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Article source: http://www.wesh.com/news/29345868/detail.html

By Samuel Ee

MORE diesel passenger cars could be hitting the road in Singapore soon, but with slightly more distinctive accessories – such as sirens and blue and red beacons.
The Singapore Police Force is said to be considering the use of 2.0-litre diesel cars for its fleet of marked cars. These cars are for general-purpose use, such as patrolling duties, attending to a crime scene, going to court or just transporting people.
The police are understood to have called for a tender for two standard diesel saloons that can seat five adults. These two units are for the purpose of evaluating the feasibility of a diesel-powered car.
Currently, its fleet consists of 1,600cc petrol-engined models such as the Toyota Corolla Altis and Hyundai Avante.
But since last year, the police are understood to have been exploring whether diesel is more viable than petrol as a fuel. One particular area being focused on is whether diesel is cleaner and more economical with its lower fuel cost.
At this stage, the evaluation is said to be preliminary and will include trying out a bigger car with a more spacious cabin because Asians are generally increasing in size.
It is understood that two brands participated in the recent diesel car tender – Hyundai and Renault.
The Hyundai distributor was said to have offered its Sonata 2.0 turbo diesel sedan, a model that has been successfully deployed by ComfortDelGro wearing Comfort and Citycab livery since late 2006.
The Sonata diesel comes with a four-speed automatic transmission. The Korean model accounts for more than 80 per cent of the land transport giant’s total fleet of almost 16,000 cabs.
The Renault distributor is said to have offered its Latitude. This Camry-sized sedan has a 2.0dCi diesel engine with 175hp that is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The French carmaker produces this model in South Korea.
One industry veteran said that he hoped the evaluation of a diesel-engined model by the police will be successful and will result in more of such cars being made part of their fleet.
“This will help to overcome any prejudice against diesel being a dirty and polluting fuel and lead to wider acceptance of the fuel,” he said.
He pointed out that diesel cars are already popular in Europe, with sales of such models accounting for more than half of the volume of some manufacturers.
“If diesel cars become more common on the road, then perhaps it will also mean a re-think of the diesel tax. If that happens, then more motorists will be able to enjoy the benefits of diesel such as higher torque and lower fuel cost,” he said.
Diesel models are already available in some Singapore showrooms, especially those run by distributors of European makes. But a diesel vehicle registered for private use attracts a diesel surcharge of $1.25 per cc on top of the annual road tax.
This means the owner of a 2,000cc diesel car with an annual road tax of about $1,214 will also have to pay a [...] Continue Reading…

Article source: http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110929-302167.html

Two officer-involved crashes in less than a month coupled with a long-discussed need for updates and replacements to well-worn patrol cars begs the question: Is the Vacaville Police Department’s aging patrol fleet up to snuff?With budget woes wreaking havoc in multiple city departments, Vacaville Police Chief Richard Word said the department’s vehicles are just one of the many areas in need of some TLC.Monday’s most recent crackup on eastbound Interstate 80 at Alamo Drive involving Vacaville Officer Nichole King came just 25 days after another cruiser, driven by Officer Debi Lopez, was totaled in a five-car pileup, making the need for new cars more pressing than ever.Of the department’s 123 vehicles, which includes both marked and unmarked patrol cars as well as civilian vehicles, Word said about 10 are in need of replacement — soon.”We’re developing this plan to get the nine cars — now probably 10 after the crash — replaced,” Word said Tuesday.The funding to fulfill that need, well, that’s a different story. According to Word, Vacaville’s vehicle replacement fund is low — something that doesn’t come as a surprise in light of the recession. Like many other cities, Word said, when money gets tight vehicle replacement is often among the first things to go.”When you’re short on money, you tend to run your cars longer,” Word said, arguing that it isn’t as much of an issue in Vacaville compared to cities with higher crime rates such as Oakland and San Francisco.In addition to the vehicles out of commission, Word said that as of July, 13 vehicles in the fleet have wracked up more than 100,000 miles. Still, Word said, that is not necessarily a problem in and of itself, given the regularly scheduled maintenance the vehicle’s undergo.”Our garage does a great job,” he said.The last batch of new wheels to come to the department came in the form of five new cars in July 2010 that started as leases and will gradually be bought over a five-year period.According to Sgt. Chris Polen, manager of the department’s fleet, all of Vacaville’s patrol officers share cars, which translates to the vehicles being on the road seven days a week.”They’re just aging,” Polen said, noting that some of the vehicles are more than 10 years old. “When the economy hit we had to cinch our belt a little bit.”Because of budget constraints, the goal now, Polen said, is to try to maintain the fleet rather than increase it.With more than 140,000 miles on some of the cars, Polen said most unit supervisors monitor which vehicles are on the street and if an older car becomes involved in a pursuit, it is often terminated more quickly.As far as professionalism goes, according to Polen, the car officers drive is no less important than the uniform they wear.”The image that we’re trying to portray as Vacaville police officers and how we present ourselves to the community is very important to us,” he said.However, until the funding becomes available to make new wheels [...] Continue Reading…

Article source: http://www.thereporter.com/rss/ci_19010798?source=rss

Video: The Future of Electric Cars

Video: First Biofuel-Powered Transatlantic Flight

Video: Ford To Sell SunPower’s Solar Panels

From rare earth-free magnets for electric cars to heat-storing materials to generate electricity, 60 projects will receive a total of $156 million from a federal program that funds innovative energy research, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday.
The funding is coming from Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), which the energy department launched in 2009 and modeled after a Department of Defense program that supports early-stage technology research. Many of these defense projects ended up providing the military with telecommunication and Internet  technologies that later became widely used by the public.
“We are in another Sputnik-like moment in a race to develop clean energy. As a country we have a choice to make. We can compete in a global marketplace and create American jobs and sell American products, or we can buy products from abroad,” said Arun Majumdar, director of ARPA-E, during a press conference to announce the new funding.
Energy department officials have been using Sputnik to rally for more funding for clean energy research and development at a time when lawmakers are in the budget-cutting mode. In a speech deliver last November, Energy Secretary Steve Chu warned that the country will lose its technology leadership in the world and the economic prosperity that goes with it if it doesn’t invest more in science and technology.
The 60 new projects announced by Majumdar will tackle a wide range of subjects, including biofuel, solar energy and electric grid. The money is going mostly to universities and national laboratories, but some is heading to private companies as well. Abengoa Solar, for example, is set to get $3.6 million to design a solar power plant that will be able to store the sun’s heat for power generation whenever needed.
Abengoa said the project will improve its current solar thermal technology, which uses mirrors to concentrate and direct the sunlight for producing steam. The steam then goes to a generator to produce electricity. The company is currently building two solar farms in California and Arizona using $2.65 billion in federal loans.
Google-backed startup, Transphorm, is getting $3.6 million to develop electronic devices for converting the direct current from solar panels into alternating current for feeding the grid. Transphorm is teaming up with another [...] Continue Reading…

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2011/09/29/feds-fund-novel-green-tech-for-electric-cars-solar-heat-storage/?feed=rss_home

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
One person suffered injuries and was rushed to the hospital after vehicles rolled over the interstate.
The two vehicles went off the interstate shortly after 7 a.m. on southbound I-435 near 63rd Street in Kansas City.
One person taken to the hospital and the other person suffered minor injuries.
All lanes have reopened, but there is still a considerable backup.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.
Copyright 2011 KCTV. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.kctv5.com/story/15577193/considerable-backup-on-i-435-after-2-cars-rollover

LISBON — Route 196 was closed for two hours Wednesday while emergency crews worked to free occupants of two vehicles involved in a three-vehicle crash.Lisbon Police Chief David Brooks said police at 10:18 a.m. received the report of a crash on Route 196 in front of Angelo’s Pizzeria. Mary Perkins, 50, of 16 South Ave., Auburn, was driving a 2004 Nissan west on Route 196 when Brooks said she fell asleep, crossed the centerline and collided with a dump truck. The impact of the collision caused the steering to break and brakes to lock on the dump truck.The dump truck, traveling east with no control, swerved left and broadsided a third vehicle driven by William McCabe, 72, of 45 Tufton St., Brunswick. Catherine McCabe, 67, of the same address, was a passenger in the vehicle.The big wheeler, driven by Adam Longchamps, 25, of 62 Boston Ave., Lewiston, pushed the vehicle with the McCabes in it against a guardrail and pinned it there.

Brooks said the guardrail prevented both the car with the McCabes and the dump truck from plunging into the Sabattus River.The 1987 Western Star dump truck is owned by Lisbon-based Longchamps and Sons Inc., Brooks said.Two United Ambulance units from Lewiston responded to transport Perkins and both McCabes to an undisclosed hospital.Longchamps was not hurt, according to Brooks.Lisbon’s ET Smith and Lisbon Falls fire departments responded and extricated the McCabes from their vehicle. Longchamps brought a loader from a nearby construction site and pulled the dump truck away from the car.Brooks said the Lewiston Fire Department also responded and extricated Perkins, who was also pinned in her vehicle.

This morning, Brooks said police heard all three crash victims were stable and that Perkins had been released by Wednesday afternoon. Brooks said Perkins told police she had just got out of work in Brunswick and was driving home. He said no charges are expected.According to Brooks, a Maine State Police commercial unit responded to the scene and is doing a complete vehicle inspection of the dump truck.Route 196 was closed for two hours, Brooks said, due to the way the vehicles involved in the crash landed and the number of emergency personnel and vehicles at the scene.dmoore@timesrecord.com

Article source: http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2011/09/29/news/doc4e84a4281d188496712646.txt

Tucson police continue to search for the drivers of two cars
that hit a man near a south-side intersection Wednesday night,
police said.

The pedestrian was hit near South Park Avenue and East Tennessee
Street, near East Irvington Road, said Sgt. Matt Ronstadt, a Tucson
police spokesman. The drivers fled after the crash.

The man struck by the cars is believed to  be approximately 18 to
20 years old. He was wearing a black T-shirt, black pants, and
black Nike shoes. He was carrying a T-Mobile cellular phone.

One vehicle was described as a gold or dark-colored Chevrolet Tahoe
or Suburban, or possibly a GMC Yukon, he said. That vehicle was
last seen eastbound on Tennessee.

The other car was described as a light-colored 2003 to 2006 Nissan
Altima, which was last seen northbound on Park.

Anyone with information is asked to call 88-CRIME.

Article source: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/473aba46-eab5-11e0-aa9f-001cc4c002e0.html

NissanNissan and Swiss researhers are collaborating on a car of the future that will read drivers’ minds to make the task at hand easier and safer.What’s on your mind as you drive down the road? Cars of the future may tap into those thoughts in order to keep you and our roads safer.The technology builds on brain-machine interface research pioneered at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland that allows wheelchairs users to get around using their minds. 
Now, in collaboration with Nissan, the team has announced the car and driver is the next frontier.”The idea is to blend driver and vehicle intelligence together in such a way that eliminates conflict between them, leading to a safer motoring environment,” Jose del Millan, who the EPFL researcher leading the project, said in a media statement.The system will measure brain activity, eye movement patterns, and the environment around the car to predict what the driver plans to do — such as turn left or change lanes to pass a slowpoke — and then help the driver make the move.The idea of cars that help drivers get along down the road isn’t entirely new. Earlier this year, we reported on a group of German researchers who have a car that turns left and right using brain waves.More stores on cars, technology, and mind control:
Leave the driving to your brain
Man controlled robotic hand with thoughts
Honda says brain waves control robot
Taxicab data helps ease traffic
John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com.As computing power increases exponentially, the ways we relate to computers become more natural — and more ubiquitous. Msnbc.com’s Wilson Rothman explores the evolution of interfaces, from primitive punch cards to interactive buildings. 

Article source: http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/29/8040526-future-cars-will-read-our-minds

Jonah Lomu’s exclusive dealAs fears continue for his health, Jonah Lomu is finally talking – in an exclusive paid interview.The…videoGreat World Cup moments – Jonah Lomu

Article source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10755246&ref=rss

Jonah Lomu’s exclusive dealAs fears continue for his health, Jonah Lomu is finally talking – in an exclusive paid interview.The…videoGreat World Cup moments – Jonah Lomu

Article source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10755317&ref=rss