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V12 / 3.464 cm3 / 284 PS / 327 Nm @ 4.500 / 0 - 100 km/h: 6,4 s / 0 - 160 km/h: 16,3 s / Vmax: 251 km/h
(klikkelj a nagyobb képekért)
Published June 2, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Coca-Cola’s UK division, known as Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd. (CCE), has taken delivery this month of 13 additional biomethane gas-powered Iveco Stralis 6x2 rigid trucks.
This acquisition follows a year-long trial with an identical seed vehicle which proved positive. The new Stralis’ will play a key role delivering soft drinks in and around London this summer.
The trial was organized in conjunction with Cenex, the UK government-funded Centre of Excellence for low-carbon and fuel-cell technologies, and compared the performance of two 21-ton Stralis rigids – one running on compressed biomethane (CBM) and the other on diesel.
It found that the CBM-powered Stralis contributes a 60.7 percent saving in well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions when compared to the Stralis with an EEV-compliant diesel engine. Similarly, it will cut nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter emissions by 85.6 percent and 97.1 percent respectively. The report also confirmed gas vehicle availability during the trial was an impressive 99.2 percent.
Darren O’Donnell, logistics asset manager at CCE, said: “Securing Cenex’s involvement has given us the confidence to introduce new vehicle technology and fuels which will make step-changes in our emissions performance.
“Our investment in 13 additional trucks and a permanent CBM refueling station at our depot in Enfield is not a token gesture; it’s testament to our confidence in this technology and our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of our fleet. The environmental benefits of CBM have been clearly proven by the trial and we hope other fleets will be inspired to follow our lead,” he added.
The new vehicles have been supplied on a six-year contract lease agreement by Contract Vehicle Limited, including full repair and maintenance within the Iveco dealer network.
They will be based at CCE’s Enfield depot in North London, although will temporarily operate from a strategically located satellite facility in Dagenham this summer. During this period, refueling will be provided on-site via a semi-trailer.
The Stralis AD260S30Y/FS-D CNG is purpose-built on the Iveco factory-line for gas powered applications and is recommended for operation in the UK with CBM supplied by Gasrec. This fuel has the lowest carbon intensity of all commercially available alternative fuels and comes from a landfill site in Surrey, which means it is not depleting any fossil resources. This allows CCE to power the Stralis using the latent energy recovered from rubbish thrown away by society.
Power is provided by a 7.8-liter FPT Cursor 8 engine driven through an Allison 3500 six-speed automated gearbox. The specification also includes full air-suspension, which ensures a completely level chassis regardless of whether the vehicle is loaded or not, lowered for manual unloading or raised for “dock” loading. A rear-steering axle and reversing cameras also aid maneuverability and road safety.
Each of the new vehicles has been mounted with a Bevan curtainside body and joins a fleet of approximately 250 commercial vehicles operated directly by CCE. They will be used exclusively for urban multi-drop distribution, carrying out up to 25 deliveries per day.
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Published June 1, 2012
By Huw Evans
Ford has embarked upon a national tour with its Focus Electric in both the U.S. and Canada, stopping at major cities to allow members of the public to have a look.
Recently, we were invited to sample the car and here’s our first impression. Everything about the Focus Electric smacks of being low key, from its exterior colors, to its marketing strategy that is going after the three most pro EV vehicle markets initially, California, New Jersey and New York, and the fact that save for the grille and some exterior badging, it doesn’t look much different from its gasoline counterpart.
Inside it’s a similar story, conventional looking dash, shifter and console. The instrument cluster features a central mounted speedometer, though somewhat similar to the Fusion Hybrid with its ‘”leaves” has a butterfly graphic display to the right of it. This is designed to encourage smooth progressive driving, the more butterflies appear; the more efficient you’re being behind the wheel.
And in terms of actual driving, the Focus Electric behaves very much like a regular compact. Acceleration is rather brisk off the line, despite the car’s approximate 3,600-pound curb weight. It’s also responsive through the corners, demonstrating dynamic prowess superior to some other pure EVs and even hybrids we’ve sampled.
Although we weren’t given the chance to get it up to cruising speeds, the Focus pulls steady as velocity increases, so we have no problem in believing it will easily reach its advertised top speed of 84 mph.
One thing that is a bit of a surprise is braking. Most pure EVs feel like they’re dragging a tree behind once the braking system goes into regenerative mode. In this case, it’s almost as if Ford has deliberately chosen to make stopping “feel” as close as possible to a regular car. The thing is, in our view, braking feels more like that of a 1970s Detroit land yacht, being feather light and perhaps a bit alarming, at least at first.
In terms of practicality, while the lithium-ion battery takes up a bit of trunk space, due to its location under the seat, cargo volume isn’t that compromised, so as an urban runabout, the Focus Electric might make better sense than some other EVs.
Ford says, that thanks to an onboard charging system that’s configured for 6.6 kilowatts – double that of the Nissan Leaf’s 3.3-kw charger – the Focus Electric can be re-juiced in four hours using a 240-volt outlet. What’s more, Ford is offering a $1,499 home charging station to help make it more appealing.
Still, at a price of $39,995, the Focus Electric is by no means inexpensive and with an EPA projected range of 76 miles, it’s still very much a car for early adopters, despite being in many respects far more conventional than either the Leaf or Mitsubishi i.
Nonetheless, if new-generation battery packs are able to significantly extend the range of cars like this, then the Focus Electric likely stands a better chance of convincing motorists about the benefits of EV technology, due to its inherently more mainstream personality.
Category: Car Buying, By the Numbers
Tags: by the numbers, japan earthquake, may 2011, may 2012, u.s. auto sales, us auto sales
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V8 / 4.395 cc / 560 PS / 502 ft/lb (680 Nm) @ 1.500 - 5.750 / twin turbo / 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h): 4,3 s / Vmax: 155 mph (250 km/h)
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By Philippe Crowe
French automaker Renault is launching this month the Renault Z.E. Tour 2012 in the U.K.
The Renault Z.E. tour will showcase the range of zero emission (Z.E.) vehicles – Fluence Z.E., Twizy and Kangoo Van Z.E – and has been specifically designed to promote awareness of the various benefits of electric motoring.
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