Say you've managed to save up $250,000 and want to splurge by laying it all out on some big ticket item. We can think of countless ways to spend all that coin and we'd bet that you can too. But have you ever considered buying a record-setting electric vehicle (EV) with your hard-earned cash? Maybe not, but KleenSpeed thinks you should.

Wired notes that KleenSpeed's WX10 prototype electric racer is up for sale. The WX10, driven by KleenSpeed founder Timothy Collins, lapped the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 1:42.5 at a blistering average speed of 94 miles per hour, topping all of the electric contenders present at the Refuel electric road race. Collins said that the WX10 delivers, "instantaneous torque that creates a unique combination of explosive response and a smoother driving experience." If you've got a hankering to give this unique electric ride a try, get in touch with KleenSpeed, pony up the dough and the WX10 could be yours. Dreams of buying a new house, yacht or Ferrari can wait because the unique opportunity to own this record-setter won't last for long. Click here to watch the WX10 take a trip through the famed corkscrew at Laguna Seca and imagine it in your driveway. It's free to dream, at least.

[Source: Wired]

In racing, planning is everything. This point was proven once again as the bright yellow (Flying Banana, if you will) race machine from Lightning Motors held the lead of the e-Power International Championship until the very last few hundred feet. And then ran out of juice.

Sadly, for Lightning Motors at least, this slight miscalculation allowed the Flying Banana to be passed literally just feet ahead of the finish line by Michael Czysz, who took the win mounted on his own MotoCzysz E1pc electric race bike. For those keeping track, Czysz was 6.7 seconds behind at the start of the last lap.

Michael Barnes took second place on the Lightning Motors machine, followed by Thijs de Ridder aboard the Crystalite bike. Our congratulations to all of the riders!



Photos by Jeremy Korzeniewski / Copyright ©2010 AOL

Just to be clear, we certainly sympathize with the concerns of the visually impaired when it comes to silent and near-silent electrified vehicles and their interaction with pedestrians. What we're not sure about is the extent of the problem and what the appropriate solution is. Most of the studies done to date are flawed and, at best, inconclusive. While there are indications the number of pedestrian crashes involving hybrids is higher than those involving conventional vehicles, the numbers of pedestrian fatalities has gone down over the past 15 years and so the studies are based on small and incomplete sample sizes.

Studies such as the one done by Utah State University professor Mark Larson looked only at fatalities and not injuries or even the severity of injuries. Since most pedestrian collisions are at lower speeds, data on injuries may be more important fatalities in this discussion. There is legislation being proposed that would require audible feedback from electric vehicles, but it is flawed because it doesn't define what the desired results would be, only a technology.

Perhaps rather than requiring electric vehicles to make sounds at all times, we should be looking at pedestrian detection and protection systems. Volvo has already introduced such a system in the new S60 and other automakers are developing systems. By integrating such systems and using them in conjunction with warning sounds, we won't be overwhelmed with a cacophony of new sounds in our cities while cutting both injuries and fatalities even more. Watch a video of the Volt pedestrian warning after the jump.

[Source: Green Car Reports]

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If you've ever replaced an electrical switch or outlet in your home, then the name Leviton likely rings a bell. If not, it suffices to say that Leviton is a giant in the home electrical market. The company is now ready to enter the electrical vehicle (EV) market by offering a host of new home charging equipment. In addition, Leviton has allied with Coulomb Technologies, an EV charging leader.

Leviton will introduce its extensive lineup of EV charging products marketed under the "Evr-Green" name at the Plug In 2010 Conference in San Jose, CA next week. Prior to the official unveiling, Leviton has revealed plans to produce a 110-volt Level 1 charging cord, a Level 1 home-charging unit and a Level 2 home-charging station. In addition, Leviton will introduce an industry-first plug-in prewire system. What is a "prewire system" and why would you want one? The company describes it as:

The inexpensive Level 2 installation kit provides increased value through reduced installation time, lower installation cost and flexibility for upgradeability. The Leviton kit can be installed into new or existing construction. After the system is installed by one of Leviton's certified installers, the consumer can add a Level 2 charging station without any tools.

The prewire system is expected to cost less than $200, but Leviton has yet to reveal pricing for its Level 2 charger. Follow the jump to find out more about the upcoming Leviton products and don't forget to check back for additional info after the official unveiling next week.

[Source: Leviton]

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TW4XP may not be the catchiest name in the Progressive Automotive X-Prize line-up, but this unusual-looking battery-powered three wheeler does have staying power. As one of only eleven vehicles left in the competition – and one of only six in the Alternative Side-by-Side category (the others are the Aptera 2e, Li-ion Motors' Wave II, the RaceAbout, Western Washington University's Viking 45 and the Zap Alias) – the TW4XP still has a chance to drive away with the $2.5 million prize.

TW4XP hails from Germany, and the car was built just for this competition. The name stands for "three wheeler for X-Prize," after all. We talked with Matt Childress, an American team member, who said that even with the team's singular focus, it's been a tough competition. This past week, during the Finals Stage, they had a problem with the X-Prize's communication system that was connected to the TW4XP to relay data to the judges. The problem was serious; it immobilized the car. Once the telematics device was disconnected, the car operated just fine and the team was allowed to continue. "We are the team with nine lives," Childress said. The biggest challenge for the vehicle-to-grid capable TW4XP is the range test, which Childress said "is always a problem with electric vehicles."

Childress has a long-standing connection to the people who are running the TW4XP in competition sine they're also behind the Twike, a human-electric hybrid that is available in Europe. There are two Twike models, the Easy and Active, and neither one is cheap – prices range from 20,000 to 40,000 Euros, depending on battery size – but almost 1,000 have been sold since they went on sale in 1996. You can read more in this PDF. Childress has been using a Twike as his daily driver for the past few years, and said there are around 20 in the U.S.

Whether or not TW4XP wins the Side-by-Side class, the team plans to bring something to market based on the vehicle, maybe with a partly-removeable powertrain. The idea here is that, if the pedal-power hybrid setup from the Twike makes the jump to the TW4XP, it could maybe be taken out so people can use it as an exercise device in their home. So, instead of driving your car to the gym and then going on the exercise bike, you have your gym with you.

There's a video about the TW4XP team at the X-Prize after the jump. You can also follow the TW4XP blog here.



Photos by Sebastian Blanco / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

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In the past, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) typically issued grants for the advancement of proven technologies and rarely offered up government money on projects that some would consider experimental. As environmental concerns rose in recent years, the EPA created its emerging technologies program to fund unproven, cutting-edge advancements that offer the promise of reduced emissions and improved air quality. The program kicked off in 2008 with an aim to offer assistance to companies that take an innovative approach to solving environmental concerns.

Recently, the EPA issued $5.6 million in grants to several cutting-edge clean diesel technologies. According to the EPA, recipients of the grants include:

• City of Los Angeles Harbor Department for $731,000 for a hybrid crane with a small diesel generator combined with a battery to be used at ports.
• California Air Resources Board for nearly $1.2 million for a NOx reducing device for locomotive engines.
• University of Houston for $1 million for NOx reducing technologies installed on school buses.
• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for nearly $1.2 million to use a seawater scrubber, which removes pollution from large ship engines.
• South Coast Air Quality Management District for $1.5 million for an exhaust capturing mechanism used on a variety of ships while at port.

$5.6 million is but a fragment of the $120 million investment planned by the EPA under the diesel emissions reduction program. More grants are coming soon and this latest round of funding should culminate by summer's end. Follow the jump to find out more about the clean diesel projects awarded by the EPA.

[Source: Environmental Protection Agency | Image: respres – C.C. License 2.0]

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After the first week of the Progressive Automotive X-Prize's Finals Stage, some of the better-known teams will have to say good-bye and watch the rest of the competition from the sidelines. According to a new press release from the AXP, Tata Motors, Amp, Commuter Cars (Tango) and Spira are out. Here are the reasons why:

• Amp met the requirement of 90 MPGe, but exceeded the maximum threshold of 200 grams per mile of CO2 in the Efficiency Event. The team was also unable to complete all of the required laps in the Range Event.
  
• Commuter Cars' Tango was unable to meet the minimum fuel economy requirement and exceeded the maximum threshold of 200g/mile CO2 in the Efficiency Event. The team was also unable to complete the required laps within the Range Event.
  
• Spira was unable to meet the minimum fuel economy requirement of 90 MPGe.
  
• Tata was unable to present their vehicle for the Range Test due to a technical issue and has withdrawn from the Competition.

This leaves 11 vehicles from eight teams left in the entire competition. Next week, the remaining vehicles will be tested in the Dynamic Safety and Combined Performance and Efficiency events. These will be 0-60, 60-0 and 45 mile per hour accident avoidance tests.

[Source: Automotive X-Prize]

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Whenever automakers introduce some substantially new technology, the dealer network has to be trained to provide sales and service. Very often, this is mandatory before the dealer is allowed to sell any cars. Such is the case for Chevrolet dealers that want to handle the Volt when it goes on sale in December. Initial supplies of the Volt will be restricted to California, Michigan and Washington, D.C., as well as parts of Texas, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Since Chevrolet invited dealers to sign up for certification last month, about 600 dealers – about 90 percent of the outlets in the initial sale regions – have signed up. Certified dealers will have to install Level 2 charging stations for the Volts while sales staff will learn how the extended-range EV works so that they can explain it to customers. Service technicians will have to learn how to diagnose and repair the cars. Initially, if there are any battery-related problems, they will be replaced and the batteries will be sent back to the Brownstown plant to be checked. Eventually, dealers will be able to service the electronics and primary modules in-house.



Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: General Motors]

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Toyota's dominance in the blossoming hybrid market is unmatched, but as several other automakers are now increasingly focused on developing electric vehicles (EVs), can the company that defined the hybrid segment continue to march forward with its plans to release additional hybrid models? The answer really depends on who you ask, but a recent editorial published in the Japanese Nikkei newspaper suggests that both Toyota and Honda must shift towards EVs, or risk having the nation of Japan fall behind the competition. The Nikkei writes:

...both Toyota and Honda had until recently thought that the era of hybrids would continue for a while before electric vehicles began to gain popularity. But the automakers are now accelerating their efforts to develop electric cars, and there are two main reasons for this. One is the tough new fuel economy rules the US administration of President Barack Obama will introduce in 2012...The second reason for the heightened focus on electric cars is China's move to promote them.

Japan's concern over the emergence of China as a legitimate player in the EV market is not unwarranted. China's push to become the worldwide leaders in EVs has several other countries in a hurried frenzy to develop battery-powered vehicles as well. According to the Nikkei:

Beijing has apparently decided to catapult the nation's auto industry into the electric age by skipping the transitional era of hybrids. Japanese carmakers need to respond to China's moves by developing electric vehicles that can compete favorably with rival Chinese offerings in this crucial market.

Toyota's dominance in the hybrid market could seemingly continue on forever, that is, if it's not cut short by Japan's fear of losing out on its limited chance to capture the emerging EV industry. Either way, it's a win-win situation for us greenies. Hat tip to David!



[Source: Nikkei – sub. req. via Green Car Congress]

There are some people who cool their cars down with ice, but General Motors thinks drivers like standard air conditioning. Since the refrigerant used in most automotive air conditioning systems is not good for the environment, GM is proud to announce it will use a better type of refrigerant (called HFO-1234yf) in its vehicles that it says only stays in the atmosphere for 11 days. The standard R-134a refrigerant, GM says, has an atmospheric life of more than 13 years. This is bad because, as Wiki says:

[R-134a] has insignificant ozone depletion potential (ozone layer), significant global warming potential (100-yr GWP = 1430) and negligible acidification potential (acid rain).

That GWP in the sentence above stands for "global warming potential," and is based on the GWP measurement relative to CO2. Higher numbers are worse and GM's new refrigerant has a GWP of just 4 (yes, four), a huge improvement. The EPA approves of the use of HFO-1234yf and GM will be able to "significantly exceed" new motor vehicle greenhouse gas regulations thanks to regulatory credits the EPA will issue. Press release after the jump.

[Source: GM]

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