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New WSU palladium-iron catalyst could improve drop-in biofuels production from pyrolysis oils
New WSU palladium-iron catalyst could improve drop-in biofuels production from pyrolysis oils
17 October 2014
The addition of palladium (Pd) prevents deactivation (addition of oxygen, red spheres) of an iron catalyst in the reaction that removes oxygen from biofuel feedstock. Credit: ACS, Hensley et al.. Click to enlarge.
Washington State University researchers have developed a new palladium-iron hydrodeoxygenation catalyst (Pd/Fe2O3) that could lead to making drop-in biofuels cheaply and more efficiently. Their work is described in two papers in the October issue of the journal ACS Catalysis and is featured on the cover.
The first WSU paper (Hong et.al) describes the synthesis of a series of Pd/Fe2O3 catalysts and their performance for the hydrodeoxygenation of m-cresol—a phenolic compounds used as a model compound in the HDO research, as it can be derived from pyrolysis of lignin. The second (Hensley et al.) reports on a combined experimental and theoretical approach to understand the potential function of the surface Pd in the reduction of Pd/Fe2O3.
One method of producing biofuels is through the pyrolysis of biomass to bio-oils and successive refinery of bio-oils, and this process has been identified as the most cost-effective approach. The key issue in the bio-oil upgrading is to efficiently reduce their high oxygen content (∼20−40 wt %) to less than 2 wt % for fuel applications. The oxygenates in bio-oils mainly exist in the form of acetic acid, furans, ketones, and phenolics, which are corrosive, thermally unstable, and highly viscous. The removal of oxygen in these bio-oils can be achieved in a similar manner with the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) processes in petroleum industry, i.e., removing oxygen in the form of water in hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process.
These catalysts need to be fast and efficient. The WSU study shows how a two-metal approach could improve the catalyst and minimize the amount of hydrogen needed, along with the associated costs.
Iron catalysts have been an inexpensive way to remove oxygen from plant-based materials; however, the catalyst can stop working when it interacts with water, which is a necessary part of biofuels production. The iron rusts. Palladium can work in water, but it is not terrific at removing oxygen; and the metal is very expensive.
Led by Voiland Distinguished Professor Yong Wang, who holds a joint appointment at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as an associate director at the Institute for Integrated Catalysis, the researchers developed a mixture of the two metals, iron along with a tiny amount of palladium, to serve as a catalyst to efficiently and cheaply remove oxygen.
The synergy between the palladium and the iron is incredible. When combined, the catalyst is far better than the metals alone in terms of activity, stability and selectivity.
Mechanism of Pd−Fe Synergy in HDO of m-Cresol. H2 preferentially adsorbs and dissociates on the Pd attached to the Fe surface, followed by spillover to the metallic Fe sites where the substrate, m-cresol, adsorbs and activates.
The adsorption mode of m-cresol on the iron surface enables the high selectivity toward direct HDO products—i.e., toluene, benzene, and xylene. Meanwhile, Pd is the active site for activating hydrogen and maintains the high hydrogen coverage on the metallic Fe surface.
Once the product forms via surface reaction on Fe, it readily desorbs to complete the catalytic cycle without further reaction. The surface enrichment of active hydrogen also efficiently removes the oxygen on the surface and thus suppresses the reoxidation of the active Fe under the reaction conditions. Credit: ACS, Hong et al. Click to enlarge.
Adding extremely small amounts of palladium to iron helped cover the iron surface of the catalyst with hydrogen, which caused the reaction to speed up and work better. It also prevented water from interrupting the reactions; further, less hydrogen was needed to remove the oxygen.
With biofuels, you need to remove as much oxygen as possible to gain energy density. Of course, in the process, you want to minimize the costs of oxygen removal. In this case, you minimize hydrogen consumption, increase the overall activity and gain high yields of the desired fuel products using much less expensive and more abundant catalyst materials.
The team used advanced techniques—including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy—to understand how atoms on the catalyst’s surface interact with the plant material lignin. Corresponding theoretical calculations were done by a WSU team led by Jean-Sabin McEwen.
The team is now designing catalysts to work under wetter conditions to better approach realistic conditions rather than just using model compounds.
Resources
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Yongchun Hong, He Zhang, Junming Sun, Karim M. Ayman, Alyssa J. R. Hensley, Meng Gu, Mark H. Engelhard, Jean-Sabin McEwen, and Yong Wang (2014) “Synergistic Catalysis between Pd and Fe in Gas Phase Hydrodeoxygenation of m-Cresol” ACS Catalysis 4 (10), 3335-3345 doi: 10.1021/cs500578g
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Alyssa J. R. Hensley, Yongchun Hong, Renqin Zhang, He Zhang, Junming Sun, Yong Wang, and Jean-Sabin McEwen (2014) “Enhanced Fe2O3 Reducibility via Surface Modification with Pd: Characterizing the Synergy within Pd/Fe Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation Reactions” ACS Catalysis 4 (10), 3381-3392 doi: 10.1021/cs500565e
Nissan Leaf One Of Eight Good Housekeeping Pick
The 2014 Nissan Leaf SL is named top “Roomy Electric” vehicle pick in the Good Housekeeping November buyer’s guide.
The award was selected by the Good Housekeeping Institute (GHI).
The Leaf is one of eight cars selected in the GHI’s annual car review. The institute said theLeaf was specifically noted for its “impressive” cruising range, value enhanced by available federal and state tax incentives and segment-exclusive Around View Monitor, great for parking or backing out.
Good Housekeeping added its top cars were picked based upon track performance, performance while driving on suburban roads and highways, as well as evaluations on the ergonomics and convenience features of the vehicles.
SEE ALSO: 2014 Nissan Leaf Overview“As more than 64,000 American Leaf owners will tell you, the economics of going electric are simple: buy a Nissan LEAF and save money by conveniently charging at home instead of paying more at the gas pump,” said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales Marketing and Operations, U.S. “But the real beauty of the Nissan Leaf is that it’s roomy and, best of all, fun to drive, which is why it received this honor from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.”
The Leaf seats up to five passengers and has an EPA-estimated driving range of 84 miles on a fully-charged battery and an MPGe ratings of 126 city, 101 highway and 114 combined.
The Nissan Leaf is powered by a lithium-ion battery and an 80 kilowatt motor that provides a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience.
The all-electric vehicle is offered in three trim levels, and shoppers can choose from a variety of available features such as leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, 7-speaker BOSE energy efficient audio system and an available 6.6 kilowatt onboard charger that reduces charging times on a 240V charging dock.
Should hi-viz clothing be mandatory when walking on public streets? Some people think so.
I really wanted to write about the Onion’s story: New ‘Get The [deleted] Outta The Road’ Program Aims To Increase Pedestrian Safety, but would have had to bleep out every second word and couldn’t use the illustration. Instead, I write about a subject that isn’t much different than what is proposed by the Onion: the British campaign to dress up pedestrians in high visibility clothing. Mel Finnemore, running one campaign in Rutland, tells the Stamford Mercury:
© Mel Finnemore with kids
I want to get the message across to children that it is ‘hip and happening’ to wear high visibility jackets. Some children think horses are cool, others think that of bikes, so I’m trying to show them that it’s cool to wear bright jackets like the professional men and women do. I want it to be made law for children to wear bright clothing in winter. It would save many lives.
Because you can’t have people going out dressed like people, they have to instead have it beat into them at an early age that cars rule the streets and if they get hit it is their own fault.
It is really important that all kids wear an item of bright clothing in winter months to stop them being run over. People get noticed more if they are visible.
It’s so true. But there are other ways to stop kids from getting run over, like lower speed limits, better infrastructure for walking, tougher penalties for breaking the rules.
My ultimate aim is that it should be made compulsory for children to use visibility bags or wear fluorescent jackets to school in the winter months to, hopefully, reduce the number of kids who get hit by cars. The Government needs to make it law.
Asia injury prevention foundation/Public Domain
Why stop there? Why not helmets too? They do this in some parts of Asia. In fact, why let kids walk at all, where they might prevent somebody from getting to work three minutes faster? Why let kids outside where it is so dangerous? Just keep them at home on an iPad and drive them everywhere.
There has to be a better way to keep our kids safe than instilling a culture of fear, that you can’t go for a walk unless you are dressed up like this. We might start by dealing with the people and machines that are doing the killing instead of the victims.
Or am I wrong on this?
I have been strongly criticized by commenters in previous posts on the culture of fear and that we shouldn’t be afraid to go outside. One regular notes:
I’m sorry, but honestly, the bit that, and I quote «makes it sound like pedestrians are in a war zone where they might be killed at any second:» is pretty much the list, verbatim, that my parents drilled into me when I was growing up on basic safety practices….»the whole tone of this is that it’s dangerous out there». Damn right it is.
and
Until it comes to pass that we have real penalties for careless or reckless motorist behavior and motorists are held accountable for their responsibility to keep others on the road safe, it is dangerous out there and it only makes sense to take precautions.
Perhaps. But I don’t have to like it and I think dressing kids up like this is ridiculous. What do you think?
Driverless Audi RS7 Blazes Around Hockenheim Circuit
His name is Bobby, and he’s a really fast driver. Actually, Bobby is a robotically controlled Audi RS7 piloted driving concept that drives as well as some pro drivers, and he got to show this to the world on Sunday.
It happened before the start of a DTM race when Bobby and another RS7 sports sedan with driver at the wheel were turned loose on Germany’s Hockenheimring. The RS7 with no human in the car this time went five seconds quicker at speeds up to 150 mph during a lap of just over two minutes.
An RS7 is a $105,795 extra high-performance version of the A7 and above the S7. It’s powered by a 560-horsepower, 516 pound-foot torque 4.0-liter V8 and uses an 8-speed automatic. It’s been praised for its balance and truly upping the level beyond the already competent A7. Its fuel economy is EPA rated at 16 city, 27 highway.
The 4,400-pound car has been timed as quick as 0-62 in 3.5 seconds, and done the quarter mile at 11.6 seconds at 123 mph. Audi has had its specially prepped autonomous version up to 190 mph, and Bobby proved eminently capable of the run at Hockenheim.
Audi’s dramatic demonstration of “piloted driving” as it calls it got everyone‘s attention, but the the two-minutes of glory came after 10 years of work on the safety oriented technology. The division of Volkswagen AG says piloted driving is one of the most important development fields it hopes to see in commercial use ASAP.
SEE ALSO: S 500 Intelligent Drive Drives Autonomously In The Tracks Of Bertha BenzTherefore the hot lap perhaps most of all is hoped to gain the attention of regulators who are in position to greenlight public autonomous driving.
“The top performance by the Audi RS 7 today substantiates the skills of our development team with regard to piloted driving at Audi,” said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, board member for Technical Development at Audi AG. “The derivations from series production, particularly in terms of precision and performance, are of great value for our further development steps.”
Audi predicts if permitted by authorities, the first consumer oriented systems could be ready in a few years. Autonomous adoption is projected to be an $87 billion market a decade and a half from now, and several other automakers are in a race of their own to win.
Fast And Smart
The RS7 with no human at the wheel is a thinking car. Bobby got a map of the track with only left and right boundaries defined, and it was up to his on-board computer to determine the best line.
A low-2-minute lap is well slower than the 1:33-34 done in qualifying by the track-prepared Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) at the Hockenheimring, but places it squarely in league with some of the world’s faster well-driven production cars. The record for the GP circuit is 1:48:50 by a Porsche 918 Spyder, and a number of performance cars have done low 2s such as the BMW M3, Mercedes C 63 AMG, and Porsche 911 Carrera.
Following is a briefed explanation and previous test drive:
To orient the RS7 on the track, it used specially corrected GPS signals transmitted via WiFi according to automotive standards and redundantly via high-frequency radio. In parallel to this, 3D cameras in the car film the track, and a computer program compares the cameras’ image information against a data set stored on board.
SEE ALSO: Reimagining the Automobile With Qualcomm’s Dr. Chris Borroni-Bird“This is what makes it possible for the technology pioneer to orient itself on the track within centimeters,” says Audi.
Redundancy is built in as an effort to provide a fail-safe car. The whole idea is to improve safety, and a car that careened out of control causing property loss, injury or death would undoubtedly send shock-waves into the technology’s acceptability.
Challenges Remain
But really, while a new benchmark has been set, the Audis had the run of the road with no vehicles to avoid, pedestrians to not hit, and countless other random things that could cause an accident on public roads.
Factors such as those can add enormous complexity to the proposal to unleash cars that drive themselves en masse. One car is one thing. How hundreds or thousands per day could manage the clogged streets of a town like Manhattan is quite another.
SEE ALSO: Developers Put the Brakes On Their Autonomous Cars’ Future
A year ago at the ITS World Congress, developers threw a wet blanket on the prospect of widespread acceptance of fully autonomous cars after years of being bullish and predicting its imminent arrival.
Hurdles cited include huge projected costs, connectivity barriers, liability questions, regulatory unknowns, lack of universal industry standards, and other technological limitations.
Whether these can be worked out, and how soon remains to be seen. In the interim, building blocks leading toward fully autonomous vehicles such as self-parking, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, automatic braking, and more are expected to be rolled out in production cars.
The hope for advocates is society’s comfort zone will increase as semi-autonomous technologies whittle away at unnerving aspects and remaining barriers.
A long version of the Audi RS 7 piloted driving concept at Hockenheim follows.
Shanghai GM to be first automaker to introduce 4G LTE service in China
Shanghai GM to be first automaker to introduce 4G LTE service in China
17 October 2014
Shanghai General Motors will become the first automaker in China to offer embedded 4G LTE services in its vehicles. The first Shanghai GM offering to be equipped with OnStar 4G LTE will be a Cadillac model in 2015.
The high-speed data service is made possible by a new OnStar 4G LTE connection in the vehicle. Deployment of OnStar 4G LTE connectivity technology will provide improved OnStar safety and security services and new features such as a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. It will be the most comprehensive in-vehicle safety and connectivity system available in China, the company said. Shanghai GM expects to announce its 4G LTE carrier partner in the coming months.
The built-in OnStar 4G LTE system is specifically designed for in-vehicle use, as it is integrated into the vehicle’s electrical system and includes an external antenna to maximize coverage and connectivity. Customers will not be required to have a smartphone to use connected services.
Existing OnStar services include Automatic Crash Response, Turn-by-Turn Navigation and On-Demand Diagnostics. A 4G LTE connection enhances the speed and performance of these services, in addition to introducing new features such as Wi-Fi.
With mobile data speeds up to 10 times faster than today’s speeds, increased responsiveness, and the ability to support simultaneous voice and data connections, a built-in 4G LTE connection will enable advances in a wide range of in-vehicle communication and entertainment capabilities.
GM has made a global commitment to embed OnStar 4G LTE technology in millions of vehicles across its brands around the world, starting with the US and Canada in 2014, and Europe and China in 2015. GM says that no other automaker is putting the technology into as many vehicles in as many segments.
The pairing of OnStar with high-speed mobile broadband will serve as a platform for future innovations in traffic, safety and customer care.
Siemens integrates EV motor and inverter in single housing; common cooling and SKiN
Siemens integrates EV motor and inverter in single housing; common cooling and SKiN
17 October 2014
Siemens has developed a solution for integrating an electric car’s motor and inverter in a single housing. Click to enlarge.
Siemens has developed a solution for integrating an electric car’s motor and inverter in a single housing. The motor and the inverter, part of the power electronics which converts the battery’s direct current into alternating current for the motor, have up to now been two separate components. The new integrated drive unit saves space, reduces weight, and cuts costs.
The solution’s key feature is the use of a common cooling system for both components. This ensures that the inverter’s power electronics don’t get too hot despite their proximity to the electric motor, and so prevents any reduction in output or service life.
Because range is a decisive criterion for purchasing an electric car, automakers are always striving to reduce vehicle weight. This was also the aim of the Siemens engineers. Their idea was to integrate the inverter into the motor, as this would reduce weight because only a single housing would be needed.
In addition, it would create six to seven liters of additional installation space, which could be used for a charging unit, for example. Integration would also eliminate the costs of wiring the motor to the inverter and fewer assembly steps would be needed to produce the vehicle.
Siemens developed the integrated drive unit—Sivetec MSA 3300—on the basis of a series electric motor. The engineers adapted the housing in such a way that the inverter could be integrated into the motor.
One problem they faced was the heat generated by the electric motor. At high temperatures, the output of the IGBT modules—the high-performance semiconductors that convert the battery’s current into alternating current—has to be limited. For this reason, inverters in electric cars always have their own cooling system.
A key feature of the integrated drive unit was therefore the creation of a special cooling water system around the motor and inverter. The coolest water first flows around very thermally sensitive components such as the IGBT modules and the intermediate circuit capacitor, after which it is led into the motor’s cooling jacket.
The water flow system is designed in such a way that a kind of water screen is created between the inverter electronics and the motor. As a result, it thermally isolates the two units from one another.
Another component of the overall solution is the very robust power modules featuring SkiN technology. Introduced in 2011 by power electronics leader Semikron, SKiN technology comprises the consistent application of sintering technology on all material combinations significant to load-cycling in a power module—i.e., sintered compositions replace all soldering and bond connections. When thermal load fluctuates, the electrical contact between the chip and the bonding wire is a weak point of semiconductor components.
(Siemens began collaborating more closely with Semikron on automotive power electronics in 2013, and took over Semikron subsidiary VePOINT. VePOINT developed power electronic components and systems, based on Semikron SKiN technology, specifically for the hybrid and electric vehicle market. (Earlier post.)
SKiN flex layers allow an increase of about 25% surge current in the power module due to the sintered layer on the chip tops. Compared to conventional power modules, the additional performance allows an approximate doubling of the current density. Excellent thermal and electrical properties of the sintered layers increase the module lifetime up to tenfold, Semikron says.
If, in addition, the DCB substrate is sintered directly onto the heatsink, the thermal resistance to the heatsink is reduced drastically over traditional interface materials—such as thermal pastes or foils. This decreases the thermal resistance Rth[j-a] between the semiconductor chip and coolant by up 30%, which enables a power increase or a reduction in volume by up to 35%.
Top: Comparison of standard connection technology (solder/bonding) and SKiN technology. SkiN is a bonding technology that connects the surface of the semiconductor chip without requiring bonding wire. When the thermal load fluctuates, the electrical contact between the chip and the bonding wire is a weak point of semiconductor components.
Bottom: Comparison of the partial thermal transfer resistances in a standard module and a SKiN power module with sintered heatsink. Click to enlarge.
The integrated motor/inverter concept’s feasibility has already been demonstrated in a lab under the typical load curves and operating conditions of an electric motor in an automobile. Siemens said that the industry has expressed interest in Sivetec MSA 3300, and the system was recently nominated for the eCarTec Award 2014, which is the Bavarian State Award for Electric and Hybrid Mobility.
SAE International publishes revised SAE J2880 standard for recommended Green Racing protocols
SAE International publishes revised SAE J2880 standard for recommended Green Racing protocols
17 October 2014
SAE International has published the revised J2880_201406 Standard, superseding the older J2880_200810 Standard. The Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and SAE International, along with partners and representatives from the motorsports industry, developed these protocols to be used by those automotive racing series who seek recognition as a Green Racing Series.
The Recommended Green Racing Protocols establish guidelines enabling motorsports competition to further develop technologies and fuels that respond to the current and future needs of on road vehicles, while they provide a sustainable future for motorsports worldwide. SAE J2880 aligns motorsports with evolving transportation demands, to promote and improve energy efficiency and diversity, and demonstrate environmental responsibility while supporting motorsport that is entertaining, exciting, cost effective and safe.
The SAE J2880:
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Provides sanctioning bodies with recommendations to help them align competition rules with the objectives of sustainable transportation;
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Supports environmentally responsible and sustainable technology that is transferable to production vehicles;
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Promotes environmentally friendly operations of motorsports venues, competition events, and racing team facilities; and
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Assists sanctioning bodies in the establishing a roadmap to increase green initiatives.
The elements of J2880 identify a range of technologies, fuels and operational procedures that support development of a sustainable future for both motorsports and personal mobility, and organizes them into a matrix of five Green Racing elements and four levels of commitment within each element. These elements are:
- Propulsion systems
- Fuel/Energy Carriers
- Energy Recovery
- Improved Efficiency
- Emission Reduction
Within each element there are four possible levels of commitment, i.e., Core, Enhanced, Elevated, and Pinnacle, which is the highest level of Green Racing commitment.
Since 2008, The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), in a partnership with, EPA, DOE, and SAE, promote the development and use of alternative technologies and renewable fuels in the motorsports industry.
Porsche 919 Hybrid Steering Wheel A Computer By Itself
Porsche has created a special hybrid race car to take on Le Mans: the 919 Hybrid. Just as special is the steering wheel its drivers are holding.
Put aside any preconceived notion of how a steering wheel should look like. In the case of this race car, the steering wheel is a small computer that also happens to allow the driver to steer the car.
The drivers of the Class 1 Le Mans prototypes in the FIA World Endurance Championship have a computer with 24 buttons and switches on the front as well as six paddles on the reverse side.
This steering “box” allows the driver to control the most complex racing car built by Porsche to date.
The flat rectangle shape is due to the space required during driver changes. Tall drivers such as Mark Webber or Brendon Hartley, in particular, would otherwise have difficulties getting in and out quickly because of their long legs.
The steering computer has a large display in the center, which displays a multitude of information to the driver, including the speed, what gear is engaged, the currently selected motor management, and the charge status of the lithium ion battery, i.e. how much electrical energy is available to be called up to drive the front axle.
In this Porsche hybrid, the electric motor on the front axle supplements the turbo charged two liter, four cylinder combustion motor, which drives the rear wheels. The control button at the top left is used to select the displayed information, while the drivers use the control button in the right grip handle to dim down the display brightness at night. The identical control button in the left grip handle is for the volume of the pit radio, and the fourth rotary-type control at the top right varies the interval timing of the windscreen wiper, said Porsche.
The buttons and switches on the steering wheel were carefully positioned in co-operation with the drivers, explained the German company, to facilitate reliable operation at racing pace. The most frequently used buttons are positioned along the top outside edge, so they are easily reached with the thumb. The blue button at the top right which is almost always in use, is the headlamp flasher, used by the fast prototypes to warn the slower vehicles in the WEC field before they are lapped. When pushed once, it causes the headlamps to flash three times. In daylight, the drivers keep their thumb on it almost permanently, as the headlamp signal is more difficult to perceive at that time.
The red button at the top left is also used often. It is used to demand electrical power from the battery, the so-called “boost.” The drivers can boost to pass but must be clever about rationing the power. The amount of energy per lap is limited. The yardstick is one lap in Le Mans, where six megajoules are available. The amounts are converted accordingly for shorter circuits. For example, the amount of energy a driver chooses to use in the middle of a lap to free himself of traffic will not be available at the end in the straightaways.
A bit further inside on the right and left are the plus and minus switches to adjust the front and rear traction control and to distribute the brake balance between the front and rear axle. These (yellow, blue and pink) are not used quite as frequently.
Porsche continued by stating the orange buttons further down operate the drinking system (on left) and put the transmission in neutral (on right). The red button at the bottom left is for the windscreen washer, the red one on the right side activates the cruise control to restrict the speed in the pit lane.
At the top center, there are the green buttons for radio communication (on the left) as well as the OK button on the right. Drivers use the latter to confirm they have performed a setting change, which was requested from them via the pit radio. For these settings, they use the rotary switches, and usually only in the straightaways as they need to pull one hand out of the steering wheel grip for this purpose, explained Porsche.
The two rotary switches called ‘Multi’ correspond with one another. The left one is available for ABC settings, the right one is number-based. Programs for engine management or fuel management are designated by combinations such as A2 or B3. Three other rotary switches are available to preselect the brake balance, set the traction control for wet or dry conditions and the hybrid strategy.
To make the switches easier to recognize in the dark, their colors are fluorescent and react to a black light lamp, which is located above the driver’s helmet.
The steering wheel is made of carbon and the grip handles are covered in slip-resistant rubber. Though small in size, drivers can use this steering to steer the car without any difficulty, even with the relatively narrow grips, through the use of the race car’s power steering system.
When reaching through the openings, Porsche said driver’s fingers touch six paddles on the reverse side of the steering wheel. The center paddles are used for changing gears – pulling the right paddle is for upshifts, and pulling the left paddle is for downshifts.
The lowermost paddles operate the clutch and their function is identical on either side; depending on whether the driver just entered a right or left curve, he can decide which side is easier to operate. The paddle at the top left operates the boost; whether the drivers use this paddle or the button described on the front is purely a matter of preference.
Drivers use the paddle at the top right to initiate manual energy recuperation. This feels like a slightly engaged hand brake and supplies the battery reservoir with electric energy gained from kinetic energy.
Chevy Customizes A Sonic And Cruze
With the SEMA show coming, Chevrolet lifted the veil on various performance-oriented concepts and the small car segment has not been forgotten.
Chevrolet previewed several performance-oriented concepts, including the Sonic and Cruze. These concepts will debut during the first week of November in Las Vegas at the SEMA Show, considered the world’s largest convention of automotive aftermarket parts and accessories.
“Chevrolet’s 2015 passenger car lineup is one of the strongest and most competitive in the industry, offering customers a wide range of great-looking, great-driving and well-connected choices,” said Paul Edwards, vice president, Chevrolet Marketing. “They’re personal cars, too, and these concepts suggest possibilities of how to amplify Chevrolet’s heritage of performance and fun-to-drive spirit to make them even more personal.”
Chevrolet explained he SEMA concepts feature accessories designed to allow personalization while maintaining excellent refinement and ride characteristics. General Motors’ engineers developed most of the accessories shown on the concept vehicles. Some accessories are currently available from Chevrolet dealers, while others are being evaluated for production.
Here is how Chevrolet described its Sonic and Cruze concepts:
Sonic Performance concept
This performance-oriented Sonic hatchback concept draws on the legacy of Chevrolet’s high-performance vehicles reimagined for a new generation of enthusiasts. The Sonic Performance concept features engine performance, suspension/brakes and appearance upgrades designed to be installed by Chevrolet dealers for quicker and easier personalization.
The Performance concept package includes:
- A Chevrolet Performance Stage Kit, cold-air induction and a high-flow exhaust system allowing the 1.4L turbo engine to produce more power for a more exciting driving experience
- A track-tuned suspension system developed by Chevrolet Performance. The suspension kit lowers the ride height for a sportier stance
- Synergy Green exterior color accented with white, offset stripe package
- Chevrolet Accessories white headlamp rings, tail lamp rings, grille surround, mirror covers and rear spoiler
- Concept ground effects package
- Chevrolet Accessories 17-inch aluminum wheels in white
- Chevrolet Accessories carpeted floor mats, door sills and sport pedals.
The Sonic Performance concept features an advanced safety package including forward collision alert and lane departure warning – crash-avoidance technologies typically found on cars costing more – as well as a rear vision camera. It also features 10 standard air bags and Bluetooth phone connectivity – just like every production Sonic in the 2015 lineup.
Sonic Accessories concept
Built to highlight the personalization possibilities, Sonic Accessories concept allows mixing and matching of the latest accessories for unique treatments.
Sonic Accessories concept highlights include:
- Summit White exterior color with an offset matte black stripe
- Chevrolet Accessories white headlamp rings and tail lamp rings
- Chevrolet Accessories black grille surround, mirror covers and rear spoiler
- Chevrolet Accessories black 17-inch aluminum wheels
- Chevrolet Performance suspension kit with lowered ride height
- Chevrolet Accessories carpeted floor mats, door sills and sport pedals.
The Sonic Accessories concepts also packs a Kicker subwoofer and amplifier to complement its street-smart style with the appropriate decibels.
Under the hood is the Ecotec 1.4L turbo rated at 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque of torque between 1,850 and 4,900 rpm. The wide rpm range for the maximum torque – a specific trait of turbocharged engines – helps the engine deliver a better driving experience and performance.
Cruze RS Plus concept
Cruze is the cornerstone of Chevrolet’s North American small-car lineup, which is attracting a greater share of the market and more young, first-time customers visiting Chevy showrooms. It is also Chevrolet’s best-selling car around the world, with more than 3 million units sold globally since its launch in mid-2010.
The 2015 Chevrolet Cruze in North America receives revised exterior styling, enhanced interior convenience and greater connectivity – including new Text Message Alerts, Apple Siri integration and OnStar 4G LTE with available built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.
An available RS package includes unique fascias, rocker moldings, rear spoiler and fog lamps, while an uplevel instrument cluster includes chrome accent rings in place of the standard silver finish, and opaque cluster bezels that allow the cluster’s ice blue backlighting to shine through for a sporty nighttime appearance.
The Cruze RS Plus concept accentuates the distinctive, upscale styling cues of the 2015 Cruze RS with a custom Wildfire Metallic exterior, along with unique lower body moldings and a custom rear spoiler. A twin-stripe package in matte black is available from Chevrolet Accessories.
Inside, the Jet Black interior shines brighter with a Chevrolet Accessories ambient lighting kit and illuminated door sills. It also features a sport pedal kit and a Kicker subwoofer and amplifier kit.
Under the hood, the concept’s aggressive styling is matched with a performance-enhancing stage kit from Chevrolet Performance, as well as a concept fresh-air intake system for the 1.4L turbo engine.
Range Rover Consider Diesel Evoque For U.S.
It’s one of the best-looking vehicles to ever wear a Range Rover badge in my opinion, and the Evoque could get even better with a diesel engine for the U.S In an interview with AutoGuide, one executive said such a plan was under consideration, though it hasn’t been confirmed just yet.
Right now the only engine available in the U.S. version of the Evoque is a 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine from former owner Ford, as the 2.2 liter engine offered in other parts of the world doesn’t meet U.S. emissions standards. Demand for diesel motors is high in America though, which has parent company Jaguar Land Rover considering all its options.
One of those options might be to offer a diesel version of the upcoming 2.0 liter Ingenium engine. This new modular motor series will debut in the all-new Jaguar XE, but the powertrain has been designed with multiple applications in mind, and the Evoque could be just such an application.
A new nine-speed transmission replaced the six-speed, and it is unlikely that the company will continue to rely on Ford to supply its U.S. powertrain for too long. With the EcoBoost engine the compact SUV gets a respectable 21 city and 30 highway for a 24 MPG combined rating, In the U.K. with a diesel engine the Evoque gets rated at 56.5 MPG, which roughly translated to the U.S. standard would rank somewhere in the low-to-mid 40 MPG area. Even on a low end that’s represent at least a 25% improvement over the gas engine (which is rated at 36.5 MPG combined in the UK, to give you an idea of the difference in the rating systems).
It’s an obvious move that really just rests on Land Rover’s ability to pass U.S. emissions in a cost-efficient manner. Once they do that, a 40 MPG small SUV will pretty much sell itself.