Improving Diesel Engine Efficiency - Calling Tata!

Gizmag has a very interesting piece about a new fuel injection system mod that has been developed at the University of Wisconsin, that promises to offer a thermal efficiency of 53%: http://www.gizmag.com/diesel-spark-plug-gasoline/12484/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=9224d606ed-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email This is an amazing gain as the article explains and the US Department of Transportation is offering to fund further research into this promising area in a big way.

I would hope that someone at tata is watching - as the biggest manufacturers of diesel trucks in India and a company who export their trucks and cars to many other countries, they would be a fantastic fit to this technology. The technology has been tested on caterpillar diesel engines - don't Tata have the Indian representation for Caterpillar and Poclain? Someone please correct me if I am wrong here!

In any case, this blog aims to watch this development and look at where it is implemented. If the Tatas don't care for it, maybe someone else could license it in India. I am not sure if Mahindra would - they have a long relationship with AVL. Please watch this space. I shall post any information that I get over here.

Tata to Build Extended Range Electric Jaguars

There were more than a few rumors some months ago about a strangely silent Jaguar that had been filmed at the Nurburgring and considerable speculation took place on dedicated blogs on the subject at the time. Now, Autoblog Green has confirmed that Jaguar have an extended range electric version of their XJ under development: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/12/jaguar-to-build-extended-range-ev-version-of-new-xj-in-2011/ My first reaction is to congratulate the Tatas on this. Yes, an Indian company that has bought a leading Norwegian Electric Vehicle Engineering business, offered Electric only versions of its Indica for sale in Europe and which is also collaborating with various other technology developers like the designers of the French Air Car, was not going to let an opportunity to use this technology on its prize brand, Jaguar, go idle. The speed with which the Tatas have gone ahead, needs to be praised.

Yes, there are the usual idiots screaming about problems with the cars before they have been built, skeptics who claim that the Tatas have no money - they just got a huge loan for Jaguar today - and those who just say that this can't be done. I remember a lot of clowns saying this about the Nano too. I cannot, but laugh at the collective "expertise" of these dolts and must thank Autoblog Green too for bringing this news from Autocar magazine to their huge readership. I shall be eagerly watching this development process.

Compressing Wind in Underground Caves to Generate Power

As yet another example of out of the box thinking, a number of businesses are coming up with different methods of storing power generated by wind. The most interesting of these (to me, at least) seems to be an American initiative in storing strong winds in underground caves and compressing them so that when let out, they could drive a turbine and generate power. The businessman promoting this project got his inspiration from the idea of the Air Car - time to feel proud India because the Tatas are busy working on this technology which they have licensed from its French inventor - and I hope that this would be replicated at other spots around the world. The Times link is: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5992419.ece

Canadian Farmers Ship Grain on Sailships

I had read somewhere about French wine-makers shipping their wines to the UK on sailships. Now, Canadian grain farmers in British Columbia (one of the most beautiful places in the world) have begun shipping grain on sailships. Treehugger has the article at: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/grain-shipped-under-sail-reduces-carbon-footprint.php

I seriously wonder if India, Sri Lanka etc could use this example to ship tea on old style tea clippers like in centuries past? Tha Tatas who are easily among the biggest tea producers are a company who have taken some pains to look at environment-friendly solutions with electric and air cars under development. Perhaps they could ship Tetley teas on sailships and reduce their carbon footprint? I am sure that if someone took this idea to them, they would consider it at the very least.

A Simple Solution for India's Soot Belching Buses and Trucks

Treehugger has this entry about a device that has been making waves in green circles over here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/eco-friendly-car-filtration-device-blade.php The thing looks simple enough: a filter that traps pollutants emitted by vehicle exhausts. While the designs on this page are meant for extremely clean California Spec cars, there is no reason why bigger ones could not be manufactured and mounted on the filthy trucks and buses that run all over India poisoning the air. Yes, the filters would also have to be changed more often in India, but, on the whole, this would be a good product to use there. Now, is there any way to make Ashok Leyland, Tata and others look at this? Anybody know?

Tata to Build Electric Versions of the Indica in Norway

Some very positive news, if you ask me, from Autoblog Green: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/28/tata-sends-indica-to-norway-to-gain-electric-drivetrain-street/ The Tatas are working hard to show fossil fuel the fist by working with the Norwegians to electrify their Indica.

Considering that the Norwegians already have a low cost electric car with a lot of hand assembly involved in its construction: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01/22/norwegian-kewet-buddy-electric-vehicles-got-good-specs-clunky/ I wonder when some other manufacturer would step in and license one of these designs. Bajaj, TVS etc - the country is waiting for you!