Filed under: Diesel, Audi

Audi's new Q5 crossover goes on sale in Europe this fall and in North America next spring, but Britain's CAR magazine has already had an opportunity to sample it. The Q5 is a mid-sized CUV based on the platform of the new generation A4 and will offer a choice of three engines. The 2.0L TFSI four cylinder is fueled by gasoline while the the other two engines eschew spark plugs in favor of diesel fuel. The 2.0L four cylinder diesel churns out 170 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The 3.0L V6 is the same one that will come to North America at the beginning of 2008 in the Q7. It generates 240 hp and 359 lb-ft of torque.

CAR gave a somewhat mixed review of the Q5 feeling that the even the standard 18" wheels looked small on the Q5. The magazine thought the Audi's styling was rather tame. The Q5 is about the same size as the Acura RDX. Having seen the Q5 in Germany just prior to its debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April, I have say that I thought the Q5 is quite a handsome vehicle and wears Audi's current design language well. One element CAR didn't complain about was the mileage of the Q5, especially with the 2.0L TDI they drove. In the Q5 with the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and a 7-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission, it gets 35 mpg (US) in all around driving. The torque of the 2.0L diesel was found to be more than adequate to move the Q5 capably. Unfortunately American drivers will likely only see a 3.2L FSI gasoline V6 when the Q5 launches here so we won't get anywhere any of these mileage numbers.


[Source: CAR]

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Sometimes I really miss living in the country. When I was growing up, acquiring fresh blueberries was just a matter of walking outside and picking them from one of the bushes in our yard. Getting my blueberry fix these days takes a little more effort. For the past few summers, E and I have visited a local U-pick blueberry farm where we'd spend an hour or so in the sun and come home with a couple of gallons of blueberries, some to be eaten immediately and most to be frozen for later.

Well, this year "our" U-pick farm has gone out of business, and we haven't succeeded in finding another. So we've had to make do with the next best thing: organically grown blueberries from the local natural foods store. When I saw them there a few days ago, I just had to pick up a pint; even though the cost was several times what I'd pay to pick my own, blueberries are such a part of summer to me that I couldn't pass them up.

Besides, I really needed them to make these bars, which I'd been craving for a few weeks. You won't believe how healthy they are: no refined flour, no white sugar, no added fat, no soy, and no gluten*. They're not super-sweet, but they're full of fresh fruity taste.



Blueberry-Oat Bars
(printer-friendly version)

If you prefer a sweeter bar, add more agave nectar, sugar, stevia, or your favorite sweetener to the blueberries as they are cooking. Or add a sugar glaze on top by mixing a little vegan powdered sugar with water until it's the right consistency for drizzling.

1 pint blueberries
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with enough water or juice to form a smooth paste

3 cups oatmeal* (regular, not instant)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsweetened applesauce
6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) agave nectar
6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) water
1 teaspoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 375F. Oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.

In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, agave nectar, and juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, stir in the vanilla and the cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir as the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

Put 1 1/2 cups of the oatmeal into a blender and grind it to a fine powder. Pour it into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the remaining oatmeal, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Stir in the apple sauce, agave nectar, water, and vanilla, and mix well.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing well to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon the blueberry filling over the batter, and cover the blueberries with the remaining batter.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

*Use gluten-free oats to make these gluten-free.

Makes 16 bars. Each contains 117 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 81mg Sodium; 2g Fiber. Weight Watchers 2 Flex Points.

Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, BMW, MINI

German automotive supplier Bosch has announced that it has provided nearly half a million start/stop systems for BMW and Mini since launching the system. Bosch also announced that three additional manufacturers will introduce its technology withing the next few months. If you didn't know, Start/Stop technology allows the engine to shut down when the car is not moving, for instance, during traffic jams or at red traffic lights. When the gear is engaged or the accelerator pedal is pressed, the engine automatically starts again. According to Bosch, their system cuts fuel consumption by up to five percent in the European Driving Cycle, which translates into CO₂ emissions being reduced by 8 percent. Bosch also claims that the system is more quiet and more reliable than conventional starters, and can also be used for cold starts in diesel engines.

[Source: Bosch]

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Does this man have no shame?

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Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, USA

The automotive world will be getting a new Chevy Equinox bestowed upon it for the 2009 model year, and news from General Motors now places a 2.3L direct-injected four-cylinder engine underhood. Currently, the Equinox comes equipped with a boat-anchor of a base engine in the form of a 185-horsepower 3.4L V6 engine. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a pushrod engine, as long as its been suitably updated along the way -- which this one hasn't. The only way to get a more modern powerplant is to step up to the SS version with its 3.6L V6 with 263 HP, mated to a nice six-speed automatic tranny. A nice combo to be sure, but a little heavy on the 'go' side for fans of fuel savings.

The Equinox will be joined in 2009 by the GMC Terrain, which replaces the Pontiac Torrent as the non-bowtie branded small CUV from GM. It likely goes without saying that the Terrain will also get the new four-cylinder engine. So far, we don't have specific details on the new engine from the General, but considering how good its 2.0 turbocharged DI engine is, we have high hopes that the 2.3 will be a worthy powerplant as well.

[Source: GM]

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Our waste fertilizes our fields and is pumped back into the waterways that are our major sources of drinking water. Let’s take the journey from toilet to tap, shall we? A guest post from Simran Sethi and Sarah Smarsh.

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Filed under: Gadgets and Tech, GreenTech

We've often been warned of the evils of greenwashing, and it's an inevitable phenomenon, especially since "green" and "organic" are such buzzwords lately. According to a new research study by Middlesex University industrial design student Nick Bampton, we all need to keep a diligent eye out for eco-posers.

Many of our new exciting gadgets are extremely harmful to the environment if disposed of improperly. Even products that claim to be green are only helpful until they break, then it's a whole other story. Nick's project reminds us that there are so many important factors that go into evaluating the sustainability of a product than whatever the label tells you.

 

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Filed under: Chevrolet, Lightweight, USA

Click above for more live shots of the Chevy Beat concept

We called the apparent decision by the General to bring the Beat to the U.S. a "no brainer". Unfortunately, that premature news wasn't quite based in fact, as the cool little mini-car will not be coming to American shores. Too bad, 'cause our commeners definitely agreed that the Beat would fit perfectly into Chevrolet's American lineup now that gas prices have risen to the point that they are significantly impacting the new car buying decisions by much of the U.S. population. It seems that fuel's meteoric rise didn't come soon enough for GM to engineer the Beat to meet U.S. safety or crash standards.

We have hopes that the next-generation of GM's minicar will be engineered with the U.S. market in mind. Raging successes like the Mini Cooper and, so far at least, the smart brand, have shown that a premium small car with an emphasis on fuel mileage and distinctive styling can do well, even with our exceedingly fickle buying public.


[Source: GM via Autoblog]

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A huge swath of Canada’s northern Boreal forest will be permanently protected from tree harvesting and mining as part of a plan to combat climate change, the Province of Ontario’s premier Dalton McGuinty announced Monday.

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The nets are up and the turbines are soon to replace them. See how progressive leaders in the world of big fish are rewarding their skippers with clean energy shares instead of nylon fish snares.

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