A top secret two-seater hydrogen car is the first car that has been enabled by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. The new fuel cells back the new UK car which is said to be better than most hybrid and electric cars in the market today. It can consume only 360 miles to the gallon and could be made available to consumers for just 200 pounds Sterling ($315) per month.

Developed by Riversimple, the small city car integrates a 6kW fuel cell from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. The vehicle maximizes energy efficiency by utilizing lightweight composite materials, eliminating heavy mechanical component, and by networking fuel cells with ultra capacitors and 60% regenerative braking energy into one symbiotic system. The result is ground-breaking: 240 miles (390 km) can be traveled on one small tank of hydrogen weighing only 2.2 lbs (1 kilogram).

When you talk about price and alternative fuel or transportation, this supposed secret car does seem enticing. With the growing rant for other forms of potential vehicle preference, this latest top secret car certainly promises a lot. Best of all, it has a ready supply of fuel cells to back it up!

(Source) Press

Tags: alternative fuel, capacitors, city car, electric cars, energy efficiency, first car, fuel cell powers, fuel cell technologies, fuel cells, horizon fuel cell technologies, hydrogen car, kilogram, lightweight composite materials, mechanical component, pounds sterling, small tank, uk car, vehicle preference

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The United Kingdom has made good its promise to address the growing problem of carbon emissions by older cars as its car scrappage scheme was officially inaugurated today, providing owners a £2,000 discount if they surrender their car for scrappage. Cars over 10 years are eligible for the scheme.

Now before you go on considering this deal, would £2,000 be sufficient to get rid of that old automobile in lieu for a new one? Depending of course on the type of car you will be getting, you just have to do some pencil pushing. New cars don’t come cheap despite the price cuts and discount deals that car manufacturers are undertaking to survive.

One cry is to adjust the said discount deal, something more tempting to be able to get a good vehicle in the market. Though nothing has been said for now, it looks like this deal will remain the same although it is likely studies may be ongoing as we speak.

“There are so many good deals out there on pre-registered nearly-new stock that actually it’s easier to find a car with a bigger discount under these pre-registered deals than it is under the scrappage scheme,” said Kieran Puffett, editor of Parker’s.

(Source) BBC

Tags: 10 years, automobile, BBC, car manufacturers, car scrappage scheme, carbon emissions, discount deals, good deals, kieran, new cars, older cars, pencil, uk car, united kingdom

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In a move to do away with the old and in with the new, Britain is on the threshold of devising a plan to entice local car owners to trade in their old cars for new ones. The scheme would probably involve payments of £2,000 vouchers to scrap vehicles that are more than nine years old and offer discounts on new more environment friendly cars.

The plan is designed to boost demand for new cars and help UK’s motor industry which is suffering during the recession. Austria, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain and France are among countries that have started such a plan.

Many British ministers are pessimistic about the proposed car scrap scheme as they believe that the plan would mainly benefit countries like Germany and France that produce many of the cars that are sold in the UK. UK car producers say that the plan could generate demand for up to 250,000 new cars.

(Source) Press TV

Tags: brainstorming, car owners, car producers, car scrap, Germany, Italy, new britain, new cars, old cars, recession, scrap plan, spain, uk car, vouchers

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The UK car industry reports that the Mini will be the next car company to layoff temporary workers in Cowley, Oxfordshire. The firm’s German owner BMW is expected to announce 850 job losses out of a workforce of 4,500 at the company’s factory. This marks another car manufacturing company needing to adjust with the times and a number of people who stand to lose their jobs yet again.

And agency staff personnel, most of whom are on temporary contracts and are not eligible for redundancy payouts, are expected to bear the brunt of the cutbacks. There will also be cuts in production beginning today, when the factory stops producing cars for a week in response to a slump in orders.

Mini and the unions have been in discussion over a change to the current work pattern of three shifts a day, and the company is expected to announce an end to seven-day-a-week continuous production.

(Source) Mail Online

Tags: car industry, cowley, german owner, job losses, layoff, owner bmw, oxfordshire, production source, redundancy payouts, uk car, workforce

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While all car manufacturers are sulking from dropping sales, there is one car manufacturer that has reported an increase in sales. Rolls-Royce, a car famous for luxury and rarity has reported a 20% boom on new car sales in 2008. They had sold a record 1,212 cars for the fifth straight year, keeping in check their annual increase on car sales.

And if you think that is good news, wait until you hear the best part. With their booming success, they are going to need some workers under their fold.

Rolls-Royce is expected to need extra workers late in 2009 to cope with demand.

The success was a rare glimmer of hope for the battered UK car industry and follows Nissan’s decision to axe 1,200 jobs at its plant in Sunderland.

(Source) The Sun

Tags: car industry, car manufacturer, car manufacturers, new car sales, Nissan, rolls-royce, uk car

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