$50M DOE Loan Going to Car with Natural Gas Fueling Option

The Dept. of Energy has joined a small but growing group of natural gas vehicle supporters that include T. Boone Pickens and Honda. The Vehicle Production Group is receiving a $50 million conditional loan from DOE to produce a six-passenger car that has a natural gas fueling option.

 

NASA Wants to See More Fuel-Efficient Commercial Aviation

NASA is moving beyond space travel and wants to see commercial aviation - the airline industry - become quieter, greener, and more fuel efficient. Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., two defense industry giants, have been contracted to develop technology to burn 50% less fuel and cut harmful emissions in half.

Chrysler Hopeful After GM IPO

General Motors' IPO far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations, raising a record $23 billion. Could long-troubled Chrysler ride on its crosstown rival's coattails? Widely perceived to be the weakest and most troubled of the domestic Big Three makers, Chrysler has its own debt to repay to the U.S. taxpayers who helped bail the company out after last year's bankruptcy filing. But unlike GM, the smaller automaker still has plenty of obstacles to overcome before it can hope to win Wall Street's support.

 

TrueCar Projects November Used-Car Sales at 2.6 Million Units

TrueCar projects used-car sales for November at 2.6 million units, which is unchanged from a year ago but up slightly from October. New-car sales will be just over 868,000 units, a 16% jump over last year. That pans out to a SAAR of 12.23 million units, up from 10.92 million last year.

 

Technology Enables Vehicles to Assist Drivers

A driverless van, part of the Visilab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge, recently completed a four-month, 9,000-mile journey. Sensing devices including laser scanners, panoramic vision system from synchronized cameras, and GPS along with complicated software enable autonomous operation of vehicles. This technology will be initially adapted by agriculture, road construction, mining and military operations. Safety is a presumed future benefit but currently not realized by robotic driving. Stress is a major contributor to heart disease, diabetes and other ailments. It is anticipated that assisted driving will reduce stress and contribute to improved health.