May, 2012

Green Car Congress

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NOAA predicts a near-normal 2012 Atlantic and Eastern Pacific hurricane season, below-normal in Central Pacific

Green Car Congress

Conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean favor a near-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this season, NOAA forecasts. NOAA’s outlook for the Eastern Pacific basin is for a near-normal hurricane season and the Central Pacific basin is expected to have a below-normal season. For the entire six-month season, which begins 1 June, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says there’s a 70% chance of 9 to 15 named storms (with top winds of 39 mph or higher), of which four to eight will strengthen

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Audi introduces sport e-bike concept at Wörthersee

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Audi e-bike Wörthersee. Click to enlarge. One of the highlights on the Audi stand at the 2012 Wörthersee Tour in Austria (an annual gathering of Audi VW, Seat and Skoda enthusiasts) is an electric bicycle technology concept: the Audi e-bike Wörthersee. The prototype cycle—described by Audi as a high-end pedelec made for sport, fun and tricks—combines an electric drive and muscle power.

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Audi A3 launching with new 4-cylinder engines; cylinder-on-demand, supplementary indirect injection, start-stop and modular efficiency technologies

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1.4 TFSI with cylinder on demand technology. Click to enlarge. When the new A3 is launched ( earlier post ), Audi will be offering one TDI and two TFSI engines, with a 1.4L TFSI with cylinder-on-demand to follow. The initial three four-cylinder engines all make their appearance as new developments. Their engine displacements range from 1.4 to 2.0 liters and their power from 90 kW (122 hp) to 132 kW (180 hp).

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First application of ZF 7-speed manual transmission for passenger cars; standard automatic stop-start system

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The 7-speed manual transmission is based on the 7-speed double-clutch transmission. Click to enlarge. ZF Friedrichshafen AG is supplying a 7-speed manual transmission (7MT) for Porsche’s new 911 models, marking the first manual transmission with 7 speeds available for passenger cars. The transmission design is based on ZF’s 7-speed double clutch transmission (7DT).

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MIT report finds China’s actions on climate change crucial; argues for global economy-wide greenhouse gas tax

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A new report from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change shows the importance of all major nations taking part in global efforts to reduce emissions—and in particular, finds China’s role to be crucial. The report—titled “The Role of China in Mitigating Climate Change” and published in the journal Energy Economics , compares the impact of a stringent emissions reduction policy with and without China’s participation.

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The Renault Foundation launches first professional “electric vehicle and electro-mobility” diploma

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The Renault Foundation is launching a new training course for students with two years’ further education (Bac+2 or professional-experience diploma) in partnership with the IUT technology institute in Mantes (Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin): the first professional diploma (a French licence) in “Electric Vehicle and Electro-mobility”. The objective is to finance a training program for students on work-study programs to enhance their employability and prepare them for mid-manager job positi

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Washington State opens 10 new public charging stations on West Coast Electric Highway; Seattle to Canadian border

Green Car Congress

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), along with electric charging station partner AeroVironment opened 10 new public charging stations—seven along Interstate 5 and three along US Route 2 in northern Washington—that provide EV drivers the ability to travel from Seattle to the Canadian border. Eight of the 10 new charging stations in Washington feature AeroVironment’s DC fast chargers, which deliver a full charge for a nearly-depleted EV battery in less than 30 mi

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