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100-year-old Yellowstone ranger station now powered by Camry Hybrid batteries [w/video]

With a new project, Toyota is bringing power to the prairie and finding a way to reuse nickel-metal hydride batteries at the same time. The automaker recently completed assisting Yellowstone National Park's installation of a solar power station at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch to electrify the ranger station and education center there for the first time. Toyota's major part in the system is an array of 208 batteries that are repurposed from old Camry Hybrid sedans, and they can store 85 kilowatt-hours of energy at a time. That's as much as one 85-kWh battery pack from one top-of-the-line Tesla Model S. Toyota figures that the whole setup should generate enough annual electricity for six average US homes, which is plenty for the ranch. For a constant source of power, the site plans to install a micro-hydro turbine in a nearby stream in 2016. Prior to creating the wall of batteries to store all of this energy, Toyota disassembled and tested each one. It also installed a new management system on them to maximize their lifespan. You can get a better idea of what the whole system looks like in the automaker's video, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Toyota Flips the Switch to Sustainable Power at Yellowstone National Park Lamar Buffalo Ranch Renewable, Zero Emission Energy System Is Now Online System Features 208 Re-used Camry Hybrid Batteries May 12, 2015 Torrance, Calif. (May 12, 2015) – The lights are on where the buffalo roam. At the Lamar Buffalo Ranch field campus in Yellowstone National Park, an innovative distributed energy system that combines solar power generation with re-used Camry Hybrid battery packs is now online. The result: reliable, sustainable, zero emission power to the ranger station and education center for the first time since it was founded in 1907. Announced in June 2014, the partnership among Toyota, Indy Power Systems, Sharp USA SolarWorld, Patriot Solar, National Park Service and Yellowstone Park Foundation is an innovative effort to extend the useful life of hybrid vehicle batteries while providing sustainable power generation for one of the most remote, pristine areas in the United States. Solar panels generate the renewable electricity stored within the 208 used Camry Hybrid nickel-metal hydride battery packs, recovered from Toyota dealers across the United States.

The List #0025: Compete in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles

The Rallye Aicha des Gazelles du Maroc is an annual all-women's off road rally in the Moroccan desert. Teams of two must navigate between various checkpoints using only a rudimentary map and compass. Host Jessi Combs pairs with driver Nicole Pitell to take on the grueling, nine-day rally race, as co-host Patrick McIntyre tracks their progress in the desert heat. "The thing that's going to drive me nuts today is that we can't help," Patrick tells Jessi moments before she departs on a two-day marathon leg. "We can do nothing but watch." For Jessi – an experienced off-road racer in her own right – navigating the Sahara in the team's Total Chaos Tacoma is a challenge unlike any other. "You know when you've ever really, truly been lost and you don't know where you are and you start to getting that anxiety feeling? Now, take that and put it into the middle of Morocco," explains Jessi. "And we're just this lost, little spec, and it's our responsibility to get us un-lost and back to safety." How will Jessi fare among the newcomers class and ten US teams in attendance? Watch as she checks "compete in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles" off of her list. Have an RSS feed? Click here to add The List Click here to subscribe to The List in iTunes Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick

GM, Audi, Jaguar halt Russian sales amidst ruble's collapse

The value of Russia's ruble currency has sunk like a stone tossed in the Volga for much of the year, losing over 40 percent of its worth since June. The change is having bizarre effects on the auto industry there and leaving some automakers scrambling to adjust. According to Bloomberg, Russians are buying up luxury goods including automobiles at the moment to have a physical investment in case the ruble sinks further. However, with the money worth so little, the companies aren't making much from these transactions. Things are so dire that several automakers are temporarily ending deliveries until the situation stabilizes. According to Bloomberg, General Motors stopped sales on December 16 with no set date to start again. Audi did the same thing but with the intention to resume once it has adjusted model pricing. Jaguar Land Rover terminated business until December 19 to see how things changed. Toyota is increasing its pricing, as well, but keeping business open at the same time. Some automakers have subtly been reacting to the slumping Russian auto market all year. The moves have included Volkswagen cutting production by 30,000 units from its factory in Kaluga. Ford also got rid of 950 workers from two plants due to low demand. Some analysts have even speculated that the contracting industry and possibility of lower import duties into the country could cause companies to end their manufacturing in Russia completely.