I want this VW!!

This looks awesome. And 260 mpg? Sign me up! Motor Trend article here

Now, Piech’s Volkswagen has combined state-of-the-art technology, from common rail diesel-supplemented plug-in hybrid power to carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer lightweight body material, to create the XL1. The concept consumes 0.9 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers, the automaker says, which translates to an EPA fuel mileage figure of 261.3 mpg.

From Autoblog, some info that a few of these will actually be produced….

According to Automobilwoche (sub. req’d, via The Truth About Cars), Volkswagen will build 100 XL1s as a small batch of regular production machines… meaning they’ll actually be offered for sale to the general populace. No word on what will power the production models, but the concept features a two-cylinder TDI engine, electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. All that fuel-sipping goodness is enough to achieve an astonishing 0.9L/100 km – just over 261 mpg.

Solyndra hits ‘rough patch’

Interesting article about troubles Solyndra is having. Brian Harrison is the new (as of July 2010) CEO.

Harrison’s first big move was to shut down Solyndra’s older factory, consolidating production in Fab 2, the newer Fremont factory, and disrupting the company’s plans to add 1,000 jobs.

Now he faces the formidable task of putting Solyndra on the road to profitability and reviving its much-maligned reputation in Silicon Valley.
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“We’re not yet cash flow positive, but we’ve adjusted our spending and slowed the rate of cash we are consuming,” he added.
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Many low-cost Chinese manufacturers, which benefit from massive government support, are manufacturing at costs in the $1.10 to $1.20 a watt range. Thin-film leader First Solar, based in Tempe, Ariz., manufactures at 75 cents a watt and aims to be at 53 cents a watt by 2014. Solyndra says its current manufacturing costs are about $3 per watt.

“Our manufacturing cost per watt is coming down every quarter,” Harrison said. “By the end of 2012 we should be at the $1.30 to $1.40 per watt range, or $2 a watt if you include installation.”
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First US map sells for record price

The “Abel Buell” map (one of seven copies) from 1784 sold for $1.8 million, and will be lent to the Library of Congress. Story here.

The hand-colored engraved map is 43 inches by 48 inches, consisting of four parts united into one.

Created right after the Treaty of Paris, which marked the formal end of the American Revolutionary War, the Buell map shows the new country. “It covers the territory of the 13 colonies and an area east of the Mississippi River. The state boundaries are quite larger. Virginia, for example, extends from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River,”

Australia takes another body blow

Northeast Australia gets slammed by a cat 5 typhoon after tons of flooding. Doesn’t seem fair. Reports seem to imply that this monster storm has only caused one casualty, which is amazing to me. I guess mandatory evacuations were heeded and worked! Link

Residents and officials were amazed that the death toll was not higher. The storm whipped the coast with up to 170 mph (280 kph) winds and sent waves crashing ashore two blocks into seaside communities.

More reports:

The town of Tully, close to where the cyclone hit land, is a “scene of mass devastation”, resident Ross Sorbello told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr Sorbello, who briefly went outside as the eye of the storm passed over, said roofs were ripped from houses, electricity poles were down and the streets were covered with debris.

Tully resident Stephanie Grimaz said that houses in her street had been torn apart, the Queensland Times reported.

And the aftermath begins

Power is being restored to Brisbane and the cleanup begins in earnest (article)….

About 4,000 residents are still living in evacuation centers in Brisbane and more than 20,000 homes in the city of 2 million were inundated, according to authorities. Some 22,000 homes remained without electricity in the city and nearby Ipswich as of yesterday morning, and most will be reconnected by midweek.

Evergreen solar closes US factory

Evergreen solar is closing its Devens, Massachusetts facility, and laying off around 800 employees. It is keeping open its Midland, Michigan plant as well as operations in China.

Michael El-Hillow, chief executive officer of Evergreen Solar, said dropping prices and competition from heavily subsidized solar manufacturers in China made the plant “no longer economically feasible.”

The solar company reported losses of $265 million in 2009, and $54 million through its first nine months of 2010.

Range Fuels on deathwatch?

Rough news coming from Range Fuels. The plant outside of Soperton, GA, is apparently laying off almost all its employees after it finishes its first production run of cellulosic ethanol. The Reuter’s article on the news had this nugget about cellulosic ethanol:

Congress initially set 100 million gallons as the 2010 target for cellulosic biofuel, but the EPA cut that to 6.5 million gallons. It appears that the industry might have produced less than 1 million gallons last year, reported ClimateWire on Tuesday, citing an estimate by a government analyst.

Robert Rapier discusses it also on his blog. From the Georgia Public Broadcasting article:

Range Fuel technical advisor Bud Klepper says this first run of ethanol is part of an agreement with the federal government.

“This run campaign is to demonstrate that facet of the technology and when we’re done doing that then we’ll shut down.”

Klepper says they plan to keep four employees at the plant while they raise more money and work through some technical issues.

Tesla Model S update

Some information that the first prototype is up and running. Can’t be too soon for me!

A Tesla employee has just recently confirmed on Engadget that the first ever prototype of the much-anticipated all electric sedan is up and running, despite there being no formal word from Tesla themselves.

Brian Z. Jones, who was identified as the production control manager at Tesla via Facebook, wrote: “I just got to see the 1st Alpha proto run. And, boy, did that thing run! The production vehicle will be as sexy as the red/silver rollers in all the photos. So awesome,” in the comment section of the Tesla story.

And here is an article with pictures of the “alpha build” prototype from the Detroit auto show.

Bikeshare in the US works

Very promising article detailing a bike sharing program in Minneapolis (summer only!).

For all those who dismissed bike sharing as a woolly-headed European idea that would never work on the mean streets of U.S. cities, the success of the first season of MinneapolisNice Ride bike program will come as a surprise.

700 public bikes hit the streets in June at 65 stations, and they were taken for more than 100,000 rides until put away for the winter in mid-November. 1300 people signed up for an annual membership and 30,000 signed up for a $5 daily pass with the swipe of a credit card.

Flooding continuing in Australia

Much of Brisbane is under water in a flooding crisis of immense proportions. And this after a long drought is a cruel twist (article here):

The Wivenhoe Dam on the Brisbane river was built to protect the city of Brisbane from another flood like the one of 1974. For years it has been at 10% of capacity, so when it filled this year nobody wanted to let any of the precious water out. It eventually became clear that the dam had filled to 190% of its capacity, and the authorities realised with sinking hearts not only that the floodgates would have to be opened, but that the opening would coincide with a king tide in Moreton Bay. The question nobody has been heard to ask is whether or not the level of water in the dam should have been reduced gradually, beginning weeks ago. The mayor of Brisbane, aware that a disaster was about to occur on his watch, made a hysterical attack on the opponents of dam building, but what the succeeding events prove is that dams are no substitute for a coherent water strategy.

Of interest is this page tracking floods in the area. Apparently 1893 saw perhaps the worst flooding in history there (1841 looks nearly identical, but 1893 had three flooding events), but 1974 saw very severe floods as well.