Tata Pixel

Tata Motors of India has introduced a car conceptually designed for Europe. The Tata Pixel benefits from challenges Tata experienced in designing the earlier Nano. The Pixel concept car is a bit over nine feet in length, and it is purported to be the most efficient car that can still seat four adults. Most fuel-efficient cars now can only carry two adults and two children.

The Tata Pixel has a 2.6m. turning radius, making it extremely easy to park, even in the tightest spaces. Their IVT Infinitely Variable Transmission allows the outer rear wheel to rotate frontwards and the inner one to rotate backwards, and along with the acute angle capability of the front wheels, allows the tight turning radius. The Tata Pixel boasts excellent fuel economy and still offers control and performance.

The Tata Pixel has scissor doors. This allows people to get in and out of the car even in tight parking spaces. The style of the car appeals to today’s youth, and it boasts a human-machine interface, known as HMI, allowing certain functions to be controlled with a Smartphone.

Tata Motors designers feel that there is a place in Europe for their city car. The Pixel has a diesel engine in the rear, and the car has other features like intelligent battery charging that allow it to be seen as a true concept car.

Tata calls the turning radius of the Pixel “zero turn”, playing on the ease with which it maneuvers in tight quarters. The glass of the doors gives the driver the best of visibility even while you are making extreme turns.

The roofline of the Pixel follows a sweeping line, and there are only minimal overhangs on the front and the rear. This adds to the car’s appeal to youth. The window graphics can be changed when the driver wishes to, giving the car a different look.

You’ll also find “My Tata Connect” with the Tata Pixel. This is their terminology for the Human-Machine Interface. This allows you to use a Smartphone with the vehicle’s “info-tainment” system, to allow you to control certain of the car’s functions. The car is very user-friendly, with a touch-screen display and the means for the driver to stay connected with the world outside even while driving safely.

Drivers can listen to their favorite music, sports results and stock updates. You can use the tablet to adjust the ventilation, temperature and air conditioner settings. The tablet will also show the driver important vehicle performance information.

The Tata Pixel’s small engine gives you a lively drive, and it warms up more quickly than standard diesel engines. The aerodynamic drag has been optimized, and the car comes with rolling resistance tires, giving it high mileage and low emissions.

The Tata Pixel is rear-wheel drive, with a manual 4-speed transmission. It comes with rack and pinion steering, and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in eight seconds. The maximum speed of the Pixel is 65 miles per hour, and the car gets an outstanding 69 miles per gallon.

Filed under: Fuel Efficient Cars | No Comments »

Honda EV-Ster

Okay, so I’m a little late on this. I’ve been busy with the Holidays and ringing in the new year which I hope to the heavens is better than last year. Anyway, in case you’ve missed some of the eco car reviews from the recent Tokyo Auto Show, I’m going to recap them for you. Be green, my friend!

In the first major auto show since the earthquake and tsunami in March of 2011, companies showed off their most fuel-efficient vehicles at the Tokyo Auto Show. The cars made use of various types of technology, among them being hybrid, fuel cell and electricity. Most of the cars were compact in size, with domestic automakers trying to recover from the tragedy in March and the struggling global economy.

In addition to the earthquake and tsunami, Japanese automakers also had to contend with Thailand flooding, which shut down production on many Japanese car lines. The Electric commuter car, also known as EC-Miu, was a popular exhibit at the show.

Nissan, which is the second largest maker of automobiles, has several concept cars that are electric, as well as a car that can be controlled remotely with a smartphone. They have installed already a system that allows owners to control the air conditioning and check on their car’s battery with a PC or a smartphone.

Honda featured a smaller sports car known as the EV-Ster, which has a fully electric engine. The president of Honda said his company plans to install solar panels at the locations of their assembly lines, to eliminate carbon emissions in the entire operation. They look towards a time when we put stress on the environment much less than we do now.

Toyota, which already boasts the immensely popular hybrid Camry, has a green outlook, and they unveiled a compact hybrid known as the “Aqua”, and a more advanced car that runs on fuel cells, which they refer to as the most fuel-efficient car in the world. The president of Toyota also featured a hybrid car that plugs in, telling car show attendees that future consumers have a bright future, with more choices in vehicles that use cutting-edge technologies.

Mazda was also on hand at the Tokyo Auto Show, with their mid-sized “Takeru” sedan concept car, a vehicle with an energy-efficient diesel engine.

The Toyota Aqua will use a name outside Japan that drivers already know, the “Prius”. It will travel 82 miles to a gallon of gas, which is an outstanding increase over their existing mileage. Toyota also plans to roll out a five-seater vehicle in Japan in late December, 2011, and eventually that vehicle will also be marketed globally.

The automakers at the Tokyo Auto Show felt that it is important for people to know that the market in Japan is still relevant to carmakers in Europe, who have shown an interest in hybrid and electric cars. Some automakers in Europe skipped the previous auto show, but were back this year. They included Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and VW, from Germany; Peugeot-Citroen and Renault from France and the Land Rover and Jaguar, from Britain.

The Tokyo Auto Show also boasted manufacturers who do not compete in the automobile industry, at their show this year. They include Kowa Tmsuk, a joint operation between Kowa, who makes electric optical machines, and Tmsuk, which develops robots. They unveiled a completely new concept vehicle that they have dubbed the Kobot. The manufacturers say that the body is able to transform, through signals to its telematics from a smartphone.

Indeed, there were many vehicles that only a short time ago looked like they might be years in the making. The wider acceptance of these vehicles will be at least one step forward in using vehicles that have less impact on the environment.

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bioluminescent plants

Glow-in-the-dark plants have been a novel creation for decades now, but as far as practical use goes, their benefits have remained to be seen. Without a useful purpose, the cost of genetically engineering plants to glow is simply not worth it.

However, there is perhaps no other source of light that is as eco-friendly as a natural-born glow from a living organism. Saving energy on traditional lighting is creating the market for bioluminescence that has been lacking for the last 20 years.

In fact, glow-in-the-dark plants aren’t the only bioluminescent that’s currently possible. According to CNN researchers in the United Kingdom have figured out a way for glowing bacteria cultures to be placed inside glass tubing. The result is transparent piping that emits the green glow of an equally green liquid within.

This liquid is composed of bacteria feeding off of methane gas. The bacteria has been genetically modified to glow green. Think of it as bio-born neon, just without the variety – at least so far.
But as far as the bacteria-based bioluminescent goes, practical use still needs to be sorted out.

No one particularly wants to be bathed in a sinister-looking green color within their home, no matter how environmentally sound it is. Not only that, but the light is admittedly limited in this regard. Step but three feet away from the source and your world becomes a dark place with only a faint green glow to keep you comfortable. Alternatives such as CFLs will reign supreme.

More hope is held out for the potential for bioluminescent plants, fungi, and other eukaryotes to help pave the way for a more eco-friendly approach to municipally-provided power. Road signs as well as road hazards could potentially be emphasized via such glowing plant matter, instead of wasting money on additional traditional lighting. It’s a feature of the future landscape that is edging closer to reality thanks to both the research and the demand. Inside the home bioluminescent plants may save money as well (and not only plants).

If you’re fan of “The Big Bang Theory” like an am, then you may recognize the one episode where Sheldon genetically altered goldfish to make them glow in the dark. These goldfish served as nightlights in his and Leonard’s apartment. What they needed, though, was to use Anywho to look up the name of another mad scientist with a dimmer switch for the goldfish when they were ready for bed. And such would be the case for plants as well.

One of the definitive presents of our time may very well be the gift of a glowing mini-colored ficus as a replacement for a bedside lamp. Other bioluminescent plants could replace solar walkway lamps and solar garden lamps.

Regardless of the domestic uses for bioluminescence, the future of our roadways has never looked greener. Imagine the landscaping business a few years from now when bioluminescence hits its stride.

Filed under: Energy Conservation | No Comments »

At a United Kingdom shopping mall, pedestrians are powering the towering Christmas tree. Worldwide 7.7 billion kWh of coal (some of which is in your stocking this year) and natural gas are used to power Christmas tree lights.

Well, the Midsummer Place Shopping Centre has decided to stomp out this abuse of power this year by putting a pedestrian crosswalk next to their giant tree that uses the kinetic energy of holiday shoppers to provide the lighting.

According to the press release, “The slabs, made from low-carbon steel and recycled rubber, will power hundreds of LED Christmas lights for the Midsummer Place Christmas tree by capturing energy from this season’s holiday footfall.”

It is also rumored that when the mall closes and midnight both Santa and his elves are using the kinetic walkway like a treadmill to get in shape for delivering packages soon. With the amount of light put out by the tree as reported by the janitorial staff, the fat man may be rather svelte come game time.

But, all in all, this goes to show, not only how much energy is waste every year on holiday cheer, but also the people-power may be the answer to restoring the balance of power.

Filed under: Human Power | No Comments »

I just got a press release in my email from Nissan about them teaming up with Sumitomo and AeroVironment to introduce a DC Quick Charger to the U. S. marketplace. I must say I was pretty excited at first.

The charger is fast, as in 30 minutes or less to recharge a dead Leaf. This one product I thought was the kind of thing that every homeowner would want in his or her garage.

Just imagine, you come home tired at night, the kids all have issues and you forget to plug-in your electric car. No matter as in the morning you realize this and pop on the plug to quick charge your car in 30 minutes. How great would that be?

The only problem with this scenario is that in order to solve this problem you have to shell out $9,900 or roughly one-third of the price you paid for the Nissan Leaf in the first place.

According to Nissan, “The starting price for the charger will be $9,900, about a third of the cost of models available on the global market today. The quick charger will come in two different models: a version for indoor use, designed to help accommodate fleets such as daily rental cars; and an outdoor model, which is specifically designed for public and commercial charging uses – such as public spaces, corporate campuses, and retail centers.“

So, my excitement quickly turned to WTF disgust. Nissan forgot about the homeowner in this scenario. I’m sure that there are a few homeowners that will shell out ten grand for this convenience, but the other 99-percent of the population won’t. And will businesses really shell out this kind of dough? In this economy it’s hard to say yes. I give this product two yawns and a shake of the head.

Filed under: Electric Cars | No Comments »