Car News Articles

Dawn of the hydrogen age?


10th July 2008 16:53

Hardly a day goes by without something of interest on the alternative - to the fossil fuelled ICE - powertrain front. BMW is apparently going to be putting electric motors inside some Mini models destined for California. And manufacturers are generally rushing electric car programs wherever possible.

The UK tech firm ITM pushing the idea of localised refuelling stations for hydrogen is an interesting one. That could remove the chicken and egg infrastructure provision problem, but a 25-mile range sounds a bit paltry for the home refuelling scenario.

Mind you, the technology could get a good start with the compressed hydrogen version that extends range ‘four-fold’. Maybe we’re not that far from a major fleet operator actually going for something like this and then momentum could conceivably get going. I understand ex-Ford of Britain’s Roger Putnam is on the ITM board.

UK: UK technology company announces dawn of hydrogen age

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Via
Business Week

With the workplace ever more full of distractions,
researchers are developing tools to keep us on task

It’s official: The average knowledge worker has the attention span of a sparrow. Roughly once every three minutes, typical cubicle dwellers set aside whatever they’re doing and start something else—anything else. It could be answering the phone, checking e-mail, responding to an instant message, clicking over to YouTube (GOOG), or posting something amusing on Facebook. Constant interruptions are the Achilles’ heel of the information economy in the U.S. These distractions consume as much as 28% of the average U.S. worker’s day, including recovery time, and sap productivity to the tune of $650 billion a year, according to Basex, a business research company in New York City.

Soon, however, the same kinds of social networking software and communications technologies that make it deliciously easy to lose concentration may start steering us back to the tasks at hand. Scientists at U.S. research labs are developing tools to help people prioritize the flood of information they face and fend off irrelevant info-bytes. New modes of e-mail and phone messaging can wait patiently for an opportune time to interrupt. One program allows senders to “whisper” something urgent via a pop-up on a screen.

Innovations like these belong to a sub-branch of computer science that’s geekily called “attentional user interfaces.” The goal, says Scott E. Hudson, a professor in this discipline at Carnegie Mellon University, is finding a way to reap benefits from the data deluge “without having it destroy us on the attention side.”

The new Sportwagon is an intriguing concept.

It is basically Holden’s attempt to win back the faithful who defected to 4WDs in recent years.

The company’s reasoning is that some of those people, who bought 4WDs as a style statement, have now realised that they no longer stand out from the crowd in cities that are overwhelmingly populated by 4WDs.

Holden is probably also well aware that two of the biggest-selling “four-wheel-drives” are not what they seem.

Both the Ford Territory and Toyota Kluger have two-wheel-drive versions that account for roughly half of their sales.

So enter the Sportwagon; a stylish, but reasonably spacious rear-drive wagon that offers car-like driving dynamics.

Admittedly, the Sportwagon doesn’t have the same load carrying capacity as a Territory (about 25 per cent less) but it still has a healthy 2000 litres of cargo space. The Toyota Kluger has only 2136 litres.

In short, it is more than adequate for families who don’t need seven seats.

Holden says the Sportwagon hits the “sweet spot between form and function”.

It would want to. Sales of large sedans have plummeted in the past five years, while people can’t seem to get enough of 4WDs.

In 2002, Holden sold roughly 90,000 Commodores, while the total number of 4WDs sold was just 140,000. Last year, Commodore sales slumped to less than 60,000, compared with almost 200,000 4WD sales.

This year, Commodore sales are down by 23.5 per cent, while sales of medium-sized 4WDs are up by more than 20 per cent.

Holden expects the Sportwagon to attract a much higher percentage of private buyers than its VZ predecessor. Roughly 90 per cent of VZ wagon buyers were fleet customers.

To that end, there are seven models in the VE Sportwagon range, compared with just three in the VZ wagon.

What do you think? Can you see people trading out of 4WDs into the Sportwagon?

Will buyers be willing to sacrifice outright size and space for style and road holding ability?

Or do you think the Sportwagon lacks a couple of important ingredients for success, namely a high seating position and seven seats? (and perhaps even a diesel engine)

Richard Blackburn

The day a journo told Dick his days with Ford were over.

Wednesday 3.58pm: A journalist approaches racing legend Dick Johnson and tells him he is about to be dumped by Ford after more than 30 years of loyal service.

Johnson picks up the phone and calls his good mate and Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) director Charlie Schwerkolt.

He leaves a message: “Mate, don’t bother f****** ringing back but a journalist just told me Ford are going to cut our funding. They’re still going to give us minor support, but I don’t know to what level so I’m not going to go off yet. Let me deal with the f******* first. Don’t blame me if the shit hits the fan.”

Ford’s stance has left an Australian sporting icon stunned and angry.

It has also enraged the fans, not to mention his race driver son Steven, who followed Dick to make his name with Ford.

“He was in shock and so he should have been,” Steven said. “My God. The things he has done for Ford over the last 38 years or so.

“It just goes to show that with a change of management, some companies will chuck you out the door.

“Loyalty is dead when people don’t understand what Dad and Peter Brock where all about in their day.

“People come over and just don’t understand the category or the history.”

Johnson is still trying to get his head around the news delivered by a reporter and not by Ford itself.

He will have to find another $1million to race next year after Ford decided to limit its cash commitments to just two teams, Stone Brother Racing (SBR) and Ford Performance Racing (FPR).

“I’m still in shock,” Johnson said last week. “I don’t know what else to say.”

But as the reality was beginning to sink in yesterday as those close to the the three-time Bathurst winner and five-time touring car champion had their say for him.

“It is devastating news, it really is,” said Schwerkolt, the millionaire forklift driver who bailed Dick out in 2000.

“We didn’t expect it. Dick was in Darwin and he found out off the media. He just couldn’t believe it. He swore a lot and he was absolutely gutted. We are all part of the family at Ford.”

Not any more. The man who fought off the might of Holden during the sport’s glory years will no longer be sponsored by Ford.

But after enduring a horror two years, prompted by the collapse of property group Westpoint, Steve says nothing can stop DJR or his father. Johnson was a major investor in the failed company and was forced to sell his famous True Blue Falcon, along with his green XE Falcon and Sierra, to pay off his debts.

“If we can get through this, we can get through anything,” Steven said.

“We have had a bloody tough two years.

“It has been trying on everybody, on the team, on the family and all the employees of DJR. We just have to get some new cars next year and fire.

“Hopefully we can make them jealous and be up the front.

“He has been pretty down about it because it is a massive blow to him and my mum. I just said to him today to keep his chin up.

“We have got most of the company back on its feet so we can’t stop now.”

But in a move that will stun Ford fans, Steven said he was open to driving another brand of car next year.

“I just love the motoring industry in general,” Steven said. “I like anything that is built right, whether that is Ford, Holden or Toyota.

“I am not a diehard who follows one team. What has happened might change what I drive on the road next year.”

And the sentiment is shared by Team Vodafone, who were also axed by Ford.

Team boss Roland Dane yesterday said he would court Toyota as a possible car manufacturer for the powerful Triple Eight team when the current contract with Ford expires.

The Sunday Telegraph understands the sport’s governing body is open to the idea of a third or fourth manufacturer entering the series.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Rank … Name ………………….. Points

1 ……… Mark Winterbottom … 1124

2 ……… Garth Tander ………… 1072

3 ……… Jamie Whincup ……… 1062

4 ……… Rick Kelly ……………. 1028

5 ……… Craig Lowndes ………. 897

6 ……… Steven Richards ……. 839

7 ……… James Courtney ……. 811

8 ……… Lee Holdsworth ……… 760

9 ……… Will Davison …………. 752

10 ……. Todd Kelly ……………. 726

* after 5 rounds

“I am not a diehard who follows one team. What has happened might change what I drive on the road next year.”

Driver Steven Johnson after Ford’s decision to withdraw funding for Dick Johnson Racing

TEAM STANDINGS

1 Ford Performance Racing … 1963

2 Team Vodafone …………….. 1959

3 Toll Holden Racing …………. 1702

4 Stone Brothers Racing ……. 1503

5 HSV Dealer Team ………….. 1468

6 Jim Beam Racing ………….. 1434

7 Brad Jones Racing …………. 1201

8 Garry Rogers Motorsport …. 1188

9 Tasman Motorsport ………… 1108

10 Jack Daniels Racing ……… 1080

* after 5 rounds

- The Daily Telegraph