Since President Obama signed the Recovery Act in February 2009, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded 881 grants totaling $7.5 billion - all the formula transit funds have now been committed to specific transit projects. So far, Recovery Act funds have supported the purchase of nearly 12,000 buses, vans, and rail vehicles; the construction or renovation of more than 850 transit facilities; and $620 million in preventive maintenance, which has helped save transit service and jobs. See the White House press release for a complete list of awardees.
Geneva Motor Show Spotlights Hybrids, Plug-Ins, EVs
The 80th Geneva International Motor Show opened to the public on March 4 and features new hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles from Porsche, Ferrari, and Lotus.
Porsche wowed audiences by unveiling the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid prototype, a super sports car with performance rivaling the Porsche Carrera GT, but also able to achieve 78 miles per gallon (based on the New European Driving Cycle, which generally yields higher fuel economies than U.S. testing standards).
Porsche achieves the high performance with a 500-horsepower (hp) V8 engine, front- and rear-axle motors that together generate 160 kW, or 218 hp, and a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle can operate in four modes: E-Drive (electric power only) for 16 miles; Hybrid mode; Sport Hybrid mode; and Race Hybrid mode. The latter three modes place increasing emphasis on performance. The higher the performance mode chosen, the lower the gas mileage.
The car won't be in showrooms anytime soon, but people will be able to buy Porsche's first hybrid, which also debuted in Geneva: the Cayenne S Hybrid SUV. It combines a supercharged V6 with a 34 kW electric motor to achieve a fuel efficiency of 34.4 miles per gallon on the European cycle. Porsche also debuted the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car, which uses a flywheel for energy storage and has an electric drive on its front axle. See the Porsche press releases on the 918 Spyder and the Cayenne S Hybrid.
While Porsche unexpectedly held the limelight among electrified vehicles, General Motors displayed its Opel brand Ampera, an extended-range EV similar to the Chevy Volt, and the sportier Flextreme GT/E concept.
Audi unveiled the A1 e-tron, a compact, four-passenger, plug-in hybrid with a 45 kW (61 hp) motor that has a peak power output of 75 kW (102 hp). The car has an all-electric range of 31 miles and is recharged on the go using a small Wankel engine. Audi also unveiled the A8 hybrid, which mates a four-cylinder engine to a 33 kW motor with a lithium-ion battery to achieve 38 mpg.
Lotus unveiled the Evora 414E Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid concept with two 152 kW electric motors driving the rear wheels independently, powered by a lithium polymer battery pack. Its all-electric range is 35 miles and draws on a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder, flex-fueled engine for recharging.
