Electric cars tested in the UK

The CABLED (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrators) consortium is currently testing a total of 340 electric cars across the UK. This includes the  Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Jaguar Land Rover's _e electric/diesel hybrid, LTI’s TX4E taxis, Mercedes Benz/Smart FourTwo electric drive, Tata Indica Vista EV and the hydrogen-powered Microcab.

The Microcab

The test  seeks to find out how how practical these electric cars under real life conditions would be - this include how they are used and charging information. Recharging points will be provided by Birmingham and Coventry City Councils and Eon. Birmingham University’s hydrogen refuelling station will also be available.

Researchers from Aston University will be analysing the data generated.

Interestingly out of the total cars that will be tested for a year, 110 will be based in Birmingham and Coventry. 25 Mitsubishi i-MiEV cars were passed to test drivers in the West Midlands with the rest will be given to lucky drivers, specially selected by Coventry University researchers. Hope I am one of them.

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Mitsubishi's New Compact Crossover named

Mitsubishi's new compact crossover will be called the RVR.

Fitted with a new 1.8L MIVEC petrol engine and a lightweight compact body, the vehicle will be approximately 4.3 meters in length.

The car will be released globally sequentially starting Japan next spring.

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Saroukh el-Jamahiriya (Libyan Rocket) 2009

Here is the 2009 version of Muammar Gaddafis "Saroukh el-Jamahiriya (Libyan Rocket)" a car which made its debut in 1999, exactly 10 years ago.

The “Libyan Rocket”, as the prototype is called, is described as an “elegant sedan” 17 feet long, more than six feet wide, with a 3-liter, V-6 gasoline engine.

According to the BBC and Fox News, it also has airbags, an unspecified ‘electronic defense system’, and a collapsible bumper.

The car can go hundreds of miles on a flat tire, a feature that could come in handy while driving in the vast Libyan desert. Other safety features include a device to cut off the fuel supply to avoid a fire in case of accident.

Domenico Morali, CEO of Tesco TS SpA, an automotive design company based in Turin, Italy, said Qaddafi joined in discussions about the car’s styling and asked for an original car using Libyan materials including marble, leather and fabric.

The car was unveiled in Tripoli at the end of an African Union summit.

According to the BBC, construction of a factory to produce the car was to have began in October 2009 in Tripoli. (ANI)

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV wins Award

i MiEV (white) and the i MiEV SPORT AIR (blue) concepts

The "MiEV OS" integrated vehicle control system installed in Mitsubishi Motors' new-generation electric vehicle i-MiEV, has been selected by as the winner of the "2009 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car Technology of the Year" award by The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization.

Go here for more details

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The funny G-wiz

When I saw the G-Wiz for the very first time, it brought a smile to my lips. This is apparently quite different from my friend's reactions when they first laid eyes on this unusually shaped car.  UGLY was the term they used to describe it.

The first time I saw this car was in London and the reason I found the car amusing was not the shape which does look funny but because there were two of these cars parked in a single parking space. I only learnt later that these cars are pure electric cars and built by an Indian company based in Bangalore called the Reva Electric Car Company. It is sold under the G-Wiz brand name in the UK by GoinGreen and costs about £7500 which makes it one of the cheapest green cars.

Their latest model, the G-Wiz L-ion is the world's first commercially produced lithium-ion powered electric vehicle.

The car is meant for urban driving and seats two adults and two kids. It is said to have a range of around 80 Kms per charge using lead acid batteries or 120 Kms on lithium ion batteries.

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Being well groomed will take you places

How often have we heard the saying "the first impression is the last impression". Well, a survey commissioned by Gillette and conducted by Harris Interactive, confirms that it is true.

One of the most critical grooming cue for making a good first impression was having a clean-shaven face. Other no nos include body odour or sweat stains. Also make sure you wear good fitting, nicely pressed and and appropriate clothing as well.

Apparently it's not just the first impression that matters. Being well groomed may very well help you in your career and get the sports car of your dreams. I am not joking. According to the survey, most HR professionals agreed that well-groomed employees do better in the corporate race as compared to those who don't take care of how they look.

So if you are one of those who never bothered to look in the mirror while going to work, you should be worried. Especially in these bad economic times.

However, hope is on the way. You may not only keep your job but get that Ferrari as well. Gillette has launched Gillette Career Advantage on their website and you can get expert advice from career expert Mark Jeffries and GQ style correspondent, Brett Fahlgren.


Brett Fahlgren

On the site, you can take the Gillette career quiz and find out what HR professionals really think.

For more information of what Gillette has to offer for you and to read the survey findings, visit the Gillette Resource Center. Loads of other useful resources as well.

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Tata secures loan to develop electric cars

The Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), which is based in the University of Warwick Campus has secured a £10 million loan from British Government to produce a four seater electric car. Tata Motors will pump in a further £25 million.

The car which is based on the Tata Indica Vista is expected to go into production by the end of this year.


The Tata Indica Vista

TMETC was set up in the UK in 2005 as a 100% subsidiary of Tata Motors. The centre is engaged in design engineering and the development of products for the automotive industry.

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