Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:39:58 GMT

UK to Get Ecofriendly Hybrid Trains

Hybrid trains, developed for commercial use in Japan, may soon have its way in the UK too. These diesel engine-powered trains are also uses batteries that get charged during regenerative braking, which can provide extra power during acceleration.Developed by the East Japan Railway Company along with JR East, the hybrid train has been running for some time as an experimental rail car. The rail car with a 331kW engine coupled to an 180kW generator is fitted with 16 1kWh lithium ion batteries on the roof.

Business department manager Tsukasa Ariyoshi told Eureka Magazine at the Railtex show,

We are proposing a similar technology to the UK market. But, he also added, The fuel cells are still experimental because they are still too expensive.

Posted by: Irani      Read more     Source

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:54:25 GMT

The Victress Sports Car, Gone Though Not Quite Forgotten

Back in the carefree days of the 50's anyone with mechanical talents, a little cash, and a custom fiberglass body, could build his own hot rod or sports car. A number of bodymakers catered to this hobby, some more successfully than others. I must confess I'd never heard of the "Victress" until Nigel told me of a friend in Kelowna, BC who has one. A little research showed that two Victress series were launched during its brief life: the S-4, intended mostly for Ford frames and adaptable for wheelbases ranging from 112-116", and a wind tunnel-developed S-5 for MG TC, TD and TF frames.

A Victress S-5 featured in the 1954 movie "Johnny Dark," starring Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie, based on a mythical Canada-to-Mexico road race. Curtis drove an S-5 to win first prize: the beautiful granddaughter of his boss. In 1957 a Victress appeared on the cover of Road & Track magazine, a noteable endorsement for a "special" during those colorful years. In 1961 the Victress moulds were acquired by LaDawri, a company begun by Les Dawes in Vancouver BC and later based in California. With a number of photos plus reproductions of period magazine articles, the LaDawri Web site offers a fascinating glimpse of a period when creativity flourished. Posted by: Philip Powell      Read more     Source

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 01:05:51 GMT

Despatch: 110,000 Patrol Cars to Return to HQ

While the AP copy shed little light on the details of the scenario, "Ford Motor Co., the second-largest U.S. automaker, is recalling Crown Victoria Police Interceptor sedans to fix wheels that may develop cracks leading to rapid air loss in the tires." The point of their piece made sense enough.

FoMoCo calling back 109,664 patrol cars built at Ford's Ontario assembly plant between 10/01 to 12/04. And why exactly is Ford celebrating this and other dismal news by awarding its executives bonuses?

Clearly, quality wasn't job one.

[Source: Associated Press] Posted by: Gunnar Heinrich      Read more     Source

March 6, 2007, 4:45 AM CT

Drowse Prevention Alarm Warns Sleepy Drivers

If you are caught with the problem of dozing off while driving, the level-headed Revex's Drowse Prevention Alarm will keep you awake. The moment you drop you head more than 10 degrees, the alarm, which is plugged into your ear will sound off thereby minimizing the chances of any accidents. The alarm features a high and low volume setting and is battery-operated. Priced at 1,200 yen ($10.30).

I would get one........... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 02:20:53 GMT

Record Sales for Ford When Taurus Was the Bull to Beat

What was Ford doing right in 1987 when it announced a net income of $4.6 billion, then a world's record for an automobile manufacturer? For one thing, it was building products that the market wanted, including the Ford Taurus, a car that was seen as revolutionary when first introduced. Twenty years later, Ford is fighting for survival with incomes that are among the industry's worst. What did it do wrong? Among other things, produced a Taurus restyle with an absolutely awful interior, then took the respected nameplate and turned it into a rental car special.

Thankfully, fresh thinking at Ford has resulted in the Taurus name being resurrected and attached to the company's full-size, front-drive sedan. Now the formerly Five Hundred (seen here) has undergone cosmetic changes to make it more appealing but is a Taurus badge enough to make that 4-door box the answer to Ford's woes? Not until it gets a fresh start with new Volvo platforms underneath. A mass-produced family sedan may never be a valued collectible but find an early Taurus in great shape, treat it kindly, and enjoy an American trend-setter. Thanks to Doug Wick's newsletter for this historic reminder. Posted by: Daniel      Read more     Source

February 26, 2007, 6:53 PM CT

A Zero-emissions Snowmobile

Snowmobiles long ago replaced dogsleds for hauling people and cargo in the polar regions, especially in remote research stations and field camps such as those on the Greenland Ice Sheet and in Antarctica.

But for all their utility, snowmobiles are not very environmentally friendly.

So, on March 19, 2007, four National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported teams will compete in the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge in Houghton, Mich., to produce a zero-emissions snow vehicle. The challenge attracts teams of undergraduate engineering students from across North America with the goal of designing a snowmobile with lower environmental impact, less noise, fewer emissions and a lighter footprint--all without sacrificing the performance snowmobile enthusiasts love.

The NSF-funded projects are coordinated by VECO Polar Resources, NSF's logistics contractor for Arctic research. The agency awarded the group $10,000 to support the four teams.

The competition grew from the demand for cleaner snowmobiles in national and state parks and forests. One alternative to restricting or banning snowmobiles on public lands is to find appropriate technological solutions to noise and pollution problems.

Now in its fifth year, the challenge is a competition for college and university student members of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to encourage young engineers to design quieter machines that produce low emissions, but still "smoke" in the performance department. The students are given the opportunity to apply their engineering skills to a difficult problem, working in teams to develop real-world solutions......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 17:28:52 GMT

European Premiere for 2008 Cadillac CTS in Geneva

General Motors’ 2008 US model year Cadillac CTS, that was first unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January this year, will now make its European debut at the upcoming Geneva motor show.

Set to begin build in the US later this year, the all-new CTS, according to GM combines the striking design of a concept car, the performance of a sports car and sophistication of an elegant sedan right into the heart of the luxury market. Fitted with a new 3.6-litre V6 engine, the new CTS delivers a whopping 223kW or around 300 horsepower.

The Cadillac brand will also showcase a facelifted SRX luxury crossover complete with new revamped interiors, and a Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic transmission.

GM also seems desperate to promote the new Escalade, which is already on sale in Europe since January and will be exhibited for the first time at the Geneva show. Completing Cadillacs range is the STS available as an all-wheel-drive with promises of an improvement in fuel efficiency by at least 7%.

The poor-selling BLS range will be expanded with the addition of the BLS Sport. The 2007 Cadillac BLS has had a miserable run in the European market so far, and despite new 18-inch wheels and lowered suspension, it appears unlikely that this model might ignite the market anytime soon.

Throw in the XLR-V and STS-V and Cadillacs range is just about complete at the Geneva motor show. It remains to be seen though if the luxury Cadillac division can finally make any headway in the highly competitive European market dominated by Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volkswagen.

Via: General Motors

Posted by: Jenni72      Read more     Source

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 04:40:18 GMT

Blast from the Past: 120 Miles Per Hour with Seven Horsepower

The year of 1933 witnessed the pictured above racing car that could run 120 miles per hour with seven horsepower. The racing car that had the looks of a war tank was designed especially for George Eyston, renowned British racer. The driver seat was placed inside an aerodynamic, cabin-like frame of steel fitted with windows of mica. The racing car boasted a dust chimney to throw out the dirt kicked up by the wheels thereby saved the windows from being covered with dust. Veteran racers claim that trying 120-mile speed in such an undersized a car is more risky than an assault.

Via: modernmechanics

Posted by: Jenni72      Read more    Source

February 15, 2007, 6:31 AM CT

Better Designed Roadway Intersections

Changes in roadway intersection design can keep older drivers safer and on the road longer, report University of Florida scientists in the current issue of Traffic Injury Prevention.

Wider road shoulders, right-turn lanes that allow drivers to merge into traffic without stopping and angle intersections no sharper than 90 degrees all led to better driving performance by older and younger drivers involved in a UF study of roadway intersection design.

"I think the research shows early support that environmental enhancements are conducive to older driver safety and improved performance," said principal investigator Sherrilene Classen, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions' department of occupational treatment. "But what we found is that it didn't just benefit older drivers, it benefited the younger drivers involved in the study, some of whom were between the ages of 35 and 54, which is also the safest group of drivers".

In 2003 about one in seven licensed drivers was 65 or older. By 2029, that proportion is expected to rise to one in four drivers, as per the AARP Public Policy Institute. Eventhough drivers 65 and older have lower rates of crashes than younger drivers, they are at higher risk for injury or death because of increased fragility......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

February 12, 2007, 9:46 PM CT

Finding survivors, protecting drivers

At the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Symposium, Assistant Professor Hossein Hashemi of the USC Ming Hsieh department of electrical engineering will discuss two radar chips created in his laboratory, both of which detect and generate radio signals, parallel to chips used in cell phones and other wireless devices.

But the new devices also accurately scan, accurately focusing precise beams in specific directions, and also do the reverse, detect, accurately determining the direction of incoming signals.

And unlike other high performance chips with these functions, the USC researchers' designs use ordinary CMOS silicon bases, allowing extremely economical fabrication in standard chip foundries.

As per Hashemi, one chip operating in the 24 GHz range uses an ingenious architecture that combines the functionality of multiple coherent transmitters-receivers ('transceivers'), making it much more compact than prior arrays.

This chip has already attracted the attention of General Motors for possible use in car radar, because ten such devices could be installed in a car for a little more than $100 - less than a tenth of what single devices now in use for car self-parking and blind spot detection systems cost.

These chips can guide parking, and not only detect other vehicles but also pedestrians......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source