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Xavier Navarro

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SEAT starts installing solar panels on Martorell factory roof

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 13th, 2009 at 6:52PM



As we announced, SEAT is trying to maximize the possibilities of the sunny Mediterranean climate for its factory in Martorell, near Barcelona, Spain. SEAT's plan is ambitious, and could allow the plant to be able to function almost off the grid. The factory will use 320,000 m2 of solar panels on the roof, the equivalent of 10 MW of electric power. Annually, the plant could generate 13 million kWh. That's enough to power 3,000 homes and will save up to 6,200 metric tons of CO2. The first project will start working next year, and will be Spain's second largest photovoltaic installation. Now let's see if solar power can be used for the Brisa and Duna models

[Source: SEAT]

Thrifty Dutch Hyundai onwers can win up to €10,000 in free gas

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 13th, 2009 at 9:13AM



Thrifty Dutch Hyundai owners have been given a chance to enter a contest where the prize is the equivalent of five years' worth of gas, estimated at €10,000. The package goes to whoever is the most frugal at the wheel. Anyone registering for the contest at Dutch Hyundai dealers is also entered to win a €500 fuel card. The fuel challenge will be conducted in December and there's more information at the official site. A local Dutch auto publication is also offering another €500 card. Because nothing says conserve your fuel like giving drivers three independent chances to win free gas.

[Source: AutoNL]

Ford launches eco-driving campaign in Portugal

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 12th, 2009 at 4:10PM

Ford Lusitánia, the Portuguese importer of The Blue Oval's vehicles, is currently promoting the Projecto Eco-Condução Portugal. The project includes a contest and a campaign to promote a small set of eco-driving tips.

The contest takes 20 motorists, selected from 150 finalists, who are being tested as they drive their cars to see who uses the least amount of fuel. The eco-driving campaing focus on 6 common green driving tips: anticipate traffic, drive using low rpm, don't rev up and then quickly slowing down, keep the car properly tuned and analsye your driving to try and identify ways to burn less fuel. Ford partners for this campaing are the ACAP, BP, IMTT-Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes Terrestres, Instituto Superior Técnico and CarChip.

[Source: Ford of Portugal]

MP3 in its sights: Peugeot shows off Concept HYbrid3 Evolution

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 12th, 2009 at 2:07PM


Peugeot Concept HYbrid3 Evolution hybrid scooter - Click for complete high-resolution gallery

Peugeot is no stranger to scooters and already has a 3-wheeled scooter to aim at the Piaggio MP3. Since the MP3 has a hybrid version and Peugeot is exploring hybrids in its automobiles, it's not too surprising that Peugeot has revealed the Concept HYbrid3 Evolution. The powertrain uses a 300cc engine good for 41 hp, according to Diario del Motor. This is double what the MP3 produces and uses two electric motors powering the front wheels to account for eight of those hp. The scooter starts in electric mode and turns on the combustion engine when the speed gets over 10 kmh. When running, the front wheels are activated in case of traction problems. Consumption is low, just 2 l/100 km (118 mpg U.S.), and the HYbrid3 puts out 50 g/km of CO2. The frugal scooter still hits a maximum speed of 150 km/h (90 mph) and runs from 0 to 50 km/h (0 to 31 mph) in under 5 seconds. Unfortunately, Peugeot didn't mention when the scooter anything about a sales date for the HYbrid3.


Gallery: Peugeot Concept HYbrid3 Evolution


[Source: Peugeot via Diario del Motor]

Citroën C-Zero ready to be tested [w/VIDEO]

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 11th, 2009 at 11:11AM


Citroen C-Zero - click above for high res image gallery

British and French motorists will be able to try the Citroën C-Zero before it goes on sale. Citroën has launched a website for interested drivers to ask for a test drive of the badge-engineered Mitsubishi-based car and to get all kinds of information about the model. As announced yesterday, the C-Zero is based on the Mitsubishi iMiEV and uses a standard European 220V plug to fill the batteries in about 6 hours. The website also offers up a nice video which you can watch right after the jump. It's in French, but the message is pretty obvious.

[Source: Citroën via Le Blog Auto]

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Happy 10th Birthday, Diesel Particulate Filters

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 11th, 2009 at 10:04AM



For 10 years, diesels lovers have had a reason to celebrate their engines a little bit more than before: filters that reduce pollution. Called Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), the devices were first introduced by Peugeot at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 1999. The lucky vehicle was a Peugeot 607. As you might know, DPFs come in two versions. Some of them, like the ones used by PSA, need a special additive, called Eolys. Others, like the ones used at Toyota, store the pollutants in a chamber and burns them when necessary. Peugeot has sold 2.1 million cars with PDFs, 233,000 of them in Germany.

[Source: Auto News]

Renault-Nissan-Bajaj's Ultra-Low-Cost car project still alive

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 11th, 2009 at 8:56AM



It's been a while since we've heard an update on the car coming from the joint venture of Renault-Nissan and Indian manufacturer Bajaj, a competitor to the Tata Nano. Carlos Ghosn, Renault-Nissan's CEO, fills us in with a statement that the ULC (Ultra Low Car) project is alive and well. What news do we learn? First, the 2011 release date has been pushed back to 2012. Second, the car is going to cost $3,000 (compared to the Nano's base price of around $2,000) and will still be available in a version that gets 70 mpg. According to Ghosn, the car will be designed, developed and produced by Bajaj, while Renault-Nissan will provide sales and marketing. We surmise that an export model, with either Nissan or Renault (or maybe Dacia) badges, is more than a possibility.

[Source: AFP via Le Blog Auto]

Project Sartre uses road trains to save fuel on the highway

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 10th, 2009 at 6:03PM



Do you get bored when driving along the interstate? Ever wish you could just pull out your laptop and check Facebook on a long straightaway? If a EU-funded project called Sartre ever becomes a reality, you could. Sartre is a sort of drafting software that would use wireless controls to group up to 8 cars together into a train that would follow a truck or bus driven by a professional driver. The software uses GPS-based technology to control the distance between cars and keeps them moving at a constant speed, always guided by the lead vehicle. Road trains would be great for long-distance commuters who don't want to pay attention to the road and would also help with by saving fuel, since they are estimated to reduce fuel costs up to 20 percent since the truck would do most of the job of pushing air out of the way. Science fiction? We'll find out soon when a test on public roads in Spain takes place.

[Source: BBC]

Citroën updates C5 with a small turbo and an all-new diesel

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 5th, 2009 at 4:04PM



Citroën's entry in the medium-large car segment is the C5. This sedan, which competes against offerings such as the VW Passat, gets updated with a couple of Euro V-compliant powertrains that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. First, the C5 gets the 1.6-liter THP turbo gasoline engine, which was co-developed with BMW and can be found in other PSA offerings as well as the Mini. This 163 hp unit replaces the 2-liter 143 hp unit and burns 7.1 l/100 km (33 mpg U.S.). The new diesel features a particulate filter and is a 2-liter 163 hp unit that manages to burn just 5.6 l/100 km (42 mpg U.S.) when mated to a manual gearbox and 6.9 l/100 km (34 mpg U.S.) when mated to an automatic.

[Source: Motor Pasión]

Volvo introduces new hybrid truck for refuse and delivery

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 8:54AM


2010 Volvo FE Hybrid Truck - Click for gallery

In many cities, garbage trucks can wake up entire neighborhoods with the sound of diesel engines. When the new Volvo FE truck goes on sale (expected to take place in 2012), waste management companies will be able to opt for a truck that produces no noise, at low least some of the time. The FE truck is a parallel hybrid, like the Toyota Prius, and can operate using just the electric motor and lithium-ion batteries at low speeds; the diesel engine starts up when more power is needed or the battery is flat. The spec sheet is impressive: there's a 7-liter 300 hp engine mated to a 3-phase 120 kW motor, fed by 600V lithium ion batteries. Volvo states that this set-up manages to reduce fuel consumption by 30 percent and, in start-stop driving, drops noise levels a few dB for sleeping neighbors.


Gallery: 2010 Volvo FE Hybrid truck


[Source: Volvo]

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