loading...
Canwest News Service
H onda has begun operating a next-generation solar hydrogen station prototype intended as a home refuelling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel-cell electric vehicles.
Designed as a single, integrated unit to fit in the user's garage, the Solar Hydrogen Station reduces the size of the system, while producing enough hydrogen (0.5 kg) via an eight-hour overnight fill for daily commuting (16,000 kilometres per year).
The station would enable users to refill their vehicle without the requirement of hydrogen storage, which would lower CO2 emissions by using less expensive off-peak electrical power. During daylight peak power times, the Solar Hydrogen Station can export renewable electricity to the grid, providing a cost benefit to the customer, while remaining energy neutral. It's designed to complement a public network of fast-fill five-minute fuelling hydrogen stations rather than replace them.
The Honda FCX Clarity electric vehicle pictured here is fast-fill capable and offers an estimated driving range of about 400 kilometres. – A desert windstorm at the Russo and Steele auction in Arizona last weekend caused damage of $1.5 million to hundreds of valuable collector cars.
Winds gusting to 100km/h ripped a 240-metre-long tent from the ground, landing on a major highway to Scottsdale, where it snarled traffic. It left hundreds of collector cars uncovered in a torrential downpour.
Heavy tent poles pierced some cars like javelins, while topless convertibles were drenched with rain. As crews cleared away the damaged tents, insurance inspectors pored over the car damage.
Chuck Favour, Hagerty Insurance vice president of claims, said his company has insured about 125 of the cars at Russo and Steele.
He estimated that as many as half the 600 cars on the lot were damaged with dents and scratches from tent poles and debris. Among the cars stranded was a 1948 Tucker convertible that could draw bids of more than $1 million. The storm damage to this rare 1913 White, valued at $50,000, looks bad but it can be fixed. – As the bestselling car under the UK scrappage scheme, Hyundai's i10 has been responsible for the destruction of 20,000 'bangers'.
James Baggott, the editor of Car Dealer Magazine, wanted to see if the scrap cars could take their revenge on the car. The i10 -unavailable here -has been the undisputed king of the government incentive scheme with sales up 263 per cent in 2009.
Baggott entered an i10 city car into the national Banger Championship against 35 other cars to see if it could smash more than sales records. The car -a pre-production test mule -was donated by Hyundai.
The i10 was stripped of interior trim, glass was removed and bumpers trashed in order to comply with race rules. The i10's four airbags had to disabled, although a crude roll cage, race harness and metal door plates were added.
Unfortunately, the i10's racing debut was short-lived -an assassin in a Nissan shunted it from behind and punted it into the safety barrier just one lap into the race.
To read more, click the following link for Baggott's blog: http://www.cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/blog-banger-racing-a-hy u n d a ii10/ 29516
kmorgan@png.canwest.com
