The Green LiterGoing the extra mile with electric vehicles, hybrid cars, fuel efficient cars, biofuels and alternative energy sources

A TV series produced by BBC stars an electric car and its travel from Alaska to Argentina stretching 16,000 miles. The show starts this Saturday, first day of the year 2011.

“Racing Green” filmmaker Claudio van Planta tags along postgraduate engineering students from England on their trip that started at Chena Hot Springs on July 1. It took the students 136 days to reach Argentina and to finish their journey.

According to Van Planta, the journey was all about proving the worth of electric cars these days. This kind of effort is appreciated by many people who believe in the future of electric cars.

$95 billion worth of natural gas deposits has been discovered off the Haifa coast in Israel via joint US-Israeli drilling project.

U.S. Company Noble Energy Inc. confirmed that the largest reserve of natural gas has recently been discovered just off Israel’s coast. The reserve, known as Leviathan, is over 16 trillion cubic feet.

The ownership is divided as such: 39.66% for Noble Energy, 22.67% each for Israeli partners Delek Drilling LP and Avner Oil, both under Delek Group Ltd., and 15% for Ratio Oil Exploration (1992) LP.

It is believed that this recent discovery makes Israel on top of the natural gas exporting nations. The drilling project is up for identifying the best development and exploration for Leviathan.

[via Israel Matzav]

Singapore is now considering various measures aimed to make the campaign for energy efficiency better. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been assigned to be the lead agency as far as energy efficiency and conservation is concerned. The promotion of green cars is part of the new strategy of the government.

This is in line with the country’s move to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases through helping consumers go green.

Mandatory labeling for vehicles is looked forward to, alongside that for refrigerators and air-conditioners, to let consumers determine what the more fuel-efficient cars are.

For another two years, the Green Vehicle Rebate is expected to be extended as part of the plan of the Ministry. The improvements in the Green Vehicle Rebate strategy since it has started paved the way to a significant rise of fuel-efficient cars by hundreds.

[via To Build Solar Panel]

Automotive manufacturer Porsche has recently announced that a new car is making its grand debut in the big show this coming January 2011. A few weeks ago, Porsche officially said that Stuttgart, Germany will show something “spectacular” in Detroit.

However, details about the new car has not been confirmed yet. A more refined version of 918 Spyder Hybrid concept is anticipated by many fans. Rumors have it that there will be an all-new model that is between 911 and 918.

The press conference of Porsche will be held on January 10. Two weeks of waiting will surely not hurt. Catch it live over the internet at www.porsche.com/detroit.

[via Motorcrave]

General Motors is one of the participants in the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show via Shanghai GM. The event brings forward 23 production vehicles as well as concept vehicles in line with its theme “Drive to Green and Leading Innovation”.

Included in the Guangzhou Auto Show is the Sail electric concept vehicle by Shanghai GM and Shanghai’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC). The Sail electric concept vehicle, which is based on the previously released Chevrolet Sail, is an environment-friendly small car perfect for ordinary Chinese families.

Powering the Sail electric concept vehicle is a lithium-ion battery (maximum output: 65 kW, maximum torque: 220 Nm, maximum speed: 130 km/h, single electric charge: up to 150 km). Its energy conversion ratio is powered up by its Intelligent Charging Assisting System. Additional energy is triggered by its regenerative braking.

[via Electric Vehicle News]

In the next five years, General Motors aims to make the most out of unveiling thousands of fuel cell vehicles in various countries.

Based upon how the HydroGen4 model works today, the next generation of fuel cell is being worked on in the hope of producing in a significantly cheaper way. General Motors also wants to slash the amount of platinum by 30 grams.

Still ongoing is the Project Driveway that lets drivers to “borrow” from 100 fuel cell vehicles in order to provide engineers with real life data.

Everyone is looking forward to the hydrogen car boost which path will be paved by General Motors. A longer lifetime for the fuel cell vehicle, lower cost of production, and lower cost of the fuel cell are just some of the factors that will make things work easily for GM.

[via Hydrogen Fuel Cars & Vehicles | image credit: Green Car Site]

The future of biofuels will be discussed in the six-day conference to be held in Singapore March of next year. Experts from different fields will gather to determine the potentials of biofuel technologies and their integration into the present energy infrastructure.

The government, academia, and the private sector will be commenting on the existing policies and researches related to biofuels for a maintainable and economic future.

From March 1 to March 6, 2011, the biofuel conference is being organized by Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology, which is a non-profit organization headquartered in the United States, together with Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) from Singapore.

Internationally prominent speakers will be present at the conference including Dr. Arthur Grossman of Solazyme Inc., Professor Timothy Donohue of the University of Wisconsin-Madison/Great Lakes Bioenergy, Professor Lonnie Ingram of the University of Florida, and Dr. Adam Brown of the International Energy Agency.

The first conference organized by Keystone Symposia was held last 2009 in the United States.

You can learn more about the 2011 biofuel conference in Singapore at www.keystonesymposia.org/biofuels.

[via Gov Monitor | image credit: Keystone Symposia]

After the leakage of images of an electric car purportedly to be offered by Mercedes-Benz, the automobile manufacturer has now officially uncovered the electric version of its SLS supercar—the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell.

The E-Cell of Mercedes-Benz aims to be the world’s first all-electric supercar, leaving the Tesla Roadster behind in terms of performance and price.

The four electric motors situated at the rear power up the E-Cell. These motors can rev up to 12,000 rpm. Its total setup power is 649 lb-ft of torque and 525 horsepower. Compared to the SLS powered by gas, which hits 62 time in 3.8 seconds, the all-electric SLS hits in 4 seconds.

Production of Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell is expected to kick off in 2013.

[via Left Lane]

You may not have a more fuel-efficient car yet, but there are still ways for you to save money while driving.

With windows or air conditioner open?

It really depends on the situation. Drive with the windows open if the car has been parked under the sun for hours. You can open the air conditioner once the car has already cooled down. The bottom line, still, is that less power means less fuel.

Regular fuel or premium fuel?

If your car goes well with regular fuel, there is no more need to run it with something higher in octane. On the other hand, going for premium fuel is best if you have a supercharger or a turbocharger.

Light acceleration or heavy acceleration?

Considering light acceleration will surely not hurt you. Aside from saving money, you will also be less prone to meet accident (knock on the wood). By and large, light acceleration saves fuel.

[via Chicago Tribune | image credit: Air Conco]

The first gas-electric hybrid car called “Yo”, after a Russian letter, is yet another brainchild of the Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who is highly known for being the owner of New Jersey Nets basketball team.

The generation of the electric power of Yo is either through natural gas or gasoline. Even if Yo is a testament to the innovations of the Russian engineering, proponents to this revolutionary leap forward is thumbs up for an affordable price of the hybrid car.

Yo features a small petroleum engine for the burning of either natural gas or gasoline and two propelling electric motors. Its motors are generated by filling a bank of capacitors or directly.

Expected in 2012 to be ready for sale, Yo costs about US$14,500. With gasoline and natural gas tanks filled, its range is 1090km and its top speed is 80 miles/hr.

[via Mixed Power | Image credit: MediaCorp Press Ltd]