Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost refers both to a car model and to one specific car from that series.

Originally named the "40/50 h.p." the chassis was originally produced at Royce's Manchester works moving to Derby in July 1908 and between 1921 and 1926 at Springfield, Massachusetts factories. Chassis no. 60551, registered AX 201, was the car that was originally given the name "Silver Ghost." Other 40/50 hp cars were also given names but the Silver Ghost title was taken up by the press and soon all 40/50s were called by the name, a fact not officially recognised by Rolls-Royce until 1925 when the Phantom range was launched.

The Silver Ghost was the origin of Rolls-Royce's claim of making the "Best car in the world" – a phrase coined not by themselves, but by the prestigious publication Autocar in 1907.

The chassis and engine were also used as the basis of a range of Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars.

In 1907 the Commercial Managing Director, Mr Claude Johnson (often described as the hyphen in "Rolls-Royce"), ordered a car to be used as a demonstrator by the company. With chassis no. 60551 and registered AX 201, it was the 12th 40/50 hp to be made, and was painted in aluminium paint with silver-plated fittings. The car was named the "Silver Ghost" to emphasise its ghost-like quietness, and a plaque bearing this name adorned the bulkhead. An open-top body by coachbuilder Barker was fitted, and the car readied for the Scottish reliability trials of 1907 and, immediately afterwards, another 15,000-mile (24,000 km) test which included driving between London and Glasgow 27 times.

The aim was to raise public awareness of the new company and to show the reliability and quietness of their new car. This was a risky idea: cars of this time were notoriously unreliable, and roads of the day could be horrendous. Nevertheless, the car set off on trials, and with press aboard, broke record upon record. Even after 7,000 miles (11,000 km), the cost to service the car was a negligible £2 2s 7d (£2.13). The reputation of the 40/50, and Rolls-Royce, was established.

AX201 was sold in 1908 to a private customer and recovered by the company in 1948. Since then, it has been used as a publicity car and travelled worldwide. In 1989, the car was restored by SC Gordon Coachbuilders Luton, and P&A Wood, London, UK. It is now owned by Bentley Motors.

In 1984, the car was photographed in great detail whilst in storage in Luton by precision model makers Franklin Mint. This went on to become one of their best selling products.

The Silver Ghost is considered the most valuable car in the world; in 2005 its insured value was placed at USD$35 million.

from:wikipedia.org

Green Car

According to GreenerCars.com (owned by American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy or ACEEE), the top 6 current positions for the greenest cars are held by Honda and Toyota:

1. HONDA CIVIC GX
2. HONDA INSIGHT
3. TOYOTA PRIUS
4. HONDA CIVIC HYBRID
5. TOYOTA COROLLA
6. TOYOTA ECHO

The autos include partial zero-emission vehicles (PZEV) and super-ultra-low-emission vehicles (SULEV). According to American Automobile Association's Westways magazine, the following vehicles qualify as PZEV vehicles: Ford Focus 2.3-liter, Honda Civic Hybrid, Hundai Elantra, Mazda3, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Jetta sedan.

The cleanest of the clean cars are the electric cars and hydrogen cars as they emit zero pollutants. Next come the natural gas and hybrid vehicles, which are the next best thing to zero emissions. Ford and Chevrolet have all rolled out their own lines of trucks and SUV's that are clean burning hybrid gasoline / electric models as well.

What is clear is that with rising gas prices and vehicles that have backslid on gas mileage to the levels of the early 1980's and the general acceptance that global warming is a reality, green cars are here to stay. With any luck, we will no longer backslide as we have been doing for the past 25 years but will go forward with ever greener vehicles from here on out.

get from:hydrogencarsnow.com

5 Best Electric Vehicle

Here are five popular vehicles (my version) that used car class of truly green cars provides..

ZENN.

ZENN Motor Company calls its attractive three door hatchback, the ZENN (Zero Emissions No Noise), "the earth's favorite car." This electric car is sourced as a "glider" - a rolling vehicle without a powertrain - from Microcar of Europe. ZENN creates its zero emission NEV by fitting it with electric drive components and batteries. The ZENN features an automotive style alloy space frame and resilient ABS body panels. Standard four-wheel discs are accompanied by regenerative braking, a feature that recaptures energy to help recharge the batteries. Drivers get a very functional two seat hatchback that offers 13 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats. ZENNs are available for $14,700-$15,575.

MILES ZX40.

Miles Electric Vehicles offers the four door ZX40 in three different models. The base ZX40 is propelled by a 4 kW (9 kW peak) DC electric motor, while the ZX40S has a more powerful 6.3 kW (17.6 kW peak) DC motor. For maximum performance, the Miles ZX40S Advanced Design offers a 7.5 kW (26 kW peak) brushless AC induction motor. Absorbed glass mat sealed lead acid batteries are utilized to store electricity. The tall four door wagon seats four and offers 41 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat folded. Standard features include front and rear defroster, windshield wipers, electric mirrors, and alloy wheels. An AM/FM/CD sound system is optional. Cost is $14,900-$18,900.

DYNASTY iT

British Columbia based Dynasty Electric Cars produces a line of low speed NEVs that includes the iT Sedan, iT Utility (pickup), iT Tropic (topless, no doors), iT Sport (topless, half-doors), and iT Utility (panel). They are built on a 90-inch wheelbase with an overall length of 140 inches. Dynasty uses aluminum for the frame structure with an infusion molded fiberglass body and molded plastic bumpers. Electricity is stored in six EV-31 type flooded lead acid batteries, with Deka gel cell batteries optional. When it's time to plug iT in, an onboard Delta-Q Battery charger tops of the car off in less than 12 hours. Models range from $14,000 to $25,000.

GEM.

Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) is perhaps the best established NEV manufacturer because of its distinction as a Chrysler company. The company's lineup includes a basic two passenger e2 GEM along with a four passenger e4, six passenger e6, and three utility variants with truck beds. While the basic configuration is an open design, optional canvas or hard doors make the vehicle functional in foul weather. The GEM is powered by a 5 horsepower (12 hp peak) DC motor with a 7 horsepower performance package optional on the e2 and e4, and standard on the e6. With a long list of optional equipment, the GEM can be tailored to suit a wide range of applications. GEMs are available from $6,795 to $12,495.

COLUMBIA PARCAR.

Available in two and four passenger configurations and as a utility model with a stake bed, the Columbia ParCar Summit NEV is a highly adaptable platform. Summit's powder coated, high strength alloy tubular steel frame, independent front suspension, rack and pinion steering, and open-air design promises fun low speed mobility. Designed for work, the Mega is a versatile cab-chassis NEV that can be configured in a variety of ways ranging from a pickup bed with fold down sides to a dump bed, van box, and even a refuse container for garbage removal. With a gross weight rating of 2,469 pounds, the Mega can make short work of urban work tasks. Summit NEVs are $9,497-$10,857, with Mega NEV models ranging from $17,900-$23,770.

recreated from todd kaho,greencar.com

Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell

General Motors has been “playing” with hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles since the 1960s. The company’s vintage Electrovan ran—barely—on one massive fuel cell. Thirty-five years later, GM was still at it when it introduced its unique fuel cell architecture that encased the powertrain and energy storage equipment into a thin horizontal layer—dubbed a “skateboard.” This was supposed to signal a possible new approach to engine layout and placement. But GM was forced back to earth when it came time to putting real high-tech rubber on the road. The company left much of its lofty designs in the lab—and created a 100-strong fleet of Chevy Equinox SUVs that run on hydrogen.

This relatively large number of vehicles vaulted GM to the lead in fuel cell vehicles on the road, surpassing Daimler with its 60 F-cells and 30 Citaro buses, and Ford with its 30 Focus FCVs, and Honda with its limited leases of the FCX Clarity—fewer than 10 in the first two months of 2009.

GM chose the Chevroloet Equinox—a car-based SUV or crossover first introduced in 2005 and updated in 2007—as the platform for its first volume run of FCVs. It provides the interior room for four people and enough space to stash the three hydrogen tanks holding the equivalent of 4.2 gallons of gasoline. This provides the vehicle with 160 miles of range—if filled at 10,000 psi. The Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell delivers similar performance to the gasoline version in terms of acceleration, braking and daily driving. The only novelty is that the vehicle runs on hydrogen; and efficiency gets a bump to the equivalent of 43 mpg on hydrogen, about twice that of the gas version.

Almost all manufacturers have active fuel cell/hydrogen programs, but most have vehicle populations in the teens at the most.

from:hybridcars.com