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Posts Tagged ‘electric cars’
via CarandDriver.com
I’ve long thought the Ford Fiesta is the answer to our global car crisis. It’s the anti-SUV, low in power, high on mileage, and perfect for most Americans who have a love/hate relationship with their long commutes. When they brought the car back to the States in 2011, I was excited to see it resurrected, reminding me of those long gone days learning to drive in my sister’s early 90′s model.
So, they’re making it even better with the EcoBoost hybrid engine. It’s the smallest engine yet from Ford, and measures in at 1.0 liter.
Engineers at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the U.K. began designing the new EcoBoost 1.0-liter engine long before the current spike in fuel prices pushed the cost of a gallon of gas over $4. Their goal: To design a technically advanced, super-efficient three-cylinder engine that delivers the same performance as a four-cylinder, but with much higher fuel economy and lower emissions.
To do that, engineers at Dunton, Ford’s global center of excellence for small-capacity engines, focused on improving thermal efficiency and reducing friction of the engine’s internal moving parts, especially during warm-up. That’s when an engine emits higher levels of CO2 and other pollutants. The new engine introduces many new technologies that could someday be part of the DNA of future Ford engines, said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Global Powertrain Engineering.
The new three-cylinder engine will be available globally in the company’s small cars. It will also play an important role in North America. [Source]
It will be interesting to see how this affects mileage and power.
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Image via: Wall Street Journal
BMW announced a new smart phone app for drivers interested in seeing exactly how an electric car would save them money and gas. The app will “the app lets drivers track how compatible their driving habits and daily traveling distances would be with a battery-powered electric vehicle, plus what they would save in potential fuel costs.” It’s all part of a massive marketing campaign to promote the new BMW ActiveE, it’s first mass produced electric car.
Auto makers typically only begin promoting new cars months before they go on sale, for fear a long buildup will cut into sales of existing models. But the uncertainty over how drivers will embrace the very different technology behind electric cars is turning the traditional marketing blueprint on its head.
Information Source: Wall Street Journal
The app is free and can be downloaded to smartphones now. It works by anonymously collecting data by tracking your driving patterns through GPS that is built into most smartphones. You then go to www.bmwactivatethefuture.com. Your friends at Carhelp.com have downloaded the app and will report back to you when we have more information!