Energy efficiency is at the heart of Europe’s growth and transition to a resource efficient economy. The European Union aims to save 20% of its primary energy consumption by 2020 (compared to what has been forecast). Everyone’s contribution is crucial in meeting this goal. By better insulating buildings we can reduce energy consumption by 28% by 2020. By choosing modern energy-efficient refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers etc. we can use significantly less energy than with older appliances. By buying lighter vehicles or using low fuel consumption tyres we can double the fuel efficiency of an average car.
This video clip provides an overview of the European Union’s energy efficiency objectives and shows how each of us can make the difference, be it in our professional or private life. This video clip was disseminated in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria and United Kingdom.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53791-european-commission
Hybrids have a safety edge over their conventional twins when it comes to shielding their occupants from injuries in crashes, new research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, shows. On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in nonhybrid models.
The new finding is more good news for green-minded drivers who don’t want to trade safety for fuel economy. Not so long ago, car buyers had to choose between the two because fuel-efficient cars tended to be smaller and lighter. Now, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to picking an environmentally friendly — and crashworthy — vehicle.
For more information, go to: www.iihs.org
Six of 13 small cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earn the TOP SAFETY PICK award, and none earn a poor rating in any of 4 tests. This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings. The new tests include hybrids and gasoline-only models that are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S. market.
The ratings are based on performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations. Cars that earn the top rating of good in each test and have available electronic stability control (ESC) qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK. Winners are the 2012 Ford Focus and Honda Civic, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Nissan Juke, and Toyota Prius hybrid. The Civic, CT 200h, Elantra, Focus, and Prius have at least one version with a government fuel economy rating of at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Dodge Caliber, Honda CR-Z and Insight hybrids, Nissan Sentra and Versa, Scion xD, and Suzuki SX4 also were rated but didn’t earn TOP SAFETY PICK.
Going the farthest distance might sound like a foot race. But this past weekend, it meant stretching the boundaries of fuel efficiency as student teams competed in the fifth annual Shell Eco-marathon® Americas, a challenge for students to design, build and test fuel-efficient vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of energy. High school and university students from Canada and the United States competed in the two-day street course challenge in downtown Houston.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/shell/49728/
The X PRIZE Foundation, an educational nonprofit prize organization, and Progressive Insurance, the country’s fourth largest auto insurance group, today, at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., awarded $10 million to three teams who successfully completed the rigorous Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The winning teams—Edison2 of Lynchburg, Virginia; X-Tracer of Winterthur, Switzerland; and Li-ion Motors Corp. of Mooresville, North Carolina—emerged from an original field of 111 competing teams, representing 136 vehicle entries from around the world. The winning vehicles were showcased to an audience of auto industry, business and government leaders. Each of the winning teams was also presented with a towering bronze trophy designed by Harry Winston, Inc.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/xprizefoundation/46187/
Named the Range Rover Evoque, this all-new coupé will join the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport in North American dealerships in fall, 2011. It will be the smallest, lightest and most fuel efficient Range Rover ever produced. The compact 4WD Range Rover Evoque is engineered to meet North American customer and regulatory demands for increased fuel efficiency in highly capable luxury SUVs.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/landrover/45066/
As most high school and college students are busy tackling tests or taking it easy during spring break, student teams from across the Americas are preparing for the ultimate extracurricular activity – designing, building, and testing a vehicle that travels the farthest distance using the least amount of energy. After months of coordinating designs and constructing vehicles, 43 student teams – among 9 high schools and 29 universities – are putting the finishing touches on their vehicles for the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas energy challenge. These leaders of tomorrow, and their fuel-efficient creations, will soon take to the streets of downtown Houston, March 26-28 around Discovery Green Park. We’ll find out if these students can beat the 2,757.1 miles per gallon (1,172.2 kilometers per liter) achieved in 2009 by Laval University, but more than that, the students will grant us a glimpse into the fuels, technologies and transportation of tomorrow.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/shelloil/42793/
