2010/02/11
Very sustainable electric boats and planes
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Around the world with electric transport, on land, at sea and in the air
From the first 100%-electric sports car to the taxis of Shenzhen
To revolutionise motorsport and to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hour race: such are the ambitions of the GreenGT Sprint, the first 100%-electric sports car. Its results are impressive: the car can reach 280 km/h (174 mph). Its 240 kg of lithium-ion batteries give it a range of between 15 and 25 laps, depending on the circuit, while its solar panels supply the electronics of the dashboard. But this car makes no noise, bemoans Autoblog "Can motorsport, disciple of decibels, take an ecological change of direction? Will spectators be prepared to accept a silent race" wonders the blogger. Time will tell.
According to Voiture électrique.net the company Jaguar/Land Rover is actively working on the creation of a purely electric version of its Jaguar XJ model. This vehicle is supposed to have a 145 kW electric engine, powered by a lithium-ion battery. The battery would be accompanied by a three 35 kW-cylinder, 1.2 litre generator, which would allow a range of 965 km (almost 600 miles) to be reached… which would be a first in the electric car world. Voitureélectrique.net reports that, according to a senior executive at Jaguar/Land Rover, the firm intends to create zero-emission and zero-pollution zones within large cities all over the world, within which only automatically rechargeable cars would be allowed.
In the world of public transport, Caradisiac tells us that the electric F-CITY has arrived in Montbéliard (France). Indeed, the agglomeration community has just taken delivery of three of these electric city vehicles, designed by the French company FAM Automobiles. The three F-CITYs are going to be tested for almost a year, particularly by municipal employees of the agglomeration community.
Voiture électrique.net informs us that, in China, the company BYD will produce its electric E6s for a taxi company in Shenzhen, in the south of the country. BYD has already completed much of the order, which comprises 100 cars.
Very sustainable boats
The company Danish Yachts has just unveiled its new yacht, the Build 116, which is clean, energy efficient and powered by alternative energy sources. A
ccording to Greenlaunches.com, it should be able to reach a speed of up to 50 knots with minimum fuel consumption. It uses recyclable materials and biodegradable products. In terms of its discharge, it was designed to comply with MARPOL requirements (MARPOL is an international agreement regarding marine pollution).
A boat that produces more energy than it uses: Treehugger introduces us to the Physalia, an
eco-friendly, veritable "floating garden". Designed to transport passengers on European waterways, it also has a rooftop botanical garden in which vegetables can be grown.
This revolutionary boat will also educate its passengers on sustainable development. Named after a jellyfish, unfortunately the Physalia remains merely a concept at the moment … When will production start?
As for the new electro-solar ferry, inaugurated in Marseille, in the south of France, as announced by Caradisiac, well it’s definitely moored in reality. It has recently started making crossings from the Old Port of the city. It’s a catamaran, which is 13 metres long and 4.7 metres wide. It has 2 electric engines, with adjustable and 360-degree swivelling propellers and total battery power of 83.5 KWh. Its 16 photovoltaic panels can provide instantaneous power of 800 Watts in winter and 3,000 Watts in summer. Finally, it can sail for more than 10 hours, or a maximum of around 270 3-minute crossings, without recharging its batteries.
Electric planes to hit the sky soon
Greenlaunches introduces the Air Alien Green Helicopter, an all-new, unique electric helicopter for which the aviation industry has high hopes. Fitted with two huge fuel tanks which store the hydrogen and oxygen that produce the necessary electricity to power it, the Air Alien Green Helicopter makes very little noise. It would be perfect for panorama flights and safaris.
The next story concerns a plane, codename Puffin, referring to the seabird with its short wings and slightly awkward gait. This personal electric plane was designed by American engineers, in particular those working for NASA, we learn from the Énergies Nouvelles blog. Powered by an electric engine and designed in carbon fibre, it weighs 135 kilos and measures 3.7 metres long with a 4.1-metre wingspan. A demonstration prototype should be ready by the month of March 2010. The plane is silent, light and stealthy – it gives off little heat and thus avoids radar – and is of interest to the military and civil defence services.
The Vancouver Olympic Games advocate sustainable mobility
The Vancouver Winter Olympic Games are going green and launching a series of sustainable initiatives, as described to us by Greenlaunches . The medals are going to be made out of recycled circuit boards. The torch will be carried by canoes and zero-emission electric scooters. And finally, the Olympic Village in Whistler, in which the athletes will be staying, will have bus shelters and benches in the shape of the human body. The message being that exercise and yoga are essential for a healthy lifestyle.
More good news for sustainable mobility: the number of car-sharing users in North America increased by 117% between 2007 and 2009. In a report entitled Car-sharing: a Sustainable and Innovative Personal Transport Solution , Frost & Sullivan analysts maintain that the worldwide economic problems of the past years have contributed to car sharing emerging as a method of reducing transport costs. The report estimates that, in 2009, each shared vehicle replaced 15 private vehicles, on average. It also shows that drivers who regularly used car sharing drove 31% less than when they used their own car. Combined, these two factors mean 482,170 fewer tons of CO2 emissions.
