and friends and family will hardly be able to tell the difference. However, some new and simmering are emerging even today that promise better efficiency because unlike conventional cars which essentially only stress their aesthetics, electric vehicles also focus on the insides.

A question many people ask is; what exactly makes electric car designs different from other designs of conventional cars? Well, most electric automobiles bypass the use of gasoline and an engine completely although some have a secondary engine and storage tank in case the battery dies. Rather than using gasoline as a primary source of power, electric car design call for the usage of electricity like the name implies. A huge battery, made from materials like lithium ion - which is similar to performance batteries found in electronics like notebook computers - powers an efficient electric motor. New designs allow electric vehicles to travel up to fifty miles or more on a single charge.

Neat Usefulness

While conventional cars can easily travel 250 miles on a tank of gas, electric cars don’t yet have the ability to go even close to hundred miles on a single charge. Keep in mind though that electricity is still much cheaper than gasoline. Nuclear power, hydroelectricity, and other sources of power, can power an electric vehicle indirectly by empowering the lines that the vehicle is charged from at a cost as low as about one cent per mile. The most fuel efficient conventional automobiles still cost around 7.5 cents per mile. It’s unlikely that conventional engines will become significant more efficient, which is why research and development has occurred with regard to alternatives such as fuel made of hydrogen and other chemicals as well as electricity

Electric car designs should not be confused with design of hybrid cars. Hybrid cars utilize technologies from both conventional and electric cars to achieve slightly better fuel efficiency while lowering emissions, but they will probably never be as efficient as electric cars. Several families own two or more vehicles, so they would still have a long range car for vacations and business trips. For a car that’s cheap and efficient for everyday transportation, an electric vehicle is the perfect solution.

About the Author
Terry Bolton is an internet publisher of automotive stuff. Read his useful and popular articles about how to buy cheap used cars online as well as cheap car insurance