Nissan 'adopts' 15 electric car chargers in California

A non-profit is annoying to speed installation of public chargers for electric vehicles by getting companies to "adopt" them.

Adopt a Charger says it works with group and individuals to get them to contribute funds used to install and keep fee-free electric vehicle chargers in public places.

More public chargers denote more consumers can be comfortable with the notion they won't be stranded without juice if they buy an electric car. That encourages electric-car sales, which is useful to the environment. As more electric cars are sold, more companies can be attracting into sponsor charging stations.

The non-profit has found a clear first applicant to participate in Nissan, maker of the Leaf electric car. Nissan North America is espousing 15 electric vehicle chargers in California.

As part of its deal, Nissan paid for installation and has agreed to maintain three free Aerovironment Level 2 chargers at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In San Francisco, Nissan is subsidizing four Level 2 chargers and an additional eight 120-volt Level 1 outlets at the Music Concourse Garage in Golden Gate Park.

Five latest car Engine technology

There are people who see the rising corporate average fuel economy standards 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 as bad news. They bemoan the death of the big engines, the V-8s that delivered lots of power and sucked up a lot of gas. They say that driving would not be fun anymore, that we'll all be forced to buy dull cars with high fuel economy scores. 

Then there are others who have known the CAFE standards would have to rise, given the price of oil, U.S. dependency on foreign oil and the effects of engine emissions on climate change. They saw the higher fuel economy requirements as a challenge, and they began to work on new technologies that would be good for the planet, good for our wallets and still cool. These people are called engineers.

Here are five engine technologies available today or in the very near future, at a variety of price points. These examples…and there are more like them being invented every day promise that the future of driving will still be fun, whether it's in a tiny city car with a direct-injected engine or a supercar with a push to pass hybrid booster button.

Environmental effects

Trucks contribute to air, noise, and water pollution similarly to automobiles. Trucks may emit lower air pollution emissions than cars per pound of vehicle mass, although the absolute level per vehicle mile traveled is higher, and diesel particulate matter is especially problematic for health. With respect to noise pollution, trucks emit considerably higher sound levels at all speeds compared to typical car; this contrast is particularly strong with heavy-duty trucks. There are several aspects of truck operations that contribute to the overall sound that is emitted. Continuous sounds are those from tires rolling on the roadway, and the constant hum of their diesel engines at highway speeds. Less frequent noises, but perhaps more noticeable, are things like the repeated sharp-pitched whistle of a turbocharger on acceleration, or the abrupt blare of an exhaust brake retarder when traversing a downgrade. There has been noise regulation put in place to help control where and when the use of engine braking retarders are allowed.

Concerns have been raised about the effect of trucking on the environment, particularly as part of the debate on global warming. In the period from 1990 to 2003, carbon dioxide emissions from transportation sources increased by 20%, despite improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency.

In 2005, transportation accounted for 27% of U.S. greenhouse gas emission, increasing faster than any other sector.

Between 1985 and 2004, in the U.S., energy consumption in freight transportation grew nearly 53%, while the number of ton-miles carried increased only 43%.[17] "Modal shifts account for a nearly a 23% increase in energy consumption over this period. Much of this shift is due to a greater fraction of freight ton-miles being carried via truck and air, as compared to water, rail, and pipelines."

According to a 1995 U.S. Government estimate, the energy cost of carrying one ton of freight a distance of one kilometer averages 337 kJ for water, 221 kJ for rail, 2,000 kJ for trucks, and nearly 13,000 kJ for air transport.[18] Many environmental organizations favor laws and incentives to encourage the switch from road to rail, especially in Europe.

The European Parliament is moving to ensure that charges on heavy-goods vehicles should be based in part on the air and noise pollution they produce and the congestion they cause, according to legislation approved by the Transport Committee. The Eurovignette scheme has been proposed, whereby new charges would be potentially levied against things such as noise and air pollution and also weight related damages from the lorries themselves.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

The Alfa Romeo MiTo (known internally as the type 955, full name MilanoTourino) is a three door sporty supermini officially introduced on June 19, 2008, at Castello Sforzesco in Milan, with an international introduction at the British Motor Show in 2008. The car was available in all Alfa's major markets in stages from July. The three-door hatchback is front-wheel drive and will be sold to compete with the MINI and the newer Audi A1. Designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, the design is believed to be inspired by the 8C Competizione.

The MiTo is built on Fiat/GM SCSS platform used on Fiat Grande Punto, also employed by the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa D.

Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors and Chevrolet under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced for 1967.

Four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002. The nameplate was revived again on a concept car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro; production started on March 16, 2009.

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) rate the Prius as among the cleanest vehicles sold in the United States based on smog forming and toxic emissions.

The Prius first went on sale in Japan in 1997, making it the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. It was subsequently introduced worldwide in 2001. The Prius is sold in more than 70 countries and regions, with its largest markets being those of Japan and North America. In May 2008, global cumulative Prius sales reached the milestone 1 million vehicle mark, and in September 2010, the Prius reached worldwide cumulative sales of 2.0 million units. The U.S. is the largest market, with 955,101 units registered by December 2010.

Cadillac Sedan de Ville

The de Ville was originally a trim level and later a model of General Motors' Cadillac marque. The first car to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe de Ville, a prestige trim level of the Series 62 luxury coupe. The last model to be formally known as a de Ville was the 2005 Cadillac Deville, a full-size sedan, the largest car in the Cadillac model range at the time. The next year, the Deville was officially renamed DTS (an abbreviation standing for Deville Touring Sedan, itself a trim level on earlier models).