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Auto engineers mull engines of the future

The Detroit Free Press reports that ashttp://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070416/BUSINESS01/704160362/1014/BUSINESS01 more than 35,000 engineers and executives gather in Detroit this week for the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, one question will dominate the convention: What will power the car of the future?
The gas engine has dominated the U.S. auto market for decades, but gas-electric hybrids and diesel engines are gaining ground. Ethanol is being promoted as an alternative fuel, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are being tested in real-world conditions.

Posted by   at 12:36 PM to Alternative fuels , Auto industry , Design , Environment , Transportation | Permalink | Comments 0

Nissan seen heading down electric path

Could the electric vehicle be poised for a comeback? A new joint venture between Nissan Motor Co., NEC Corporation, and its subsidiary, NEC TOKIN Corporation, could pave the way for a new generation of battery cars, including super-high-efficiency hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and pure electric vehicles with far more range than the EVs California consumers snubbed in the 1990s, according to thecarconnection.com.

Posted by   at 12:33 PM to Alternative fuels , Alternative fuels , Companies , Environment , Technology | Permalink | Comments 0

Airstream trailers are still going strong

The first Airstream, the Clipper, arrived in 1936 amid a national craze for streamlining — in cars, in buildings, in toasters — as the brainchild of an inventor and travel promoter named Wally Byam. according to the New York Times in a piece dedicated to the famed trailer.
After World War II, as the highway system expanded, the economy boomed and Airstreams gained starring roles in Hollywood films, the trailer came to symbolize American-style travel.

Posted by   at 12:21 PM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Forbes' greenest vehicles

Check out a photo gallery of Forbes.com's list of 10 greenest vehicles. While most are gas hybrids, four are small, economic gas-powered cars.

Posted by   at 10:14 AM to Alternative fuels , Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

New breed of crash test dummies sought

An international consortium of nine automakers and two parts suppliers is asking researchers for proposals to develop "virtual humans" — computer programs that will help them design safer cars and trucks, according to USA Today.
The Global Human Body Models Consortium LLC says the computer models will provide better simulations of crash injuries than current crash dummies.
In an announcement scheduled for Sunday at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit, the companies say they have requested proposals from 40 research and university groups worldwide, and plan to create five centers of expertise for different parts of the body and two centers for full body models, the paper says.

Posted by   at 9:45 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0