As hurricane season begins, the employees of NRG Energy are preparing to help affected coastal areas by championing a new concept called “Power2Serve.”

Power2Serve is composed of a 42-foot disaster relief vehicle and 26-foot trailer combination designed to deliver immediate power, emergency shelter, access to news and information and Wi-Fi internet connectivity to those in need.

The vehicle was unveiled June 18 to crisis management officials in the home city of NRG retail subsidiary, Reliant.

NRG said it purchased the commercial grade vehicle from a stock car racer and, drawing on expertise from across the company, modified it to suit its new mission. At the same time, approximately 400 NRG employees from across the country signed up to staff the vehicle as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and “ServeCrew” community volunteers.

CERT members receive training in search and rescue operations, medical response, disaster psychology, shelter operations, and basic fire suppression.

ServeCrew members are qualified to set up power charging stations, assist residents in filling out necessary forms and applications, and provide IT support.

“The Power2Serve vehicle is a way for NRG to be more involved in our communities as part of future disaster relief efforts – harnessing our collective skills and knowledge in a creative, hands-on way to respond quickly to help affected people,” said Fran Sullivan, senior vice president of plant operations. “It’s an opportunity for us to bring electricity to impacted residents in times of urgent need, to do whatever we can to make their lives a little better.”

The Power2Serve vehicle and trailer, along with three smaller, complementary vehicles providing additional services as needed, will be dispatched in coordination with local, state, and federal disaster relief authorities.

The large unit has sleeping accommodations for seven volunteers and is completely self-sufficient, powered by a 10 kilowatt solar array, a 20 kilowatt diesel generator and a 10 kilowatt auxiliary diesel generator.

Additional features include:

• An enclosed 50 x 20 foot pavilion to provide cooled or heated temporary shelter for residents
• Numerous flat panel TVs to show news or weather broadcasts
• 100 charging stations for cell phones, cameras, small tools and power equipment

Wi-Fi and satellite service, and tablet computers to access email and the internet

The post Mobile Electric Vehicle For Disaster Relief appeared first on HybridCars.com.

To help reach this goal, Drive Oregon has hired Zach Henkin to lead its work in this area.

Drive Oregon’s participation as an Ambassador in DOE’s Workplace Charging Challenge was announced by David Danielson, assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

“We are thrilled to be part of this effort,” said Jeff Allen, Executive Director of Drive Oregon. “Oregon employers led the way in providing lockers and other facilities for bicycle commuters, and we believe they will step up to support employees who choose clean electric vehicles as well.”

In addition to encouraging workplace charging, Henkin will lead Drive Oregon’s work to build an Energizing Oregon coalition to promote wider use of electric vehicles, as called for in the Memorandum of Understanding Drive Oregon recently signed with Governor Kitzhaber’s office and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“By making charging more convenient, and growing the demand for these vehicles, we will also help accelerate the growth of this $266 million industry in Oregon,” noted Allen.

Henkin previously worked in both the solar industry and the car rental industry, and recently completed his MBA at Marylhurst University.

Drive Oregon describes itself as a nonprofit public-private partnership with diverse membership from across the range of companies and organizations involved in electrifying the transportation system. Drive Oregon is funded in part with Oregon State Lottery Funds administered by Business Oregon.

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Michelin is now the official tire partner of Drayson Racing Technologies (DRT), whose cars will run exclusively on Michelin rubber in the build up to the inaugural 2014/15 FIA Formula E season.

This partnership also includes the Drayson B12 69/EV hypercar that will challenge the FIA World Electric Land Speed Record.

Lord Drayson will aim to beat the current record of 175mph set by Battery Box General Electric in the United States and which has stood since 1974. This record has held firm for nearly 40 years due to the technical challenge of running an electric vehicle consistently and reliably at such speeds when weighing less than 1000kg.

DRT will make the attempt in the UK, at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire.

Michelin is providing the control tires to the FIA Formula E Championship, and this real-world trial will influence the development of key Drayson Racing Technologies components for the 2014 Formula E season.

Lord Drayson will also act as a Michelin ambassador and showcase Drayson Racing Technology vehicles at numerous events in the run-up to the inaugural Formula E season.

Commenting on the partnership, Lord Drayson, founder and Managing Partner of Drayson Racing Technologies said that “Michelin has a strong pedigree in motorsport innovation and we at Drayson Racing Technologies are sustainable motorsport pioneers, so the partnership was a natural fit. I’ll be driving the B12 69/EV during the World Electric Land Speed Record attempt and it gives me great confidence to know that the best team in the world right now have provided the tires, which will play such a crucial part.”

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The driver who won the annual French race in 1998 and 2008 will drive a hybrid-diesel Audi sports car in the twice-around-the-clock endurance race.

McNish shares his Audi R18 e-tron quattro with eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Loïc Duval (France) aiming to earn Audi a 12^th Le Mans victory.

This year’s twice-around-the-clock race is the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, McNish/Kristensen/Duval having finished first (Silverstone, GB) and second (Spa, B) which leaves the trio trailing Audi team-mates and 2011 & ’12 Le Mans winners, Marcel Fässler (CH)/André Lotterer (D)/Benoît Tréluyer (F), by a mere point.

“Le Mans has been and always will be, the biggest and most important sportscar race in the world,” said McNish. “For people not that interested in motor racing, most will have heard of the Monaco Grand Prix in Formula One, the Indianapolis 500 in the States and Le Mans. Le Mans has its own character, its own unique feel – it’s like soccer’s World Cup Final but for motorsport. The motorsport community basically congregates there for half the month of June.

Improved R18 e-tron quattro

The output of the electric motors in the R18 e-tron quattro has been increased to more than 80 kilowatts delivering around 200 horsepower transmitted through its front axle above 75 mph in seven specific “zones” around the 8.47-mile Le Mans track. The electric motors provide their power using energy “harvested” under braking.

As per regulations, an air restrictor limits the 3.7-litre, V6 TDI engine to deliver approximately 490 horsepower while the minimum weight is 915kg.

The bodywork features numerous refined details compared to last year’s WEC & Le Mans winning R18 e-tron quattro.

The organizing FIA Endurance Committee recently made “Balance of Performance” adjustments. While the fuel tank capacity of the hybrid-diesel Audi remains at 58-litres (12.76 imperial gallons), the hybrid-gasoline Toyota has had its tank capacity increased to 76-litres (16.72 imperial gallons).

The post Audi’s Diesel-Hybrid R18 e-tron quattro Ready For Weekend Race appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The electric racecar showed promising pace in official testing this last weekend.

The two-day session at the world-famous course in Colorado ran smoothly for the Toyota Motorsport team (TMG) and Toyota Racing Development USA team (TRD).

A half-course run was made each day and the combined results from these indicate an overall time better than the EV record the car set last year.

Rob Millen, a multiple Pikes Peak record-setter, was at the wheel as fine tuning was carried out on the car’s balance, braking, traction control and cooling, and tire options were evaluated.

Last year the Toyota set a new EV record of 10 minutes 15.380 seconds.

According to TMG, data from this run has been used by engineers at TMG’s Cologne technology centre to improve the electric powertrain. Motor speed and torque have been increased and the system’s operating parameters have been tuned to better suit the demands of the 12.42-mile Pikes Peak tack.

The unit now delivers 400 kilowatt and 1,200Nm of torque.

Since the car arrived in the USA last month, the TRD team has made aerodynamic and other upgrades to the chassis.

With the benefit of a three-fold increase in downforce and a new carbon ceramic braking system, TMG said the more powerful TMG EV P002 is ready to take on the increasingly competitive electric class.

Its challenge will be supported by a pioneering off-board, battery-to-battery charging system, which provides a reliable power source at the Pikes Peak circuit, where there is no reliable local grid connection.

TMG EV P002 Technical Specifications

Performance

Maximum speed (mph)                            142

Maximum torque (Nm)                            1,200

Maximum power (kW)                            400

Maximum rpm                                                6,000

Powertrain

Electric Motor                         2 axial flux

Inverter                                   2 x TMG inverters

Gear Ratio                              3.13

Transmission                          Single-reduction gearing

Battery                                    Lithium ceramic

Battery Capacity (kWh)                                     42 kWh

Charging Technology                             Off-boardDC charging

Dimensions

Length (mm)                           4,100

Height (mm)                           1,040

Width (mm)             1,790

The post Toyota’s Pikes Peak Effort Relies On EV Racecar appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Ford declared that combined, SYNC and MyFord Touch are sold on 79 percent of new 2013 Ford vehicles, double the rate of Toyota and Honda vehicle infotainment systems and up from 68 percent in 2012.

This includes a MyFord Touch mix of 55 percent, up from 12 percent in 2012.

SYNC and MyFord Touch connectivity technologies – launched in 2007 and 2010, respectively – remain a competitive advantage for Ford as customers cite voice control and touch screens as top purchase drivers much more often than competitors.

For example, 53 percent of 2013 Ford Escape owners say the touch screen is a top purchase reason compared to a 22 percent segment average.

“Ford has launched 60 new technologies the past few years and they are helping attract many new customers in important markets such as the coasts,” says Raj Nair, group vice president, global product development. “SYNC and MyFord Touch are key parts of our innovation strategy, and not only bring more new customers to our brand, but help deliver higher satisfaction with overall vehicle quality.”

Ford said that vehicles with MyFord Touch are helping improve perceptions as customers who own vehicles with the system are more satisfied with overall vehicle quality compared to those who don’t have the technology.

The Ford F-150 with MyFord Touch has the highest rate of quality satisfaction across the Ford lineup, at 86 percent.

F-150 blends touch screen capability with traditional buttons and knobs, a similar balance planned for future Ford vehicles.

For Ford, the innovations also are attracting younger buyers. For example, the new 2014 Ford Fiesta will now offer MyFord Touch, adding to other features such as a navigation system, rear camera, leather seats and a sunroof not available in the segment.

According to Ford, the Fiesta already is drawing a younger audience of 46 percent Gen Y and Gen X buyers, compared to Toyota and Scion’s 36 percent subcompact average. Fiesta innovations are differentiating the car as SYNC is cited as an important purchase reason by 54 percent of buyers compared to a 37 percent average for Toyota’s connectivity technology.

Ford said it continues to refine SYNC and MyFord Touch, including another downloadable upgrade planned for this summer. Previous upgrades already have helped improve quality responses by more than 50 percent.

“We are committed to listening to our customers and improving MyFord Touch to keep drawing in new customers and increasing satisfaction with even higher quality,” says Nair.

Ford’s dealership personnel and dedicated connectivity customer service line also have become competitive advantages in an era of new automotive technologies. Customers who seek dealership assistance with SYNC or MyFord Touch report a 91 percent satisfaction rate.

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The difference this time is that it was the team owner’s car taking the checkered flag with Sylvain Tremblay and Tom Long scoring the win.

Long had won the pole position and the team led the bulk of the race.

Similar to the races in Georgia and Michigan, it was a three-way battle for most of the race with a Porsche Cayman splitting the two Mazdas.

Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez in the #00 VISITFLORIDA RACING Mazda6 scored third-place points after an oil leak took them off-track late in the race.

Mazda said the SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine in the new Mazda6 is a true production based engine.  The engine is 51percent stock by parts count, and 63percent stock by weight.

Mazda declared it chose this path as it is the most honest way to demonstrate the quality, durability, and reliability of Mazda cars.

After six races Mazda is now just four points behind Porsche for the Grand-Am GX Manufacturers Championship.  The two SpeedSource cars are second and third in team points, while Joel Miller is second among drivers, 14 points behind Jim Norman.

There are six races remaining to determine the champions, including Mazda’s ‘home race’, September 7-8 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The next race is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen on June 30^th at Watkins Glen.

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The newest item from the Porsche Driver’s Selection is a Go-Kart which, in Porsche’s words, puts children from the age of five behind the wheel of a sporty Porsche machine.

The Go-Kart, which is about 5 feet long, is a new highlight in the children’s program of the Porsche Lifestyle Collection and impresses because of its lightness: thanks to its unique construction, based on Porsche Intelligence Performance, the children’s pedal-powered vehicle weighs a mere 55 pounds.

Speed and range both depend on your kid’s motivation, as this is a pure pedal car.

The side-benefit is no batteries to charge and no emissions… Aside from sweat.

In addition to its exclusive design, another attractive feature of the Porsche Driver’s Selection Go-Kart is its use of high-quality drive components typically used for constructing bicycles. The composite wheel rims, with simulated center locks, are fitted with low-profile, inflatable tires with inner tubes.

Other equipment includes a sport seat, plus both a back-pedal brake and a handbrake which ensure optimal deceleration. With its tubular steel frame, the Porsche Driver’s Selection Go-Kart is suitable for children weighing up to 110 pounds with a height of up to 5 feet.

With an MSRP of $900, the Go-Kart and other products from the Porsche Driver’s Selection are available exclusively from participating authorized Porsche dealers and on the Internet at www.porsche.com/shop.

Now, why not offer this to your kid… If they treated you well this last Sunday!

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Audi said that 15 years of engine development have been shaping Audi’s Le Mans prototype racing commitment. Through intensive development work the engineers have repeatedly compensated for the restrictions imposed by the regulations while consistently enhancing efficiency of the engines fielded.

Two major eras have shaped Audi’s commitment at Le Mans from the perspective of Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport: Until 2005, gasoline engines powered Audi’s LMP race cars, since 2006 the engines have been diesel units. For Audi, this is linked to numerous innovations.

The Le Mans project began with a 3.6-liter gasoline engine that delivered around 544 horsepower(hp); this was raised to 610 hp only a year later.

A major stride achieved in 2001 was TFSI gasoline direct injection being used for the first time. It significantly reduced fuel consumption while drivability and response behaviour substantially improved. At the pit stops, the time for starting was shortened by up to 1.3 seconds because the directly injected fuel was burned more directly.

The Audi team transferred the technology that was tested in racing into production cars when the first models with FSI and TFSI engines delivering fuel economy benefits of up to 15 percent were launched.

Five years later, Audi celebrated an achievement with the TDI engine at Le Mans, introducing diesel to its racing cars.

The brand immediately clinched the first victory of a diesel-powered sports car at Le Mans in 2006. Out of 5.5 liters of displacement, the V12 engine of the Audi R10 TDI developed more than 650 hp. This was the first Audi diesel engine with an aluminum cylinder block.

Audi said its diesel engine development directly benefited from Le Mans technology. Experiences gained in pre-development were fed into the first racing pistons. The injection system with two high-pressure pumps and piezo injectors has been refined by Audi for maximum specific performance and best efficiency in racing. The injection pressures of the hydraulic system and the ignition pressures in the cylinder have continually been increasing to this day.

This allowed combustion and power output to be optimized, which has been beneficial to production development as well.

Today, injection pressures of 2,800 bar are achieved in racing and 2,000 bar in production cars.

Variable turbine geometry (VTG), which has long been in standard use in volume production, was introduced into racing by Audi in the V10 TDI in 2009, following several years of development.

The biggest challenge was posed by the high temperatures of over 1,000 degrees centigrade. Audi said that VTG technology clearly improves response behavior. In 2010, Audi with the R15 TDI not only celebrated victory at Le Mans but, after completion of 397 laps and 5,410 kilometers, broke the absolute distance record, which had existed for 39 years.

The most incisive change, as well as a major technical achievement by the Audi motorsport engineers, was brought about by the engine regulations for 2011. For diesel engines, the regulations forced the engineers to reduce the volume by 1.8 to 3.7 liters.

Audi’s double-flow mono-turbocharger (VTG)

Audi said it developed a V6 TDI engine packed with innovations. The exhaust side is located inside the V with its 120-degree angle (‘hot side inside’). A double-flow mono-turbocharger is fed with the exhaust gas from both banks and its compressor is of a double-flow design as well.

The Audi engineers respond to ever more limitations by making continuous progress, according to the company. For example, the diameter of the air restrictor in the diesel era since 2006 was reduced by 34 percent. Boost pressure decreased by 4.7 percent and cubic capacity by almost 33 percent. Absolute output dropped from over 650 hp to around 490 hp today, in other words by 24 percent.

Considering this, the increases achieved with respect to specific outputs are particularly noteworthy. For instance, the engine output per liter of displacement went up from 118 hp in 2006 to 146 hp in 2011 – a gain of nearly 24 percent.

The piston area output – which is the measure for the output delivered by each individual cylinder – during this period of time grew from 54 hp to an 90 hp, in other words by 65 percent.

Even more impressive is the development of fuel consumption.

Audi has improved fuel consumption per lap in racing operations at Le Mans from the first to the most recent generation of diesel engines by more than 20 percent, while the engine’s output per liter has clearly increased.

The post Audi: Improving the Breed appeared first on HybridCars.com.

PowerDisc Development Corporation is a fuel cell company based in Vancouver BC.

“The fuel cell industry has spent a significant amount of time and money solving issues that stem from non-uniform current, including accelerated aging, and lower power output,” said Dr. Sean MacKinnon, PowerDisc’s Chief Scientist. “eFlow enables a totally new approach to fuel cell design, from component to system.”

Dr. MacKinnon formerly was with Canada’s National Research Council, Ballard Power Systems and GM’s Fuel Cell Division.

According to PowerDisc, eFlow improves the flow of oxygen, fuel and water within a fuel cell and avoids degradation of the fuel cell membrane and stack materials. The net result is that eFlow increases overall fuel cell durability, enables higher peak power, and significantly reduces cost due to greater membrane resiliency, the elimination of costly system components, and improved lifetime.

“To date, no one in the industry has been able to design using uniform current distribution, the holy grail of optimal fuel cell operation,” said Dr. MacKinnon. “Now they can. This will have a profound impact on how next generation membrane electrode assemblies, plates and auxiliary components will be developed.”

Dr. MacKinnon will describe the company’s eFlow technology at HFC 2013 in Vancouver during the Porous Media and Bipolar Plate session which begins at 10:30 AM on June 18, 2013.

“The advantages of uniform current distribution will have an important commercial impact in the fuel cell industry,” stated Dag Hinrichs, PowerDisc’s VP of Business Development. “eFlow can improve the customer’s business case simultaneously from multiple angles — more peak power, extended longevity, reduced fuel cell size, less balance of plant and lower maintenance costs. If a business breakthrough is defined by cutting the tie between cost and performance, then we have that breakthrough.”

Mr. Hinrichs suggests that when these benefits are added up, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) will reveal new areas where fuel cells can compete with incumbent technologies.

“Fuel cells using eFlow will gain performance and ‘cost out’ benefits that open more markets where fuel cells can compete with traditional power solutions, said Hinrichs. “The cost per kilowatt-hour comparisons look good, it’s exciting.”

LCOE is an analysis of the cost of electricity generation that sums up in a “cost per kilowatt hour” format. It helps business leaders, policy makers, and researchers make decisions regarding different kinds of energy generation.

To assist with the integration of eFlow in stationary and automotive applications, PowerDisc said it provides design and engineering services support.

Mr. Hinrichs explained: “some companies come to PowerDisc looking for a way to leapfrog their new fuel cell programs, while other more experienced firms are seeking PowerDisc’s support for their next generation stacks. Either way, within a few years, it’s hard to see the technology leader not including eFlow in their system.”

PowerDisc’s President and CEO, Mr. David Leger, has been working on the technology with inventor and engineer Mr. Greg Montie B.Eng for over a decade.

“This technology has the opportunity to propel the role fuel cells will play in a renewable energy world,” said Leger. “I don’t expect people to take it on face value – there is certainly a process of due diligence required. We have made a significant discovery and now invite people to bring their open minded skepticism and talk with us.”

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