greencars.za.net

The German sportscar maker Porsche AG is following a rather unorthodox method of cutting the average emissions of its fleet. Where most other producers of large-engines niche vehicles are looking at alternative fuels (like an ethanol powered Koenigsegg) or scaling down engine capacities (like the Ferrari Millechili concept), Porsche is hoping that another manufacturer’s green credentials will help it lower its output. (A similar argument to the theory posed by GreenCars surrounding the benefit of Tata buying the Land Rover brand.) [Read more →]

Ford’s production-ready Fiesta ECOnetic has  been introduced at the British International Motor Show in London.

Powered by a specially-calibrated, 66 kW 1.6-liter Duratorq TDCi,  the Fiesta ECOnetic offers fuel consumption of 3.7 l/100km and CO₂ emissions of 98 g/km. Extra-urban  fuel consumption is 3.2 L/100km. Performance isn’t too bad for such a fuel sipper either - the Fiesta ECOnetic accelerates from  0-100 km/h in 12.3 seconds and has a top speed of 178 km/. The car will also feature a coated Diesel Particulate Filter in order to reduce particulate emissions.

[Read more →]

The Tesla Roadster is a car that we love to write about here at GreenCars. It’s hi-tech, fast and environmentally friendly - all good things. It’s also the product of a young and dynamic company that’s taken Silicon Valley business practices and applied them to the auto industry. The result makes for a very interesting (and at times turbulent) tale - one that’s been written in great detail and depth by Fortune magazine’s Michael V. Copeland.

For anyone who might have been wondering why Tesla Roadsters are only now beginning to come off the production line, Copeland’s article should prove fascinating, as it provides great insight into the technical, organisational and personal factors that have affected the car’s launch.

Check it out here.

Most of us motoring buffs know about local boy Gordon Murray making it big in F1 design a few years back. Friend Gordon then left the racing scene to focus on something more .., well … affordable. After starting Gordon Murray Design (GMD) in Surrey, England, his team of 29 set out to revolutionise the way we think about small cars. [Read more →]

The General’s assembly plant in Zargosa, Spain (which produces over 480 000 vehicles per year) will soon be sporting a massive 10MW solar power station on its roof similar to the system pictured above.

GM will not own the solar station, however. It will be installed and run by US firm Clairvoyant Energy and France’s Veolia Environment who then sell this solar power to the Zargosa plant.

The system will comprise 85000 solar panels covering an area of  183 000m². In addition to its obvious environmental benefits, power generated by this plant will play a major role in reducing the operating costs of the manufacturing facility. It will also sell excess power to the local grid.

This is not the first solar facility to be built by the ailing motor giant - it has similar (albeit smaller) solar plants on the roofs of two parts warehouses in California.

According to GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster, GM might install similar systems on its other European plants if the Zargosa system proves to be effective. 

Source: Physorg

Volkswagen last week introduced a plug-in hybrid Golf, a diesel-electric model slated for global launch in 2010-11. “The automaker is staking a claim to that future with a plug-in hybrid drive train it calls Twin Drive. [Read more →]