plus 4, Tesla hopes long car trip ends 'range anxiety' - San Francisco Chronicle |
- Tesla hopes long car trip ends 'range anxiety' - San Francisco Chronicle
- December 2009 - Watertown Daily Times
- Uncovering history in Indiana - MiLB.com
- Freightliner Develops Advanced Hybrid RV Chassis - All Cars Electric
- Recession a rude wake-up call for NRI-rich villages - Economic Times
| Tesla hopes long car trip ends 'range anxiety' - San Francisco Chronicle Posted: 15 Dec 2009 05:35 PM PST Tesla Motors wants to change that. Come Thursday, the San Carlos company will send one of its electric sports cars on a 3,100-mile road trip from Los Angeles to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The trip will give Tesla a chance to show off its all-electric Roadster in places where the car has seldom - if ever - been seen. Tesla also hopes to strike a blow against "range anxiety" among consumers, proving that electric cars are capable of the classic cross-country trip. Or as the company's Web page devoted to the trip puts it, "range anxiety is for the weak." "You can take it on a road trip just like you would with an everyday car," said Tesla spokeswoman Khobi Brooklyn. Well, not quite. The trip, which an everyday car would make in about six days, will take 19 in the Tesla. The trip's itinerary is built around the Tesla Roadster Sport's 244-mile range. On most days, the car will only travel 100 to 200 miles before stopping for the night. On others the car will go a little farther than the car's range, meaning the driver will have to stop in the middle of the day and spend several hours recharging the battery pack. The drivers, a rotating group of Tesla employees, will recharge at hotels and RV parks. "There is a realistic way to do this," said Rik Avalos, a Tesla sales recruiter who will drive two legs of the trip. "Going across the country is something people can do. This is not a situation where it's an undue burden." The trip could also subject the California-born car to some vicious winter weather, as the drivers wind their way through the Upper Midwest, with stops in Chicago and Grand Rapids, Mich. "When it gets to the show, it will be filthy and road-streaked," said Jason Mendez, who is manager of power train manufacturing engineering and will be another of the drivers. "That's going to be great." Range anxiety isn't a groundless fear. The few electric cars that have been available to date have had different ranges, but they tend to be lower than the mileage a typical car gets from a full tank of gas. And drivers low on juice can't make a five-minute stop at the gas station to refuel. Mark Duvall, with the Electric Power Research Institute, drove an earlier generation of electric car - the EV1 from General Motors - for less than a year. Twice he needed to call a tow truck after running down the batteries. "Having been a driver of a battery electric vehicle, I can tell you what range anxiety is," said Duvall, director of the institute's electric transportation program. Fear of limited range is also one of the reasons automakers are designing plug-in hybrid cars, which use gas-powered motors for backup when the batteries run too low. "The people who don't want to have range anxiety and want more flexibility, they can buy plug-in hybrids," Duvall said. "We don't try to make everyone drive the same four-door sedan." Roland Hwang, with the Natural Resources Defense Council, agreed. He also said that range anxiety may be less of a factor in the future if gasoline prices resume their upward march. "As the economy recovers, it's not going to be too long before we see $4 gasoline again," said Hwang, vehicle policy director for the environmental group. "So I think when more of these cars hit the showroom, range anxiety is going to be balanced by pump anxiety." Tesla's drivers will update their progress on Facebook and Twitter. For more information about the trip, go to www.teslamotors.com/roadtrip. E-mail David R. Baker at dbaker@sfchronicle.com This article appeared on page D - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| December 2009 - Watertown Daily Times Posted: 15 Dec 2009 10:47 AM PST
fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Uncovering history in Indiana - MiLB.com Posted: 15 Dec 2009 06:58 AM PST Indianapolis hosted the annual Winter Meetings earlier this month, temporarily making the center of Indiana the center of the baseball universe. But despite the fact that it lacks a Major League team, Indiana shouldn't be overlooked once the baseball season rolls around. The state is home to three Minor League franchises, all located within a short drive of one another. And it is this heartland triumvirate that we'll focus on in this edition of "Roadtrip": the Indianapolis Indians, Fort Wayne Tincaps and South Bend Silver Hawks. Victory Field, home of the International League's Indianapolis Indians, boasts a downtown location that is within a walk or short drive from many of the city's most prestigious sporting attractions. So why not combine the Minor League Baseball experience with the NCAA, NFL and auto racing? First up is the NCAA Hall of Champions, a museum and conference center dedicated to honoring the accomplishments of student athletes. For a $5 admission fee, visitors can explore the history of collegiate athletics through a series of permanent and rotating exhibits. Those looking to get a sense of the professional sports experience then only need to travel two miles to "The House That Peyton Built" (aka Lucas Oil Stadium, the sparkling new home of the Indianapolis Colts). Tours are offered year-round at the 63,000-seat facility, taking visitors from the locker room to the field to the press box and beyond. But perhaps nothing is more synonymous with the city than auto racing, so why not take a quick drive over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? The iconic racetrack is currently celebrating its "Centennial Era," as the facility opened in 1909 and hosted the inaugural Indianapolis 500 two years later. Ninety-minute "Grounds Tours" are offered regularly, giving visitors the chance to hop in a tour bus for a not-so-quick lap around the track. But it all comes back to baseball, a sport that has been played professionally in Indy since 1887. The retro-minded Victory Field opened in 1996, quickly winning accolades as one of the best ballparks in all of Minor League Baseball. But as tempting as a hot dog at the ballpark may be, save room for a postgame dinner at 107-year-old St. Elmo's Steakhouse. The absurdly potent shrimp cocktail is the stuff of legend. Indianapolis is approximately 100 miles from Fort Wayne, but you may want take your time getting there. Along the way lies a series of enticing roadside attractions, starting with the World's Largest Ball of Paint in Alexandria. The ball was created by Mike Carmichael, a man of true vision who describes his creation thusly: "Imagine an ordinary baseball. Now imagine that same baseball with over 21,500 coats of paint on it! ... That ordinary baseball that once weighed less than one pound now weighs more than 2,700 pounds! ... This ball is truly remarkable." Agreed. Next up is Fairmount, the hometown of James Dean. The unfathomably cool thespian certainly made his mark in his all-too-short film career, which is immortalized here through "The James Dean Collection." Visitors to this 19th-century Victorian home will be able to view the vast array of Dean memorabilia assembled by archivist David Loehr, including posters, trading cards and clothing. But for something completely different, make sure to stop by Huntington's Dan Quayle Vice Presidential Learning Center. This sounds like something cooked up by a comedy writer trafficking in outdated cultural references, but it is fact a real-live education center dedicated to "learning about the history, responsibilities and contributions of the office of Vice President and all those who have held it." But don't get too wrapped up in learning about the vice presidency, as Fort Wayne itself has much to offer. When you're in Fort Wayne you should visit the actual Fort Wayne, a replica of the fort that the town is named for. Originally constructed in 1815 as a defense against Native Americans, today's fort is an education center dedicated to illuminating the vagaries of 19th-century pioneer life. Couple this with another fascinating slice of frontier history -- Johnny Appleseed Park. The selfless fruit-planting hero is alleged to be buried on the premises, but this seems to be a subject of much debate. In the interest of being diplomatic, I'll just say that it's possible he was laid to rest here, and move on. Because no matter where Johnny was ultimately laid to rest, his influence can still be felt today in Fort Wayne. He is, after all, the inspiration behind the "TinCaps," the name of the city's Midwest League Baseball team (so called because Johnny was known to wear a cook pot on his head). The TinCaps are coming off an almost unfathomable successful championship season, in which they cruised to over 100 wins (including the playoffs) while consistently drawing sellout crowds to brand-new Parkview Field. Fort Wayne to South Bend is one of the shortest commutes in the Midwest League, so there should certainly be time in the agenda to stop by the RV Hall of Fame. It is exactly what its name implies -- a museum dedicated to showcasing vintage recreational vehicles and paying tribute to industry leaders. So grab a portable generator and a cooler of beer; there's no better way to spend an afternoon than by hanging out around the motor home. Not that there isn't plenty to check out in South Bend, of course. This football-obsessed town will be the home of the College Football Hall of Fame through 2010, so take advantage of the opportunity to learn about the best non-professional gridiron greats there ever were. At the very least, it will help erase memories of Notre Dame's painful 2009 campaign. And while I am loathe to propagate reductive gender stereotypes, it is often the case that women are more interested in chocolate than they are in football. Therefore, members of the fairer sex should head over to the headquarters of the formidable South Bend Chocolate Company. An awe-inspiring array of confections awaits, which like football, can be enjoyed by all (I'm done stereotyping. It's a fool's game). But I'm never done learning, and what I just learned is that the Silver Hawks are named after a line of Studebaker Automobiles that were once manufactured across the street from the team's ballpark. This is the sort of information that can be obtained at the Studebaker National Museum, a wide-ranging exploration of American automotive history. The museum currently features exhibits on both Harley Davidsons and 19th-century Presidential carriages, which will hopefully one day morph into an exhibit featuring presidents riding motorcycles. (I would especially like to see Dan Quayle riding in George H.W. Bush's sidecar). But this day, like all others, ends with baseball. The Studebaker-inspired Silver Hawks play at Coveleski Stadium, which is named after Hall-of-Famer (and South Bend resident) Stanley Coveleski. The "Cove," as it is often referred to, offers regular opportunities to relax in the waning sunlight of a long summer day. That sounds real nice about now, doesn't it? fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Freightliner Develops Advanced Hybrid RV Chassis - All Cars Electric Posted: 15 Dec 2009 04:56 AM PST So you've always dreamed of owning an RV but just couldn't imagine paying for all that fuel used on a family outing. Well you may be in luck as Freightliner is now offering a motor home chassis to solve the problem. The new chassis is called the ecoFred motorhome chassis. Freightliner is the first to develop a chassis of this type for the RV market. The powertrain consists of a 6.7 liter Cummins diesel engine (typical in this class of chassis) paired with an Eaton automated manual transmission, also typical. Here's where the change comes in. This new powertrain utilizes a combo motor-generator sandwiched between the trans and the engine. The motor-generator provides electric drive capabilities, captures energy from regenerative braking, and always the use of an auto shut off feature. The chassis also incorporates a lithium-ion battery for energy storage duties. All of the advanced components lead to several improvements. The hybrid setup increases fuel economy while also provided additional power for acceleration duties and an increased gross vehicle weight. The advanced Freightliner chassis will be available to RV builders (Coach builders) starting next year. The hybrid setup will reduce fuel consumption on long family trips, but the advanced chassis is likely to cost significantly more than a traditional setup. Source: Freightliner PRESS RELEASE: Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation ecoFREDTM Motorhome Chassis Ready for Production LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Dec. 3, 2009 - ecoFREDTM, the RV industry's first hybrid-electric Class A motorhome chassis, is now available for order. Introduced in December 2008 by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) as a prototype, ecoFRED provides improved fuel economy while also reducing engine emissions. Equipped with the Eaton® hybrid-electric system, ecoFRED is unlike any other chassis available in the RV market today. Powered by the Cummins® ISB 6.7-liter engine with up to 300 hp and an Eaton automated manual transmission, ecoFRED provides increased torque for better acceleration, contributing to a superior performance that has become synonymous with the FCCC brand. "We are pleased that ecoFRED is ready for production," said Jonathan Randall, director of sales and marketing for FCCC. "ecoFRED offers reduced exhaust emissions, leading toward a cleaner environment, requires less fuel to operate and has an improved brake life, all of which contribute to better overall performance and a reduced operational cost for our customers." ecoFRED, so named because of its increased fuel economy and ecological/ environmental benefits, offers significantly less brake wear due to regenerative braking, leading to lower replacement costs. The chassis also boasts of better acceleration and increased towing capacity, operating similar to driving an automatic transmission. FCCC engineers also designed ecoFRED to offer a best-in-class 55-degree wheel cut to better travel and navigate through tight spatial constraints. Similar to the popular FRED (Front Engine Diesel) chassis, ecoFRED does not have an engine hump or "dog house" typically found on a gas chassis. The result is a flat floor and more room in the driver cockpit, contributing to driver comfort and easier entry and egress from the seats to the back of the motorhome. fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Recession a rude wake-up call for NRI-rich villages - Economic Times Posted: 15 Dec 2009 06:36 AM PST
MADHAPAR
| BANGALORE: Around 3,000 families live in Madhapar, but the village in
Gujarat's Kutch district holds Rs 5,000 crore as savings in bank and post
office accounts — a staggering Rs 1.7 crore per family.
Down south in central Kerala, the slightly larger Kumbanad-Kozhencheri belt has Rs 5,400 crore parked in bank deposits. During the boom years, the largely enterprising communities from these two diverse regions poured in money earned in West Asian and North American destinations into these towns, building plush homes and a raft of businesses. But that has now received a rude jolt. The crores are flowing out, and for once, the shoe is on the other foot. As the global financial crisis tipped the West into a painful recession, and with the Dubai crisis now making things worse, the dollar-dirham rich non-resident Indians belonging to these towns are now dipping into these reserves. The local business networks in these small towns that has developed over years catering to these NRIs' urge-to-splurge are scrambling for survival. Anandbhai Patel returned to Madhapar from Dubai last month after this employer — a construction company — asked him to go on leave. "I don't know whether if I will get my job back when I return," he says, adding that he is banking on the savings back home to finance the loans he had incurred in Dubai. His banker RV Jain, senior general manager at Bank of Baroda, says that in the last one year, foreign remittances have halved from Rs 120 crore a month to Rs 50-60 crore. "Earlier, we had people queuing up to make deposits. Now, people come here mostly to withdraw money," Mr Jain says. The borrowed prosperity shows in this village, 3 km off Bhuj, the hub of a devastating earthquake in 2001. Plush bungalows and offices of a dozen banks, many with cash machines, dot the canal which separates the modern settlement (Navo Vaas) from the centuries-old original village (Juno Vaas). According to the last Census, residents of Madhapar have the longest lifespan in India with an average age of 69 years. Many still live off farms, though the village is sprinkled with internet cafes, retail stores, restaurants, inns and even cab rentals. "Now, it seems that the curse of the recession has finally fallen on us," says Jadhavbhai Varsani, 70, who owns a retail store. In Kerala's forex belt, the worries are much more. With 44.3 emigres per every 100 households, the elderly make up a bulk of those who have stayed back in the Kumbanad-Kozhencheri belt. Among them is A Koshy, 70, a resident of Thiruvalla. Remittances from his son in Dubai have stopped coming, and Mr Koshy is now dipping into his personal savings to pay for house and car loans. "My son had to give away his luxury car for a pittance, and might have to do the same with his apartment," he says. The remittance economy had spun off its own business offspring in the jewellery, automotive and realty segments. That money had driven down enthusiasm for traditional cash crops such as rubber, coffee beans, cocoa, pepper and ginger, and the clock has come full circle now.
"There has
been a drop of 30 to 35 per cent in sales in the mid-segment category,"
says the manager of a car dealership. With gold prices rising and inflows down
to a trickle, jewellery shops are struggling for customers.
In Madhapar too, the worst hit are the same sectors. Ditto with Ena, another NRI hotspot village near Surat, which is dotted with plush villas and streets populated with BMWs and Mercs. Here too sales executives say snob value is now a distant memory. Local jeweller Mohan Khokhani says that on an average an NRI used to spend about Rs 4-5 lakh on marriage purchases. "Now, they are not buying for investments as gold prices are high and have cut down budgets for marriages too," he says. The Patels of Madhapar started emigrating during the 1960s and '70s to work abroad, and in true Gujarati spirit, set up their own businesses, The Kutch Madhapar Karyalay was formed in London in 1968 and there are other Madhaparian associations in other cities as well. Navinbhai Patel, 57, who had emigrated 20 years ago, one such active Madhapari in London, where he runs a groceries shop and his wife runs a boutique in Neasden in north London. Patel comes to India every winter, but says this year is different. "Forget about bringing in foreign money, this time around I have even cut down my expenditure by around 80%," he says. That's bad news for the village as a large chunk of small businesses here are dependent on the so-called 'NRI season', when the rich non-residents come home and splurge on food, travel and entertainment and buying jewellery, clothes or on family weddings. The local economy has been hit badly forcing some 100-odd locals to diversify into making china-clay for construction. "The men have to find out an alternative to make a living," says Varsani. While Kutch witnessed brisk industrial activity after the Gujarat earthquake in 2002, Madhapar remained untouched because it was perceived as prosperous and self-reliant, says Rajesh Bhatt, president of Bhuj Chamber of Commerce and Industries. That image is taking a hit, and Madhapar will have to now look within. fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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