The latest Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks look to be the greenest versions of the vehicles yet thanks to new diesel and petrol engine powertrains.

Now before you say that being the greenest truck is hardly worthy of an environmental stamp of approval, consider the strides that have been taken. The 6.7litre Power Stroke V-8 Turbocharged diesel engine, for example, averages an 18 per cent improvement in fuel economy for pick-up models and up to 25 per cent improvement for chassis cabs compared to 2010 models. Indeed trucks equipped with the basic 6.2litre V-8 petrol engine average a 15 per cent improvement in fuel economy when compared to the 2010 models. 

There’s no compromise with power to achieve these improvements, however. The 6.7litre Power Stroke V-8 produces a best in class 997Nm of torque at 1,600rpm; while the new 6.2litre V-8 also boasts best in class numbers at 549Nm at 4,500rpm. Indeed the new diesel engine is also B20 biodiesel compatible, while the petrol engine is E85 compatible.

According to Al Bruck, the transmission engineering manager, the new transmission is a clean-sheet design that has been developed to handle increased torque and higher rotational speeds. It can deliver power to the wheels seamlessly and efficiently.

Among the enhancements that have been made to the transmission are an optimised shift and converter lock-up schedule; gearing and double-overdrive; optimised pumping pressure; optimised drainback to reduce spin losses; and a warmer operating temperature.

French car manufacturer Renault has joined forces with a host of companies to establish an e-mobility project in the Rhine-Ruhr region.

The project’s aim is to integrate electric mobility into everyday traffic along the A40 motorway. Charging infrastructure will be built in the towns of Mulheim, Essen and Dortmund by mid-2011 and data will be collected to enable the development of marketable products, including GPS devices, with a clear charging station overview.

The vehicle fleet includes 40 Renault pre-production electric vehicles and 110 converted electric cars, based on the Fiat 500 and Karabag 500E that RWE will provide as lease vehicles.

The Renault models expected to be incorporated into the project include the Kangoo Express zero emission utility vehicle and the Fluence zero emission mid-range family saloon car. Both of the vehicles are expected to be launched in Europe in 2011 and are capable of a range of 160km with both standard and quick charging available. As an added bonus, Fluence batteries can also be exchanged using the quick-drop system.

The project will receive support from the German Ministry for Traffic, Construction and Urban Development to the tune of around €7million. Participants in the scheme include RWE Effizienz GmbH; Renault Deutschland AG; automotive engineering research company Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen (fka); and the Institut für Hochspannungstechnik (High-Voltage Engineering Institute) of RWTH Aachen University.

A range extended electric conversion of the Ford F-150 has been revealed as part of the 2010 National Truck Equipment Association Work Truck Show and Green Truck Summit.

The vehicle, developed by Michigan-based electric powertrain company ALTe LLC includes a Ford 2.0litre, four-cylinder normally aspirated petrol engine that powers an 82kW Remy DC generator. It includes two Remy DC drive motors that run at 320V and deliver 400Nm maximum torque.

The battery pack has been assembled into a saddlebag configuration with a 52mile all-electric range. Fuel economy in charge sustaining mode is 32mpg and the entire range extended electric system adds around 200lbs to the vehicle’s net weight. 

According to ALTe CEO John Thomas, the company is in discussions with several car manufacturers at the chairman and CEO level and is also in discussions with a major retail chain that is interested in becoming a nationwide centre partner.

Thomas hopes that his company might be the one that offers Freightliners, manufacturers and their customers the range-extended solution to complement the existing battery electric vehicles in the field.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced today a €300 million (£270m) loan guarantee to General Motors (GM) Europe.

The money will help to secure GM brand Vauxhall’s continued operations in Britain at its two plants; Luton and Ellesmere Port. It will also support Vauxhall’s sister brand Opel within its operations on mainland Europe.

Today’s outline agreement follows on from complex talks between the Government and GM. The guarantee will be provided under the Government’s Automotive Assistance Programme. It is believed to be the first loan secured through the programme, set up to support the UK car industry.

The British loan guarantee will be provided alongside extra support from GM in the US and support from other European governments.

Lord Mandelson said: “I always said the Government would stand foursquare behind Vauxhall and with this announcement today we have kept our word. These are excellent plants employing a first rate workforce.

"We need Vauxhall to thrive as part of Britain’s automotive manufacturing base and following our negotiations with GM Europe I am confident it will do so”.

Discussions will continue with GM and other European governments to finalise the remaining details of funding terms and arrangements enabling the implementation of the business plan.

The car giant had originally planned to sell Vauxhall and Opel as part of its restructuring process, however it reversed that decision last year. The new loan should help to bring Vauxhall’s planned production for the range-extended Ampera-to fruition. The Ampera is currently due to start production before the end of the 2012.

An international safety standard for electric and hybrid vehicles has been adopted this week as the ‘World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations’. 

The adoption of the new type approval clears the way for the early uptake of electric cars across 41 countries which have mutual recognition of this approval.

The new regulations cover all types of electric vehicles: pure electric, hybrid, plug-in, as well as hydrogen fuel cells vehicles as regards to electric safety requirements.  They set electric safety requirements of all types of electric road vehicles (passenger and commercial vehicles) which can exceed 25 km/h. One of the key requirements is that vehicles must provide users with an effective protection against electric shocks.

The World Forum-a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)-is responsible for developing vehicle regulations aimed at increasing vehicle safety and environmental performance. It adopted the new version of UNECE Regulation No. 100 on Wednesday during its March session which concludes today.

This change in UNECE Regulation No. 100 reflects the growing interest of both manufacturers and customers for electric and hybrid vehicles, as evidenced at the Geneva motor show this year.

It offers car manufacturers the legal instrument to put into the market passenger and commercial vehicles with greener standards, reducing the costs and delays associated with multiple approvals in various countries.

The list of countries that that recognise the  UNECE Regulation No. 100 includes the 27 Member States of the European Union, the European Union itself, as well as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Norway, Russian Federation, Serbia, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia and Turkey.  Several Asian countries, including Japan, are expected to apply the new version soon.

An unknown Silicon valley start up is planning to save the New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI)  plant in California.

The plant which operated as a joint venture between Toyota and GM, currently employs around 4,700 people but is set to close at the end of this month as its contract ends. However the small-time electric car maker called Aurica Motors hopes to move in and save the jobs at the Fremont-based plant.

Aurica Motors says that when current production at the plant ceases on March 31, it wants to convert the facilities at NUMMI to produce its concept E-Car model-potentially saving all 4,700 jobs. Not only that- the start up says that another 50,000 jobs or more employed within a network of part makers and suppliers are dependant on the future of the plant.

The plans to save the manufacturing facility will depend on Federal support in the form of stimulus funding as well as Department of Energy grants.

On the firm’s website, the company proclaims its E-Car (depicted above) is a car with a purpose-‘to make electric cars more practical while saving 4700 NUMMI jobs, the Bay Area economy, and the environment – all at the same time’. That’s a tall order.

Little is known about the E-Car but its designers say it will go further on a single than ever possible before. Estimated to be capable of 0-60 mph in 4 or 5 seconds, the car will also be able to be recharged in less than three minutes in one of the firm’s own Power Exchange Package (PEP) charging kiosks, quickly swapping out its battery and replacing it with a freshly charged one. The firm claims the car can be independent of the grid too- sourcing all of its electricity from renewable sources only- solar, wind and tidal energy.

The truly 100 per cent emission-free car is also made to last too- 20 years or more is estimated for both the body and drive system with minimal maintenance. Instead of buying a new car every 2 to 5 years, the maker says buyers can swap out an older body style into a brand new look for less than a third the price of a new car- minimising waste.

The Aurica E-Car Series will begin with four body styles all built to fit on the same standard chassis. It will be offered as a sporty economy car, a mid-sized 4-door sedan, a stylish SUV hatchback, or a light pickup truck.

If it plans succeed, the hugely ambitious firm hopes to see its first car off the production line within two years.

Tesla has revealed a new concept electric car at the Geneva Motor Show.

Designed by the  Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Turin, the new electric car concept has been a highlight of the Swiss show, which after two weeks entertaining the public, closes this weekend.

Called the Eye, the new concept was created by 11 students on the university’s Transportation Design MA program under the supervision of Tesla’s Design Director, Franz von Holzhausen.

Based on an idea by Jorge Andrés Pinilla Fonseca, the fully electric 2+2 -seat concept is a C-segment car for a young, cosmopolitan target demographic.

Measuring 4250mm in length and 1800mm wide, the concept stands 1360mm high and has a 2650mm wheelbase. It incorporates a black plexiglass front mask and an innovative roof structure that enables the vehicle to become a semi-open car with a loading bay similar to that of a pickup truck.

Known for producing and designing its Roadster model, Tesla specialise in all- electric high performance cars. Its Roadster model is capable of 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and can travel up to 236 miles on a single charge.

The silicon valley firm, which recently filed a registration statement for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock, is rumoured to be planning to stop making the Roadster-its one and only full production model. Although another concept model called the Model S is planned for production, the future of the firm is as yet undecided. As such, hopes for a full production Eye model are probably beyond hope at the moment. For more details on Tesla’s plans, read our recent Green Piece article on the US firm.

In an effort to slash energy use and reduce feedstock consumption, work has started on an EU-funded project to improve the performance of the continent’s biorefinaries.

Known as EUROBIOREF (European multi-level integrated biorefinary design for sustainable biomass processing) it is a four-year project with a total budget of €37billion, of which a substantial amount will come from the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme.

Its aim is to overcome fragmentation in the sector through the promotion of networking, co-operation and co-ordination. It has put together a project consortium to cover the whole biomass chain and this will include companies in the biochemical industry, European organisations and researchers.

In addition, partners will develop a biorefinary concept for a wide range of feedstocks and different processes including chemical, biochemical and thermochemical. This will result in the production of a variety of products that range from polymers to high energy aviation fuels and chemicals.

It is hoped that by improving the efficiency of the reaction processes, the systems can become more flexible and reduce production time and logistics. This in turn could help improve cost efficiency by as much as 30 per cent. Furthermore, they hope to reduce the amount of energy used by around 30 per cent and cut feedstock consumption by 10 per cent. The plants should also produce zero waste.

Project partners are based in 14 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Madagascar, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV has continued its European adventure after the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with MM Automobile Schweiz AG and Alpiq Holding AG, the country’s largest electricity provider, in Switzerland.

The three parties will work together to confirm the viability of electric vehicles and quick charger units and promote the new generation i-MiEV in the country.

Alpiq sees the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and electric mobility as an innovative solution to develop individual means of transport without CO2 emissions.

The i-MiEV has already made its way to the country as part of the Geneva International Motor Show. It is being made available for test drives within the show’s Green Pavilion. The show runs until March 14.

The green movement in the US is not just limited to the West coast – now New York is getting in on the act with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarding $8million to help develop or commercialise 19 advanced energy storage projects.

The awards will be made to companies and universities across the state and could benefit transportation as well as renewable energy technologies and utility Smart Grid applications.

Let’s take a look at some of the projects set to benefit:

• General Electric – Has been awarded $2,500,000 to develop its sodium metal halide batteries for use in a new generation of cleaner locomotives and stationary applications.

• Ultralife Corporation – Picks up $2,400,000 for integrating battery and ultra-capacitors on a common power circuit that serves two renewable energy sources to increase renewable energy contributions to the grid.
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – $200,000 for next-generation lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.
• Cerion Enterprises – With $200,000 it will develop innovative materials for next generation lithium-ion batteries.
• Ioxus - $600,000 will go towards three projects to improve ultracapacitor performance.
• City University of New York – Picks up $349,597 towards two projects – one to develop a nickel-zinc battery that uses low cost materials; and the other to improve the performance of ultra-capacitors.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory – $552,890 towards three projects to develop improved batteries for stationary grid scale energy storage applications.
• SUNY Binghamton – Has been awarded $200,000 for lithium-air storage systems for vehicle or grid systems.
• College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the University at Albany – Funding worth $200,000 to produce electrolytes that improve the performance of ultra-capacitors.
• Hollingsworth & Vose Co – $200,000 for an advanced separator for valve-regulated lead-acid batteries.
• Cornell University – Has been awarded $200,000 for non-flammable battery electrolytes.
• General Motors – $196,090 for materials for improved lithium-ion battery electrodes for automotive applications.
• Impact Technologies – With $99,766 awarded it will develop a method to increase the lifetime of batteries by assessing battery health.
• Rochester Institute of Technology – With $195,869 it will look into methods to recycle and reuse lithium-ion batteries.