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bwilson4web

Solar road

There are significant engineering challenges: World's first solar panel road opens in Normandy village | Environment | The Guardian

France has opened what it claims to be the world’s first solar panel road, in a Normandy village.

A 1km (0.6-mile) route in the small village of Tourouvre-au-Perche covered with 2,800 sq m of electricity-generating panels, was inaugurated on Thursday by the ecology minister, Ségolène Royal.

There are no guarantees and the engineering challenges are not trivial. It could very well be the next 'cold fusion.' Still, the opportunity to multitask roads and sidewalks as solar collectors . . . very interesting:

Bob Wilson

bwilson4web Jan 11, 2017 Read More Replies: 51
Ashlem

2018 Camry hybrid to offer two different battery packs

Seems they're following a similar suit for the Camry hybrid as they did with the Gen 4 Prius with offering two different packs. They didn't say what the mpg was yet, but I'm guessing it'll be in the mid to high 40's.

Greencarreports said:

Masato Katsumoto is Toyota's chief engineer for the global Camry sedan program—so when he speaks, it's worth listening.

Following yesterday's Detroit Auto Show launch of an entirely new 2018 Toyota Camry mid-size sedan, he was one of several Toyota executives who answered media questions in a morning panel.

And during that session, Katsumoto revealed something about the next Camry Hybrid model that the company hadn't previously disclosed: it will have two different battery options.
Click to expand...

2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid: two different battery packs, 'best-in-class' fuel economy claimed

Ashlem Jan 10, 2017 Read More Replies: 85
bwilson4web

Return of the VW Microbus

Source: Detroit Auto Show: Volkswagen’s I.D. BUZZ EV Concept Van | Trucks.com

Volkswagen Group will debut an electric, autonomous all-wheel drive concept vehicle called the I.D. BUZZ at the Detroit Auto Show this week. The van highlights the automaker’s plans to bring a line of fully-electric vehicles to production by 2020, with hopes of selling 1 million electric vehicles annually by 2025.

Hummm, the BMW i3-REx warranty ends January 2019 . . .

Bob Wilson

bwilson4web Jan 9, 2017 Read More Replies: 27