Best Green Car of 2011: Chevrolet Volt
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt became the first electric car to be chosen as the Green Car of the Year 2011. Chevrolet Volt received this honor at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which is held every year by the Green Car Journal. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric car was chosen as the electric car of the year by an eminent jury, which consisted of the editors of Green Car Journal, Jean Michel President of Ocean Futures Society, Carl Pope Chairman of Sierra Club, and the host of Tonight Show Jay Leno, who happens to be a big fan of cars. YouTube: 2011 Green Car of the Year | More Videos
The competition for the Green car of the year was tough. In the finals 2011 Chevrolet Volt had to compete in this category with other big names in the field of electric cars like the Nissan Leaf, the Lincoln MKZ, Hyundai Sonata, two hybrids and a Ford Fiesta subcompact.So what makes 2011 Chevrolet Volt, run on electricity a green car? The following two features contribute in this direction,
- It can run up to 40 Km on electricity before the backup gas engine comes into play
- The car has a special backup engine, which never lets you run out of electric power. The driver may not have any kind of fear in this regard.
Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine has also named Chevrolet Volt, which will be available in the open market very soon, as the car of the year.
Social responsibility that General Motors takes-up towards environment
Apart from being voted the Green car of the year, General Motors, which makes Chevrolet, is also taking other steps to do its bit to clear up the environment, which is being polluted by its cars. It has contributed $40 million as donation to a local environment project in the US hoping to reduce carbon emission by 8 million metric tons. Since the 1.9 million Chevrolets sold before 2012 are expected to release roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide, this will kind of compensate the environment for the loss General Motors has caused to it.
Mike Robinson, the Vice-President for environment, energy and safety in General Motors says that apart from fuel economy and other features, Chevrolet wanted to do something that makes their brand distinguished. So they have set-up this program, the first by any auto maker.
Taking up Other social obligations.
General Motor’s Vice President of US marketing Joel Ewanick has also said that though it will take two more years to choose such projects. In the future the company will help various projects like small-scale wind energy and weatherizing schools by providing them aid and grants .
Source: Alternative Energy
New Porsche Boxster S Black Edition
If you have been waiting literally hours for a Porsche Boxster S variant to accelerate tenths of a second faster than the standard S, then salvation is at hand! Behold, the Porsche Boxster S Black edition.
The limited-to-987-models Boxster S Black gets 10bhp and seven more torques than the standard S, and as such, accelerates from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds (5.3 for the S). Fitted with the PDK box and launch control, the Black will hit 62mph in 4.9 seconds (5.2 for the PDK'd S).
It's finished in black paint, features black rollover bars, black trim strips inside, a black leather steering wheel, black instrument dials and an anti-dazzle interior.
If, like many people on earth, you live your life in tenths of seconds, you need this £47,426 Porker. Or you could wait until next week, when the Boxster S More Black will arrive. It will be one-tenth of a second faster and will come with a moody Goth as standard.
Source: topgear.com
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Gets 40 MPG
It's all about the MPG race now.
Hyundai's new 2011 Sonata Hybrid takes a huge step above its competition and shines in the spotlight. Why? Because it combines the great fuel economy of a small hybrid with the elegance of a mid-sized luxury sedan.
With a 36 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, Hyundai's latest creation ranks in as the most fuel-efficient mid-sized sedan. Combining truly innovative aerodynamics with modern design and styling, the Sonata hybrid is expected to win over the hearts of many consumers who are looking to join in on the hybrid fun.
Although speedsters who are hoping to race along at 90 mph may be disappointed at the Sonata's 75 mph limit, this vehicle's top speed still surpasses its competitors such as the Hybrid Ford Fusion and the Nissan Altima. The top speed, along with innovative aerodynamics such as the drag reducing shutters behind the grill, are just two reasons why the vehicle has its impressive fuel economy.
The vehicle's drivetrain is equally impressive. "The challenge was to come up with our own hybrid system while working around existing patents." Mark Guin, Hyundai Senior Development Engineer said. "We believe that the solution we came up with is elegantly simple."
Hyundai's solution is called a transmission-mounted electrical device, TMED. The device features a powerful electric motor and a solenoid-activated clutch pack. Replacing what would be a traditional torque converter, the TMED system allows for the creation of a conventional automatic transmission without the shortfalls of a torque converter.
"The TMED enables our 40 mpg highway mileage and high-speed EV operation. Because the torque from the motor runs through all of the transmission's six gears, we can keep the motor running at its optimal rpm," Guin explained.
The combination system allows the gearbox to receive either 40.8 horsepower from the 30 kilowatt electric motor, 166 horsepower from the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, or both simultaneously. Hyundai's state of the art system allows the vehicle to achieve its great fuel economy, and even saves customers more money with its reasonable, $25,795 msrp.
Source: Tom's Guide
Computer glitches in Toyota cars begin to pile up
Wednesday's recall of the 2003 Sequoia marks the third computer-related recall for Toyota Motor this year.
The Japanese car company announced a recall of 50,000 Sequoia 2003 model year SUVs to address problems with the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) System. If not fixed, some vehicles may not accelerate as quickly as the driver expects, Toyota said.
And earlier this month, Toyota said it would recall 9,400 Lexus GX 460 SUVs to correct a stability control system problem that could lead to a loss of control, which Consumer Reports designated as a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk."
These two recalls follow a February recall of 133,000 2010 Prius models to update software in the vehicle's antilock brake system (ABS), which could lead to inconsistent braking.
In the glitch disclosed on Wednesday, Toyota said it made a production change during the 2003 model year and published a technical service bulletin to address the issue when it was first identified in the fall 2003. "Since that time, Toyota has been responding to individual owner concerns by replacing the skid control engine control unit in Sequoias impacted by this condition," Toyota said in a statement. The engine control unit, or ECU, is an onboard computer.
There have been no reported injuries or accidents as a result of the condition, Toyota said.
The Sequoia and Lexus GX 460 recalls both involve stability control, which is one of many computer-controlled drive-by-wire technologies used in cars today. Toyota instituted the Vehicle Stability Control system in 1997 on Lexus vehicles (PDF), which it describes as "sensors, actuators, and computer electronics (that) help avoid and recover from vehicle skids and spins." Sensors detect when the vehicle's direction of travel does not correlate with "driver steering inputs." The system then uses throttle and selective brake intervention to help maintain the path of travel.
In the case of the Lexus GX 460, "it was a bad choice of (programmed) settings," said Jeff Bartlett, online deputy editor for autos at Consumer Reports, which first identified the problem. "If you were decelerating from a highway to an off-ramp--they just gave it too much latitude, really," he said in a phone interview. "It wasn't an electronic problem per se, it was more of an engineering software decision."
Toyota said it is now more proactively looking into consumer gripes. "Toyota is committed to investigating customer complaints more aggressively and to responding quickly to issues we identify in our vehicles," Steve St. Angelo, Toyota's chief quality officer for North America, said in a statement Wednesday.
Toyota has denied any computer control problems related to electronic throttle systems that may result in sudden unintended acceleration. The company attributes those problems, which involved the recall of millions of vehicles, to sticky acceleration pedals and/or accelerators that can get caught in floor mats.
Lexus GX: recalled for electronic stability control problems.
(Credit: Toyota Motor) And earlier this month, Toyota said it would recall 9,400 Lexus GX 460 SUVs to correct a stability control system problem that could lead to a loss of control, which Consumer Reports designated as a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk."
These two recalls follow a February recall of 133,000 2010 Prius models to update software in the vehicle's antilock brake system (ABS), which could lead to inconsistent braking.
In the glitch disclosed on Wednesday, Toyota said it made a production change during the 2003 model year and published a technical service bulletin to address the issue when it was first identified in the fall 2003. "Since that time, Toyota has been responding to individual owner concerns by replacing the skid control engine control unit in Sequoias impacted by this condition," Toyota said in a statement. The engine control unit, or ECU, is an onboard computer.
There have been no reported injuries or accidents as a result of the condition, Toyota said.
The Sequoia and Lexus GX 460 recalls both involve stability control, which is one of many computer-controlled drive-by-wire technologies used in cars today. Toyota instituted the Vehicle Stability Control system in 1997 on Lexus vehicles (PDF), which it describes as "sensors, actuators, and computer electronics (that) help avoid and recover from vehicle skids and spins." Sensors detect when the vehicle's direction of travel does not correlate with "driver steering inputs." The system then uses throttle and selective brake intervention to help maintain the path of travel.
In the case of the Lexus GX 460, "it was a bad choice of (programmed) settings," said Jeff Bartlett, online deputy editor for autos at Consumer Reports, which first identified the problem. "If you were decelerating from a highway to an off-ramp--they just gave it too much latitude, really," he said in a phone interview. "It wasn't an electronic problem per se, it was more of an engineering software decision."
Toyota said it is now more proactively looking into consumer gripes. "Toyota is committed to investigating customer complaints more aggressively and to responding quickly to issues we identify in our vehicles," Steve St. Angelo, Toyota's chief quality officer for North America, said in a statement Wednesday.
Toyota has denied any computer control problems related to electronic throttle systems that may result in sudden unintended acceleration. The company attributes those problems, which involved the recall of millions of vehicles, to sticky acceleration pedals and/or accelerators that can get caught in floor mats.
Remember that rather delectable 