Who would have thought that there are bacteria that can be found 30 kilometers above the surface of our planet can be good and efficient producers of electricity.

The Bacillus stratosphericus, a form of microbe that has a very high concentration on our stratosphere is an essential component of a super biofilm that was engineered by scientists from the Newcastle University.

The team isolated 75 bacterial species and tested their ability to generate power using an MFC or microbial fuel cell. They picked the best and was able to create a biofilm which has an electrical output of 200 watts for every cubic meter that doubles the generation of the 105 watt/cubic meter MFC.

The amount of electricity produced is still very small but is enough to light a bulb and may be used to provide services to some parts of the world which still do not have electricity.

Among the super bugs in the biofilm is the B. stratosphericus which is found on Earth’s atmosphere but pushed down to land due to the cycling processes of the atmosphere. The research demonstrates the potential of these super bugs by manipulating them to produce a biofilm which is an efficient producer of electricity.

It is the first time to study the potentials of individual microbes that generate electricity. The use of B. stratosphericus for this initial studies is a great indication of how it can be used in future applications and there are literally billions of microbes which can generate energy.

The concept of microbes producing electricity is not a new thing as this has been used in treating sewage plants and waste water. The microbial fuel cells actually work the same way as a battery and makes use of bio-catalytic oxidation to convert into electricity the organic compounds they have.

The biofilm is like a coat of slime which wraps around the MFC and as they feed, electrons are produced which in turn pass thru the electrodes and produce electricity. The biofilm used for the study has been un-checked yet but indicates that this can be manipulated to generate more electricity.

The hybrid setup will add some flexibility for the commercial trucks and vans, operating them using either application, although the fuel savings will also depend if the fleet will be taking urban or suburban routes. The electric motor can beef up the torque of the vehicle by as much as 240 ft-lb when accelerating, allowing the trucks and vans to improve their efficiency and performance.

XL Hybrids is collaborating with possible contractors that can install the hybrid system to old and new vehicles. The company eyes firms whose fleet of vehicles travel a minimum distance of 25,000 miles annually via suburban and urban roads.

By next year, XL Hybrids will also make the hybrid powertrain as an option for fleet leasing companies. Business owners will be able to save in operational costs without having to worry about up-front capital.

At the moment, experts estimate the savings to be at least $1,500 to about $2,500 every year on fuel expenses. Fleet customers can expect the return of investment in as early as three years. Installation of the hybrid system is also done in a few hours time.

Just last year, Honda broke the sales record in China by selling 580,000 units. This certainly puts the Japanese car manufacturer in a good light. Honda introduced its crossover premium utility vehicle, the Crosstour, during the Beijing exhibition. According to reports, the Crosstour will be produced locally by the Guangqi Honda branch. Sales for this vehicle should begin by the end of 2010.

Also in the exhibit was Honda’s concept model Li Nian. Guangqi Honda owns this brand. Late this 2010, Honda sets its eyes on presenting the mass-produced Li Nian to the public through the Guanzhou Motor Show. Li Nian is produced specifically for the Chinese market, and there’s no news about its global release just yet. In English, the term Li Nian can be translated as “idea”.

Dongfeng Honda, a joint venture between Honda Motor Company and the Dongfeng Motor Corporation, is also working on its own line of original brands.

According to reports, Honda owes much of its sales boost to the growing demand for cars in China and growing business market India, and the growing interest of consumers in the US. Japan’s second biggest car manufacturer posted a profit of 72-billion yen for the first quarter of this year.

The space frame is designed to play a vital role in distributing the hybrid powertrain throughout the Fisker Karma. The frame holds the engine-generator under the hood of the car.

The lithium ion battery pack of the 2011 Karma is positioned at the spine of the car. This battery makes use of iron-phosphate cells manufactured by A123 Systems. The battery pack is located at the least vulnerable space if ever the driver meets a road mishap.

The 403 horsepower electric motor can be found just behind the rear seat a bit in front of the rear wheels.

The founder of the company noted that the focus of the design must be on torsional rigidity and adaptability to new styles of the car’s body foreseeing the coming of the 2012 Karma S which will have a retractable hardtop.

The space frame is very strong according to Henrik Fisker himself. He explains that the components are joined by about 260 feet of MIG welding spots and about 1,000 rivets. The car is also said to have great resistance to angled roads with about 33,000 N-m for every degree.

The frame of the Fisker Karma Super Saloon is built to protect the passenger during impact and distribute the collapse progressing to the different parts of the car. The designers also claim that the crush box of the car can be replaced easily to minimize cost.

The Karma will start selling this year with a sticker price starting at $87,400 before taxes

The e-Tron from Audi features technologies that might be pointing to the direction of how electronic vehicles must be in the future. The e-Tron is based on the platform of the R8 supercar and includes four electric motors connected independently to each of the wheels of the vehicle. It truly lives up to the Quattro tag just like the other range in the Audi fleet.

The output of the motor is just 313 horsepower but has an astounding torque of 3,319 lb-ft. It can zoom from 0 to 62mph in just 4.8 seconds and blast from 37 to 75 mph in a blink of 4.1 seconds.

The car depends on a 53 kWh lithium-ion battery pack for its power. Like in other EVs the battery makes up a big bulk of the weight at 1,036 lbs. Audi managed to keep the weight of the e-Tron to just about 3,527 lbs.

Even when you step on the pedal and maximize its horsepower and torque, the e-Tron can still boast of a 154-mile range on single charging. This is an excellent number and is attributed by Audi to the size of the battery, the aerodynamics of the car, low rolling resistance, and other efficient components.

Too bad we will not see the car on the road yet. It remains a concept and Audi has not signified any intention to produce such an EV supercar. The e-Tron can surely give a good race to lead the pack of electric vehicles in the market today or in development. For now, get hold of those controllers and try it on your Play Station.

Next year, Ford is planning to release the 2011 Focus EV but the team handling the marketing is having a tough time coming up with a great campaign. They are dealing with a different kind of market since there is the range anxiety that is needed to be dealt with properly when they push for their EVs. Its not that the marketing team don’t have enough juices flowing but they really have to work hard to success.

The car maker has also conducted several studies to know how EV buyers think and react to EVs in general. An interesting fact is that most drivers don’t exceed a 70 mile reading on a daily basis. The Ford Focus will not have a problem meeting that needed mileage but the company needs to assure buyers that the batteries will not run out while they are in the middle of nowhere, or anywhere to be more accurate.

The Ford marketing team also needs to address the infrastructure needed to support EVs on the road. Ford is counting on the success of their hybrids to attract people and catch their interest for the EVs. They plan to make people understand the technology as the whole world is still adapting to the hybrid vehicles being introduced by car makers.

They are also aiming to get a share of the California market where local automakers are struggling competing with foreign brands.

The government of UK disclosed in March that they will be giving a $44 million grant to Land Rover for the assembly of the new vehicle. The production version of the LRX will make use of the Land-e Concept’s engine that can run on petrol and electricity.

The Hybrid LRX can bring occupants from point A to B using different modes like the usual petrol only, electric only, and the hybrid type. The project is looking an estimated expense of about $650 million and will take about two more years to release the hybrid system for the market to use.

Land Rover confirmed that the LRX will carry the Range Rover tag. The company is also looking into producing more fuel efficient fleet and the hybrid will be an essential member of the line up.

The LRX Concept caught the spotlight during the Detroit Auto Show of 2008. The concept car was using a hybrid engine that runs on both diesel and electricity. The LRX concept was able to achieve a 60 mpg using bio-diesel. The carbon emission was also excellent at 120g of CO2 per kilometer.

Aside from some engine varieties, technologies like the start-stop system and carbon fiber finishing of the panel may be implemented with the LRX Hybrid.

Assembly of the LRX hybrid will be done at the Halewood factory in the UK. The assembly plant is handling the production of the X Type Jaguar and the Freelander 2. Big thanks to Land Rover Cars for the heads-up on this car…

Tescate Industries, Maxwell’s partner, will be providing Vanner Inc. with 460 of Maxwell’s 16-volt BMOD0500 modules. The saud modules are designed to give the power that Vanner’s starter system needed.

The modification of the Chicago Buses was approved early this year. The $1.3 million contract entitles Vanner to purchase and install the company’s StartSentry system into buses handled by the Chicago Transit Authority or CTA. Sources say that 460 CTA buses will undergo the said modification.

The project is a response to the operation difficulties that CTA often encounters during the winter season. Due to the freezing temperature in the cold months, CTA’s bus batteries loose needed voltage. The lost power forces CTA to use an external jump start to start the vehicles. The buses’ engine myst also be left running for an hour before hitting the roads.

Vanner’s StartSentry came as a solution to the CTA buses. With the capability to hold a certain charge of energy, the system will aid in the start-up of vehicles during winter months. The added features of the system will also allow the ultracapacitors to electrostatically save energy.

The 460 s StartSentrys is expected to be installed to CTA buses before the end of May of this year.

The FCBE 35 from Proterra is powered by the UQM PowerPhase 150 engine. The engine produces a maximum power of 201 horsepower and continuous power rating of 134 hp. Other major features of the vehicle include regenerative braking, voltage and speed control, and optimal four quadrant performance.

The test simulated the duty cycle of the transport bus which traversed the make shift business district and the major transportation arteries. On the central business district phase, the diesel equivalency of the electric bus was marked at 21.35 mpg. The arterial phase returned a reading of 17.55 mpg while the commuter phase had a remarkable 29.23 mpg.

Each stage of the test simulated a central business district run with 7 stops on average per mile cruising on a top speed of 20 mph. The commuter phase had 1 stop with a top speed of 40 mph.

The parameters electric bus was tested on a 38 seating capacity load amounting to a gross weight of 36680. The fuel economy test was conducted with the air conditioners of the bus turned off. Aircon use may reduce fuel mileage by as much as 30 percent.

The results of the test reveal that the fuel efficiency of the Proterra’s FCBE 35 outshines the commuter buses today by as much as 400%.

The leccy vehicle is actually a modified 3.5 ton Smith Edison Ford Transit that has been handling trash collection for the municipality. The van can be completely charged in eight hours and can run for about 100 miles.

The electric van, running on 40 kWh lithium ion batteries, collects rubbish from around 25 split bins located in central Huddersfield. The garbage van has a top speed of 50 mph.

EIW’s or Energy from Waste Stations has been installed by the community to power up this vehicle. The EIWs convert trash into energy by burning and converting it to electricity. The stations can provide the energy needed by the van to go its route the following day.

The EIWs also push additional power to the National Grid everyday. The extra 10 megawatts are all derived from the burned trash. Today, only one EIW station is capable of docking the garbage collection van for recharging.

In the United States, 17% of the garbage is being burned and converted to electricity. Fifty five per cent are being disposed in landfills while the rest are recovered and recycled.

Some experts are in doubt how environmental friendly is the process at Hudderland since suphur, nitrogen, and carbon compounds are the know byproducts of burning rubbish. But, this green Ford truck is cool, none the less!