Motor Authority - blog Tag: alternative fuels

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), an Australian university, has unveiled Australia's first hydrogen powered race car, dubbed 'Formula H' and developed in conjunction with the Fachhochschule Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences.

With speeds of around 106mph (170km/h) expected, the car will be racing to put its name in the Guinness Book of Records should it be successful in outpacing its single-seater hydrogen-powered competitors. If 106mph doesn't sound exactly blistering, don't write off the capabilities of hydrogen just yet - last year Ford raced a hydrogen-powered Ford Fusion to a speed of 207mph (333km/h) using a... The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), an Australian university, has unveiled Australia's first hydrogen powered race car, dubbed 'Formula H' and developed in conjunction with the Fachhochschule Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. With speeds of around 106mph (170km/h) expected, the car will be racing to put its name in the Guinness Book of Records should it be successful in outpacing its single-seater hydrogen-powered competitors. If 106mph doesn't sound exactly blistering, don't write off the capabilities of hydrogen just yet - last year Ford raced a hydrogen-powered Ford Fusion to a speed of 207mph (333km/h) using a 770hp (574kW) electric engine. The professor behind the car, Aleksander Subic, was optimistic about the car's effect on current thinking about hydrogen, stating that through the one-seater hydrogen powered car he wished to "show the world the possibilities of this alternative clean technology". The German-Australian built car will be powered by an internal combustion engine that uses hydrogen for power, and its relatively low speed is governed by the requirements for the record. Additionally, a small motorcycle engine has been used to keep weight down and maximize the car's efficiency. Subic was keen to extol the virtues of hydrogen in both consumer applications and racing cars, with the ultimate goal of one day seeing "a clean and green Formula 1 competition" powered by hydrogen. Already at least two other hydrogen-fueled race series have been proposed, while EnviroSportscar is working on a wide-open 'green' racing series that allows for a range of technologies. Read More

The Germans are embracing diesels wholeheartedly, and many of the Fiat Group's companies have a standing relationship with the oily fuel, but Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa has ruled out any move toward the technology, at least within the next five years, and probably beyond that.

"Diesel is not a direction in which we want to go," said Felisa last week, reports the Telegraph. "It is not in our five-year strategic plan and I don't think diesel is an answer to the problem."

Efficiency concerns that worry larger-volume carmakers such as Porsche, Mercedes and Audi havent' had as important a place at Ferrari. Even with the new California, planned... The Germans are embracing diesels wholeheartedly, and many of the Fiat Group's companies have a standing relationship with the oily fuel, but Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa has ruled out any move toward the technology, at least within the next five years, and probably beyond that. "Diesel is not a direction in which we want to go," said Felisa last week, reports the Telegraph. "It is not in our five-year strategic plan and I don't think diesel is an answer to the problem." Efficiency concerns that worry larger-volume carmakers such as Porsche, Mercedes and Audi havent' had as important a place at Ferrari. Even with the new California, planned to be Ferrari's biggest seller ever, total volume is expected to be well under the 10,000 vehicle mark annually, but the company has a self-set goal of cutting CO2 emissions by 40% by 2012. That would lower the average from around 400g/km to the 250g/km range. Cutting back displacement and adding forced induction is one possible alternative, and has been discussed for a range of vehicles, including the next halo supercar and the F430 replacement from the Italian maker. Already Ferrari is engineering improvements into its cars, with the California ranking as the greenest ever for the marque. Shaving weight, maximizing aerodynamic efficiency and other engineering work will be used to make the most of the petrol engine at Ferrari.Ferrari California live photos Read More

The Ford Mustang is many things to many people, but rarely is it considered an efficient or 'green' vehicle. A German LPG advocacy group and tuning shop Rollin on Chrome have come together to change that perception, however, producing a 300hp (228kW) LPG-fueled custom Mustang GT, which joins the growing ranks of alternative-fueled vehicles that are seeking to clean up transport.

Sporting massive 22" wheels and a '3D Carbon' body kit, the car looks anything but green, and with 300hp (228kW) it should be several orders of magnitude more fun to drive than a typical environmentally-friendly car. But since it burns LPG, it produces about 20%... The Ford Mustang is many things to many people, but rarely is it considered an efficient or 'green' vehicle. A German LPG advocacy group and tuning shop Rollin on Chrome have come together to change that perception, however, producing a 300hp (228kW) LPG-fueled custom Mustang GT, which joins the growing ranks of alternative-fueled vehicles that are seeking to clean up transport. Sporting massive 22" wheels and a '3D Carbon' body kit, the car looks anything but green, and with 300hp (228kW) it should be several orders of magnitude more fun to drive than a typical environmentally-friendly car. But since it burns LPG, it produces about 20% less carbon dioxide than petrol, and about 95% less nitric oxides (NOx) than a typical diesel. LPG advocates also hype the secondary effects of the fuel in helping to prevent pollution - since it's a gas, spills will evaporate rather than leeching into the ground or water supply. Biofuels, LPG and other alternative fuels have been gaining increasing popularity as oil and fuel prices climb skyward. Some worry that a price drop in oil may drive a resurgence in traditional fossil fuel use, but cars like this Mustang sponsored by Green Autogas and the BioConcept Mustang GT RTD - a biofuel racecar - prove that power and fun can still be had without traditional fuels. Via: Autoblog.nl Read More