2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Arrives in Canada
January 7, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The entire Fusion line-up is overhauled for 2010, with new styling, better-quality materials, and new and more fuel-efficient engines, six-speed automatic transmissions, and a Sport model with a 3.5-litre V6 under the hood. But the big news is the Fusion Hybrid, which company officials said will be the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan on the market when it reaches showrooms in Canada.
It uses a version of the new system found in the Escape Hybrid, and is now entirely Ford’s technology (save for a battery purchased from Sanyo), with over 100 patents pending on the Fusion’s system alone. It uses a 2.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine with Atkinson cycle; the cycle produces better fuel efficiency, while the resulting power loss is compensated by the hybrid system’s electric motor. The nickel metal hydride (NiMH) storage battery is 23 per cent lighter than that in Ford’s original hybrid system, while providing 28 per cent more power. The system produces 155 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque. Read more
World’s Only Eco Elise is Cradle to Cradle Green
January 1, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
This is the world’s only Eco Elise – a testbed research vehicle for Lotus, a four-wheeled laboratory to help the company make cleaner, greener cars. It’s an Elise that’s become a friend of the earth.
Lotus unveiled its “Eco Elise” at British International Motor Showin July. The primary innovation is the use of hemp and other ethically farmed renewable crops for body panels, seats, and carpets. Paints are all water-based. For body components, the hemp material is used with a polyester resin to form a hybrid composite. The hemp hard top on the Eco Elise has two flexible solar panels neatly embedded in the roof, contributing power to the electrical systems and saving energy that would otherwise be drained from the engine. Read more
