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California bill would ban new fossil fuel vehicles from 2040
Under a new bill introduced this week, every single new car sold in California after 2040 would be an emission-free vehicle. The bill, introduced by San Francisco Assemblyman Phil Ting, is in line with Governor Jerry Brown's goal for 1.5 million zero-emission cars on the state's roads by 2025.
Oxford plans to be a zero-emission city by 2035
All fuel-burning vehicles could be barred from entering Oxford city centre under new plans designed to turn it into the "world's first Zero Emission Zone." In a bid to drastically cut air pollution, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council submitted a joint proposal that would ban petrol and diesel cars from a small number of streets from 2020 and encompass the entire city centre in 2035.
Toyota is using AI to hunt for new battery materials
Toyota has turned to artificial intelligence for help in the hunt for new advanced battery materials and fuel cell catalysts. The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is investing $35 million into the project and is teaming up with various institutions and companies, including MIT and Stanford University. According to the automaker's research devision, materials development usually spans decades. By using artificial intelligence techniques, such as machine learning, the researchers can reduce the time it takes to conjure up new materials it wants to use for future zero-emission and carbon-neutral vehicles.
Nissan Pivo 3 extreme agility concept EV hands-on
Nope, there's nothing wrong with those wheels. As you may recall, this is Nissan's Pivo 3, the company's latest concept EV that provides extreme agility using its four oddly pivoted, individually powered wheels. While we couldn't see this three-seater make sharp U-turns and do automatic parking at the Tokyo Motor Show, our very own Zach Honig managed to get his finger and trouser grease all over it. Behind those pop-out doors one of the most interesting features we saw was the subtle side-view cameras with accompanying screens, thus reducing the car's width. Also, it turns out the lone steering wheel handles all four wheels, meaning the driver won't have to sacrifice too much brain power over multiple controls. That said, we can imagine that even the most experienced drivers may find this car to be a tough animal to tame initially -- the lady in Nissan's earlier demo looked like she had to steer dramatically around sharp corners. But keep the car going straight and it'll accelerate up to 120km/h (75mph), while on a single charge it can go up to 100km (62 miles). Video after the break. %Gallery-140606%
Tesla Model S to get faster Sport edition, leave sedan in the dust
Tesla looks set to offer another slightly more aggressive, slightly faster model alongside its Model S sedan [pictured]. The high-performance, zero-emission (and tentatively-named) Model S Sport packs a larger battery, extending its single-charge range to 300 miles. Green Car Reports adds that it'll even get optional aerodynamic wheels adding another 20 miles to the car's range. Acceleration has also been boosted, with 0 to 60MPH cut to under 4.6 seconds in the sporty upgrade. This should be the perfect vehicle for evading capture in the gasoline-poor robopocalyptic future. The Sport is reportedly set to launch alongside the standard Model S next year.
Nissan shows off latest electric car prototype with battery monitoring system, iPhone app
Nissan's started showing off its latest prototype electric car, based on the Versa. This one will house a 108 horsepower / 206 pound-feet electric motor to drive the front wheels, and a 24 kWh, lithium ion battery pack will be fitted under the floor for storing electricity, with an expected range of 100 miles. To top things of nerd-style, the newest prototype will have a navigation system which will show the current life of the battery, and the mile range its current amount of juice will support, and will boast the ability to download info about nearby charging station locations. And need we say, "there's an app for that?" That's right, Nissan also has a working prototype of an iPhone app making the rounds in Japan which would allow users to communicate with their car remotely and find out the state of the battery's charge. Can this get any cooler?Read - Nissan shows off new Versa-based electric vehicle protoypeRead - Nissan dials iPhone for car remote control
UK unveils zero-emission "Lighthouse" home design
The UK's now showing off what it claims to be the "first" zero-emission home design or, more specifically, the first to meet "level six requirements" of the Code for Sustainable Homes set to go in effect in the year 2016, according to the BBC. Designed by Kingspan Off-Site, the so-called "Lighthouse" design includes, among other things, solar panels on the roof and a biomass boiler on the inside that runs on various organic fuels, with a waste separation system also included to weed out trash that can be burned to provide additional power. The house also packs in additional insulation to cut down on heat loss, and boasts a "wind catcher" for ventilation in the summer. While those measures will apparently help to reduce the house's annual energy bill to just £31 ($61), the house itself will demand quite a premium over less efficient homes, costing about 40% more, although Kingspan says that'll come done if they're produced en masse.
