Government Accountability Office warns of service disruptions to the GPS satellites; Points finger at U.S. Air Force for delays in modernization process

May 20, 2009 at 5:49 pm

(Source: Autoblog & GAO)

Big government’s inefficiency comes in a variety of flavors, and this one could hit your dashboards as early as next year. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S.’ Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to experience black-outs and general failures next year due to the delays, mismanagement and underinvestment by the U.S. Air force. 

The report’s summary offers the following: The Global Positioning System (GPS), which provides position, navigation, and timing data to users worldwide, has become essential to U.S. national security and a key tool in an expanding array of public service and commercial applications at home and abroad. The United States provides GPS data free of charge. The Air Force, which is responsible for GPS acquisition, is in the process of modernizing GPS. In light of the importance of GPS, the modernization effort, and international efforts to develop new systems, GAO was asked to undertake a broad review of GPS. Specifically, GAO assessed progress in (1) acquiring GPS satellites, (2) acquiring the ground control and user equipment necessary to leverage GPS satellite capabilities, and evaluated (3) coordination among federal agencies and other organizations to ensure GPS missions can be accomplished. To carry out this assessment, GAO’s efforts included reviewing and analyzing program documentation, conducting its own analysis of Air Force satellite data, and interviewing key officials.

It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected. (1) In recent years, the Air Force has struggled to successfully build GPS satellites within cost and schedule goals; it encountered significant technical problems that still threaten its delivery schedule; and it struggled with a different contractor. As a result, the current IIF satellite program has overrun its original cost estimate by about $870 million and the launch of its first satellite has been delayed to November 2009–almost 3 years late. (2) Further, while the Air Force is structuring the new GPS IIIA program to prevent mistakes made on the IIF program, the Air Force is aiming to deploy the next generation of GPS satellites 3 years faster than the IIF satellites. GAO’s analysis found that this schedule is optimistic, given the program’s late start, past trends in space acquisitions, and challenges facing the new contractor. Of particular concern is leadership for GPS acquisition, as GAO and other studies have found the lack of a single point of authority for space programs and frequent turnover in program managers have hampered requirements setting, funding stability, and resource allocation. (3) If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to. Such a gap in capability could have wide-ranging impacts on all GPS users, though there are measures the Air Force and others can take to plan for and minimize these impacts. In addition to risks facing the acquisition of new GPS satellites, the Air Force has not been fully successful in synchronizing the acquisition and development of the next generation of GPS satellites with the ground control and user equipment, thereby delaying the ability of military users to fully utilize new GPS satellite capabilities. Diffuse leadership has been a contributing factor, given that there is no single authority responsible for synchronizing all procurements and fielding related to GPS, and funding has been diverted from ground programs to pay for problems in the space segment. DOD and others involved in ensuring GPS can serve communities beyond the military have taken prudent steps to manage requirements and coordinate among the many organizations involved with GPS. However, GAO identified challenges in the areas of ensuring civilian requirements can be met and ensuring GPS compatibility with other new, potentially competing global space-based positioning, navigation, and timing systems.

Click here to download the report.  For those who like to read without leaving the page, here is the read-only version of the PDF.

Public and Private Sector Leaders Call for Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Smart Technologies

May 20, 2009 at 11:09 am

(Source: National Transportation Operations Coalition)

A coalition of transportation and technology leaders – including state and local officials, industry and academic leaders and prominent stakeholder organizations – is calling on Congress to focus federal funding in the surface transportation authorization bill on the deployment of smart technologies and innovative solutions in order to create a performance-driven, intermodal transportation system that is safer, cleaner, more efficient and more financially sustainable for communities, businesses and the traveling public.

America’s transportation system is facing significant challenges that must be addressed in the next surface transportation authorization bill, from financing our transportation system and reducing traffic fatalities to combating congestion and CO2 emissions. Solving these challenges will require transportation agencies and private sector partners to use all of the tools at their disposal, including intelligent transportation systems (ITS), related technologies, and multimodal operational strategies that can help prevent accidents before they happen, reduce traffic congestion and freight bottlenecks, provide more effective incident and emergency response, reduce energy use and emissions, and enable innovative 21st century financing options.

“As a result of successful research initiatives and private sector innovation, technologies are here today which can help increase safety, reduce congestion and emissions, boost competitiveness, improve system performance, and create more livable and sustainable communities,” the coalition wrote today to House transportation leaders. “While a continued and strengthened research role is still needed, it is critical that state and local agencies and private sector partners make better use of technology to modernize today’s infrastructure and optimize existing capacity, while building smart and efficient roads, bridges, transit systems, and multimodal transportation options for tomorrow’s transportation users.” 

Strategic partnership for an era of electro-mobility: Daimler acquires 10% stake in Electric Car Maker Tesla

May 19, 2009 at 11:58 am

(Source: TeslaMotors@Twitter)

Looks like the German automaker, Daimler AG (maker of Mercedes vehicles) strongly feels about the growth of electric vehicles in the market.  Early this morning TransportGooru received the hot alert from Tesla’s Tweet that Daimler has acquired 10% of the company.   Sweet Deal!!! It will be a great & mutually beneficial relationship for both parties as it not only provides the much needed financial capital for Tesla, it  also allows for collaborative development of technologies that will be deployed in the future platforms manufactured by either company. 

• German automaker acquires nearly 10 percent of one of the leading electric vehicle companies

• Automakers agreed to cooperate in battery systems, electric drive systems and vehicle projects

The press release on Tesla’s Website is here for you to read..

May 19, 2009 

STUTTGART, Germany, and SAN CARLOS, Calif.

– Daimler AG has acquired an equity stake of nearly 10 percent of Tesla Motors Inc. This investment deepens the relationship between the inventor of the automobile and the newest member of the global auto industry. Tesla is the only production automaker selling a highway capable electric vehicle in North America and Europe.

The two companies have already been working closely to integrate Tesla’s lithium-ion battery packs and charging electronics into the first 1,000 units of Daimler’s electric smart car. In order to benefit from each other’s know-how, the investment enables the partners to collaborate even more closely on the development of battery systems, electric drive systems and in individual vehicle projects.

“Our strategic partnership is an important step to accelerate the commercialization of electric drives globally,” said Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “As a young and dynamic company, Tesla stands for visionary power and pioneering spirit. Together with Daimler’s 120 years of experience in the automotive sector this collaboration is a unique combination of two companies’ strengths. This marks another important milestone in Daimler’s strategy for sustainable mobility.”

“Daimler has set the benchmark for engineering excellence and vehicle quality for more than a century. It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that Daimler would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla,” said Tesla Chairman, CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Daimler is also on the leading edge in the field of sustainable mobility. Among others the lithium-ion pouch-cell battery developed by Daimler and especially designed for automotive applications is of interest to us. We are looking forward to a strategic cooperation in a number of areas including leveraging Daimler’s engineering, production and supply chain expertise. This will accelerate bringing our Tesla Model S to production and ensure that it is a superlative vehicle on all levels.”

Image Courtesy: Tesla Motors

Together on the road to electro-mobility

As part of the collaboration, Prof. Herbert Kohler, Vice President E-Drive and Future Mobility at Daimler AG, will take a seat on Tesla’s board of directors. 

This long-term partnership with Tesla complements Daimler’s multi-facetted strategy to advance the electrification of the automobile.

Daimler is also moving forward the industrialization of lithium-ion technology. In March, the company founded the Deutsche Accumotive GmbH, a joint venture with Evonik Industries AG. As a result, Daimler is the first vehicle manufacturer worldwide that develops, produces and markets batteries for automotive applications. This is based on a Daimler stockholding in Li-Tec, the German specialist for lithium-ion battery cells.

100 smart electric cars have already been undergoing large-scale trials in London since 2007. These electric vehicles are being tested in day-to-day assignments by fleet operators and private customers.

Later this year the smart assembly plant in Hambach, France, will start production of up to 1,000 units of the second-generation smart fortwo with electric drive, which will initially be used for mobility projects such as e-mobility Berlin or e-mobility Italy. This year Daimler is also starting small-series production of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class with a fuel cell drive system. In 2010 the company will introduce its first battery-powered Mercedes-Benz. As of 2012, Daimler plans to equip all smart and Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles with own produced lithium-ion batteries.

In 2004, Tesla began development of its first electric vehicle, the Roadster, which remains the only highway capable EV for sale in North America or Europe. The Tesla Roadster is the first production battery electric vehicle to travel more than 200 miles per charge and the first US- and EU-certified lithium-ion battery electric vehicle. This green supercar accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds yet gets the equivalent of 256 miles per gallon. The Roadster, which travels an estimated 244 miles per charge with zero tailpipe emissions, is the first production vehicle to break the historical compromise between automobile performance and efficiency.

 

The Tesla Model S builds upon the success of the Tesla Roadster by leveraging its technology into the world’s first fully electric sedan. Based in Silicon Valley, Tesla unveiled the Model S in March and plans to produce it in California starting in late 2011.

U.S. to Require Fuel-Economy Standard by 2016. In addition to first ever nationwide regulation of greenhouse gases, plan would also raise the fuel efficiency target for new vehicles

May 18, 2009 at 4:22 pm

(Source: Wall Street Journal & Politico via Yahoo)

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration plans to order auto makers to increase the overall fuel economy of automobiles sold in the U.S. to 35 miles per gallon by 2016, four years faster than current federal law requires, people familiar with the matter said Monday.

The move is part of a broader overhaul of fuel economy rules aimed at cutting greenhouse-gas emissions.

Image: Fueleconomy.gov

The Obama administration is expected to announce a plan to revamp federal vehicle fuel-efficiency standards to bring them into harmony with the goals of a California greenhouse-gas law. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation will jointly raise fuel-economy standards and reduce greenhouse-gas pollution under the plan.

Separately, auto makers have agreed to drop litigation challenging the legality of state-level curbs on tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases, people familiar with the matter said.

An announcement of the agreement is expected Tuesday, with representatives of several large auto companies, including General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Fritz Henderson, and the president of United Auto Workers, Ron Gettelfinger, planning to participate, people familiar with the matter said.

The agreement worked out by aides to President Barack Obama represents a partial victory for the auto industry. The industry will be able to operate under a single national standard on fuel economy, rather than multiple regimes at the federal and state levels. Auto makers have long opposed California’s tailpipe emissions program as tantamount to state-level regulation of fuel economy, traditionally a federal responsibility.

But the standards will require huge investments by auto makers to remake their U.S. fleets so that they have roughly the same overall efficiency as vehicles they now sell in Europe, where gasoline is two to three times more expensive as in the U.S. By moving the 35 mpg requirement to 2016 from 2020, the administration is stepping up the pressure on the industry to overhaul its product lineup faster. It typically takes three to four years for auto makers to design and bring a new vehicle to market.

Auto executives are flying into Washington from around the world for the White House announcement.   California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is expected to attend, the sources said.

The CAFE standard was established by Congress in 1975 in response to the Arab Oil embargo.   A 2007 energy law requires auto makers to boost the average fuel economy of their vehicle fleets to at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020, a 40% increase from the roughly 25 mpg standard for the current fleet.  Last summer, the Transportation Department estimated that requiring auto makers to achieve 31.6 mpg by 2015 would cost the industry $46.7 billion, a sum the agency said would make it among the most expensive rule makings in U.S. history.

On Obama’s seventh day in office, he directed his Transportation Department to establish higher fuel-efficiency standards for carmakers’ 2011 model year “so that we use less oil and families have access to cleaner, more-efficient cars and trucks.”

“This rule will be a down payment on a broader and sustained effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” he said. “Going forward, my administration will work on a bipartisan basis in Washington and with industry partners across the country to forge a comprehensive approach that makes our economy stronger and our nation more secure.”

According to two industry officials familiar with the plan, mileage standards would rise slowly at first — from a combined requirement of 27.3 miles per gallon for cars and trucks in 2011 — and faster approaching roughly 35 miles per gallon in 2016. That would give auto makers more time to adjust — and collect credits if they can manage to exceed earlier targets — before the steeper increases kick in.

It is unclear how quickly the EPA and the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be able to make a formal proposal for curbing emissions and boosting fuel economy. The EPA on Monday was holding a public hearing on its proposal to find that greenhouse gases endanger public health, the first step toward regulating them.

Norway leaps ahead with its love for Hydrogen fuel – Dedicates 580 kilometer hydrogen highway

May 16, 2009 at 11:02 pm

(Source: Autobloggreen) & HyNor)

As the US government is cutting down its funding and research/deployment interest in Hydrogen-based transportation systens, Norway is thinking the exact opposite.  In an all out push, Norway is moving ahead with the deployment of a 580 kilometer highway peppered with hydrogen fueling stations.  One of the biggest questions surrounding hydrogen-powered vehicles right now is where to find an appropriate hydrogen pump, and looks like Norway has moved to answer that question by opening it up its first hydrogen highway.

This hydrogen highway is part of Norway’s HyNor project and stretches for 580 kilometers from Oslo on the eastern coast to Stavanger on the western North Sea coast. So far, the route consists of 12 hydrogen pumps, which is apparently sufficient to allow the Mazdas to be refueled along the way.

It is worth something and appropriate to mention a recent New York Times article titled “Norway Thrives by Going against the tide“, which articulates how Norway’s investment decisions for its future saved its economy from going bust, while the recession monster is shaking up the financial foundations of many Western economies, including those of US and UK.  The article points out “With a quirky contrariness as deeply etched in the national character as the fjords carved into its rugged landscape, Norway has thrived by going its own way. When others splurged, it saved. When others sought to limit the role of government, Norway strengthened its cradle-to-grave welfare state. And in the midst of the worst global downturn since the Depression, Norway’s economy grew last year by just under 3 percent. The government enjoys a budget surplus of 11 percent and its ledger is entirely free of debt.”

If the above mentioned investment decision is a good indicator to go by, Norways decision to invest in a hydrogen based transportation future seems foretelling and something worth noting, especially for the United States which just dealt a blow to hydrogen research by cutting down the investment.   The HyNor website notes the following: The HyNor Partnership and StatoilHydro are pleased to announce the official opening of the Norwegian hydrogen highway, HyNor, on 11 May 2009 at StatoilHydro’s new hydrogen station at Økern in Oslo. HyNor was opened by Norway’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Liv Signe Navarsete. H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway joined the first stage of the EVS Viking Rally, from Oslo to Lier, together with internationally renowned race car driver Henning Solberg. The governing mayor of Oslo, Erling Lae, opened StatoilHydro’s new hydrogen service station at Økern, and Navarsete opened the hydrogen station at StatoilHydro’s service station in Lier.

The first hydrogen station was opened at Forus in Stavanger in 2006, the second in Porsgrunn in 2007, and now the two new stations are open in Oslo and Lier. HyNor has some 50 partners and manages a fleet of more than 50 hydrogen vehicles made by Mazda, Toyota and Think.

“We are very pleased to open up this hydrogen infrastructure for testing and demonstrating hydrogen cars. By doing this, we nurture our ambition to help implement hydrogen as a fuel in the transport sector,” says Anne Marit Hansen, Chairman of the board in HyNor. 

The EVS Viking Rally vehicles are the first to drive the Norwegian hydrogen highway. The rally commences with H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon racing together with the famous Norwegian race car star Henning Solberg. 14 hydrogen vehicles, two plug in hybrid cars and 14 battery electric vehicles are starting in Oslo and will reach the beginning of the EVS (Electrical Vehicle Symposium) 24 in Stavanger on 13 May. Events will take place along the way in Porsgrunn, Grimstad, Arendal, Kristiansand, Lyngdal and Egersund. Another 10 battery electric vehicles will join the rally in Egersund. 

This is reportedly the first integrated network of hydrogen pumps in the world, and it’s a creation of Norway’s StatoilHydro, the company that installed the underlying structure as well. Future plans call for the highway to extend into the rest of Scandinavia, as shown in the map to the right. Afterward, the alliance intends to extend into Germany. For your information, Mazda has shipped the first Hydrogen RX8 REs to Norway, indicator of a strong response to the government’s interest in Hydrogen vehicles.  

Note:  A related article from NY Times articulates how California’s efforts to build a similar Hydrogen Highway has fallen behind. One of the leading investors in Hydrogen fuel research was the State of California.  Soon after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) took office in 2003, he set in motion a campaign promise to build, by 2010, a “hydrogen highway” composed of 150 to 200 fueling stations spaced every 20 miles along California’s major highways.  In spite of the great interest, the hydrogen infrastructure has not expanded much since its inception.   the program has fallen short of expectations. With less than 10 months until the end of the decade, 24 hydrogen fueling stations are operating in California, most of them near Los Angeles.State officials say all this is part of what they now view, in the words of ARB spokesman Dimitri Stanich, as a “retooled” hydrogen highway.

“It’s very much alive,” Stanich said of the program. “This vision is still there. It’s just being groomed.”

Congress Takes a First Step Towards Reshaping Transportation Policy; Senate Bill Steers Away From the Car

May 16, 2009 at 10:04 pm

As stimulus spending on highways and bridges ramps up, Senate Democrats submitted legislation Thursday that suggests the nation’s transportation policy is headed for a major overhaul, with a strong emphasis on reducing automobile use and carbon emissions and boosting public transit, inter-city rail and rail freight service.

 Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) introduced legislation that they say lays out the guidelines of what they expect the next five-year federal transportation spending plan to accomplish. Their goal is to influence the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is responsible for drafting the spending plan. The House plan is expected in early June, and the bill is due for reauthorization this fall.  The Rockefeller-Lautenberg marker, which got some early love from the Washington Post, states that the next federal transportation bill should accomplish the following:

  • Reduce national per-capita motor vehicle miles traveled on an annual basis;
  • Cut national motor vehicle-related fatalities in half by 2030;
  • Cut national surface transportation-generated carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030;
  • Reduce surface transportation delays per capita on an annual basis; 
  • Get 20 percent more critical surface-transportation assets into a state of good repair by 2030;
  • Increase the total usage of public transit, intercity passenger rail and non-motorized transport on an annual basis.

The focus for those trying to ascertain the administration’s transportation agenda has since turned to the five-year bill, which is expected to cost at least $400 billion. One big question is how the government plans to fund transportation spending, with revenue from the gas tax increasingly falling short. The new Senate bill does not address that problem.

Another big question is how much the bill will provide for public transportation. As it now stands, 80 percent of federal transportation money goes to highways. But David Goldberg, an official with the advocacy group Transportation for America, said Congress and the White House are sending signs that the new plan could represent a major break. The White House has already said it hopes to spend $1 billion per year on high-speed rail.

Click here to read the entire article. 

Webinar Alert: Minneapolis I-35 Bridge Collapse — A Major Emergency Incident: TSAG Case Studies Workshop & Webinar

May 15, 2009 at 1:40 pm

Minneapolis I-35 Bridge Collapse — A Major Emergency Incident: TSAG Case Studies Workshop & Webinar

Date:   June 3, 2009
Time:  2:00–5:30 P.M. 
ET
Cost:  All T3s are free of charge
PDH:  3.5. Webinar participants are responsible for determining eligibility of these PDHs within their professions.

Register On-line
Contact the T3 Administrator

Note: This workshop and webinar is a unique learning opportunity offered by the Transportation Safety Advancement Group (TSAG) and the U.S. DOT ITS Joint Program Office’s Talking Technology & Transportation (T3) webinars. The T3 Program is offered by the Joint Program Office’s ITS Professional Capacity Building Program. The workshop will be presented to both a live audience at the workshop location and to remote T3 webinar participants. T3 participants are invited to submit written questions before the webinar as well as during workshop question and answer periods.

Webinar participants may attend remotely for any portion of the 3.5 hour workshop/webinar. An audio of the event’s proceedings, synchronized with its presentations, will be available in the T3 Webinar archives approximately 4 weeks after the workshop.

Background

The Transportation Safety Advancement Group (TSAG) is facilitated and administered by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) to provide input to the US Department of Transportation (US DOT), ITS Joint Program Office’ Public Safety mission. TSAG advises the US DOT on the development and deployment ITS technologies that optimize travel mobility, safety / security, economy and environmental quality. Through its broad membership comprised of transportation and public safety professionals, TSAG initiates programs that promote inter-disciplinary, inter-agency and inter-jurisdictional coordination and cooperation, and that promote partnerships for advancing surface transportation services technologies. TSAG operates through resources provided by the US Department of Transportation and serves its program mission in compliance with US DOT regulations, policies and specified contract provisions.

I-35 Bridge Collapse Case Studies Workshop & Webinar Overview

Within a workshop setting, TSAG members and other public safety professionals review actual public safety related events or incidents for the purpose of identifying management strategies and technology-based applications and corresponding successes, failures, and lessons-learned. The June 3, 2009 Workshop will review the 2007 I-35 (MN) Bridge Collapse.

On August 1, 2007, the Interstate 35W Bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River during rush hour in the City of Minneapolis. The 1,907-foot bridge fell into the Mississippi River and onto roadways below. The span was packed with rush hour traffic, and dozens of vehicles fell with the bridge leaving scores of dazed commuters scrambling for their lives.

Case Studies Workshop presenters walk the audience through the tragic events of the day, focusing on 9-1-1 operations, Police, Fire, and EMS response, as well as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation and management. Presenters will share lessons learned and highlight the performance of the Minneapolis 911 Center, of local emergency responders and of operations strategies and technologies at the time of and responding to the incident.

Target Audience

Workshop participants include TSAG members and guests. Webinar target audience includes other state and local public safety interests, including public safety managers and transportation operations, emergency communications, and emergency public safety practitioners.

Image: OpedPage.org

TSAG Case Study Workshop Concept and Objectives

The TSAG Case Studies Workshop concept targets case-studies of actual incidents or events associated with each of the eight (8) TSAG interest-community teams. Communities of Interest include: Transportation Operations, Law Enforcement, Fire and Safety, Academic & Research, Technology and Telematics, Emergency Communications, Emergency Medical Services, and Emergency Management. Workshop objectives revolve around the “technologies for public safety” TSAG mission.

Through reviews of actual recent events, incidents, and first-responder experiences, Case Studies Workshops facilitate after-event discussions by multi-discipline and multi-agency professionals for the purpose of:

  • Clarifying actual circumstances of the event / incident
  • Discussing established response protocols and procedures
  • Reviewing public safety technology applications
  • Identifying unique management and response circumstances and challenges
  • Reviewing successes, failures, and lessons-leaned

Learning Objectives

The broad learning objectives of the TSAG Case Studies Workshop series include:

  • Identify transportation-safety technologies and their real-time applications to actual incident identification, response and management
  • Identify inter-agency and inter-discipline coordination successes and failures
  • Identify technology successes, failures, and lessons-learned

Workshop/Webinar Agenda

2:00 PM ET — Opening / Webinar Ground Rules (US DOT, Volpe Center)

2:10 PM — Welcome / Introduction of Moderator (Linda Dodge)

2:15 PM — Workshop / Overview / Objectives (Moderator, Ray Fisher)

2:30 PM

  • A. I-35 Bridge — The Setting
  • B. Key Players / Key Interagency Coordination Protocols
  • C. Key Public Safety Technology Applications

Q & A Session #1
3:30 PM

  • D. The Event — Circumstances and Public Safety Actions

Q & A Session #2
4:30 PM

  • E. Successes, Failures & Lessons Learned

5:00 PM

Q & A Session #3

  • F. Open Discussion

5:30 PM

  • G. End / Closing Remarks

Horrible Commute? Now you have a way to tell your lawmakers about it

May 15, 2009 at 1:20 pm

(Source: Wheels Blog – New York Times)

There are bad work commutes. Then there are blood-boiling commutes that need to be vividly rehashed to unwitting co-workers, friends, anyone. Now there’s another option: The Washington-based nonprofit groupTransportation for America has launchedthis Web site as a home base for people who want (or need) to vent about their miserable trips to and from work.

“Sitting in a metal box on a sea of asphalt surrounded by the toxic gases that are cooking our planet sounds like a lousy way to start and end your day,” says the site. “It’s time to stop silently seething and muttering curses under your breath — we’re inviting you to let it all out!”

James Corless, the group’s director, says his own commute isn’t really so bad right now — he takes the Metro into Washington — but he does complain that there are too many cars, which break down frequently.

“We’ve been doing town hall meetings around the country, and there’s a lot of general frustration not only with high gas prices, but with road congestion, poor maintenance and the lack of transit options,” Mr. Corless said. “Americans can finally turn their frustration and rage into real action,” the group says, urging mad-as-hell straphangers and highway crawlers to tell their members of Congress about their awful commutes: “Stop pouring billions into a broken system. Fix it, clean it, make it work!”

Commuters can post a comment, photo or video at the site, send an e-mail or express themselves via Twitter. Here are two of the earliest tweets: “You know what would make this day end perfectly? A 90-minute commute through dense traffic…” and “The more I have this commute the more I vote to develop teleport capabilities.”

The site is being launched today, which is Bike to Work Day (also celebrated in some places on May 14, and part of Bike Month). And Congress is preparing to debate the transportation bill, which appropriates billions of dollars for both highway infrastructure and public transportation (usually much more of the former, which is why it’s also called “the highway bill”). The current legislation expires September 30.

California’s Electric bikemaker woos commuters in Europe

May 13, 2009 at 11:50 am

(Source: BBC)

The need for speed is not normally a selling point for commuters who buy electric vehicles. But it could be.

Zero Motorcycle unveiled its  “insanely fast” electric motorcycle in the UK and other European countries.  The BBC has a lengthy write-up that offers a lot of details on this two wheel marvel.

And you better believe it – this bike moves.

“You can accelerate faster than any car,” says Neal Saiki, who invented the electric motorcycle.

“You’ve got all kinds of power, and it is totally quiet. I think it is a lot like flying.”

Image Courtesy: The Motor Report

A gentle turn of the throttle and the force of the lithium-ion battery pack is transferred directly to the back wheel, sending the bike rocketing down London’s Kings Road.

The experience is vastly different from the ride of a conventional bike. There is no clutch and no need to change gears. Turning the throttle instantly delivers powerful torque, along with just enough chain rattle to remind you that this is still a motorcycle.

Change the software settings, explains Mr Saiki, founder and chief technology officer of Zero Motorcycles, and the bike will deliver zero to 50mph in just five seconds.  While still at college in California, he designed the world’s first helicopter powered by a human.

The invention eventually helped him become a designer of “high altitude research vehicles” for US space agency Nasa, a job he left to start building motorcycles.

“What we’ve done here is to combine the world’s smallest, lightest battery pack with a revolutionary 28 pound (12 kilogramme) frame,” says Mr Saiki, who invented the battery himself and designed the frame from aircraft grade aluminium.

Consequently, he insists, this is the “quickest production electric motorcycle in its class”.

Enough, perhaps, to convince thrill-seeking commuters, though at an expected price of some £8,000 in the UK and a maximum range of 60 miles per charge, the bike may struggle to attract people away from established motorcycle communities.

Zero Motorcycles is pitching the bike as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional motorcycles.

In terms of fuel economy, there is probably not that much in it, since motorcycles tend not to be all that thirsty in the first place.

But when it comes to emissions it is a clear winner, the company insists, even in countries with coal-fired power stations.

“Although there is some pollution associated with the production of electricity, a Zero motorcycle produces less than an eighth of the CO2 pollution per mile at the power plant than a petrol-powered motorcycle,” Zero declares.  In the video below, you can hear about the Zero S from Neal Saiki himself as he walks through various aspects of its innovative  design & cutting edge technology.  

 It is a claim the conventional bike makers will find hard to refute, not least since they tend not to publish any CO2 figures at all.

Many commuters will be more interested in data on battery charging times, though.

Zero says a four-hour charge using an ordinary household socket will cost six pence and deliver 60 miles of motoring, and Mr Saiki insists the battery pack should be able to deliver such performance for about five years.

“You charge it in the morning and it’ll be ready for lunch,” he says.

“It would cost you $30 (£20) to go from California to New York,” observes Zero’s PR man.

Though allow for the frequent recharging, and the journey would take a long, long time.

Click here to read the entire article.

Scoopful of GM and Chrysler News – May 12, 2009

May 12, 2009 at 7:03 pm

REPORT: GAZ confirms interest in OpelGM is said to prefer a single bidder, in the guise of Fiat, while Germany was recently said to prefer Magna’s proposal because of promises to keep production in Germany. If, however, GAZ’s real desire is to increase its Russian production abilities, if it were to take a larger stake in Opel than Magna, there will undoubtedly be conflicts to reso…

GM, LifestyleSinger, songwriter and actress Sarah Spiegel, who apparently worked as a national spokesperson for General Motors last summer, has taken the time amidst all the doom and gloom surrounding America’s largest automaker to write and record what could best be described as either a very short song or an oddly long jingle for Chevy’s upcom…

 

GM: First-gen Volts won’t communicate with grid, future versions will
…According to GM‘s Britta Gross, future versions of the Chevy Volt are expected to have this capability.There are a few possibilities presented by Gross that GM could use to allow the Volt to communicate with utility companies, including its own OnStar technology and, in the future, embedded chips using the Zigbee protocol that could wirelessly c…
2010 Opel Astra: Cruze, Volt Get A German Brother [New Cars]
…According to GM, the smaller 1.4-liter turbo engine is capable of an 8 percent gain in fuel economy over the replaced 1.6- and 1.8-liter engines from the current Astra. Also available at launch is a range of diesel engines delivering added fuel efficiency through an optional 1.3-, 1.7 or 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Expect to also see an ecoFl…
GM recalls Camaro, Traverse, SUVs/pickups for various issues
GM, GMCGeneral Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have announced a suite of recalls for the Chevrolet Camaro, Traverse and various body-on-frame SUVs and pickups (Cadillac’s Escalade, Chevrolet’s Avalanche, Colorado, Suburban and Tahoe, along with GMC’s Canyon and Yukon). The Camaro recall has been discussed before, bu…
Electric Entertainment: Sarah Spiegel records Chevy Volt Jingle
GM-Volt.com | Image: SarahSpiegel.com]Continue reading Electric Entertainment: Sarah Spiegel records Chevy Volt JingleFiled under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, Green DailyElectric Entertainment: Sarah Spiegel records Chevy Volt Jingle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 12 May 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of fe…
Tom Hanks Writes a Letter to the New Yorker About his Electric Car
…had a GM EV1 and “watched the emission-free car be wrested from my garage, towed away, and busted up into pieces of metal, glass, and rubber smaller than razor blades.” Well, that’s not the case. Hanks had, and still has, a Toyota RAV4 EV. More details below….
Last drive, indeed. I hope this car finds … [From Comments]
…back into GM‘s portfolio, and soon… it was one of the best cars they had.
GM Shares Drop To Lowest Level Since Great Depression [Carpocalypse]
GM shares trading at a 76-year low. Basically, the lowest level since the last Depression.
Fight for Hydrogen Funding
Hydrogen fuel-cell development was delivered a blow when Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently cut government funds to support it.
Will GM consider moving its headquarters out of Detroit? [w/POLL]
GM, Earnings/FinancialsYesterday’s media question-and-answer session with General Motors’ CEO Fritz Henderson didn’t reveal much in the way of actual news, but at least one question raised a few eyebrows: “Is GM considering moving its corporate headquarters?”While that’s an unlikely scenario, Henderson stopped short of denying the possibility, s…
GM May Consider Move From Detroit, Leave City Motor-Less [Carpocalypse]
GM CEO Fritz Henderson acknowledged Monday the automaker’s open to moving from its RenCen world headquarters along the Detroit River to save millions in taxes. Can Detroit still be called the “Motor City” without automakers? The automaker is under pressure to cut costs by June 1st or face bankruptcy. To that end, GM‘s being courted by Warren May…
Pontiac G8 GXP: Last Drive, Part One [Jalopnik Reviews]
…company like GM could overcome their considerable shortcomings and come out with a reasonably priced world-beating sports sedan like the Pontiac G8 GXP. Whatever their recent successes, the company has history of taking careful aim at a performance target and hitting themselves squarely in the foot, so some skepticism is only natural. Yet there’…
Hey, Chevy Volt — Why So Angry?
GM is hanging its corporate future on the Chevy Volt. That’s a great honor for a vehicle. So why does the eco-friendly would-be savior car look so incredibly pissed off? When the Volt’s fiercely peeved appearance was noted by commenter over at Jalopnik a few days ago, a fellow commenter pointed …
Leaked GM document shows automaker plans to sell China-built cars to U.S. consumers
GM, UAW/UnionsA planning document given to lawmakers by General Motors reportedly shows that the Detroit-based automaker plans to ship 17,335 autos from China for sale in the U.S. in 2011. If GM succeeds in importing vehicles to the U.S. from China, it could be the first automaker to do so.The document doesn’t show which vehicle would be brought…
Six Top GM Executives Liquidate Stock Holdings [Carpocalypse]
…Six GM executives, including outgoing product czar “Maximum” Bob Lutz, disclosed Monday they sold almost $315,000 in stock and liquidated their remaining direct holdings in the automaker ahead of a probable stock-value-rendered-worthless bankruptcy. The five other executives, including Lutz’s successor, Thomas Stephens, GM North America Presiden…
REPORT: Execs including Bob Lutz, Troy Clarke dump GM stock
GM, Earnings/FinancialsAs General Motors teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, several major executives have just taken advantage of an opportunity to sell their stock shares just after the company’s quarterly earnings report came out in May. Among them, Bob Lutz, Troy Clarke, Thomas Stephens and several others decided that it was better to cash o…
Henderson: Buyer for Opel picked by end of month
GM, Opel, FIATThe Opel brand may be churning out some solid-looking products of late, but the European brand isn’t long for theGM world. That isn’t news, but the fact that a buyer will be chosen before the end of May is. GM CEO Fritz Henderson promised the quick turnaround of Opel during a Monday news conference, saying “several bidders” are in…
VIDEO: Elon Musk misrepresents Chevy Volt performance, Tesla getting few new orders for Roadster
GM, Tesla MotorsVIDEO: Elon Musk misrepresents Chevy Volt performance, Tesla getting few new orders for Roadster originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 11 May 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds
Buying GM Stock Is NOT Like Gambling At A Casino [Carpocalypse]
…distinction between GM stock and casino gambling is at a casino, if the player loses, the dealer still wins. Nobody wins with GMstock.
REPORT: Homologation of Fiat products for U.S. to take 18 months
Chrysler, LLC., FIATAccording to Automotive News, twenty Fiat engineers have visited Chrysler headquarters to begin merging the companies’ product planning departments. The current Fiat cars that will soon go on sale as Chrysler models, though, will still need some 18 months in order to be homologated according to U.S. federal regulations. Inclu…
Obama Knows… How Much Chrysler Should Spend On Advertising [Carpocalypse]
…Force cut Chrysler‘s planned bankruptcy marketing budget, $134 million for nine weeks of advertisements, in half. Apparently the Obama Administration’s like Bo Jackson from those old Nike “Bo knows” commercials. The overwhelmingly desperate state the automakers are in, essentially living on the dole, has put them into a position where they’re su…
GE to Open Sodium-Metal Halide Battery Plant in New York
…with Chrysler for plug-in vehicles under a DOE-funded project. (Earlier post.) Of the dual-battery concept, Glen Merfeld, lab manager for the Chemical Energy Systems Lab at GE Global Research wrote: Lithium-ion batteries, which are most often discussed for passenger cars, deliver a lot of power for acceleration but are less optimized in prov…
GM May Consider Move From Detroit, Leave City Motor-Less [Carpocalypse]
…home to Chrysler, GM was the lone holdout still located within the boundaries of the city of Detroit. Without GM, do we still call Detroit the “Motor City?” Yes, it’s still the “Motor City” but the fact that GM’s even looking to leave the city is just another example of how this once-proud industrial icon-of-a-city has gone from heroic “Arsenal …
AEV J8 MILSPEC: Offroading Jeep’s Forbidden Fruit [Jalopnik Reviews]
Chrysler doesn’t offer it to US civilian buyers. American Expedition Vehicles saw this opportunity and contracted with Chrysler to obtain up to 120 vehicle kits a year, which they assemble and sell as a rolling chassis to rabid Wrangler fans who will supply their own motivation, installed at an approved dealer. We just had to know what it could …
REPORT: Obama administration slashes Chrysler ad budget by 50%
Chrysler, LLC.Chrysler is nearly two weeks into its bankruptcy, and the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker is already getting an idea of just how engaged the Obama administration plans to be in the process. Chrysler planned to spend $134 million dollars on advertising during its supposed nine weeks of bankruptcy, but the Auto Task Force has …
Driving the Dodge Circuit, now with video
…time with Chrysler‘s EV while getting the run-through on the Circuit’s technology from John Myers, the EV’s project lead and ENVI employee. The bumpy roads weren’t quite long and straight enough for our liking, but we did get the chance to learn a bit more aboutChrysler‘s EV strategy and why the automaker thinks its ENVI battery program is bett…
Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could live on… with different parents
…would ape Chrysler‘s plan for the Dodge Viper’s production facilities, allowing another automaker to take control and continue building the niche model.The Delaware plant also produces the Opel GT, a rebadged variant of the U.S. market Solstice and Sky, for GM’s German arm, and it’s obvious that as the General rushes to restructure before its Ju…