Land Rover LRX new Concept SUV pictures and details

As you know Land Rover has their own theme for their vehicles. even the owner of the company changed, their theme has not been changed for a while. but now it seems some of their qualities are changing. because Land Rover recently announced a front-wheel drivetrain vehicle and it's the first this type vehicle of the Land Rover. they going to show this LRX Compact SUV coupe in the Paris motor show, this year. according to the records, it has a 2.2 liter diesel engine and may available in both AWD and FWD models. it has a 6 speed manual transmission and also it is says that LRX Compact SUV coupe has very low CO2 emission.

LAND ROVER, PICTURES

Trucks leaving for Jordan

Next event is Jordan Rally, and even though this is not a “long-haul” event, our trucks with equipment have a long journey going there.

Both trucks drove from Torsby in Sweden March 15 heading for the first stop; Rioz in France. In Rioz there were 24hrs of reloading before they set off for the next part of the journey, the drive to Trieste in Italy. Arrived Trieste on the 19th, loaded onto a ship that sailed off the next day. For one week now, the ship will be crossing the Mediterranean, go trough the Suez Canal before entering the Red Sea. From there it will sail to Aqaba, the only seaport in Jordan. On Saturday March 27, our truck drivers will be in Aqaba, waiting to unload the trucks from the ship. The same day they will take the trucks in a Police convoy, the 4 hrs drive up to the service-park by the Dead Sea.

On Sunday March 28, we will all be in Jordan starting to unload the trucks and building our service area.

Plastics, composites, wood skateboards and skateboard Trucks

Plastic skateboards are made of several different types of plastics and are relatively easy to make in large quantities by using injection molding manufacturing processes. Most plastic skateboards are considered cheap compared to the wooden skateboards.

Still not all plastic skateboards are flimsy or to be considered lesser. It really depends on the type of plastic used. Most riders like a fairly firm board for tricks with only a little give in the center for hard landings and spring action. All Carbon boards and composite construction boards can hold up to the scrutiny of comparison and some riders prefer them.

Skateboard Trucks that hold the wheels are one of the most important components of modern day skateboards. Generally they consist of an axle, triangular shaped hanger and a king-pin bolt. The trucks are bolted to the face-plate, which is bolted to the skateboard.

The king-pin can be loosened slightly to allow for more or less rigidity making the skateboard able to turn easier or ride stiffer for steering. The rubber grommet helps take up the space when a loser setting is chosen. The trucks on both wooden boards and plastic use the same basic principles and strategies however generally speaking the best trucks will be found attached to the more quality wooden boards.

In the future skateboards will be made of carbon nano-tube construction and they will most likely fly; Hover Boards. Indeed, a hover board will not must have a need wheels or trucks, and it will save weight and make it for the aerodynamic flight. Currently hover boards are big and bulky, but it is also changing, and many new and radical projects are under discussion.

FedEx unveils all-electric trucks for Los Angeles delivery; Challenges ahead

FedEx said Monday that four new all-electric delivery trucks will hit the road in the U.S., starting in Los Angeles in June. However, there are challenges before mainstream adoption of the vehicles.

The expansion of FedEx’s alternative-energy vehicle fleet will add the existing 1,800 trucks already deployed. By the end of June, FedEx’s alternative vehicle fleet will total 1,869.

FedEx said that it is buying the electric vehicles from two suppliers for deployment in Los Angeles. The plan is to compare the two electric platforms and then decide on a larger implementation.

Navistar will be one of the suppliers via a partnership with Modec. FedEx already uses Modec vehicles in London and will launch five more electric trucks in Paris in May. FedEx will buy two trucks from Navistar. An unnamed supplier will provide the other two trucks for delivery later in 2010.

Both pairs of vehicles will be designed to handle a full eight-hour shift from FedEx Express couriers without a recharge.

While these deployments aren’t huge, 10 trucks here and 5 vehicles there add up. Meanwhile, there’s real ROI involved since fuel is one of FedEx’s biggest expenses. FedEx is aiming to improve its overall vehicle efficiency by 20 percent in 2020.

The problem: There are a lot more challenges ahead for deploying all-electric vehicles compared to hybrids. In a blog post, John Formisano, vice president of global vehicles at FedEx Express, said:

This all-electric vehicle, though, was purpose-built, meaning every system in the vehicle must be designed, tested and built from scratch. To build an entire vehicle from scratch tests the mettle of automotive engineers and customers alike. As we think through the likelihood of this new technology becoming dominant in service to our customers in urban areas, I can foresee a few challenges. These challenges are significant, but need to be conquered to secure the energy future of the United States or any country that wants to end dependence on foreign energy sources.

Here’s a look at the challenges of bringing electric vehicle technology to the mainstream via FedEx:

Battery costs: Formisano notes that “the cost of the 80 kilowatt-hour battery needed to propel this truck and its cargo 100 miles is well above the cost of a large luxury sedan.” Obviously, the technology needs to stabilize so those costs come down.

Demand: For the costs of batteries and vehicles to come down, there has to be more demand from the customer side also. Companies like FedEx and UPS aren’t going to buy enough vehicles so manufacturers will gain scale.

Preparing the grid: Formisano notes that the grid has to get better. He writes:

I’m told that each (zero emissions) truck will be the equivalent of adding one new house to the grid for peak demand. Imagine when we are able to put the first 100 electric vehicles into one FedEx Express station, making it a completely electric vehicle station, as we did with our 100% hybrid vehicle station in the Bronx in New York City. This would be the equivalent of putting 100 houses peak electric needs into 50,000 square feet of space.

Trucks haul a lot of things

On a South Carolina Interstate, I passed a flatbed stacked with palmetto trees. The tops were cut off and the roots bagged,the trunks stacked like logs on the trailer.

I presume they're meant for planting somewhere. I hope they're hardy things.

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At a truck stop I looked across the street and saw a car hauler full of Geek Squad patrol cars. A dozen or so PT Cruisers, all ready to go rescue poor computer owners like me.

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In the evening I parked in another truck stop's parking lot, about three slots down from a yacht.

Sloop or cutter. Not new, but in good shape. Fin keel, but not a modern one.

The Aquila, out of Baltimore.