The Volt Has Arrived

The much anticipated Chevrolet Volt is about to go on sale in select markets in the US. Hear what experts are saying about this car of the future.

The Nissian Leaf

After much speculation and hype, the first large scale production all electric vehicle has finally gone on sale to the general public. This vehicle represents a leap in the availability of electric vehicles to the masses. With a starting price of around 25K and a range of up to 100 miles, the Leaf offers affordability and an extended vehicle range. Its lithium ion battery pack allows the vehicle to travel while emitting zero pollution and silent propulsion. But there are inherent drawbacks with these new technologies. While the leaf does not actually pollute, the energy that powers the vehicle can come from coal fired power plants, not exactly environmentally friendly. In addition, there is what has been called range anxiety. This term has been coined to describe the worry that drivers face as their vehicles run low on power and must be charged before they can be driven again.

Technology For the Here and Now

There has been a lot of talk recently about the future viability of the electric vehicle. While a fully electric vehicle is a great idea in theory, the infrastructure does not currently exist to support purely electric vehicles. While the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt alleviates many of these infrastructural issues, it too is limited to its current compact car platform. So what about the rest of the vehicles? In my recent search I found an article that states that turbocharged engines will lead the way toward improving the efficiency of vehicles in the near future. While turbochargers are usually associated with high performance vehicles, they have a viable place in helping to increase the fuel efficiency of most automobiles. By utilizing a turbocharged engine, automakers are able to downsize the displacement of their engines while maintaining the level of performance that drivers have become accustom to. This reduction in displacement allows for increased fuel efficiency and overall fewer carbon emissions, something we will all benefit from.

http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1051044_number-of-turbocharged-vehicles-to-soar-thanks-to-cafe-mileage-rules

The future of Vehicle Battery Technology

Current trends in the automotive market can often be seen through concept cars that manufactures display at auto shows. Many new concepts incorporate not just future styling cues, but also give clues as to future technologies that will begin showing up in road cars. Recent trends suggest that we will see an increasing amount of hybrid gasoline or diesel electric vehicles. While there are a multitude of propulsion system designs (the most popular being either direct electric drive with a range extender, or a mixture of combusition and electric drive powering the vehicle), one item remains ever present: the battery. Most vehicle manufactures utilize a lithium-ion battery to store reserve energy. While these batteries are good they do limit the vehicles performance by adding weight and limiting overall range. I have posted an article that outlines some current research avenues into how to improve battery life and reduce the cost of batteries.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7179/full/451652a.html

Automotive Technologies

The world of automotive technologies is ever evolving. From its inception, the automobile has been an engineers playground; offering almost unlimited possibilities for advancement and improvement. In today's ever evolving automobile market, auto manufactures are continuing to push the boundaries of what we think is possible.