Electric cars acquired by us army

Soldiers may soon get greener rides on-base, after the U.S. Army announced the acquisition of 4,000 neighborhood electric vehicles.

The plug-and-chug vehicles come in both sedan and light truck models, and can charge their batteries at any three-pronged household outlet. Estimates put the savings over a six-year service lifetime at 11 million gallons of fuel, not to mention 115,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

"We estimate the cost of charging an electric vehicle in a given year at $400, which is a substantial savings from the fuel that would be purchased for a petroleum vehicle," said Paul Bollinger, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Energy & Partnerships, during a Department of Defense bloggers roundtable on Monday.

Total savings on the vehicles: $45.8 million over six years.

This doesn't represent the first time that the Army has sunk substantial investment into energy-efficient vehicles – it has snapped up 40,000 alternative fuel vehicles to date. But a lack of alternative fueling stations led to the decision to skip over hybrids and go directly to electric.

The Army does not stand alone in deciding to jump to electric vehicles – Popular Science talked with U.S. entrepreneur Elon Musk about his efforts with Tesla Motors to develop a viable electric car.

Six of the electric vehicles have arrived at Fort Myer, VA, to be followed by 800 more this year. More will continue to pour into Army bases over the next two years, courtesy of Chrysler subsidiary GEM and possibly some other car manufacturers.

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Cadillac thorium concept WTF

This is the Cadillac Word Thorium Fuel Concept, a nuclear-powered futuremobile from designer Loren Kulesus. As you might have noticed, that name can be handily abbreviated to ‘WTF concept’ an acronym that – in the world of the internet at least – stands for What The, er, Heck. We assume Mr Kulesus was well aware of this.

So what is it? The Cadillac WTF is powered by thorium, a slightly radioactive metal that can be used as a nuclear fuel. WTF?

There’s more weirdness: those deep-dish wheel-things aren’t standard tyres, but instead each consist of six individual mini-wheels powered by their own induction motor. WTF?

This, says Kulesus, would mean that the WTF would never need a fresh set of tyres, which is obviously good news for the environment. Unlike 24 separate induction motors, which probably aren’t.

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A Guide to Diesel & Clean Diesel Cars

What Is A Diesel Vehicle?

A diesel vehicle uses an engine that has a different combustion cycle than a gasoline engine. In a gasoline engine, fuel is mixed with air, drawn into the cylinder, and ignited by a spark plug. In a diesel, air is drawn into the cylinder and compressed first without fuel present. This compression heats the air to such a high temperature that when fuel is then injected into the cylinder, it combusts.

By using higher compression ratios and higher combustion temperatures, diesels operate more efficiently. As a result, diesel vehicles attain better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts. This fuel economy advantage is enhanced by the fact that a gallon of diesel fuel contains about 10 percent more energy than a gallon of gasoline. These two factors help modern direct-injection diesels achieve roughly 50 percent higher fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts.

In Oct. 2008, Audi held a 4,800-mile American driving tour to promote the carmaker’s TDI (turbocharged direct injection) clean-diesel technology. Audi's TDIs are powerful, very efficient, and pass California's strict emissions standards. The Audi Q7 TDI will be introduced in the US in early 2009.

By using higher compression ratios and higher combustion temperatures, diesels operate more efficiently. As a result, diesel vehicles attain better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts. This fuel economy advantage is enhanced by the fact that a gallon of diesel fuel contains about 10 percent more energy than a gallon of gasoline. These two factors help modern direct-injection diesels achieve roughly 50 percent higher fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts.

Diesel vehicles now account for nearly half of all new vehicle sales in Europe. In some European countries, such as France, diesel vehicles account for as much as 70 percent of new car sales. Diesels represent about 3 percent of today’s new car market. J.D. Power, a market research firm, predicts that diesel will rise to 11.5 percent by 2015—rising at a higher rate and to a higher level than gas-electric hybrids. Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Chrysler are the key players in the diesel market

Diesel Benefits

1. Higher fuel economy
2. Diesel engines last longer, and fetch higher resale values
3. Diesel engines can be run on biofuel (biodiesel)
4. Diesels provide greater torque; great for rapid acceleration and towing
5. Driving range on a tank is longer

Diesel Drawbacks

1. Diesel fuel is more expensive in the US (In Europe, it’s taxed less heavily.)
2. Few models are available with a diesel engine
3. Particulate matter and NOx emissions are higher
4. Diesel vehicles are usually more expensive, although “clean diesel” carries purchase incentives
5. Diesel availability is more limited; there are fewer diesel pumps

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