AUTOMOTIVE - TRANSPORT DESIGN . Greener Vehicle Designers .

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Just a start ... We have long recognised the value of all the lessons, disasters and consequences of modern transportation design. We are all still a long way short of the marque. A selection of news, stories and links to accelerate the change process towards truly green design. Oz focus, global reference.

Recent 2009 two wheel electric designs
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The creative juices are flowing with several noteworthy designs, from Left, the largest is the 100% electric 'powercycle' Brammo Enertia Brammo.com, from West Coast, USA. Features branded quality items alongside its recycled parts. Many exhilarating elements in one package though it would be nice if they are able to note it is only "C02-e friendly" when the electricity source is renewable and not coal-fired :: Another US release, the Picycle sports several features to complement its dynamic arcing form including a recent price reduction. Article from LAtimesblogs by Susan Carpenter :: The yike bike designed and manufactured in NZ is a breakthrough 'minifarthing' shape bristling with hi-tech features that deftly folds down to an easy-to-carry size. The yike bike will benefit from some development towards even greener versions with manual options :: Featured in SRD change 09 exhibits are two concepts that turn heads. Omar Alwari's eTrix sports the whole package of electric/manual/automatic folding bike that includes a centrifical gearbox :: Anton Grimes LINK Urban Scooter system integrates with existing power poles adapted as a convenient source of power and storage for the city scooter traveller. See srdchange.org for these last two.
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Assessing greener automotive design
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AU : Green Vehicles guide: A good start but could be more comprehensive ... source : www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au
Fuel consumption label source : www.environment.gov.au/settlements/transport/fuelguide/label.html
Top 10 Fuel Efficient Cars in Australia 2008 source : austconserv.com/topics/traveling-and-environment/345-top-10-fuel-efficient-cars-in-australia-2008.html
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USA: Green Cars - Across Technologies. Fuel efficiency and price comparisons ... source : autos.yahoo.com/green_center-cars
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UK: What Green Cars - A great range of articles and comparisons across all technologies. Fuel efficiency and price comparisons (Lowest score is greener)... source : www.whatgreencar.com/index.php
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2009 auto greenNews
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Mini Diesel to become the most fuel efficient conventional vehicle available in Australia but due to particulate emissions will not take top spot from fortwo in Au. government ratings. sources: Drive 1 : Drive 2

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Fisker Karma plug-in super hybrid for the top end of the US market ... motorauthority story

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Toyota revises 2009 Prius mpg rating to 51 city, 48 highway and 50 combined. motorauthority story

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Segway and GM combine to unveil the P.U.M.A. concept. See story source : GM, Segway roll out an electric scooter built for two
See the Video : www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY4msj5Q05Q&feature=player_embedded

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Lightning Hybrids is an automotive research and manufacturing company that has designed two 100 MPG hydraulic-biodiesel hybrid cars with sports sedan performance (0-60 in 5.9 seconds) and visual appeal. The cars are slated to be available in the US 2010. See : www.lightninghybrids.com

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Greener Racing
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FORMULA ZERO is the new zero-emission race class for hydrogen and fuel cells vehicles. The race class will commence with small racers, and as the car industry moves to mass production of fuel cell vehicles, Formula Zero will scale up to being a full size racing class. www.formulazero.nl/pagina/formula_zero :: 2009/10 Fuel Cell Championship www.formulazero.nl/pagina/championship/championship_se2009

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2008 auto green news
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European Commission Proposes 200 billion Euros Economic Recovery Plan with a 5 billion Euros Green Cars Initiative. The plan includes detailed proposals for partnerships between the public sector - using Community, EIB and national funding - and private sectors to boost clean technologies through support for innovation. In addition to the European green cars initiative, the Plan proposes a European energy-efficient buildings and a factories of the future initiative. Source : www.greencarcongress.com/2008/11/european-commis.html

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Get your quantities right to convert ... check if you have UK (Imperial) or US measures for an accurate figure. (Perhaps some new international standard may improve this further) www.theconvertersite.com/conversions/fuelconsumption.php
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Emission comparisons for several transport modes in Europe
Transport of goods causes energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and exhaust emissions. More and more logistics providers as well as cross border companies want to know the eco-impact of freight movements by various transport modes, in order to reduce this impact. Consequently, the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu), Heidelberg, and the Rail Management Consultants GmbH (RMCon), developed the objective EcoTransIT-Tool to quantify the emissions from freight transport. www.ecotransit.org/information.en.phtml
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Electric Ideas and more
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Who killed the electric car? A documentary movie and website with some very interesting observations ... source : www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com
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Cyclical concepts, and buy right now !
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Call that a bike ?? In many versions to get you off down the road ... See Greenspeed Glyde story + more at their home site : www.greenspeed.com.au/Glyde.News.html

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