Eco Factor: Low-emission vehicle powered by hybrid engine.

Electric cars are all over and the trend is been given a luxury look with companies like Audi and Mercedes-Benz confirming their next-gen green rides. BMW showcased its Vision EfficientDynamics concept to rival upcoming offerings and going by a report, the company is expected to roll out the concept as the M8 hybrid.

The latest report indicates that the concept is developing into a 600hp hybrid-drive monster that could be showcased as early as October and a production version can be on the streets by 2013, if it gets the final go ahead from the board later this summer.

The Vision EfficientDynamics concept is a three-cylinder diesel, four-door, plug-in hybrid that generates about 356hp, 590-pound-foot output. The hybrid allows the diesel engine to drive the rear wheels directly or with assistance from a rear-axle electric motor through a six-speed gearbox and the electric motor up the front drives the front wheels. For maximum performance, all the three system can be made to run in tandem.

Via: MotorAuthority

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission solar-powered airplane gets ready for night flight.

It all started with a crazy idea – flying around the world in a solar airplane without fuel. In a world depending on fossil energies, the Solar Impulse aircraft tries to break free from the barriers. After about 10 successful test flights, the Solar Impulse team is about to fly through a night.

With expertise from Altran Group, the solar-powered aircraft will take off on July 1st and land back in the early morning of July 2nd. Team members have said that they need a 25-hour window of clear and calm summer weather to attempt the pioneering round-the-clock flight over Switzerland and eastern France.

The pilot plans to keep the aircraft at altitudes of up to 8500m, storing some of the energy from solar panels in its batteries during the daylight to fly through the night before landing after dawn. With a wingspan of about 63.40 feet, the aircraft weighs about as much as a family car, about 1600kg. This enables the aircraft to fly on four 10hp electric motors.

Thanks for the tip: [Altran Group]

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission electric three-wheeled vehicle powered by solar energy.

Auto rickshaws, better known as “tuk-tuks” in Bangkok have been a feature of Bangkok and are often regarded as a unique symbol of Thailand. However, conventionally fueled tuk-tuks are polluting and need a redesign to stay for years to come. Air Marshal Morakot Charnsomruad has designed a prototype that could herald a cleaner, greener era on Bangkok’s congestion-choked streets.

The designer is already selling an electric version of tuk-tuk through his Clean Fuel Energy Enterprise and has now tried to even better the credentials of the vehicle by designing a solar-powered version. The emission-free vehicle can run for 80km on a three hour battery charge and can hit a top speed of 60kph, even outstripping its gasoline-powered rival.

The solar machines will cost about 320,000 baht – about $10,000 – while the conventional tuk-tuk costs about 180,000 baht. The designer hopes that eventually government subsidies would make them more affordable.

Via: AFP

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Eco Factor: Concept car powered by an electric engine.

Electric cars can significantly reduce city pollution by having zero tailpipe emissions. Though the overall savings depend on the process used to generate electricity, electric cars can definitely have a positive impact on the environment in the near future when electricity will be mostly generated from renewable sources.

Auto designer Funfere Koroye, a junior in the Savannah College of Art Design, has come up with a gravity racer that is powered by an all-electric engine. The vehicle’s onboard motors are fueled by electricity from battery packs, ensuring zero tailpipe emissions. The smooth, curvy design aims to attract eco-conscious individuals who desire a green sports car.

Via: The Design Blog

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Eco Factor: Paris to harness renewable energy from river currents.

With an aim to raise public awareness regarding renewable energy, authorities in the beautiful city of Paris have decided to harness the power of the river Seine. The Paris City Hall would be launching an appeal this week for submission of proposals regarding the installation of eight turbines underneath the city’s celebrated bridges to raise energy from river currents, or hydroliennes. While the bulk of the machinery would be hidden under the water, part of the structure will sit above the water. The French Waterways and Urban Ecology Service have already identified eight sites along the river to exploit the natural power source. The project goes beyond just energy generation, as it’s also about creating an educational impact on the need to focus on renewable energy sources.

Via: Guardian

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Eco Factor: Molecular framework developed for economical, flexible solar cells.

The Dichtel group in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University has developed a method to organize organic dyes into stacked, porous 2D sheets, which can later be incorporated into flexible solar cells.

The process employs organic dye molecules assembled into a structure known as a covalent organic framework (COF). The strategy uses a simple acid catalyst and relatively stable molecules called protected catechols to assemble key molecules into a neatly ordered 2D sheet. These sheets can be stacked on top of one another to form a lattice that provides pathways for charge to move through the material.

The best part of the process is that the reaction is reversible, so any errors that occur can be undone and corrected. At the core of the framework are molecules called phthalocyanines, a class of common industrial dyes used in products from blue jeans to ink pens. Phthalocyanines are also closely related in structure to chlorophyll, which absorbs almost the entire solar spectrum.

The structure by itself is not a solar cell yet, but it is a model that can significantly broaden the scope of materials that can be used in COFs. Once the framework is assembled, the pores between the molecular latticework could potentially be filled with another organic material to form light, flexible, highly efficient and easy-to-manufacture solar cells.

Via: Physorg

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Eco Factor: Motorcycle powered by compressed air.

Bharat Raj Singh and Onkar Singh, of the SMS Institute of Technology and the Harcourt Butler Technological Institute respectively, have come up with an attractive traveling option. The duo has designed a motorcycle which runs on compressed air instead of a polluting fuel. The design replaces the traditional combustion engine with an air cylinder which uses compressed air to turn a small air turbine, generating enough power to make for up to 40 minutes of two-wheel travel. For the researchers, the air cycle could help reduce emissions by up to 60 percent in the areas where motor cycle is the most favored means of transportation. Air as a fuel sounds good, however, there are technical challenges such as building a compact, high capacity air tank to store enough fuel for long rides or swapping the tanks every 19 miles.

Via: TreeHugger

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Eco Factor: Sustainable building powered entirely by renewable energy.

Italian architect Marco Acerbis has completed the Polo Per l’innovazione Strategica building as a part of the development of the Eastgate Park, the largest logistic and industrial masterplan in the northeast of Italy covering an area of 1.8 million square meters. The new multifunctional building has been developed with the objective of serving new business strategies by combining the best of the university world, business consulting work and the entrepreneurial world.

The sustainable building is a certified Class A+ building that has been made from sustainable materials and gets powered entirely by renewable energy. The building is equipped with photovoltaic louvers that act as sun shades during the hot summer months and also produce renewable solar energy.

The interior includes space for a number of offices that are located together, with a spacious conference hall for 150 people. Apart from the use of solar panels for energy generation, the building also sources geothermal energy.

Via: Designboom

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Eco Factor: Electric monoplane gets power from AGNI 112 R electric motor.

The Association for Promotion of Flying Ladders modified its old prototype to give company to the Concorde at the Green Air Show in Le Bourget, Paris. The monoplane was earlier used for the test flights of the group’s original combustion-powered Demoichelle in 2009, but is now back with a new green twist.

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Eco Factor: Bike concept built by utilizing aircraft manufacturing technology.

It wouldn’t be incorrect if I define Tsikolia Design R&D Ltd.’s latest bike design with words like stylish, contemporary and extraordinary. Designed by Zviad Tsikolia, the Spider bike will utilize techniques from the Tbilisi based aircraft manufacturing company. Coming across as a cross between a mountain bike and a road-racing bike, this concept uses aluminum square tubes in its construction.

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