Jaguar News - Prince of Wales converts his Jags to “green”
August 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Biodiesel, Jaguar
Traditionally, before Colin Chapman introduced a Lotus 49 in colors of Gold Leaf Tobacco, racing cars were painted in colors based on the home country of the team running them. German racers were silver, Italian red, French blue and of course cars from the British Isles were always the legendary British Racing Green. Now the Jaguars and Land Rovers that ferry the future king of England (if he manages to out-live his mother, that is) will represent a new breed of green.
Prince Charles is now awaiting the delivery of the first of his fleet of chauffeur-driven (he is still a royal after all) Jags outfitted to run on B100 biodiesel. Ultimately all the vehicles he uses will run on B100, made from rapeseed oil (known in the US as canola). Starting with next year’s annual accounts he will be publishing details of his household’s carbon emissions and setting reduction targets. In addition to the biodiesel cars he’s also taking public trains to get from his country home of Highgrove to London and switching over to sustainable sources of electricity for his residences.
[Source: All Headline News]
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[tags]jaguar cars, jaguar news, jaguar models[/tags]
Pontiac News - Why the Transformers movie is terrible (no, it’s not because Michael Bay is directing)
August 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Etc., EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, HUMMER, Pontiac, AutoblogGreen Exclusive
A few months ago, I unfortunately allowed the television to show me The Rock again. I didn’t even have the gumption to click a button on the remote to turn it off (granted, it was only on in the background, but a schlock-fest like The Rock finds a way to ooze into your brain even from far away. That experience reminded me just how bad of a movie it is, and so let’s just get it out in the open that I’m not a fan of director Michael Bay’s movies. Still, my dislike of him has nothing to do with why I think the Transformers movie is going to be much less than what it could be.
As the editor of this here blog, I thought perhaps there’s some green angle to the movie that we could mention and get in on the Transformers hype. I emailed the production company a few months back, and they called back saying this film doesn’t really have any green car connections. I forgot about it and moved on.
Then, with the increased coverage in the media - the latest issue of WIRED devotes a few pages to Transformers and our friends over at Autoblog can’t seem to get enough - and after watching a few trailers for the film, I realized that Transformers, as exciting as it might be, will suck. I’ve got my reasons why after the jump.
First, let me make it clear that I haven’t seen the movie. I’m basing this column on a.) what the movie company told me and b.) what we can all guess from the previews and the press.
OK, the reason Transformers will be a terrible movie is that it gives zero credibility to alternative fuel cars. If there’s one movie where a hydrogen or hybrid car could have saved the world, this is the one. Now, I’m not asking for a Prius Transformer (but you can go ahead and admit that you’d like to know what a Tesla Roadster would look like in robot form), but I think that with all the creativity used to give Optimus Prime flames, he could also burn ULSD or biodiesel? These green car messages wouldn’t have to be delivered in a PSA format (i.e., Optimus turns to the camera and says, “this burns cleaner and is better for the environment, kids”), but there could be a sign in the background. I’ve seen enough Industrial Light & Magic films to know that those folks could have easily come up with a clever way to tell everyone what’s going on.
Or how about this: Bay and team could have used the silent movement capability of an EV to great effect in a tense, quiet scene. Bay is totally in love with the U.S. military, and it’s surprising that his Armed Forces partners didn’t suggest the plot to him. The Army’s Shadow (a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Targeting Vehicle (RST-V), pictured), for example, would have fit perfectly with Bay’s ideology and given electric cars a new look in the public eye.
You can ask James Woolsey, who used to head the CIA and is now a vocal advocate for alternative fuel vehicles, about how our oil supply and our freedom go hand-in-hand. If the Autobots are really here to fight for our freedom, then what we have here is a story that writes itself.
From what I’ve read, this film makes a lot of changes from the old animated Transformers TV series. You know most of them, I’m sure. The biggest is that Bumblebee is no longer a VW Bug but a Chevy Camaro. So perhaps the one to blame for the lack of green thinking in the film is General Motors.
Bay is no stranger to product placement (just watch The Island. Actually, don’t. It’s terrible) and his big deal for Transformers is a partnership with GM. With all the work GM has been putting into giving their brand a green shine in the last few months, what cars are they pushing in the big July 4 blockbuster? A GMC TopKick (Ironside), the Camaro, the Pontiac Solstice (Jazz) and the Hummer (Ratchet). Perhaps they is someone at GM kicking themselves for not forcing a Volt transformer into the movie. At the very least, shame on GM for not adding a hybrid badge to Jazz. Sure, there’s no actual Solstice hybrid, but there’s no Solstice that turns into a freaking robot, either.
I always seem to ask for more from my entertainment than it can deliver, and I suppose a lot of my criticism of the Transformers film could just as easily be applied to a gazillion other movies or TV shows, but this just seems like a perfect opportunity squandered by everyone involved. Oh well, I guess we can always hope for a new attitude in the sequels.
UPDATE: Just to be clear, this is all meant in the spirit of fun, ya know…
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Source: www.autobloggreen.com
[tags]pontiac cars, pontiac news, pontiac models[/tags]
Dodge News - EXCLUSIVE: E85 Viper breaks world record with 220 mph in the standing mile
August 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Dodge, AutoblogGreen Exclusive
UPDATE: This was actually the third attempt for Karl and his team. So, third time’s the charm!
This was the second attempt for Karl Jacob and his crew to capture the world record for speed in the standing mile with a street legal vehicle, and for them, the second time was the charm. The vehicle in question is the E85 Viper which we have featured on our website ever since we first heard about it being built. We were even granted a sneak peek into the attempt while the car was undergoing final testing at the shop where it was built, SVS Power.
Now for the good stuff! The speed the vehicle was able to reach in the standing mile was 220.7 miles per hour. For reference, the best a gasoline-powered streetable coupe has ever recorded for the standing mile was 217.8 miles per hour. We have placed a video after the break for your enjoyment.
Special thanks go out to Karl Jacob for giving us this story before the official press release goes live tomorrow (Monday). That means, if you are reading this, you know about it before anybody else does. Cool, huh? Don’t forget to check the video after the jump.
[Source: Karl Jacob]As promised, here is a video from the record run:
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Source: www.autobloggreen.com
[tags]dodge cars, dodge news, dodge models[/tags]
BMW: 40% of European Car Range under 140 CO2 g/km by fall. (BMW Cars News)
August 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, BMW, MINI, Rolls Royce
BMW is really trying hard to sell fuel-efficient cars with the Efficient Dynamics strategy. Adding the Stop&Go system in the Mini and the 1-Series has been a positive nod in global mileage improvement - which is surely reflected in CO2 emissions figures.
However, not only the small ones are claimed to be clean, even the 3 Series have eco-friendlier options that will keep emissions lower (and save some Euros/Pounds in taxes for their owners). So BMW is announcing that by fall 2007 around 40 percent of all BMW Group (BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce) cars sold in Europe will come with maximum C02 emissions of 140 g/km.
How has BMW achieved this? The actions are sure to be known by our readers: a full range of 4 cylinder engines that benefit from direct injection using piezo-electric injectors and new common-rail and Variable Twin turbos for the diesels. BMW has also announced that in the near future, all models of the BMW 6 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 3 and BMW 1 Series as well as the BMW X5 will be fitted with brake energy regeneration, which will free the alternator to use the engine to charge the battery (as seen on the latest iteration of the M3). BMW has also invested in making cars with a better drag coeficient and something called Efficient Dynamics, claimed to improve the car’s performance while burning less fuel.
If you want to have a look at the full BMW range under 140 CO2 g/km, continue with me after the jump.
Related:
- BMW 3 Series joins 5 Series and 1 Series in offering regenerative braking
- 2008 BMW M3 uses regenerative braking
- Video: BMW talks about Efficient Dynamics at Geneva Motor Show
[Source: BMW]
Model Output
(kW/bhp) Fuel consumption in EU test cycle
(l/100km) CO2 emissions in EU test cycle
(g/km) Change as compared to previous model (%)
BMW 5 Series diesel
BMW 520d 130/177 5.1 136 -14%
BMW 520d Touring 130/177 5.3 140 -14%
BMW 3 Series diesel
BMW 320d 130/177 4.8 128 -16%
BMW 320d Touring 130/177 4.9 131 -17%
BMW 320d Coup 130/177 4.8 128 on the market since 4/07
BMW 318d 105/143 4.7 123 -18%
BMW 318d Touring 105/143 4.8 125 -19%
BMW 1 Series gasoline engine
BMW 118i (5-door) 105/143 5.9 140 on the market since 4/07
BMW 118i (3-door) 105/143 5.9 140 on the market since 4/07
BMW 116i (5-door) 90/122 5.8 139 -23%
BMW 116i (3-door) 90/122 5.8 139 -23%
BMW 1 Series diesel
BMW 123d (5-door) 150/204 5.2 138 no predecessor
BMW 123d (3-door) 150/204 5.2 138 no predecessor
BMW 120d (5-door) 130 /177 4.8 128 on the market since 4/07
BMW 120d (3-door) 130 /177 4.8 128 on the market since 4/07
BMW 118d (5-door) 105/143 4.5 119 on the market since 4/07
BMW 118d (3-door) 105/143 4.5 119 on the market since 4/07
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[tags]bmw cars, bmw news, bmw models[/tags]
Subaru News - Saturn announces Aura Green Line hybrid prices
August 31, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Subaru
Available later this spring, the Saturn Aura Green Line will cost $22,045 (plus $650 destination charge). This makes the hybrid powertrain a $1,700 option. This is in line with previous expectations that GM’s first hybrid sedan would cost less than $23,000.
Without the hybrid option, the 2007 Aura with a 4-speed automatic, six-cylinder, 3.5L gets 20/30 mpg city/highway. The Auto(S6), 6 cylinder, 3.6 L gets 20/28. Sit down in the hybrid and these numbers jump to an estimated 28/35. Those five to eight mpg are what GM’s mild hybrid adds, and, as a Kicking Tires reader added to that site’s mention of these prices: “The price sounds right, you get as much hybrid as you pay for.”
Related:
%Gallery-1718%
[Source: Kicking Tires]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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[tags]subaru cars, subaru news, subaru models[/tags]
