GreenPacks.org

Toyota Hybrid Sales Top 4 Million Units

Alex Ion — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:38:27 +0000

Toyota has announced that worldwide sales of their hybrid vehicles have topped 4 million units. The company has released a detailed table of the chronology of their hybrid vehicles from the year 1997 to 2012, starting with the Prius.

When Toyota ventured into hybrid production and business, sales were really slow. It picked up over these years. A few months ago, the company had made an announcement that it sold three million hybrids around the world.

The new account of sales is indeed a big leap and it owes much to the newly introduced V, C and Plug-in models. This is considered to be 15 percent of the company’s overall sales . The manufacturer also plans to establish its production capacity in the United States. So another million sales is not far.

Toyota has also said it plans to continue working to further raise performance, reduce costs, and expand product line up, including non-hybrid environment-friendly vehicles.

New Robot Cleaner Concept Could Clean Up Oil Spill

Siyahi — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:31:30 +0000

After many proposed idea of using robots to clean up the oil spill and ocean wastes, here is something that sounds pragmatic. The Bio-cleaner, designed by Hsu Sean, is a new robot cleaner that is dropped off a helicopter into the ocean to fulfil the purpose.

Going by the looks the Bio-cleaner resembles the Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaner used to clean up the dirt on the floor. The design of the bio-cleaner is based on Yanko Design and has three arms to propel itself.

A compartment with bacteria is embedded into the robot, which does the job of degrading the oil. The built-in pump of the robot separate out water.

The acoustic wave device of the cleaner emits high-frequency sound waves. This, in turn, helps in keeping the animals at bay, from the oil spilled parts of the water body.

A biosensor would be used to track oil in the water, and an H2O battery powered by the ocean would be the source of power.

The robot cleaner still continues to be a concept. The proposed features are really impressive. We need to wait see, whether someone would really take up and pursue the idea.

Fisker Atlantic Plug-in Hybrid Specs Leak

Alex Ion — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:29:06 +0000

More details of Fisker Atlantic plug-in hybrid design prototype have surfaced. Earlier when it debuted at the New York Auto Show, we got very scarce details. Here’s more on the car.

A turbocharged four-cylinder engine comes equipped in the car. The electric drivetrain produces approximately 300 hp (224 kW / 304 PS), which enables the model to accelerate from 0-60 mph. The acceleration time would be 6.5 seconds. The auto has CO2 emissions of roughly 50 g/km.

Well, it looks like theAtlanticwill cost more than what was originally estimated. If the documents obtained by InsideEVs are anything to go by, the model will be priced between $50,000 and $60,000.

Atlantic will not get launched this summer, as it was decided earlier. Also production could be delayed until 2014.

It is being said that the delay is due to the blocking the company’s access to a government loan by the US Department of Energy.

US Cyclists Help Save $4.6 billion a Year on Gas and Transportation

Siyahi — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:19:27 +0000

Did you know this? The increase in the number of people switching to cycles in the United States is helping to save a whopping $4.6 billion every year on gas and transportation costs.

These amazing findings have been published in a report by the League of American Bicyclists, Sierra Club, and National Council of La Raza (NCLR). The cyclists being in good shape, healthy as well as contributing to reduction in carbon footprint are not the only benefits. The whole process is contributing to the economy of the US.
As much as 40 percent of all trips are made within two miles of the cyclists’ homes. So, it is estimated that American drivers were to make just one four-mile round trip each week with a bicycle instead of a car so as to ultimately result in saving nearly 2 billion gallons of gas.
If $4 per gallon is considered, it accounts for a total savings of $7.3 billion a year. Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune opined that biking is an important aspect of a 21st century transportation system and it considerably reduces America’s dependence on oil.
So, all other commuters out there, even your minor adjustments to your 4-wheelers might double the savings rate. The average annual cost of operating a car is $8,220 and that of a bike is just $308.

Prius Gets Highest Safety Rating From IIHS

Alex Ion — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:32:19 +0000

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has recognized the Prius C, the new hybrid from Toyota, for having done well enough and has accorded the model the top award for good performance. Thus the new model joins the Prius and Prius V as IIHS award winners.

The new baby in the Prius family has been conferred with a top ranking for a good performance on the front, side, rollover and rear impact evaluations. The hybrid was also tested to see how much of the energy was absorbed by it and also how much intrusion there was in the interior cabin.

Prius C is the smallest member in the Prius family and is claimed to offer the highest city fuel mileage estimate of any vehicle without a plug.

The Highway Loss Data Institute is involved in the mission through scientific studies of insurance data representing the human and economic losses resulting from the ownership and operation of different types of vehicles.

Cincinati Gets First Amp Dealership

Siyahi — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:23:57 +0000

Amp has opened its first flagship dealership showroom on home ground Cincinnati, in Ohio. The dealership has been given the name ‘Amp of Cincinnati’ and the opening cum dedication event of the dealership was held on 10^th of this May.

The dealership has started taking $5,000 deposits for the SUVs; the manufacturer has earlier mentioned that its SUVs will come for the $7,500 tax credit from the IRS. In March, the company also said it reached an agreement to sell its SUVs in the Caribbean. Well, we are looking forward for the next move.

During the dealership dedication event, president of the new AMP Dana Hackney said the EVs that are on the market today are small. AMP all-electric SUVs offer a unique full-size EV experience, so those who want a full-size EV can now order an Amp.

The first deliveries from the new Cincinnati dealership would start by the end of this month.

Ecobee Smart Si Thermostat Arrives in a Month

Alex Ion — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:35:39 +0000

Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat latest version will hit the markets in a month’s time. The new version sports a range of modifications, equipped with many impressive new features.

Known as Smart Si Thermostat, it comes with an easy-to-read high-resolution color display that comprises a colour LCD screen, running on an embedded version of Linux. The user interface is rather simple.

Well, the most significant feature of the Thermostat is that it can be adjusted anytime from anywhere, using a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Smart Si is powered by a 400mhz ARM9 processor. It also offers 256MB of ROM and RAM. It will also be upgradeable over-the-air through the 802.11n Wi-Fi module.

The manufacturer claims it offers energy-efficient technology — that too at a good price. As per the company’s claims programming an Ecobee Wi-Fi-enabled Smart Si thermostat is one of the easiest ways to reduce home energy consumption, where home heating and cooling systems represent 50-70 percent of home energy use.

So switching on to the new Smart Si will not only reduce environmental impact but also helps to save energy consumption at home, ultimately leads to save your hard-earned money.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Evolution Gears up for Pile Peak Hill Climb

Siyahi — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:27:01 +0000

With more modified specs and performance-oriented features, here comes Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV Evolution. The model is actually a performance version of i-MiEV electric car that was released last year by the company.

With the new model, the Japanese carmaker is gearing up for the annual Pile Peak Hill Climb. The competition will be held on July 8, and the car would be competing in the electric cars’ segment.

Major modifications the model has undergone include a completely new carbon fibre body and three electric motors of 80 kilowatt. Two of these electric motors are placed at the rear and one at the front.

The i-MiEV Evolution is based on a stock i-MiEV and the automobile is equipped with a 35 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. It is learnt that i- MiEV will take part in the race as well. It would use a single 49 kilowatt motor on the rear wheels, powered by a 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack for the race.

Solar Charger Now Comes With A Stretchable Cell

Siyahi — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:19:53 +0000

Solar power panel that can be stretched? Strange, but true. Kuaray, designed by Ruben Freire, is a concept that uses stretchable solar cells in it. It is created out of materials like organic particles of plastic, lithium ions, aluminum soda cans and corn.

The plastic case forms the major part. It is made from a patented material called Mirel. It is actually a biodegradable resin produced by Metabolix. A bio-based, light activated plastic developed by Konarka is also used in the panel along with the lithium ion battery.

The configuration used here does the magic. It not only charges electronic devices like cell phones, but also serves as a container for same.Thus you can carry your electronic portable devices safely.

The solar sheet is printed in a roll-to-roll process. Unlike the conventional solar panels, this is environment-friendly and reduces the cost considerably.

The container can be fixed to any window that receives ample sunshine for charging your gadgets. The panel gets its name, Kuaray – meaning sun, from Gurani. Guranis are the indigenous people of South America.

Porsche Plans to Storm Market with 918 Spyder Hybrid Model

Alex Ion — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:38:13 +0000

Who said hybrids can’t be fashionable? Porsche’s new hybrid prototype, named 918 Spyder, is all set to storm the market with high style quotient and impressive features under the hood. Prosche said the production will commence after a year.

The company claims that Spyder yields maximum performance with minimum fuel consumption. Under the hood it has a 500HP 4-litre V8 engine and two electric motors. The gas-electric drivetrain offers a 3.1-second 0-60 sprint and a top speed of 199 mph. At speeds of up to 94 mph, Spyder could propel itself with electric power. Other significant features include the full carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque with unit carrier, fully adaptive aerodynamics, “top pipes” exhaust system as well as the adaptive rear-axle steering.

Dig deep because this hybrid is going to cost you $845,000. We can see the finished product by the end of 2013. Check out more snaps Does the overall body design remind you of the old 917 racers?