Not so long ago, it was common for automatic transmissions to be referred to as slushboxes, since that's how they often behaved. Rather than use a mechanical clutch, traditional automatic transmissions use a fluid coupling between the engine and the gear-sets to transmit drive torque. This provides some benefits, but isn't a perfect system.

Unless a mechanical clutch is worn out and slipping, it transfers nearly 100 percent of the torque that goes in. Automatics use a torque converter that consists of three main components: the pump, turbine and stator all within a cavity filled with hydraulic fluid. The pump is connected to the engine and, at lower speeds, it spins within the fluid without driving the turbine. As the engine speeds up, the slippage within the fluid increases and the turbine begins to rotate. This, in turn, drive the gears and the wheels. The stator increases the turbulence between the other two components providing a torque multiplication effect. There is generally no direct connection between the pump and turbine other than the fluid, which is why the efficiency is anywhere between zero and about 80 percent. All this removes a pedal, but it used to mean automatics got much worse mileage than manual transmission vehicles. Read on after the jump to find out what engineers have done to overcome this discrepancy.

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In February, a tragic plane crash in East Palo Alto, CA killed three Tesla Motors employees: Doug Bourn, who was piloting the plane, Andrew Ingram and Brian Finn. This week, Ingram's family filed a lawsuit claiming that Bourn and the company that owned the Cessna 310, Air Unique Inc., were negligent in taking care of the plane and that Bourn did not have recent flight experience and was reckless for taking off in foggy weather. The Ingram family is suing Bourn's estate and Air Unique.

Frank Pitre, an attorney for Ingram's estate, said in a written statement:

This plane crash could have been avoided if the owner and operator of the aircraft, Douglas Bourn, demonstrated concern for the safety of his passengers -- instead of blatant disregard for his lack of recent flying experience, poor weather and the condition of his aircraft.

The complaint says air traffic control twice warned Bourn he was not cleared for takeoff, something confirmed by the Mercury News. Given that the passengers and pilot were co-workers going somewhere (for work?), the law makes it difficult to win a workers' compensation case. But that's not what is happening here, as Pitre told the Mercury News that part of the reason for the lawsuit is to get more information on just what happened on the day of the crash.

[Source: NBC Bay Area, Mercury News]

General Motors continues to test the Chevrolet's Volt capabilities at Pikes Peak, a location well known for its daunting corners, dramatically changing altitude and grueling driving conditions. This time around, an amateur videographer caught a long line of Volts – six, to be precise – as they headed down from the 14,110-foot summit. The 38-mile round trip from base to summit can be challenging for any vehicle, but the Volt is apparently handling this rigorous testing with relative ease.

Inside Line got in touch with GM spokesman Rob Peterson and questioned him about the Volt's real-world testing. Via text message, Peterson wrote that the Volt's testing is going well and notes that the vehicle has spent a considerable amount on time on Pike Peak. Peterson's text message reads:

It is probably around 800 miles on Pikes Peak. At this point, our development engineers are focusing on real-world miles, putting the vehicles through their final paces.

During a phone interview, Peterson told Inside Line that the ranger on duty at the mandatory brake checkpoint had to point his laser gun at the Volt's brakes not once, but twice. Apparently, the ranger was shocked by the unbelievably low brake temperatures. Peterson said, "By the time the Volts made it off the hill, they had recaptured double-digit miles of energy."

To date, the Volt has racked up not only those 800 miles on Pike Peak but also thousands of additional miles in other grueling locations such as Death Valley. Follow the jump to watch the Volts make their way down the rain-drenched roads at Pikes Peak.

[Source: Inside Line]

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With great fanfare, Apple announced iAd back in June and revealed at the time that the Nissan Leaf would be one of the first items promoted through the iDevice-specific advertising service. This week, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that, overall, advertisers are having a tough time rolling out ads through the mobile iAd network, but Nissan is apparently quite pleased. How good are iAds for the Leaf? A Nissan spokeswoman told the WSJ that iAd "has driven exceptional results to date" and that the tap-through rate on an iAd is five times higher than the click-through rate of Nissan's standard online Leaf campaign.

This is good news for Nissan, because it apparently takes a lot longer to put together an iAd than it does a normal online campaign. They're also pricey. WSJ says the cost to work with Apple to put one together starts at a million dollars. Hey, Leaf fans, you're worth it.



[Source: Wall Street Journal via our in-family Apple blog TUAW]

Maruti Suzuki, India's largest automaker, has unveiled a lineup of CNG-powered vehicles that run the gamut from entry-level compacts to sedans and right on up to MPVs. The company's factory-fitted CNG engine technology, dubbed "intelligent-Gas Port Injection" (i-GPI), will be immediately available on five popular models, including the SX4, Eeco, Wagon R, Estilo and Alto. According to Maruti Suzuki:

[i-GPI] bi-fuel technology offers an intelligent ride. Intelligent, as it ensures more power vis-à-vis retro-fitted CNG vehicles and offers a peppier ride experience on par with that of a petrol-fueled engine, while achieving high fuel efficiency at the same time.

Initially, the five CNG-powered models will be offered in Delhi, Mumbai and Gujrat, but as India's government expands its rapidly developing CNG infrastructure, Maruti Suzuki hopes to offer all five vehicles nationwide. The company states that its "launch of CNG technology vehicles will help the eco system by using a clean and cost-effective fuel in India." While this statement may be supported by some, it remains questionable at best. Follow the jump for more info.

[Source: Maruti Suzuki]

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PSA Peugeot Citroen, along with BMW, jointly developed the Mini's gasoline-fed engine and, until recently, PSA's diesel mill could be found under the bonnet of the little Cooper as well. With motivation partly provided by PSA, the Mini Cooper hit the streets running and never looked back. It was a smash hit, with sales exceeding most expectations.

Recently, rumors about a possible diesel hybrid Mini have swirled around and it would seem like a match made in heaven to pair up PSA's Hybrid4 system – due to appear soon in the 3008 and 508 – with the pint-sized Mini. Though there's no doubt that the resulting vehicle would be highly efficient, Mini's head of diesel engine development, Wolfgang Kuttler, states that the Hybrid4 setup is "a very expensive and heavy system." Kuttler added:

It only brings fuel savings in town, not on the faster, more open roads commonly used in Europe. We'll never use a system like it at Mini for that reason.

Our hopes of a Mini diesel hybrid may have been dashed, but Kuttler believes that improved efficiency is still on the horizon. According to Kuttler, Mini will focus on extracting every last bit of efficiency from its current diesel engines. Kuttler presented Mini's diesel plans this way:

I believe that we are currently getting about 50 per cent of the efficiency available in diesel engines. We intend to concentrate on improving ancillary drive, lowering internal friction, increasing injection pressure and optimising turbo response, among other aspects. Variable valve timing is a possibility but it's low down on the priority list.

If Mini can build a diesel engine that will top the company's 60.3 miles per gallon-rated (U.S) mill found in the Mini One D, then there's probably no need for a diesel hybrid anyways.



Photos by Steven J. Ewing / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autocar]

The Japan Post Service Co. hopes to green up its mail service with the addition of 1,000 Fuji Heavy minivehicles converted over to electric drive. The vehicles come packed with a lithium-ion batteries and the usual host of motors and high-tech controllers found in electric vehicles (EVs). The Japan Post will utilize the battery-powered vehicles for mail collection and delivery.

Custom autoparts start-up Zerosports Co. will handle the conversion process and hopes to delivers the finished product to the postal service next fiscal year. Zerosports claims that the delivery van will have a 62-mile range and can be recharged in eight hours. The Japanese newspaper Nikkei reports that Zerosports was chosen over major automakers because of the company's ability to undercut the competition's price by as much as 30 percent:

Japan Post has been testing electric vehicles from Zerosports, Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. and others since 2009 to evaluate their cost and performance. The Japan Post Holdings Co. unit replaces about 3,000 of its delivery and other vehicles every year. It has decided to make one-third of the annual replacements electric vehicles. Gifu Prefecture-based Zerosports is expected to get almost all of the unit's electric vehicle orders for fiscal 2011, which ends in March 2012.

Despite stiff competition from major automakers, Zerosports has shown that a small start-up company can occasionally secure bids to produce vehicles by undercutting the prices of some formidable opponents.

[Source: Nikkei – sub. req. via Green Car Congress | Image: Angie – C.C. License 2.0]

Electric vehicle (EV) maker Think is expanding its reach once again, this time by partnering with Mobivia Groupe S.A., a European leader in multi-brand vehicle sales, servicing and distribution.

Mobivia Groupe recently added to its operations in France with the addition of O2City, a newly established sustainable mobility division. O2City will be responsible for direct sales of the Think EVs and will offer financing options, insurance, maintenance and after-sales service of Think vehicles through its nationwide network of eco-mobility centers.

Think's partnership with O2City gives the company access to more than 800 sales and service facilities spread across France. Additionally, Think will gain distribution access into several large fleet contracts, including a consortium led by France's postal service La Poste. This consortium aims to bring at least 100,000 EVs to French fleets by 2015. Think chief executive officer Richard Canny highlighted the importance of partnering with Mobivia:

We could not wish for a stronger and better equipped partner for the sale of the Think City in France. O2City is very well placed to capitalise on ambitious French EV market development aspirations, with access to some 800 Mobivia centres nationwide, offering easily accessible and available servicing to early adopters of EV technology. We are delighted to be entering the French market with such a strong partner and with a product that's actually in production and on sale right now.

Fabien Derville, managing director of the Eco-Mobility division, Mobivia Groupe, added that, "The French sustainable mobility market is about to open up in a big way." Follow the jump for more info on Think's entry into the French market.

[Source: Think]

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Math isn't appreciated enough in our society. As a big fan of the "I'm an English Major, You do the math" shirt, I'll admit I'm part of the problem. We can all agree, though, that it's hugely important to "get" basic mathematical concepts, especially when it comes to understanding energy efficiency (like miles per gallon). Trouble is, too many Americans don't have this knowledge.

This is the finding of a new study called "Public perceptions of energy consumption and savings" published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study's authors say that people underestimate the energy saving potential of big changes – like driving a more efficient car – and overestimate the impact of little things like turning off lights. One slightly surprising finding: respondents with "stronger proenvironmental attitudes" understood energy savings better than others.

From the study's opening summary:

In a national online survey, 505 participants reported their perceptions of energy consumption and savings for a variety of household, transportation, and recycling activities. When asked for the most effective strategy they could implement to conserve energy, most participants mentioned curtailment (e.g., turning off lights, driving less) rather than efficiency improvements (e.g., installing more efficient light bulbs and appliances), in contrast to experts' recommendations. For a sample of 15 activities, participants underestimated energy use and savings by a factor of 2.8 on average, with small overestimates for low-energy activities and large underestimates for high-energy activities. Additional estimation and ranking tasks also yielded relatively flat functions for perceived energy use and savings. Across several tasks, participants with higher numeracy scores and stronger proenvironmental attitudes had more accurate perceptions. The serious deficiencies highlighted by these results suggest that well-designed efforts to improve the public's understanding of energy use and savings could pay large dividends.

Oh, can anyone help us understand the chart above? Our math skill aren't up to it (j/k)

[Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences via Earth Institute and Green Car Congress]

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General Motors has reached an agreement with one of its primary Chinese partners, Shanghai Automotive Industries Corp. (SAIC), on the joint development of powertrains for small vehicles.

GM and SAIC will develop and produce a family of four-cylinder engines ranging from 1.0- to 1.5-liters with direct injection and turbocharging. The GTDI engines should cut fuel consumption by around 20 percent compared to similarly-sized engines with equivalent output.

The engine will be used in GM and SAIC vehicles in China and around the world. Along with the new engine, the partners will also develop a small dual-clutch transmission that should provide a 10 percent boost in efficiency over current six-speed torque converter automatics. Work on the engine and transmission will occur at GM's powertrain engineering center in Pontiac, MI and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center in Shanghai.

GM has yet to announced when the new powertrains will debut in production, but mid-2011 is a safe bet.

[Source: General Motors]

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