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Recharge Wrap-up: DriveNow in Brussels, DOE funds H2 projects

The DriveNow carsharing service – a joint venture between BMW and Sixt – has expanded to Brussels, Belgium. In addition, 20 percent of the entire DriveNow fleet is now made up of electric vehicles, and more than 150,000 of the service's 600,000-plus customers have had their first EV driving experience through DriveNow. Users in most of the 10 cities in which the program operates have access to the BMW i3, which have been part of the fleet since 2013. Read more from Green Car Congress. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is providing more than $13 million in funding for the advancement of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The DOE's Fuel Cell Consortium for Performance and Durability (FC-PAD) will help fund projects from General Motors, 3M, the United Technologies Research Center, and Vanderbilt University to reduce the use of platinum and increase the performance and durability of fuel cells. The DOE's Hydrogen Materials—Advanced Research Consortium (HyMARC) is funding hydrogen storage projects by Argonne National Laboratory, Penn State, University of Hawaii, Manoa, and University of Missouri, St. Louis. Read more from the DOE. The Advanced Diesel-Electric Powertrain (ADEPT) program's 48-volt lead-carbon battery will help next-generation cars meet future emissions requirements. ADEPT, of which Ricardo, Ford, and the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) are partners, will present its results at the Cenex LCV2016 low-carbon vehicle conference at Millbrook on September 14 and 15. The "intelligent electrification" mild hybrid system will be showcased in a Ford Focus demonstration car. The system provides fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions benefits comparable to that of a full hybrid diesel powertrain, but at a lower cost. In addition to the lead-carbon battery (which is lithium-free and easily recyclable), the mild hybrid powertrain uses a Ford ECOnetic 1.5TDCi engine, advanced belt starter generator, and Turbine Integrated exhaust Gas Energy Recovery System (TIGERS). Read more in the press release below. Hybrid vehicle with 48V advanced lead carbon battery on path to meet future ultra-low emissions targets · ADEPT programme aims to demonstrate technology capable of providing near full-hybrid equivalent fuel economy at significantly lower cost · UltraBattery® advanced lead-carbon battery pack, provides a high power, high endurance, easily recyclable, lithium-free low-cost energy storage solution.

2015 Ford Mustang fuel economy ratings leaked

Thinking about buying a new Mustang, but want to know what kind of fuel economy it'll get? Well we have our first indication as the pony-car enthusiasts over at Mustang6G.com have gotten a hold of the Monroney window stickers for a few of the new 2015 Mustang models.
Although the V8 model is not among them, we can now see how the EPA has rated those models with a half dozen pistons or less. The Mustang EcoBoost with the turbo four and a manual transmission has been rated at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway. The V6 manual gets 17 city and 28 highway, while the V6 automatic squeezes out a bit more in the city at 19 mpg but carries the same 28 highway rating.
By way of comparison, the latest Chevy Camaro with the V6 and a stick shift gets the same 17/28 EPA rating as a similarly equipped new 'Stang, and the V6 automatic Camaro gets 18/27 (slightly behind the Ford, but if you opt for the Camaro 2LS with its V6, automatic and 2.92 rear axle ratio, you'll be looking at 19 and 30).

Ford bringing C-Max Solar Energi Concept to CES

Solar energy might not be enough to power a usable electric vehicle on its own, but that doesn't mean it can't lend a helping hand. And that's what Ford has in store for the Consumer Electronics Show opening next week in Las Vegas.
Ford has essentially taken its C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid and fitted it with the latest in solar panel technology developed by SunPower, acting like a magnifying glass to capture as much of the sun's energy as possible. So you get the benefit of an electric vehicle, with the range assurance of a hybrid, without needing to draw from the grid.
Ford estimates that a day of charging in the sunshine will give the C-Max Solar Energi concept the same full charge as the production PHEV, with a total range of 620 miles - 21 of which can be run on electric power alone. Otherwise the vehicle - which remains a concept for the time being - is identical to the existing C-Max Energi. The top-selling model in Ford's growing hybrid and electric vehicle portfolio helps put Ford just behind Toyota among the top seller of hybrids in America. Scope out the images in the gallery above and the video clip and press release below for a closer look.