Protean Electric's advanced in-wheel electric drive has been named one of the 10 Most Promising Technologies for 2013 by Car and Driver magazine. This list of Most Promising Technologies accompanies Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars celebration, which has existed for more than three decades. Car and Driver's technical director, Don Sherman, author of the Most Promising Technology feature, is a strong believer in the potential of in-wheel and wheel-hub motors for coming electric and hybrid-electric automobiles.
Features of Protean's in-wheel motors include:
• Fuel economy improvements up to 30% depending on battery size
• Highest torque density of any of today's leading electric propulsion systems
• 81 kW (110 hp) and 800 Nm (590 lb.-ft. torque) in each motor
• Weight of only 31 kg (68 lbs.) per motor
• Fits within the space of a conventional 18-inch road wheel
• Superior regenerative braking capabilities, which allow up to 85 percent of the available kinetic energy to be recovered during braking...
Cumberland Gas, based in Kingsland, Ga., will provide fleets in the Georgia coastal region with the only complete program for seamlessly switching to propane autogas. Cumberland Gas is a new partner in the international Alliance AutoGas network of fuel providers and certified conversion centers, which is dedicated to constantly expanding the network to fulfill growing fleet demand for affordable, American-made alternative fuel.
“Partnering with Alliance AutoGas is a great opportunity to educate the public on the advantages of utilizing this domestic clean fuel in a variety of fleet applications,” said Daniel Minckler, vice president of operations at Cumberland Gas. “Propane is one of the most versatile fuels in the world, and autogas is just another way of tapping into propane's usefulness in the marketplace. Fleet operators are afforded the opportunity to experience substantial fuel cost savings by converting to propane autogas, and we are excited to spread this message."...
Fleet sales managers from several automakers gave a lunchtime presentation to fleet managers on Tuesday, right before participants took off to view displays at the LA Auto Show. As part of the monthly meeting for NAFA Fleet Management Association’s Pacific Southwest Chapter, brief presentations were made on what’s relevant for fleets in 2013 and 2014 […]
NADA Used Car Guide thinks used vehicle prices will outperform pre-Hurricane Sandy expectations in December by between 0.5%-to-1.5% at the national level. The degree of improvement is determined by how many units were damaged or removed by the storm.
At 2.3%, AuctionNet wholesale prices experienced deeper decline in October than previous three months average fall of…
Downward movement was slightly better than what is typically seen over month and was significant improvement over…
Trucks were more on par with the market average in October but mid-size car and mid-size van depreciations were highest at…
October marked the third month in a row where luxury vehicles outperformed the market overall, and for that month luxury cars depreciated…
Click here for NADA’s details on post-Hurricane Sandy used vehicle volume and pricing, and how market conditions relate to seasonal and historic trends….