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October 25, 2007 We’re running around like kids in a candy store at the Tokyo Motor Show, it’s a technophile’s delight – and Audi has just come out swinging. The German company has just unveiled its sexy metroproject quattro, a plug-in electric/petrol hybrid concept car with some amazing features, including a detachable remote control that acts as an integrated or standalone mobile phone, navigation unit, MP3 and video player and keyless ignition tag, while letting you turn the car’s heater on before you leave the house.
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Continuing its quest to take motorized scooters out of the realm of toys and into the arena of genuine, eco-friendly, urban transportation for adults, Roth Motor Company has released the much anticipated upgrade to their fully portable 2000X MotorBoard. The new 2000XR motorized scooter retains a safety-limited speed of 15mph but boasts improved torque, range and hill climbing capabilities over its predecessor. Since the range began in 2002 with the release of the 1500X, the power has been doubled while the weight has been reduced with the latest model now capable of carrying an average sized rider (up to 250 lbs.) between 4-7 miles on a single charge.
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October 12, 2007 The Lexus LF-Xh hybrid concept will be unveiled at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. Featuring a high-output electric motor supplementing a V6 petrol engine, it also drops some hints about the company’s new styling direction.
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It’s a special sort of road test when you get to try out not only a brand new bike, but one of the first viable examples of a whole different engine technology. Loz Blain and Noel McKeegan get their hands on the Vectrix Electric Maxi-Scooter, an Italian/American beauty with a 100kph top speed, a 110km commuting range, and a two-way throttle that engages a very handy regenerative braking system. It’s a promising early taste of what’s in store when electric motorcycles hit the market in force.
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September 13, 2007 According to Nissan research, teenagers have fallen out of love with the car – they see it as an oily, noisy throwback to the last century. Rather than drive across town to meet friends, they live in a virtual world where the internet is their vehicle of choice. Nissan, however, believes the Mixim show concept will ‘refresh’ their opinions. The futuristic electric coupe concept has a central driving position, a cloverleaf ‘three plus one’ seating layout, scissor doors, an F1-style wheel and controls, lightweight construction and plenty of power … and it’s all electric. Click here to see more highlights from the 62nd International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.
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The Tokyo Motor Show is seven weeks away, but as the home of the all-powerful Japanese industry it is where the most advanced technologies go on display first. Accordingly, Mitsubishi has announced a show car for Tokyo we won’t see in Frankfurt next week. The i MiEV Sport looks like a 21st century Goggomobile but promises genuine sporting capabilities with a whopping 680 Nm of torque pushing a small lightweight electric vehicle. Based on the i MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle), the car features a 20 kW motor inside each front wheel another 47 kW at the rear, plus the company's S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) vehicle dynamics system, all in a lightweight, rigid aluminium space frame with the batteries and inverter tucked underneath for a low centre of gravity and plenty of interior space.
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Volvo is set to unveil an interesting plug-in hybrid at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The ReCharge Concept is a Volvo C30 with electric wheel motors and batteries that can be charged via a regular electrical outlet. When fully charged the Volvo ReCharge Concept can be driven approximately 62 miles on battery power alone before the car’s four-cylinder 1.6 Flexifuel engine takes over to power the car and recharge the battery. As the vast majority of us drive less than 60 miles a day, the ReCharge is effectively a permanent electric car with an acceleration figure of 0-62mph in 9 seconds and a top speed of 100mph.
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August 29, 2007 At this year’s 62nd Frankfurt Motor Show, Nissan will be showing its Mixim Concept Car - a compact vehicle for young drivers who are mostly engaged by their computer and the world via the internet. The driver sits centrally, with two seats either side, while the steering wheel and controls are inspired by the interfaces so familiar to computer gamers.
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August 22, 2007 Cycling devotees with huge thighs and shiny, rippling calves keep telling us that the pushbike is a fantastic way to get around town – but heaving and puffing up hills and into headwinds can be a discouraging proposition for those of us who aren’t such gods of physical perfection. Enter the iZip Express from Currie Technologies – a hybrid electric bicycle that uses a small motor to amplify your puny pedalling efforts into an output Lance Armstrong would be proud of. It’s a great idea - clean, green, and you still get some exercise out of riding it, but for a given amount of effort you go further and faster than on a normal bicycle.
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August 6, 2007 Previously ignored energy sources are being revisited as both the global will to conserve energy and the technological means to generate it radically improve. Electromagnetic radiation from our cities, acoustic noise and stray radio waves are now being re-classified as potential power sources and the human body itself is being re-examined as a battery thanks to advances enabling the energy from body heat, motion and even blood pressure to be harnessed. A new thermoelectric system created by researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute is at the forefront of these developments - running on a miniscule 200 millivolts the device is able to create an electrical charge from body heat and could lend itself to an endless array of applications that go way beyond powering your own mobile phone.
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July 31, 2007 Toyota’s Prius was pretty much the mass-market pioneer of hybrid cars and its sales success has demonstrated to the company that a significant sector of the community are willing to pay a premium for a car that’s both exceptionally fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly. Still, it remains a petrol-based car in its current form, using its electric motor mainly to maintain cruising speed and charging it indirectly through the output of the petrol engine. Toyota’s latest announcement could turn that equation on its head – by incorporating bigger, longer-lasting batteries and enabling plug-in overnight charging, they’re experimenting with making the Prius a primarily electric-powered car that only falls back on petrol when it absolutely has to. The changes could give the Prius massive fuel economy if used for short commutes – between 100 and 500 miles per gallon is possible. Although the company’s sticking with old-school nickel-metal hydride batteries instead of the latest lithium-based units ( and it may well only be doing this in response to some smart aftermarket operators) this could be our first glimpse of a mass-market commercial car that runs primarily on batteries, but has all the comfort of petrol to fall back on.
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July 30, 2007 With rising oil prices threatening to put sports aviation out of reach of the average enthusiast, innovators are looking at how the sport might be preserved for the next generation. Sonex and Aeroconversions are two such innovators and in partnership the two companies unveiled their three-prong e-Flight strategy at the recent AirVenture OshKosh trade show. An ethanol conversion of Aeroconversions’ AeroVee powerplant and efficiency enhancements for the engine took a back seat to the prototype electric Waiex aircraft introduced to an appreciative crowd. With battery technologies advancing by the day - gaining power, reliability, endurance and efficiency while constantly shedding size and weight - the partners believe the time is ripe to adapt the brushless
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The era of the electric roadgoing motorcycle is upon us and it’s ironic that it should come from a company that looked set to make its mark in automotive history in the supercar stakes with the Brammo GT, an American-designed and built V12 Supercar. That Craig Bramscher has since become one of the foremost evangelists of light weight performance motoring via the Ariel Atom might have foretold the direction, but the Enertia is a perfect commuter machine built with the same philosophy as the Atom. Using a rigid light weight carbon fibre chassis to contain the battery pack (and most of the weight), a small electric motor is all that’s required to see the Enertia accelerate harder than any automobile to its 50 mph top speed – all that’s needed around town. Most significantly in terms of its credibility as a motorcycle, the Enertia could best be described as an electric motard, and comes with impeccable handling credentials - fat tyres, disk brakes front and rear, quality suspension and a very compact centre of gravity – a trait that we’ve seen before in bikes with exceptional flickability and precise handling such as the Aprilia 250 and Buell. The Enertia’s secret is its weight -at just 275 pounds ready to roll, it’s 100 pounds lighter than the featherweight Aprilia Grand Prix Replica . With the carbon footprint of a few lightglobes, and sports motorcycling capabilities to medium speeds this looks like the first viable electric motorcycle to us –the US$15,000 limited edition "carbon" model will be snapped up as collectors items no doubt because it is a landmark machine in personal transportation. At US$12,000, the standard machine is only pricey until you consider how much it costs to run. You plug this sucker into any powerpoint and it'll be ready to go a few hours later for another 45 miles. If the transport authorities encourage responsible road usage as seems likely, ownership costs could be minimal. The Enertia is a landmark motorcycle and its coming heralds the dawn of a new era of electric motorcycles.
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July 6, 2007 Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed a kinetic energy generator which derives electrical energy from the vibrations and movements that occur within its environment. Developed by Dr Steve Beeby and his team at the University's School of Electronics & Computer Science (ECS), the tiny generator (less than 1 cubic cm in size) is 10 times more powerful than anything yet developed in the field and could form the basis of technology for self-powered pace makers and other embedded applications that require periodic replacement of batteries.
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July 3, 2007 Although the technology is still relatively new, motorcycles are emerging as a great platform for the launch of the electric engine revolution. While high-powered, light and compact electric engines (like the 350hp monster Killacycle Drag Bike) are already available, battery range has typically been an issue. This is perhaps more acute in relation to electric cars, whereas motorcycles are often used as joyriding fun toys and short-to-medium-range commuters, so a 100 mile range still leaves for plenty of practical and fun uses for electric road bikes. With major manufacturers being slow to put electric sportsbikes on the market, smaller enterprises are blazing a trail - like GoBike, who are awaiting DOT approval on a converted Triumph Daytona, with a max speed around 93mph, a cruising range of 143 miles, and a blistering 2.7 second 0-60mph acceleration time that should make it a blast to ride.
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June 27, 2007 With companies and individuals alike now focussed on reducing their carbon footprint, few of us would deny the value of any device that delivers power savings and in turn, lower carbon emissions on a broad scale. One major energy waster is the power used by devices when not in use and it is this issue that the latest release from power management specialists AnalogicTech seeks to address. The AAT1162 is a synchronous step-down DC/DC converter that delivers higher efficiency to a wide range of 12V industrial applications by limiting energy consumption when in stand-by mode, as well as providing better power management and extended battery life in mobile consumer electronics products including cell phones, laptop computers and digital cameras.
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Electric cars just keep getting sexier. Once the domain of TreeHuggers, they have now reached a level of design and performance that will appeal to even the most die-hard of sports car fans. We've seen the Venturi Fetish, Connaught, Tesla, MINI QED and ZAP-X Crossover SUV, all of which show that not only are electric motors just as good as the internal combustion engine for producing power, they're better, and cleaner and more cost-efficient and... now there's the Lightning.
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June 19, 2007 With combustion-driven aircraft currently producing around 5% of greenhouse gas emissions, the time has clearly come to look at alternative power sources across the skyways. Electric motors have come a long way in relation to cars, but American scientists have now unveiled research that would enable high-powered, ultra-reliable electromagnetic engines to be built for airplanes. Using lightweight superconductors and emission-free hydrogen fuel cells to get around the problems experienced by previous attempts, these electric planes would be eco-friendly, exceptionally quiet and highly energy efficient as well as dramatically cutting down on maintenance costs through the elimination of engine hydraulics. This is an exciting convergence of technology with amazing implications throughout the transport sector.
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June 18, 2007 Another step towards exploding the perception that electric vehicles will never have the grunt, range or practicality of their oil guzzling, high-emission counterparts has been taken in California with a record charging time demonstrated for the all-electric Phoenix SUT (Sport Utility Truck). The milestone demonstration by AeroVironment saw the 35kWh (kilowatt-hour) battery pack developed for use with the Phoenix fully-charged in less than ten minutes - enough to power the five-seat utility for 100 miles.
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March 22, 2007 Announced only recently, the development of the ZAP-X Crossover vehicle in conjunction with Lotus is looking likely to produce a remarkable automobile. The compact-SUV design will feature all-wheel drive with in-hub electric motors capable to deliver 644 horsepower and a top speed of 155mph. By combining a lightweight aluminum chassis, a new efficient drive system and advanced battery management system, the goal for the ZAP-X is a 350-mile range, with a rapid 10-minute recharging time.
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March 10, 2007 A hydrofoil is a boat with wing-like foils mounted on struts below the hull. As the craft increases its speed the hydrofoils develop enough lift for the boat to become foilborne - i.e. to raise the hull up and out of the water. This results in a great reduction in drag and a corresponding increase in speed and has resulted in some of man’s more interesting water conveyances. The advent of the world’s first human powered hydrofoil catalysed a lot of activity in the area and one of several new manufacturers of human-powered hydrofoils, inventist, took the knowledge it had gained in developing the Aquaskipper and developed the Hydroglide, a surfboard with quick-charge, high-torque electric motor and a hydrofoil underneath. It’s still in the development stages but showing remarkable prowess with a top speed of 25 mph. That’s faster than the human-powered hydrofoil record, so it’s no slouch. The Ni-MH rechargeable battery has an average run time of two hours and takes just an hour to charge. Steering of the Hydroglide is accomplished with a steering bar and as the videos show, you can lie down or stand up.
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March 7,2007 After a positive response for its Xebra Xero, electric car pioneer ZAP has designed a solar option for the three-wheeled electric workhorse - a photovoltaic panel that ZAP says can offer short-distance driving on sunlight alone. ZAP intends to showcase the new Xebra Xero (pronounced zebra zero) Truck at up-coming industry events for automotive fleets. The Xebra truck is a city car, available as a 4-door sedan or 2-passenger truck, good for city driving up to 40 mph and will cost about US$12,000 with the Xero Solar Panel Option. The car recharges normally by plugging into a standard 110 volt outlet for a full charge in up to six hours and a 50 percent charge in 1.5 hours. The ZAP Truck converts into a flatbed or dump-bed that can tilt to allow maximum exposure to the sun.
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February 2, 2007 In a marriage seemingly well matched, electric automobile pioneer ZAP has chosen Lotus Engineering’s platform and body structure design as the basis for the development of the high performance electric ZAP-X. The car is based on the advanced APX (Aluminium Performance Crossover ) concept car and will be shown for the first time at the North American Dealers Association (NADA) exhibition which opens tomorrow (February 3). A combination of the lightweight aluminium vehicle architecture, a new efficient drive and advanced battery management systems is intended to enable a range of up to 350 miles between charges, with a rapid 10-minute recharging time. An auxiliary power unit is planned to support longer distance journeys. The good news for sports enthusiasts is the performance courtesy of a killer power-to- weight ratio. - four in-hub electric motors, deliver 161 bhp apiece, which add together for 644 horsepower in all wheel drive mode, and capable of powering the ZAP-X to a top speed of 155mph.
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January 7, 2007 The Chevrolet Volt concept sedan, powered by the E-flex System – GM’s next-generation electric propulsion system – could nearly eliminate trips to the gas station. The Chevrolet Volt is a battery-powered, four-passenger electric vehicle that uses a gas engine to create additional electricity to extend its range. The Volt draws from GM’s previous experience in the form of the EV1 in 1996. The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city miles of pure electric vehicle range. When the battery is depleted, a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine spins at constant rpm to create electricity and replenish the battery.
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December 17, 2006 While the established players in the scooter game have shown concept machinery in the fuel cell, electric and hybrid genres, there’s one European company that has been quietly going about the business of designing and building a viable electric maxi-scooter with performance roughly equivalent to a 400cc conventional internal combustion engined mount – Vectrix. The Vectrix maxi-scooter is 100% emission free, has a top speed of 62 mph and runs for up to 68 miles on a single 2-hour charge from a standard electricity socket. Combined with low running costs, minimal maintenance, ease of operation, and generous storage, the Vectrix maxi-scooter is the world’s first practical zero-emission two-wheel vehicle. The scooter will be available within months and the great news is that Vectrix recently purchased the EV rights to the innovative Vespa three wheeled carving scooter and a prototype was displayed at last month’s Milan motorcycle show. The variable front suspension provides stability at low speeds and excellent handling at higher speeds. The 3-wheel scooter is extremely versatile and will be popular with local businesses and with consumers with limited riding experience as well as being ideal as a delivery vehicle and council/police mount.
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November 23, 2006 Bicycles are a part of European culture, particularly in the flat countries of Holland and Belgium, and with well known Dutch brand Sparta celebrating its 90th birthday next year, and 75 years of motor-assisted bicycle production, the brand’s latest model is a logical development, albeit, a stylish and very practical one. Created for Sparta by internationally-renowned Dutch design company FLEX/INNOVATIONLAB, the EUR 1945 (US$2500) SPARTA ION Cityseat has the same classic lines of other ION bikes before it, but is equipped with electrical pedal assistance which can be activated at will by the rider with an extra “push in the right direction’. The Cityseat has a slightly longer frame which incorporates the 9 or 10-amp battery, with the pedals moved slightly forward and the saddle lowered for maximum seat comfort. The ingenious design – multiple frame sizes are available and an adjustable handlebar column - ensures ergonomics can be adjusted for every rider. Similarly, the ION’s compact and completely silent motor is hidden in the rear wheel hub so it looks just like a normal bike but provides pedal assistance to 25 km/h for up to 55 kilometres, and as much as 90 kilometres with the range extender battery fitted. The operating display on the handlebars handles all functions -, battery strength, pedal assistance setting lighting controls, speedometer, odometer and when removed, it disables the machine. You can switch to one of the three different power settings at the push of a button and the ION’s software even tells you when the bike is due to go to the dealer for maintenance. Like the Aprilia ENJOY we raved about, the ION has three different levels of pedal assistance to choose from, depending on the situation: ECO – The first setting provides comfortable support at a constant cycling speed, enabling you to get the best yield from the pedal assistance for leisure cycling or travelling to work. NORMAL – In addition to comfortable support at a constant speed, the second setting provides extra power when you set off. POWER – The third setting provides the most power under all circumstances and is mainly suitable when cycling in more adverse conditions, so you need to put in much less effort when cycling against a strong wind.
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October 25, 2006 The world’s largest Electric Vehicle symposium, the 22nd International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition (EVS22), opened this week in Yokohama, Japan. First EV off the rank was Nissan with a line-up led by the X-TRAIL FCV 2005 (pictured top left). Nissan has a long EV association, having built its first electric car, the Tama EV (bottom right), in 1947 and the world’s first lithium-ion battery powered vehicle, the Prairie Joy Electric Vehicle, in 1996. Two interesting EV concepts on the Nissan stand were the Hypermini (top right – an ultra-small two-seater 100 km/h urban commuter with an aluminium space-frame, neodymium magnetic synchronous traction motor and high-performance lithium-ion batteries with a 115km range) and the Micro UV. The Micro (bottom left) is almost a story in itself, as it was developed by Nissan subsidiary Autech under the sponsorship of NEDO (the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization established by the Japanese government in 1980 to develop new oil-alternative energy technologies) specifically for Japan’s aging population. With the increase numbers of elderly drivers, this ultra-small electric vehicle is fitted with an active interface technology to support drivers with failing motor-ability and response-time that may impair their driving capability.
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October 12, 2006 Mitsubishi will display a new research vehicle, the Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) at the 22nd International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium & Expo (EVS-22) in Yokohama later this month. The next-generation "i MiEV" electric vehicle will be used for joint research programmes with power companies that will conduct field tests, gather data and evaluate the commercial viability of the vehicle. Based on MMC's "i" mini-car, it is powered by a compact and lightweight motor and high-energy density lithium-ion batteries which replace the i's rear-midship combustion engine and surprisingly few modifications were required in the conversion. Unlike previous Mitsubishi elevctric vehicles, the I MiEV uses a single 47 kW motor to drive both rear wheels instead of four in-wheel electric motors. The car has a top speed of 130 km/h
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October 2, 2006 It’s not often we get lead stories on consecutive days from the same company (never before in fact) but French transportation futurists Venturi have done it again – this time with the first solar electric hybrid to be commercialised in the world. Named Astrolab (latin astro = star, labe = to take) because it takes its energy from the sun in order to move, the solar commuter is capable of working with very little energy (16 kW engine) and of recharging even when in motion, and does not need to be permanently exposed to the sun in order to move. The car’s performance is remarkably close to that of a petrol-engined vehicle as it has a top speed of 120 kmh and a minimum range of 110 km. To attain this level of performance while using very little energy, the Astrolab has been designed like a Formula 1 car with an ultra-light carbon monocoque chassis serving as an oversized protection cell in the event of a collision and at the same time offering a large surface for the 3.6 square metres of photovoltaic cells. Its profile recalls the aqua-dynamic design of great racing yachts and Venturi draws the parallel between Astrolab and a sailboat : both advance silently while making best use of the elements and both offer sensations unlike any other. Its designer Sacha Lakic describes Astrolab as “a flying wing set on four wheels.”Astoundingly, it’s not just a show car - EUR92,000 will buy you one and the first vehicles are scheduled for delivery in January, 2008. Do be sure to see yesterday’s equally remarkable story about the world’s first energy-autonomous vehicle. Venturi, we salute you!
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September 28, 2006 Now here’s a great idea for those people who dearly love their pet and wish to make it as comfortable as possible at all times. The Sleepypod offers a familiar environment whether your pet is sleeping at home, going on vacation, or just visiting the vet. The aim of the exercise is to have your pet build a positive association with the Sleepypod as a bed and play area while at home, so that when you’re travelling, your pet will feel at home no matter where they go. An optional electric warmer uses 6.5 Watts of power and adds US$30 to the price, bringing it to an even US$200.
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September 25, 2006 Automotive pioneer ZAP will later today roll out a new, all-electric vehicle designed to address the need for gas-free alternatives with multi-purpose city driving, from industrial fleets to commuting. Called the XEBRA PK, the three-wheeled ZAP seats two with a multi-purpose platform behind the passenger compartment that serves as a hauler, dump truck or flatbed. Selling for less than US$10,000, the XEBRA PK will debut before California regulators participating in the 2006 Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Technology Symposium in Sacramento, September 25-27. ZAP Chairman Starr cited a study that showed more than a third of new car buyers in California would buy an electric vehicle if that vehicle were priced close to a gasoline vehicle and offered similar functionality. The 2000 Green Car Institute study titled "The Current and Future Market for Electric Vehicles" used the same research methodologies employed by the auto industry to identify markets for gas vehicles.
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September 23, 2006 The recreational vehicle industry and specifically trail bikes look to be set for a whole new range of possibilities in the near future as electric motorcycles become viable. Electric dirt bikes offer several compelling advantages over their current petrol-burning brethren, the most significant being they are completely silent. There is nothing more out of place in the forest than the bark of a four-stroke or the staccato rasp of a two-stroke – at complete odds with the tranquility of the wilderness and quite capable of spoiling the experience for those ten miles away, motorcycling without the noise is long overdue. For this reason, bikes are essentially banned from suburbia. Proof of just how far electric dirt bikes have come is the US$5,500 Drift XC bike from Electricross. Though it only develops 19 bhp, the linear, predictable power delivery has broad torque available from the very bottom of the rev range and is absolutely ideal power for loose surfaces. The trick is in the weight though as the Neal Saiki designed bike is ultra light – just 140 pounds ready for riding compared to 240 pounds plus for a petrol engined bike of similar output. There is no wet weight for an electric bike as there’s no petrol to burn, engine oil or even a gearbox. Saiki’s cross country bike designs have won numerous World Cup mountain bike titles and he recently landed Mountain Biking magazine’s 2006 X-Country Bike of the Year, so he knows his stuff . Before bikes he designed the first successful human powered helicopter (pictured), claiming one of the plumb aviation design firsts in history. Inspired by the potential of the electric motor, Saiki has spent the last couple of years designing and building an electric cross country bike. Saiki found that motorcycle parts are generally too heavy (without the vibration, an electric bike can be built lighter) and bicycle parts were too weak for the forces he wanted to direct. The frame parts are all made from American-produced aluminum. Accordingly, every part had to be uniquely developed using computer analysis to optimize every component, such as the patent pending double diamond design that is lighter and stiffer than conventional swingarms.
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September 12, 2006 One of the many inventions with which the extraordinary Leonardo da Vinci is credited is the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), a technology that has only just come into common usage 500 years after his foresightedness was committed to parchment. NuVinci is a new highly adaptable and scalable variation on the CVT theme that looks set to make its mark – developed by Fallbrook Technologies, continuously variable planetary (CVP) NuVinci technology promises a practical and economical CVT for both human-powered and motor-powered vehicles and machines. The NuVinci CVP is applicable to any product that uses a transmission, including bicycles, light electric vehicles, agricultural equipment, automobiles and utility class wind turbines and an announcement overnight heralds the first use of the new technology by well-known electric-powered vehicle manufacturer Currie Technologies in hybrid electric bicycles and electric scooters which will combine the NuVinci CVP with the Currie Electro-Drive drive system. The first product will be seen before the end of the year and already looks set to give the pedal-electric hybrid bicycle remarkable new capabilities.
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August 13, 2006 Siemens VDO engineers are working on plans to integrate the drivetrain, steering, shock absorbers and brakes directly into the wheels of future cars. This concept, called eCorner, is claimed by Siemens VDO to be the basis for the ecological "Drive-by-Wire" automobiles which will become a common sight on roads in 15 years. eCorner replaces the conventional wheel suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers, mechanical steering, hydraulic brakes and, above all, conventional internal combustion engines. For car owners, Siemens VDO expects eCorner to translate into improved fuel mileage, more safety and greater convenience. Implementing eCorner would offer automotive designers far greater freedom to create future cars with an electric drivetrain and electronic control.
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July 28, 2006 Researchers in Aberdeen have made an exciting breakthrough in showing that electricity has a major impact on the healing of wounds. The research team – one of just a handful of groups in the world studying direct current electrical fields in the body and their control over cell behaviours - believe their findings have the potential to open up pioneering methods for treating wounds and other injuries. The University of Aberdeen team detail how electricity works in a wound in a paper which appeared in yesterday's copy of Nature. The team have discovered a couple of proteins and genes within cells which play a key role in steering the cells to heal wounds in response to the naturally occurring electrical signals found at wounds.
